《蜉蝣——人生的一個象征》是富蘭克林借寓明志的一篇文章荠耽。
這篇散文閃爍著哲理的光輝、外交家的智慧和文學家的匠心比藻。
寓言形式將深奧嚴肅的人生哲理生動有趣地呈現(xiàn)出來铝量，老幼婦孺皆可閱讀。
文章啟用第一人稱講述银亲，并以 “You may remember, my dear friend”開篇慢叨，瞬間將讀者引入情境，仿佛正在聆聽一位好友娓娓講述务蝠，語調平靜緩慢拍谐，輕松親切。文章語言風格隨內容變化：“I”的自述部分表達口語化请梢，大量使用插入語赠尾；蜉蝣老者在講述哲理性話題時語言復雜正式，而講述自己一生時毅弧，則轉為口語化表述气嫁。
? ? ? ? 蜉蝣——人生的一個象征
親愛的朋友，上次在芍麗磨坊够坐，舉行游園會的那天寸宵，我們玩得很痛快崖面。
那天良辰美景，到會者個個是風雅仕女梯影，可是你也許還記得巫员，我們在散步的時候，我曾經(jīng)在路上停留了一會兒甲棍，落在大家后面简识。
原因是園里有很多蜉蝣的殘尸——所謂蜉蝣，是一種小昆蟲——有人指給我們看了感猛，而且據(jù)說它們的壽命很短七扰，一天之內，生生死死好幾代就過去了陪白。
我聽到之后颈走，信步走去，在一片樹葉上面咱士，發(fā)現(xiàn)了這種小蟲有一群之多立由。
它們似乎在討論什么東西——你知道我是善知蟲語的；我和你往來這么久序厉，可是你們貴國美妙的語言我學來學去锐膜，始終進步很少，我如何能替自己解嘲呢弛房？只好說我研究蟲語用心過度了枣耀。
現(xiàn)在這批小蟲在舉行辯論，我好奇心動庭再，不免湊上前去偷聽一番；可是蟲雖小牺堰，它們的心卻大拄轻，開起口來，都是三四個一起來的伟葫，因此聽來很不清楚恨搓。
偶爾斷斷續(xù)續(xù)也可聽清一兩句，原來它們正在熱烈討論兩位外國音樂家的優(yōu)劣比較——那兩位筏养，一位是蚋先生斧抱，一位是蚊先生：討論得非常之熱烈，它們似乎忘記了“蟲生”的短促渐溶，好像很有把握可以活滿一個月似的辉浦。你們多快樂呀，我這么想茎辐，你們的政府一定是賢明公正宪郊、寬仁待民的掂恕，? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ?
你們沒有牢騷可發(fā)，你們也用不著鬧黨派斗爭弛槐，你們竟有閑情逸致在這里討論外國音樂的優(yōu)劣懊亡。
我轉過頭來，看見另一片樹葉上有一頭白發(fā)老蜉蝣乎串，它一個正在自言自語店枣。我聽得很有趣，因此把它筆錄下來叹誉。
我的好朋友的深情厚誼鸯两，我已領受很多，她的清風明月的風度桂对，她的妙音雅奏甩卓，一向使我傾倒不已，我這一段筆記蕉斜，無非博她一粲逾柿，聊作報答而已。
老蜉蝣說道：“我們的哲人學者宅此，在很久很久以前机错，以為我們這個宇宙（即是所謂芍麗磨坊），其壽命不會超過十八小時的父腕。
我想這話不無道理弱匪，因為自然界蕓蕓眾生，無不倚賴太陽為生璧亮，但是太陽正在自東往西地移動萧诫，就在我的這一生，很明顯的太陽已經(jīng)落得很低枝嘶，快要沉到我們地球盡處的海洋里去了帘饶。
太陽西沉，為大地周圍的海洋所吞群扶，世界變成一片寒冷黑暗及刻，一切生命無疑都將滅亡，地球歸于毀滅竞阐。
地球的壽命一共18小時缴饭，我已經(jīng)活了7個小時了，說起來時間也真不少骆莹，足足有420分鐘呢颗搂！我們之間有幾個能夠如此克享高壽的呢？
我看見好幾代蜉蝣出生幕垦、長大峭火，最后又死去毁习。我現(xiàn)在的朋友只是些我青年時代朋友的子孫，可是他們本身卖丸，咳纺且，現(xiàn)在是都已不在‘蟲世'了，我追隨他們于地下的時候也不遠稍浆，
因為現(xiàn)在我雖然仍舊步履輕健载碌，但天下無不死之蟲，我頂多也只能再活七八分鐘而已衅枫。我現(xiàn)在還是辛辛苦苦地在這片樹葉上搜集蜜露嫁艇，可是這有什么用呢？
我所收藏的弦撩，我自己是吃不到了步咪。回憶我這一生益楼，為了我們這樹叢里同胞的福利猾漫，我參加過多少次政治斗爭；可有法律而無道德配合感凤，政治仍舊不能清明悯周，因此為了增進全體蜉蝣類的智慧。
我又研究過多少種哲學問題陪竿！‘道心惟微禽翼，蟲心惟危'，我們現(xiàn)在這一族蜉蝣必須隨時戒慎警惕族跛，否則一不小心闰挡，在幾分鐘之內，就可以變得像別的樹叢里歷史較為悠久的別族蜉蝣一樣礁哄，道德淪亡解总，萬劫不復！
我們在哲學方面的成就又是多么的渺薪憬觥！嗚呼刻盐，我生也有涯而知也無涯掏膏。我的朋友常常都來安慰我，說我年高德劭敦锌，為蜉蝣中之大老馒疹，身后之名，必可流傳千古乙墙。
可是蜉蝣已死颖变，還要身后名何用生均？何況到了第十八小時的時候，整個芍麗磨坊都將毀滅腥刹，世界末日已臨马胧，還談得上什么歷史嗎？”
我勞碌一生衔峰，別無樂趣佩脊，唯有想起世間眾生，無分人蟲垫卤，如能長壽而為公眾謀利者威彰，這是可以引為自慰的；再則聽聽蜉蝣小姐蜉蝣太太們的高談闊論穴肘，或者偶然從那可愛的白夫人那里歇盼，得到巧笑一顧，或者是清歌一曲评抚，我的暮年也得到慰藉了豹缀。
? ? ? ? ? ? ? 英文正文
You may remember, my dear friend, that when we lately spend that happy day in the delightful garden and sweet society of the Moulin Joly, I stopped a little in one of our walks, and stayed some time behind the company.
We had been shown numberless skeletons of a kind of little fly, called an ephemera, whose successive generations, we were told, were bred and expired.within the day. I happened to see a living company of them on a leaf, who appeared to be engaged in conversation.
You know I understand all the inferior animal tongues. My too great application to the study of them is the best excuse I can give for the little progress I have made in your charming language. I listened through curiosity to the discourse of these little creatures; but as they, in their national vivacity，spoke three or four together, I could make but little of their convversation.
I found, however, by some broken expressions that I heard now and then, they were disputing warmly on the merit of two foreign musicians, one a cousin, the other a moscheto; in which dispute they spent their time, seemingly as regardless of the shortness of life as if they had been sure of living a month. Happy people! thought I; you are certainly under a wise, just, and mild government, since you have no public grievances to complain of, nor any subject of contention but the perfections and imperfections of foreign music. I turned my head from them to an old gray-headed one, who was single on another leaf, and talking to himself.
Being amused with his soliloquy, I put it down in writing, in hopes it will likewise amuse her to whom I am so much indebted for the most pleasing of all amusements, her delicious company and heavenly harmony.
“It was,” said he, “the opinion of learned philosophers of our race, who lived and flourishedlong before my time, that this vast world, the Moulin Joly, could not? itself subsist more than eighteen hours; and I think there was some foundation for that opinion, since, by the apparent motion of the great luminary? that gives life to all nature, and which in my time has evidently declined considerably towards the ocean at the end of our earth, it must then finish its course, be extinguished in the waters that surround us, and leave the world in cold and darkness, necessarily producing universal death and destruction. I have lived seven of those hours, a great age, being no less than four hundred and twenty minutes of time. How very few of us continue so long! I have seen generations born, flourish, and expire.
My present friends are the children and grandchildren of the friends of my youth, who are now, also, no more! And I must soon follow them; for, by the course of nature, though still in health, I cannot expect to live above seven or eight minutes longer.
What now avails all my toil and labor in amassing honey-dew on this leaf, which I cannot live to enjoy!
What the political struggles I have been engaged in for the good of my compatriot inhabitants of this bush, or my philosophical studies for the benefit of our race in general! for in politics what can laws do without morals?
Our present race of ephemera will in a course of minutes become corrupt, like those of other and older bushes, and consequently as wretched.And in philosophy how small our progress! Alas! Art is long, and life is short! My friends would comfort me with the idea of a name they say I shall leave behind me; and they tell me I have lived long enough to nature and to glory.
But what will fame be to an ephemera who no longer exists? And what will become of all history in the eighteenth hour, when the world itself, even the whole Moulin Joly, shall come to its end and be buried in universal ruin?”
To me, after all my eager pursuits, no solid pleasures now remain, but the reflection of a long life spent in meaning well, the sensible conversation of a few good lady ephemera, and now and then a kind smile and a tune from the ever amiable Brillante.
本杰明·富蘭克林(1706—1790)盈咳，美國著名的政治家耿眉、外交家、哲學家鱼响、文學家鸣剪。以及美國獨立戰(zhàn)爭的偉大領袖。? ? ?
