June 25, 1745.
My dear friend:
I know of no medicine fit to diminish the violent natural inclination you mention, and if I did, I think I should not communicate it to you. Marriage is the proper remedy1. It is the most natural state of man, and therefore the state in which you will find solid happiness. Your reason against entering into it at present appears to be not well founded. The circumstantial advantages you have in view by postponing it, are not only uncertain, but they are small in comparison with2 the thing itself, the being married and settled. It is the man and woman united that makes the complete human being. Separate she wants his force of body and strength of reason; he her softness, sensibility and acute discernment. Together they are most likely to succeed in the world. A single man has not nearly the value he would have in that state of union. He is an incomplete animal. He resembles the odd half of a pair of scissors.
If you get a prudent, healthy wife, your industry in your profession, with her good economy, will be a fortune sufficient.
But if you will not take this counsel,3 and persist in thinking a commerce with the sex is inevitable, then I repeat my former advice that in your amours you should prefer old women to young ones. This you call a paradox,4 and demand my reasons. They are these:
l. Because they have more knowledge of the world, and their minds are better stored with observations; their conversation is more improving, and more lastingly agreeable.
2. Because when women cease to be handsome, they study to be good. To maintain their influence over man, they supply the diminution of beauty by an augmentation of utility. They learn to do a thousand services, small and great, and are the most tender and useful of all friends when you are sick. Thus they continue amiable. And hence there is hardly such a thing to be found as an old woman who is not a good woman
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......
Thus much for my paradox. But still I advise you to marry immediately; being sincerely
Your Affectionate Friend,
Benj. Franklin
inclination n.（性格上的）倾向
not well founded 没有充分的根据
circumstantial adj. 依照情况推定（但无实证）的
discernment n. 识别力
industry n. 勤奋
economy n. 节俭
amour n. 风流韵事
paradox n. 矛盾
augmentation n. 增加
amiable adj. 和蔼可亲的
affectionate adj. 亲爱的
中译 富兰克林致青年朋友书（节选）
1745年6月25日
我亲爱的朋友：
我不知道有什么良药可以缓和你提到的那种强烈的本能的欲望；即使我知道，我也不会告诉你。结婚是最适宜的疗法。这是人类最自然的状态，你可以从中找得真正的快乐。你不愿现在就结婚的理由似乎并不充分。你想到的那些推迟结婚的间接利益不仅靠不住，而且和结婚成家本身比起来，也是微不足道的。只有男人和女人结合在一起，才是一个完整的人。分开来，女的缺少男的那强壮的体格和坚毅的理智；男的缺少女的那种温柔、敏感和锐利的辨别力。合在一起，他们在社会上就能大有作为。一个单身汉的价值远远不如他在结婚后那么大。他是一头残缺不全的动物，一把只有一股的剪刀。
如果你娶一个既节俭又健壮的妻子，你在事业上的勤奋努力加上她的省吃俭用，就会积聚成一份殷实的家业。
可是，如果你不听我的劝告，还是认为同女性泛交是无法避免的事，那么，我重复我以前对你的忠告：找情人时，应挑选老妇人，不要挑选年轻女子。你说我的忠告似是而非，要我说出理由来。我的理由如下：
一、因为她们经验比较丰富，见识较广；谈吐比较有益而趣味隽永。
二、因为女人失去美貌后，就一心一意要学好。为了保持她们对男人的影响，她们用增加实用价值来弥补美貌的减损。她们学会千百种为男人效劳的大小办法；当你生病时，她们是你最温存、帮助最大的亲人。这样，她们就保持了可爱之处。因此，几乎找不到一个不是好妇人的老妇人。
…………
我这番谬论到此为止，不过，我还是劝你立即结婚。
你诚挚而亲密的朋友，
本杰明·富兰克林
原来如此！
你可能不知道谁是富兰克林（Benjamin Franklin, 1706-1790），但如果我告诉你他的头像出现在一百元美钞上，你就知道他是美国的一个伟大政治家。同时，他也是发明家，他曾经用放风筝的方法，把雷电的电荷引到地面，证明大气中的电荷与普通的电荷一样。这一实验成功之后，他创造了避雷针。这件事反映出他富于创意、头脑冷静、善于分析，与本信所表现的风格毫无二致。
在信中，富兰克林的智慧和幽默感表露无遗。首先，他指出婚姻可使男女互补对方不足，只有男女结合，人生才算圆满。他劝告的对象——那位“青年朋友”的身份至今未能确定，但显然属于“多情种子”一类。针对这种滥情，富兰克林并非板起面孔，以道学先生的形象加以训斥，反而列出种种“理由”，劝此君选情人时选个老妇。他采用反讽笔法，语中带刺，然而在结尾时他笔锋一转，归结到“正题”，劝友人立即结婚。
妙笔生花
这封信一个鲜明的特色是极具幽默感 (sense of humour)，文中采用了一些修辞手段使内容更生动、更富幽默，例如： 比喻 (metaphor)：男人没有配偶是an incomplete animal，又好像the odd half of a pair of scissors。
对比 (contrast)：...she wants his force of body and strength of reason; he her softness, sensibility and acute discernment /... they supply the diminution of beauty by an augmentation of utility 夸张 (hyperbole)：They (older women) learn to do a thousand services, small and great, and are the most tender and useful of all friends...
增值英语
1 Marriage is the proper remedy
remedy (n.) 的意思是“治疗法；补偿”：
Now that you’ve made a mistake, the only remedy is to apologize to him. 现在你犯了错，只有一个补救方法，就是向他道歉。
remedy 也可做动词：
To remedy the situation, you must work doubly hard. 要补救事情，你必须付出双倍努力。
remedial 是形容词，常用于 remedial measure / action 补救性措施、行动；remedial course / lesson 补习课：
Take remedial action before it is too late. 要采取补救行动以免太迟。
2 ...but they are small in comparison with the thing itself.
句式 in comparison with sb / sth 指与某人 / 某事物 相比（之下）：
The price of a Canadian house is cheap in comparison with that of a flat in Hong Kong. 加拿大一座房子的价钱比香港的一个住宅单位便宜。
句式 可以用 compared with 代替：
Mary’s results are remarkable compared with her classmates’.
比起其他同学，玛丽的成绩出众。
注意 compared to 含义却不同，指“比作”或“以……为比喻”：
Addiction to drugs can be compared to suicide. 沉迷吸毒可比作自杀。
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3 But if you will not take this counsel...
counsel (n.) 解作“忠告，劝告”(= advice)：
The school counsellor gives counsel to students. 学校辅导员为学生提供忠告。
counsel 也可用作动词 (= advise)，是个正式用法：
He counseled them not to carry out that futile plan. 他忠告他们切勿实行那个徒劳的计划。
注 美国一般称律师为 counsel。
注意 切勿与同音词 council（议会）和 councillor（议员）混淆。此外consul则指“领事”。
4 This you call a paradox.
paradox (n.) 指有矛盾的情况或似是而非、有讽刺性的话：
Physical exercise can help you slim down, but the paradox of it is that while it consumes energy, it also requires the intake of more energy. 运动可以减肥，但矛盾的是运动消耗能量之时又需要摄取更多能量。
形容词为 paradoxical：
It is paradoxical that he should turn to his rival for help in such time of trouble. 他在此困难时刻要转向对手求助，可谓矛盾。