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Four Great Americans: Washington, Franklin, Webster, Lincoln. A Book for Young Americans by James Baldwin, THE STORY OF BENJAMIN FRANKLIN. XIII.—FRANKLIN'S SERVICES TO THE COLONIES.

THE STORY OF BENJAMIN FRANKLIN. XIII.—FRANKLIN'S SERVICES TO THE COLONIES.

And so, as you have seen, Benjamin Franklin became in time one of the foremost men in our country.

In 1753, when he was forty-five years old, he was made deputy postmaster-general for America.

He was to have a salary of about $3,000 a year, and was to pay his own assistants.

People were astonished when he proposed to have the mail carried regularly once every week between New York and Boston.

Letters starting from Philadelphia on Monday morning would reach Boston the next Saturday night. This was thought to be a wonderful and almost impossible feat. But nowadays, letters leaving Philadelphia at midnight are read at the breakfast table in Boston the next morning.

At that time there were not seventy post-offices in the whole country. There are now more than seventy thousand.

Benjamin Franklin held the office of deputy postmaster-general for the American colonies for twenty-one years.

In 1754 there was a meeting of the leading men of all the colonies at Albany. There were fears of a war with the French and Indians of Canada, and the colonies had sent these men to plan some means of defence.

Benjamin Franklin was one of the men from Pennsylvania at this meeting.

He presented a plan for the union of the colonies, and it was adopted. But our English rulers said it was too democratic, and refused to let it go into operation.

This scheme of Franklin's set the people of the colonies to thinking. Why should the colonies not unite? Why should they not help one another, and thus form one great country?

And so, we may truthfully say that it was Benjamin Franklin who first put into men's minds the idea of the great Union which we now call the United States of America. The people of the colonies were not happy under the rule of the English. One by one, laws were made which they looked upon as oppressive and burdensome. These laws were not intended to benefit the American people, but were designed to enrich the merchants and politicians of England.

In 1757 the people of Pennsylvania, Massachusetts, Maryland, and Georgia, decided to send some one to England to petition against these oppressions.

In all the colonies there was no man better fitted for this business than Benjamin Franklin. And so he was the man sent.

The fame of the great American had gone before him. Everybody seemed anxious to do him honor.

He met many of the leading men of the day, and he at last succeeded in gaining the object of his mission.

But such business moved slowly in those times. Five years passed before he was ready to return to America.

He reached Philadelphia in November, 1762, and the colonial assembly of Pennsylvania thanked him publicly for his great services.

But new troubles soon came up between the colonies and the government in England. Other laws were passed, more oppressive than before.

It was proposed to tax the colonies, and to force the colonists to buy stamped paper. This last act was called the Stamp Tax, and the American people opposed it with all their might.

Scarcely had Franklin been at home two years when he was again sent to England to plead the cause of his countrymen.

This time he remained abroad for more than ten years; but he was not so successful as before.

In 1774 he appeared before the King's council to present a petition from the people of Massachusetts. He was now a venerable man nearly seventy years of age. He was the most famous man of America.

His petition was rejected. He himself was shamefully insulted and abused by one of the members of the council. The next day he was dismissed from the office of deputy postmaster-general of America.

In May, 1775, he was again at home in Philadelphia.

Two weeks before his arrival the battle of Lexington had been fought, and the war of the Revolution had been begun.

Franklin had done all that he could to persuade the English king to deal justly with the American colonies. But the king and his counsellors had refused to listen to him.

During his ten years abroad he had not stayed all the time in England. He had traveled in many countries of Europe, and had visited Paris several times.

Many changes had taken place while he was absent.

His wife, Mrs. Deborah Franklin, had died. His parents and fifteen of his brothers and sisters had also been laid in the grave.

The rest of his days were to be spent in the service of his country, to which he had already given nearly twenty years of his life.

THE STORY OF BENJAMIN FRANKLIN. XIII.—FRANKLIN'S SERVICES TO THE COLONIES. DIE GESCHICHTE VON BENJAMIN FRANKLIN. XIII. FRANKLINS DIENSTE FÜR DIE KOLONIEN. THE STORY OF BENJAMIN FRANKLIN. XIII.—FRANKLIN'S SERVICES TO THE COLONIES. LA HISTORIA DE BENJAMIN FRANKLIN. XIII.-SERVICIOS DE FRANKLIN A LAS COLONIAS. LA STORIA DI BENJAMIN FRANKLIN. XIII.- I SERVIZI DI FRANKLIN ALLE COLONIE. A HISTÓRIA DE BENJAMIN FRANKLIN. XIII.-SERVIÇOS DE FRANKLIN ÀS COLÓNIAS. BENJAMIN FRANKLIN'İN HİKAYESİ. XIII.-FRANKLIN'İN KOLONİLERE HİZMETLERİ. 本杰明·富兰克林的故事。 XIII.——富兰克林对殖民地的服务。

And so, as you have seen, Benjamin Franklin became in time one of the foremost men in our country. E assim, como viram, Benjamin Franklin tornou-se, com o tempo, um dos homens mais importantes do nosso país. Gördüğünüz gibi Benjamin Franklin zaman içinde ülkemizin en önde gelen kişilerinden biri haline geldi. І тому, як ви бачили, Бенджамін Франклін з часом став одним із видатних людей нашої країни. 因此,正如您所看到的,本杰明·富兰克林最终成为我国最重要的人物之一。

In 1753, when he was forty-five years old, he was made deputy postmaster-general for America. Em 1753, com quarenta e cinco anos de idade, foi nomeado vice-coordenador dos correios da América. 1753 yılında, kırk beş yaşındayken, Amerika'nın posta genel müdür yardımcılığına getirildi. У 1753 році, коли йому було сорок п'ять років, він був призначений заступником генерального поштмейстера Америки. 1753年,45岁的他被任命为美国邮政副局长。

He was to have a salary of about $3,000 a year, and was to pay his own assistants. Receberia um salário de cerca de 3.000 dólares por ano e pagaria os seus próprios assistentes. Yılda yaklaşık 3.000 dolar maaş alacak ve kendi yardımcılarına ödeme yapacaktı. Він мав отримувати зарплату близько 3000 доларів на рік і оплачувати власних помічників. 他的年薪约为 3,000 美元,并支付他自己的助手的工资。

People were astonished when he proposed to have the mail carried regularly once every week between New York and Boston. As pessoas ficaram espantadas quando ele propôs que o correio fosse transportado regularmente uma vez por semana entre Nova Iorque e Boston. New York ve Boston arasında her hafta düzenli olarak posta taşınmasını önerdiğinde insanlar hayretler içinde kaldı. Люди були здивовані, коли він запропонував регулярно перевозити пошту один раз на тиждень між Нью-Йорком і Бостоном. 当他提议每周定期在纽约和波士顿之间运送一次邮件时,人们感到惊讶。

Letters starting from Philadelphia on Monday morning would reach Boston the next Saturday night. As cartas que partiam de Filadélfia na segunda-feira de manhã chegavam a Boston no sábado à noite. Pazartesi sabahı Philadelphia'dan yola çıkan mektuplar bir sonraki Cumartesi gecesi Boston'a ulaşıyordu. Листи, що відправлялися з Філадельфії в понеділок вранці, мали прийти до Бостона наступної суботи ввечері. 周一早上从费城发出的信件将在下周六晚上到达波士顿。 This was thought to be a wonderful and almost impossible feat. Pensava-se que se tratava de uma proeza maravilhosa e quase impossível. Bunun harika ve neredeyse imkansız bir başarı olduğu düşünülüyordu. Це вважалося чудовим і майже неможливим подвигом. 这被认为是一项奇妙而又几乎不可能的壮举。 But nowadays, letters leaving Philadelphia at midnight are read at the breakfast table in Boston the next morning. Mas hoje em dia, as cartas que saem de Filadélfia à meia-noite são lidas à mesa do pequeno-almoço em Boston na manhã seguinte. Ancak günümüzde, Philadelphia'dan gece yarısı yola çıkan mektuplar ertesi sabah Boston'daki kahvaltı masasında okunuyor. Але в наші дні листи, що відправляються з Філадельфії опівночі, читаються за сніданком у Бостоні наступного ранку. 但如今,午夜离开费城的信件第二天早上就会在波士顿的早餐桌上阅读。

At that time there were not seventy post-offices in the whole country. Nessa altura, não existiam setenta estações de correio em todo o país. O zamanlar tüm ülkede yetmişten fazla postane yoktu. У той час у всій країні не було сімдесяти поштових відділень. There are now more than seventy thousand. Atualmente, são mais de setenta mil. 现在已经有七万多人了。

Benjamin Franklin held the office of deputy postmaster-general for the American colonies for twenty-one years. Benjamin Franklin ocupou o cargo de vice-postulador-geral das colónias americanas durante vinte e um anos. Benjamin Franklin yirmi bir yıl boyunca Amerikan kolonilerinin posta genel müdür yardımcılığı görevini yürüttü. Бенджамін Франклін обіймав посаду заступника генерального поштмейстера американських колоній протягом двадцяти одного року. 本杰明·富兰克林担任美洲殖民地邮政副局长一职长达二十一年。

In 1754 there was a meeting of the leading men of all the colonies at Albany. Em 1754, houve uma reunião dos principais homens de todas as colónias em Albany. 1754 yılında Albany'de tüm kolonilerin önde gelenlerinin katıldığı bir toplantı yapıldı. У 1754 році в Олбані відбулася нарада керівників усіх колоній. 1754 年,所有殖民地的领导人在奥尔巴尼召开了一次会议。 There were fears of a war with the French and Indians of Canada, and the colonies had sent these men to plan some means of defence. Temia-se uma guerra com os franceses e os índios do Canadá e as colónias tinham enviado estes homens para planearem meios de defesa. Kanada'daki Fransızlar ve Kızılderililerle bir savaş çıkmasından korkuluyordu ve koloniler bu adamları bazı savunma yöntemleri planlamaları için göndermişti. Існували побоювання війни з французами та індіанцями Канади, і колонії послали цих людей, щоб спланувати деякі засоби оборони. 人们担心与加拿大的法国人和印第安人发生战争,殖民地派遣这些人计划一些防御手段。

Benjamin Franklin was one of the men from Pennsylvania at this meeting. Benjamin Franklin era um dos homens da Pensilvânia presentes nesta reunião. Benjamin Franklin bu toplantıya Pennsylvania'dan katılanlardan biriydi.

He presented a plan for the union of the colonies, and it was adopted. Apresentou um plano para a união das colónias, que foi adotado. Kolonilerin birleşmesi için bir plan sundu ve bu plan kabul edildi. Він представив план об'єднання колоній, і він був прийнятий. 他提出了一项殖民地联合计划,并获得通过。 But our English rulers said it was too democratic, and refused to let it go into operation. Mas os nossos governantes ingleses consideraram-na demasiado democrática e recusaram-se a deixá-la entrar em funcionamento. Ancak İngiliz yöneticilerimiz bunun çok demokratik olduğunu söyleyerek yürürlüğe girmesine izin vermediler. Але наші англійські правителі сказали, що це надто демократично, і відмовилися дозволити йому ввести в дію. 但我们的英国统治者说它过于民主,并拒绝让它实施。

This scheme of Franklin's set the people of the colonies to thinking. Este esquema de Franklin pôs o povo das colónias a pensar. Franklin'in bu planı kolonilerdeki insanları düşünmeye sevk etti. Ця схема Франкліна змусила людей колоній задуматися. 富兰克林的这个计划引起了殖民地人民的思考。 Why should the colonies not unite? Porque é que as colónias não se devem unir? Koloniler neden birleşmesin? Чому б колоніям не об'єднатися? Why should they not help one another, and thus form one great country? Porque é que não se hão-de ajudar uns aos outros, formando assim um grande país? Neden birbirlerine yardım etmesinler ve böylece büyük bir ülke oluşturmasınlar? Чому б їм не допомогти один одному і таким чином утворити одну велику державу? 为什么他们不应该互相帮助,从而形成一个伟大的国家呢?

And so, we may truthfully say that it was Benjamin Franklin who first put into men's minds the idea of the great Union which we now call the United States of America. Assim, podemos dizer com toda a verdade que foi Benjamin Franklin quem primeiro pôs na mente dos homens a ideia da grande União a que hoje chamamos Estados Unidos da América. Bu nedenle, şu anda Amerika Birleşik Devletleri olarak adlandırdığımız büyük Birlik fikrini insanların zihnine ilk kez Benjamin Franklin'in yerleştirdiğini söyleyebiliriz. 因此,我们可以诚实地说,是本杰明·富兰克林第一个将我们现在称为美利坚合众国的伟大联邦的理念灌输到人们的头脑中。 The people of the colonies were not happy under the rule of the English. O povo das colónias não era feliz sob o domínio dos ingleses. Kolonilerdeki insanlar İngilizlerin yönetimi altında mutlu değildi. Люди колоній не були щасливі під владою англійців. One by one, laws were made which they looked upon as oppressive and burdensome. Uma a uma, foram feitas leis que eles consideravam opressivas e pesadas. Birer birer, baskıcı ve külfetli olarak gördükleri yasalar çıkarıldı. Один за одним приймалися закони, які вони вважали гнітючими й обтяжливими. 他们一一制定了法律,认为这些法律是压迫性的、繁重的。 These laws were not intended to benefit the American people, but were designed to enrich the merchants and politicians of England. Estas leis não se destinavam a beneficiar o povo americano, mas sim a enriquecer os comerciantes e os políticos de Inglaterra. Bu yasalar Amerikan halkının yararına değil, İngiltere'deki tüccarları ve politikacıları zenginleştirmek için tasarlanmıştı. Ці закони не мали на меті принести користь американському народу, а мали на меті збагатити торговців і політиків Англії. 这些法律并不是为了造福美国人民,而是为了让英国商人和政客致富。

In 1757 the people of Pennsylvania, Massachusetts, Maryland, and Georgia, decided to send some one to England to petition against these oppressions. Em 1757, os habitantes da Pensilvânia, Massachusetts, Maryland e Geórgia decidiram enviar alguém a Inglaterra para apresentar uma petição contra estas opressões. 1757 yılında Pennsylvania, Massachusetts, Maryland ve Georgia halkı, bu baskılara karşı dilekçe vermek üzere İngiltere'ye birilerini göndermeye karar verdi. 1757 年,宾夕法尼亚州、马萨诸塞州、马里兰州和佐治亚州的人民决定派人前往英国请愿,反对这些压迫。

In all the colonies there was no man better fitted for this business than Benjamin Franklin. Em todas as colónias não havia homem mais apto para este negócio do que Benjamin Franklin. Tüm kolonilerde bu iş için Benjamin Franklin'den daha uygun bir adam yoktu. В усіх колоніях не було людини, придатнішої для цієї справи краще, ніж Бенджамін Франклін. And so he was the man sent. Ve böylece gönderilen adam o oldu. І тому він був посланим чоловіком. 所以他就是被派来的人。

The fame of the great American had gone before him. A fama do grande americano tinha-o ultrapassado. Büyük Amerikalı'nın ünü ondan önce gitmişti. Слава великого американця пішла до нього. 这位伟大的美国人的名声已经在他之前消失了。 Everybody seemed anxious to do him honor. Toda a gente parecia ansiosa por lhe prestar honra. Herkes onu onurlandırmak için can atıyor gibiydi. Усі, здавалося, прагнули віддати йому честь. 每个人似乎都渴望向他致敬。

He met many of the leading men of the day, and he at last succeeded in gaining the object of his mission. Conheceu muitos dos principais homens da época e, por fim, conseguiu alcançar o objetivo da sua missão. Günün önde gelen birçok adamıyla tanıştı ve sonunda misyonunun amacına ulaşmayı başardı. Він зустрічався з багатьма провідними людьми того часу, і йому нарешті вдалося досягти мети своєї місії. 他结识了当时的许多杰出人物,并最终成功地达到了他的使命目标。

But such business moved slowly in those times. Mas, nessa altura, os negócios eram lentos. Але такий бізнес у ті часи просувався повільно. 但当时此类业务进展缓慢。 Five years passed before he was ready to return to America. Amerika'ya dönmeye hazır olana kadar beş yıl geçti. Минуло п'ять років, перш ніж він був готовий повернутися до Америки.

He reached Philadelphia in November, 1762, and the colonial assembly of Pennsylvania thanked him publicly for his great services. Chegou a Filadélfia em novembro de 1762 e a assembleia colonial da Pensilvânia agradeceu-lhe publicamente os seus grandes serviços. Kasım 1762'de Philadelphia'ya ulaştı ve Pennsylvania koloni meclisi büyük hizmetleri için kendisine açıkça teşekkür etti. Він досяг Філадельфії в листопаді 1762 року, і колоніальна асамблея Пенсільванії публічно подякувала йому за його великі заслуги. 1762 年 11 月,他抵达费城,宾夕法尼亚州殖民地议会公开感谢他的伟大服务。

But new troubles soon came up between the colonies and the government in England. Ancak kısa süre sonra koloniler ile İngiltere hükümeti arasında yeni sorunlar ortaya çıktı. Але незабаром між колоніями та урядом Англії виникли нові проблеми. 但殖民地和英国政府之间很快就出现了新的麻烦。 Other laws were passed, more oppressive than before. Foram aprovadas outras leis, mais opressivas do que as anteriores. Öncekinden daha baskıcı başka yasalar da çıkarıldı. Були прийняті інші закони, більш репресивні, ніж раніше.

It was proposed to tax the colonies, and to force the colonists to buy stamped paper. Foi proposto tributar as colónias e obrigar os colonos a comprar papel selado. Kolonilerden vergi alınması ve kolonicilerin damgalı kağıt almaya zorlanması önerildi. Пропонувалося обкласти колонії податком, а колоністів змусити купувати гербовий папір. 有人提议对殖民地征税,并强迫殖民者购买印有邮票的纸张。 This last act was called the Stamp Tax, and the American people opposed it with all their might. Este último ato foi designado por Imposto do Selo e o povo americano opôs-se-lhe com todas as suas forças. Bu son yasaya Damga Vergisi adı verildi ve Amerikan halkı tüm gücüyle buna karşı çıktı. Цей останній акт був названий гербовим податком, і американський народ виступив проти нього всіма силами. 最后一项法案被称为印花税,美国人民竭力反对。

Scarcely had Franklin been at home two years when he was again sent to England to plead the cause of his countrymen. Mal Franklin estava em casa há dois anos, foi novamente enviado para Inglaterra para defender a causa dos seus compatriotas. Franklin ülkesine döneli henüz iki yıl olmamıştı ki, yurttaşlarının davasını savunmak üzere yeniden İngiltere'ye gönderildi. Не минуло Франкліна вдома й двох років, як його знову відправили до Англії виступати за справу своїх співвітчизників. 富兰克林在家刚两年,就再次被派往英国为同胞辩护。

This time he remained abroad for more than ten years; but he was not so successful as before. Desta vez, permaneceu no estrangeiro durante mais de dez anos, mas não foi tão bem sucedido como antes. Bu kez on yıldan fazla bir süre yurtdışında kaldı; ancak eskisi kadar başarılı olamadı. Цього разу він залишився за кордоном більше десяти років; але він не був таким успішним, як раніше. 这次他在国外一呆就是十几年。但他没有以前那么成功了。

In 1774 he appeared before the King's council to present a petition from the people of Massachusetts. 1774 yılında Massachusetts halkından gelen bir dilekçeyi sunmak üzere Kral'ın konseyinin huzuruna çıktı. У 1774 році він з'явився перед Королівською радою, щоб представити петицію від жителів Массачусетсу. 1774 年,他出现在国王会议上,提交了马萨诸塞州人民的请愿书。 He was now a venerable man nearly seventy years of age. Artık yetmiş yaşına yaklaşmış saygıdeğer bir adamdı. Зараз він був поважним чоловіком, йому було майже сімдесят років. 如今,他已经是一位年近七十的老人了。 He was the most famous man of America. Amerika'nın en ünlü adamıydı.

His petition was rejected. Dilekçesi reddedildi. Його клопотання було відхилено. 他的请愿被驳回。 He himself was shamefully insulted and abused by one of the members of the council. Ele próprio foi vergonhosamente insultado e maltratado por um dos membros do Conselho. Kendisi de konsey üyelerinden biri tarafından utanç verici bir şekilde hakarete ve tacize uğramıştır. Він сам зазнав ганебної образи та образи від одного з членів ради. 他本人也遭到了一名理事会成员的可耻侮辱和辱骂。 The next day he was dismissed from the office of deputy postmaster-general of America. No dia seguinte, foi demitido do cargo de diretor-geral adjunto dos correios da América. Ertesi gün Amerika posta genel müdür yardımcılığı görevinden azledildi. Наступного дня його звільнили з посади заступника генерального поштмейстера Америки. 第二天,他被解除了美国邮政副局长的职务。

In May, 1775, he was again at home in Philadelphia. Mayıs 1775'te yine Philadelphia'daki evindeydi.

Two weeks before his arrival the battle of Lexington had been fought, and the war of the Revolution had been begun. Duas semanas antes da sua chegada, a batalha de Lexington tinha sido travada e a guerra da Revolução tinha começado. Onun gelişinden iki hafta önce Lexington Savaşı yapılmış ve Devrim Savaşı başlamıştı. За два тижні до його прибуття відбулася битва під Лексінгтоном і почалася Революційна війна. 在他到达之前两周,列克星敦战役已经打响,革命战争已经开始。

Franklin had done all that he could to persuade the English king to deal justly with the American colonies. Franklin tinha feito tudo o que estava ao seu alcance para persuadir o rei inglês a lidar de forma justa com as colónias americanas. Franklin, İngiliz kralını Amerikan kolonilerine adil davranmaya ikna etmek için elinden geleni yapmıştı. Франклін зробив усе, що міг, щоб переконати англійського короля справедливо поводитися з американськими колоніями. But the king and his counsellors had refused to listen to him. Ancak kral ve danışmanları onu dinlemeyi reddettiler. 但国王和他的谋士拒绝听他的。

During his ten years abroad he had not stayed all the time in England. Durante os dez anos em que esteve no estrangeiro, não permaneceu todo o tempo em Inglaterra. Yurtdışında geçirdiği on yıl boyunca sürekli İngiltere'de kalmamıştı. 在国外的十年里,他并没有一直留在英国。 He had traveled in many countries of Europe, and had visited Paris several times. Avrupa'nın birçok ülkesini gezmiş ve Paris'i birkaç kez ziyaret etmişti.

Many changes had taken place while he was absent. Muitas mudanças ocorreram durante a sua ausência. O yokken pek çok değişiklik olmuştu. 在他不在的期间,发生了很多变化。

His wife, Mrs. Deborah Franklin, had died. 他的妻子黛博拉·富兰克林夫人去世了。 His parents and fifteen of his brothers and sisters had also been laid in the grave. Os seus pais e quinze dos seus irmãos e irmãs também foram sepultados. Anne babası ve on beş erkek ve kız kardeşi de mezara konulmuştu. Його батьки та п'ятнадцять його братів і сестер також були покладені в могилу. 他的父母和十五个兄弟姐妹也被安葬在坟墓里。

The rest of his days were to be spent in the service of his country, to which he had already given nearly twenty years of his life. O resto dos seus dias seriam passados ao serviço do seu país, ao qual já tinha dado quase vinte anos da sua vida. Geri kalan günlerini, hayatının neredeyse yirmi yılını verdiği ülkesine hizmet ederek geçirecekti. Решту днів він присвятив служінню своїй країні, якій він уже віддав майже двадцять років свого життя. 他的余生将用于为国家服务,他已经为国家奉献了近二十年的生命。