本杰明·富兰克林对中华文明的汲取——纪念富兰克林诞辰300周年

Benjamin Franklin's Attitudes towards Chinese Civilization

富兰克林以他的远见卓识认识到,向其他文化学习,对于美洲的人民来说,在把美洲建设成世界其他各地方仿效的样板的过程是十分重要的。在向其他文明学习的过程中,富兰克林努力从中国文明中汲取营养,用孔子的道德哲学来提升自己的道德修养,用中国的技术来提高美洲人民生活质量。他的这一努力为美洲文明的形成做出了巨大贡献。

With great vision, Benjamin Franklin realized that it was important for the people in North America to lcarn from other cultures in order to build North America as a lantern for peoples in other parts of the world. In his efforts to study foreign civilizations, Franklin throughout his life tried to draw positive elements from Chinese civilization. His efforts made great contri- butions to the formation of American civilization. This essay will show its readers, with materials including Franklin＇s paper, his correspondences, his diary and his widely read autobiography, how Franklin tried to use Confucius＇moral philosophy to cultivate his own virtues, and how he attempted to borrow Chinese technologies to improve the quality of life of the people in North America. Hopefully this exhibition will open another window to examine Franklin, who had ＂the most eminent mind that that has ever existed in America. ＂