尊敬而善良的读者:
这是我第五次在公众面前露面,为我正直的同胞们在日历上绘下标记,预测将要发生、有可能发生或将不会发生的事情。公众大多对我很满意,实在让我甚为欢喜。的确,在我们根据星相所做的大量预测中,难免有一小部分会出错。因为,虽然技术本身没什么缺陷,但大家都相当清楚,一点小失误、一个数据的计算错误都有可能酿成大错。而我确信我们的历书在每个月的日期的计算上是准确的,个人认为,对一本历书而言,这点最为重要。尽管其他部分可能会略有小错,我想大家也是可以接受的。
关于天气,如果我采用我哥哥Jn时常使用的伎俩,告诉各位在新英格兰将会下雪,而这里或南卡罗莱纳州将会下雨,北方寒冷,南方温暖,如此这般,就是出了什么错也没人发现得了。但经我考虑,知道一千英里外的天气如何,对任何人都没有什么大帮助,因此我总是为我的读者(无论他身处何处)预测他将遭遇的天气。我们姑且期待自己的天气预测只有一天或两天的误差,这样就很满足了。如果天气没能和预测的一致,就把错误归咎于我的印刷商吧,他为了多放几天假,很可能会修改或故意印错天气信息呢。既然无论我在历书中说了多少,人们还是会因为他出版了我的历书而对他称赞有加,那么他也应该承担一些责任。
在此,我不能忘记感谢大家迄今为止对我的厚爱和善意的鼓励。如果慷慨购买我这本心血之作的人能知道,他们这5便士如何帮助我点燃了那温暖的炉火,购买了一个个铁锅,灌满了一杯杯咖啡,让一个穷困的男人和一个善良的好女人心里充满喜悦,那么即使这本书有一半是空白的,他也不会觉得这个钱是白花的。您的朋友和仆人,
R.桑德斯致富要诀
HINTS for those that would be Rich.
有钱的好处就是能用钱。
The Use of Money is all the Advantage there is in having Money.
如果你是个公认精打细算而诚实的人,即使一年只赚6英镑,也能当成100英镑用。
For 6 l.l.为pound(英镑)的简写。a Year, you may have the Use of 100 l. if you are a Man of known Prudence and Honesty.
一天能随手乱花掉4便士的人,一年就能随手乱花掉6英镑,那可是能当100英镑用的6英镑。
He that spends a Groat a day idly, spends idly above 6 l. a year, which is the Price of using 100 l.
随意浪费时间的人,如此日复一日,就等于每天浪费了100英镑。
He that wastes idly a Groat"s worth of his Time per Day, one Day with another, wastes the Privilege of using 100 l. each Day.
随意浪费价值5先令的时间的人,等于失去了5先令,就如将5先令随手丢入河里。
He that idly loses 5 s. worth of time, loses 5 s. & might as prudently throw 5 s. in the River.
丢失5先令的人丢的不止是这5先令,还有这5先令能赚到的钱。当一个人从年轻到衰老,这笔钱可能变成一笔不小的财富。
He that loses 5 s. not only loses that Sum, but all the Advantage that might be made by turning it in Dealing, which by the time that a young Man becomes old, amounts to a comfortable Bag of Mony.
再者,赊销货物者为所售货物开出的价格,相当于货物本钱加上他不能用的那笔钱在付款期内的利息,所以那些赊购物品的人,要为所买的东西付出利息。
Again, He that sells upon Credit, asks a Price for what he sells, equivalent to the Principal and Interest of his Money for the Time he is like to be kept out of it: therefore He that buys upon Credit, pays Interest for what he buys.
那些付现金的人,可以把那部分钱真正利用起来:因此一个拥有任何所购买的东西的人,要为使用它而支付利息。
And he that pays ready Money, might let that Money out to Use: so that He that possesses any Thing he has bought, pays Interest for the Use of it.
那么进一步思考,当你被吸引买下并不需要的家居用品,或者是任何多余物品,你是否愿意在余生中支付利息以及利息的利息,甚至是使用损耗所造成的更多开支。
Consider then, when you are tempted to buy any unnecessary Housholdstuff, or any superfluous thing, whether you will be willing to pay Interest, and Interest upon Interest for it as long as you live; and more if it grows worse by using.
而在买东西的时候,最好是付现金,因为,
Yet, in buying Goods, "tis best to pay ready Money, because,
赊销货物者料到将因为坏账而损失5%的利润,所有赊销的商品都会增加预支费用以填补赤字。
He that sells upon Credit, expects to lose 5 per Cent. by bad Debts; therefore he charges, on all he sells upon Credit, an Advance that shall make up that Deficiency.
那些买下赊销商品的人,支付了自己的一部分预支费用。
Those who pay for what they buy upon Credit, pay their Share of this Advance.
那些付现金的人,规避或者可能规避了那部分费用。
He that pays ready Money, escapes or may escape that Charge.
省下一便士相当于得到两便士,每天一丁点,一年也不少。节省即是拥有。积少成多,滴水成流。
A Penny sav"d is Twopence clear, A Pin a day is a Groat a Year. Save & have. Every little makes a mickle.
最伟大的君主要坐上最高的宝座,也得坐在自己的屁股上。
The greatest monarch on the proudest throne, is oblig"d to sit upon his own arse.
人中豪杰均胸怀大志。
The Masterpiece of Man, is to live to the purpose.
偷走老人晚饭,对他没啥害处。晚饭少吃总没错。
He that steals the old man"s supper, do"s him no wrong.
一个乡巴佬面对两个律师,就如一条鱼面对两只猫。
A countryman between 2 Lawyers, is like a fish between two cats.
善于休养生息胜过攻城掠地。
He that can take rest is greater than he that can take cities.
奶酪少吃,利于健康。
The misers cheese is wholesomest.
从他人的失败中学会谨慎的人是幸运的。
Felix quem faciunt aliena Pericula cautum.——拉丁文谚语
Fortunate the man who learns caution from the perils of others.
爱情和权力不欢迎分享者。
Love & lordship hate companions.凭良心做事,是通往荣誉的捷径。
The nearest way to come at glory, is to do that for conscience which we do for glory.
遇事沉着镇静,胜过才高八斗。
He that can compose himself, is wiser than he that composes books.
可怜的迪克,吃起饭来文质彬彬,喝起酒来却醉醺醺。
Poor Dick, eats like a well man, and drinks like a sick.
挫折与失败之后,人们变得谦逊聪慧。吃一堑,长一智。
After crosses and losses men grow humbler & wiser.
爱、咳嗽和烟味,皆难隐藏。
Love, Cough, & a Smoke, can"t well be hid.
说得好不如做得好。
Well done is better than well said.
上好布料、如花少女、闪闪黄金,都不可秉烛挑选。
Fine linnen, girls and gold so bright,
Chuse not to take by candlelight.
脚力好的人,也驯得出好马。
He that can travel well afoot, keeps a good horse.
没有丑陋的爱情,也没有漂亮的监牢。
There are no ugly Loves, nor handsome Prisons.
千金易得,知己难求。
No better relation than a prudent & faithful Friend.
猪的嗅觉,鹿的脚力,驴的肩背,乃旅行者之必需。
A Traveller should have a hog"s nose, deer"s legs, and an ass"s back.
只要工作勤奋,饥饿不敢进门。
At the working man"s house hunger looks in but dares not enter.
一个好律师却会是个坏邻居。
A good Lawyer a bad Neighbour.
有三样东西是相同的,牧师、律师和死神:
无论强者弱者,死神都会带走。
无论是对是错,律师都会收钱。
无论是死是活,牧师都有钱赚。
Certainlie these things agree,
The Priest, the Lawyer, & Death all three:
Death takes both the weak and the strong.
The lawyer takes from both right and wrong,
And the priest from living and dead has his Fee.
最烂的车轮叫得最响。
The worst wheel of the cart makes the most noise.
别对医生和律师说错话。
Don"t misinform your Doctor nor your Lawyer.
常移栽的树不会比稳扎根的树更繁茂,
常搬迁的家庭不会比稳定的家庭更兴旺。
I never saw an ofttransplanted tree,
Nor yet an oftremoved family,
That throve so well as those that settled be.
让信等邮差,别让邮差等信。
Let the Letter stay for the Post, and not the Post for the Letter.
三餐吃太好,医生上门找。
Three good meals a day is bad living.
宁被敌人斩首,不向朋友乞命。
Tis better leave for an enemy at one"s death, than beg of a friend in one"s life.
对谁泄露你的秘密,就等于对谁出卖你的自由。
To whom thy secret thou dost tell,
To him thy freedom thou dost sell.
如想有个合意的仆人,就自己来当。
If you"d have a Servant that you like, serve your self.
同时追两只兔子的人,一只也追不到。
He that pursues two Hares at once, does not catch one and lets t"other go.
若想寻佳妻,周六易成行。
If you want a neat wife, chuse her on a Saturday.
既有时间,何必干等。
If you have time dont wait for time.
和吝啬鬼谈钱,定将一无所获。
和女人谈年龄,得不到好脸色。
Tell a miser he"s rich, and a woman she"s old, you"ll get no money of one, nor kindness of t"other.
不要有点病就去看医生,不要每次吵架都找律师,也别一口渴就寻水壶。
Don"t go to the doctor with every distemper, nor to the lawyer with every quarrel, nor to the pot for every thirst.
债主们就如入了什么神秘宗教,洞察分分秒秒。债主对时间记得最清楚。
The Creditors are a superstitious sect, great observers of set days and times.
世上最崇高的问题就是:我能为这个世界贡献什么?
The noblest question in the world is What Good may I do in it?
仁慈善良,人见人爱。
Nothing so popular as GOODNESS.