English Original
Every nation has its heroes. If a nation is lucky, it has one whose legacy stretches in many directions. America has been fortunate in this respect.
Ben Franklin was an inventor not only of things, but of ideas. He invented the lightning rod and created the Franklin Stove, which produced more heat than a fireplace, cost less, and was less smoky. He also published America's first magazine and organized its first postal service and lending library.
Franklin was also famous for his witty observations, such as, "Keep your eyes wide open before marriage, half-shut afterwards," and "In this world nothing is certain but death and taxes."
But he was much more. This moon-faced, simply dressed, somewhat obese man was one of the creators of the U.S. Declaration of Independence. He inserted the word "self-evident" into its most famous line. In his 70s, he was sent to Paris to secure French aid, which was crucial to American victory. Notably, while in France, he was apparently quite successful in courting ladies at the royal court.
His most enduring legacy is the U.S. Constitution, which he helped write in 1787. When delegates got into wrangles, Franklin was often the one to arrange a compromise. He died at 84 in Philadelphia.
Centuries ago, no American was better known in Europe than the portly Benjamin Franklin. This story is about a man who has dedicated his life to keeping Franklin's memory fresh.
Ralph Archbold lives in a self-imposed time warp. Fifteen years ago, fascinated by Franklin, he decided to make his living impersonating him. He now lives in Philadelphia, not far from where Franklin lived.
Ralph authenticates his deep knowledge of Franklin's life by dressing and looking like him. "I do about 600 performances a year, 400 in schools alone. It's a full-time career," he says.
He makes a good living, but there's more to it. "When someone takes a photo with me as Franklin and shares a new fact they learned, that's exciting. People from all over the world come here, touch the Liberty Bell, and get to 'meet' Ben Franklin. They all love him, and people really like to talk to Ben Franklin."
中文翻译
每个国家都有自己的英雄。如果一个国家足够幸运，它会拥有一位遗产涉及多领域的英雄。美国在这方面是幸运的。
本·富兰克林不仅是一位发明家，更是一位思想者。他发明了避雷针，创造了富兰克林炉。这种炉子比壁炉产热更多、成本更低、烟雾更少。他还出版了美国第一本杂志，并组织了第一个邮政系统和第一个借阅图书馆。
富兰克林也以其风趣的言论而闻名，例如：“婚前睁大双眼，婚后半闭半睁”，以及“世上唯有死亡与税收不可避免”。
但他的贡献远不止于此。这位圆脸、衣着朴素、略显肥胖的男子是美国《独立宣言》的起草者之一。正是他在宣言最著名的句子中加入了“不言而喻”一词。七十多岁时，他被派往巴黎争取法国援助，这对美国的胜利至关重要。值得注意的是，在法国期间，他显然在追求宫廷贵妇方面也相当成功。
他最持久的遗产是参与起草的1787年美国宪法。当代表们陷入争执时，富兰克林常常是促成妥协的人。他84岁时在费城去世。
几个世纪前，在欧洲最知名的美国人莫过于身材圆胖的本杰明·富兰克林。这个故事讲述的是一位致力于让富兰克林的记忆常驻人心的人。
拉尔夫·阿奇博尔德生活在一个自我设定的时间扭曲中。十五年前，他对富兰克林着迷，并决定以扮演他为生。他现在住在费城，离富兰克林曾经的住所不远。
拉尔夫通过模仿富兰克林的衣着和样貌，来印证他对富兰克林生平的深入了解。他说：“我每年大约演出600场，仅在学校就有400场。这是一份全职工作。”
他以此过着优裕的生活，但意义不止于此。“当有人与扮演富兰克林的我合影，并分享他们学到的新知识时，这令人兴奋。来自世界各地的人们来到这里，触摸自由钟，并有机会‘见到’本·富兰克林。他们都热爱他，人们真的很喜欢和本·富兰克林交谈。”