Benjamin Franklin
You may remember, my dear friend, when we recently spent a happy day in a pleasant garden and Jolly's sweet society, I stopped for a while in our walk and stayed behind the company. We have seen the bones of countless small flies called Mayflies, and we are told that successive generations of them reproduce and die in one day. I happened to see a group of them alive on a leaf. They seemed to be talking. You know I know all the languages of lower animals. The best excuse I can give for the little progress I have made in your charming language is that I have devoted myself to them. I listened curiously to the words of these little creatures; However, I could hardly understand their conversation when they talked three or four sentences together in high spirits. However, through some intermittent statements I have heard from time to time, I find that they are arguing enthusiastically about the advantages of two foreign musicians, one is a cousin and the other is Moske Tuo; They spent their time arguing, as if ignoring the shortness of life, as if they had decided to live for a month. Happy people! I think; You must be in a wise, just and moderate government, because you have no public complaints and no controversial topics, but the perfection and imperfection of foreign music. I turned my head away from them and turned to an old man with gray hair. He stood alone on another leaf and talked to himself. Amused by his soliloquy, I wrote it down, hoping it would make her happy, too. I am very grateful to her for the most enjoyable entertainment, her delicious company and heavenly harmony.
"It is," he said, "the opinion of the learned philosophers of our race, who lived and prospered before my time, that this huge world, Jolly Glacier, itself could not survive for more than 18 hours; I think this view has a certain foundation, because, judging from the obvious movement of the great luminous body that gives all natural life, in my time, it has obviously dropped a lot to the ocean at the end of the earth, and then it must complete its process, extinguish it in the water around us, and leave the world in cold and darkness, which will inevitably lead to widespread death and destruction. I have lived for seven hours, a great age, no less than 420 minutes. Few of us can last this long! I have witnessed the birth, prosperity and demise of generations. My friends now are descendants of my friends when I was young, and they are gone now! I must follow them soon; Because, according to the laws of nature, although I am still healthy, I can't expect to live seven or eight minutes longer. All my hard work and labor have accumulated nectar on this leaf that I can't live to enjoy. What's the use now? How many political struggles have I waged for the benefit of my compatriots in this jungle, and how many philosophical studies have I conducted for the benefit of our entire race! Because in politics, what can be done without moral laws? Our current Mayfly race will become corrupt in a few minutes, like other and older shrubs, so it is pitiful. How little progress we have made in philosophy! Alas! Art is long, life is short! My friends will comfort me with a name, and they say I should leave it behind; They told me that I had lived long enough for nature and glory. But what's the point of fame for a ephemera that no longer exists? In the eighteenth hour, when the world itself, even the whole town of Jolly Mill, will come to its end and be buried in the general ruins, what will all history become? "
For me, after all my earnest pursuits, there is no real happiness now, but it reflects the meaning of long-term life. How many good ladies Ephesus talked wisely? From time to time, a friendly smile and an ever-amiable Briante tune.
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Mayfly: a symbol of life
Franklin
Dear friend, last time we held a garden party in Shao Limier, we had a good time. It was a beautiful day, all the participants were elegant ladies, but you may remember that when we were walking, I stopped for a while on the road and fell behind everyone. The reason is that there are many remains of ephemera in the garden-the so-called ephemera is a little Kun like a fly-and it is said that their life span is very short. In one day, generations of life and death passed. After I heard it, I walked around and found a group of such bugs on a leaf. They seem to be discussing something-you know I'm good at listening to insects; I have been in contact with you for so long, but I have learned the wonderful language of your country and made little progress. How should I laugh at myself? I have to say that I study worm language too hard. Now these bugs are having a debate. I'm curious and can't help eavesdropping. But the worm is small, but its heart is big. As soon as they spoke, three or four of them got together, which sounded very unclear. Occasionally I can hear a sentence or two intermittently. It turns out that they are discussing the advantages and disadvantages of two foreign musicians-one is Mr. Guo and the other is Mr. Mosquito. The discussion is so heated that they seem to forget the brevity of "insect life" and seem sure that they can live for a month. How happy you are! I think so, too. Your government must treat people wisely, fairly and tolerantly. You have nothing to complain about, and you don't need to engage in partisan struggle. You have leisure to discuss the advantages and disadvantages of foreign music here. I turned my head and saw an old mayfly with white hair on another leaf. It's talking to itself. I heard it very interesting, so I wrote it down. I have gained a lot from the deep friendship of my good friends. Her elegant manners and beautiful voice have always fascinated me. My notes are just a reward for her.
Mayfly said: "Our philosophers and scholars thought long ago that the life of our universe (the so-called Shao Limeier) would not exceed 18 hours. I think this is not unreasonable, because all beings in nature live on the sun, but the sun moves from east to west. In my life, it is obvious that the sun has set very low and is about to sink into the ubiquitous ocean of our earth. The sun sets in the west and is swallowed up by the ocean around the earth. The world becomes cold and dark, all life will undoubtedly die, and the earth will also be destroyed. The life of the earth is 18 hours. I lived for 7 hours, a lot of time, a total of 420 minutes! How many of us can enjoy such a long life? I have seen generations of Mayflies born, grown up and finally died. My friends now are just descendants of my friends in my youth, and they themselves, well, are no longer in the "insect world" now, and it is not far for me to follow them underground, because although I am still traveling light, all the dead in the world are insects, and I can only live for seven or eight minutes at most. I'm still trying to collect the honey dew on this leaf, but what's the use? I can't eat what I collect. Looking back on my life, how many political struggles I participated in for the well-being of our compatriots in this jungle; There can be laws without moral cooperation, and politics is not clear yet, so how many philosophical problems have I studied in order to enhance the wisdom of all ephemera! The heart of the Tao is weak, and the heart of the worm is dangerous. Now, this kind of ephemera must be vigilant at any time, otherwise, if we are not careful, in a few minutes, we can become as unscrupulous as other ethnic ephemera with a long history in other bushes! How small our achievements in philosophy are! Alas, life is limited and knowledge is limited. My friends often come to comfort me, saying that I am old and virtuous, the oldest among flies, and the name behind me will be passed down through the ages. But the ephemera is dead. What's the use of a name when people are dead? In addition, by the 18th hour, the whole Shao Li factory will be destroyed, and the end of the world is coming. Is there any history to talk about? "
I have worked hard all my life, and I have no fun except thinking about all beings in the world. If I can live a long life and benefit the public, consider it masturbation. Moreover, I listened to the opinions of Miss and Mrs. Mayfly, or occasionally got a clever smile from the lovely lady in white, or sang a song, and my old age was comforted.