"A small fire is better than none," their guest said.
“火小总比没有好，”客人说。
"Still," he looked at the children's blue lips,
“可是，”他看着孩子们的冻得发紫的嘴唇，
"I wish that your hearth were wider."
“我希望你的壁炉更宽一些。”
He crossed to the fireplace, feeling of the bricks and measuring with his eye the breadth and depth of the opening in the chimney.
他走到壁炉边，摸了摸砖，目测了烟囱口的宽度和深度。
Then his face suddenly shone with a smile.
这时，他的脸上突然露出了微笑。
"What is it, Mr. Franklin?" Beth asked.
“怎么了，富兰克林先生？”贝丝问。
"What do you see up in our chimney?"
“你在我们烟囱里看到了什么?”
"A surprise," the good neighbor of Philadelphia replied.
“惊喜，”费城的好邻居回答道。
"You will see that surprise before long."
“不久你就会看到。”
He was gone as quickly as he had come,
他来了不一会就走了，
but he had left a glow of cheer behind him.
但他走后留下了一丝喜悦。
All Philadelphia was warmed in this way by Benjamin Franklin.
本杰明·富兰克林以这种方式温暖了整个费城。
Whenever he crossed a doorstep, he brought comfort and helpfulness to the house.
每当他跨过门阶，就给这所房子带来安慰和帮助。
"What do you suppose he meant?" Beth asked, as the door closed.
“门关上时，贝丝问道“你猜他是什么意思?”。
"I wonder," William said.
“我想知道，”威廉说。
Then he took out his speller and copy book, and the words of their visitor were soon forgotten.
然后他拿出拼字课本和抄写本，很快就忘记了客人的话。
But all Philadelphia soon began to wonder at the doings at the big white house where Benjamin Franklin lived.
但是整个费城的人很快就开始对本杰明·富兰克林在居住的白色大房子的行为感到惊讶。
The neighbors were used to hearing sounds of hammering coming from the back where Mr. Franklin had built himself a workshop.
邻居们习惯了听到铁锤敲打的声音，声音是从后面富兰克林自造的车间传来的。
Now, however, he sent away for a small forge to heat iron. Red-hot iron is soft.
然而现在，他送来一个小铁炉来烧铁，炽热的铁是软的。
It can be bent easily, and holes can be punched in it.
很容易弯曲，可以在上面打洞。
