評(píng)論
打印
Americans are taught to revere
現(xiàn)在美國(guó)人受到的教育稱
the Boston Tea Party as a brave and noble act
這次波士頓傾茶事件是勇敢而高尚的行動(dòng)
but to the British the Boston Tea Party was
但是對(duì)于英國(guó)人來說，這起事件就跟
an act of terrorism. Boorish colonials
恐怖襲擊無異，這些蠻爆的移民
destroying property that wasn't even theirs.
肆意毀壞著甚至不屬于他們的財(cái)產(chǎn)
Parliament therefore passed the so called
因此議會(huì)在1774年通過了
intolerable acts of 1774, that's an American term
《不可容忍法令》 ，這明顯就是針對(duì)
for them obviously, which closed the Port of
美洲殖民者的一項(xiàng)法令，它下令關(guān)閉
Boston, forced Massachusetts to feed and
波士頓港口，強(qiáng)迫馬薩諸塞移民
house British troops for free, and destroyed
為英國(guó)駐軍免費(fèi)提供食宿
elective government in Massachusetts.
并且瓦解了馬薩諸塞州的民選政府
They were trying to teach Boston a lesson
他們本是想要給波士頓一點(diǎn)教訓(xùn)
but in so doing the British only won
但他們的這種做法，只是讓其他的
the other American colonies over to
美洲殖民地更堅(jiān)定地站在了
Massachusetts' side. On September 5th, 1774
馬薩諸塞的一邊 1774年9月5日
the first continental congress met in Philadelphia.
第一次大陸會(huì)議在費(fèi)城召開
The delegates didn't want to alienate Britain
盡管與會(huì)代表表示他們無意排擠英國(guó)
further but they just refused to obey
但是他們都明確拒絕遵守
the intolerable acts. The first continental congress
《不可容忍法令》 。這次大陸會(huì)議
stated that colonists were entitled to life,
嚴(yán)正聲明移民享有生存
liberty and property and that taxes should be
自由和私有財(cái)產(chǎn)，而包括稅收在內(nèi)的
determined by colonial legislatures as along
一系列類似事務(wù)都應(yīng)當(dāng)由移民者自己的
with other such matters. The intolerable acts
立法機(jī)構(gòu)決定 《不可容忍法令》
effectively forced the colonies to ask themselves
也成功讓這些移民反思一個(gè)問題
a question; what are American colonial rights?
那就是美國(guó)移民究竟具有哪些權(quán)利
A few colonists were still in favor of
當(dāng)時(shí)有一些移民仍然是傾向于
negotiating with Britain over what these rights
與英國(guó)共同協(xié)商確定他們所具有的權(quán)利
would be but neither King George the 3rd or
但是不管是喬治三世國(guó)王還是議會(huì)
parliament was interested in further dialogue.
似乎都失去了繼續(xù)深入對(duì)話的興趣
In spring, 1775 British troops were sent to
1775年春，一批英國(guó)軍隊(duì)被派往美洲
confiscate some munitions which were
查抄一筆據(jù)說位于馬薩諸塞
heard to be at Concord, Massachusetts.
康科德的軍火
On April 19th, 1775 a group of militia men
1775年4月19日，一組自稱為
called the minute men intercepted the British
Minute men的武裝組織在列克星敦
at Lexington and fired among other shots
截下了英軍，雙方交火后打響了
the one heard around the world.
后來揚(yáng)名世界的一聲槍響
On May 15th 1775 the second continental congress
1775年5月15日，第二次大陸會(huì)議
met at Philadelphia and declared itself at war
再次在費(fèi)城召開，并且正式宣布殖民地
with Great Britain. Colonel George Washington of
與英國(guó)將開戰(zhàn)，弗吉尼亞州上校
Virginia was named commander of the American
喬治華盛頓被任命為美國(guó)軍事指揮長(zhǎng)
forces. The revolution was under way.
此時(shí)革命一觸即發(fā)
The odds against the continentals' success,
而大陸軍(他們是這樣稱呼自己的)
they call themselves the continentals,
當(dāng)時(shí)的勝算也是非常大的，是吧?
was astronomical, or were they?
當(dāng)時(shí)的勝算也是非常大的，是吧?
Another year later the continental congress
一年之后，大陸會(huì)議作出了
adopted a resolution calling for separation
永久脫離大不列顛的決定
from Great Britain for good. A group of
以托馬斯杰佛森為首的
5 delegates headed by Thomas Jefferson
五名殖民地代表共同撰寫了
composed the official Declaration of Independence.
官方的《獨(dú)立宣言》文件
Adopted on July 4th, 1776 the Declaration
并于1776年7月4日正式生效
of Independence justified the founding of
《獨(dú)立宣言》宣告了一個(gè)新國(guó)家的誕生
a new nation by an appeal to the natural rights
它訴諸了人類所享有的自然權(quán)利
of human kind, and I quote 'we hold these truths
原文是這樣說的"我們認(rèn)為下面這些真理
to be self evident that all men are created equal,
是不言而喻的:人人生而平等
that they are endowed by their creator
造物者賦予他們?nèi)舾?/div>
with certain unalienable rights, that among these
不可剝奪的權(quán)利，其中包括
are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness,
生命權(quán)，自由權(quán)和追求幸福的權(quán)利
that to secure these rights governments are
為了保障這些權(quán)利，人類才在他們之間
instituted among men, deriving their just powers
建立政府，而政府的正當(dāng)權(quán)力
from the consent of the governed, that
需要經(jīng)過被治理者的同意而產(chǎn)生
whenever any form of government becomes
當(dāng)任何形式的政府對(duì)這些目標(biāo)
destructive of these ends it is the right
產(chǎn)生破壞作用時(shí)，人民便有權(quán)力
of the people to alter or abolish it and
改變它或者廢除它并且
to institute a new government laying its foundation
建立一個(gè)新政府，而其賴以奠基的
on such principles and organizing its powers
原則以及組織權(quán)力的方式
in such form as to them shall seem most likely
務(wù)必要使人民認(rèn)為唯有這樣
to effect their safety and happiness.
才最可能獲得他們的安全和幸福"
