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On January 30th, 1649,the English killed their king.
1649年1月30日 英格蘭人弒殺了其君主
It had happened before of course,all those Edwards and Richards violently done in by their subjects.
當然 這并非史無前例 早有數名愛德華或理查德王 橫死于臣民之手
But this was different.
但與眾不同的是
Now the British monarchy itself had been exterminated.
這次 英國的君主制也被推翻了
Now there was just the people and its parliament,the keepers of the liberties of England.
人民與議會得以長存 他們正是英格蘭自由的守護者
What use was the point of freedom when you were frightened?
但若心存恐懼 自由又有何意義
What the people really wanted to know was who would keep them safe?
人們真正關心的是 誰能保證他們的安全
Who'd stop the soldiers from burning and pillaging,allow people to sleep quietly in their beds?
誰能讓士兵不再燒殺掠搶 誰能讓人民從此高枕無憂
Who'd protect them from the wars of religion and politics which seemed to go on and on and on?
誰能讓這片土地免于無休無止的 宗教與政治斗爭
Would it be parliament or would it be a great general like Oliver Cromwell?
是議會 還是偉大的將軍奧利弗·克倫威爾
It doesn't matter,said hard-headed philosopher Thomas Hobbes,a royalist who'd come back to Cromwell's England.
這無關緊要 精明實際的哲學家托馬斯·霍布斯如是說 身為保皇黨 他仍愿回到克倫威爾治下的英格蘭
What the country needs is a strong ruler who embodies ALL the people.
國家需要的是一位的強大統治者 一位能代表全體國民的統治者
Whatever or whoever can save the country from anarchy,whatever can save you from yourselves.
任何能使國家擺脫無政府狀態的 任何能救你們脫離苦海的
Never mind about what's right or wrong.
無需計較對錯
Put yourself in the hands of the power that protects,the all-powerful Leviathan.
將自己交給有能力庇佑你們 并無所不能的利維坦吧
If that's Oliver Cromwell, then so be it.It's the reasonable thing to do.
如果奧利弗·克倫威爾能做到 就讓他做吧 這才是理性的選擇
But the Scots, the English and the Irish were not about to be reasonable.
但蘇格蘭 英格蘭和愛爾蘭人 并沒有打算做什么理性選擇
They were much too busy being righteous.
因為他們太忙于追逐絕對的公道
Over the next half century,righteousness would kill a lot of the British.
在接下來的半個世紀中 所謂的公道使眾多不列顛人命喪黃泉
At the end of it all, reason would appear,but not before a lot of tears had been shed.
到頭來 理性自當顯現 但在此之前 必先經歷漣漣淚水
Tears of rapture and tears of grief.
或喜極而泣 或悲泣不已
