01 United States Declaration of Independence
美国独立宣言

1775年4月19日，美国独立战争（1775-1783）正式开打。1776年6月，亚当斯（John Adams）、富兰克林（Benjamin Franklin）、杰斐逊（Thomas Jefferson）、利文斯顿（Robert R. Livingston）和谢尔曼（Roger Sherman）5人共议著写了独立宣言，宣言由杰斐逊起草，后由富兰克林和亚当斯加以修订。

1776年7月4日，来自北美13个英属殖民地的议会代表，在费城所举行的第二次大陆会议上，批准通过《美国独立宣言》，宣告独立，这一天后来也成为美国的国庆日。

1776年8月2日，完成《独立宣言》的签署，共有来自13个州的56位代表签署。独立战争结束后，英美于1783年签署《巴黎条约》（Treaty of Paris），英国于是承认美国独立。《独立宣言》指出了民主、自由和人权的基本哲学，全文最精髓的地方就是：

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.

我们认为下述真理是不言而喻的，那就是，人人生而平等。造物主赐予人不可剥夺的权利，那就是生存、自由和追求幸福的权利。

Speaker 北美13个英属殖民地的议会代表（the unanimous Declaration of the thirteen United States of America）

Time1776 年7月4日

Place 费城，第二次大陆会议（Second Continental Congress in Philadelphia）

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MP3-1

When in the Course of human events, it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another, and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature's God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation.

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.

——That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed,

——That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness.

Prudence, indeed, will dictate that Governments long established should not be changed for light and transient causes; and accordingly all experience hath shewn, that mankind are more disposed to suffer, while evils are sufferable, than to right themselves by abolishing the forms to which they are accustomed.

But when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same Object evincesa design to reduce them under absolute Despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such Government, and to provide new Guards for their future security.——Such has been the patient sufferance of these Colonies; and such is now the necessity which constrains them to alter their former Systems of Government.

在人类发展的过程中，当一个民族要脱离与另一个民族的政治从属关系并遵循自然法则与上帝所授予的旨意，而成为一个独立且平等的国家，跻身世界列国之林时，出于对人类舆论的尊重，应该将其不得不独立出来的原因，公告于世。

我们认为下述真理是不言而喻的，那就是，人人生而平等。造物主赐予人不可剥夺的权利，那就是生存、自由和追求幸福的权利。

——正是为了确保这些权利，人们才建立了政府，而政府的合法权利，是经由人民同意而授予的，

——任何一种形态的政府，一旦违背了这些目标，人民就有权利去改变或废除它，并建立新的政府。新政府赖以奠基的原则，以及其组织权力的形态，都应该要最有利于人民的安全与幸福。

确实，出于慎重，对于建立已久的政府，不宜因为轻微或一时的原因，就妄加变更。况且根据所有的经验法则来看，人类更倾向于忍受，只要尚能忍受，人们就宁可忍受，也不愿去废除已经习惯了的政府。

然而，当滥用职权、巧取豪夺的情况层出不穷，显示出政府所追求的目标是要对人民进行高压统治，那么去推翻这样的一个政府并为日后的安危建立一个新的保障，就是人民的权利与责任——而这就也是殖民地人民以前逆来顺受、现在却不得不改变原有的政府制度的原因了。

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In every stage of these Oppressions We have Petitioned for Redressin the most humble terms: Our repeated Petitions have been answered only by repeated injury. A Prince whose character is thus marked by every act which may define a Tyrant, is unfit to be the ruler of a free people.

Nor have We been wanting in attentions to our British brethren. We have warned them from time to time of attempts by their legislature to extend an unwarrantable jurisdictionover us. We have reminded them of the circumstances of our emigration and settlement here. We have appealed to their native justice and magnanimity, and we have conjuredthem by the ties of our common kindred to disavowthese usurpations, which, would inevitably interrupt our connections and correspondence.

They too have been deaf to the voice of justice and of consanguinity. We must, therefore, acquiescein the necessity, which denounces our Separation, and hold them, as we hold the rest of mankind, Enemies in War, in Peace Friends.

We, therefore, the Representatives of the United States of America, in General Congress, Assembled, appealing to the Supreme Judge of the world for the rectitudeof our intentions, do, in the Name, and by Authority of the good People of these Colonies, solemnly publish and declare, That these United Colonies are, and of Right ought to be Free and Independent States; that they are Absolved from all Allegiance to the British Crown, and that all political connection between them and the State of Great Britain, is and ought to be totally dissolved; and that as Free and Independent States, they have full Power to levyWar, conclude Peace, contract Alliances, establish Commerce, and to do all other Acts and Things which Independent States may of right do.

And for the support of this Declaration, with a firm reliance on the protection of divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes and our sacred Honor.

我们每一次在遭受压迫时，都用了最谦卑的言语请求改善，然而每一次请求所得到的回应，都是一次又一次的伤害。一个君主，当他的每一个行为都属于暴君的行为时，那他就不再适合担任自由人民的统治者。

我们不是没有顾及我们英国的弟兄。我们一再提醒他们，他们的立法机关企图对我们进行以不合理的管制。我们也向他们说明过人民在这里移民与定居的情况。我们曾经请求他们大发慈悲，看在我们是同文同种的分上，不要再掠夺我们，以免影响到彼此的关系和往来。

然而，他们对于这些正义和血缘的呼喊，仍旧充耳不闻。因此，我们不得不宣布和他们脱离关系，将他们视为一般国家，也就是说：与我们为敌的，就是敌人，与我们友好的，就是朋友。

所以我们这些美利坚合众国的代表们，前来参加这次的大陆会议，以各殖民地善良人民的名义、经过他们的授权，向全世界最崇高的正义呼吁，说明我们严正的立场，并且郑重地发表和宣布：我们这些联合起来的殖民地，现在是、也理当是自由独立的国家；我们取消一切对英国王室效忠的义务，从此之后，我们和大不列颠国家之间的一切政治联系全面断绝，而且理当断绝；身为一个自由独立的国家，我们有完全的权力可以自行宣战、缔结和约、结盟、通商，我们可以行使一个独立国家有权行使的一切行动和事务。

为了拥护此宣言，我们怀着蒙受上帝庇佑的坚定信心，以我们的性命、财产和神圣的名誉，互相宣誓。