For protecting them, by a mock trial, from punishment for any murder which they should commit on the inhabitants of these States.

不論這些人對我們各州居民犯下何等嚴(yán)重的謀殺罪，他可用加審判來庇護他們，讓他們逍遙法外；

For cutting off our trade with all parts of the world;

他可以切斷我們同世界各地的貿(mào)易；

For imposing taxes on us without our consent;

未經(jīng)我們同意便向我們強行征稅；

For depriving us in many cases, of the benefits of trial by jury;

在許多案件中剝奪我們享有陪審制的權(quán)益；

For transporting us beyond seas to be tried for pretended offenses;

以莫須有的罪名把我們押送海外受審；

For abolishing the free systems of English laws in a neighboring Province, establishing therein an arbitrary government, and enlarging its boundaries so as to render it at once an example and fit instrument for introducing the same absolute rule these Colonies;

他在一個鄰省廢除了英國法律的自由制度，在那里建立專制政府，擴大其疆域，使其立即成為一個樣板和合適的工具，以便向這里各殖民地推行同樣的專制統(tǒng)治；

For taking away our Charters, abolishing our most valuable laws, and altering fundamentally the forms of our governments;

他取消我們的許多特許狀，廢除我們最珍貴的法律并從根本上改變我們各州政府的形式；

For suspending our own Legislatures, and declaring themselves invested with power to legislate for us in all cases whatsoever.

他終止我們立法機構(gòu)行使權(quán)力，宣稱他們自己擁有在任何情況下為我們制定法律的權(quán)力。

He has abdicated government here, by declaring us out of his protection and waging war against us.

他們放棄設(shè)在這里的政府，宣稱我們已不屬他們保護之列，并向我們發(fā)動戰(zhàn)爭。

He has plundered our seas, ravaged our coasts, burnt our towns, and destroyed the lives of our people.

他在我們的海域里大肆掠奪，蹂躪我們的沿海地區(qū)，燒毀我們的城鎮(zhèn)，殘害我們?nèi)嗣竦纳?/p>

He is at this time transporting large armies of foreign mercenaries to complete the works of death, desolation and tyranny, already begun with circumstances of cruelty and perfidy scarcely parallel in the most barbarous ages, and totally unworthy the head of a civilized nation.

他此時正在運送大批外國雇傭兵，來從事其制造死亡、荒涼和暴政的勾當(dāng)，其殘忍與卑劣從一開始就連最野蠻的時代也難以相比，他已完全不配當(dāng)一個文明國家的元首。

He has constrained our fellow citizens taken captive on the high seas to bear arms against their country, to become the executioners of their friends and brethren, or to fall themselves by their hands.

他強迫我們在公海被他們俘虜?shù)耐闷鹞淦鞣磳ψ约旱膰遥顾麄兂蔀闅垰⒆约河H友的劊子手，或使他們死于自己親友的手下。

He has excited domestic insurrection amongst us, and has endeavored to bring on the inhabitants of our frontiers, the merciless Indian savages, whose known rule of warfare, is an undistinguished destruction of all ages, sexes, and conditions.

他在我們中間煽動內(nèi)亂，并竭力挑唆殘酷無情的印地安蠻子來對付我們邊疆的居民，而眾所周知，印地安人作戰(zhàn)的準(zhǔn)則是不分男女老幼、是非曲直，格殺勿論。

In every stage of these oppressions we have petitioned for redress in the most humble terms: our repeated petition 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.

在遭受這些壓迫的每一階段，我們都曾以最謙卑的言辭吁請予以糾正。而我們一次又一次的情愿，卻只是被報以一次又一次的傷害。一個君主，其品格被他的每一個只有暴君才干的出的行為所暴露時，就不配君臨自由的人民。

Nor have we been wanting in attention to our British brethren. We have warned them from time to time of attempts by their legislature to extend an unwarrantable jurisdiction over 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 conjured them by the ties of our common kindred to disavow these usurpation, which would inevitably interrupt our connections and correspondence. They too have been deaf to the voice of justice and of consanguinity. We must, therefore, acquiesce in the necessity, which denounces our separation, and hold them., as we hold the rest of mankind, enemies in war, in peace friends.

我們并不是沒有想到我們英國的弟兄。他們的立法機關(guān)想把無理的管轄權(quán)擴展到我們這里來，我們時常把這個企圖通知他們。我們也曾把我們移民來這里和在這里定居的情況告訴他們。我們曾懇求他們天生的正義感和雅量，念在同種同宗的分上，棄絕這些掠奪行為，因為這些掠奪行為難免會使我們之間的關(guān)系和來往中斷。可他們對這種正義和同宗的呼聲也同樣充耳不聞。因此，我們不得不宣布脫離他們，以對待世界上其他民族的態(tài)度對待他們：同我交戰(zhàn)者，就是敵人；同我和好者，即為朋友。

We, therefore, the Representatives of the United States of America, in General Congress assembled , appealing to the supreme Judge of the world for the rectitude of our intentions, do, in the name, and by authority of the good people of these Colonies, solemnly publish and declare, That these United States Colonies and Independent States; that they are absolved by from all allegiance to the British Crown, and that all political connection between them and the State, they have full power to levy war, 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.

因此我們這些在大陸會議上集會的美利堅合眾國的代表們，以各殖民地善良人民的名義，并經(jīng)他們授權(quán)，向世界最高裁判者申訴，說明我們的嚴(yán)重意向，同時鄭重宣布：我們這些聯(lián)合起來的殖民地現(xiàn)在是，而且按公理也應(yīng)該是，獨立自由的國家；我們對英國王室效忠的全部義務(wù)，我們與大不列顛王國之間大不列顛一切政治聯(lián)系全部斷絕，而且必須斷絕。作為一個獨立自由的國家，我們完全有權(quán)宣戰(zhàn)、締和、結(jié)盟、通商和采取獨立國家有權(quán)采取的一切行動。我們堅定地信賴神明上帝的保佑，同時以我們的生命、財產(chǎn)和神圣的名譽彼此宣誓來支持這一宣言。

【說明】

杰斐遜起草了《獨立宣言》的第一稿，富蘭克林等人又進行了潤色。大陸會議對此稿又進行了長時間的、激烈的辯論，最終作出了重大的修改。特別是在佐治亞和卡羅來納代表們的堅持下，刪去了杰斐遜對英王喬治三世允許在殖民地保持奴隸制和奴隸買賣的有力譴責(zé)。這一部分的原文是這樣的：

他的人性本身發(fā)動了殘酷的戰(zhàn)爭，侵犯了一個從未冒犯過他的遠(yuǎn)方民族的最神圣的生存權(quán)和自由權(quán)；他誘騙他們，并把他們運往另一半球充當(dāng)奴隸，或使他們慘死在運送途中。

托馬斯?杰斐遜(1743-1826)，生于弗吉尼亞的一個富裕家庭。曾就讀于威廉-瑪麗學(xué)院。1767年成為律師，1769年當(dāng)選為弗吉尼亞下院議院。他積極投身于獨立運動之中，并代表弗吉尼亞出席大陸會議。他曾兩次當(dāng)選弗吉尼亞州長。1800年當(dāng)選美國總統(tǒng)。

杰斐遜在為自己的墓碑而作的墓志銘中這樣寫到：這里埋葬著托馬斯.杰斐遜，美國《獨立宣言》的作者，弗吉尼亞宗教自由法規(guī)的制定者和弗吉尼亞大學(xué)之父。

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（來源：滬江英語  編輯：Julie）