美國語文第六冊 第226期:政治信仰自由(3)
誠然，我曉得有些誠實的人擔(dān)心一個共和黨政府不會牢固，這個政府不會足夠強(qiáng)大。
But would the honest patriot, in the full tide of successful experiment,
但是，倘若最真誠的愛國者會憑借充分的成功經(jīng)驗，
abandon a government which has so far kept us free and firm,
拋棄一個到目前為止確保我們自由和堅強(qiáng)的政府，
on the theoretic and visionary fear that this government, the world's best hope, may by possibility, want energy to preserve itself?
抱定理論和不切實際的擔(dān)心，按照最美好的愿望和可能性，即這個政府也許缺乏維持下去的能力?
I trust not; I believe this, on the contrary, the strongest government on earth.
我不相信。我認(rèn)為正好相反，我們的政府是世界上最強(qiáng)大的政府。
I believe it to be the only one where every man, at the call of the law, would fly to the standard of the law,
我認(rèn)為這個國家是世界上唯一一個就法律上的界定而言，每個人都訴諸法律規(guī)范，
and would meet invasions of the public order as his own personal concern.
將對公共秩序的踐踏看做是自己的關(guān)切。
Sometimes it is said that man can not be trusted with the government of himself.
有時，有人說個人事情不能由他擁護(hù)的政府來管理。
Can he, then, be trusted with the government of others,
難道由別人擁護(hù)的政府管理，
or have we found angels, in the form of kings, to govern him?
或者我們發(fā)現(xiàn)鷹按照國王的方式來管理他嗎?
Let history answer this question.
還是讓歷史來回答這個問題吧。
Let us, then, with courage and confidence, pursue our own federal and republican principles;
讓我們以勇氣和自信，致力于我們自己的聯(lián)邦與共和原則;
our attachment to union and representative government.
我們的原則是忠誠于聯(lián)邦制與有代表性的政府。
