It is true, indeed, that, in the beginning, we aimed not at independence.  诚然，最初我们并非旨在谋取独立，

　　But "There's a divinity that shapes our ends."  然而，“神灵预设了我们的终局”。

　　The injustice of England has driven us to arms;  英国非道义行为驱使我们拿起武器，

　　and blinded to her own interest, she has obstinately persisted, till independence is now within our grasp.  英国盲目失去了对自身利益的判断，然而它仍在执拗坚持，直到我们最终将独立掌控在自己手中。

　　We have but to reach forth to it, and it is ours.  我们只不过向前伸出手，独立就在那里，它属于我们。

　　Why then should we defer the declaration?  那么，我们为什么拖延自己宣言？

　　Is any man so weak as now to hope for a reconciliation with England,  目前，难道还有人如此软弱地希望与英国和解？

　　which shall leave either safety to the country and its liberties, or security to his own life and his own honor!  难道和解可给这一国家带来安全或自由，抑或给他个人生活带来保障甚至个人荣誉？

　　Are not you, sir, who sit in that chair, is not he, our venerable colleague, near you,  先生，不会是现在坐在椅子上的你，亦不是紧挨你而坐的他，我们受人尊敬的同僚，

　　are you not both already the proscribed and predestined objects of punishment and of vengeance?  我们难道不都是已被剥夺公权，命中注定沦为惩罚与复仇的对象？

　　Cut off from all hope of royal clemency, what are you, what can you be, while the power of England remains, but outlaws?  摒弃那些高尚以及仁厚宽容的所有希望！一旦英国统治权威得以保留，法律之外，你是什么？你又可能是什么？

　　If we postpone independence, do we mean to carry on, or to give up, the war?  如果我们推迟独立，那么我们打算继续还是放弃这场战争，

　　Do we mean to submit, and consent that we shall be ground to powder, and our country and its rights trodden down in the dust?  开始和解且恢复我们与英国的友谊？我们将要服从甚至完全臣服于武力，目睹我们国家以及它的权利将被践踏成灰？

　　I know we do not mean to submit. We NEVER shall submit!  我知道，我们不会屈服，我们永远不会屈服！