美国语文第六册 第226期:政治信仰自由(3)（在线收听）

I know, indeed, that some honest men fear that a republican government can not be strong; that this government is not strong enough.

诚然，我晓得有些诚实的人担心一个共和党政府不会牢固，这个政府不会足够强大。

But would the honest patriot, in the full tide of successful experiment,

但是，倘若最真诚的爱国者会凭借充分的成功经验，

abandon a government which has so far kept us free and firm,

抛弃一个到目前为止确保我们自由和坚强的政府，

on the theoretic and visionary fear that this government, the world's best hope, may by possibility, want energy to preserve itself?

抱定理论和不切实际的担心，按照最美好的愿望和可能性，即这个政府也许缺乏维持下去的能力？

I trust not; I believe this, on the contrary, the strongest government on earth.

我不相信。我认为正好相反，我们的政府是世界上最强大的政府。

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,

我认为这个国家是世界上唯一一个就法律上的界定而言，每个人都诉诸法律规范，

士兵

and would meet invasions of the public order as his own personal concern.

将对公共秩序的践踏看做是自己的关切。

Sometimes it is said that man can not be trusted with the government of himself.

有时，有人说个人事情不能由他拥护的政府来管理。

Can he, then, be trusted with the government of others,

难道由别人拥护的政府管理，

or have we found angels, in the form of kings, to govern him?

或者我们发现鹰按照国王的方式来管理他吗？

Let history answer this question.

还是让历史来回答这个问题吧。

Let us, then, with courage and confidence, pursue our own federal and republican principles;

让我们以勇气和自信，致力于我们自己的联邦与共和原则；

our attachment to union and representative government.

我们的原则是忠诚于联邦制与有代表性的政府。