雙語美文，自由就是秩序

Liberty Is Order

自由就是秩序

Liberty is order. Liberty is strength. Look round the world, and admire, as you must, the instructive spectacle. You will see that liberty not only is power and order, but that it is power and order predominant and invincible - that it derides all other sources of strength. And shall the preposterous imagination be fostered, that men bred in liberty - the first of humankind who asserted the glorious distinction of forming for themselves their social compact - can be condemned to silence upon their rights?

自由就是秩序，自由就是力量。放眼寰球，你定然會對那些具有啟發(fā)性的景象欽佩不已。你會看到，自由不僅僅是力量和秩序，而且是占據(jù)統(tǒng)治地位的不可征服的力量和秩序——它使其他一切力量的源泉都相形見絀。那些在自由中被養(yǎng)育的人們，是人類當(dāng)中第一批主張擁有訂立自己的社會契約的殊榮 的人，難道應(yīng)該促進(jìn)他們對其權(quán)利選擇緘默不語的荒謬幻覺嗎?

Is it to be conceived that men who have enjoyed, for such a length of days, the light and happiness of freedom, can be restrained, and shut up again in the gloom of ignorance and degradation? As well, sir, might you try, by a miserable dam, to shut up the flowing of a rapid river! The rolling and impetuous tide would burst through every impediment that man might throw in its way; and the only consequence of the impotent attempt would be, that, having collected new force by its temporary suspension, enforcing itself through new channels, it would spread devastation and ruin on every side.

試想，那些長期沐浴在自由的幸福光輝下的人們可能被壓制、被重新禁錮在無知和墮落的黑暗之中嗎?是的，先生，你完全可以嘗試用一道可憐的堤壩去圍堵奔騰湍急的河流!翻騰的急流會沖垮人們設(shè)置在河道上的任何障礙物;這種于事無補(bǔ)的嘗試只會產(chǎn)生一個后果，那就是：河水經(jīng)過暫時(shí)的停留而聚集了新的力量，強(qiáng)行沖破新的河道，會導(dǎo)致兩岸四處受到損毀，并損毀一切。

The progress of liberty is like the progress of the stream. Kept within its bounds, it is sure to fertilize the country through which it runs; but no power can arrest it in its passage; and short sighted, as well as wicked, must be the heart of the projector that would strive to divert its course.

自由的前進(jìn)如同河流的前進(jìn)。假如它保持在自己活動的彈性范圍之內(nèi)，它必然會肥沃它所流經(jīng)的土地;但是，任何勢力都無法阻礙它按照自己的路徑前進(jìn);那些力圖改變其路徑的謀劃者必定是目光短淺而且令人憎惡之人。