中国人抄写《独立宣言》第二段活动

中共曾命大陆100位文人抄写毛泽东的《在延安文艺座谈会上的讲话》并结集出版手迹。我建议中国人抄写美国《独立宣言》第二段，男女老幼皆可抄写，用纸、用笔及书写方法不限。抄写者可把中英文抄写稿保存下来，倘若日后有出版机构肯出版，再寄给出版方。

《独立宣言》第二段

Declaration of Independence, the

我们认为这些真理是不言而喻的：人人生而平等，他们都被造物主赋予了某些不可转让的权利，其中包括生命权、自由权、追求幸福的权利。为了保障这些权利，才在人们中间成立政府，政府的正当权力则经被统治者准许而取得。一旦任何一种形式的政府变成了损害这些目的的政府，则人民有权改变它或废除它，以建立新的政府。新的政府必须建立在这样的原则基础上，并按照这样的方式来组织其权力机关，以便在人民看来它是最能够保障他们的安全和幸福的。

We hold these truths to be self-evident: that all men are created equal; that they are endowed by their creator with certain unalienable rights; that among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness; that, to secure these rights, governments are instituted among men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed; that whenever any form of government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the right of the people to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new government, laying its foundation on such principles, and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their safety and happiness.  

【参考资料】

Declaration ofIndependence, the《独立宣言》

1776年7月4日由英属北美13个殖民地的代表通过的历史性文献，宣告这些殖民地与英国脱离关系，建立美利坚合众国。该宣言几乎全部由托马斯.杰斐逊（Thomas Jefferson）起草。总共有56人签署，第一位签署者为大陆会议主席约翰. 汉考克（John Hancock），其他签署者中包括约翰.亚当斯（John Adams）、本杰明 .富兰克林（Benjamin Franklin）、塞缪尔.亚当斯（Samuel Adams）和杰斐逊等人。7月4日自此之后成为独立节（Independence Day），也即国庆节。系美国最重要的历史文献，也是西方国家最重要的政治文献之一。

其第二段落根据天赋人权说（the theory of natural rights）提出了人民有权推翻损害其权利的政府，并建立新政府的观点：“我们认为这些真理是不言而喻的：人人生而平等，他们都被造物主赋予了某些不可转让的权利，其中包括生命权、自由权、追求幸福的权利。为了保障这些权利，才在人们中间成立政府，政府的正当权力则经被统治者准许而取得。一旦任何一种形式的政府变成了损害这些目的的政府，则人民有权改变它或废除它，以建立新的政府。新的政府必须建立在这样的原则基础上，并按照这样的方式来组织其权力机关，以便在人民看来它是最能够保障他们的安全和幸福的。”

We hold these truths to be self-evident: that all men are created equal; that they are endowed by their creator with certain unalienable rights; that among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness; that, to secure these rights, governments are instituted among men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed; that whenever any form of government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the right of the people to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new government, laying its foundation on such principles, and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their safety and happiness.  

                                         陈安 著《新英汉美国小百科》258页

                                        上海译文出版社2000年5月第1版