中國人抄寫《獨立宣言》第二段活動

中共曾命大陸100位文人抄寫毛澤東的《在延安文藝座談會上的講話》並結集出版手跡。我建議中國人抄寫美國《獨立宣言》第二段，男女老幼皆可抄寫，用紙、用筆及書寫方法不限。抄寫者可把中英文抄寫稿保存下來，倘若日後有出版機構肯出版，再寄給出版方。

《獨立宣言》第二段

Declaration of Independence, the

我們認為這些真理是不言而喻的：人人生而平等，他們都被造物主賦予了某些不可轉讓的權利，其中包括生命權、自由權、追求幸福的權利。為了保障這些權利，才在人們中間成立政府，政府的正當權力則經被統治者准許而取得。一旦任何一種形式的政府變成了損害這些目的的政府，則人民有權改變它或廢除它，以建立新的政府。新的政府必須建立在這樣的原則基礎上，並按照這樣的方式來組織其權力機關，以便在人民看來它是最能夠保障他們的安全和幸福的。

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.  

【參考資料】

Declaration ofIndependence, the《獨立宣言》

1776年7月4日由英屬北美13個殖民地的代表通過的歷史性文獻，宣告這些殖民地與英國脫離關係，建立美利堅合眾國。該宣言幾乎全部由托馬斯.傑斐遜（Thomas Jefferson）起草。總共有56人簽署，第一位簽署者為大陸會議主席約翰. 漢考克（John Hancock），其他簽署者中包括約翰.亞當斯（John Adams）、本傑明 .富蘭克林（Benjamin Franklin）、塞繆爾.亞當斯（Samuel Adams）和傑斐遜等人。7月4日自此之後成為獨立節（Independence Day），也即國慶節。系美國最重要的歷史文獻，也是西方國家最重要的政治文獻之一。

其第二段落根據天賦人權說（the theory of natural rights）提出了人民有權推翻損害其權利的政府，並建立新政府的觀點：“我們認為這些真理是不言而喻的：人人生而平等，他們都被造物主賦予了某些不可轉讓的權利，其中包括生命權、自由權、追求幸福的權利。為了保障這些權利，才在人們中間成立政府，政府的正當權力則經被統治者准許而取得。一旦任何一種形式的政府變成了損害這些目的的政府，則人民有權改變它或廢除它，以建立新的政府。新的政府必須建立在這樣的原則基礎上，並按照這樣的方式來組織其權力機關，以便在人民看來它是最能夠保障他們的安全和幸福的。”

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.  

                                         陳安 著《新英漢美國小百科》258頁

                                        上海譯文出版社2000年5月第1版