What you might not know about the Declaration of Independence - Kenneth C. Davis

美國獨立宣言二三事 - Kenneth C. Davis

譯者: Hsing-Ju Wen 審譯者: Yau Nga Alpha Chan

"All men are created equal

『人皆生而平等，造物者賦予他們

and they are endowed with the rights to

若干不可剝奪的權利，

life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness."

其中包括生命權、自由權 和追求快樂的權利』

Not so fast, Mr. Jefferson!

等等，傑佛遜！

These words from the Declaration of Independence,

這些是美國獨立宣言的引言

and the facts behind them, are well known.

這些字句廣為人知

In June of 1776,

在1776年的6月

a little more than a year after the war against England began

也是向英國開戰屆滿一年不久

with the shots fired at Lexington and Concord,

即是從萊辛頓與康科特戰役的第一聲槍響算起

the Continental Congress was meeting in Philadelphia

大陸會議在費城舉行

to discuss American independence.

討論美國獨立

After long debates, a resolution of independence

在激烈的爭辯後，對於獨立的方針

was approved on July 2, 1776.

終於在1776年7月2日被通過

America was free!

美國自由了！

And men like John Adams thought we would celebrate that date forever.

而一些人，比如約翰‧亞當斯 覺得應該要永久紀念這個日子

But it was two days later that the gentlemen in Congress

但是在大陸會議的兩天後

voted to adopt the Declaration of Independence,

議員們才決定通過獨立宣言

largely written by Thomas Jefferson,

此宣言由湯瑪斯‧傑佛遜起草

offering all the reasons why the country should be free.

並且闡述了所有 美國應該要獨立的原因

More than 235 years later,

在235多年後的今日

we celebrate that day as America's birthday.

我們將通過的那天訂為美國的國慶日

But there are some pieces of the story you may not know.

但其中有一些你可能不知道的故事

First of all, Thomas Jefferson gets the credit

首先，湯瑪斯‧傑佛遜

for writing the Declaration,

因為獨立宣言起草而留名後世

but five men had been given the job

但有五個人同時在做這件事

to come up with a document explaining why

他們共同寫一份文章來解釋

America should be independent:

美國為什麼必須獨立：

Robert Livingston,

羅伯特‧李維頓、

Roger Sherman,

羅傑‧謝爾曼、

Benjamin Franklin and

班傑明‧富蘭克林、還有

John Adams were all named first.

約翰‧亞當斯，他們都是既定人選

And it was Adams who suggested that the young,

是亞當斯推薦

and little known, Thomas Jefferson join them

年輕卻寂寂無名的湯瑪斯‧傑佛遜加入的

because they needed a man from the influential Virginia Delegation,

因為他們需要一個 從具有影響力的維吉尼亞州來的人

and Adams thought Jefferson was a much better writer than he was.

此外，亞當斯覺得傑佛遜的文筆比他好

Second, though Jefferson never used footnotes,

第二，傑佛遜從來不做標記

or credited his sources,

也不寫出他文章的靈感來源

some of his memorable words and phrases were borrowed

但其實很多他的名言佳句 都是因為受到他人的啟發

from other writers and slightly tweaked.

他只是援引佳句並稍微修改一下而已

Then, Franklin and Adams offered a few suggestions.

之後，富蘭克林跟亞當斯 也提供了一些建議

But the most important change came after the Declaration

但最重要的更改卻是在

was turned over to the full Congress.

此宣言上呈大陸會議之後

For two days, a very unhappy Thomas Jefferson

接下來的兩天，湯瑪斯‧傑佛遜不太開心

sat and fumed while his words were picked over.

議員對他的起草挑三撿四 他也只能乾坐生悶氣

In the end, the Congress made a few, minor word changes,

最後，議會作出一些微小的用字修改

and one big deletion.

還有一大項的刪減

In the long list of charges that Jefferson made

在長長一串

against the King of England,

傑佛遜對英皇的控訴中

the author of the Declaration had included the idea

也提到了

that George the Third was responsible for the slave trade,

喬治三世應該要為奴隸交易負責

and was preventing America from ending slavery.

也阻止美國廢除奴隸制度

That was not only untrue,

這不僅是錯的

but Congress wanted no mention of slavery

而且議會也不想

in the nation's founding document.

在建國文件上提到奴隸制度

The reference was cut out

於是，在獨立宣言通過並付梓之前

before the Declaration was approved and sent to the printer.

這一段落就被刪除了

But it leaves open the hard question:

但也因這個段落的刪減 而產生一個重大問題

How could the men,

那些人們─

who were about to sign a document,

簽署此份宣言的人們

celebrating liberty and equality,

怎麼能夠在慶祝自由與平等的同時

accept a system in which some people owned others?

也默認奴隸制度呢？

It is a question that

這是個最終

would eventually bring the nation to civil war

將美國導向南北戰爭的關鍵問題

and one we can still ask today.

也是時至今日，我們可以反思的問題