Declaration of Independence (1776)

Citation: Engrossed copy of the Declaration of Independence, August 2, 1776; Miscellaneous Papers of the Continental Congress, 1774-1789; Records of the Continental and Confederation Congresses and the Constitutional Convention, 1774-1789, Record Group 360; National Archives.

引文：1776 年 8 月 2 日的《独立宣言》的全神贯注的副本；大陆会议杂项文件，1774-1789 年；大陆会议和邦联会议以及制宪会议的记录，1774-1789 年，记录组 360；国家档案馆。

Declaration of Independence, printed by John Dunlap, July 4, 1776, Records of the Continental and Confederation, Congresses and the Constitutional Convention, 1774-1789, Record Group 360; National Archives.

《独立宣言》，约翰·邓拉普 (John Dunlap) 印刷，1776 年 7 月 4 日，《大陆和邦联、国会和制宪会议记录》，1774-1789 年，Record Group 360；国家档案馆。

The Continental Congress adopted the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776.

1776 年 7 月 4 日，大陆会议通过了《独立宣言》。

It was engrossed on parchment and on August 2, 1776, delegates began signing it.

1776 年 8 月 2 日，代表们开始在羊皮纸上签名。

Although the section of the Lee Resolution dealing with independence was not adopted until July 2, Congress appointed on June 10 a committee of five to draft a statement of independence for the colonies.

尽管李氏决议中涉及独立的部分直到7月2日才获得通过，但国会于6月10日任命了一个五人委员会来起草殖民地独立声明。

The committee included Thomas Jefferson, John Adams, Benjamin Franklin, Robert R.

该委员会成员包括托马斯·杰斐逊、约翰·亚当斯、本杰明·富兰克林、罗伯特·R·肯尼迪。

Livingston, and Roger Sherman, with the actual writing delegated to Jefferson.

利文斯顿和罗杰谢尔曼，实际写作委托给杰斐逊。

Jefferson drafted the statement between June 11 and 28, submitted drafts to Adams and Franklin who made some changes, and then presented the draft to the Congress following the July 2nd adoption of the independence section of the Lee Resolution.

杰斐逊于6月11日至28日期间起草了声明，将草案提交给亚当斯和富兰克林，他们做了一些修改，然后在7月2日通过李氏决议的独立部分后将草案提交给国会。

The congressional revision process took all of July 3rd and most of July 4th.

国会的修订过程花费了 7 月 3 日和 7 月 4 日的大部分时间。

Finally, in the afternoon of July 4th, the Declaration was adopted.

最终，7月4日下午，《宣言》获得通过。

Under the supervision of the Jefferson committee, the approved Declaration was printed on July 5th and a copy was attached to the "rough journal of the Continental Congress for July 4th." These printed copies, bearing only the names of John Hancock, President, and Charles Thomson, secretary, were distributed to state assemblies, conventions, committees of safety, and commanding officers of the Continental troops.

在杰斐逊委员会的监督下，批准的宣言于7月5日印制，并附有一份副本到“7月4日大陆会议草稿”上。这些印刷版仅印有总统约翰·汉考克和秘书查尔斯·汤姆森的名字，并分发给各州议会、代表大会、安全委员会和大陆军指挥官。

On July 19th, Congress ordered that the Declaration be engrossed on parchment with a new title, "the unanimous declaration of the thirteen united states of America," and "that the same, when engrossed, be signed by every member of Congress." Engrossing is the process of copying an official document in a large hand.

7 月 19 日，国会下令将该宣言写在羊皮纸上，并加上一个新标题：“美利坚合众国十三个国家的一致宣言”，并且“在该宣言被写完后，由每位国会议员签署”。引人入胜就是大手抄写一份官方文件的过程。

The engrosser of the Declaration was probably Timothy Matlock, an assistant to Charles Thomson, secretary to the Congress.

该宣言的着迷者可能是国会秘书查尔斯·汤姆森的助手蒂莫西·马特洛克。

On August 2nd John Hancock, the President of the Congress, signed the engrossed copy with a bold signature.

8 月 2 日，国会主席约翰·汉考克 (John Hancock) 在这份全神贯注的文本上用了一个大胆的签名。

The other delegates, following custom, signed beginning at the right with the signatures arranged by states from northernmost New Hampshire to southernmost Georgia.

其他代表按照惯例从右侧开始签名，签名由最北端的新罕布什尔州到最南端的佐治亚州排列。

Although all delegates were not present on August 2nd, 56 delegates eventually signed the document.

尽管8月2日所有代表均未出席，但最终有56名代表签署了该文件。

Late signers were Elbridge Gerry, Oliver Wolcott, Lewis Morris, Thomas McKean, and Matthew Thornton, who was unable to place his signature with the other New Hampshire delegates due to a lack of space.

较晚签名的人有埃尔布里奇·格里、奥利弗·沃尔科特、刘易斯·莫里斯、托马斯·麦基恩和马修·桑顿，由于空间不足，他无法与其他新罕布什尔州代表一起签名。

Some delegates, including Robert R.

一些代表，包括 Robert R.

Livingston of New York, a member of the drafting committee, never signed the Declaration.

起草委员会成员、来自纽约的利文斯顿从未签署该宣言。

Learn what the document says, its meaning, and how it was created on our main Declaration of Independence page .

在我们的《独立宣言》主页上了解该文件的内容、含义以及它是如何创建的。

You can even add your name to the Declaration of Independence on our Join the Signers page !

您甚至可以在我们的“加入签名者”页面上将您的名字添加到《独立宣言》中！

This document is available on DocsTeach , the online tool for teaching with documents from the National Archives.

该文档可在 DocsTeach 上找到，这是一个使用国家档案馆文档进行教学的在线工具。

Find teaching activities that incorporate this document, or create your own online activity .

查找包含本文档的教学活动，或创建您自己的在线活动。

Note: The following text is a transcription of the Stone Engraving of the parchment Declaration of Independence (the document on display in the Rotunda at the National Archives Museum .) The spelling and punctuation reflects the original.

注：以下文本是羊皮纸《独立宣言》石刻的转录（该文件陈列在国家档案博物馆的圆形大厅中）。拼写和标点符号反映了原文。

The unanimous Declaration of the thirteen united States of America, When in the Course of human events, it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another, and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature's God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation.

美利坚合众国十三个国家的一致宣言，当在人类事件的过程中，一个民族有必要解散将他们与另一个民族联系在一起的政治束缚，并在地球列强中承担自然法和自然之神赋予他们的独立和平等的地位时，对人类意见的适当尊重要求他们宣布促使他们分离的原因。

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.

我们认为这些真理是不言而喻的，即人人生而平等，造物主赋予他们某些不可剥夺的权利，其中包括生命权、自由权和追求幸福的权利。为了保障这些权利，政府在人类之间建立，其正当权力来自被统治者的同意，无论何时任何形式的政府破坏了这些目的，人民都有权改变或废除它，并建立新的政府。政府以这样的原则为基础并以这样的形式组织权力，以便对他们来说最有可能实现他们的安全和幸福。

Prudence, indeed, will dictate that Governments long established should not be changed for light and transient causes; and accordingly all experience hath shewn, that mankind are more disposed to suffer, while evils are sufferable, than to right themselves by abolishing the forms to which they are accustomed.

事实上，出于谨慎考虑，长期建立的政府不应因为轻微和短暂的原因而改变；因此，所有的经验都表明，当邪恶是可以忍受的时候，人类更愿意受苦，而不是通过废除他们所习惯的形式来纠正自己。

But when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same Object evinces a design to reduce them under absolute Despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such Government, and to provide new Guards for their future security.--Such has been the patient sufferance of these Colonies; and such is now the necessity which constrains them to alter their former Systems of Government.

但是，当一长串的滥用职权和篡夺行为，总是追求同一个目标，表明其意图是在绝对专制主义下减少它们时，他们的权利，他们的责任，就是推翻这样的政府，并为他们未来的安全提供新的警卫。——这就是这些殖民地的耐心忍受；现在，这就是迫使他们改变以前的政府制度的必要性。

The history of the present King of Great Britain is a history of repeated injuries and usurpations, all having in direct object the establishment of an absolute Tyranny over these States.

现任大不列颠国王的历史是一部屡屡伤害和篡夺的历史，所有这些的直接目标都是在这些国家上建立绝对的暴政。

To prove this, let Facts be submitted to a candid world.

为了证明这一点，让事实摆在一个坦诚的世界面前。

He has refused his Assent to Laws, the most wholesome and necessary for the public good.

他拒绝批准对公共利益来说最有益、最必要的法律。

He has forbidden his Governors to pass Laws of immediate and pressing importance, unless suspended in their operation till his Assent should be obtained; and when so suspended, he has utterly neglected to attend to them.

他禁止州长通过具有直接和紧迫重要性的法律，除非在获得他的同意之前暂停这些法律的实施；当他处于这种状态时，他就完全忽视了他们。

He has refused to pass other Laws for the accommodation of large districts of people, unless those people would relinquish the right of Representation in the Legislature, a right inestimable to them and formidable to tyrants only.

他拒绝通过其他为大片地区人民提供便利的法律，除非这些人放弃在立法机关中的代表权，这种权利对他们来说是不可估量的，只有暴君才害怕。

He has called together legislative bodies at places unusual, uncomfortable, and distant from the depository of their public Records, for the sole purpose of fatiguing them into compliance with his measures.

他在不寻常、不舒服且远离公共记录存放地的地方召集立法机构，其唯一目的是让他们厌倦遵守他的措施。

He has dissolved Representative Houses repeatedly, for opposing with manly firmness his invasions on the rights of the people.

他多次解散众议院，以男子气概的坚定立场反对他侵犯人民权利的行为。

He has refused for a long time, after such dissolutions, to cause others to be elected; whereby the Legislative powers, incapable of Annihilation, have returned to the People at large for their exercise; the State remaining in the mean time exposed to all the dangers of invasion from without, and convulsions within.

在此类解散之后，他很长一段时间拒绝促使其他人当选。由此，无法消灭的立法权已归还给广大人民以供行使；与此同时，国家仍然面临着来自外部入侵和内部动乱的所有危险。

He has endeavoured to prevent the population of these States; for that purpose obstructing the Laws for Naturalization of Foreigners; refusing to pass others to encourage their migrations hither, and raising the conditions of new Appropriations of Lands.

他努力阻止这些州的人口增加；为此目的妨碍外国人入籍法；拒绝通过其他鼓励他们移民到这里的法案，并提高新的土地拨款条件。

He has obstructed the Administration of Justice, by refusing his Assent to Laws for establishing Judiciary powers.

他拒绝同意建立司法权力的法律，从而阻碍了司法行政。

He has made Judges dependent on his Will alone, for the tenure of their offices, and the amount and payment of their salaries.

他让法官的任期、薪金数额和支付仅依赖于他的遗嘱。

He has erected a multitude of New Offices, and sent hither swarms of Officers to harrass our people, and eat out their substance.

他设立了许多新的办公室，并派出大批官员到这里骚扰我们的人民，并吃掉他们的财产。

He has kept among us, in times of peace, Standing Armies without the Consent of our legislatures.

在和平时期，他未经我们立法机关的同意就在我们中间保留了常备军。

He has affected to render the Military independent of and superior to the Civil power.

他努力使军队独立于文职权力并凌驾于文职权力之上。

He has combined with others to subject us to a jurisdiction foreign to our constitution, and unacknowledged by our laws; giving his Assent to their Acts of pretended Legislation:

他与其他人联合起来，将我们置于与我们的宪法无关、且未被我们的法律承认的管辖权之下；同意他们假装的立法行为：

For Quartering large bodies of armed troops among us:

在我们中间安置大批武装部队：

For protecting them, by a mock Trial, from punishment for any Murders which they should commit on the Inhabitants of these States:

通过模拟审判保护他们免受对这些州居民犯下的任何谋杀的惩罚：

For cutting off our Trade with all parts of the world:

为了切断我们与世界各地的贸易：

For imposing Taxes on us without our Consent:

未经我们同意而向我们征税：

For depriving us in many cases, of the benefits of Trial by Jury:

在许多情况下剥夺了我们陪审团审判的好处：

For transporting us beyond Seas to be tried for pretended offences

将我们运送到海外接受假装犯罪的审判

For abolishing the free System of English Laws in a neighbouring Province, establishing therein an Arbitrary government, and enlarging its Boundaries so as to render it at once an example and fit instrument for introducing the same absolute rule into these Colonies:

废除邻近省份的英国法律自由体系，在其中建立一个专断政府，并扩大其边界，以便立即使其成为在这些殖民地引入同样绝对规则的典范和合适工具：

For taking away our Charters, abolishing our most valuable Laws, and altering fundamentally the Forms of our Governments:

废除我们的宪章，废除我们最有价值的法律，并从根本上改变我们政府的形式：

For suspending our own Legislatures, and declaring themselves invested with power to legislate for us in all cases whatsoever.

他们暂停了我们自己的立法机构，并宣布自己拥有在任何情况下为我们立法的权力。

He has abdicated Government here, by declaring us out of his Protection and waging War against us.

他宣布我们脱离他的保护并向我们发动战争，从而放弃了这里的政府。

He has plundered our seas, ravaged our Coasts, burnt our towns, and destroyed the lives of our people.

他掠夺了我们的海洋，蹂躏了我们的海岸，烧毁了我们的城镇，摧毁了我们人民的生活。

He is at this time transporting large Armies of foreign Mercenaries to compleat the works of death, desolation and tyranny, already begun with circumstances of Cruelty & perfidy scarcely paralleled in the most barbarous ages, and totally unworthy the Head of a civilized nation.

他此时正在运送大批外国雇佣军来完成死亡、荒凉和暴政的工作，这些工作已经开始，其残酷和背信弃义的情况在最野蛮的时代几乎没有可比性，完全不配作为一个文明国家的元首。

He has constrained our fellow Citizens taken Captive on the high Seas to bear Arms against their Country, to become the executioners of their friends and Brethren, or to fall themselves by their Hands.

他强迫我们在公海上被俘虏的同胞拿起武器反对他们的国家，成为他们朋友和弟兄的刽子手，或者死于他们的手中。

He has excited domestic insurrections amongst us, and has endeavoured to bring on the inhabitants of our frontiers, the merciless Indian Savages, whose known rule of warfare, is an undistinguished destruction of all ages, sexes and conditions.

他在我们中间煽动国内叛乱，并竭力招致我们边境的居民，即无情的印度野蛮人，他们众所周知的战争规则是对所有年龄、性别和条件的无差别破坏。

In every stage of these Oppressions We have Petitioned for Redress in the most humble terms: Our repeated Petitions have been answered only by repeated injury.

在这些压迫的每一个阶段，我们都以最谦卑的方式请求赔偿：我们一再的请愿只能得到一再的伤害的回应。

A Prince whose character is thus marked by every act which may define a Tyrant, is unfit to be the ruler of a free people.

一个王子的品格如此，其每一个行为都可能定义为暴君，他不适合成为自由人民的统治者。

Nor have We been wanting in attentions to our Brittish brethren.

我们也不缺乏对我们的英国弟兄的关注。

We have warned them from time to time of attempts by their legislature to extend an unwarrantable jurisdiction over us.

我们不时警告他们，他们的立法机关试图对我们施加无理的管辖权。

We have reminded them of the circumstances of our emigration and settlement here.

我们已经提醒他们我们移民定居的情况。

We have appealed to their native justice and magnanimity, and we have conjured them by the ties of our common kindred to disavow these usurpations, which, would inevitably interrupt our connections and correspondence.

我们呼吁他们天生的正义和宽宏大量，我们通过我们共同的亲属关系召唤他们否认这些篡夺行为，这将不可避免地中断我们的联系和通信。

They too have been deaf to the voice of justice and of consanguinity.

他们也对正义和血缘的声音充耳不闻。

We must, therefore, acquiesce in the necessity, which denounces our Separation, and hold them, as we hold the rest of mankind, Enemies in War, in Peace Friends.

因此，我们必须默许这种谴责我们分离的必要性，并像我们对待其他人类一样对待他们，战争中是敌人，和平中是朋友。

We, therefore, the Representatives of the united States of America, in General Congress, Assembled, appealing to the Supreme Judge of the world for the rectitude of our intentions, do, in the Name, and by Authority of the good People of these Colonies, solemnly publish and declare, That these United Colonies are, and of Right ought to be Free and Independent States; that they are Absolved from all Allegiance to the British Crown, and that all political connection between them and the State of Great Britain, is and ought to be totally dissolved; and that as Free and Independent States, they have full Power to levy War, conclude Peace, contract Alliances, establish Commerce, and to do all other Acts and Things which Independent States may of right do.

因此，我们，美利坚合众国的代表，在全体国会中，请求世界最高法官公正地表达我们的意图，以这些殖民地善良人民的名义和权威，庄严地公布和声明：这些联合殖民地是而且理应是自由和独立的国家；他们被免除对英国王室的所有效忠，他们与大不列颠国家之间的所有政治联系都应该而且应该完全解除；作为自由和独立的国家，他们有充分的权力发动战争，缔结和平，缔结联盟，建立商业，以及采取独立国家有权采取的所有其他行动和事情。

And for the support of this Declaration, with a firm reliance on the protection of divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes and our sacred Honor.

为了支持本宣言，并坚定地依靠神圣天意的保护，我们相互保证我们的生命、我们的财富和我们神圣的荣誉。