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Americans are taught to revere
现在美国人受到的教育称
the Boston Tea Party as a brave and noble act
这次波士顿倾茶事件是勇敢而高尚的行动
but to the British the Boston Tea Party was
但是对于英国人来说，这起事件就跟
an act of terrorism. Boorish colonials
恐怖袭击无异，这些蛮爆的移民
destroying property that wasn't even theirs.
肆意毁坏着甚至不属于他们的财产
Parliament therefore passed the so called
因此议会在1774年通过了
intolerable acts of 1774, that's an American term
《不可容忍法令》 ，这明显就是针对
for them obviously, which closed the Port of
美洲殖民者的一项法令，它下令关闭
Boston, forced Massachusetts to feed and
波士顿港口，强迫马萨诸塞移民
house British troops for free, and destroyed
为英国驻军免费提供食宿
elective government in Massachusetts.
并且瓦解了马萨诸塞州的民选政府
They were trying to teach Boston a lesson
他们本是想要给波士顿一点教训
but in so doing the British only won
但他们的这种做法，只是让其他的
the other American colonies over to
美洲殖民地更坚定地站在了
Massachusetts' side. On September 5th, 1774
马萨诸塞的一边 1774年9月5日
the first continental congress met in Philadelphia.
第一次大陆会议在费城召开
The delegates didn't want to alienate Britain
尽管与会代表表示他们无意排挤英国
further but they just refused to obey
但是他们都明确拒绝遵守
the intolerable acts. The first continental congress
《不可容忍法令》 。这次大陆会议
stated that colonists were entitled to life,
严正声明移民享有生存
liberty and property and that taxes should be
自由和私有财产，而包括税收在内的
determined by colonial legislatures as along
一系列类似事务都应当由移民者自己的
with other such matters. The intolerable acts
立法机构决定 《不可容忍法令》
effectively forced the colonies to ask themselves
也成功让这些移民反思一个问题
a question; what are American colonial rights?
那就是美国移民究竟具有哪些权利
A few colonists were still in favor of
当时有一些移民仍然是倾向于
negotiating with Britain over what these rights
与英国共同协商确定他们所具有的权利
would be but neither King George the 3rd or
但是不管是乔治三世国王还是议会
parliament was interested in further dialogue.
似乎都失去了继续深入对话的兴趣
In spring, 1775 British troops were sent to
1775年春，一批英国军队被派往美洲
confiscate some munitions which were
查抄一笔据说位于马萨诸塞
heard to be at Concord, Massachusetts.
康科德的军火
On April 19th, 1775 a group of militia men
1775年4月19日，一组自称为
called the minute men intercepted the British
Minute men的武装组织在列克星敦
at Lexington and fired among other shots
截下了英军，双方交火后打响了
the one heard around the world.
后来扬名世界的一声枪响
On May 15th 1775 the second continental congress
1775年5月15日，第二次大陆会议
met at Philadelphia and declared itself at war
再次在费城召开，并且正式宣布殖民地
with Great Britain. Colonel George Washington of
与英国将开战，弗吉尼亚州上校
Virginia was named commander of the American
乔治华盛顿被任命为美国军事指挥长
forces. The revolution was under way.
此时革命一触即发
The odds against the continentals' success,
而大陆军(他们是这样称呼自己的)
they call themselves the continentals,
当时的胜算也是非常大的，是吧?
was astronomical, or were they?
当时的胜算也是非常大的，是吧?
Another year later the continental congress
一年之后，大陆会议作出了
adopted a resolution calling for separation
永久脱离大不列颠的决定
from Great Britain for good. A group of
以托马斯杰佛森为首的
5 delegates headed by Thomas Jefferson
五名殖民地代表共同撰写了
composed the official Declaration of Independence.
官方的《独立宣言》文件
Adopted on July 4th, 1776 the Declaration
并于1776年7月4日正式生效
of Independence justified the founding of
《独立宣言》宣告了一个新国家的诞生
a new nation by an appeal to the natural rights
它诉诸了人类所享有的自然权利
of human kind, and I quote 'we hold these truths
原文是这样说的"我们认为下面这些真理
to be self evident that all men are created equal,
是不言而喻的:人人生而平等
that they are endowed by their creator
造物者赋予他们若干
with certain unalienable rights, that among these
不可剥夺的权利，其中包括
are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness,
生命权，自由权和追求幸福的权利
that to secure these rights governments are
为了保障这些权利，人类才在他们之间
instituted among men, deriving their just powers
建立政府，而政府的正当权力
from the consent of the governed, that
需要经过被治理者的同意而产生
whenever any form of government becomes
当任何形式的政府对这些目标
destructive of these ends it is the right
产生破坏作用时，人民便有权力
of the people to alter or abolish it and
改变它或者废除它并且
to institute a new government laying its foundation
建立一个新政府，而其赖以奠基的
on such principles and organizing its powers
原则以及组织权力的方式
in such form as to them shall seem most likely
务必要使人民认为唯有这样
to effect their safety and happiness.
才最可能获得他们的安全和幸福"
