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In 1754, war with France being again apprehended, a congress of commissioners from the different colonies was, by an order of the Lords of Trade, to be assembled at Albany, there to confer with the chiefs of the Six Nations concerning the means of defending both their country and ours.
在1754年，跟法国发生战争的危险又来临了，商务大臣命令各殖民地的代表在奥尔巴尼举行代表大会，会同印第安人“六个民族”的酋长共同商讨防御彼此国境的问题。
Governor Hamilton, having receiv'd this order, acquainted the House with it, requesting they would furnish proper presents for the Indians, to be given on this occasion; and naming the speaker (Mr. Norris) and myself to join Mr. Thomas Penn and Mr. Secretary Peters as commissioners to act for Pennsylvania.
哈密尔敦州长在接到这个命令之后，就通知州议会，并请州议会提供适当礼品，以备在开会时赠送给印第安人，州长提议由我和议长（诺利斯先生）会同汤麦斯·潘先生和秘书彼得斯先生组成宾夕法尼亚代表团。
The House approv'd the nomination, and provided the goods for the present, and tho' they did not much like treating out of the provinces; and we met the other commissioners at Albany about the middle of June.
州议会就通过了这个名单，提供了礼品，虽然议员们不大赞成在宾州以外进行谈判，我们和其他代表团约在六月中旬在奥尔巴尼集会。
In our way thither, I projected and drew a plan for the union of all the colonies under one government, so far as might be necessary for defense, and other important general purposes.
在赴会途中，按照国防和其他重大共同事业的可能需要，我拟订了一个计划，把各殖民地联合在一个共同的政府之下。
As we pass'd thro' New York, I had there shown my project to Mr. James Alexander and Mr. Kennedy, two gentlemen of great knowledge in public affairs, and, being fortified by their approbation, I ventur'd to lay it before the Congress.
当我们经过纽约时，我把我的计划给詹姆士·亚历山大先生和坎纳德先生看，这两位绅士对于政治是颇有研究的，他们的赞同给了我信心，我就大胆地在代表大会中提了出来。
It then appeared that several of the commissioners had form'd plans of the same kind.
当时好像有好几个代表都制订了同样的计划。
A previous question was first taken, whether a union should be established, which pass'd in the affirmative unanimously.
我们首先讨论了一个先决问题：究竟是否应当组织一个联邦?我们一致通过了要建立一个联邦。
A committee was then appointed, one member from each colony, to consider the several plans and report.
然后我们指定了一个委员会，考虑关于联邦的各种计划和报告，该委员会由每一殖民地各派一名委员组成。
Mine happen'd to be preferr'd, and, with a few amendments, was accordingly reported.
委员会碰巧选择了我的计划，于是经过了一些修改以后，我的计划就被报请州议会考虑采纳了。
By this plan the general government was to be administered by a president-general, appointed and supported by the crown, and a grand council was to be chosen by the representatives of the people of the several colonies, met in their respective assemblies.
按照这个计划，联邦政府将由总统一人管辖，总统由英王委任并受英王节制，各殖民地州议会中人民代表选举内阁阁员。
The debates upon it in Congress went on daily, hand in hand with the Indian business.
在代表大会中，代表们一面讨论着印第安人事务，一面却讨论着这个计划。
Many objections and difficulties were started, but at length they were all overcome, and the plan was unanimously agreed to, and copies ordered to be transmitted to the Board of Trade and to the assemblies of the several provinces.
代表们提出了许多不同意见，但是他们终于克服了各种困难，全体一致把它通过了，并把抄本寄送商务部和各州的州议会。
Its fate was singular; the assemblies did not adopt it, as they all thought there was too much prerogative in it, and in England it was judg'd to have too much of the democratic.
这个计划的结局是很奇特的：各地的州议会不赞成这个计划，因为它们都认为联邦政府的特权太大了，但是在英国人们却认为这个联邦政府太民主了。
The Board of Trade therefore did not approve of it, nor recommend it for the approbation of his majesty; but another scheme was form'd, supposed to answer the same purpose better, whereby the governors of the provinces, with some members of their respective councils, were to meet and order the raising of troops, building of forts, etc.,
因此商务部不赞成，也没有提请英王批准，有人提出了另一个计划，据说它更符合要求。按照这种计划，由各州州长和部分参事会同商量练兵和修建炮台等事宜。
and to draw on the treasury of Great Britain for the expense, which was afterwards to be refunded by an act of Parliament laying a tax on America.
所需费用由大不列颠国库垫付，事后由议会向美洲殖民地征税来偿还。
My plan, with my reasons in support of it, is to be found among my political papers that are printed.
我的计划和支持我这个计划的理由可以在我已经印行的政治论文集中找到。
Being the winter following in Boston, I had much conversation with Governor Shirley upon both the plans.
那年冬天我在波士顿，我常常跟瑟力州长讨论这两个计划。
Part of what passed between us on the occasion may also be seen among those papers.
我们之间关于这一问题的部分谈话也可以在这些政治论文中找到。
The different and contrary reasons of dislike to my plan makes me suspect that it was really the true medium; and I am still of opinion it would have been happy for both sides the water if it had been adopted.
人们用不同的、相反的理由反对我这个计划，这就使我猜想它实在是一个真正折中的办法，到现在我还以为假如当年我们采纳了这一计划，对大西洋两岸都有好处。
The colonies, so united, would have been sufficiently strong to have defended themselves; there would then have been no need of troops from England; of course, the subsequent pretence for taxing America, and the bloody contest it occasioned, would have been avoided.
按着这个计划联合起来之后，殖民地一定会有足够的自卫能力，那就不需要英国的驻军了，当然也就没有以后向美洲征税的借口了，因课税而引起的流血斗争也都可以避免了。
But such mistakes are not new; history is full of the errors of states and princes.
但是这种错误并不是绝无仅有的，历史上有过许许多多由国家和帝王所造成的错误。
"Look round the habitable world, how few know their own good, or, knowing it, pursue!"
“环顾四海，看得清自己利益的人，或是看见以后能够急起直追的人何其稀少！”
Those who govern, having much business on their hands, do not generally like to take the trouble of considering and carrying into execution new projects.
执政的人，因为事务繁忙，一般都怕麻烦，不喜欢考虑或是执行新的计划。
The best public measures are therefore seldom adopted from previous wisdom, but forc'd by the occasion.
因此大多数优良的议案不是经过事前的深思熟虑才被采纳的，而是由于时势所迫勉强地被接受的。
The Governor of Pennsylvania, in sending it down to the Assembly, expressed his approbation of the plan, "as appearing to him to be drawn up with great clearness and strength of judgment, and therefore recommended it as well worthy of their closest and most serious attention."
当宾夕法尼亚的州长把我的计划送交州议会时，他表示赞同，认为“在他看来这一计划似乎判断精彻，言之有理，持之有故，因此值得州议会加以最细心的和认真的考虑”。
The House, however, by the management of a certain member, took it up when I happen'd to be absent, which I thought not very fair, and reprobated it without paying any attention to it at all, to my no small mortification.
但是有一个议员使用了一个狡猾的策略，趁我偶然缺席的机会，使州议会讨论了这一议案，而且完全不加考虑，马马虎虎地否定了它，我不但认为这种策术十分鬼鬼祟祟，完全不正派，而且对于结果表示十分遗憾。
