Liberty cannot be preserved without a general knowledge among the people, who have a right, from the frame of their nature, to k

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问题 Liberty cannot be preserved without a general knowledge among the people, who have a right, from the frame of their nature, to knowledge, as their great Creator, who does nothing in vain, has given them understandings, and a desire to know; but besides this, they have a right, an indisputable, unalienable, indefeasible, divine right to that most dreaded and envied kind of knowledge; I mean, of the characters and conduct of their rulers. Rulers are no more than attorneys, agents, and trustees, for the people; and if the cause, the interest and trust, is insidiously betrayed, or wantonly trifled away, the people have a right to revoke the authority that they themselves have deputed, and to constitute abler and better agents, attorneys, and trustees and the preservation of the means of knowledge among the lowest ranks is of more importance to the public than all the property of all the rich men in the country. It is even of more consequence to the rich themselves, and to their posterity. The only question is whether it is a public emolument: and if it is, the rich ought undoubtedly to contribute, in the same proportion as to all other public burdens—that is, in proportion to their wealth, which is secured by public expenses. But none of the means of information are more sacred, or have been cherished with more tenderness and care by the settlers of America, than the press. Care has been taken that the art of printing should be encouraged, and that it should be easy and cheap and safe for any person to communicate his thoughts to the public.

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答案 如果人民没有常识,自由就难以得到维护。人民天生就有获得知识的权利,因为无所不能的伟大造物者已经赋予他们理解能力和求知的欲望。但是,除了这种权利之外,他们还有一个权利,一个不可争议、不可让与、不容废除的神圣权利去获取最令人畏惧和羡慕的那种知识。 这里我指的是,人们了解他们统治者的品质和行为的权利。对于人民来说,统治者只不过和律师、代理人和托管人一样。如果他们的事业、利益、和信任在无形中遭到背叛或恣意虚耗,那么人民就有权利废除他们自己授予给这些人的权威,并任命更能干、更好的代理人、律师和托管人。对公众来说,保留最底层人民获取知识的渠道比保留全国所有富人的财产更重要。而这对于富人本身以及他们的后裔来说甚至也是更为重要的。

解析 1.第一句为一个较长的复合句,翻译时需进行拆分。为了避免翻译生硬,应将Liberty cannotbe preserved的被动语态转为主动表达;为避免句子过长,需将定语从句转为汉语短句表达,并补出主语,如who have a right中的主语为“人民”;the frame of their nature可意译为“天生”;who does nothing in vain可译为“无所不能的”。另外翻译并列结构an indisputable,unalienable,indefeasible,divine right时,要注意保持结构上的对称性:indisputable“不可争议”,unalienable“不可让与”,indefeasible“不可废除”;characters and conduct意为“品质与行为”。
2.第二句同样为较长的复合句。翻译if从句时,为了符合汉语表达习惯,应将被动语态转译为主动语态,可用动词“遭到”表被动意义。cause一般为“原因,理由”之意,但在此是“事业”之意;insidiously意为“无形中,不知不觉地”;wantonly意为“恣意地”;revoke意为“废除”;constitute一般为“组成,建立”之意,在此取“任命”之意;the preservationof可转化为动词结构译出:“保留……”。
3.第三句中的consequence一般作“结果”讲,这里意为“重要地位”;posterity意为“后裔”。译文中补出连词“而”,使之与上句更好地承接。
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