在災害和動亂頻繁的古代;
during the agonizing spasms of infuriated man, seeking, through blood and slaughter, his long-lost liberty;
被激怒的人在極度痛苦的痙攣中,通過流血和屠殺追尋失去已久的自由;
it was not wonderful that the agitation of the billows should reach even this distant and peaceful shore;
巨浪的翻滾攪動甚至會波及遙遠而平靜的海岸,這并不奇怪;
that this should be more felt and feared by some, and less by others, and should divide opinions as to measures of safety.
有些人的感觸更多,也更能引起他們的驚懼。
But every difference of opinion is not a difference of principle.
而其他人則可能無動于衷,見解的分歧可以作為安全性的衡量尺度。
We have called by different names brethren of the same principle. We are all Republicans; we are all Federalists.
但是,意見相左并非原則上的分歧。我們用不同的稱謂來命名同一原則。我們都是共和黨人;我們都是聯(lián)邦黨人。
If there be any among us who would wish to dissolve this Union, or to change its republican form,
倘若我們當中有人想瓦解這個合眾國,或改變它的共和形式,
let them stand undisturbed as monuments of the safety with which error of opinion may be tolerated when reason is left free to combat it.
那么當理性允許自由爭辯時,就讓他們?yōu)榱税踩@個具有歷史價值的紀念碑,不受打擾的與或許可以忍受的錯誤見解共處吧。