论公民的不服从 Civil Disobedience（1/1）
亨利·大卫·梭罗 / Henry David Thoreau
亨利·大卫·梭罗（1817—1862），杂文家、诗人、自然主义者、改革家和哲学家。生于马萨诸塞州的康科德，毕业于哈佛大学，曾担任中学校长。1846年7月，梭罗居住在瓦尔登湖边时，当地的警官找到他，让他支付投票税，尽管数年来他已经行使了这项权利，但是梭罗拒绝支付税款。当夜，警官把他关在康科德的监狱里。第二天，梭罗的姨母帮他缴清税款，他便获释了。不过，他表明了他的观点：他不能向一个容许奴隶制存在并且侵略他国（墨西哥）的政府交税。他于1849年发表了有引起什么反响。但是到了19世纪末，这篇文章却成为公认的经典之作，并赢得国际性的声誉。列夫·托尔斯泰、圣雄甘地、马丁·路德·金等人都对它推崇备至。
Acethe Hole
Uand these new words before you read this article.
1.systeatically [?s?st???t?k?l?] adv.有组织地；有计划地；有条不紊地
2.expedient [,?n?kspi:di:?nt] adj.不妥当的；不适当的；不明智的
3.san [s??k??n] n.批准，认可
4.onarchy [?n?ki] n.君主统治，君主制度；君主国
I heartily aept the otto, “That governnt is best which gover” , and I should like to see it acted up to ore rapidly and systeatically.Carried out, it fally aounts to this, which also I believe, “That governnt is best which governs not at all” , and when n are prepared for it, that will be thekd of governnt which the will have.Governnt is at best but an expedient; but ost governnts are ually, and all governnts are sotis, expedient.The objes which have been brought agast a standg ary, and they are any ay, and deserve to prevail, ay also at st be brought agast a standg governnt.The standg ary is only an ar of the standg governnt.The governnt itself, whiute their will, is equally liable to be abed and perverted before the peopleact through it.Withe present Mexi war, the work of paratively a few dividuals g the standg governnt as their tool; forthe outset, the people would not have ed to this asure.
This Ari governnt—what is it but a tradition, though a ret one, eo transit itself unipaired to posterity, but each stant losg so of its tegrity? It has not the vitality and force of a sgle livg an; for a sgle anbend it to his will.It is a sort of wooden gun to the people theselves.But it is not the less necessary for this; for the people t have so plicated achery or other, and hear its d, to satisfy that idea of governnt whiellent, we t all allow.Yet this governnt never of itself furthered aerprise, but by the acrity with which it got out of its way.It does not keep the untry free.It does not settle the West.It does not educate.The character herentthe Arih n would fa sueedlettg one another alone; and, as has been said, when it is ost expedient, the governed are ost let alone by it.Trade and rce, if they were not ade of Indian Rubber, would never ao bounce over obstacles which legistors are ntually puttgtheir way; and if oo judge these n wholly by the effects of their as and not partly by their tentions, they would deserve to be cssed and punished with those ischievio persons who put obstr on the railroads.
But, to speak practically and as a citizen, uhose who call theselves no overnnt n, I ask for, not at one no governnt, but at once a better govern every an ake known what kd of governnt would and his respect, and that will be oep toward obtag it.
After all, the practical reason why, when the power is ohe hands of the people, a ajority are peritted, and for a long period o rule is not becae they are ost likely to bethe right, nor becae this sees fairest to the ority, but becae they are physically the stro.But a governntwhich the ajority ruleall cases ot be based on jtice, even as far as n uand it. there not be a governntwhich the ajorities do not virtually decide right and wrong, but nsitizen ever for a ont, orthe least degree, resign his o the legistor? Why has every an a hen? I thk that we should be n first, and subjects afterward.It is not desirable to cultivate a respect for the w, so uch as for the right.The only obligation which I have a right to assu is to do at any ti what I thk right.
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The authority of governnt, even such as I a willg to subit to—for I will cheerfully obey those who know anddo better than I, andany thgs even those who her know nordo so well—is still an ipure oo be strictly jt, it t have the san andof the goverhave no pure right over y person and property but what I o it.The progress fro an absote to a liited onarchy, fro a liited onarchy to a deocracy, is a progress toward a true respect for the dividual.Even the Chese philosopher was wise enough tard the dividual as the basis of the epire.Is a deocracy, such as we know it, the st iprovent possiblegovernnt? Is it not possible to take a step further towards regnizg and anizg the rights of an? There will never be a really free and enlighteate until the State es the dividual as a higher and depe power, fro which all its own power and authority are derived, and treats hi aly.I please yself with iagg a State at st whichafford to be jt to all n, and to treat the dividual with respect as a neighbor; which even would not thk it nsistent with its own repose if a few were to live aloof fro it, not ddlg with it, nor ebraced by it, who fulfilled all the duties of neighbors and fellow n.A State which bore this kd of fruit, and suffered it to drop off as fast as it ripened, would prepare the way for a still ore perfed glorio State, which I have also iaged, but not yet anywhere seen.