《独立宣言》的全称为《美国独立宣言(United States Declaration of Independence)》，为美国最初的十三个殖民地宣布脱离英国独立的正式文件。其原件收藏于美国华盛顿特区的“美国国家档案馆”内，供大众参观。

《独立宣言》没有设置章节标题，但实际上，这篇文章叙述了如下几个部分：首先阐明了美国立国的哲学根基；接着列举了英王乔治三世及殖民地官僚系统的恶毒和对殖民地人们的迫害；最后郑重宣布脱离英国而独立。

托马斯·杰斐逊起草了《独立宣言》的第一稿，而后富兰克林等人进行了润色；在其基础上，大陆会议(Continental Congress) 做了进一步的辩论和修改，最终通过。1776年7月4日，《独立宣言》由第二次大陆会议于费城批准，而这一天则成为美国的“独立纪念日”。

《独立宣言》签署之地

这是美国最核心的立国文书之一，其中诸多理念被写入美国宪法，更被后世的人们无数次引用：如林肯的《葛底斯堡演说》、马丁·路德·金的《我有一个梦想》，等等；好莱坞电影《当幸福来敲门》也以一个平常人“追寻幸福的权利”的主题讲述了动人的故事。

这份“吁请世界的最高正义”的《美国独立宣言》，原文仅1300余词，却深刻影响了世界。它的主张正气凛然，文字铿锵有力，同时有着优美的文学张力，是了解世界历史及英文之美的经典篇章。

《独立宣言》全文

When in the Course of human events it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature's God entitle them, 

在有关人类事务的发展过程中，当一个民族必须解除其和另一个民族之间的政治联系，并在世界各国之间依照自然法则和自然神明，取得独立和平等的地位时，

a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation.

出于对人类公意的尊重，必须宣布他们不得不独立的原因。

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. 

我们认为下面这些真理是不言而喻的：造物者创造了平等的个人，并赋予他们若干不可剥夺的权利，其中包括生命权、自由权和追求幸福的权利。

— That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, 

为了保障这些权利，人们才在他们之间建立政府，而政府之正当权力，则来自被统治者的同意。

— That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, 

任何形式的政府，只要破坏上述目的，人民就有权利改变或废除它，并建立新政府；

laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness. 

新政府赖以奠基的原则，得以组织权力的方式，都要最大可能地增进民众的安全和幸福。

Prudence, indeed, will dictate that Governments long established should not be changed for light and transient causes; 

的确，从慎重考虑，不应当由于轻微和短暂的原因而改变成立多年的政府。

and accordingly all experience hath shewn that mankind are more disposed to suffer, while evils are sufferable than to right themselves by abolishing the forms to which they are accustomed. 

过去的一切经验也都说明，任何苦难，只要尚能忍受，人类都宁愿容忍，而无意废除他们久已习惯了的政府来恢复自身的权益。

But when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same Object evinces a design to reduce them under absolute Despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such Government, and to provide new Guards for their future security. 

但是，当政府一贯滥用职权、强取豪夺，一成不变地追逐这一目标，足以证明它旨在把人民置于绝对专制统治之下时，那么，人民就有权利，也有义务推翻这个政府，并为他们未来的安全建立新的保障。

— Such has been the patient sufferance of these Colonies; and such is now the necessity which constrains them to alter their former Systems of Government. 

这就是这些殖民地过去逆来顺受的情况，也是它们现在不得不改变以前政府制度的原因。

The history of the present King of Great Britain is a history of repeated injuries and usurpations, all having in direct object the establishment of an absolute Tyranny over these States. 

当今大不列颠国王的历史，是一再损人利己和强取豪夺的历史，所有这些暴行的直接目的，就是想在这些邦建立一种绝对的暴政。

To prove this, let Facts be submitted to a candid world.

为了证明所言属实，现把下列事实向公正的世界宣布。

He has refused his Assent to Laws, the most wholesome and necessary for the public good.

他拒绝批准对公众利益最有益、最必要的法律。

He has forbidden his Governors to pass Laws of immediate and pressing importance, unless suspended in their operation till his Assent should be obtained; and when so suspended, he has utterly neglected to attend to them.

他禁止他的总督们批准急需和至关重要的法律，要不就把这些法律搁置起来暂等待他的同意；一旦这些法律被搁置起来，他就完全置之不理。

He has refused to pass other Laws for the accommodation of large districts of people, unless those people would relinquish the right of Representation in the Legislature, a right inestimable to them and formidable to tyrants only.

他拒绝批准允许将广大地区供民众垦殖的其他法律，除非那些人民情愿放弃自己在立法机关中的代表权；但这种权利对他们有无法估量的价值，只有暴君才畏惧这种权利。

He has called together legislative bodies at places unusual, uncomfortable, and distant from the depository of their Public Records, for the sole purpose of fatiguing them into compliance with his measures.

他把各地立法机构召集到既不方便、也不舒适且远离公文档案保存地的地方去开会，其唯一的目的是使他们疲于奔命，顺从他的意旨。

He has dissolved Representative Houses repeatedly, for opposing with manly firmness his invasions on the rights of the people.

他一再解散各殖民地的议会，因为它们坚定果敢地反对他侵犯人民的各项权利。

He has refused for a long time, after such dissolutions, to cause others to be elected, whereby the Legislative Powers, incapable of Annihilation, have returned to the People at large for their exercise; the State remaining in the mean time exposed to all the dangers of invasion from without, and convulsions within.

在解散各殖民地议会后，他又长时间拒绝另选新议会。但立法权是无法被取消的，因此这项权力已经回到广大人民手中并由他们来行使；其时各邦仍然险象环生，外有侵略之患，内有动乱之忧。

He has endeavored to prevent the population of these States; for that purpose obstructing the Laws for Naturalization of Foreigners; refusing to pass others to encourage their migrations hither, and raising the conditions of new Appropriations of Lands.

他竭力抑制各殖民地增加人口，为此，他阻挠《外国人归化法律》的通过，拒绝批准其他鼓励外国人移居各邦的法律，并提高分配新土地的条件。

He has obstructed the Administration of Justice by refusing his Assent to Laws for establishing Judiciary Powers.

他拒绝批准建立司法权力的法律，藉以阻挠司法公正。

He has made Judges dependent on his Will alone for the tenure of their offices, and the amount and payment of their salaries.

他控制了法官的任期、薪金数额和支付，从而让法官完全从属于他个人的意志。

He has erected a multitude of New Offices, and sent hither swarms of Officers to harass our people and eat out their substance.

他建立多种新的衙门，派遣蝗虫般多的官员，骚扰我们人民，并蚕食民脂民膏。

He has kept among us, in times of peace, Standing Armies without the Consent of our legislatures.

在和平时期，未经我们立法机关的同意，他就在我们中间驻扎常备军。

He has affected to render the Military independent of and superior to the Civil Power.

他使军队独立于民政权力之外，并凌驾于民政权力之上。

He has combined with others to subject us to a jurisdiction foreign to our constitution, and unacknowledged by our laws; giving his Assent to their Acts of pretended Legislation:

他同一些人勾结，把我们置于一种与我们的体制格格不入、且不为我们的法律认可的管辖之下；他还批准这些人炮制的假冒法案，来到达下述目的：

For quartering large bodies of armed troops among us:

在我们这里驻扎大批武装部队；

For protecting them, by a mock Trial from punishment for any Murders which they should commit on the Inhabitants of these States:

用假审讯来包庇他们，使那些杀害我们各邦居民的谋杀者逍遥法外；

For cutting off our Trade with all parts of the world:

切断我们同世界各地的贸易；

For imposing Taxes on us without our Consent:

未经我们同意便向我们强行征税；

For depriving us in many cases, of the benefit of Trial by Jury:

在许多案件中剥夺我们享有陪审团的权益；

For transporting us beyond Seas to be tried for pretended offenses:

编造罪名把我们递解到海外去受审。

For abolishing the free System of English Laws in a neighboring Province, establishing therein an Arbitrary government, and enlarging its Boundaries so as to render it at once an example and fit instrument for introducing the same absolute rule into these Colonies.

在一个邻近地区废除英国法律的自由制度，在那里建立专横政府，并扩大它的疆界，企图使之迅即成为一个样板和得心应手的工具，以便向这里的各殖民地推行同样的专制统治；

For taking away our Charters, abolishing our most valuable Laws and altering fundamentally the Forms of our Governments:

取消我们的特许状，废除我们最宝贵的法律，并且从根本上改变了我们的政府形式；

For suspending our own Legislatures, and declaring themselves invested with power to legislate for us in all cases whatsoever.

中止我们自己的立法机构，宣称他们自己在任何情况下都有权为我们立法。

He has abdicated Government here, by declaring us out of his Protection and waging War against us.

他宣布我们已不在他的保护之下，并向我们开战，从而放弃了这里的政权。

He has plundered our seas, ravaged our coasts, burnt our towns, and destroyed the lives of our people.

他在我们的海域大肆掠夺，蹂躏我们的海岸，焚烧我们的市镇，残害我们人民的生命。

He is at this time transporting large Armies of foreign Mercenaries to complete the works of death, desolation, and tyranny, already begun with circumstances of Cruelty & Perfidy scarcely paralleled in the most barbarous ages, and totally unworthy the Head of a civilized nation.

此时他正在运送大批外国佣兵来完成屠杀、破坏和肆虐的勾当，这种勾当早就开始，其残酷卑劣甚至在最野蛮的时代也难出其右。他完全不配做一个文明国家的元首。

He has constrained our fellow Citizens taken Captive on the high Seas to bear Arms against their Country, to become the executioners of their friends and Brethren, or to fall themselves by their Hands.

他强迫在公海被他俘虏的我们的公民同胞充军，反对自己的国家，成为残杀自己朋友和亲人的创子手，或是死于自己朋友和亲人的手下。

He has excited domestic insurrections amongst us, and has endeavored to bring on the inhabitants of our frontiers, the merciless Indian Savages whose known rule of warfare, is an undistinguished destruction of all ages, sexes and conditions.

他在我们中间煽动内乱，并且竭力挑唆那些残酷无情的印第安人来杀掠我们边疆的居民。众所周知，印第安人的作战方式是不分男女老幼，一律格杀勿论。

In every stage of these Oppressions We have Petitioned for Redress in the most humble terms: Our repeated Petitions have been answered only by repeated injury. 

在这些压迫的每一阶段中，我们都曾用最谦卑的言辞请求救济，但我们一再的请求所得到的答复却是一再的伤害。

A Prince, whose character is thus marked by every act which may define a Tyrant, is unfit to be the ruler of a free people.

这样一个君主，在其品行已打上了可以看作是暴君行为的烙印时，便不配做自由人民的统治者。

Nor have We been wanting in attentions to our British brethren. We have warned them from time to time of attempts by their legislature to extend an unwarrantable jurisdiction over us. 

我们不是没有顾念我们英国的弟兄。我们一再警告过他们，他们的立法机关企图把无理的管辖权横加到我们的头上。

We have reminded them of the circumstances of our emigration and settlement here. 

我们也提醒过他们，我们移民并定居来这里的状况。

We have appealed to their native justice and magnanimity, 

我们曾经呼唤他们天生的正义感和侠肝义胆，

and we have conjured them by the ties of our common kindred to disavow these usurpations, which would inevitably interrupt our connections and correspondence. 

我们恳切陈词，请他们念在同文同种的份上，弃绝这些必然会破坏我们彼此关系和往来的无理掠夺。

They too have been deaf to the voice of justice and of consanguinity. 

对于这种来自正义和基于血缘的呼声，他们却也同样置若罔闻。

We must, therefore, acquiesce in the necessity, which denounces our Separation, and hold them, as we hold the rest of mankind, Enemies in War, in Peace Friends.

迫不得已，我们不得不宣布和他们分离。我们会以对待其他民族一样的态度对待他们：战时是仇敌，平时是朋友。

We, therefore, the Representatives of the united States of America, in General Congress, Assembled, 

因此，我们，集合在大陆会议下的美利坚联合邦的代表，

appealing to the Supreme Judge of the world for the rectitude of our intentions, do, in the Name, and by Authority of the good People of these Colonies, solemnly publish and declare, 

为我们各项正当意图，吁请全世界最崇高的正义：以各殖民地善良人民的名义并经他们授权，我们极为庄严地宣布，

That these united Colonies are, and of Right ought to be Free and Independent States, 

这些联合殖民地从此成为、而且是名正言顺地成为自由和独立的国家；

that they are Absolved from all Allegiance to the British Crown, 

它们解除效忠英国王室的一切义务，

and that all political connection between them and the State of Great Britain, is and ought to be totally dissolved; 

它们和大不列颠国家之间的一切政治关系从此全部断绝，而且必须断绝；

and that as Free and Independent States, they have full Power to levy War, conclude Peace, contract Alliances, establish Commerce, 

作为自由独立的国家，它们完全有权宣战、缔和、结盟、通商

and to do all other Acts and Things which Independent States may of right do.

和采取独立国家理应采取和处理的一切行动和事宜。

And for the support of this Declaration, with a firm reliance on the protection of Divine Providence, 

为了强化这篇宣言，我们怀着深信神明保佑的信念，

we mutually pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes, and our sacred Honor.

谨以我们的生命、财富和神圣的荣誉，相互保证，共同宣誓。