Henry David Thoreau - On the Duty of Civil Disobedience学习

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1、HenryDavidThoreauOntheDutyofCivilDisobedience[1849,originaltitle:ResistancetoCivilGovernment]Iheartilyacceptthemotto,"Thatgovernmentisbestwhichgovernsleast";andIshouldliketoseeitacteduptomorerapidlyandsystematically.Carriedout,itfinallyamountstothis,

2、whichalsoIbelieve—"Thatgovernmentisbestwhichgovernsnotatall";andwhenmenarepreparedforit,thatwillbethekindofgovernmentwhichthewillhave.Governmentisatbestbutanexpedient;butmostgovernmentsareusually,andallgovernmentsaresometimes,inexpedient.Theobjection

3、swhichhavebeenbroughtagainstastandingarmy,andtheyaremanyandweighty,anddeservetoprevail,mayalsoatlastbebroughtagainstastandinggovernment.Thestandingarmyisonlyanarmofthestandinggovernment.Thegovernmentitself,whichisonlythemodewhichthepeoplehavechosento

4、executetheirwill,isequallyliabletobeabusedandpervertedbeforethepeoplecanactthroughit.WitnessthepresentMexicanwar,theworkofcomparativelyafewindividualsusingthestandinggovernmentastheirtool;forintheoutset,thepeoplewouldnothaveconsentedtothismeasure.Thi

5、sAmericangovernment—whatisitbutatradition,thougharecentone,endeavoringtotransmititselfunimpairedtoposterity,buteachinstantlosingsomeofitsintegrity?Ithasnotthevitalityandforceofasinglelivingman;forasinglemancanbendittohiswill.Itisasortofwoodenguntothe

6、peoplethemselves.Butitisnotthelessnecessaryforthis;forthepeoplemusthavesomecomplicatedmachineryorother,andhearitsdin,tosatisfythatideaofgovernmentwhichtheyhave.Governmentsshowthushowsuccessfullymencanbeimposedupon,evenimposeonthemselves,fortheirownad

7、vantage.Itisexcellent,wemustallallow.Yetthisgovernmentneverofitselffurtheredanyenterprise,butbythealacritywithwhichitgotoutofitsway.Itdoesnotkeepthecountryfree.ItdoesnotsettletheWest.Itdoesnoteducate.ThecharacterinherentintheAmericanpeoplehasdoneallt

8、hathasbeenaccomplished;anditwouldhavedonesomewhatmore,ifthegovernmenthadnotsometimesgotinitsway.Forgovernmentisanexpedient,bywhichmenwouldfainsucceedinlettingoneanotheralone;and,ashasbeensaid,whenitismostexpedient,thegovernedaremostletalonebyit.Trade