Human Rights

美国人对人权的看法  

The time is 1905. A steamship¹ sails on a vast ocean. "Daddy, will we ever get to America?" asks a weary lad. "Soon, my child, soon," his father replies. "We've been on this ship for weeks. I wish we were back home in Russia," complained the boy. "Son, you know how they persecute² Jews there. We can never go back," the father reminded him. "Will things be better in America?" the young boy asked. "I hope so," his father sighed. "Look! The Statue of Liberty!" the boy shouted. "Just like in the picture!" His father smiled. "Yes, my son," he said. "I think she's waving to us."

时间是在一九○五年，一艘汽船航行在浩瀚的大海上。「爹地，我们到底到不到得了美国啊？」一个小男孩疲惫地问道。「快到了，我的孩子，快到了。」他的父亲回答。「我们已经坐了好几个礼拜的船了，我真希望我们现在是在苏俄的家里。」男孩抱怨着。「孩子，在那儿他们怎么迫害犹太人，你是知道的，我们绝对不能回去。」这位父亲提醒着他。「在美国情况会比较好吗？」小男孩问道。「希望如此。」他的父亲叹气道。「你看！自由女神！」男孩喊着：「跟图片里的一模一样！」他的父亲微笑着说：「是啊，孩子。我想她正向我们招手呢。」

America has long been a haven³ for immigrants from around the world. Until the 19th century, the majority of immigrants were from northern Europe. By the mid-20th century, they were coming from all over the globe. In recent years, scores of refugees from Southeast Asia and Latin America have fled to American shores. Why? To find a sanctuary--a place where human rights are respected.

美国长久以来一直是世界各地移民们的避难所, 在十九世纪之前, 移民主要来自北欧. 到了二十世纪中期, 移民则来自全球各地. 近几年来, 很多来自东南亚和拉丁美洲的难民都逃往美国. 这是为什么呢? 为了要寻找一个避难所 -- 尊重人权的地方.

The American idea of respecting human rights came from several sources. First, the colonists⁴ had been persecuted⁵ and deprived of their rights in the Old World. They realized that people's rights must be preserved. Moreover, the Bible and literature from Greece and Rome taught that people are born with basic rights. English writer John Locke emphasized that governments should protect these rights. As a result, the Declaration of Independence reflected the belief that God created all people equal. The U.S. Constitution included 10 amendments⁶ to guarantee citizens' basic rights. This "Bill of Rights" promised freedom of religion, freedom of speech and of the press, the right to bear arms and the right to a fair trial.

美国人尊重人权的概念有几个起源。首先，移民们在欧洲的旧世界中曾被迫害并被剥夺权利，因此他们深觉保护人权的必要。再者，圣经以及希腊罗马文学中都教导他们人类与生俱来的一些基本权利。英国作家约翰?洛克强调政府应保障人民这些权利。于是，独立宣言中便反映出神造世人、生而平等的意念。美国宪法中包含了十项保障国民基本人权的修正案，这些权利法案承诺给予人民信仰的自由、言论及新闻的自由、拥有武器的权利，以及拥有公平审判的权利。

 Throughout American history, the belief in individual human rights has influenced government policies and laws. Slavery opponents argued that even slaves had rights as human beings. Finally, after the Civil War, slavery was outlawed⁷. As industries developed, many people protested the poor working conditions.

纵观美国历史，尊重个人人权的信念一直影响着政府的政策和法律。反黑奴政策者认为甚至连奴隶都该拥有作为人的基本权利。终于在美国南北战争之后，法律便禁止奴隶制度的存在。随着工业的发展，很多人抗议不良的工作条件。

Eventually, laws were passed guaranteeing workers fair wages and working hours and prohibiting child labor⁸. The Civil Rights Movement used human rights arguments in the fight against discrimination. Even today, U.S. trade relations with other countries depend on their having a positive human rights record.

最后，终于通过法案保障工人合理的工资、工时、并且禁用童工。在美国民权运动中，也以人权的基本论点来抗议各样的歧视和差别待遇。甚至在今天，美国与其它国家的贸易关系如何，也视对方是否拥有良好的人权记录而定。

Human rights have become a global concern. The cruelty of Nazi⁹ Germany illustrated¹⁰ the danger of not protecting human rights. As a result, the United Nations was established in 1945 with a belief in the basic human rights of all people. Three years later, the UN adopted the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. This document stated that "all human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights." Later, groups like Amnesty International were formed to keep an eye out for human rights abuses wherever they occur.

人权已成为全球各国关注的焦点，德国纳粹党的残酷史实即说明了罔顾人权的危险。于是，联合国在一九四五年设立，该组织深信所有人类都应拥有基本人权。三年之后，联合国正式通过世界人权宣言。这一份文件提出「所有人类生而拥有尊严及权利的平等和自由」。稍后，国际特赦组织成立，以监督防止任何违反人权的事件发生。

Most nations in the world today would agree that human beings have basic rights. Of course, different countries have different perspectives about the issue. Some governments feel the need to restrict individual rights to protect the rights of society. They resent being forced to accept America's definition of human rights. But to Americans, no matter how you define the issue, people deserve to be treated like people.

今天，世界上大部分的国家都认同人类应拥有基本的权利。当然，不同的国家会用不同的角度来看这件事。有些政府觉得有必要以限制个人权利来保障社会权利；他们痛恨被迫接受美国的人权定义。然而对美国人而言，无论你如何定义这个主题，只要是人就应该以人的方式对待他。