The-Declaration-of-Sentiments翻译.docx

十九世纪中叶，妇女只拥有少数一些法权和政治权利，尽管妇女在国家机关、商店、工厂、农场和学校中工作的人数在不断增加。妇女对自己命运的不满是美国灌输民主意识的产物。妇女能够识字，所以她们阅读了独立宣言，听到过废奴主义者和其他改革者们使用的关于自然、权利、平等、自由等字眼。在一个尊重个人良知的国度里，不可避免地便有些妇女会大声疾呼，为什么妇女在法律上和政治上遭受不平等的待遇。 伊莉萨白凯蒂斯坦顿(18151902)与其他四位妇女筹划在1848年7月19日至20日召开一次会议，“讨论社会、公民、宗教状况和妇女的权利问题”。在斯坦顿的领导下，小组起草了一个模仿独立宣言的感伤宣言。大约一百名妇女和男士聚会在纽约的塞尼卡福尔斯，讨论、修改并接受了她们的宣言。比起普遍蔑视妇女权利，尤其是蔑视妇女投票权的舆论来，她们要进步得多。 1869年，怀俄明成了美国第一个允许妇女投票的州。首批允许妇女投票的国家是纽西兰(1893年)、芬兰(1906年)、挪威(19l 3年)。1920年，美国妇女赢得了投票权，当时批准了对宪法的第19次修正案。 _ 在有关人类事务的发展过程中，当人类家庭的一个部份必须在人们之间依照自然法则和上帝的意旨，接受与妇女迄今不同的地位时，出于对人类舆论的尊重，必须把妇女不得不这样做的原因予以宣布。 我们认为下面这些真理是不言而喻的：男人与女人生而平等；造物者赋予她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，为了保障这些权利才建立政府，而政府的正当权力，是经被治理者的同意而产生的。当任何形式的政府对这些目标具有破坏作用时，受其害的人民便有权拒绝效忠它，要求建立一个新的政府；其赖以奠基的原则，其组织权力的方式，务使人民认为唯有这样才最可能获得他们的安全和幸福。为了慎重起见，成立多年的政府，是不应当由于轻微和短暂的原因而予以变更的。过去的一切经验也都说明，任何苦难，只要是尚能忍受，人类都宁愿容忍，而无意为了本身的权益便废除他们久已习惯了的政府。但是，当追逐同一目标的一连串滥用职权和强取豪夺发生，证明政府企图把妇女置于专制统治之下时，那么她们就有义务推翻这个政府，并为她们未来的安全建立新的保障。这就是妇女过去逆来顺受的情况，也是她们现在不得不要求得到她们有权得到的地位的原因。 人类的历史是一部男人对妇女不断伤害与掠夺的历史，其直接目的是在妇女之上建立绝对专制暴政。为了证明此言属实，现将下列事实公诸于公正的世界。 男人从未允许妇女行使其不可剥夺的选举权。 男人强迫妇女服从那些她无权参与制定的法律。 男人拒绝给予妇女连最无知、最下流的不论是本国的还是外来的男人都具有的权力。 在剥夺了妇女作为公民的首要权力选举权，从而使她在立法机构中没有任何代表之后，男人从各个方面压迫妇女。 一旦结婚，在法律意义上，男人便使妇女丧失了公民的权利。 男人被夺了妇女的全部财产权，甚至包括支配她挣得的工资的权利。 男人使妇女成为不负道德责任的人，因为妇女可以犯下许多罪而不受惩罚，只要这些罪是当着她丈夫的面犯下的。在订立婚约时，妇女被迫发誓听命于丈夫，而丈夫，在实质上，则成为她的主人 法律授权男人，允许他褫夺她的自由权、对她行使惩罚权。 男人制定离婚法，规定准于离婚的各种正当理由；规定一旦双方分离，孩子的监护权必须归属于谁；法律完全忽视了妇女的幸福在任何情况下，它都是建立在男人至上的错误假设之上，将所有的权力置于男人之手中。 尽管妇女在婚后被剥夺全部的权利，可是单身并拥有财产的妇女却被男人课税来支持政府，然而政府却仅仅在妇女的财产对其有利可图的时候才承认妇女。 男人几乎垄断了全部有利可图的职业；在允许妇女从事的职业中，妇女所得到的报酬都是微不足道的。 男人封闭了所有能让妇女通向财富和名望的途径，他认为财富与名望是男人最体面的荣耀。妇女从未能成为医学、法学或神学的教师。 男人拒绝向妇女提供全面教育的便利所有大学的校门都对妇女关闭着。 男人允许妇女在教会以及政府机构任职，但只能处于附属地位。男人宣称，根据使徒教义，妇女不得任牧师，除了个别例外的，妇女还不得在公共场合参与宗教事务。 男人制造了错误的公共舆论，因为在他给予世人的道德法典中，男女未能一视同仁。根据这法典，将妇女排斥在社会之外的错误不仅仅受到了宽容，而且被认为是无足轻重的。 男人攫取了耶和华的权力，宣称他有权为妇女规划出行动的范围，尽管这种权力仅仅属于她的良知和上帝。男人竭尽全力试图摧残妇女对自己能力的自信，贬低她的自尊，迫使她心甘情愿地过听人摆布的凄惨生活。 现在，占国家人口一半的民众完全没有选举权。她们在社会、宗教上受到不公正的待遇。面对上述这些不公正的法律，况且妇女确实感到了她们受到的冤曲、她们蒙受的压迫和她们最神圣的权力被人用欺骗的手段剥夺了，我们坚决要求立刻给予妇女所有属于美国公民的权力和特权。 （后续）在着手我们眼前的伟大工作时，我们估计将遇到大量的误解、误传和嘲讽。不过，我们仍将竭尽全力实现我们的目标。我们将聘请代理人，散发传单，向政府和立法机构请愿，努力争取教会与报界的支持。我们希望这次大会之后，在全国各地将召开一系列的大会。 我们坚信，胜利终将属于正义与真理。今天，我们在此宣言上签署上我们的名字。 决议： 鉴于“人类必须追求真正的、实质的幸福”公认是自然的伟大法则，布莱克斯通在评论中指出，这条自然法则是与人类同生共存的法则，是上帝钦定的法则；它当然比任何其他法则都具有更高的约束性。在全世界，在所有国家，在任何时候，这条法则都具有约束性。任何人类的法则倘若与此法则相矛盾，便丧失其效力；而具有效力的法律，其全部法力、效力和权威则都是间接地或直接地从这一根源产生的。因此，决议认为，凡是与妇女真正和实质的幸福冲突的法律，不论其形式如何，都是与自然的伟大法则相矛盾的，都是无效的，因为“自然的伟大法则比任何其他法则都具有更高的约束性”。 决议认为，一切阻挠妇女谋取良知而需要的社会地位的法律，一切主张男尊女卑的法律，都是与自然的伟大法则相违背的，因而也是不具备任何法力或权威的。 决议认为，男女平等，是造物主的旨意，人类善之最高境界要求男女平等。 决议认为，应当开导我国的妇女，使她们对制约她们生活的法律有更多的了解；这样她们就不至于对妇女当前的地位表示满意，从而表现出自己的低下；她们也不至于声称已经拥有自己想要的一切权利，从而表现出自己的无知。 决议认为，既然男人宣称他在智力上具有优越性，并且承认妇女在道德方面具有优越性，那么男人的一个突出的责任就是鼓励妇女畅所欲言、教书讲学，正如妇女在所有宗教团体中有机会做到的那样。 决议认为，在社会上，在道德和举止谈吐温文尔雅等方面，对男士也应当提出对妇女一样的要求。男女若犯同样性质的罪，应当受到同样严厉的制裁。 妇女在公开场合发表演说，常常招致某些人有失典雅端庄之类的攻击，而这些人却以亲自光临的方式怂恿妇女登台演出，举行音乐会或在马戏院出场献技。决议认为，这种攻击是非常不得体的。 妇女安于各种限制已经太久了。这些限制是由腐败的习俗和对圣经的肆意曲解为妇女设置的。决议认为：现在是妇女步入伟大的造物主赋予她的更广阔的天地的时候了。 决议认为，确保妇女神圣的选举权是我国妇女的职责。 决议认为，人权的平等是人人能力与责任相同这一事实的必然结果。 因此，决议认为，由于造物主赋予男女相同的能力和运用这些能力的相同的责任感，所以男女显然都有相同的权利和责任，利用一切正义的手段促进一切正义的事业；尤其在道德和宗教这些重大的问题上，不言而喻，妇女有权同她的兄弟一道，在私下和公开的场合，通过文章和演讲，运用任何合适的手段、在任何合适的集会上，开宗名义地宣讲。这是不言自明的真理，它是从扎根在人类本性的神圣原则中产生的，任何与之相违背的习俗和权威，不论是现代的还是被磨损得苍白的古老法则，都将被视作不言而喻的谬误，是违背人类利益的。 决议认为，我们事业的早日成功，取决于男人与妇女的热忱和执着的努力，推翻教会的独裁，确保在各行各业和社交活动中妇女享有与男子同样的参与权。 原文Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Lucretia Mott, two American activists in the movement to abolish slavery called together the first conference to address Womens rights and issues in Seneca Falls, New York, in 1848. Part of the reason for doing so had been that Mott had been refused permission to speak at the world anti-slavery convention in London, even though she had been an official delegate. Applying the analysis of human freedom developed in the Abolitionist movement, Stanton and others began the public career of modern feminist analysisThe Declaration of the Seneca Falls Convention, using the model of the US Declaration of Independence, forthrightly demanded that the rights of women as right-bearing individuals be acknowledged and respectd by society. It was signed by sixty-eight women and thirty-two men. The Declaration of SentimentsWhen, in the course of human events, it becomes necessary for one portion of the family of man to assume among the people of the earth a position different from that which they have hitherto occupied, but one to which the laws of nature and of natures God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes that impel them to such a course.We hold these truths to be self-evident: that all men and women are created equal; that they are endowed by their Creator with certain inalienable rights; that among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness; that to secure these rights governments are instituted, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed. Whenever any form of government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the right of those who suffer from it to refuse allegiance to it, and to insist upon the institution of a new government, 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. Prudence, indeed, will dictate that governments long established should not be changed for light and transient causes; and accordingly all experience hath shown that mankind are more disposed to suffer. while evils are sufferable, than to right themselves by abolishing the forms to which they are accustomed. 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 duty to throw off such government, and to provide new guards for their future security. Such has been the patient sufferance of the women under this government, and such is now the necessity which constrains them to demand the equal station to which they are entitled. The history of mankind is a history of repeated injuries and usurpations on the part of man toward woman, having in direct object the establishment of an absolute tyranny over her. To prove this, let facts be submitted to a candid world.The history of mankind is a history of repeated injuries and usurpations on the part of man toward woman, having in direct object the establishment of an absolute tyrranny over her. To prove this, let facts be submitted to a candid world.He has never permitted her to exercise her inalienable right to the elective franchise.He has compelled her to submit to laws, in the formation of which she had no voice.He has withheld from her rights which are given to the most ignorant and degraded men-both natives and foreigners.Having deprived her of this first right of a citizedn, the elective franchise, thereby leaving her without representation in the halls of legislation, he has oppressed her on all sides.He has made her, if married, in the eye of the law, civilly dead.He has taken from her all right in property, even to the wages she earns.He has made her, morally, an irresponsible being, as she can commit many crimes with impunity, provided they be done in the presence of her husband. In the covenant of marriage, she is compelled to promise obedience to her husband, he becoming, to all intents and purposes, her master-the law giving him power to deprive her of her liberty, and to administer chastisement.He has so framed the laws of divorce, as to what shall be the proper causes, and in case of separation, to whom the guardianship of the children shall be given, as to be wholly regardles of the happiness of women-the law, in all cases, going upon a flase supposition of the supremacy of man, and giving all power into his hands.After depriving her of all rights as a married woman, if single, and the owner of property, he has taxed her to support a government which recognizes her only when her property can be made profitable to it.He has monopolized nearly all the profitable employments, and from those she is permitted to follow, she receives but a scanty remuneration. He closes against her all the avenues to wealth and distinction which he considers most homorable to himself. As a teacher of theoloy, medicine, or law, she is not known.He has denied her the facilities for obtaining a thorough education, all colleges being closed against her.He allows her in church, as well as state, but a suborinate position, claiming apostolic authority for her exclusion from the ministry, and, with some exceptions, from any public participation in the affairs of the church.He has created a false public sentiment by giving to the world a different code of morals for men and women, by which moral delinquencies which exclude women from society, are not only tolerated, but deemed of little account in man.He has usurped the prerogative of Jehovah himself, claiming it as his right to assign for her a sphere of action, when that belongs to her conscience and to her God.He has endeavored, in every way that he could, to destroy her conficence in her own powers, to lessen her self-respect, and to make her willing to lead a dependent and abject life.Now, in view of this entire disfranchisement of one-half the people of this coun