<h3>英語中的that從句跟在主句之后，仿佛是主句所張開的意義的翅膀，使主句可以盡情地簡(jiǎn)潔明快，又使其含義能夠詳盡地演繹展開。而多個(gè)that從句連續(xù)排列的時(shí)候，更使讀者在排比的結(jié)構(gòu)中感到層次的遞進(jìn)和音樂的美感。</h3> <h3>由開國(guó)元?jiǎng)捉芨ミd起草的《美國(guó)獨(dú)立宣言》，前言第一句，就是主句帶有五個(gè)that從句的華章：</h3> <h3>（美國(guó)獨(dú)立宣言1823年副本，圖片來自于https://upload.wikimedia.org/wik ... of_Independence.jpg）</h3> <h3>主句：We hold these truths to be self-evident（我們認(rèn)為下述真理是不言而喻的）</h3><h3><br /></h3><h3>（據(jù)說杰佛遜的原稿中的主句是"We hold these truths to be sacred and undeniable（我們認(rèn)為下面這些真理是神圣而不可否認(rèn)的），而富蘭克林閱讀后提出改為"We hold these truths to be self-evident"，這一重要的修改迅即得到了認(rèn)可和采納。self-evident，就是昭彰的公理。）</h3> <h3>（從左至右：富蘭克林、亞當(dāng)斯、杰佛遜在討論獨(dú)立宣言，畫家Jean Leon Gerome Ferris畫于1900年）</h3> <h3>那么哪些是昭彰的公理呢？請(qǐng)繼續(xù)看跟在主句之后的五個(gè)that從句：</h3> <h3>that all men are created equal,</h3><h3>（人人生而平等）</h3><h3><br /></h3><h3>that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights,</h3><h3>（造物主賦予人們不可剝奪的權(quán)利）</h3><h3><br /></h3><h3>that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.</h3><h3>（包括生命的權(quán)利、自由的權(quán)利、和追求幸福的權(quán)利）</h3><h3><br /></h3><h3>That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed,</h3><h3>（為保障這些權(quán)利，人民建立政府，而政府的合法權(quán)力來自于被統(tǒng)治者的同意）</h3><h3><br /></h3><h3>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, 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.</h3><h3>（不論何時(shí)任何形式的政府，只要破壞上述目的，人民就有權(quán)利改變或廢除它，并建立新政府，新政府賴以奠基的原則，得以組織權(quán)力的方式，都要最大可能地增進(jìn)民眾的安全和幸福。）</h3> <h3>（John Trumbull's 的著名油畫：起草者們將獨(dú)立宣言交大陸會(huì)議代表共同簽署）</h3> <h3>1776年7月4日，獨(dú)立宣言正式公布，這一天就成為了美國(guó)的國(guó)慶節(jié)—獨(dú)立日。</h3><h3><br /></h3><h3>242年以降，多少?gòu)?qiáng)權(quán)走向崩潰、多少梟雄化為糞土，然而這昭彰公理的文字，依然放射著自由民主文明進(jìn)步的光芒。</h3>