Oliver Cromwell
ON THE DISSOLUTION OF PARLIAMENT
January 22，1655
Now to speak a word or two to you.Of that，I must profess in the name of the same Lord，and wish there had been no cause that I should have thus spoken to you！I told you that I came with joy the first time；with some regret the second；yet now I speak with most regret of all！I look upon you as having among you many persons that I could lay down my life individually for.I could，through the grace of God，desire to lay down my life for you.So far am I from having an unkind or unchristian heart towards you in your particular capacities！I have this indeed as a work most incumbent upon me；this of speaking these things to you.I consulted what might be my duty in such a day as this；casting up all considerations.I must confess，as I told you，that I did think occasionally，this nation had suffered extremely in the respects mentioned；as also in the disappointment of their expectations of that justice which was due to them by your sitting thus long.“Sitting thus long；”and what have you brought forth？I did not nor cannot comprehend what it is.I would be loath to call it a fate；that were too paganism a word.But there hath been something in it that we had not in our expectations.I did think also，for myself，that I am like to meet with difficulties；and that this nation will not，as it is fit it should not，be deluded with pre-texts of necessity in that great business of raising of money.And were it not that I can make some dilemmas upon which to resolve some things of my conscience，judgment and actions，I should shrink at the very prospect of my encounters.Some of them are general，some are more special.Supposing this cause or this business must be carried on，it is either of God or of man.If it be of man，I would I had never touched it with a finger.If I had not had a hope fixed in me that this cause and this business was of God，I would many years ago have run from it.If it be of God，He will bear it up.If it be of man，it will tumble；as everything that hath been of man since the world began hath done.And what are all our histories，and other traditions of actions in former times，but God manifesting Himself，that He hath shaken，and tumbled down and trampled upon，everything that He had not planted？And as this is，so let the All-wise God deal with it.If this be of human structure and invention，and if it be an old plotting and contriving to bring things to this issue，and that they are not the births of Providence-then they will tumble.
But if the Lord take pleasure in England，and if He will do us good-He is very able to bear us up！Lethe difficulties be whatsoever they will，we shall in his strength be able to encounter with them.And I bless God I have been inured to difficulties；and I never found God failing when I trusted in Him.I can laugh and sing，in my heart，when I speak of these things to you or elsewhere.And though some may think it is a hard thing to raise money without Parliamentary authority upon this nation；yet I have another argument to the good people of this nation，if they would be safe，and yet have no better principle：Whether they prefer the having of their will though it be their destruction，rather than comply with things of necessity？That will excuse me.But I should wrong my native country to suppose this.
奧利弗·克倫威爾
論解散議會(huì)
1655年1月22日
且聽(tīng)我再講一兩句話。我必須以同一個(gè)上帝的名義坦陳己見(jiàn)，但愿我不必再向你們羅嗦！我曾告訴你們，我第一次來(lái)時(shí)感到高興；第二次來(lái)時(shí)則感到有點(diǎn)懊悔；而現(xiàn)在竟感到懊悔之至！我把你們中的好多人視為可為之獻(xiàn)身的人。感謝上帝的恩惠，我愿為你們獻(xiàn)身。對(duì)待你們這些有著特殊身份的人，從我內(nèi)心說(shuō)，決無(wú)惡意或不符合基督教義的想法！我確實(shí)把告訴你們這些事情視為義不容辭的工作。我反復(fù)通盤(pán)考慮過(guò)在像目前這樣的時(shí)候我所應(yīng)負(fù)的責(zé)任。直率地講，誠(chéng)如我告訴過(guò)你們的，有時(shí)我確實(shí)想過(guò)，我國(guó)在上述各方面受到極大的損害，包括由于你們長(zhǎng)期占有議會(huì)席位，使人們因所期望的正義落空而感到失望。“長(zhǎng)期占有議會(huì)席位”，可是你們帶來(lái)了什么結(jié)果？我沒(méi)有也不可能了解那種結(jié)果是什么。我不愿意說(shuō)這是命運(yùn)；那太像是異教徒的口吻。但是那種結(jié)果中有些東西不是我們所期望的。
我還確實(shí)這樣想過(guò)：我很可能會(huì)遇到困難；在籌款這件重要工作中，國(guó)家不會(huì)、恰當(dāng)?shù)卣f(shuō)也不應(yīng)該被人以需要為借口而加以欺騙。如果我不能依靠我的良心判斷和行動(dòng)來(lái)解決這種困境中的一些問(wèn)題，那末在想到這些遭遇的發(fā)展前景時(shí)就會(huì)畏縮不前。有些是一般的困難；有些是較特殊的困難。假定這一事業(yè)或這一工作必須進(jìn)行下去，那可能是出于上帝的意志，也可能是由于人的愿望。如果是由于人的愿望，我但愿從未插手干預(yù)。如果我不認(rèn)為這一事業(yè)和這一工作是出于上帝的意志并寄以希望的話，那末許多年前我就該避開(kāi)了。如果出于上帝的意志，那上帝就會(huì)容許它進(jìn)行下去。如果由于人的愿望，它必定失??；自有世界以來(lái)一切由于人的意志而進(jìn)行的事都已失敗。我們?nèi)康臍v史和昔日其他各種行動(dòng)的傳統(tǒng)都表明，上帝摧毀了一切不是他所安排的事物，這說(shuō)明了什么？既然如此，那就讓萬(wàn)能的上帝來(lái)處理吧！如果一件事出于人的構(gòu)想發(fā)明，如果那是為這一問(wèn)題密謀策劃出來(lái)的，那就不是出于天意——它必定要失敗。但是，如果上帝恩寵英格蘭，愿意賜福于我們——他是完全能支持我們的！不論前途如何險(xiǎn)阻，仰仗上帝的力量我們就會(huì)無(wú)往而不勝。感謝上帝，我已習(xí)慣于困難。每當(dāng)我乞靈于上帝時(shí)，上帝從未使我失望。在我給你們或在其他地方講這些事情的時(shí)候，我感到心花怒放。雖然也許有人認(rèn)為如果沒(méi)有議會(huì)在國(guó)家中的權(quán)威，籌款是件難事；然而我要向我國(guó)善良的人們?cè)俅握f(shuō)明，若要安全，別無(wú)良策：他們難道寧愿堅(jiān)持他們那種可能招致自身毀滅的愿望，也不愿適應(yīng)必定出現(xiàn)的形勢(shì)？那倒為我免除了責(zé)任，可是我若那樣想就會(huì)損害我的祖國(guó)。
王德華 譯
ON THE DISSOLUTION OF PARLIAMENT
January 22，1655
Now to speak a word or two to you.Of that，I must profess in the name of the same Lord，and wish there had been no cause that I should have thus spoken to you！I told you that I came with joy the first time；with some regret the second；yet now I speak with most regret of all！I look upon you as having among you many persons that I could lay down my life individually for.I could，through the grace of God，desire to lay down my life for you.So far am I from having an unkind or unchristian heart towards you in your particular capacities！I have this indeed as a work most incumbent upon me；this of speaking these things to you.I consulted what might be my duty in such a day as this；casting up all considerations.I must confess，as I told you，that I did think occasionally，this nation had suffered extremely in the respects mentioned；as also in the disappointment of their expectations of that justice which was due to them by your sitting thus long.“Sitting thus long；”and what have you brought forth？I did not nor cannot comprehend what it is.I would be loath to call it a fate；that were too paganism a word.But there hath been something in it that we had not in our expectations.I did think also，for myself，that I am like to meet with difficulties；and that this nation will not，as it is fit it should not，be deluded with pre-texts of necessity in that great business of raising of money.And were it not that I can make some dilemmas upon which to resolve some things of my conscience，judgment and actions，I should shrink at the very prospect of my encounters.Some of them are general，some are more special.Supposing this cause or this business must be carried on，it is either of God or of man.If it be of man，I would I had never touched it with a finger.If I had not had a hope fixed in me that this cause and this business was of God，I would many years ago have run from it.If it be of God，He will bear it up.If it be of man，it will tumble；as everything that hath been of man since the world began hath done.And what are all our histories，and other traditions of actions in former times，but God manifesting Himself，that He hath shaken，and tumbled down and trampled upon，everything that He had not planted？And as this is，so let the All-wise God deal with it.If this be of human structure and invention，and if it be an old plotting and contriving to bring things to this issue，and that they are not the births of Providence-then they will tumble.
But if the Lord take pleasure in England，and if He will do us good-He is very able to bear us up！Lethe difficulties be whatsoever they will，we shall in his strength be able to encounter with them.And I bless God I have been inured to difficulties；and I never found God failing when I trusted in Him.I can laugh and sing，in my heart，when I speak of these things to you or elsewhere.And though some may think it is a hard thing to raise money without Parliamentary authority upon this nation；yet I have another argument to the good people of this nation，if they would be safe，and yet have no better principle：Whether they prefer the having of their will though it be their destruction，rather than comply with things of necessity？That will excuse me.But I should wrong my native country to suppose this.
奧利弗·克倫威爾
論解散議會(huì)
1655年1月22日
且聽(tīng)我再講一兩句話。我必須以同一個(gè)上帝的名義坦陳己見(jiàn)，但愿我不必再向你們羅嗦！我曾告訴你們，我第一次來(lái)時(shí)感到高興；第二次來(lái)時(shí)則感到有點(diǎn)懊悔；而現(xiàn)在竟感到懊悔之至！我把你們中的好多人視為可為之獻(xiàn)身的人。感謝上帝的恩惠，我愿為你們獻(xiàn)身。對(duì)待你們這些有著特殊身份的人，從我內(nèi)心說(shuō)，決無(wú)惡意或不符合基督教義的想法！我確實(shí)把告訴你們這些事情視為義不容辭的工作。我反復(fù)通盤(pán)考慮過(guò)在像目前這樣的時(shí)候我所應(yīng)負(fù)的責(zé)任。直率地講，誠(chéng)如我告訴過(guò)你們的，有時(shí)我確實(shí)想過(guò)，我國(guó)在上述各方面受到極大的損害，包括由于你們長(zhǎng)期占有議會(huì)席位，使人們因所期望的正義落空而感到失望。“長(zhǎng)期占有議會(huì)席位”，可是你們帶來(lái)了什么結(jié)果？我沒(méi)有也不可能了解那種結(jié)果是什么。我不愿意說(shuō)這是命運(yùn)；那太像是異教徒的口吻。但是那種結(jié)果中有些東西不是我們所期望的。
我還確實(shí)這樣想過(guò)：我很可能會(huì)遇到困難；在籌款這件重要工作中，國(guó)家不會(huì)、恰當(dāng)?shù)卣f(shuō)也不應(yīng)該被人以需要為借口而加以欺騙。如果我不能依靠我的良心判斷和行動(dòng)來(lái)解決這種困境中的一些問(wèn)題，那末在想到這些遭遇的發(fā)展前景時(shí)就會(huì)畏縮不前。有些是一般的困難；有些是較特殊的困難。假定這一事業(yè)或這一工作必須進(jìn)行下去，那可能是出于上帝的意志，也可能是由于人的愿望。如果是由于人的愿望，我但愿從未插手干預(yù)。如果我不認(rèn)為這一事業(yè)和這一工作是出于上帝的意志并寄以希望的話，那末許多年前我就該避開(kāi)了。如果出于上帝的意志，那上帝就會(huì)容許它進(jìn)行下去。如果由于人的愿望，它必定失??；自有世界以來(lái)一切由于人的意志而進(jìn)行的事都已失敗。我們?nèi)康臍v史和昔日其他各種行動(dòng)的傳統(tǒng)都表明，上帝摧毀了一切不是他所安排的事物，這說(shuō)明了什么？既然如此，那就讓萬(wàn)能的上帝來(lái)處理吧！如果一件事出于人的構(gòu)想發(fā)明，如果那是為這一問(wèn)題密謀策劃出來(lái)的，那就不是出于天意——它必定要失敗。但是，如果上帝恩寵英格蘭，愿意賜福于我們——他是完全能支持我們的！不論前途如何險(xiǎn)阻，仰仗上帝的力量我們就會(huì)無(wú)往而不勝。感謝上帝，我已習(xí)慣于困難。每當(dāng)我乞靈于上帝時(shí)，上帝從未使我失望。在我給你們或在其他地方講這些事情的時(shí)候，我感到心花怒放。雖然也許有人認(rèn)為如果沒(méi)有議會(huì)在國(guó)家中的權(quán)威，籌款是件難事；然而我要向我國(guó)善良的人們?cè)俅握f(shuō)明，若要安全，別無(wú)良策：他們難道寧愿堅(jiān)持他們那種可能招致自身毀滅的愿望，也不愿適應(yīng)必定出現(xiàn)的形勢(shì)？那倒為我免除了責(zé)任，可是我若那樣想就會(huì)損害我的祖國(guó)。
王德華 譯