節選
關燈
小
中
大
節選
From The Iroquois Constitution
I am Dekanawidah and with the Five Nations confederate lords I plant the Tree of the Great Peace. I name the tree the Tree of the Great Long Leaves. Under the shade of this Tree of the Great Peace we spread the soft white feathery dawn of the globe thistle as seats for you, Adodarhoh, and your cousin lords.
We place you upon those seats, spread soft with the feathery dawn of the globe thistle, there beneath the shade of the spreading branches of the Tree of Peace. There shall you sit and watch the council fire of the Confederacy of the Five Nations, and all the affairs of the Five Nations shall be transacted at this place before you.
Roots have spread out from the Tree of the Great Peace, one to the north, one to the east, one to the south, and one to the west. The name of these roots is the Great White Roots and their nature is peace and strength.
If any man or any nation outside the Five Nations shall obey the laws of the Great Peace and make known their deposition to the lords of the confederacy, they may trace the roots to the tree and if their minds are clean and they are obedient and obey the wishes of the confederate council, they shall be weed to take shelter beneath the Tree of Long Leaves.
We place at the top of the Tree of Long Leaves an eagle who is able to see afar.
If he sees in the distance any evil approaching or any danger threatening he will at once warn the people of the confederacy.
The smoke of the confederate council fire shall ever ascend and pierce the sky so that other nations who may be allies may see the council fire of the Great Peace...
Whenever the confederate lords shall assemble for the purpose of holding a council, the Onondaga lords shall open it by expressing their gratitude towards their cousin lords and greeting them, and they shall make an address and offer thanks to the earth where men dwell, to the streams of water, the pools, the springs and lakes, to the maize and fruits, to the medicinal herbs and trees, to the forest trees for their usefulness, to the animals that serve as food and give their pelts for clothing, to the great winds and lesser winds, to the thunderers, to the sun, and the mighty warrior, to the moon, to the messengers of the Creator who reveal his wishes and to the Great Creator who dwells in the heavens above, who gives all the things useful to men, and who is the source and the ruler of health and life.
Then shall the Onondaga lords declare the council open...
All lords of the Five Nations\' Confederacy shall be honest in all things... It shall be serious wrong for anyone to lead a lord into trivial affairs, for the people must ever hold their lords in high estimation out of respect to their honorable positions.
When a candidate lord is to be installed he shall furnish four string of shells (or wampum) one span in length and bound together at the end. Such will constitute the evidence of his pledge to the confederate lords that he will live ording to the constitution of the Great Peace and exercise justice in all affairs.
When the pledge is furnished the speaker of the council must hold the shell strings in his hand and address the opposite side of the council fire and he shallmence his address saying: \"Now behold him. He has now be a confederate lord. See how splendid he looks.\" An address may then follow. At the end of it he shall send the bunch of shell strings to the opposite side and they shall be received of evidence of the pledge. Then say the opposite side say:
\"We now do crown you with the sacred emblem of the deer\'s antlers, the emblem of your lordship. You shall now be a mentor of the people of the Five Nations. The thickness of your skin shall be seven spans--which is to say you shall be proof against anger, offensive actions and criticism. Your heart shall be filled with peace and good will and your mind filled with a yearning for the welfare of the people of the confederacy. With endless patience you shall carry out your duty and your firmness shall be tempered with tenderness for your people. Neither anger nor fury shall find lodgment in your mind and all your words and actions shall be marked with calm deliberation. In all of your deliberations in the confederate council, in your efforts at law making, in all your official acts, self-interest shall be cast into oblivion. Cast not over your shoulder behind you the warnings of nephews and nieces should they chide you for any error or wrong you may do, but return to the way of the Great Law which is just and right. Look and listen for the welfare of the whole people and have always in view not only the present but also theing generations, even those whose faces are yet beneath the surface of the ground--the unborn of the future nation.\"
解析:
這一段出自一個名叫Iroquois的印第安人部落的憲法。Iroquois部落是北美最大最有權力的部落,裏面也有很多的小部落一起組成了這個大部落。他們居住在北美洲的東北部,掌管著大片的土地。他們也是當時英國殖民的時候最具影響力的印第安人部落。在當時打仗時,特別是英法之間的戰爭,要是哪方得到了Iroquois印第安人的支持,那就基本上是必贏的。不過就是這樣一個輝煌的部落,在美國獨立戰爭開始之際,便慢慢的開始沒落,成為了歷史長河之中一個曾經輝煌一時的部落。他們以有序的生活方式而聞名。他們和歐洲人一樣有著自己獨特的社會構造,男女之間相互平等。Iroquois部落算是一個母系社會。孩子會以母親的名字命名。女人在這個部落裏也有很大的話語權,她們也可以投票競選部落的首領。不過一般還是男人出去打獵,女人在家耕地。而要說他們對時間留下的什麽,那就是他們的憲法。歐洲多國憲法就是根據他們的憲法而來,其中最著名的就是美國的憲法。在Madison撰寫美國憲法時就曾多次參照Iroquois部落的憲法。挺諷刺不是嗎?
本站無廣告,永久域名(fanyan.cc)
From The Iroquois Constitution
I am Dekanawidah and with the Five Nations confederate lords I plant the Tree of the Great Peace. I name the tree the Tree of the Great Long Leaves. Under the shade of this Tree of the Great Peace we spread the soft white feathery dawn of the globe thistle as seats for you, Adodarhoh, and your cousin lords.
We place you upon those seats, spread soft with the feathery dawn of the globe thistle, there beneath the shade of the spreading branches of the Tree of Peace. There shall you sit and watch the council fire of the Confederacy of the Five Nations, and all the affairs of the Five Nations shall be transacted at this place before you.
Roots have spread out from the Tree of the Great Peace, one to the north, one to the east, one to the south, and one to the west. The name of these roots is the Great White Roots and their nature is peace and strength.
If any man or any nation outside the Five Nations shall obey the laws of the Great Peace and make known their deposition to the lords of the confederacy, they may trace the roots to the tree and if their minds are clean and they are obedient and obey the wishes of the confederate council, they shall be weed to take shelter beneath the Tree of Long Leaves.
We place at the top of the Tree of Long Leaves an eagle who is able to see afar.
If he sees in the distance any evil approaching or any danger threatening he will at once warn the people of the confederacy.
The smoke of the confederate council fire shall ever ascend and pierce the sky so that other nations who may be allies may see the council fire of the Great Peace...
Whenever the confederate lords shall assemble for the purpose of holding a council, the Onondaga lords shall open it by expressing their gratitude towards their cousin lords and greeting them, and they shall make an address and offer thanks to the earth where men dwell, to the streams of water, the pools, the springs and lakes, to the maize and fruits, to the medicinal herbs and trees, to the forest trees for their usefulness, to the animals that serve as food and give their pelts for clothing, to the great winds and lesser winds, to the thunderers, to the sun, and the mighty warrior, to the moon, to the messengers of the Creator who reveal his wishes and to the Great Creator who dwells in the heavens above, who gives all the things useful to men, and who is the source and the ruler of health and life.
Then shall the Onondaga lords declare the council open...
All lords of the Five Nations\' Confederacy shall be honest in all things... It shall be serious wrong for anyone to lead a lord into trivial affairs, for the people must ever hold their lords in high estimation out of respect to their honorable positions.
When a candidate lord is to be installed he shall furnish four string of shells (or wampum) one span in length and bound together at the end. Such will constitute the evidence of his pledge to the confederate lords that he will live ording to the constitution of the Great Peace and exercise justice in all affairs.
When the pledge is furnished the speaker of the council must hold the shell strings in his hand and address the opposite side of the council fire and he shallmence his address saying: \"Now behold him. He has now be a confederate lord. See how splendid he looks.\" An address may then follow. At the end of it he shall send the bunch of shell strings to the opposite side and they shall be received of evidence of the pledge. Then say the opposite side say:
\"We now do crown you with the sacred emblem of the deer\'s antlers, the emblem of your lordship. You shall now be a mentor of the people of the Five Nations. The thickness of your skin shall be seven spans--which is to say you shall be proof against anger, offensive actions and criticism. Your heart shall be filled with peace and good will and your mind filled with a yearning for the welfare of the people of the confederacy. With endless patience you shall carry out your duty and your firmness shall be tempered with tenderness for your people. Neither anger nor fury shall find lodgment in your mind and all your words and actions shall be marked with calm deliberation. In all of your deliberations in the confederate council, in your efforts at law making, in all your official acts, self-interest shall be cast into oblivion. Cast not over your shoulder behind you the warnings of nephews and nieces should they chide you for any error or wrong you may do, but return to the way of the Great Law which is just and right. Look and listen for the welfare of the whole people and have always in view not only the present but also theing generations, even those whose faces are yet beneath the surface of the ground--the unborn of the future nation.\"
解析:
這一段出自一個名叫Iroquois的印第安人部落的憲法。Iroquois部落是北美最大最有權力的部落,裏面也有很多的小部落一起組成了這個大部落。他們居住在北美洲的東北部,掌管著大片的土地。他們也是當時英國殖民的時候最具影響力的印第安人部落。在當時打仗時,特別是英法之間的戰爭,要是哪方得到了Iroquois印第安人的支持,那就基本上是必贏的。不過就是這樣一個輝煌的部落,在美國獨立戰爭開始之際,便慢慢的開始沒落,成為了歷史長河之中一個曾經輝煌一時的部落。他們以有序的生活方式而聞名。他們和歐洲人一樣有著自己獨特的社會構造,男女之間相互平等。Iroquois部落算是一個母系社會。孩子會以母親的名字命名。女人在這個部落裏也有很大的話語權,她們也可以投票競選部落的首領。不過一般還是男人出去打獵,女人在家耕地。而要說他們對時間留下的什麽,那就是他們的憲法。歐洲多國憲法就是根據他們的憲法而來,其中最著名的就是美國的憲法。在Madison撰寫美國憲法時就曾多次參照Iroquois部落的憲法。挺諷刺不是嗎?
本站無廣告,永久域名(fanyan.cc)