本篇文章共分 6 段，從美國在獨立革命前的殖民地人們國家認同與政治運作制度、英國的代議制度形成與運作、美國的代議制度與英國間的異同，分別說明北美殖民時期代議制政府的特色與英國制度的比較。

本篇考題英文原文與對應之中文翻譯整理如下。練習作答解題時若有對語意不清楚之處，請仔細查閱對照，以提升閱讀理解能力。

Representative Government in Colonial North America 北美殖民時期的代議制政府

1. 獨立革命前的美國政治結構

   Before 1750, colonists in North America had little occasion to think of themselves as a distinct people. There was no American government, no single political organization in which all the colonies joined to manage their common concerns. There was not even a wish for such an organization except among a few eccentric individuals. America, to the people who lived in it, was still a geographic region, not a frame of mind.

   在 1750 年之前，北美的殖民者很少有機會把自己當成一個獨特的民族。沒有一個美國政府，沒有一個單一的政治組織，所有的殖民地都加入其中，管理他們共同關心的問題。除了少數古怪的人之外，甚至沒有人希望有這樣一個組織。 對於生活在美國的人來說，美國仍然是一個地理區域，而不是一種思想框架。

2. 殖民地時代的國家認同

   Asked about nationality, the typical American colonist of 1750 would have said English or British. In spite of substantial numbers of Dutch, Germans, and Scotch-Irish, English people and English institutions prevailed in every colony, and most colonists spoke of England as home even though they had never been there. Yet no American institutions were quite like their counterparts in England: the heritage of English ideas that went with these institutions was so rich and varied that colonists were able to select and develop those that best suited their situation and forget others that meanwhile were growing prominent in the mother country. This variety sometimes led to regional differences: in some ways. New Englanders were set off from Virginians even more than from people in England. But some ideas, institutions, and attitudes became common in all the colonies and remained uncommon in England. Although colonial Englishmen were not yet aware that they shared these Americanisms with one another or that English people in England did not share them, many of the characteristic ideas and attitudes that later distinguished United States nationalism were already present by the mid-eighteenth century.

   當被問及國籍時，1750 年的典型美國殖民者會說是英格蘭人或英國人。儘管有大量的荷蘭人、德國人和蘇格蘭-愛爾蘭人，但英國人和英國機構在每個殖民地都很盛行，大多數殖民者都把英國當作自己的家，儘管他們從未去過那裡。然而，沒有哪種美國制度與英國的同類制度完全相同：與這些制度相伴的英國思想遺產是如此豐富多樣，以至於殖民者能夠選擇和發展那些最適合他們情況的制度，而忘記那些同時在祖國日益突出的其他制度。這種多樣性有時會導致地區差異：在某些方面，新英格蘭人與維吉尼亞人的區別甚至比與英格蘭人的區別更大。但是，有些想法、制度和態度在所有殖民地都很普遍，而在英格蘭卻仍然不常見。雖然殖民地的英國人還沒有意識到他們彼此之間有這些美國特色，也沒有意識到英格蘭的英國人沒有這些特色，但後來區別於美國民族主義的許多特色思想和態度在 18 世紀中期就已經出現。

3. 英國的代議制度

   English people brought with them to the New World the political ideas that still give English and American government a close resemblance. But American colonists very early developed conceptions of representative government that differed from those in England. Representative government in England originated in the Middle Ages, when the king called for men to advise him. They were chosen by their neighbors and informed the king of his subjects’ wishes. Eventually, their advice became so compelling that the king could not reject it, and the representatives of the people, organized as a legislature known as the House of Commons, became the most powerful branch of the English government.

   英國人把他們的政治思想帶到了新世界，這些思想仍然使英國和美國的政府有著密切的相似之處。但美國殖民者很早就形成了與英國不同的代議制政府的概念。英國的代議制政府起源於中世紀，當時國王召集人民為他提供建議。這批人由鄰居選出，並向國王通報其臣民的願望。最終，他們的建議變得如此有說服力，以至於國王無法拒絕，而人民的代表被組織成一個被稱為下議院的立法機構，成為英國政府最強大的部門。

4. 英國代議制度的缺失

   At first, the House of Commons consisted of representatives from each county, or shire, and from selected boroughs. Over the centuries many of these boroughs became ghost towns with only a handful of inhabitants, and great towns sprang up where none had existed before. Yet the old boroughs continued to send members to the House of Commons, and the new towns sent none. Moreover, only a fraction of the English population could participate even in county elections. In order to vote, a man had to own property that would, if rented, yield him at least 40 shillings yearly. Few could meet the test. A number of English people thought the situation absurd and said so. But nothing was done to improve it; in fact, a theory was devised to justify it. A member of the House of Commons, it was said, represented not the people who chose him but the whole country, and he was not responsible for any particular constituency. Not all Englishmen could vote for representatives, but all were virtually represented by every member of the Commons.

   起初，下議院由來自每個郡或縣的代表以及來自選定的行政區的代表組成。幾個世紀以來，許多區成為只有少數居民的鬼城，而在以前沒有人的地方卻出現了大城鎮。然而，舊的行政區繼續向下議院派遣議員，而新的城鎮則無法派遣任何議員。此外，即使在郡級選舉中，也只有一小部分英國人能夠參與。為了投票，一個人必須擁有如果放租的話每年至少可以獲得 40 先令的財產。很少有人能達到這個標準。一些英國人認為這種情況很荒謬，並指出此種情況。但沒有採取任何措施來改善這種情況；事實上，有人設計了一種理論來證明它的合理性。說法是，下議院的一名議員代表的不是選擇他的人，而是整個國家，他不對任何特定的選區負責。並非所有的英國人都能投票選舉代表，但下議院的每一位成員實際上都代表了所有人。

5. 美國代議制度出現

   The assemblies of American colonial representatives were more democratic. Although every colony had property qualifications for voting, probably the great majority of adult white males owned enough land to meet them. Moreover, the system for apportioning representation was more balanced. New England colonies gave every town the right to send delegates to the legislature. Outside New England, the unit of representation was usually the county. The political organization of new counties and the extension of representation seldom kept pace with the rapid advance of settlement westward, but nowhere was representation so uneven or irrational as in England.

   美國殖民地的議會則更為民主。雖然每個殖民地都有投票的財產資格，但可能絕大多數成年白人男子都擁有足夠的土地來滿足這些資格。此外，代表權的分配制度也更加平衡。新英格蘭殖民地給予每個城鎮派代表參加立法機構的權利。在新英格蘭以外，代表的單位通常是郡。新設郡的政治組織和代表權的擴大很少能跟上向西定居的快速發展，但沒有任何地方的代表權像英格蘭那樣不均衡或不合理。

6. 美國議會代表性

   American colonists knew nothing of virtual representation. A colonial representative was supposed to be an agent of the people who chose him. He was supposed to look after their interests first and those of the colony second. In New England, where town meetings could be called at any time, people often gathered to tell their delegate how to vote on a particular issue.

   美國殖民者對虛擬代表權一無所知。殖民地的代表應該是選擇他的人民的代理人。他應該首先照顧他們的利益，其次才是殖民地的利益。在新英格蘭，城鎮會議可以在任何時候召開，人們經常聚集在一起，告訴他們的代表如何就某一特定問題投票。