杰斐遜
與喬治·華盛頓、本杰明·富蘭克林并稱為美利堅開國三杰
Were it left to me to decide whether we should have a government without newspapers, or newspapers without a government, I should not hesitate a moment to prefer the latter.
我很相信運氣，而我發(fā)現(xiàn)越是努力工作，我的運氣越好。
I'm a great believer in luck, and I find the harder I work the more I have of it.
禁止持有武器的法律。只會解除那些本來就不打算或沒有決心要犯罪的人的武裝……這樣的法律只會讓受害者變得更糟，讓行兇者更強；它們相當于鼓勵而不是阻止兇殺，因為一個沒有武裝的人更可能被一個武裝的人襲擊。
The laws that forbid the carrying of arms are laws of such a nature. They disarm only those who are neither inclined nor determined to commit crimes.... Such laws make things worse for the assaulted and better for the assailants; they serve rather to encourage than to prevent homicides, for an unarmed man may be attacked with greater confidence than an armed man.
如果一個國家期望在國民無知的情況下卻擁有自由，那么這種期望無論在歷史上，還是未來都絕不會實現(xiàn)。如果我們打算抵御無知和捍衛(wèi)自由，每位美國人都有責任了解一件公共事務的來龍去脈。
If a Nation expects to be ignorant and free in a state of civilization,it expects what never was and never will be....If we are to guard against ignorance and remain free,it is the responsibility of every American to be informed."
自由之樹需要經常用愛國者和暴君的鮮血來澆灌。
The tree of liberty must be refreshed from time to time with the blood of patriots and tyrants.
我喜歡夢想未來而非追思既往的歷史。
I like the dreams of the future better than the history of the past.
人人生而平等。