“宁可使十个罪犯漏网，不可使一人蒙冤”

按：布莱克斯通（William Blackstone，1723-1780），英国法学家、法官、托利党政治家，著有《英国法释义》（Commentaries on the Laws of England）。转自公众号保守主义评论，新少数派鸣谢。

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1. “除非符合上帝的律法，否则，人类制定的法令不能被视为法律。”

No enactment of man can be considered law unless it conforms to the law of God.

2. “人必须服从造物主的律法。造物主的这种意志被称为自然法。这种自然法优于其他任何法则。与此相悖的人类法律是无效的。”

Man must necessarily be subject to the laws of his Creator. This will of his Maker is called the Law of Nature. This Law of Nature is superior to any other. No human laws are of any validity if contrary to this.

3. “宁可使十个罪犯漏网，不可使一人蒙冤。” 

It is better that ten guilty persons escape than one innocent suffer.

4. “自卫，被恰当地称为自然的基本法则。因此，社会的法则没法将其解除，事实上，也做不到。” 

[Self-defense is] justly called the primary law of nature, so it is not, neither can it be in fact, taken away by the laws of society.

5. “公共利益，本质上就是保护每个人的私人权利。”

The public good is in nothing more essentially interested, than in the protection of every individual's private rights.

6. “圣经一直被视为英国普通法的组成部分。” 

The Bible has always been regarded as part of the Common Law of England.

7. “陪审团审判是一种最高级的、最有益的特权，也是我们公共和私人自由最重要的守护者。只要这个守护神能够保持神圣、免受侵犯——不仅仅免于任何公开的攻击，还要免于所有的破坏性阴谋，英国的自由就能继续存在。”

Trial by jury is a privilege of the highest and most beneficial nature [and] our most important guardian both of public and private liberty. The liberties of England cannot but subsist so long as this palladium remains sacred and inviolate, not only from all open attacks, ... but also from all secret machinations, which may sap and undermine it.

8. “禁止一个人伤害他的同胞，这种法律固然减少了自然的（自由），却增加了人类的公民自由。”

The law, which restrains a man from doing mischief to his fellow citizens, though it diminishes the natural, increases the civil liberty of mankind.

9. “人是为社会而生的，他既不能独自生活，也没有勇气独自生活。” 

Men was formed for society, and is neither capable of living alone, nor has the courage to do it.

10. “英国政府的卓越之处，就在于它的各个部门之间相互制衡。” 

Herein indeed consists the excellence of the English government, that all parts of it form a mutual check upon each other.

孟德斯鸠与伏尔泰、卢梭一起，并称为“法国启蒙运动三剑客”。然而，孟德斯鸠的影响，早已超越了18世纪的法兰西。在人类文明史上，孟德斯鸠是现代国家学说的奠基人。孟德斯鸠历时20年完成的巨著《论法的精神》，其地位迄今无人撼动。

对一个人的不公正，就是对所有人的威胁。——孟德斯鸠《论法的精神》