新SAT OG和可汗中都节选过《常识》中的内容，让我们一起走近这部真正“畅销书”。
它包括四部分：
1. Of the Origin and Design of Government in general, with concise Remarks on the English Constitution
政权的起源和目的，兼论英国政体
他认为There is a difference between government and society。
2. Of Monarchy and Hereditary Succession
论君主政体和世袭制
他认为，all men are equal at creation and, therefore, the distinction between kings and subjects is a false one.
人人生而平等[注意独立宣言(1776.07)的原话是：all men are created equal], 国王与平民之间有差异是错误的。
3. Thoughts on the Present State of American Affairs
我看北美目前的形式
Paine examines the hostilities between England and the Americancolonies and argues that the best course of action is independence.
他分析了英国与美国殖民地之间的敌对关系，最好的解决办法是美国的独立。
4. On the Present Ability of America, with some Miscellaneous Reflections
北美目前的能力，附带谈一些杂感
It includes Paine's optimistic view of America's military potential at the time of the revolution.
佩恩对当时革命时美国的军事潜力很有信心。
Common Sense is a pamphlet written by Thomas Paine in 1776 advocating independence from Great Britain to people in the Thirteen Colonies to fight for egalitarian government.
《常识》(1776. 01)是由托马斯·佩恩撰写的小册子，他支持美国独立，反对英国的殖民专政，主张建立倡导平等的政府。
新SAT OG和可汗中都节选过《常识》中的内容，让我们一起感受其语言的魅力：
1. “Society in every state is a blessing, but government even in its best state is but a necessary evil; in its worst state an intolerable one…”
社会在各种情况下都是福佑，而政府在最好的情况下也是一种难以躲避的祸害，而在最糟糕的情况下，它就成了不可容忍的祸害。
2. “In England a king hath little more to do than to make war and give away places; which in plain terms, is to impoverish the nation and set it together by the ears. A pretty business indeed for a manto be allowed eight hundred thousand sterling a year for, andworshipped into the bargain! Of more worth is one honest man to society and in the sight of God, than all the crowned ruffians that ever lived.”
在英国，一个国王所能做的事情，总结起来不外乎是挑起战争和卖官鬻爵，坦白来讲，这使国家陷入贫穷和四分五裂。一个人每年伸手拿八十万磅，而且还受人崇拜，这真是一桩好买卖。可对于社会，同时在上帝眼中，一个普通的诚实人也要比从古到今所有加冕的坏蛋有价值的多。
3. “It is not in numbers, but in unity, that our great strength lies; yet our present numbers are sufficient to repel the force of all the world… Our land force is already sufficient, and as to anavl affairs, we cannot be insensible, that Britain would never suffer an American man of war to be built, while the continent remained in her hands.”
我们伟大的力量来自于团结一致，而不在于人数的多寡。而且我们现在的武力是足以对抗全世界的武力的。我们在陆地上的兵力是绰绰有余的，至于海军方面，只要这个大陆仍旧被抓在英国手里，我们就不能不敏锐地察觉到，它是永远也不会允许北美打造一艘军舰的。
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