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With a view to establishing the equilibrium of power and the peace of that part of the world, all the resources of negotiation were exhausted, and triple and quadruple alliances were formed; but they were scarcely formed before they were broken, giving an instructive but afflicting lesson to mankind, how little dependence is to be placed on treaties which have no other sanction than the obligations of good faith, and which oppose general considerations of peace and justice to the impulse of any immediate interest or passion. 
为了要建立世界那一部分的力量平衡与和平，用尽了一切谈判方法，成立了三国联盟和四国联盟。但是这些联盟总是刚一订立就被破坏，这就给予人类一种有益而苦恼的教训：那些除了诚意的义务以外别无其他制裁手段、而且使和平与正义的一般考虑与任何直接利益或情感冲动相对立的盟约是多么的不可靠啊。 
Because the passions of men will not conform to the dictates of reason and justice, without constraint. Has it been found that bodies of men act with more rectitude or greater disinterestedness than individuals? The contrary of this has been inferred by all accurate observers of the conduct of mankind; and the inference is founded upon obvious reasons. Regard to reputation has a less active influence, when the infamy of a bad action is to be divided among a number than when it is to fall singly upon one. A spirit of faction, which is apt to mingle its poison in the deliberations of all bodies of men, will often hurry the persons of whom they are composed into improprieties and excesses, for which they would blush in a private capacity. 
因为如果没有约束，人的情感就不会听从理智和正义的指挥。是否已经发现人的团体的作为比个人更加正直或更加无私的呢？人类行为的正确观察家已经作出与此相反的结论，而且此种结论是有明显的理由作根据的。就名誉而论，当恶行的臭名由许多人分担时，其影响要比单独落在一人身上要小一些。党争精神容易玷污人们的所有团体的思想，往往会促使组成团体的个人行为不当而且过度，而他们以私人身分对此是会感到羞愧的。 
Things did not come to this desperate extremity at once. The causes which have been specified produced at first only unequal and disproportionate degrees of compliance with the requisitions of the Union. The greater deficiencies of some States furnished the pretext of example and the temptation of interest to the complying, or to the least delinquent States. Why should we do more in proportion than those who are embarked with us in the same political voyage? Why should we consent to bear more than our proper share of the common burden? These were suggestions which human selfishness could not withstand, and which even speculative men, who looked forward to remote consequences, could not, without hesitation, combat. Each State, yielding to the persuasive voice of immediate interest or convenience, has successively withdrawn its support, till the frail and tottering edifice seems ready to fall upon our heads, and to crush us beneath its ruins. 
事情并非一下子就达到了这种绝望的极端，前面详述的那些原因，最初只是使各州在服从联邦的要求上出现了程度上不平等和不相称的情况。做得较差的那些州，给予服从的或很少不尽职责的那些州以作为口实的榜样和利己的诱惑。为什么我们要比同我们一起进行政治航行的那些州做得更多呢？为什么我们要同意负担超过正当份额的公共负担呢？这类话是人类的自私心所不能抵制的，即使高瞻远瞩的人也不能立即予以驳斥。每个州听从了关于眼前利益或便利的劝导，相继收回自己的支持，直到脆弱而动摇的建筑物似乎就要倒在我们头上，使我们在其废墟下面压得粉身碎骨。 
仿佛看到了一个 dynamic game 的博弈过程，一个扰动导致整体一点点趋向坏的均衡，最终落入囚徒困境。