Magna Carta: A Document That Limited Power

课文

1. In 1215, English barons forced King John to agree to the Magna Carta at Runnymede near London.

   1215年，英格兰贵族在伦敦附近的兰尼米德迫使约翰王签署《大宪章》。

2. It did not create democracy, but it stated clearly that even the king must obey the law.

   它并未建立民主制度，但明确指出国王也须遵守法律。

3. Key clauses protected church rights, ensured fair trials, and prevented illegal imprisonment.

   关键条款保障教会权利、确保公正审判，并防止非法拘禁。

4. Although King John broke the agreement almost immediately, later monarchs were reminded of its principles.

   尽管约翰王几乎立即违背了协议，后来的君主却不断被提醒其原则。

5. English judges and Parliament referred to it repeatedly during the 13th and 14th centuries.

   13至14世纪，英格兰法官和议会屡次援引《大宪章》。

6. When colonists sailed to America, they brought copies and cited its ideals in early legal documents.

   殖民者远航美洲时携带着它的抄本，并在早期法律文件中援引其理念。

7. Modern democracies view it as a symbolic root of constitutional government and human rights.

   现代民主国家视其为立宪政府与人权的象征性源头。

8. Its real power grew not from force, but from repeated reinterpretation across centuries.

   它的真正力量并非来自武力，而是源于数百年间持续不断的重新诠释。