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起初他们……（First they came...）是德国著名神学家兼信义宗牧师马丁·尼莫拉的一篇二战过后的忏悔文，该文以诗为体裁呈现，1946年首先以德文写成。描述德国的知识份子与牧师屈服于纳粹势力，帮助纳粹肃清[1] 一群又一群的无辜者。该诗意旨在阐明无视与自己无关的团体所造成的结果，且后来常被引用，作为对不关心政治的人之呼吁。
这首诗被镌刻在美国麻萨诸塞州波士顿的新英格兰犹太人大屠杀纪念碑石碑上。
新英格兰犹太人大屠杀纪念碑中的英文版
THEY CAME FIRST for the Communists,and I didn't speak up because I wasn't a Communist.THEN THEY CAME for the Jews,and I didn't speak up because I wasn't a Jew.THEN THEY CAME for the trade unionists,and I didn't speak up because I wasn't a trade unionist.THEN THEY CAME for the Catholics,and I didn't speak up because I was a Protestant.THEN THEY CAME for me,
and by that time no one was left to speak up.
美国大屠杀纪念博物馆中的英文版
First they came for the socialists, and I did not speak out—Because I was not a socialist.Then they came for the trade unionists, and I did not speak out—Because I was not a trade unionist.Then they came for the Jews, and I did not speak out—Because I was not a Jew.Then they came for me—and there was no one left to speak for me.
中文翻译
起初，纳粹抓共产党人的时候，我沉默了，因为我不是共产党人。当他们抓社会民主主义者的时候，我沉默了，因为我不是社会民主主义者。当他们抓工会成员的时候，我沉默了，因为我不是工会成员。当他们抓犹太人的时候，我沉默了，因为我不是犹太人。最后当他们来抓我时，再也没有人站起来为我说话了。