跪求高手帮我翻译The english language would not have been what it is (if the English had not been for centuries great respecters

跪求高手帮我翻译The english language would not have been what it is (if the English had not been for centuries great respecters of the liberties of each individual) and if everybody had not been free to strike out new paths for himself.重点解释一下带括号的部分（总感觉那个地方不通顺）,