在葛底斯堡公墓的演說(shuō)
Gettysburg Address 亞伯拉罕·林肯 / Abraham Lincoln
亞伯拉罕·林肯(1809—1865),美國(guó)第十六屆總統(tǒng)。出身于肯塔基州一個(gè)農(nóng)民家庭。從7歲開(kāi)始就幫助父母放牛、耕地和打柴。當(dāng)過(guò)雇農(nóng)、船夫、小店鋪里的伙計(jì),后來(lái)又當(dāng)過(guò)鄉(xiāng)村郵遞員和土地測(cè)量員。他一生在學(xué)校學(xué)習(xí)的時(shí)間加起來(lái)不到一年,但是他刻苦勤學(xué),通過(guò)自學(xué)成為一位博學(xué)的人。他先后任過(guò)州議員、律師、眾議員,并于1856年加入共和黨。他反對(duì)奴隸制度,認(rèn)為奴隸制度違反自由平等原則。但他又不是廢奴主義者,他只是要求限制奴隸制向西部擴(kuò)張。任內(nèi)發(fā)表了《解放宣言》,提出“民有、民治、民享”的口號(hào),并領(lǐng)導(dǎo)人民投入南北戰(zhàn)爭(zhēng),重新統(tǒng)一了美國(guó)。1864年連任總統(tǒng)。1865年4月14日被南方奴隸主反對(duì)派指使的暴徒殺害。
Practicing for Better Learning
Read the following article carefully,and answer the questions below.
1.According to the author, what influences will the Civil War bring to
America?
2.What does“the great task”imply?
Four score and seven years ago, our fathers brought forth upon this continent a new Nation, conceived in Liberty, and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal. Now, we are engaged in a great Civil War, testing whether that Nation, or any nation so conceived and so dedicated, can long endure. We are met on a great battlefield of that war. We have come to dedicate a portion of that field as a final resting-place for those who here gave their lives that Nation might live. It is altogether fitting and proper that we should do this.
But, in a larger sense, we cannot dedicate, we cannot consecrate, we cannot hallow this ground. The brave men, living and dead, who struggled here, have consecrated it far above our poor power to add or detract. The world will little note nor long remember what we say here, but it can never forget what they did here. It is for us, the living,rather to be dedicated here to the unfinished work which they who fought here have thus far so nobly advanced. It is rather for us to be here dedicated to the great task remaining before us; that from these honored dead, we take increased devotion to that cause for which they gave the last full measure of devotion; that we here highly resolve that these dead shall not died in vain; that this Nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom; and that government of the People, by the People, and for the People, shall not perish from the earth.
參考譯文
87年前,我們的先輩們?cè)谶@塊大陸上創(chuàng)建了一個(gè)新的國(guó)家,它孕育于自由之中,奉行所有人生而平等的原則?,F(xiàn)在我們正進(jìn)行著一場(chǎng)偉大的內(nèi)戰(zhàn),以考驗(yàn)這個(gè)國(guó)家,或者任何一個(gè)孕育于自由和奉行上述原則的國(guó)家是否能夠長(zhǎng)久存在下去。我們聚集在這個(gè)偉大的戰(zhàn)場(chǎng)上。烈士們?yōu)檫@個(gè)國(guó)家的生存而獻(xiàn)出了自己的生命,我們聚集在這里,是要把這個(gè)戰(zhàn)場(chǎng)的一部分奉獻(xiàn)給他們作為最后的安息地。我們這樣做是完全應(yīng)該而且是非常恰當(dāng)?shù)摹?/p>
但是,從廣義上來(lái)說(shuō),我們不能奉獻(xiàn),不能圣化,更不能神化這塊土地。那些曾在這里戰(zhàn)斗過(guò)的勇士們,無(wú)論活著的或已死去的,已經(jīng)將這塊土地圣化了,這遠(yuǎn)遠(yuǎn)不是我們微薄之力所能增減的。今天我們?cè)谶@里所說(shuō)的話,全世界都不會(huì)太注意,也不會(huì)長(zhǎng)久地記住,但那些勇士們?cè)谶@里的所作所為,全世界都會(huì)永遠(yuǎn)記得。換言之,我們這些依然活著的人,應(yīng)該把自己奉獻(xiàn)于那些勇士們已經(jīng)向前推進(jìn)但尚未完成的崇高事業(yè)。我們應(yīng)該在這里把自己奉獻(xiàn)于仍然擺在我們面前的偉大任務(wù)——我們要從那些光榮犧牲的勇士身上汲取更多的奉獻(xiàn)精神,來(lái)完成他們投入畢生精力并為之獻(xiàn)身的事業(yè);我們要在這里下定決心,不能讓那些勇士們白白犧牲;我們要使我們的祖國(guó)在上帝的保佑下得到自由的新生,要使這個(gè)民有、民治、民享的政府永世長(zhǎng)存。
歷史鏈接
在林肯當(dāng)選總統(tǒng)后,南方各州相繼宣布脫離聯(lián)邦,內(nèi)戰(zhàn)爆發(fā)。1863年7月3日,聯(lián)邦軍在賓西法尼亞州的葛底斯堡與南軍激戰(zhàn),傷亡2萬(wàn)余人。為紀(jì)念陣亡將士,同年11月在葛底斯堡建起了國(guó)家公墓。本篇是林肯在公墓落成典禮上的致辭,雖不足3分鐘,卻是流傳千古的佳作。