常春藤名家散文精選 第20期:林肯蓋茨堡演講詞
第二十課 林肯蓋茨堡演講詞
Fourscore and seven years ago, our fathers broughtforth on this continent a new nation,
八十七年前，我們的祖先在這塊大陸上建立了個(gè)新國家，
conceived in liberty and dedicated to theproposition that all men are created equal.
這個(gè)國家是以自由為理念，并致力于人生而平等的主張。
Now we are engaged in a great civil war, testingwhether that nation，or any nation so conceivedand so dedicated，can long endure.
現(xiàn)在我們投身于這場偉大的內(nèi)戰(zhàn)。這個(gè)內(nèi)戰(zhàn)在考驗(yàn)這個(gè)新國家或是任何一個(gè)有相同理念、致力于相同主張的國家能否長久存在。
We are met on a great battlefield of that war.
我們相會(huì)于這場戰(zhàn)爭的偉大戰(zhàn)場上。
We have come to dedicate a portion of that field as a final resting place for those who heregave their lives that that nation might live.
我們來到這里，將這戰(zhàn)場上的小塊土地奉獻(xiàn)給那些為國家生存而捐軀的人，以作為他們最后安息之地。
It is altogether fitting and proper that we should do this.
我們這樣做是十分適當(dāng)?shù)?，也是?yīng)該的。
But in a larger sense we cannot dedicate-we cannot consecrate-we cannot hallow-this ground.
但就廣義而言，我們卻無法奉獻(xiàn)這塊土地，無法把這塊土地變得神圣，
The brave men, living and dead, who struggled here, have consecrated it, far above our poorpower to add or detract.
因?yàn)樵诖藠^戰(zhàn)過的勇者，不論是生是死，都已經(jīng)將這塊土地變得如此神圣，以致我們薄弱的力量實(shí)不能再對(duì)它有所揚(yáng)抑。
The world will little note, nor long remember, what we say here, but it can never forget whatthey did here.
我們現(xiàn)在在這里所說的話，世人是不太注意的，過不久都會(huì)忘記，但這些勇者在此曾有的表現(xiàn)世人將水遠(yuǎn)銘記在心。
It is for us the living, rather, to be dedicated here to the unfinished work which they whofought here have thus far so nobly advanced.
我們活著的人，應(yīng)該在這塊土地上獻(xiàn)身于那些曾被努力推進(jìn)卻尚未完成的工作。
It is rather for us to be here dedicated to the great task remaining before us:
我們實(shí)在應(yīng)該獻(xiàn)身于這些勇者所遺留給我們的眼前這個(gè)偉大任務(wù):
that from these honored dead we take increased devotion to that cause for which they gavethe last full measure of devotion;
這些光榮過世的先烈們?cè)鵀閲掖髽I(yè)奉獻(xiàn)到底，而我們則應(yīng)秉承他們的奉獻(xiàn)精神，更加全力以赴;
that we here highly resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain;
我們決意不計(jì)這些先烈白白犧牲;
that this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom;
在上帝的庇佑之下，自由將在我國重生，
and that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from theearth.
而這個(gè)民有、民治、民享的政府將永存于世。
