精美英文欣赏:葛底斯堡演说

Four score and seven years ago our fathers brought forth¹ on this continent a new nation,conceived in Liberty, and dedicated² to the proposition that all men are created equal.

87年前，我们的先辈们在这个大陆上创立了一个新国家，它孕育于自由之中，奉行一切人生来平等的原则。

Now we are engaged in a great civil war,testing whether that nation, or any nation,so conceived and so dedicated, can long endure.

现在我们正从事一场伟大的内战，以考验这个国家，或者任何一个孕育于自由和奉行上述原则的国家是否能够长久存在下去。

We are met on a great battle-field of that war.

我们在这场战争中的一个伟大战场上集会。

We have come to dedicate a portion of that field,as a final resting place for those who here gave their lives that that nation might live.

烈士们为使这个国家能够生存下去而献出了自己的生命，我们来到这里，是要把这个战场的一部分奉献给他们作为最后安息之所。

It is altogether fitting and proper that we should do this.

我们这样做是完全应该而且是非常恰当的。

But, in a larger sense,we can not dedicate,we can not consecrate,we can not hallow this ground.

但是，从更广泛的意义上来说，这块土地我们不能够奉献，不能够圣化，不能够神化。

The brave men, living and dead, who struggled here,have consecrated³ it, far above our poor power to add or detract.

那些曾在这里战斗过的勇士们，活着的和去世的，已经把这块土地圣化了，这远不是我们微薄的力量所能增减的。

The world will little note, nor long remember what we say here,

我们今天在这里所说的话，全世界不大会注意，也不会长久地记住，

but it can never forget what they did here.

但勇士们在这里所做过的事，全世界却永远不会忘记。

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.

毋宁说，倒是我们这些还活着的人，应该在这里把自己奉献于勇士们已经如此崇高地向前推进但尚未完成的事业。

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，

倒是我们应该在这里把自己奉献于仍然留在我们面前的伟大任务，我们要从这些光荣的死者身上汲取更多的献身精神，来完成他们已经完全彻底为之献身的事业；

that we here highly resolvethat these dead shall not have died in vain-that this nation, under God,shall have a new birth of freedom and that government of the people,by the people, for the people,shall not perish from the earth.

我们要在这里下定最大的决心，不让这些死者白白牺牲；我们要使国家在上帝福佑下得到自由的新生，要使这个民有、民治、民享的政府永世长存。

1 forth   

adv.向前；向外，往外

参考例句：

• The wind moved the trees gently back and forth.风吹得树轻轻地来回摇晃。
• He gave forth a series of works in rapid succession.他很快连续发表了一系列的作品。

2 dedicated   

adj.一心一意的；献身的；热诚的

参考例句：

• He dedicated his life to the cause of education.他献身于教育事业。
• His whole energies are dedicated to improve the design.他的全部精力都放在改进这项设计上了。

3 consecrated   

adj.神圣的，被视为神圣的v.把…奉为神圣，给…祝圣( consecrate的过去式和过去分词 )；奉献

参考例句：

• The church was consecrated in 1853. 这座教堂于1853年祝圣。
• They consecrated a temple to their god. 他们把庙奉献给神。 来自《简明英汉词典》