精美英文欣赏:肯尼迪航天计划演讲

We set sail on this new sea because there is new knowledge to be gained,and new rights to be won, and they must be won and used for the progress of all people.

我们踏上新的航程，为了获取新的知识，为了赢得新的权利，获取并运用权利，应该是为了全人类的进步。

For space science, like nuclear science and all technology,has no conscience of its own.

空间科学，正如核科学以及其他技术，本身没有道德可言。

Whether it will become a force for good or ill depends on man,and only if the United States occupies a position of pre-eminence can we help decide whether this new ocean will be a sea of peace or a new terrifying theater of war.

它成为善或者恶的力量，取决于人类。并且只有当美利坚合众国取得一个卓越的地位，才能帮助决定这片新的领域和平还是成为战争的威胁。

I do not say that we should or will go unprotected against the hostile misuse¹ of space any more than we go unprotected against the hostile use of land or sea,

我不认为我们应该或者必须对敌人滥用太空比对敌人滥用陆地和海洋更加无动于衷，

but I do say that space can be explored and mastered without feeding the fires of war,without repeating the mistakes that man has made in extending his writ² around this globe of ours.

但是我确实认为，太空能够在非战争的目的下开发和利用、再不重复人类曾经犯过的错误的情况下开发和利用。

There is no strife³, no prejudice,no national conflict in outer space as yet.

在太空上还没有竞争、偏见和国家冲突。

Its hazards are hostile to us all.

太空的危险是面对我们所有人的。

Its conquest deserves the best of all mankind,and its opportunity for peaceful cooperation may never come again.

太空值得全人类尽最大的努力去征服，而且和平合作的机会可能不会重来。

But why, some say, the moon?

但是，有些人问，为什么是月球？

Why choose this as our goal?

为什么选择登月作为我们的目标？

And they may well ask why climb the highest mountain?

他们也许会问为什么我们要登上最高的山？

Why, 35 years ago, fly the Atlantic?

35年前，为什么要飞越大西洋？

Why does Rice play Texas?

为什么赖斯大学要与德克萨斯大学比赛？

We choose to go to the moon. We choose to go to the moon.

我们决定登月，

We choose to go to the moon in this decade and do the other things,

我们决定在这个十年间登月，并且做其他的事，

not because they are easy,

不是因为它们简单，

but because they are hard,

而是因为它们困难，

because that goal will serve to organize and measure the best of our energies and skills,

因为这个目标将有益于组织和分配我们的优势能力和技能，

because that challenge is one that we are willing to accept, one we are unwilling⁴ to postpone⁵,

因为这个挑战是我们乐于接受的，因为这个挑战是我们不愿推迟的，

and one which we intend to win, and the others, too.

因为这个挑战是我们打算赢得的，其他的挑战也是一样。

Many years ago the great British explorer George Mallory,who was to die on Mount Everest,was asked why did he want to climb it.

很多年之前，伟大的英国探险家George Mallory—他死于攀登珠穆朗玛峰—被人问到他问什么要攀登珠穆朗玛峰。

He said, "Because it is there."

他回答说：“因为它就在哪儿。”

Well, space is there, and we're going to climb it,and the moon and the planets are there,and new hopes for knowledge and peace are there.

因此，太空就在那儿，而我们将要登上它，月球和其他行星在那儿，获得知识与和平的新希望在那儿。

And, therefore, as we set sail we ask God's blessing⁶ on the most hazardous⁷ and dangerous and greatest adventure on which man has ever embarked⁸.

因此，当我们启程的时候，我们祈求上帝保佑这个人类有史以来所从事的最危险和最伟大的冒险。

Thank you.

谢谢。

1 misuse   

n.误用，滥用；vt.误用，滥用

参考例句：

• It disturbs me profoundly that you so misuse your talents.你如此滥用自己的才能，使我深感不安。
• He was sacked for computer misuse.他因滥用计算机而被解雇了。

2 writ   

n.命令状，书面命令

参考例句：

• This is a copy of a writ I received this morning.这是今早我收到的书面命令副本。
• You shouldn't treat the newspapers as if they were Holy Writ. 你不应该把报上说的话奉若神明。

3 strife   

n.争吵，冲突，倾轧，竞争

参考例句：

• We do not intend to be drawn into the internal strife.我们不想卷入内乱之中。
• Money is a major cause of strife in many marriages.金钱是造成很多婚姻不和的一个主要原因。

4 unwilling   

adj.不情愿的

参考例句：

• The natives were unwilling to be bent by colonial power.土著居民不愿受殖民势力的摆布。
• His tightfisted employer was unwilling to give him a raise.他那吝啬的雇主不肯给他加薪。

5 postpone   

v.延期，推迟

参考例句：

• I shall postpone making a decision till I learn full particulars.在未获悉详情之前我得从缓作出决定。
• She decided to postpone the converastion for that evening.她决定当天晚上把谈话搁一搁。

6 blessing   

n.祈神赐福；祷告；祝福，祝愿

参考例句：

• The blessing was said in Hebrew.祷告用了希伯来语。
• A double blessing has descended upon the house.双喜临门。

7 hazardous   

adj.(有)危险的，冒险的；碰运气的

参考例句：

• These conditions are very hazardous for shipping.这些情况对航海非常不利。
• Everybody said that it was a hazardous investment.大家都说那是一次危险的投资。

8 embarked   

乘船( embark的过去式和过去分词 )； 装载； 从事

参考例句：

• We stood on the pier and watched as they embarked. 我们站在突码头上目送他们登船。
• She embarked on a discourse about the town's origins. 她开始讲本市的起源。