英语名篇诵读 葛底斯堡演说

The Gettysburg Address

葛底斯堡演说

Abraham Lincoln(亚伯拉罕·林肯)

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.

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 battle-field 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 so that nation might live. It is altogether fitting and proper that we should do this.

But, in a larger sense, we can not dedicate — we can not consecrate³ , we can not hallow

this ground. The brave men, living and dead, who struggled here, have consecrated⁴ it, far above

our poor power to add or detract .

The world will little note, no 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 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.

八十七年前，我们的先辈们在这个大陆上创建了一个新国家，她孕育于自由之中，奉

行人生而平等的原则。

现在我们正进行一场伟大的内战，以考验这个国家，或者任何一个孕育于自由和奉行

人生而平等信条的国家，是否能够长久坚持下去。我们相聚在这场战争的一个伟大战场

上，我们来到这里把这战场的一部分奉献给那些为国家生存而捐躯的人们，作为他们最后

的安息之所。我们这样做是完全适合的，恰当的。

但是，从更高的意义上说，我们是不能奉献、不能圣化，也不能神化这片土地的。那

些曾经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，远不是我们微

薄的力量所能增减的。

世界不会注意，也不会长久记得我们今天在这里所说的话，但是，世界永远不会忘记

勇士们在这里所做的事。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。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

们已经彻底为之献身的事业；我们要在这里下定最大的决心，不让这些烈士的鲜血白流；

我们要使这个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 consecrate   

v.使圣化，奉…为神圣；尊崇；奉献

参考例句：

• Consecrate your life to the church.把你的生命奉献给教堂吧。
• The priest promised God he would consecrate his life to helping the poor.牧师对上帝允诺他将献身帮助穷人。

4 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》