VOA慢速英语2014 林肯葛底斯堡演讲至今有意义

 

Lincoln's Words at Gettysburg Still Have Meaning 林肯葛底斯堡演讲至今有意义

From VOA Learning English, this is The Making of a Nation. I’m Kelly Jean Kelly. 

And I’m Christopher Cruise. 

In July 1863, Northern and Southern soldiers fought at the town of Gettysburg in Pennsylvania. It was the bloodiest¹ battle of the American Civil War. About 23,000 Union soldiers and 28,000 Confederate soldiers died in the fighting. Most of the bodies were buried where they fell. 

Five months later, President Abraham Lincoln traveled to Gettysburg to speak at a ceremony establishing a military burial ground there. 

Another, more famous speaker had also been invited. But the president felt it was important for him to go. He wanted to honor the brave men who died at Gettysburg. Lincoln hoped his words might ease the sorrow over the loss of these men and lift the spirit of the nation. 

On the morning of November 19, 1863, Lincoln led a slow parade on horseback to the new cemetery². A huge crowd waited.?Military bands played. Soldiers saluted³. 

The ceremonies began with a prayer. Then a former senator and governor from Massachusetts rose to speak. Edward Everett was a well-known speaker. He had been invited to give the dedication⁴ address.

Everett spoke⁵ for almost two hours. He closed his speech with the hope that the nation would come out of the war with greater unity⁶ than ever before. 

Then Lincoln stood up. He looked out over the valley, then down at the papers in his hand. He began to read. 

"Four score and seven years ago our fathers brought forth⁷ on this continent, a new nation, conceived in Liberty, and dedicated⁸ 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, that 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 consecrate⁹ --?we cannot hallow, this ground. The brave men, living and dead, who struggled here, have consecrated¹⁰ 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 for 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." 

President Lincoln’s address was fewer than 300 words long. When he finished, the crowd applauded. Then the people began to leave. 

The next day, Edward Everett sent a letter to Lincoln. He said the president's speech was perfect. He said the president had said more in two minutes than he, Everett, had said in two hours. 

Today, Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address remains¹¹ one of the most memorable¹² speeches in American history. 

Words in This Story 

address – n. a speech 

dedicated – adj. having strong support or loyalty¹³; v. used time, money or energy for a purpose 

dedicate v. officially make a place for remembering someone or something; 

proposition – n. a statement to be proved, explained or discussed 

consecrate – v. to make something holy 

devotion – n. a feeling of strong love or loyalty 

resolve – v. make a final, serious decision 

in vain – adj. without producing a good result 

1 bloodiest   

adj.血污的( bloody的最高级 )；流血的；屠杀的；残忍的

参考例句：

• The Russians were going to suffer their bloodiest defeat of all before Berlin. 俄国人在柏林城下要遭到他们的最惨重的失败。 来自辞典例句
• It was perhaps the bloodiest hour in the history of warfare. 这也许是战争史上血腥味最浓的1个小时。 来自互联网

2 cemetery   

n.坟墓，墓地，坟场

参考例句：

• He was buried in the cemetery.他被葬在公墓。
• His remains were interred in the cemetery.他的遗体葬在墓地。

3 saluted   

v.欢迎，致敬( salute的过去式和过去分词 )；赞扬，赞颂

参考例句：

• The sergeant stood to attention and saluted. 中士立正敬礼。
• He saluted his friends with a wave of the hand. 他挥手向他的朋友致意。 来自《简明英汉词典》

4 dedication   

n.奉献，献身，致力，题献，献辞

参考例句：

• We admire her courage,compassion and dedication.我们钦佩她的勇气、爱心和奉献精神。
• Her dedication to her work was admirable.她对工作的奉献精神可钦可佩。

5 spoke   

n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说

参考例句：

• They sourced the spoke nuts from our company.他们的轮辐螺帽是从我们公司获得的。
• The spokes of a wheel are the bars that connect the outer ring to the centre.辐条是轮子上连接外圈与中心的条棒。

6 unity   

n.团结，联合，统一；和睦，协调

参考例句：

• When we speak of unity,we do not mean unprincipled peace.所谓团结，并非一团和气。
• We must strengthen our unity in the face of powerful enemies.大敌当前，我们必须加强团结。

7 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。

8 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。

9 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。

10 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》

11 remains   

n.剩余物，残留物；遗体，遗迹

参考例句：

• He ate the remains of food hungrily.他狼吞虎咽地吃剩余的食物。
• The remains of the meal were fed to the dog.残羹剩饭喂狗了。

12 memorable   

adj.值得回忆的，难忘的，特别的，显著的

参考例句：

• This was indeed the most memorable day of my life.这的确是我一生中最值得怀念的日子。
• The veteran soldier has fought many memorable battles.这个老兵参加过许多难忘的战斗。

13 loyalty   

n.忠诚，忠心

参考例句：

• She told him the truth from a sense of loyalty.她告诉他真相是出于忠诚。
• His loyalty to his friends was never in doubt.他对朋友的一片忠心从来没受到怀疑。