世界上最伟大的演讲--Peace in the Atomic Age 原子能时代的和平

 

Peace in the Atomic Age 原子能时代的和平

I am grateful to you for the opportunity to express my conviction in this most important political question.

The idea of achieving security through national armament is, at the present state of military technique, a disastrous¹ illusion. On the part of the United States this illusion has been particularly fostered by the fact that this country succeeded first in producing an atomic bomb. The belief seemed to prevail that in the end it were possible to achieve decisive military superiority.

In this way, any potential opponent would be intimidated², and security, so ardently³ desired by all of us, brought to us and all of humanity. The maxim⁴ which we have been following during these last five years has been, in short: security through superior military power, whatever the cost.

The armament race between the U.S.A. and U.S.S.R., originally supposed to be a preventive measure, assumes hysterical⁵ character. On both sides, the means to mass destruction are perfected with feverish⁶ haste - behind the respective walls of secrecy⁷. The H-bomb appears on the public horizon as a probably attainable⁸ goal.

If successful, radioactive poisoning of the atmosphere and hence annihilation of any life on earth has been brought within the range of technical possibilities. The ghostlike character of this development lies in its apparently⁹ compulsory¹⁰ trend. Every step appears as the unavoidable consequence of the preceding one. In the end, it beckons¹¹ more and more clearly general annihilation.

Is there any way out of this impasse¹² created by man himself? All of us, and particularly those who are responsible for the attitude of the U.S. and the U.S.S.R., should realized that we may have vanquished¹³ an external enemy, but have been incapable¹⁴ of getting rid of the mentality¹⁵ created by the war.

It is impossible to achieve peaces as long as every single action is taken with a possible future conflict in view. The leading point of view of all political action should therefore be: What can we do to bring about a peaceful co-existence and even loyal cooperation of the nations?

The first problem is to do away with mutual¹⁶ fear and distrust. Solemn renunciation of violence (not only with respect to means of mass destruction) is undoubtedly¹⁷ necessary.

Such renunciation, however, can only be effective if at the same time a supra-national judicial¹⁸ and executive body is set up empowered to decide questions of immediate¹⁹ concern to the security of the nations. Even a declaration of the nations to collaborate²⁰ loyally in the realization²¹ of such a "restricted world government" would considerably²² reduce the imminent²³ danger of war.

In the last analysis, every kind of peaceful cooperation among men is primarily based on mutual trust and only secondly²⁴ on institutions such as courts of justice and police. This holds for nations as well as for individuals. And the basis of trust is loyal give and take.

原子能时代的和平

【美国】爱因斯坦（1879～1955）

     爱国斯坦，著名物理学家。生于德国，1933年迁居美国。本篇阐述了原子能武器对人类的威胁。呼吁美苏两霸放弃武力。

     感谢你们使我有机会就这个最重要的政治问题发表意见。

     在军事技术已发展到目前状况的今天，加强国家军备以保证安全的想法，只是一个会带来灾难后果的幻想。美国首先制成了原子弹，所以特别容易抱有这种幻想。看来多数人相信，美国最终可能在军事上取得决定性的优势。

     这样，任何潜在的敌人就会被震慑，而我们和全人类就可以得到大家所热望的安全了。我们近五年来一直信守的格言，简而言之，就是：不惜一切代价，通过得到军事力量的优势以保证安全。

     美国与苏联之间的军备竞赛，最初只是作为一种防止战争的手段，现在已经带有歇斯底里的性质。在保证安全的漂亮帷幕后面，双方都以狂热的速度改善大规模的破坏手段，在人们的眼光里，制成氢弹似乎已是可能达到的目标。

     一旦达到这个目标，大气层的放射性污染以及由此导致地球上一切生命的灭绝，从技术角度而言将成为可能。这种发展的可怕之处在于它已明显地成为不可遏止的趋势。第一步必然引出第二步。最后，越来越清楚地，必然招致全人类的普遍灭绝。

     人类自己走进的这条死胡同还有出路吗？我们所有人，特别是那些对美国和苏联的立场负责的人，应该认识到：我们可能战胜外部的敌人，但却不可能消除由战争产生的那种精神状态。

     如果每采取一项行动都考虑将来可能要发生冲突，那么要取得和平便是不可能的。因此，一切政治行动的指导思想应该是：为了实现国与国之间的和平共存甚至真诚合作，我们能做些什么？

     首先要做到的是去除双方的恐惧和猜疑。郑重宣布废弃使用武力 （不仅是废弃大规模的破坏手段），无疑是必要的。

     然而，只有同时成立一个超国家的司法和执行机构，使它有权决定直接关系到各国安全的问题，才能有效地废绝使用武力。即使是各国发表共同宣言，保证忠诚地通力合作，使成立这样一个 “权力有限的世界政府”得以实现，也会大为缓和战争发生的危险。

     总括地说，一切人类和平分作的基础首先是相互信任，其次才是法庭和警察一类的机构。对于个人是这样，对于国家也是这样。信任的基础是：取和予都要正直忠实。

1 disastrous   

adj.灾难性的，造成灾害的；极坏的，很糟的

参考例句：

• The heavy rainstorm caused a disastrous flood.暴雨成灾。
• Her investment had disastrous consequences.She lost everything she owned.她的投资结果很惨，血本无归。

2 intimidated   

v.恐吓；威胁adj.害怕的；受到威胁的

参考例句：

• We try to make sure children don't feel intimidated on their first day at school. 我们努力确保孩子们在上学的第一天不胆怯。
• The thief intimidated the boy into not telling the police. 这个贼恫吓那男孩使他不敢向警察报告。 来自《简明英汉词典》

3 ardently   

adv.热心地，热烈地

参考例句：

• The preacher is disserveing the very religion in which he ardently believe. 那传教士在损害他所热烈信奉的宗教。 来自辞典例句
• However ardently they love, however intimate their union, they are never one. 无论他们的相爱多么热烈，无论他们的关系多么亲密，他们决不可能合而为一。 来自辞典例句

4 maxim   

n.格言，箴言

参考例句：

• Please lay the maxim to your heart.请把此格言记在心里。
• "Waste not,want not" is her favourite maxim.“不浪费则不匮乏”是她喜爱的格言。

5 hysterical   

adj.情绪异常激动的，歇斯底里般的

参考例句：

• He is hysterical at the sight of the photo.他一看到那张照片就异常激动。
• His hysterical laughter made everybody stunned.他那歇斯底里的笑声使所有的人不知所措。

6 feverish   

adj.发烧的，狂热的，兴奋的

参考例句：

• He is too feverish to rest.他兴奋得安静不下来。
• They worked with feverish haste to finish the job.为了完成此事他们以狂热的速度工作着。

7 secrecy   

n.秘密，保密，隐蔽

参考例句：

• All the researchers on the project are sworn to secrecy.该项目的所有研究人员都按要求起誓保守秘密。
• Complete secrecy surrounded the meeting.会议在绝对机密的环境中进行。

8 attainable   

a.可达到的，可获得的

参考例句：

• They set the limits of performance attainable. 它们确定着可达到的运行限度。
• If objectives are to be meaningful to people, they must be clear, attainable, actionable, and verifiable. 如果目标对人们是具有意义的，则目标必须是清晰的，能达到的，可以行动的，以及可供检验的。

9 apparently   

adv.显然地；表面上，似乎

参考例句：

• An apparently blind alley leads suddenly into an open space.山穷水尽，豁然开朗。
• He was apparently much surprised at the news.他对那个消息显然感到十分惊异。

10 compulsory   

n.强制的，必修的；规定的，义务的

参考例句：

• Is English a compulsory subject?英语是必修课吗？
• Compulsory schooling ends at sixteen.义务教育至16岁为止。

11 beckons   

v.（用头或手的动作）示意，召唤( beckon的第三人称单数 )

参考例句：

• He sent his ships wherever profit beckons. 他将船队派往赢利的那些地方。 来自辞典例句
• I believe history beckons again. 我认为现在历史又在召唤了。 来自辞典例句

12 impasse   

n.僵局；死路

参考例句：

• The government had reached an impasse.政府陷入绝境。
• Negotiations seemed to have reached an impasse.谈判似乎已经陷入僵局。

13 vanquished   

v.征服( vanquish的过去式和过去分词 )；战胜；克服；抑制

参考例句：

• She had fought many battles, vanquished many foes. 她身经百战，挫败过很多对手。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• I vanquished her coldness with my assiduity. 我对她关心照顾从而消除了她的冷淡。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》

14 incapable   

adj.无能力的，不能做某事的

参考例句：

• He would be incapable of committing such a cruel deed.他不会做出这么残忍的事。
• Computers are incapable of creative thought.计算机不会创造性地思维。

15 mentality   

n.心理，思想，脑力

参考例句：

• He has many years'experience of the criminal mentality.他研究犯罪心理有多年经验。
• Running a business requires a very different mentality from being a salaried employee.经营企业所要求具备的心态和上班族的心态截然不同。

16 mutual   

adj.相互的，彼此的；共同的，共有的

参考例句：

• We must pull together for mutual interest.我们必须为相互的利益而通力合作。
• Mutual interests tied us together.相互的利害关系把我们联系在一起。

17 undoubtedly   

adv.确实地，无疑地

参考例句：

• It is undoubtedly she who has said that.这话明明是她说的。
• He is undoubtedly the pride of China.毫无疑问他是中国的骄傲。

18 judicial   

adj.司法的，法庭的，审判的，明断的，公正的

参考例句：

• He is a man with a judicial mind.他是个公正的人。
• Tom takes judicial proceedings against his father.汤姆对他的父亲正式提出诉讼。

19 immediate   

adj.立即的；直接的，最接近的；紧靠的

参考例句：

• His immediate neighbours felt it their duty to call.他的近邻认为他们有责任去拜访。
• We declared ourselves for the immediate convocation of the meeting.我们主张立即召开这个会议。

20 collaborate   

vi.协作，合作；协调

参考例句：

• The work gets done more quickly when we collaborate.我们一旦合作，工作做起来就更快了。
• I would ask you to collaborate with us in this work.我们愿意请你们在这项工作中和我们合作。

21 realization   

n.实现；认识到，深刻了解

参考例句：

• We shall gladly lend every effort in our power toward its realization.我们将乐意为它的实现而竭尽全力。
• He came to the realization that he would never make a good teacher.他逐渐认识到自己永远不会成为好老师。

22 considerably   

adv.极大地；相当大地；在很大程度上

参考例句：

• The economic situation has changed considerably.经济形势已发生了相当大的变化。
• The gap has narrowed considerably.分歧大大缩小了。

23 imminent   

adj.即将发生的，临近的，逼近的

参考例句：

• The black clounds show that a storm is imminent.乌云预示暴风雨即将来临。
• The country is in imminent danger.国难当头。

24 secondly   

adv.第二，其次

参考例句：

• Secondly,use your own head and present your point of view.第二，动脑筋提出自己的见解。
• Secondly it is necessary to define the applied load.其次，需要确定所作用的载荷。