历史英雄名人演讲 第50期:我们该选择死亡吗(1)

 　　Here, then, is the problem which I present to you, stark¹ and dreadful and inescapable:

　　这里，我要向你提起一个直率的、令人不快而又无法回避的问题：

　　Shall we put an end to the human race1 or shall mankind renounce² war?

　　我们该消灭人类，还是人类该抛弃战争？

　　People will not face this alternative because it is so difficult to abolish war.

　　人们不愿面对这个抉择，因为消灭战争太难了。

　　The abolition³ of war will demand distasteful limitations of national sovereignty.

　　消灭战争要求限制国家主权，这令人反感。

　　But what perhaps impedes⁴ understanding of the situation more than anything else is that the term 'mankind' feels vague and abstract.

　　然而人类这个专门名词给人们的感觉是模糊、抽象的，它可能比任何其他东西都更容易妨碍认识这种形势。

　　People scarcely realize in imagination that the danger is to themselves and their children and their grandchildren,

　　人们几乎没有用自己的想象力去认识这种危险不仅指向他们所模模糊糊理解的人类，

　　and not only to a dimly apprehended⁵ humanity'.

　　而且指向他们自己和他们的子子孙孙。

　　And so they hope that perhaps war may be allowed to continue provided modern weapons are prohibited.

　　于是他们相信只要禁止使用现代武器，也许可以允许战争继续下去。

　　I am afraid this hope is illusory.

　　恐怕这个愿望只是幻想。

　　Whatever agreements not to use hydrogen bombs had been reached in time of peace.

　　任何不使用氢弹的协定是在和平时期达成的.

1 stark   

adj.荒凉的；严酷的；完全的；adv.完全地

参考例句：

• The young man is faced with a stark choice.这位年轻人面临严峻的抉择。
• He gave a stark denial to the rumor.他对谣言加以完全的否认。

2 renounce   

v.放弃；拒绝承认，宣布与…断绝关系

参考例句：

• She decided to renounce the world and enter a convent.她决定弃绝尘世去当修女。
• It was painful for him to renounce his son.宣布与儿子脱离关系对他来说是很痛苦的。

3 abolition   

n.废除，取消

参考例句：

• They declared for the abolition of slavery.他们声明赞成废除奴隶制度。
• The abolition of the monarchy was part of their price.废除君主制是他们的其中一部分条件。

4 impedes   

阻碍，妨碍，阻止( impede的第三人称单数 )

参考例句：

• High packing density greatly impedes the cooling of the array. 高存贮密度很不利于阵列的散热。
• The inflexibility of the country's labor market seriously impedes its economic recovery. 该国劳工市场缺乏灵活性，这严重阻碍了它的经济恢复。

5 apprehended   

逮捕，拘押( apprehend的过去式和过去分词 )； 理解

参考例句：

• She apprehended the complicated law very quickly. 她很快理解了复杂的法律。
• The police apprehended the criminal. 警察逮捕了罪犯。