4.Inaugural Address
(January 20, 1961)
John F. Kennedy
1 We observe today not a victory of party but a celebration of freedom, symbolizing an end as well as a beginning, signifying renewal as well as change. For I have sworn before you and Almighty God the same solemn oath our forebears prescribed nearly a century and three-quarters ago.
2 The world is very different now. For man holds in his mortal hands the power to abolish all forms of human poverty and all forms of human life. And yet the same revolutionary belief for which our forebears fought is still at issue around the globe, the belief that the rights of man come not from the generosity of the state but from the hand of God.
3 We dare not forget today that we are the heirs of that first revolution. Let the word go forth from this time and place, to friend and foe alike, that the torch has been passed to a new generation of Americans, born in this century, tempered by war, disciplined by a hard and bitter peace, proud of our ancient heritage, and unwilling to witness or permit the slow undoing of these human rights to which this nation has always been committed, and to which we are committed today at home and around the world.
4 Let every nation know, whether it wishes us well or ill, that we shall pay any price, bear any burden, meet any hardship, support any friend, oppose any foe to assure the survival and the success of liberty.
5 This much we pledge--and more.
6 To those old allies whose cultural and spiritual origins we share, we pledge the loyalty of faithful friends. United, there is little we cannot do in a host of co-operative ventures. Divided, there is little we can do, for we dare not meet a powerful challenge at odds and split asunder.
7 To those new states whom we welcome to the ranks of the free, we pledge our word that one form of colonial control shall not have passed away merely to be replaced by a far more iron tyranny. We shall not always expect to find them supporting our view. But we shall always hope to find them strongly supporting their own freedom, and to remember that, in the past, those who foolishly sought power by riding the back of the tiger ended up inside.
8 To those peoples in the huts and villages of half the globe struggling to break the bonds of mass misery, we pledge our best efforts to help them help themselves, for whatever period is required, not because the Communists may be doing it, not because we seek their votes, but because it is right. If a free society cannot help the many who are poor, it cannot save the few who are rich.
9 To our sister republics south of our border, we offer a special pledge: to convert our good words into good deeds, in a new alliance for progress, to assist free men and free governments in casting off the chains of poverty. But this peaceful revolution of hope cannot become the prey of hostile powers. Let all our neighbors know that we shall join with them to oppose aggression or subversion anywhere in the Americas. And let every other power know that this hemisphere intends to remain the master of its own house.
10 To that world assembly of sovereign states, the United Nations, our last best hope in an age where the instruments of war have far outpaced the instruments of peace, we renew our pledge of support: to prevent it from becoming merely a forum for invective, to strengthen its shield of the new and the weak, and to enlarge the area in which its writ may run.
11 Finally, to those nations who would make themselves our adversary, we offer not a pledge but a request: that both sides begin anew the quest for peace, before the dark powers of destruction unleashed by science engulf all humanity in planned or accidental self-destruction.
12 We dare not tempt them with weakness. For only when our arms are sufficient beyond doubt can we be certain beyond doubt that they will never be employed.
13 But neither can two great and powerful groups of nations take comfort from our present course--both sides overburdened by the cost of modern weapons, both rightly alarmed by the steady spread of the deadly atom, yet both racing to alter that uncertain balance of terror that stays the hand of mankind's final war.
14 So let us begin anew, remembering on both sides that civility is not a sign of weakness, and sincerity is always subject to proof. Let us never negotiate out of fear, but let us never fear to negotiate.
15 Let both sides explore what problems unite us instead of belaboring those problems which divide us.
16 Let both sides, for the first time, formulate serious and precise proposals for the inspection and control of arms and bring the absolute power to destroy other nations under the absolute control of all nations.
17 Let both sides seek to invoke the wonders of science instead of its terrors. Together let us explore the stars, conquer the deserts, eradicate disease, tap the ocean depths and encourage the arts and commerce.
18 Let both sides unite to heed in all corners of the earth the command of Isaiah to "undo the heavy burdens...(and) let the oppressed go free".
19 And if a beachhead of co-operation may push back the jungle of suspicion, let both sides join in creating a new endeavor, not a new balance of power, but a new world of law, where the strong are just and the weak secure and the peace preserved.
20 All this will not be finished in the first one hundred days. Nor will it be finished in the first one thousand days, nor in the life of this Administration, nor even perhaps in our lifetime on this planet. But let us begin.
21 In your hands, my fellow citizens, more than mine, will rest the final success or failure of our course. Since this country was founded, each generation of Americans has been summoned to give testimony to its national loyalty. The graves of young Americans who answered the call to service surround the globe.
22 Now the trumpet summons us again--not as a call to bear arms, though arms we need; not as a call to battle, though embattled we are; but a call to bear the burden of a long twilight struggle, year in and year out, "rejoicing in hope, patient in tribulation," a struggle against the common enemies of man: tyranny, poverty, disease and war itself.
23 Can we forge against these enemies a grand and global alliance, North and South, East and West, that can assure a more fruitful life for all mankind? Will you join in the historic effort?
24 In the long history of the world, only a few generations have been granted the role of defending freedom in its hour of maximum danger. I do not shrink from this responsibility; I welcome it. I do not believe that any of us would exchange places with any other people or any other generation. The energy, the faith, the devotion which we bring to this endeavor will light our country and all who serve it, and the glow from that fire can truly light the world.
25 And so, my fellow Americans ask not what your country can do for you; ask what you can do for your country.
26 My fellow citizens of the world, ask not what America will do for you, but what together we can do for the freedom of man.
27 Finally, whether you are citizens of America or citizens of the world, ask of us here the same high standards of strength and sacrifice which we ask of you. With a good conscience our only sure reward, with history the final judge of our deeds, let us go forth to lead the land we love, asking His blessing and His help, but knowing that here on earth God's work must truly be our own.
(from A Treasury of the World's Great Speeches, 1965)
第四课就职演说(1961年1月20日)
约翰?F?肯尼迪
我们今天举行的不是一个政党的祝捷大会，而是一次自由的庆典。这是一个承先启后、继往开来的大事件。因为刚才我已依照我们的先辈在将近一又四分之三个世纪以前拟好的誓言在诸位和全能的上帝面前庄严宣誓。
当今的世界已与往昔大不相同了。人类手中已掌握的力量，既足以消除一切形式的人类贫困，也足以结束一切形式的人类生活。然而，我们的先辈曾为之奋斗的革命信念至今仍未能为举世所公认。这信念就是认定人权出自上帝所赐而非得自政府的恩典。
我们今天仍未敢忘记我们是第一次革命战争的接班人。此时此地我谨向我们的朋友，同时也向我们的敌人宣告：火炬已传到我们新一代美国人手中。这一代人在本世纪成长起来，经受过战火的锻炼，经历过冷峻的和平的考验，以珍视古老的传统而自豪，又决不愿坐视或容许人权逐渐遭到践踏。美国对这些人权一向负有责任，今天我们也正在本国及全世界范围内为之奋斗。
必须让每一个友邦和敌国都知道：为维护自由，使其长存不灭，我们将会不惜付出任何代价，肩负任何重担，迎战一切困难，援助一切朋友，反击一切敌人。
以上这些是我们保证要做到的--但我们保证要做到的还不止这些。
对于那些与我们有着共同的文化和精神渊源的传统盟邦，我们保证将报之以真诚不渝的友谊。只要我们团结起来，我们在许多合作性事业中就会无往而不胜；而一旦彼此分裂，我们就会无所作为。因为我们之间若起争端，彼此离异，便难以与我们面临的强大对手抗衡。
对于那些我们欢迎其加入自由国家行列的各新兴国家，浅们发誓，一种形式的殖民统治的结束绝不应仅是为了被另一种远为残酷的暴政所取代。我们并不期望这些国家总是支持我们的观点，但我们希望他们始终能够坚决地卫护自己的自由，并时刻牢记，过去那些企图骑上虎背为自己壮声势的愚人结果都没能逃脱葬身虎腹的命运。
对于那些居住在遍布半个地球的茅舍荒村中，正奋力冲破集体贫困的桎梏的各民族，我们保证将尽最大努力帮助他们脱贫自救，不管这样做需要多长时间。这样做并不是因为怕共产党会抢先这样做，也不是因为我们想获得那些国家的赞成票，而是因为这样做是正确的。一个自由社会如若不能帮助众多的穷人，也就无法保全少数的富人。
对于我国边界以南的各姊妹国家，我们要作一项特别的保证：把我们美妙的言辞付诸行动，为谋求进步而进行新的合作。帮助自由的人民和自由的国家政府挣脱贫困的锁链。但我们绝不能让这个充满希望的和平革命成为敌对国家的牺牲品。要让所有的邻邦都知道，我们将和他们一起反对外国在美洲任何地区进行的侵略或颠覆。也要让所有别的国家知道，我们这个半球仍得由自己当家做主。
在一个战争因素远远超过和平因素的时代，对于我们唯一的最好的希望赖以寄托的世界主权国家的联盟组织一一联合国，我们重申对它给予支持的保证：阻止其成为一个仅供谩骂的讲坛，加强其对新兴国家及弱小国家的保护作用，并扩大其职能范围。
最后，对于那些不惜与我们为敌的国家，我们要提出的不是保证而是呼吁：希望双方重新开始努力寻求和平，不要等到科学所释放出来的可怕的破坏力将整个人类推向有计划的或偶然发生的自我毁灭之时。
我们不敢以示弱去诱惑他们。因为只有当我们有了无可置疑的足够的武力时，我们才能有无可置疑的把握避免使用武力。
然而，目前的局势使两大国家集团都感到不安--双方都因现代军备的庞大开支而感到不堪重负，双方都为极端危险的原子武器的不断扩散而理所当然地感到惊慌不安，但双方又都在竞相谋求改变那种使双方都不敢轻易发动导致全人类毁灭的最后决战的小稳定的恐怖均势。
因此，让我们重新开始，双方都记住：礼让并不表示软弱，而诚意则永远需要验证。我们决不能因为惧怕而谈判，但我们也决不要惧怕谈判。
让双方寻求彼此的共同利益所在，而不要在引起分歧的问题上徒费精力。
让双方进行首次谈判，对监督和控制军备制订出严格可行的计划?并且把足以毁灭其他国家的绝对力量置于世界各国的绝对管制之下。
让双方致力于揭开科学的奥秘，而不是科学的恐怖。让我们共同努力去探测星空，征服沙漠，消除疾病，开发洋底，并促进艺术和贸易的发展。
让双方一起在世界各个角落听取以赛亚的指示，去"卸下沉重的负担……(并)让被压迫者获得自由"。
如果初次的合作能够减少彼此之间的疑虑的话，那就让我们双方进而开始新的合作吧，不是寻求新的力量均衡，而是建立一个有法制的新世界，使强者公正，弱者安全，和平得以维持。
所有这一切不会在第一个一百天内完成，也不会在第一个一千天内完成，不会在本届政府任期内完成，甚至也许不会在我们这一辈子完成。但我们要让它从我们手上开始。
同胞们，我们事业的成败关键不仅仅是握在我的手中，更大一部分是握在你们手中。自从我国建立以来，每一代美国人都曾应召验证自己对祖国的忠诚。应召服役的美国青年的坟墓已遍布全球。
如今那号角又在召唤我们了。它不是在号召我们扛起武器一一尽管我们也需要武器，不是在号召我们去参战--尽管我们也准备应战，而是在号召我们肩负起一场长期的艰苦斗争的重任，年复一年，"忍受困苦，向往未来"，为反对人类共同的敌人--暴政、贫困、疾病以及战争本身--而斗争。
我们能否建立一个把东西南北联在一起的伟大的全球联盟来对付这些敌人，以确保人类享有更为富有成效的生活呢?你是否愿意参加这一具有历史意义的行动呢?
在世界漫长的历史上，只有少数几代人能在自由面临极大危险的时刻被赋予保卫自由的任务。在这一重任面前，我不退缩，我欢迎这一重任。我认为我们中间不会有人愿意与别人或另一代人调换位置。我们从事这一事业的那种精力、信念和献身精神将照耀我们的国家和一切为此出力的人们。这一火焰所发出的光芒将真正照亮这个世界。
因此，美国同胞们，你们应该问的不是你们的国家能为你们做些什么，而是你们自己能为你们的国家做些什么。
和我处在同样地位的世界各国的公民们，你们应该问的不是美国会为你们做些什么，而是我们一起能为人类自由做些什么。
最后，无论你们是美国公民还是世界各国的公民，请以我们在此要求于你们的那种力量和牺牲的高标准反过来要求我们。良心是我们唯一可靠的报酬，历史是我们所作所为的最后裁判。让我们迈步向前，去领导我们所热爱的国家吧，我们祈求上帝的保佑和帮助，但我们知道，上帝在人间的工作就是我们自己的工作。
(摘自《世界著名演说集锦》，1965)
词汇(Vocabulary)
inaugural (adj.) : of an inauguration就职(典礼)的
signify (v.) : be a sign or indication of；mean表明；意味
almighty (adj.) : having unlimited power；all-powerful有无限权力的；全能的
forebear (n.) : an ancester 祖先，祖宗
prescribe (v.) : set down as a rule or direction；order；ordain；direct命令；指示；规定，订立
generosity (n.) : the quality of being generous慷慨；宽宏大量
heir (n.) : person who appears to get some trait from a predecessor or seems to carry on in his tradition继承者；后嗣
foe (n.) : enemy；opponent敌人
undoing (n.) : the act of bringing to ruin，disgrace，or destruction毁灭；破坏
at odds : in disagreement；quarreling意见不一致；有争执
asunder (adv.) : into parts or pieces分成碎片；分散
prey (n.) : a person or thing that falls victim to someone or something牺牲品；掠夺品
subversion (n.) : a subverting or being subverted．ruin 颠覆(活动)；破坏
sovereign (adj.) : independent of all others独立自主的
outpace (v.) : surpass；exceed在速度上超过；胜过
invective (n.) : a violent verbal attack．strong criticism，insults, curses, etc.; vituperation 抨击；辱骂，谩骂
shield (n.) : any person or thing that guards，protects，or defends; protection保护人；防护物；保护
writ (n.) : a formal legal document ordering or prohibiting some action命令；律令；文书；传票
adversary (n.) : a person who opposes or fights against another; opponent；enemy对手，反对者；敌手，敌方
anew (adv.) : again重新，再
unleash (v.) : release from or as from a leash(解开皮带以)释放
engulf (v.) : swallow up；overwhelm 吞没，淹没，压倒
civility (n.) : politeness．esp. in a merely formal way 礼貌，客气
belabor (v.) : talk about at unnecessary length唠唠叨叨地反复讲
formulate (v.) : put together and express (a theory．plan ,etc.)a systematic way系统地阐述(或提出)(理论、计划等)
tap (v.) : draw upon；make use of开发、发掘
heed (v.) : pay close attention to；take careful notice of注意, 留神，留心
beachhead (n.) : a position established by invading troops on an enemy shore；a position gained as a secare starting point for any action；foothold滩头堡，登陆场；立足点
endeavor (n.) : an earnest attempt or effort努力，尽力
testimony (n.) : any form of evidence，indication. etc.；proof证明，证据
embattle (v.) : [常用于被动语态]prepare，array，or set in line for battle使准备战斗，使严阵以待
tribulation (n.) : great misery or distress, as from oppression；deep sorrow苦难；困苦；忧伤
forge (v.) : move forward steadily，as if against difficulties; form；produce(似乎迎着困难)稳步前进；形成；结成
alliance (n.) : a close association for a common objective as of nations，political parties，etc．联盟，联合，同盟
短语 (Expressions)
at issue : in dispute；to be decided；at variance；in disagreement意见不一致
例： What is at issue is the extent to which exam results reflect a student's ability.意见的分歧之处在于考试对于学生能力的影响程度。
at odds : in disagreement；quarrelling；antagonistic意见不一致，有争执
例： IHe was at odds with his colleagues．他与同事意见不合。
east off : to discard；abandon；disown丢弃，摆脱
例： A haven of tranquility where you can cast off the strains and stress of life．一个可以摆脱生活重负的宁静港湾
beyond doubt : certainly毫无疑问
例： She was beyond doubt one of the finest swimmers in the school．毫无疑问，她在学校里游泳游得最棒。
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