The Gettysburg Address
葛底斯堡的演讲
Four score and seven years ago our fathers brought forth on this continent, a new conceive in liberty, and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal.
八十七年前，我们先辈在这个大陆上创立了一个新国家，它孕育于自由之中，奉行一切人生来平等的原则。
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 eome to dedicate a portion of the 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.
我们正从事一场伟大的内战，以考验这个国家，或者任何一个孕育于自由和奉行上述原则的国家是否能够长久存在下去。我们在这场战争中的一个伟大战场上集会。烈士们为使这个国家能够生存下去而献出了自己的生命，我们来到这里，是要把这个战场的一部分奉献给他们作为最后安息之所。我们这样做是完全应该而且非常恰当的。
But, in a larger sense, we can not dedicate - we can not consecrate- we can not hallow - this ground. The brave men, living and dead, who struggled here, have consecrated 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 which they who fought here have thus far so nobly advance. 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.
但是，从更广泛的意义上说，这块土地我们不能够奉献，不能够圣化，不能够神化。那些曾在这里战斗过的勇士们，无论活着的和去世的，已经把这块土地圣化了，这远不是我们微薄的力量所能培成的。我们今天在这里所说的话，全世界不太会注意，也不会长久地记住，但勇士们在这里的所作所为，全世界却永远不会忘记。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向前推进但尚未完成的崇高事业。我们应该在这里把自己奉献于仍然摆在我们面前的伟大任务一一我们要从这些光荣的死者身上吸取更多的献身精神，来完成他们投入毕生经历并为之献身的事业;我们要在这里下定最大的决心，不让这些死者白白牺牲;我们要使国家在上帝保佑下自由的新生，要使这个民有、民治、民字的政府永世长存。
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