林肯葛底斯堡经典演讲

Four score and seven years ago， our fathers brought forth on this continent, a new nation, conceived in Liberty, and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal.

八十七年以前，我们的祖先在这大陆上建立了一个国家，它孕育于自由，并且献身给一种理念，即所有人都是生来平等的。

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.

当前，我们正在从事一次伟大的内战，我们在考验，究竟这个国家，或任何一个有这种主张和这种信仰的国家，是否能长久存在。我们重聚在当年那场伟大战争的战场上。

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.

我们来到这里，奉献那个战场上的一部分土地，作为在此地为那个国家的生存而牺牲了自己生命的人的永久眠息之所。我们这样做，是十分合情合理的。

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.

可是，就更深一层意义而言，我们是无从奉献这片土地的——无从使它成为圣地——也不能把它变为人们景仰之所。那些在这里战斗的勇士，活着的和死去的，已使这块土地神圣化了，远非我们的菲薄能力所能左右。

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 advanced.

世人会不大注意，更不会长久记得我们在此地所说的话，然而他们将永远忘不了这些人在这里所做的事。相反，我们活着的人应该献身于那些曾在此作战的人们所英勇推动而尚未完成的工作。

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 here 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.

我们应该在此献身于我们面前所留存的伟大工作——由于他们的光荣牺牲，我们要更坚定地致力于他们曾作最后全部贡献的那个事业_我们在此立志宣誓，不能让他们白白死去——要使这个国家在上帝的庇佑之下，得到新生的自由——要使那民有、民治、民享的政府不致从地球上消失。