英語美文名人勵志故事70:林肯第二次就職發(fā)表演說的故事
70. 林肯第二次就職演說
If we shall suppose that American slavery is one of those offenses which, in the providence of God, must needs come, but which, having continued through His appointed time, He now wills to remove, and that he gives to both North and South this terrible war as the woe due to those by whom the offense came, shall we discern there in any departure from those divine attributes which the believers in a living God always ascribe to Him?
假使我們以為美國的奴隸制度是這種罪惡之一，而這些罪惡按上帝的意志在所不免，但既經持續(xù)了他所指定的一段時間，他現(xiàn)在便要消除這些罪惡;假使我們認為上帝把這場慘烈的戰(zhàn)爭加在南北雙方的頭上，作為對那些招致罪惡的人的責罰，難道我們可以認為這件事有悖于虔奉上帝的信徒們所歸諸上帝的那些圣德嗎?
Fondly do we hope, fervently do we pray that this mighty scourge of war may speedily pass away? Yet, if God wills that it continue until all the wealth piled by the bondsman's two hundred and fifty years of unrequited toil shall be sunk, and until every drop of blood drawn with the lash shall be paid by another drawn with the sword, as was said three thousand years ago so still it must be said "The judgments of the Lord are true and righteous altogether."
我們天真地希望著，我們熱忱地祈禱著，希望這戰(zhàn)爭的重罰可以很快地過去?？墒?，假使上帝妥讓戰(zhàn)爭再繼續(xù)下去，直到二百五十年來奴隸無償勞動所積聚的財富化為烏有，并像三千年前所說的那樣，等到鞭苔所流的每一滴血，被刀劍之下所流的每一滴血所抵消，那么我們仍然只能說：“主的裁判是完全正確而且公道的。”
With malice toward none, with charity for all, with firmness in the right as God gives us to see the might, let us strive on to finish the work we are in, to bind up the nation's wounds, to care for him who shall have borne the battle and for his widow and his orphan, to do all which may achieve and cherish a just and lasting peace among ourselves and with all nations.
我們對任何人都不懷惡意，我們對任何人都抱好惑，上帝讓我們看到正確的事，我們就堅定地信那正確的事，讓我們繼續(xù)奮斗，以完成我們正在進行的工作，去治療國家的創(chuàng)傷，去照顧艱苦作戰(zhàn)的志士和他的孤兒遺孀，盡力實現(xiàn)并維護在我們自己之間和我國與各國之間的公正和持久的和平。
本文中重難點詞匯解析：
offenses ：n。罪惡、罪行
例句：Whether in the United States or Liberia, he should be criminally investigated for these horrific offenses.
無論他在美國或利比里亞，都應該對他進行刑事偵查，追究這些可怕的罪行。
departure：n. 離開;出發(fā);違背
例句：The secretary's sudden departure disorganized the whole company.
該秘書的突然離去使全公司陷入混亂。
righteous：adj. 正義的;正直的;公正的
例句：I know, O Lord , that your laws are righteous, and in faithfulness you have afflicted me.
耶和華阿，我知道你的判語是公義的。 你使我受苦，是以誠實待我。
cherish：vt. 珍愛、珍惜
例句：Life is hope, so we should cherish life.
生命就是希望,所以我們要珍愛生命.
pass away：停止、度過時間、消失
例句：And the glory of the smile had never passed away .
而且那笑容的榮光永不消失。
bind up ：包扎
例句：It will bind up mental and physical wounds, proclaim liberty to the fear-ridden mind, and liberate you completely from the limitations of poverty, failure, misery, lack, and frustration.
它會為你包扎心理和身體的創(chuàng)傷，對你受恐懼折磨的意識宣告自由，完全將你從窮困、失敗、悲慘、欠缺和挫折中解放出來。
