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. 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 come to dedicate a portion of that field, as a final resting place for those who here gave their lives to that nation might live. It is altogether fitting and proper that we should do this. 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 advanced. 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 6od, 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.
八十七年以前,我們的祖先在這塊大陸上創(chuàng)立了一個(gè)孕育于自由的新國(guó)家,他們主張人人生而平等,并為此而獻(xiàn)身。 現(xiàn)在我們正進(jìn)行一場(chǎng)偉大的內(nèi)戰(zhàn),這是一場(chǎng)檢驗(yàn)這一國(guó)家或者任何一個(gè)像我們這樣孕育于自由并信守其主張的國(guó)家是否能長(zhǎng)久存在的戰(zhàn)爭(zhēng)。我們聚集在這場(chǎng)戰(zhàn)爭(zhēng)中一個(gè)偉大戰(zhàn)場(chǎng)上,將這個(gè)戰(zhàn)場(chǎng)上的一塊土地奉獻(xiàn)給那些在此地為了這個(gè)國(guó)家的生存而犧牲了自己生命的人,作為他們的最終安息之所。我們這樣做是完全適當(dāng)和正確的。 可是,從更廣的意義上說(shuō),我們并不能奉獻(xiàn)這塊土地- 我們不能使之神圣-我們也不能使之光榮。為那些在此地奮戰(zhàn)過(guò)的勇士們,不論是還活著的或是已死去的,已經(jīng)使這塊土地神圣了,遠(yuǎn)非我們微薄的力量所能予以增減的。世人將不大會(huì)注意,更不會(huì)長(zhǎng)久記住我們?cè)谶@里所說(shuō)的話,然而,他們將永遠(yuǎn)不會(huì)忘記這些勇士們?cè)谶@里所做的事。相反地,我們活著的人,應(yīng)該獻(xiàn)身于勇士們未竟的工作,那些曾在此戰(zhàn)斗過(guò)的人們已經(jīng)把這項(xiàng)工作英勇地向前推進(jìn)了。我們應(yīng)該獻(xiàn)身于留在我們面前的偉大任務(wù)-由于他們的光榮犧牲,我們會(huì)更加獻(xiàn)身于他們?yōu)橹瞰I(xiàn)了最后一切的事業(yè)-我們要下定決心使那些死去的人不致白白犧牲-們要使這個(gè)國(guó)家在上帝的庇佑下,獲得自由的新生-我們要使這個(gè)民有,民治,民享的政府不致從地球上消失
背景資料: 林肯在當(dāng)選美國(guó)第十六任總統(tǒng)后,由于其廢奴主義傾向,南方各州相繼宣布脫離聯(lián)邦,內(nèi)戰(zhàn)爆發(fā),林肯總統(tǒng)領(lǐng)導(dǎo)人民對(duì)南方叛軍作戰(zhàn)。1863年7月3日,聯(lián)邦軍在賓夕法尼亞州葛底斯堡的勝利樗著美國(guó)內(nèi)戰(zhàn)的關(guān)鍵轉(zhuǎn)折點(diǎn)。葛底斯堡戰(zhàn)役是一場(chǎng)流血最多的戰(zhàn)爭(zhēng),聯(lián)邦軍共損失23000多人。四個(gè)月后林肯總統(tǒng)到葛底斯保戰(zhàn)場(chǎng),為這場(chǎng)偉大戰(zhàn)役的陣亡將士墓舉行落成儀式。這篇演說(shuō)是在1863年11月19日發(fā)表的。 林肯的葛底斯堡演說(shuō)是美國(guó)文學(xué)中最漂亮、最富有詩(shī)意的文章之一,通篇演講不到三分鐘。雖然這是一篇慶祝軍事勝利的演說(shuō),但它沒(méi)有絲毫的好戰(zhàn)之氣;相反的,這是一篇感人肺腑的頌辭,贊美那些作出最后犧牲的人以及他們?yōu)橹I(xiàn)身的理想。在這篇演講中,林肯提出了深入人心的“民有、民治、民享”的口號(hào),成為后人推崇民主政治的綱領(lǐng)。這篇演講被認(rèn)為是英語(yǔ)演講中的最高典范,其演講手稿被藏于美國(guó)國(guó)會(huì)圖書館,其演說(shuō)詞被鑄成金文,長(zhǎng)存于牛津大學(xué)。