美麗心靈晨讀英語美文22: The Gettysburg Address 葛底斯堡的演講
22 葛底斯堡的演講
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，我們先輩在這個大陸上創(chuàng)立了一個新國家，它孕育于自由之中，奉行一切人生來平等的原則。
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.
我們正從事一場偉大的內(nèi)戰(zhàn)，以考驗(yàn)這個國家，或者任何一個孕育于自由和奉行上述原則的國家是否能夠長久存在下去。我們在這場戰(zhàn)爭中的一個偉大戰(zhàn)場上集會。烈士們?yōu)槭惯@個國家能夠生存下去而獻(xiàn)出了自己的生命，我們來到這里，是要把這個戰(zhàn)場的一部分奉獻(xiàn)給他們作為最后安息之所。我們這樣做是完全應(yīng)該而且非常恰當(dāng)?shù)摹?/p>
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，從更廣泛的意義上說，這塊土地我們不能夠奉獻(xiàn)，不能夠圣化，不能夠神化。那些曾在這里戰(zhàn)斗過的勇士們，無論活著的和去世的，已經(jīng)把這塊土地圣化了，這遠(yuǎn)不是我們微薄的力量所能培成的。我們今天在這里所說的話，全世界不太會注意，也不會長久地記住，但勇士們在這里的所作所為，全世界卻永遠(yuǎn)不會忘記。毋寧說，倒是我們這些還活著的人，應(yīng)該在這里把自己奉獻(xiàn)于勇士們已經(jīng)向前推進(jìn)但尚未完成的崇高事業(yè)。我們應(yīng)該在這里把自己奉獻(xiàn)于仍然擺在我們面前的偉大任務(wù)一一我們要從這些光榮的死者身上吸取更多的獻(xiàn)身精神，來完成他們投入畢生經(jīng)歷并為之獻(xiàn)身的事業(yè);我們要在這里下定最大的決心，不讓這些死者白白犧牲;我們要使國家在上帝保佑下自由的新生，要使這個民有、民治、民字的政府永世長存。
注釋：
dedicated to：奉獻(xiàn)給，獻(xiàn)身于
例句：As a scientist, he was dedicated to the truth.
作為一個科學(xué)家，他獻(xiàn)身于追求真理。
engaged in：從事于;忙于
例句：Most people not directly engaged in daily work express disapproval when they hear of people working on and off.
大多數(shù)不直接從事日常工作的人聽到人們"干干停停"地工作時(shí)，會表示不贊同。
in a larger sense：從更大角度
例句:In a larger sense, success is the ability to achieve your dreams, desires, hopes,wishes, and goals in each of the important areas of your life.
從更廣泛的意義上說，成功是在生活每一個重要的領(lǐng)域中達(dá)成夢想、渴望、希望，愿望和目標(biāo)的能力。
