肯尼迪总统就职演说(中英文)

议长先生、

首席大法官先生、

艾森豪威尔总统、

尼克松副总统、

杜鲁门总统、

尊敬的牧 师、同胞们：

We observe today not a victory of party but a celebration of freedom,

symbolizing an end as well as a beginning, signifying renewal as well as

change. For I have sworn before you and Almighty God the same

solemn oath our forebears prescribed nearly a century and

three-quarters ago.

我们今天所看到的，

并非是某一党派的胜利，

而是自由 的庆典。它象征着结束，亦象征着开

始；意味着更新，亦意味着变化。因为我已在你们及 万能的上帝面前，依着我们先辈

175

年前写下的誓言宣誓。< /p>

The world is very different now. For man holds in his mortal hands the

power to abolish all forms of human poverty and all forms of human life.

And yet the same revolutionary beliefs for which our forebears fought

are still at issue around the globe -- the belief that the rights of man

come not from the generosity of the state but from the hand of God.

世界已然今非昔比，

因为人类手中已 经掌握了巨大的力量，

既可以用来消除各种形式的贫困，

亦可用 以毁灭人类社会。

然而，

我们先辈曾为之战斗的那些革命性的信 念还依然在世界上受

人争议

——

那就是 ，

每个人享有的各项权利决非来自国家政权的慷慨赐予，

而是出 自上帝之

手。

We dare not forget today that we are the heirs of that first revolution.

Let the word go forth from this time and place, to friend and foe alike,

that the torch has been passed to a new generation of Americans --

born in this century, tempered by war, disciplined by a hard and bitter

peace, proud of our ancient heritage -- and unwilling to witness or

permit the slow undoing of those human rights to which this nation has

always been committed, and to which we are committed today at home

and around the world.

今天，

我们不敢有忘，我们乃是那第一次革命的后裔。此时，

让这个声音从这里同时向我们

的朋友和敌人传达：

火炬现已传递到新一代美国人手中

——

他们生于本世纪，

既经受过战火

的锤炼，

又经历过艰难严峻的 和平岁月的考验。

他们深为我们古老的遗产所自豪

——

决不愿

目睹或听任诸项人权受到无形的侵蚀，

这 些权利不仅为这个国家始终信守不渝，

亦是我们正

在国内和世界 上誓死捍卫的东西。

Let every nation know, whether it wishes us well or ill, that we shall

pay any price, bear any burden, meet any hardship, support any friend,

oppose any foe to assure the survival and the success of liberty.

让每一个国家都知道，

无论它们对我们抱有善意还是恶意，

我 们都准备付出任何代价、

承受

任何重任、迎战任何艰险、支持任 何朋友、反对任何敌人，以使自由得以维系和胜利。

This much we pledge -- and more.

这是我们矢志不移的承诺，且远不止此！

To those old allies whose cultural and spiritual origins we share, we

pledge the loyalty of faithful friends. United there is little we cannot do

in a host of cooperative ventures. Divided there is little we can do, for

we dare not meet a powerful challenge at odds and split asunder.

< /p>

对于那些与我们共享同一文化和精神源头的老朋友，

我们许以朋友 的忠诚。

在许许多多的合

作事业中，

我 们会尽己所能以促进我们的团结，

而决不故意制造分裂，

因为我 们不敢轻易面

对由分歧或体系崩溃而导致的巨大挑战。

To those new states whom we welcome to the ranks of the free, we

pledge our word that one form of colonial control shall not have passed

away merely to be replaced by a far more iron tyranny. We shall not

always expect to find them supporting our view. But we shall always

hope to find them strongly supporting their own freedom -- and to

remember that, in the past, those who foolishly sought power by riding

the back of the tiger ended up inside.

对于那些新成立的国家，

我们欢迎它们加入自由阵营，

并在此许以忠告：

某种形式的殖民控

制决不会仅 仅因为被另一种更为残酷的霸权所取代就消声匿迹。

我们不会期待他们始终支持

我们的观点，

但我们希望他们能始终坚定地维护他们自己的自由

——

并且牢记，

在过去，

那

些愚蠢地骑上独裁的虎背以谋求权力的人最终都以葬身虎腹而告终。

To those people in the huts and villages of half the globe struggling to

break the bonds of mass misery, we pledge our best efforts to help

them help themselves, for whatever period is required -- not because

the communists may be doing it, not because we seek their votes, but

because it is right.

对于那些寄居于大半个地球上的草舍村落、

为着挣脱无尽苦难的枷锁而奋斗的 人民，

我们承

诺将尽我们最大的努力，

以使他们获得自助的能力。

因为这是时代对我们提出的要求

——

不

是因为共～产～党人可能如此行事、

不是因为我们需要他们的选票，

仅仅是因为这样做是正

当的。< /p>

If a free society cannot help the many who are poor, it cannot save the

few who are rich.

如果一个自由的社会不 能帮助贫穷的多数，它就不能拯救那富裕的少数。

To our sister republics south of our border, we offer a special pledge: to

convert our good words into good deeds, in a new alliance for progress,

to assist free men and free governments in casting off the chains of

poverty. But this peaceful revolution of hope cannot become the prey of

hostile powers. Let all our neighbors know that we shall join with them

to oppose aggression or subversion anywhere in the Americas.

对于我们的南部邻邦共和国，

我们许以特殊的承诺：

将我们的良言转为善行，

在为了进步而

结成的新盟邦里，

帮助自由的人民和自由的政府摆 脱贫困。

但这一希翼中的和平革命不能成

为敌对势力的牺牲品，

让我们所有的邻邦都知道，

我们将与他们一道，

反对发生在美洲任何

地区的侵略和颠覆。

And let every other power know that this hemisphere intends to remain

the master of its own house.

让所有其他势力都知道，这一半 球的人民致力于维护他们作为自己家园主人的地位。

To that world assembly of sovereign states, the United Nations, our last

best hope in an age where the instruments of war have far outpaced

the instruments of peace, we renew our pledge of support -- to prevent

it from becoming merely a forum for invective, to strengthen its shield

of the new and the weak, and to enlarge the area in which its writ may

run.

对于那个 主权国家的世界性会议组织

——

联合国，

我们最后一次良好祝愿是发生在战争机器

远远超过和平机器的时代。

< br>为了防止它沦为仅仅用来谩骂攻讦的论坛，

为了加强它对新成立

< br>国家及弱小国家的保障功能、为了扩展其权力涵盖的领域，我们现在重申对它的支持承诺。

Finally, to those nations who would make themselves our adversary,

we offer not a pledge but a request: that both sides begin anew the

quest for peace -- before the dark powers of destruction unleashed by

science engulf all humanity in planned or accidental self-destruction.

最后，

对于那些主动站到我们敌对面的国家，

我们提出的不是许诺，而是恳求： 在被科学释

放出的、

黑暗的破坏力量以有计划的或偶然性的自我 毁灭方式吞噬全人类之前，

恳求双方再

一次地开始谋求和平的努 力。

We dare not tempt them with weakness. For only when our arms are

sufficient beyond doubt can we be certain beyond doubt that they will

never be employed. But neither can two great and powerful groups of

nations take comfort from our present course -- both sides

overburdened by the cost of modern weapons, both rightly alarmed by

the steady spread of the deadly atom, yet both racing to alter that

uncertain balance of terror that stays the hand of mankind's final war.

So let us begin anew -- remembering on both sides that civility is not a

sign of weakness, and sincerity is always subject to proof.

我们不敢以软弱诱惑它们，

< br>因为只有当我们的军备充足到确切无疑的程度时，

我们才能确切

< br>无疑地肯定它们永远不会被投入使用。

但这两个强大的国家集团都无法从彼此当前 的做法中

得到安慰

——

双方都背负了过 高的现代武器系统的成本、

双方都理所当然地对致死性原子武

器 的持续扩散感到惊恐不安，

但双方都竞相改变不确定的恐怖均衡，

这种均衡恰恰抑制了人

类最后摊牌的冲动。

Let us never negotiate out of fear. But let us never fear to negotiate.

让我们永远不要因为惧怕而谈判，让我们永远不要惧怕谈判。

Let both sides explore what problems unite us instead of belaboring

those problems which divide us.