-
Vice President Johnson, Mr. Speaker, Mr.
Chief Justice, President Eisenhower, Vice
President Nixon, President Truman,
reverend clergy, fellow citizens:
我们今天庆
祝的并不是一次政党的胜利，
而是一次自由的庆典；
它象征着结
束，
也象征着开
始；意味着更新，也意味着变革。因为我已在你
们和全能的上帝面前，
作了跟我们祖先将近
一又四分之三世纪以
前所拟定的相同的庄严誓言。
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.
现今世界已经很不同了，
因为人在自己血肉之躯的手中握有足以消灭一切形式的人类贫困和
一切形
式的人类生命的力量。
可是我们祖先奋斗不息所维护的革命信念，
在世界各地仍处于
争论之中。那信念就是注定人权并非来自政府的慷慨施与，而是上帝
所赐。
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.
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.
我们今天不敢忘记我们是那第一次革命的继承人，
让我从此时此地告诉我们的朋友，
并且也
告诉我们的敌人，<
/p>
这支火炬已传交新一代的美国人，
他们出生在本世纪，
经历过战争的锻炼，
受过严酷而艰苦的和平的熏陶，
以我们的古代传统自豪，
而且不愿目睹或容许人权逐步被褫
夺
。对于这些人权我国一向坚贞不移，当前在国内和全世界我们也是对此力加维护的。
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.
让每一个国家知道，
不管它盼我们好或盼我们坏，
我们将付出任何代价，忍受任何重负，
应
付任何艰辛，支持任何朋友，反对任何敌人，以确保自由的存在与实现。
This much
we pledge -- and more.
这是我们矢志不移的事
--
而且还不止此。
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.
对于那些和我们拥有共同文化和精神传统的老盟邦，我们保证以挚友
之诚相待。只要团结，
则在许多合作事业中几乎没有什么是办不到的。
< br>倘若分裂，
我们则无可作为，
因为我们在意
见分歧、各行其是的情况下，是不敢应付强大挑战的。
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.
对于那些我们欢迎其参与自由国家行
列的新国家，
我们要提出保证，
绝不让一种形成的殖民
统治消失后，却代之以另一种远为残酷的暴政。我们不能老是期望他们会支持我们的观点，
但我们却一直希望他们能坚决维护他们自身的自由，
并应记取，
在过去，
那些愚蠢得要骑在
虎背上以壮声势的
人，结果却被虎所吞噬。
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. If a free society cannot
help the many who are poor, it cannot
save the few who are rich.
对于那些住在布满半个地球
的茅舍和乡村中、
力求打破普遍贫困的桎梏的人们，
我们保证尽
最大努力助其自救，
不管需要多长时间。
这并非因为共产党会那样做，
也不是由于我们要求
他们的选票
，
而是由于那样做是正确的。
自由社会若不能帮助众多的穷人，
也就不能保全那
少数的富人。
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. And let every other
power know that this hemisphere intends to
remain the master of its own house.
对于我国边界以内的各姐妹共和国，
我们提出一项特殊的保证：
要把我们的美好诺言化作善
行，
在争取进步的
新联盟中援助自由人和自由政府来摆脱贫困的枷锁。
但这种为实现本身愿
望而进行的和平革命不应成为不怀好意的国家的俎上肉。
让我们所有的邻邦都知
道，
我们将
与他们联合抵御对美洲任何地区的侵略或颠覆。
让其它国家都知道，
西半球的事西半球自己
会管。
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.
至于联合国这个各主权国家的世界性议会，
在今天这
个战争工具的发展速度超过和平工具的
时代中，它是我们最后的、最美好的希望。我们愿
重申我们的支持诺言；不让它变成仅供谩
骂的讲坛，加强其对于新国弱国的保护，并扩大
其权力所能运用的领域。
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，
对于那些与我们为敌的国家，
我们所要提供的不是保证
，而是要求：
双方重新着手寻
求和平，不要等到科学所释出的危
险破坏力量在有意或无意中使全人类沦于自我毁灭。
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.
我们不敢以示弱去诱惑他们。
因为只有当我们的武力无可置疑地壮大时，
我们才能毫无疑问
地确信永远不会使用武力。
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.
可是这两个强有力的国家集团，
谁也不能对当前的趋势放心
< br>--
双方都因现代武器的代价而感
到不胜负担，
双方都对于致命的原子力量不断发展而产生应有的惊骇，
可是双方都在竞
谋改
变那不稳定的恐怖均衡，而此种均衡却可以暂时阻止人类最后从事战争。