Great American Historical Addresses
百年經(jīng)典演說(shuō)回放
Great speeches will absolutely not fade out from people's hearts, they still shake your soul whenever you pick them up. The following two speeches selected give strong support to my words. These two speeches really change the course of history, they are delivered in high spirit and full of encouraging words, throwing us in a sense of asking what you can do for China and loving freedom and peace.
Ask What You Can Do For Your Country
by John F kennedy
In your hands, my fellow citizens, more than mine, will rest the final success or failure of our course. Since this country was founded, each generation of Americans has been summoned to give testimony to its national loyalty. The graves of young Americans who answered the call to service surround the globe.
Now the trumpet summons us again - not as a call to bear arms, though arms we need; not as a call to battle, though embattled we are; but a call to bear the burden of a long twilight struggle, year in and year out, "rejoicing in hope, patient in tribulation," a struggle against the common enemies of man: tyranny, poverty, disease and war itself.
Can we forge against these enemies a grand and global alliance, North and South, East and West that can assure a more fruitful life for all mankind? Will you join in that historic effort?
In the long history of the world, only a few generations have been granted the role of defending freedom in its hour of maximum danger. I do not shrink from this responsibility; I welcome it. I do not believe that any of us would exchange places with any other people or any other generation. The energy, the faith, the devotion which we bring to this endeavor will light our country and all who serve it, and the glow from that fire can truly light the world.
And so, my fellow Americans, ask not what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country.
My fellow citizens of the world, ask not what America will do for you, but what together we can do for the freedom of man.
Finally, whether you are citizens of America or citizens of the world, ask of us here the same high standards of strength and sacrifice which we ask of you. With a good conscience our only sure reward, with history the final judge of our deeds, let us go forth to lead the land we love, asking His blessing and His help, but knowing that here on earth God's work must truly be our own.
你能為國(guó)家做些什么
-- 約翰●肯尼迪
同胞們,我們事業(yè)的最終成敗,掌握在你們、而不是我的手里。從這個(gè)國(guó)家開(kāi)始建立之日起,每一代美國(guó)人都曾經(jīng)被召喚去為祖國(guó)效忠。年輕的美國(guó)人響應(yīng)了要他們服務(wù)的號(hào)召,他們的忠骨遍埋世界各地。
現(xiàn)在,召喚我們的號(hào)角又吹響了---不是號(hào)召我們拿起武器,雖然我們需要武器;不是號(hào)召我們奔赴戰(zhàn)場(chǎng),雖然我們嚴(yán)陣以待;這號(hào)角聲號(hào)召我們?nèi)コ惺苣锹L(zhǎng)的黎明前的戰(zhàn)斗,年復(fù)一年,“在希望中歡欣,在苦難中忍耐”,這是一場(chǎng)反對(duì)專制、貧窮、疾病和戰(zhàn)爭(zhēng)等人類共同敵人的戰(zhàn)斗。
我們能否建立一個(gè)將東、西、南、北連在一起的偉大的全球性聯(lián)盟來(lái)對(duì)抗這些敵人,以確保整個(gè)人類有更為豐碩的生活呢?你們?cè)敢饧尤说竭@一具有歷史意義的行動(dòng)中去嗎?
在世界的漫長(zhǎng)歷史上,只有少數(shù)幾代人能在自由面臨極大危險(xiǎn)的關(guān)頭被賦予捍衛(wèi)自由的任務(wù)。在這一重任面前,我不退縮,我歡迎這一重任。我認(rèn)為,我們中間不會(huì)有人愿意同其他民族或另一代人調(diào)換位置。我們?yōu)檫@事業(yè)付出的精力、信念和獻(xiàn)身精神將照耀我們的國(guó)家和為國(guó)效勞的人,這一火焰發(fā)出的光芒將真正普照全世界。
因此,美國(guó)同胞們,不要問(wèn)你的國(guó)家能為你做些什么,而是問(wèn)你自己能為你的國(guó)家做些什么。
世界各國(guó)的公民們,不要問(wèn)美國(guó)會(huì)為你們做些什么,而是問(wèn)我們一起能為人類自由做些什么。
最后,不管你們是美國(guó)公民還是世界公民,請(qǐng)以我們向你們要求的奉獻(xiàn)力量與犧牲的崇高標(biāo)準(zhǔn)來(lái)要求我們。問(wèn)心無(wú)愧是我們唯一可靠的獎(jiǎng)賞,歷史將作為我們行為的最后裁判,讓我們引導(dǎo)我們所摯愛(ài)的祖國(guó)奮勇前進(jìn)。祈求上帝的祝福與幫助,但是我們知道:在此世間,上帝的工作就必定是我們自己的工作。
注:肯尼迪(1917——1963),美國(guó)第35任總統(tǒng)(1961——1963在任)。任期內(nèi)渡過(guò)了許多危機(jī),特別是古巴危機(jī)和柏林危機(jī),取得了締結(jié)禁止核試驗(yàn)條約和成立爭(zhēng)取進(jìn)步同盟等成就。他畢業(yè)于哈佛大學(xué),寫(xiě)過(guò)暢銷書(shū),參加過(guò)第二次世界大戰(zhàn)。29歲競(jìng)選眾議員獲勝,連任三屆。在國(guó)會(huì)里,他對(duì)內(nèi)重視社會(huì)救濟(jì)和平民福利,對(duì)外反對(duì)共產(chǎn)主義,支持冷戰(zhàn)。1953年進(jìn)入?yún)⒆h院,對(duì)麥卡錫反共運(yùn)動(dòng)之盛行并無(wú)異議。50年代后期任參議院外交委員會(huì)委員,政治觀點(diǎn)逐漸左移,在民主黨內(nèi)的聲望也逐步提高。1958年他連任參議員,1960年1月以微弱多數(shù)擊敗共和黨候選人尼克松,成為美國(guó)歷史上最年輕的總統(tǒng),也是第一位信奉天主教的總統(tǒng),他的進(jìn)取精神和勤奮作風(fēng)贏得許多人的稱贊。1963年11月,他為爭(zhēng)取連任而前往得克薩斯州,力圖調(diào)和民主黨內(nèi)兩派之間的分歧,遇刺身亡。
本演講是美國(guó)歷屆總統(tǒng)就職演講中的佳作。1961年1月20日,數(shù)萬(wàn)人在白雪皚皚的華盛頓聆聽(tīng)了這次演講。