《葛底斯堡演说词》

【导读】

葛底斯堡是美国宾夕法尼亚州的一座小镇，1863年7月1日在这里爆发了南北大会战。这次会战是美国内战的转折点，从此南军走向衰退，北部联邦军队开始转入反攻。葛底斯堡战役刚刚过去4个月，国家烈士公墓在葛底斯堡建成并于1863年11月19日举行了落成典礼。本文是林肯在落成典礼上的献辞。

【箴言】

我们今天在这里所说的，全世界都不会在意，而且很快就会被忘掉，但英雄们在这里所做的，全世界将永远铭记。

【正文】

八十七年前，我们的先辈在这个大陆上创立了一个崭新的国家，它孕育于自由之中，奉行一切人生来平等的原则。

目前我们正在进行一场伟大的国内战争，这个国家，或者说任何一个具有同样的自由和理想的国家，能否长久地存在，这场战争是一次考验。我们集会的地方，曾经进行过一场激烈的战斗，我们今天来是要把这里的一块土地奉献给为国捐躯的烈士，让他们在此安息。我们这样做，天经地义。

但是，从更大的意义上说，对这块土地，奉献它，圣化它和神化它的不应该是我们，而是那些曾在这里战斗的、过的，活着的和死去的英雄，对这块土地，我们没有权利再有什么作为了。

我们今天在这里所说的，全世界都不会在意，而且很快就会被忘掉，但英雄们在这里所做的，全世界将永远铭记。我们活着的人所应该做的，是把自己奉献给英雄们曾为之奋斗、但尚未完成的神圣事业，奉献给他们留给我们的伟大使命——我们要更多地继承烈士的献身精神，继续他们倾注的大业；我们在这里发誓，烈士的鲜血不会白流；我们要使国家在上帝福佑下得到自由的新生；要让这个民有、民治、民享的政府永世长存。（林肯：《葛底斯堡演说词》）

原文鉴赏

Fourscore and seven years ago, our fathers brought forth upon 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 that 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 re-member 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 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.

延伸阅读——林肯故乡的一家报纸当时对演说词的推崇：《致美国总统阿伯拉罕·林肯》

总统这篇短小精悍的演说是无价之宝，感情深厚，思想集中，措辞精炼，字字句句都很朴实、优雅，行文完美无疵，完全出乎人们的意料。

延伸阅读——对林肯最最深刻的赞美来自马克思

阁下，对您以大多数选票再度当选总统一事，我们向美国人民祝贺。

如果说您在第一次竞选时提出的反抗奴隶主的权势的口号是有保留的，那末您在第二次竞选时提出的消灭奴隶制的口号就是夺取战争胜利的号召。自从巨大的搏斗在美国一展开，欧洲的工人就本能地感觉到他们阶级的命运是同星条旗连在一起的。

Sir:

We congratulate the American people upon your re-election by a large majority. If resistance to the Slave Power was the reserved watchword of your first election, the triumphant war cry of your re-election is Death to Slavery.

From the commencement of the titanic American strife the workingmen of Europe felt instinctively that the star-spangled banner carried the destiny of their class.