八段经典英语演讲节选

一．man’s dearest possession is life. it is given to him but once, and he must live it so as to feel no torturing regrets for wasted years, never know the burning shame of a mean and petty past; so live that, dying, he might say: all my life, all my strength were given to the finest cause in all the world—the fight for the liberation of mankind.

人生最宝贵的是生命。生命对于人来说只有一次。一个人的生命应该这样度过：当他回首往事时，不因虚度年华而悔恨；也不会因为碌碌无为而羞耻。在临死的时候他能够说：我的整个生命和全部精力都已经献给了世界上最壮丽的事业――为人类的解放事业而斗争！

help：

possession: n.财产

torturing : adj. 使痛苦的

二．happiness lies not in the mere possession of money, it lies in the joy of achievement, in the thrill of creative efforts, the joy and moral stimulation of work no longer must be forgotten in the mad chase of evanescent profits. these dark days, my friends, will be worth all they cost us, if they teach us that our true destiny is not to be ministered on to , but to minister to ourselves, to our fellow men.

幸福并不在于单纯的占有金钱，幸福还在于取得成功后的喜悦，在于创造努力时的激情。务必不能再忘记劳动带来的喜悦和激励，而去疯狂追逐那转瞬即逝的利润。如果这些黯淡的日子能使我们认识到，我们真正的使命不是要别人侍奉，而是要为自己和同胞们服务的话，那么，我们付出的代价是完全值得的。

help:

stimulation: n.激励，刺激

evanescent: adj.渐渐消失的，易消散的

profit： vi.得益，利用

三．i have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed-we hold theses truths to be self-oevident, that all men are created equal. i have a dream that one day on the red hills of georgia, sons of former slaves and sons of former slave owners will be able to sit together at the table of brotherhood. i have a dream my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character. i have a dream today! when we allow freedom to ring, when we let it ring from every village and hamlet, from every state and city, we will be able to speed up that day when all of god’s children-black men and white men , jews and gentiles, catholics and protestants-will be able to join hands and to sing in the words of the old negro spiritual, “free at least ,free at last . thank god almighty, we are free at last.”

我有一个梦：有一天，这个国家将站起来，并实现他的信条的真正含义：我们将捍卫这些不言而喻的真理，即所有人生来平等。我有一个梦：有一天在乔治亚洲红色的山丘上，从前的奴隶的子孙们能和奴隶主的子孙们像兄弟一样坐在同一张桌旁；我有一个梦我的四个孩子有一天将生活在这样一个国度，在那里，人们不以肤色，而是以品格来评价他们。当自由的钟声响起的时候，当我们让它从每一个村庄，每一个州，每一个城市响起的时候 ，我们将能够加速这一天的到来。那是，上帝所有的孩子，无论黑人白人还是犹太人，异教徒。天主教徒，还是新教徒，他们都能够手挽手歌唱那古老的黑人圣歌：“终于自由了，终于自由了，感谢上帝，我们终于自由了！”

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creed： n.信条

brotherhood : n.手足情意， 兄弟关系

四．i have nothing to offer but blood, toil, tears and sweat. we have before us an ordeal of the most grievous kind. we have before us many, many months of struggle and suffering. you ask, what is our aim? i can answer in one word, it is victory. victory at all costs—victory in spite of all terrors—victory, however long and hard the road may be, for without victory there is no survival. let that be realized, no survival for the british empire, no survival for all that british empire has stood for , no survival for the urge, the impulse of the ages, that mankind shall more forward toward his goal. i take up my task in buoyancy and hope. i feel sure that our cause will not be suffered to fail among men. i feel entitled at this juncture, at this time, to claim the aid of all and to say, “come then, let us go forward together with our united strength.”

我能奉献的唯有热血、辛劳、泪水和汗水。我们所面临的将是一场极为残酷的考验，我们面临的将是旷日持久的斗争和苦难。你若问我们的目标是什么？我可以用一个词来概括，那就是胜利。不惜一切代价去夺取胜利，不畏惧一切恐怖去夺取胜利，不论前路再长再苦也要多去胜利，因为没有胜利纠无法生存！我们必须意识到，没有胜利就没有大英帝国，没有胜利就没有大英帝国所象征的一切，没有胜利就没有多少世纪以来强烈的要求和冲动：人类应当向自己的目标迈进。此刻，我的精神振奋，满怀信心地承当起自己的人物。我确信，只要我们大家联合，我们的事业就不会挫败。此时此刻千钧一发之际，我觉得我有权要求各方面的支持。我要呼吁：“来吧，让我们群策努力，并肩迈进！”

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grievous: adj. 令人忧伤的

buoyancy: n. 浮性 浮力 轻快

entitled： adj. 有资格的

五.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 men. 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 of 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.--by john f. kennedy

译文：

美国同胞们，不要问美国能为你们做些什么，应该问你们能为美国贡献些什么。全世界的同胞们，不要问美国将为你做些什么，应该问我们一同能为人类的自由做些什么。最后，无论你是美国公民还是其他国家的同胞，你们应该要求我们献出我们同样要求于你们的高度的力量和牺牲。无愧于心是我们惟一可靠的奖赏，历史是我们行动最终的裁判。这一切让我们大步向前，去引领我们所热爱的这片土地。我们祈求上帝的保佑和帮助，但我们很清楚，上帝在尘世的工作必定是我们自己的工作。

--[美]约翰·肯尼迪

citizen: n.市民,公民

sacrifice: n./ v.牺牲,献身

conscience: n.良心,道德心

六、let me express my firm belief that the only thing we have to fear is fear itself-nameless, unreasoning, unjustified terror, which paralyzes needed efforts to convert retreat into advance. in every dark hour of our national life, a leadership of frankness and vigor has met with that understanding and support of the people themselves, which is essential to victory and i am convinced that you will again give that support to leadership in these critical days. in such a spirit on my part and on yours, we face our common difficulties. they concern, thank god, only material things.--by franklin d. roosevelt

译文：

让我来表明我坚定的信念：我们不得不害怕的其实就是害怕本身--一种莫名奇妙的、丧失理智的、毫无根据的恐惧。它把人们转退为进所需要的种种努力化为泡影。但凡在我国生活阴云密布的时刻，坦率而有活力的领导都得到过人民的理解和支持，从而为胜利准备了不可缺少的必要条件。我相信，在目前危机的时刻，大家会再次给与同样的支持。我和你们都要以这种精神来共同面对困难。感谢上帝，这些困难只是物质方面的。

--[美]弗兰克林·罗斯福

unreasoning: adj.丧失理智的

unjustified: adj.毫无根据的

frankness: n.率直,坦白

七、in this symposium, better is it to only sit in silence. to express one's feelings as the end draws near is too intimate a task. that i would mention only one thought that comes to me as a listener-in: the riders in a race do not stop short when they reach the goal, there is a little finishing canter before coming to a standstill, there is time to hear the kind voice of friends, and to say to oneself, the work is done. but just as one says that, the answer comes, the race is over, but the work never is done while the power to work remains. the canter that brings you to a standstill need not be only coming to rest; it cannot be while you still live. but to live is to function, that is all there is in living. so i end with a land from a latin voice: death, death, clutches my ear, and says, live, i am coming.--by oliver wendell holmes

译文：

此刻，沉默是金。要在生命即将完结之时表达个人感受并非易事。但我只是想谈谈作为一名倾听者的看法。骑士们并非一到终点就立刻止步。他们继续缓步向前，倾听朋友们的欢呼。他们虽然告诉自己行程已经结束了。正如人们所说结果出来了,比赛结束了。但只要动力仍在，人生之旅就尚未结束。终点之后的慢跑并非停止不前，因为活着便不能如此。活着就要有所作为，这才是生命的真谛。最后谨以一句古拉丁格言与各位共勉：死神不止，奋斗不止。

--[美]奥利佛·文德尔·荷默斯

in this symposium:此刻

at this timegoal: n.目的,目标

standstill: n.停止

八、the grandest of these ideals is an unfolding american promise that everyone belongs, that everyone deserves a chance that no insignificant person was ever born. americans are called to enact this promise in our lives and in our laws. and though our nation has sometimes halted, and sometimes delayed, we must follow no other course. through much of the last century, america's faith in freedom and democracy was a rock in a raging sea. now it is a seed upon the wind, taking root in many nations. our democratic faith is more than the creed of our country, it is the inborn hope of our humanity, an ideal we carry but do not own, a trust we bear and pass along. and even after nearly 225 years, we have a long way yet to travel. --by george w.bush

译文：

这些理想中最伟大的是正在慢慢实现的美国的承诺，这就是：每个人都有自身的价值，每个人都有成功的机会，每个人天生都会有所作为的。美国人民肩负着一种使命，那就是要竭力将这个诺言变成生活中和法律上的现实。虽然我们的国家过去在追求实现这个承诺的途中停滞不前甚至倒退，但我们仍将坚定不移地完成这一使命。在上个世纪的大部分时间里，美国自由民主的信念犹如汹涌大海中的岩石。现在它更像风中的种子，把自由带给每个民族。在我们的国家，民主不仅仅是一种信念，而是全人类的希望；民主，我们不会独占，而会竭力让大家分享；民主，我们将铭记于心并且不断传播。20xx年过去了，我们仍有很长的路要走。

--[美]乔治·布什

insignificant: adj.无关紧要的、可忽略的

democracy: n.民主政治、民主主义