林肯第二次演讲.pdfVIP

Second Inaugural Address by Abraham Lincoln March 4, 1865 Fellow-Countrymen: At this second appearing to take the oath of the presidential office there is less occasion for an extended address than there was at the first. Then a statement somewhat in detail of a course to be pursued seemed fitting and proper. Now, at the expiration of four years, during which public declarations have been constantly called forth on every point and phase of his great contest which still absorbs the attention and engrosses the energies of the nation, little that is new could be presented. The progress of our arms, upon which all else chiefly depends, is as well known to the public as to myself, and it is, I trust, reasonably satisfactory and encouraging to all. With high hope for the future, no prediction in regard to it is ventured. 在这第二次的宣誓就职典礼中，不像第一次就职的时候那样需要发表长篇演说。在那个时 候，对于当时所要进行的事业多少作一详细的说明，似乎是适当的。现在四年任期已满，在 这段战争期间的每个重要时刻和阶段中－－这个战争至今仍为举国所关怀，还且占用了国家 大部分力量－－都经常发布文告，所以现在很少有什么新的发展可以奉告。我们的军事进展， 是一切其它问题的关键所在，各界人士对此情形是跟我一样熟悉的，而我相信进展的情况， 可以使我们全体人民有理由感到满意和鼓舞。既然可以对将来寄予极大的希望，那么我们也 就用不着在这一方面作什么预言了。 On the occasion corresponding to this four years ago all thoughts were anxiously directed to an impending civil war. All dreaded it; all sought to avert it. While the inaugural address was being delivered from this place, devoted altogether to saving teing delivered from this urgent agents were in the city seeking to destroy it without war-seeking to dissolve the Union and divide effects by negotiation. Both parties deprecated war, but one of them would make war rather than let the nation survive, and the other would accept war rather than let it perish, and the war came. One-eighth of the whole population were colored slaves, not distributed generally over the Union, but localized in the southern part of it. Their slaves constituted a peculiar and powerful interest. 四年前在与此同一场合里，所有的人都焦虑地注意一场即将来临的内战。大家害怕它，想尽 了方法去避免它。当时我正在这里作就职演说，竭尽全力想不用战争方法而能保存联邦，然 而本城的反叛分子的代理人却没法不