英语散文欣赏（中英文对照）

iceinsummer · 发表于 2007-3-22 07:03:37

??What I Have Lived For
　　
　　Bertrand Russell
　　
　　Three passions, simple but overwhelmingly strong, have governed my life: the longing for love, the search for knowledge, and unbearable pity for the suffering of mankind. These passions, like great winds, have blown me hither and thither, in a wayward course, over a deep ocean of anguish, reaching to the verge of despair.
　　
　　I have sought love, first, because it brings ecstasy --- ecstasy so great that I would have sacrificed all the rest of life for a few hours of this joy. I have sought it, next, because it relieves loneliness --- that terrible loneliness in which one shivering consciousness looks over the rim of the world into cold unfathomable lifeless abyss. I have sought it, finally, because in the union of love I have seen, in a mystic miniature, the prefiguring vision of the heaven that saints and poets have imagined. This is what I sought, and though it might seem too good for human life, this is what --- at last --- I have found.
　　
　　With equal passion I have sought knowledge. I have wished to understand the hearts of men, I have wished to know why the stars shine. And I have tried to apprehend the Pythagorean power by which number holds away above the flux. A little of this, but not much, I have achieved.
　　
　　Love and knowledge, so far as they were possible, led upward toward the heavens. But always pity brought me back to earth. Echoes of cries of pain reverberated in my heart. Children in famine, victims tortured by oppressors, helpless old people a hated burden to their sons, and the whole world of loneliness, poverty, and pain make a mockery of what human life should be. I long to alleviate the evil, but I cannot, and I too suffer.
　　
　　This has been my life. I have found it worth living, and I would gladly live it again if the chance were offered to me.
　　
　　
　　我为何而活
　　
　　伯兰特.罗素
　　
　　三种简单却极其强烈的情感主宰着我的生活：对爱的渴望、对知识的追求、对人类痛苦的难以承受的怜悯之心。这三种情感，像一阵阵飓风一样，任意地将我吹的飘来荡去，越过痛苦的海洋，抵达绝望的彼岸。
　　
　　我寻找爱，首先，因为它令人心醉神迷，这种沉醉是如此美妙，以至于我愿意用余生来换取那几个小时的快乐。我寻找爱，其次是因为它会减轻孤独，置身于那种可怕的孤独中，颤抖的灵魂在世界的边缘，看到冰冷的、死寂的、无底深渊。我寻找爱，还因为在爱水乳交融时，在一个神秘的缩影中，我见到了先贤和诗人们所想象的、预览的天堂。这就是我所追求的，尽管对于凡人来说，这好像是一种奢望。但这是我最终找到的。
　　
　　我曾以同样的热情来追求知识。我希望能理解人类的心灵，希望能知道为什么星星会发光。我也曾经努力理解毕达哥拉斯学派的理论，他们认为数字主载着万物的此消彼长。我了解了一点知识，但是不多。
　　
　　爱和知识，可以最大可能地，将人带入天堂。可是，怜悯总是将我带回地面。人们因痛苦而发出的哭声在我心中久久回响，那些饥荒中的孩子们，被压迫者摧残的受害者们，被子女视为可憎负担的、无助的老人们，以及那无处不在的孤单、贫穷和无助都在讽刺着人类所本应该有的生活。我渴望能够消除人世间的邪恶，可是力不从心，我自己也同样遭受着它们的折磨。
　　
　　这就是我的生活。我觉得活一场是值得的。如果给我机会的话，我愿意开心地，再活一次。
　　
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　　伯兰特.罗素（1872-1970）,英国著名哲学家、数学家和文学家。他在多个领域都取得了巨大成就。他所著的《西方的智慧》、《西方哲学史》对中国读者影响很大。

iceinsummer · 发表于 2007-3-22 07:04:16

　　Man Is Here For The Sake of Other Men
　　
　　Albert Einstein
　　
　　Strange is our situation here upon earth. Each of us comes for a short visit, not knowing why, yet sometimes seeming to divine a purpose.
　　
　　From the standpoint of daily life, however, there is one thing we do know that man is here for the sake of other men --- above all for those upon whose smile and well-being our own happiness depends, and also for the countless unknown souls with whose fate we are connected by a bond of sympathy. Many times a day I realize how much my own outer and inner life is built upon the labors of my fellow men, both living and dead, and how earnestly I must exert myself in order to give in return as much as I have received. My peace of mind is often troubled by the depressing sense that I have borrowed too heavily from the work of other men.
　　
　　To ponder interminably over the reason for one’s own existence or the meaning of life in general seems to me, from an objective point of view, to be sheer folly. And yet everyone holds certain ideals by which he guides his aspiration and his judgment. The ideals which have always shone before me and filled me with the joy of living are goodness, beauty, and truth. To make a goal of comfort and happiness has never appealed to me; a system of ethics built on this basis would be sufficient only for a herd of cattle.
　　
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　　人是为了别人而活着
　　
　　阿尔伯特.爱因斯坦
　　
　　我们在这个世界上的处境是奇怪的：每个人，都是来做一次短暂的访问，不知道是为了什么。不过有时似乎也会觉察到有某种目的。
　　
　　但是从平日的生活来看，有一件事情我们是很清楚的：我们是为别人而活，最重要的是为了这些人活：他们的笑容和幸福构成了我们快乐的源泉。同时，我们活着还为了另外无数个不相识的生命，怜悯之心，将我们同他们的命运联系起来。每天，很多次，我都会意识到我的肉体生活和精神生活很大程度上是建立在那些活着的，和死去的人们的工作之上的，意识到我必须诚挚地、竭尽全力地努力去回报我所得到的东西。我经常心绪不宁，感觉自己从别人的工作里承袭了太多，这种感觉让我惴惴不安。
　　
　　总体上在我看来，从客观的角度，没完没了地思考自己为什么会存在，或者是生命有什么意义，是非常愚蠢的行为。不过，每个人都有一些理想，来指引着自己的抱负和辨别是非。始终在我面前闪耀着光芒，并且让我充满活着的喜悦的理想，是善、美和真理。对我来说，以舒适和享乐为目标的生活从来没有吸引力。　以这些目标为基础建立起来的一套伦理观点只能满足一群牲畜的需要。
　　
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　　阿尔伯特.爱因斯坦（1879-1955）,美国籍犹太人，20世纪最伟大的科学家。1921年获诺贝尔物理学奖。他一生崇尚科学与民主，追求真理和光明，毕生致力于国际和平事业。

iceinsummer · 发表于 2007-3-22 07:04:50

　　Work and Pleasure
　　
　　Winston Churchill
　　
　　To be really happy and really safe, one ought to have at least two or three hobbies, and they must all be real. It is no use starting late in life to say: “I will take an interest in this or that.” Such an attempt only aggravates the strain of mental effort. A man may acquire great knowledge of topics unconnected with his daily work, and yet hardly get any benefit or relief. It is no use doing what you like; you have got to like what you do. Broadly speaking, human beings may be divided into three classes: those who are toiled to death, those who are worried to death, and those who are bored to death. It is no use offering the manual labourer, tired out with a hard week’s sweat and effort, the chance of playing a game of football or baseball on Saturday afternoon. It is no use inviting the politician or the professional or business man, who has been working or worrying about serious things for six days, to work or worry about trifling things at the weekend.
　　
　　It may also be said that rational, industrious useful human beings are divided into two classes: first, those whose work is work and whose pleasure is pleasure; and secondly, those whose work and pleasure are one. Of these the former are the majority. They have their compensations. The long hours in the office or the factory bring with them as their reward, not only the means of sustenance, but a keen appetite for pleasure even in its simplest and most modest forms. But Fortune’s favoured children belong to the second class. Their life is a natural harmony. For them the working hours are never long enough. Each day is a holiday, and ordinary holidays when they come are grudged as enforced interruptions in an absorbing vocation. Yet to both classes the need of an alternative outlook, of a change of atmosphere, of a diversion of effort, is essential. Indeed, it may well be that those whose work is their pleasure are those who most need the means of banishing it at intervals from their minds.
　　
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　　工作和娱乐
　　
　　温斯顿.丘吉尔
　　
　　要想获得真正的快乐与安宁，一个人应该有至少两三种爱好，而且必须是真正的爱好。到晚年才说“我对什么什么有兴趣”是没用的，这只会徒然增添精神负担。一个人可以在自己工作之外的领域获得渊博的知识，不过他可能几乎得不到什么好处或是消遣。做你喜欢的事是没用的，你必须喜欢你所做的事。总的来说，人可以分为三种：劳累而死的、忧虑而死的、和烦恼而死的。对于那些体力劳动者来说，经历了一周精疲力竭的体力劳作，周六下午让他们去踢足球或者打棒球是没有意义的。而对那些政治家、专业人士或者商人来说，他们已经为严肃的事情操劳或烦恼六天了，周末再让他们为琐事劳神也是没有意义的。
　　
　　也可以说，那些理性的、勤勉的、有价值的人们可分为两类，一类，他们的工作就是工作，娱乐就是娱乐；而另一类，他们的工作即娱乐。大多数人属于前者，他们得到了相应的补偿。长时间在办公室或工厂里的工作，回报给他们的不仅是维持了生计，还有一种强烈的对娱乐的需求，哪怕是最简单的、最朴实的娱乐。不过，命运的宠儿则属于后者。他们的生活很自然和谐。对他们来说，工作时间永远不嫌长。每天都是假日，而当正常的假日来临时，他们总是埋怨自己所全身心投入的休假被强行中断了。不过，有些事情对两类人是同样至关重要的，那就是转换一下视角、改变一下氛围、将精力转移到别的事情上。确实，对那些工作即是娱乐的人来说，最需要隔一段时间就用某种方式把工作从脑子里面赶出去。
　　
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　　温斯顿.丘吉尔（1874-1965）, 英国政治家、作家。二战中曾两任英国首相，为二战胜利立下汗马功劳。他在文学上也有很深的造诣，1953年获诺贝尔文学奖。

iceinsummer · 发表于 2007-3-22 07:05:19

　　An Illusion
　　
　　William S. Maugham
　　
　　It is an illusion that youth is happy, an illusion of those who have lost it; but the young know they are wretched, for they are full of the truthless ideals which have been instilled into them, and each time they come in contact with the real they are bruised and wounded. It looks as if they were victims of a conspiracy; for the books they read, ideal by the necessity of selection, and the conversation of their elders, who look back upon the past through a rosy haze of forgetfulness, prepare them for an unreal life.
　　
　　They must discover for themselves that all they have read and all they have been told are lies, lies, lies; and each discovery is another nail drivens into the body on the cross of life. The strange thing is that each one who has gone through that bitter disillusionment add to it in his turn,, unconsciously, by the power within him which is stronger than himself.
　　
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　　一种错觉
　　
　　威廉. S. 毛姆
　　
　　认为青春是快乐的，这是一种错觉，是那些失去了青春的人的一种错觉。年轻人知道，自己是不幸的，他们脑子里充斥了被灌输的不切实际的想法，每次与现实接触时，都会碰的头破血流。似乎，他们是某种阴谋的牺牲者：那些他们所读过的精挑细选的书，那些长辈们谈起的因遗忘而蒙上玫瑰色薄雾的往事，都为年轻人提供了一种不真实的生活。
　　
　　他们必须自己发现，所有他们读到的、听到的东西，都是谎言、谎言、谎言。每一次的这样的发现，都像是另一根钉子钉入他们的身体，那被束缚在生活的十字架上的身体。可是奇怪的是，每个曾经被这种错觉折磨过的人，轮到他们时，有一种不可控制的力量，让他们不自觉地为别人增添这种错觉。
　　
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　　威廉. S. 毛姆（1874-1965）,英国著名小说家、剧作家、散文家。原先攻读医学，后转而致力写作。他的文章常常在讥讽中潜藏着对人性的怜悯与同情。

iceinsummer · 发表于 2007-3-22 07:05:48

　　The Wholeness of Life
　　
　　Anonymous
　　
　　Once a circle missed a wedge. The circle wanted to be whole, so it went around looking for its missing piece. But because it was incomplete and therefore could roll only very slowly, it admired the flowers along the way. It chatted with worms. It enjoyed the sunshine. It found lots of different pieces, but none of them fit. So it left them all by the side of the road and kept on searching. Then one day the circle found a piece that fit perfectly. It was so happy. Now it could be whole, with nothing missing. It incorporated the missing piece into itself and began to roll. Now that it was a perfect circle, it could roll very fast, too fast to notice flowers or talk to the worms. When it realized how different the world seemed when it rolled so quickly, it stopped, left its found piece by the side of the road and rolled slowly away.
　　
　　The lesson of the story, I suggested, was that in some strange sense we are more whole when we are missing something. The man who has everything is in some ways a poor man. He will never know what it feels like to yearn, to hope, to nourish his soul with the dream of something better. He will never know the experience of having someone who loves him give him something he has always wanted or never had.
　　
　　There is a wholeness about the person who has come to terms with his limitations, who has been brave enough to let go of his unrealistic dreams and not feel like a failure for doing so. There is a wholeness about the man or woman who has learned that he or she is strong enough to go through a tragedy and survive, she can lose someone and still feel like a complete person.
　　
　　Life is not a trap set for us by God so that he can condemn us for failing. Life is not a spelling bee, where no matter how many words you’ve gotten right, you’re disqualified if you make one mistake. Life is more like a baseball season, where even the best team loses one third of its games and even the worst team has its days of brilliance. Our goal is to win more games than we lose. When we accept that imperfection is part of being human, and when we can continue rolling through life and appreciate it, we will have achieved a wholeness that others can only aspire to. That, I believe, is what God asks of us --- not “Be perfect”, not “Don’t even make a mistake”, but “Be whole”.
　　
　　If we are brave enough to love, strong enough to forgive, generous enough to rejoice in another’s happiness, and wise enough to know there is enough love to go around for us all, then we can achieve a fulfillment that no other living creature will ever know.
　　
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　　人生的完整
　　
　　佚名
　　
　　从前有个圆圈，它丢失了一小段。它想变得完整，于是它到处寻找它所丢失的那部分。由于不完整，它只能滚的非常慢。在路上，它羡慕过花儿，它与虫子聊过天，它享受了阳光的照耀。它遇到过很多不同的小段，可是没有一个适合它。所以它把它们丢在路边，继续寻找。有一天，圆圈找到了可以与它完美结合的一小段，它非常高兴。它现在终于完整了，不缺任何东西了。它把丢失的那段装到自己身上，然后滚了起来。它现在是个完整的圆圈了，它可以滚的很快，，快到忽视了花儿，快到没有时间和虫子们说话。当它意识到由于它滚的太快，世界变得如此的不同时，它便停了下来，把找到的那段卸下丢在路边，慢慢地滚走了。
　　
　　我想这个故事告诉我们，从某种奇怪的意义上说，当我们缺少什么东西时，我们反而是更完整的。一个拥有一切的人在某些方面也是个穷人，他永远不会知道什么是渴望、什么是期待；永远不知道用渴求更美好的东西来充实他的灵魂。他永远不会知道一个爱他人送给他一样他所梦寐以求的东西时是怎样的一种感觉。
　　
　　人生的完整性，在于接受自己的缺陷，勇敢地丢弃不切实际的幻想，并且不觉得这样做是失败的；人生的完整性，在于知道自己足够强大，可以承受人生的苦难，可以在失去一个人时仍然觉得自己是完整的。
　　
　　生活并不是上帝为了谴责我们的缺陷而设下的陷阱。人生也不是一场拼字比赛，无论你拼出了多少单词，只要拼错了一个你就前功尽弃了。人生更像一个棒球赛季，最好的球队也会丢掉三分之一的比赛，而最差的球队也有辉煌的胜利。我们的目标是让打赢的比赛比输掉的比赛多。当我们接受了“不完整性”是人生的一部分时，当我们在人生之路上不断前进并且欣赏生命之美时，我们就获得了别人只能渴望的完整的人生。我相信这就是上帝对我们的期望：不求“完美”，也不求“从来不犯错误”，而是追求人生的“完整”。
　　
　　如果我们有足够的勇气去爱，足够强大的力量去原谅别人，足够的宽容因别人的快乐而快乐，并有足够的智慧去认识到我们身边充满着爱，我们就会得到其它生命所得不到的一种满足感。

iceinsummer · 发表于 2007-3-22 07:06:09

　　The Two Roads
　　
　　John Ruskin
　　
　　It was New Year’s Night. An aged man was standing at a window. He raised his mournful eyes towards the deep blue sky, where the stars were floating like white lilies on the surface of a clear calm lake. Then he cast them on the earth, where few more hopeless people than himself now moved towards their certain goal --- the tomb. He had already passed sixty of the stages leading to it, and he had brought from his journey nothing but errors and remorse. Now his health was poor, his mind vacant, his heart sorrowful, and his old age short of comforts.
　　
　　The days of his youth appeared like dreams before him, and he recalled the serious moment when his father placed him at the entrance of the two roads --- one leading to a peaceful, sunny place, covered with flowers, fruits and resounding with soft, sweet songs; the other leading to a deep, dark cave, which was endless, where poison flowed instead of water and where devils and poisonous snakes hissed and crawled.
　　
　　He looked towards the sky and cried painfully, “O youth, return! O my father, place me once more at the entrance to life, and I’ll choose the better way!” But both his father and the days of his youth had passed away.
　　
　　He saw the lights flowing away in the darkness. These were the days of his wasted life; he saw a star fall down from the sky and disappeared, and this was the symbol of himself. His remorse, which was like a sharp arrow, struck deeply into his heart. Then he remembered his friends in his childhood, who entered on life together with him. But they had made their way to success and were now honoured and happy on this New Year’s Night.
　　
　　The clock in the high church tower struck and the sound made him remember his parents’ early love for him. They had taught him and prayed to God for his good. But he chose the wrong way. With shame and grief he dared no longer look towards that heaven where his father lived. His darkened eyes were full of tears, and with a despairing effort, he burst out a cry: “ Come back, my early days! Come back!”
　　
　　And his youth did return, for all this was only a dream which he had on New Year’s Night. He was still young though his faults were real; he had not yet entered the deep, dark cave, and he was still free to walk on the road which leads to the peaceful and sunny land.
　　
　　Those who still linger on the entrance of life, hesitating to choose the bright road, remember that when years are passed and your feet stumble on the dark mountains, you will cry bitterly, but in vain: “O youth, return! Oh give me back my early days!”
　　
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　　两条道路
　　
　　约翰.罗斯金
　　
　　那是一个除夕之夜，一位老人站在窗前。他悲伤地望着天空，望着深蓝色的天空，繁星像百合花一样漂浮在清澈平静的天空之湖里。他望着地面，却没有几个像他这样绝望的，奔向唯一的终点――坟墓的人。在通往生命终点的旅途中，他已经走过了六十个驿站，收获的却只有过失和悔恨。如今他的健康不佳，精神空虚，内心痛苦，晚年的生活并不舒适。
　　
　　年轻的时光像梦一样在浮现在眼前，他回想起那个关键的时刻，父亲把他带到人生的岔路口，有两条路摆在他面前：一条通往一个宁静的、阳光灿烂的地方，那里满是花果，柔和甜美的歌手回响在空中；另一条却通往一个黑暗无底的洞穴，那里流淌的不是清水，而是毒汁，那里恶魔肆虐，毒蛇横行。
　　
　　他仰望着天空，痛苦地哭喊道：“啊，青春，回来吧！啊，父亲，重新把我带到生命的起点吧，我会选择另一条更好的路！”可是，他的父亲连同青春，都已经离开他了。
　　
　　他看到黑暗中点点光亮被吞没，那些是他虚度的日子；他看见一颗星星从天上坠落，消失了，那他的象征。悔恨，像一把锋利的剑，深深刺入他的心脏。他想起那些童年时的伙伴，那些同他一起踏上生命的旅途的人们，如今都是成功的、受人尊重的。此刻，他们都沉浸在除夕的幸福中。
　　
　　教堂高塔上的钟声敲响了，这让他想起了小时父母的爱，那些谆谆教诲，那些他们为他的幸福所做的祷告。可是他选择了一条错误的路。羞愧和悲伤使他不敢再奢望父亲所居住的天堂。他昏暗的眼睛饱含了泪水，他绝望地奋力哭喊：“回来吧，我逝去的岁月！回来啊！”
　　
　　不过这次他的青春真的回来了。因为所有这一切只不过是除夕夜他做的一场梦而已。他仍然年轻，尽管确实犯过错误，不过仍然没有进入那黑暗的洞穴，他仍然可以选择那条通往安宁和光明的道路。
　　
　　正在人生路口徘徊，犹豫着是否选择光明之路的年轻人啊！请记住，当时光已逝，你的双脚在黑暗的山间举步维艰、跌跌撞撞的时候，你会痛苦地呼喊：“啊，青春！回来！啊，把我逝去的日子还给我吧！”可是，那一切都是没用的！
　　
　　―――――――――――
　　
　　约翰.罗斯金（1819-1900），维多利亚时期英国著名的作家和评论家。他父亲是位富商，经常带他到欧洲各地旅游，他从小就对建筑、艺术非常感兴趣，对美怀有强烈热望。他的主要作品有《现代画家》、《威尼斯的石头》等。在本文中他向人们揭示了选择正确人生道路的重要性和迫切性，引人深思。

iceinsummer · 发表于 2007-3-22 07:06:31

　　Napoleon Bonaparte to Marie Josephine
　　
　　Napoleon Bonaparte
　　
　　Dear Marie,
　　
　　I have your letter, my adorable love. It has filled my heart with joy…since I left you I have been sad all the time.
　　
　　My only happiness is near you. I go over endlessly in my thought our kisses, your tears, your delicious jealousy. The charm of my wonderful Josephine kindles a living, blazing fire in my heart and senses. When shall I be able to pass every minute near you, with nothing to do but to love you and nothing to think of but the pleasure of telling you of it and giving you proof of it? I loved you some time ago; since then I feel that I love you a thousand times better. Ever since I have known you I adore you more every day. That proves how wrong is that saying of La Bruyere “Love comes all of a sudden.” Ah, let me see some of your faults: be less beautiful, less graceful, less tender, less good. But never be jealous and never shed tears. Your tears send me out of my mind --- they set my very blood on fire. Believe me that it is utterly impossible for me to have a single thought that is not yours, a single fancy that is not Submissive to your will. Rest well. Restore your health. Come back to me and then at any rate before we die we ought to be able to say: “We were happy for so very many days!” Millions of kisses even to your dog.
　　
　　―――――――――――
　　
　　拿破仑.波拿巴致玛莉.约瑟芬
　　
　　拿破仑.波拿巴
　　
　　亲爱的玛莉，
　　
　　我收到你的信了，我可爱的宝贝。你的信让我的心充满了快乐……自从和你分开后，我就一直闷闷不乐。
　　
　　我唯一的快乐就是陪在你身边。我脑子里不停地回想着我们的吻、你的泪、以及那甜蜜的醋意。我美妙的约瑟芬的魅力在我心中点燃了一团熊熊的火。我何时才能每时每刻都伴在你的身边，除了爱你什么都不做、除了告诉你和向你证明我有多爱你之外什么不想呢？不久之前我爱过你，自那以后，我感到我对你的爱增加了一千倍。自从我们相识以来，我一天比一天更加爱慕你。这证明了那句拉.布鲁耶尔所说的“爱总是突如其来”是多么错误。啊，让我来看看你的一些美中不足吧，但愿你能少几分优雅、少几分美丽，少几分温柔，少几分善良，但是坚决不要嫉妒，坚决不要掉眼泪。你的泪水会让我我神志不清――会点燃我的血。请相信我，如果我有一个念头不是你的，有哪个意愿不是顺从你的，这是根本不可能的事情。好好休息，养精蓄锐。回到我身边，那时我想不管怎样，我们在离开人世时都可以说：“我们曾经有过很多幸福的日子！”给你几百万个吻，也吻你的爱犬。
　　
　　―――――――――――
　　
　　拿破仑.波拿巴（1769-1821）,法国政治家、军事家。法兰西第一帝国和百日王朝的皇帝。曾率军征服了几乎整个欧洲。

iceinsummer · 发表于 2007-3-22 07:07:07

　　For a Declaration of War against Japan
　　
　　Franklin Roosevelt
　　
　　Mr. Vice President, Mr. Speaker, members of the Senate and the House of Representative,
　　
　　Yesterday, December 7, 1941 --- a date which will live in infamy --- United States of America, was suddenly and deliberately attacked by naval and air forces of the Empire of Japan.
　　
　　The United States was at peace with that nation, and, at the solicitation of Japan, was still in conversation with its government and its Emperor looking toward the maintenance of peace in the Pacific.
　　
　　Indeed, one hour after Japanese air squadrons had commenced bombing in the American island of Oahu, the Japanese Ambassador to the Unites States and his colleague delivered to our Secretary of State a formal reply to a recent American message. And while this reply stated that it seemed useless to continue the existing diplomatic negotiations, it contained no threat or hint of war or of armed attack.
　　
　　It will be recorded that distance of Hawaii from Japan makes it obvious that the attack was deliberately planned many days or even weeks ago. During the intervening time the Japanese Government has deliberately sought to deceive the United States by false statements and expressions of hope for continued peace.
　　
　　The attack yesterday on the Hawaiian Islands has caused severe damage to American naval and military forces. I regret to tell you that very many American lives have been lost. In addition, American ships have been reported torpedoed on the high seas between San Francisco and Honolulu.
　　
　　Yesterday, the Japanese government also launched an attack against Malaya.
　　
　　Last night, Japanese forces attacked Hong Kong.
　　
　　Last night, Japanese forces attacked Guam.
　　
　　Last night, Japanese forces attacked the Philippine Islands.
　　
　　Last night, Japanese forces attacked Wake Island.
　　
　　And this morning, the Japanese attacked Midway Island.
　　
　　Japan has therefore undertaken a surprise offensive extending throughout the Pacific area. The facts of yesterday and today speak for themselves. The people of the United States have already formed their opinions and well understand the implications to the very life and safety of our nation.
　　
　　As Commander-in-chief of the Army and Navy, I have directed that all measures be taken for our defense. But always, let our whole nation remember the character of the onslaught against us.
　　
　　No matter how long it may take us to overcome this premeditated invasion, the American people in their righteous might will win through to absolute victory.
　　
　　I believe that I interpret the will of Congress and of the people when I assert that we will not only defend ourselves to the uttermost, but will make it very certain that this form of treachery shall never endanger us.
　　
　　Hostilities exist, there is no blinking the fact that our people, our territory, and our interest are in grave danger.
　　
　　With confidence in our armed forces, with the unbounding determination of our people, we will gain the inevitable triumph, so help us God.
　　
　　I ask that the Congress declare that since the unprovoked and dastardly attack by Japan on Sunday, December 7, 1941, a state of war has existed between the United States and the Japanese Empire.
　　
　　――――――――――――――――――――――
　　1941年12月7日，珍珠港受到日本偷袭，罗斯福于1941年12月8日在国会发表本篇演说，美国国会当天通过了向日本宣战的决定。
　　――――――――――――――――――――――
　　
　　要求对日本宣战
　　
　　富兰克林.罗斯福
　　
　　副总统先生，议长先生，各位参议员和众议员们：
　　
　　昨天，1941年12月7日，将永远是一个耻辱的日子——美利坚合众国遭到了日本帝国海空军部队蓄意的突然袭击。
　　
　　美国过去与这个国家处于和平状态，并且在日本的请求下，仍然同该国政府和天皇进行对话，以期维持太平洋地区的和平。
　　
　　事实上，就在日本空军中队开始轰炸美国的瓦湖岛一小时后，日本驻美国大使和他的同事还向我国国务卿提交了对最近一份我国致日本书的正式复函。虽然该复函声称看起来继续目前的外交谈判已毫无必要，却未包含任何有关战争或武装袭击的威胁或暗示。
　　
　　应该记录在案的是，日本与夏威夷之间的距离足以表明这场战争在很多天甚至几个星期前就开始蓄意谋划了。而在此期间，日本政府故意用希望继续维持和平这样虚假的申明和表态来欺骗美国。
　　
　　昨天日本对夏威夷群岛的袭击使美国海军和陆军军力遭受了严重的损失，我很遗憾地告诉诸位，战争夺去了很多美国人的生命。另外，据报告，在旧金山和檀香山之间的公海上的美国船只也遭到了鱼雷袭击。
　　
　　昨天，日本对马来半岛发动了袭击。
　　昨晚，日本军队袭击了香港。
　　昨晚，日本军队袭击了关岛。
　　昨晚，日本军队袭击了菲律宾群岛。
　　昨晚，日本军队袭击了威克岛。
　　今天早晨，日本袭击了中途岛。
　　
　　由此可见日本在太平洋区域已经开始了令人震惊的全面侵略扩张。昨天和今天的事实都已经证明了这点。美国人民对此已经有了自己的看法，并且很清楚这对我们民族的安全和存亡意味着什么。
　　
　　作为海军和陆军总司令，我已经下令采取一切手段来进行防卫。同时，请我们整个民族都牢记这场针对我们的侵犯。
　　
　　无论我们要花多长时间才能击溃这次有预谋的入侵，美国人民都终将凭借正义的力量获得绝对的胜利。
　　
　　我坚信，我们不仅会最大程度地保卫我们自己，我们也会确保以后像此类背信弃义的行为永远不会再对我们构成威胁。我相信我说的这些话可以代表国会和人民的意愿。
　　
　　战争已经发生，我们不能无视这个事实：我们的人民，我们领土，我们的利益都处于极度危险的境地。
　　
　　我们信赖我们的军队，我们有无比坚决的信念，胜利必定属于我们。愿上帝赐福于我们。
　　
　　鉴于日本在1941年12月7日对我国进行的无端的和卑鄙的袭击，我要求国会宣布美国和日本已处于交战状态。

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