(Delivered on the 19th Day of November, 1863 Cemetery Hill, Gettysburg, Pennsylvania ) (来源：英语杂志 http://www.EnglishCN.com)

Fourscore and seven years ago, our fathers brought forth upon this continent a new Nation, conceived in Liberty, and dedicated to theproposition that all men are created equal. Now, we are engaged in a great Civil War, testing whether that Nation, or any nation soconceived and so dedicated, can long endure. We are met on a great battlefield of that war. We have come to dedicate a portion of that field as a final resting-place for those who gave their lives that Nation might live. It is altogether fitting and proper that we should do this.

But, in a larger sense, we cannot dedicate, we cannot consecrate, we cannot hallow this ground. The brave men, living and dead, who struggled here, have consecrated it far above our power to add or detract. The world will little note nor long remember what we say here, but it can never forget what they did here. It is for us, the living, rather to be 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 this Nation, under GOD, shall have a new birth of freedom; and that government of the People by the People and for the People shall not perish from the earth."

Abraham Lincoln

Abraham Lincoln
The Gettysburg Address

亚伯拉罕．林肯
盖茨堡演讲词

伟大的盖茨堡战役于一八六三年七月在这个宾夕法尼亚小镇的街上及其周围地区持续了三天之久，此次战役是内战的转折点。国会决定把这一片曾有许多英勇战士牺牲生命的战场建为国家公墓。林肯总统亲自从华盛顿前来为此墓地举行揭幕礼。他在一八六三年十一月十九日所发表的献词虽然很短，但却是所有阐释民主信念的最雄辩动人的演词之一。

八十七年以前，我们的祖先在这大陆上建立了一个新的国家，它孕育于自由，并且献身给一种理念，即所有人都是生来平等的。

当前，我们正在从事一次伟大的内战，我们在考验，究竟这个国家，或任何一个有这种主张和这种信仰的国家，是否能长久存在。我们在那次战争的一个伟大的战场上集合。我们来到这里，奉献那个战场上的一部分土地，作为在此地为那个国家的生存而牺牲了自己生命的人永久眠息之所。我们这样做，是十分合情合理的。

可是，就更深一层意义而言，我们是无从奉献这片土地的－－ 无从使它成为圣地－－也不可能把它变为人们景仰之所。那些在这里战斗的勇士，活着的和死去的，已使这块土地神圣化了，远非我们的菲薄能力所能左右。世人会不大注意，更不会长久记得我们在此地所说的话，然而他们将永远忘不了这些人在这里所做的事。相反，我们活着的人应该献身于那些曾在此作战的人们所英勇推动而尚未完成的工作。我们应该在此献身于我们面前所留存的伟大工作－－由于他们的光荣牺牲，我们要更坚定地致力于他们曾作最后全部贡献的那个事业－－我们在此立志誓愿，不能让他们白白死去－－要使这个国家在上帝庇佑之下，得到新生的自由－－要使那民有、民治、民享的政府不致从地球上消失。