Four score and seven years ago our fathers brought forth on 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 remember 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.
87年前,我們的先輩在這個大陸上創(chuàng)建了一個新的國家.她孕育于自由之中,奉行人人生來平等的信條.
現(xiàn)在我們正進行一場偉大的內戰(zhàn),以考驗這個國家,或者任何一個孕育于自由和奉行人人生來平等信條的國家是否能夠長久堅持下去.我們相聚在這場戰(zhàn)爭的一個偉大戰(zhàn)場上,我們來到這里把這戰(zhàn)場的一部分奉獻給那些為國家生存而捐軀的人們,作為他們最后的安息之所.我們這樣做是完全適合的、恰當?shù)?但是,從更高的意義上說,我們是不能奉獻,不能圣化,也不能神化這片土地的,因為那些曾經在這里戰(zhàn)斗過的人們,活著的和死去的人們,已經圣化了這片土地,他們所做的遠非我們的微薄之力所能揚抑.這個世界不大會注意也不會長久記得我們今天在這里所說的話,但是,它永遠不會忘記勇士們在這里所做的事.
毋寧說,我們活著的人,應該獻身于留在我們面前的偉大任務：從這些光榮的死者身上汲取更多的獻身精神,以完成他們精誠所至的事業(yè)；我們在此下定最大的決心,以不讓死者白白犧牲；讓這個國家在上帝的保佑下獲得自由的新生；讓這個民有、民治、民享的政府與世長存.