六级英语晨读经典100篇 20

（单词翻译）

　　Jimmy Carter’s Nobel Lecture(11)
吉米卡特的诺贝尔和平奖受奖演说(2)
I am not here as a public official, but as a citizen of a troubled world who finds hope in a growing consensus¹ that the generally accepted goals of society are peace, freedom, human rights, environmental quality, the alleviation² of suffering, and the rule of law.
During the past decades, the international community, usually under the auspices³ of the United Nations, has struggled to negotiate global standards that can help us achieve these essential goals. They include: the abolition⁴ of land mines and chemical weapons; an end to the testing, proliferation, and further deployment⁵ of nuclear warheads; constraints⁶ on global warming; prohibition⁷ of the death penalty, at least for children; and an international criminal court to deter⁸ and to punish war crimes and genocide. Those agreements already adopted must be fully⁹ implemented¹⁰, and others should be pursued aggressively.
We must also strive to correct the injustice¹¹ of economic sanctions that seek to penalize¹² abusive leaders but all too often inflict¹³ punishment on those who are already suffering from the abuse.
The unchanging principles of life predate modern times. I worship Jesus Christ, whom we Christians¹⁴ consider to be the Prince of Peace. As a Jew, he taught us to cross religious boundaries, in service and in love. He repeatedly reached out and embraced Roman conquerors¹⁵, other Gentiles, and even the more despised Samaritans.
Despite theological differences, all great religions share common commitments that define our ideal secular¹⁶ relationships. I am convinced that Christians, Muslims, Buddhists¹⁷, Hindus, Jews, and others can embrace each other in a common effort to alleviate¹⁸ human suffering and to espouse¹⁹ peace.
But the present era is a challenging and disturbing time for those whose lives are shaped by religious faith based on kindness toward each other. We have been reminded that cruel and inhuman²⁰ acts can be derived²¹ from distorted theological beliefs, as suicide bombers²² take the lives of innocent human beings, draped falsely in the cloak of God's will. With horrible brutality²³, neighbors have massacred neighbors in Europe, Asia, and Africa.
In order for us human beings to commit ourselves personally to the inhumanity of war, we find it necessary first to dehumanize our opponents, which is in itself a violation²⁴ of the beliefs of all religions. Once we characterize our adversaries²⁵ as beyond the scope of God's mercy and grace, their lives lose all value. We deny personal responsibility when we plant landmines²⁶ and, days or years later, a stranger to us - often a child – is crippled or killed. From a great distance, we launch bombs or missiles with almost total impunity²⁷, and never want to know the number or identity of the victims.
At the beginning of this new millennium²⁸ I was asked to discuss, here in Oslo, the greatest challenge that the world faces. Among all the possible choices, I decided²⁹ that the most serious and universal problem is the growing chasm³⁰ between the richest and poorest people on earth. Citizens of the ten wealthiest countries are now seventy-five times richer than those who live in the ten poorest ones, and the separation is increasing every year, not only between nations but also within them. The results of this disparity are root causes of most of the world's unresolved problems, including starvation, illiteracy³¹, environmental degradation³², violent conflict, and unnecessary illnesses that range from Guinea worm to HIV/AIDS.
Most work of The Carter Center is in remote villages in the poorest nations of Africa, and there I have witnessed the capacity of destitute³³ people to persevere³⁴ under heartbreaking conditions. I have come to admire their judgment³⁵ and wisdom, their courage and faith, and their awesome³⁶ accomplishments³⁷ when given a chance to use their innate³⁸ abilities.
But tragically³⁹, in the industrialized world there is a terrible absence of understanding or concern about those who are enduring lives of despair and hopelessness. We have not yet made the commitment to share with others an appreciable⁴⁰ part of our excessive wealth. This is a potentially rewarding burden that we should all be willing to assume.
Ladies and gentlemen:
War may sometimes be a necessary evil. But no matter how necessary, it is always an evil, never a good. We will not learn how to live together in peace by killing⁴¹ each other's children.
The bond of our common humanity is stronger than the divisiveness of our fears and prejudices. God gives us the capacity for choice. We can choose to alleviate suffering. We can choose to work together for peace. We can make these changes - and we must.
Thank you.