VOA标准英语2013--林肯葛底斯堡演讲150年后

 

Lincoln's Words at Gettysburg Resonate 150 Years Later 林肯葛底斯堡演讲150年后

One hundred and fifty years ago this month (November 19), at the height of the U.S. Civil War, President Abraham Lincoln delivered a short address at a battlefield in  Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. The bloody¹ battle that had taken place there several months earlier is now considered the turning point of the war. While dedicating² a  cemetery³, Lincoln paid tribute⁴ to the soldiers who had fought at Gettysburg. He also laid stress on freedom and equality. 

In his two-minute speech, President Lincoln recalled the fighting in Gettysburg, which took the lives of tens of thousands of Union and Confederate soldiers. He  honored “the brave men, living and dead who struggled here.” From 1861 to 1865, the Northern states - the Union, fought the South - the Confederacy, which had  seceded from the nation over several issues, including slavery.

Martin Johnson, history professor at Miami University in Ohio, has written a new book called Writing the Gettysburg Address. He says the president sought continuing  support for the Union as the civil war dragged on.

He said, “He knew he had to impress the nation with the importance of the cause, why this war was so important and so crucial."Shortly before he went to Gettysburg,  the president was at this cottage in Washington, where he would go to escape distractions⁵ at the White House. Callie Hawkins, program director at the renovated⁶  cottage, says this was no retreat, since a military cemetery was next door.

“It gave him an opportunity to think and reflect, and think through his ideas of the civil war and emancipation⁷. Lincoln saw burials every day," she said.

Those ideas, Hawkins says, would have influenced his writing of the Gettysburg Address, which borrowed the line that “all men are created equal” from the U.S.  Declaration of Independence.  Lincoln also spoke⁸ about “a new nation, conceived⁹ in liberty” and “a new birth of freedom.”  Lincoln's words resonate with 12-year- old Carrie Otal. She said, “He got us through the slavery, and freedom for everyone is very important. Slave owners thought they had the liberty of owning slaves, but  slaves thought liberty meant freedom, and I think he gave everyone the liberty they deserve.”

Johnson says Lincoln wrote the address at the White House and then polished it at this home in Gettysburg. Word of the speech spread quickly.

“The speech became popular and important almost immediately because many people, especially editorialists in newspapers, and political figures, recognized that it  condensed the lesson of the war in a very brief manner," he said. "Within months, it was used in political speeches. It became rooted very quickly in American memory  about what the civil war meant."He says the Gettysburg Address also became known worldwide.

“It’s taught in schools in Japan, Nigeria, Argentina and elsewhere," he said.

In his address, President Lincoln said “the world will little note, nor long remember what we say here.” Little did he know that not only would the world note and  remember, but the speech would become one the most famous in history.

1 bloody   

adj.非常的的；流血的；残忍的；adv.很；vt.血染

参考例句：

• He got a bloody nose in the fight.他在打斗中被打得鼻子流血。
• He is a bloody fool.他是一个十足的笨蛋。

2 dedicating   

v.奉献( dedicate的现在分词 )；（为表示感情或敬意将著作、乐曲、艺术作品等）题献给（某人、某事业等）(to)；（在书、音乐或作品的前部）题献辞；以…供奉

参考例句：

• With confidence, you will find pleasure in serious dedicating life. 有了信心，你就会在严肃的献身生活中找到乐趣。 来自互联网
• The Beauty Queen spends her time dedicating parks and bursing homes. 她为自己的事业贡献了毕生的精力。 来自互联网

3 cemetery   

n.坟墓，墓地，坟场

参考例句：

• He was buried in the cemetery.他被葬在公墓。
• His remains were interred in the cemetery.他的遗体葬在墓地。

4 tribute   

n.颂词，称赞，(表示敬意的)礼物；贡品

参考例句：

• She accepted their tribute graciously.她慈祥地接受了他们的致意。
• Many conquered nations had to pay tribute to the rulers of ancient Rome.许多被征服的国家必须向古罗马的统治者朝贡。

5 distractions   

n.使人分心的事[人]( distraction的名词复数 )；娱乐，消遣；心烦意乱；精神错乱

参考例句：

• I find it hard to work at home because there are too many distractions. 我发觉在家里工作很难，因为使人分心的事太多。
• There are too many distractions here to work properly. 这里叫人分心的事太多，使人无法好好工作。 来自《简明英汉词典》

6 renovated   

翻新，修复，整修( renovate的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• He renovated his house. 他翻修了房子。
• The house has been renovated three years earlier. 这所房子三年前就已翻新。

7 emancipation   

n.（从束缚、支配下）解放

参考例句：

• We must arouse them to fight for their own emancipation. 我们必须唤起他们为其自身的解放而斗争。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• They rejoiced over their own emancipation. 他们为自己的解放感到欢欣鼓舞。 来自《简明英汉词典》

8 spoke   

n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说

参考例句：

• They sourced the spoke nuts from our company.他们的轮辐螺帽是从我们公司获得的。
• The spokes of a wheel are the bars that connect the outer ring to the centre.辐条是轮子上连接外圈与中心的条棒。

9 conceived   

想出( conceive的过去式和过去分词 )； 构想； 设想； 怀孕

参考例句：

• He conceived the idea of transforming the old power station into an arts centre. 他想出了一个把旧发电站改造为艺术中心的主意。
• She has conceived at last. 她终于怀孕了。