14．Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address
[导读]葛底斯堡在美国宾夕法尼亚州。1863年7月1日至3日，北军在此重创了南军，扭转了战争局势。此战役后这里修了一个战争牺牲者的公墓。本篇是1863年公墓落成典礼上的演说词。
Fourscore 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 battlefield 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 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 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, — tat 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. [注释]
Lincoln: Abraham Lincoln (1809-1865), 16th president of the United States (1861-1865). 林肯，美国第十六任总统
Gettysburg: a town in Pennsylvania, also the site of a crucial battle of the Civil War in 1863. 盖茨堡，美国宾夕法尼亚州。一个历史名镇，一八六三年南北战争时曾为战场。
fourscore and seven years ago: eighty-seven years ago, here referring to the year 1776, when the United States of America declared its independence. 八十六年前，此指1776年美国宣布独立时。 fathers n.: forefathers. 祖先 brought forth: gave birth to. 缔造
conceived in liberty: having liberty as an ideal of the nation. 以自由为理想 dedicated to: devoted to. 献身于
proposition n.: statement; assertion. 主张；信条
that all men are created equal: that all men are born equal, one of the self-evident truths mentioned in the Declaration of Independence. 美国独立宣言明白揭示的真理∶―人类是生而平等的‖
engaged in: occupied in. 从事于 endure v.: exist; last. 存续
a portion of that field: a part of that battlefield. 那战场的一部分 final resting-place: burial-place; cemetery. 葬地；墓地
gave their lives: sacrificed themselves; died for their country. 牺牲生命；为国捐躯 in a larger sense: broadly speaking. 依广义说 consecrate: v. set apart as sacred. 奉为神圣 hallow: v. regard as holy. 尊为神圣 detract v.: reduce in degree. 减损 thus far: to this extent. 到如此地步
gave the last full measure of devotion: gave the last, largest extent of devoutness. 鞠躬尽瘁
perish: v. be destroyed or ruined. 毁灭
[参考译文]
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。我们今天在这场内战的一个伟大的战场上聚会，我们要献出这个战场的一部分，给那些为这个国家的长存而付出了生命的人作为他们最后的安息之所。尽管这样做是适当的、应该的，但在更大的意义上说，我们不能奉献这片土地——我们不能使之神圣——我们不能使之尊严，因为那些曾经在这里奋斗的勇士们（死去的和活着的）已经使这块土地圣化了，远非我们的微薄能力所能再增减。世人不会特别留意，更不会长久记得我们在此地所说的话，但那些勇士们在这里所做过的事，世界将永远不会忘记。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事业。我们应该在此献身于我们面前未竟的伟大任务－－由于他们的光荣牺牲，我们应该从那些为这个事业已经付出了一切的死者身上获得更坚定的信念；我们在此立志誓愿，不能让勇士白白牺牲－－要使这个国家在上帝庇佑之下，得到新生的自由－－要让这个属于人民、依靠人民、为了人民的政府与世长存！ [Your Comments]:
15． Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening
[导读]《风雪夜林边停》是Robert Frost一首著名的诗歌。写的是雪夜美景？写的是守诺如一？写的是人生不得不向前行？不同的读者会有完全不同的理解。这就是文学批评中所说的“接受美学”的观点吧。
Whose woods these are I think I know, His house is in the village though. He will not see me stopping here, To watch his woods fill up with snow.
My little horse must think it queer, To stop without a farmhouse near, Between the woods and frozen lake, The darkest evening of the year.
He gives his harness bells a shake, To ask if there is some mistake. The only other sound's the sweep, Of easy wind and downy flake.
The woods are lovely, dark and deep, But I have promises to keep, And miles to go before I sleep, And miles to go before I sleep. [注释]
queer：奇怪的。由queer组成的词组，in queer street表示―负债‖、―在困难中‖ farmhouse：农舍, 农家
harness：(全套)马具, 系在身上的绳子 downy：绒毛的, 柔和的
flake：n. 薄片v. 使成薄片, 剥落, 雪片般落下
[参考译文] 风雪夜林边停 我想我知道谁是这林子的主人， 他的家在村子那一头。
他不会想到，我竟在这里停伫， 只为看那树林里面雪落霏霏。 我那小马一定会感到奇怪， 为何在这里停下，悄无人迹。 这边是树林，那边是冰冻的湖， 又是在这一年中最暗的黄昏。 他摇了下颈上的铃铛， 似乎问我有何异常。
没有其他的声音，只有微风，
卷着鹅毛似的雪花，沙沙地拂过。 静谧的树林，深邃幽暗，
我虽向往，可是我还得如约向前赶。 安睡之前仍然长路漫漫， 安睡之前仍然长路漫漫。
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