肯尼迪总统 《爱尔兰游子归乡》演讲

1963年6月28日，肯尼迪总统访问了爱尔兰，并于爱尔兰都柏林的议会上发表了本篇演讲，肯尼迪总统身为爱尔兰裔美国人，在这篇演讲中表达了他对爱尔兰故土深深的自豪与热爱之情，爱尔兰人民也热情欢迎这位游子归乡。

Mr. Speaker, Prime Minister, Members of the Parliament:

议长先生，总理先生，议员们：

I am grateful for your welcome and for that of your countrymen.

感谢各位议员和爱尔兰人民的热烈欢迎。

The 13th day of September, 1862, will be a day long remembered in American history. At Fredericksburg, Maryland, thousands of men fought and died on one of the bloodiest battlefields of the American Civil War. One of the most brilliant stories of that day was written by a band of 1200 men who went into battle wearing a green sprig in their hats. They bore a proud heritage and a special courage, given to those who had long fought for the cause of freedom. I am referring, of course, to the Irish Brigade. General Robert E. Lee, the great military leader of the Southern Confederate Forces, said of this group of men after the battle, "The gallant stand which this bold brigade made on the heights of Fredericksburg is well known. Never were men so brave. They ennobled their race by their splendid gallantry on that desperate occasion. Their brilliant though hopeless assaults on our lines excited the hearty applause of our officers and soldiers."

1862年9月13日，是永载美国史册的一天。这一天，成千上万人在马里兰州的弗雷德里克斯堡展开了厮杀，打响了这场美国内战中最血腥的战役之一。那一日发生了许多传奇故事，其中一个故事中，有1200名头戴装有绿树枝军帽的士兵奔赴前线。他们长期以来都为自由而战，他们气宇轩昂，勇气非凡。没错，这支军队就是爱尔兰旅。南方邦联最杰出的将领罗伯特·E·李曾如此评价他们，“这支旅在弗雷德里克斯堡高地的战斗名扬万里。我从未见过如此勇敢的士兵。他们身陷绝境却战斗到底，使得人们对爱尔兰人刮目相看。他们对我们的阵线发动了孤注一掷的英勇进攻，哪怕是我方官兵也不禁为他们鼓掌赞颂。”

Of the 1200 men who took part in that assault, 280 survived the battle. The Irish Brigade was led into battle on that occasion by Brig. Gen. Thomas F. Meagher, who had participated in the unsuccessful Irish uprising of 1848, was captured by the British and sent in a prison ship to Australia from whence he finally came to America. In the fall of 1862, after serving with distinction and gallantry in some of the toughest fighting of this most bloody struggle, the Irish Brigade was presented with a new set of flags. In the city ceremony, the city chamberlain gave them the motto, "The Union, our Country, and Ireland forever." Their old ones having been torn to shreds in previous battles, Capt. Richard McGee took possession of these flags on December 2d in New York City and arrived with them at the Battle of Fredericksburg and carried them in the battle. Today, in recognition of what these gallant Irishmen and what millions of other Irish have done for my country, and through the generosity of the "Fighting 69th," I would like to present one of these flags to the people of Ireland.

在参加那场进攻的1200人中，只有280人活了下来。当时领导这支旅发动进攻的，是托马斯·F·米格尔准将，他曾参加过1848年爱尔兰起义，那次起义以失败告终，他被英军俘虏，刘芳到了澳大利亚，他后来移民到了美国。1862年秋天，爱尔兰旅在多场血腥艰苦的战斗中表现杰出，战斗英勇，因此被授予一套新军旗。后来弗雷德里克斯堡的典礼上，市长为这支部队写下颂词：“联邦万岁，祖国万岁，爱尔兰万岁。”他们的旧军旗已经被战火撕成碎片，12月2日，理查德·麦基上尉从纽约拿到这批军旗，然后带着他们赶赴弗雷德里克斯堡战场。这些爱尔兰战士，还有千百万爱尔兰人都为美国做出了杰出贡献，今天，我得到了第69步兵团的许可，将这些沾满了爱尔兰健儿鲜血的军旗，赠与爱尔兰人民。

As you can see gentlemen, the battle honors of the Brigade include Fredericksburg, Chancellorsville, Yorktown, Fair Oaks, Gaines Mill, Allen's Farm, Savage's Station, White Oak Bridge, Glendale, Malvern Hill, Antietam, Gettysburg, and Bristow Station.

先生们，正如你们所见，这支爱尔兰旅南征北战，参加了弗雷德里克、塞勒维尔、约克镇、费尔奥克斯、盖恩斯磨坊、艾伦农场、萨维奇车站、白橡桥、格伦代尔、马儿文山、安提坦耶、葛底斯堡和布里斯托车站的战斗。

I am deeply honored to be your guest in a Free Parliament in a free Ireland. If this nation had achieved its present political and economic stature a century or so ago, my great grandfather might never have left New Ross, and I might, if fortunate, be sitting down there with you. Of course if your own President had never left Brooklyn, he might be standing up here instead of me.

我本人很荣幸能到访自由爱尔兰的自由议会。如果一百年前的爱尔兰能有此番政治经济景象，我的曾祖父一定会留在新罗斯，我也说不定有幸和大家成为同事。当然，要不是你的总统当年离开了布鲁克林，说不定今天站到这里的美国总统就是他，而不是我了。

This elegant building, as you know, was once the property of the Fitzgerald family, but I have not come here to claim it. Of all the new relations I have discovered on this trip, I regret to say that no one has yet found any link between me and a great Irish patriot, Lord Edward Fitzgerald. Lord Edward, however, did not like to stay here in his family home because, as he wrote his mother, "Leinster House does not inspire the brightest ideas." That was a long time ago, however. It has also been said by some that a few of the features of this stately mansion served to inspire similar features in the White House in Washington. Whether this is true or not, I know that the White House was designed by James Hoban, a noted Irish-American architect and I have no doubt that he believe by incorporating several features of the Dublin style he would make it more homelike for any President of Irish descent. It was a long wait, but I appreciate his efforts.

众所周知，这座议会大厦曾经就是菲茨杰拉德家族的财产(译者注：肯尼迪总统全名为约翰·菲茨杰拉德·肯尼迪)，不过别担心，我这次来爱尔兰，不会来讨回家族财产的。此次访爱之旅中，我发现自己与爱尔兰的联系远超我的想象，但很遗憾，我和伟大的爱尔兰爱国者爱德华·菲茨杰拉德勋爵好像没有什么联系。不过，爱德华勋爵并不希望一直留在家乡，他在给母亲的信中写道，“伦斯特宫(译者注：即今天的爱尔兰国会大厦)激发不出最先进的思想”。那是很多年之前的事情了。不过时至今日，仍有很多人说，华盛顿的白宫在这方面，和庄严的伦斯特宫不相上下。不管这种说法对不对吧，有一点我是确信的，那就是白宫的设计师，詹姆斯·霍本先生，也是一位爱尔兰裔美国人，我相信他在设计白宫时，应该多少加入了一些都柏林风格，要是未来美国出了爱尔兰裔的总统，好让他进入白宫就跟回家一样。虽然时过多年，但我还是要感谢他的处心积虑。

There is also an unconfirmed rumor that Hoban was never fully paid for his work on the White House. If this proves to be true, I will speak to our Secretary of the Treasury about it, although I hear his body is not particularly interested in the subject of revenues.

还有传言说，霍本设计白宫的工钱一直没结清。如果此言属实，那我必须得跟财政部长谈谈，把工钱结给他，虽然现在霍本先生自己好像也不在乎这笔钱了。

I am proud to be the first American President to visit Ireland during his term of office, proud to be addressing this distinguished assembly, and proud of the welcome you have given me. My presence and your welcome, however, only symbolize the many and the enduring links which have bound the Irish and the Americans since the earliest days.

我很荣幸成为第一位载人内访问爱尔兰的美国总统，我很荣幸能在你们伟大的议会发表讲话，我很荣幸得到你们的热情欢迎。各位的热烈欢迎，我的友好访问，都象征着美爱两国人民对彼此的关爱，象征着你我之间历久弥新的纽带。

Benjamin Franklin--the envoy of the American Revolution who was also born in Boston--was received by the Irish Parliament in 1772. It was neither independent nor free from discrimination at the time, but Franklin reported its members "disposed to be friends of America." "By joining our interest with theirs," he said,"a more equitable treatment . . . might be obtained for both nations."

本杰明·富兰克林——曾在美国独立战争时期担任外交官，他也出生在波士顿——他于1772年得到了爱尔兰议会的接见。当时爱尔兰还没有独立，依然饱受歧视和压迫，但是富兰克林的报告中写道，爱尔兰议员们“看起来是北美人民的朋友”。然后他补充道，“我们可以和他们联合起来...或许能为两国人民争取到更平等的待遇”。

Our interest have been joined ever since. Franklin sent leaflets to Irish freedom fighters. O'Connell was influenced by Washington, and Emmet influenced Lincoln. Irish volunteers played so predominant a role in the American army that Lord Mountjoy lamented in the British Parliament that "we have lost America through the Irish."

自那之后，我们两国的利益就紧密相连。富兰克林向爱尔兰的自由斗士发放传单。我国的华盛顿影响了贵国的奥康奈尔，而贵国的埃米特又影响了我国的林肯。爱尔兰裔志愿兵在美国军队中发挥了关键作用，以至于蒙乔伊勋爵都在英国议会感叹说，“是爱尔兰人让我们失去了美洲”。

John Barry, whose statue we honored yesterday and whose sword is in my office, was only one who fought for liberty in America to set an example for liberty in Ireland. Yesterday was the 117th anniversary of the birth of Charles Stewart Parnell--whose grandfather fought under Barry and whose mother was born in America--and who, at the age of 34, was invited to address the American Congress on the cause of Irish freedom. "I have seen since I have been in this country," he said, "so many tokens of the good wishes of the American people toward Ireland . . ." And today, 83 years later, I can say to you that I have seen in this country so many tokens of good wishes of the Irish people towards America.

我们昨天刚刚参观了约翰·巴里的雕像，他的佩剑至今就在我的办公室，他是唯一一个希望参战并解放美洲，来激励爱尔兰人民争取自由。昨天是查尔斯·斯图尔特·巴涅尔诞辰117周年——他的祖父曾在巴里的麾下战斗，他的母亲就是美国人——他自己在34岁时，受邀来到美国国会，就爱尔兰人民的自由发表演讲。他在演讲中说道，“自我来到这个国家以来，我看到的种种迹象都表明，美国人民非常关爱爱尔兰人民”。而83年后的今天，我也可以说，我在贵国看到的种种迹象都表明，爱尔兰人民也非常关爱美国人民。

And so it is that our two nations, divided by distance, have been united by history. No people ever believed more deeply in the cause of Irish freedom than the people of the United States. And no country contributed more to building my own than your sons and daughters. They came to our shores in a mixture of hope and agony, and I would not underrate the difficulties of their course once they arrived in the United States. They left behind hearts, fields, and a nation yearning to be free. It is no wonder that James Joyce described the Atlantic as a bowl of bitter tears. And an earlier poet wrote, "They are going, going, going, and we cannot bid them stay."

我们两国虽然相隔遥远，但是历史上却联络紧密。纵观世界，没有哪个国家比美国人民更坚信，爱尔兰人民终将自由。而纵观世界，也没有哪个国家的后裔比爱尔兰的子孙，为建设美国做出了更大贡献。当年爱尔兰人怀着希望和惶恐登上了美国的海岸，毫无疑问，他们未来还会面临诸多艰难险阻。他们离开了自己的心灵所在之地，离开他们世系耕作的农田，离开了一个渴望自由的国家。正是因此，詹姆斯·乔伊斯曾说，大西洋的海水都是两岸人民痛苦的泪水。在他之前，也有诗人写下，“他们都走了，一个走了，又一个走了，我们能用什么让他们留下”。

But today this is no longer the country of hunger and famine that those emigrants left behind. It is not rich, and its progress is not yet complete, but it is, according to statistics, one of the best fed countries in the world. Nor is it any longer a country of persecution, political or religious. It is a free country, and that is why any American feels at home.

但今天，爱尔兰已经不是那个饥荒肆虐、子孙逃离的国家了。今天的爱尔兰虽不富裕，征程依旧漫长，但有数据表明，爱尔兰人民的饮食水平在全世界名列前谋。爱尔兰子民再也不会遭到政治压迫和宗教压迫了。爱尔兰是一个自由国家，所以美国人来到这里总会感到宾至如归。

There are those who regard this history of past strife and exile as better forgotten. But, to use the phrase of Yeats, let us not casually reduce "that great past to a trouble of fools." For we need not feel the bitterness of the past to discover its meaning for the present and the future. And it is the present and the future of Ireland that today holds so much promise to my nation as well as to yours, and, indeed, to all mankind.

有些人认为，这段流亡逃难的历史就忘掉吧。但是用叶芝的话来说，我们不要随便把“那段历史解释为某些人犯下的蠢事”。因为我们应该通过这段历史，鉴古知今、预测未来，而不是单纯知道我们过去多么屈辱。如今的爱尔兰蓬勃发展，无论是爱尔兰、美国和全世界都看好这个国家。

For the Ireland of 1963, one of the youngest of nations and oldest of civilizations, has discovered that the achievement of nationhood is not an end but a beginning. In the years since independence, you have undergone a new and peaceful revolution, transforming the face of this land while still holding to the old spiritual and cultural values. You have modernized your economy, harnessed your rivers, diversified your industry, liberalized your trade, electrified your farms, accelerated your rate of growth, and improved the living standards of your people.

1963年，爱尔兰是世界上最年轻的新生国家之一，却也是世界上历史最悠久的古老文明之一，你们都知道，赢得国家独立不是结束，而是新的开始。爱尔兰独立之后，你们通过和平变革的方式，让这个国度焕然一新的同时，还保留了本国特色的精神文化价值观念。爱尔兰经济实现现代化，爱尔兰的河流得到治理，爱尔兰的产业丰富多谢，商业自由成长，农业电气化迅猛，经济增长速度飞快，人民生活水平提高。

The other nations of the world--in whom Ireland has long invested her people and her children--are now investing their capital as well as their vacations here in Ireland. This revolution is not yet over, nor will it be, I am sure, until a fully modern Irish economy shares in world prosperity.

爱尔兰曾将自己才华横溢的儿女投资到世界其他国家——如今，这些海外子女的爱尔兰后裔，也会将自己投资回爱尔兰，顺便还能回来休假。这场变革尚未结束，我相信，在完全实现经济现代化、帮助世界市场繁荣之前，爱尔兰人民永远不会停下脚步。

But prosperity is not enough. Eighty-three years ago, Henry Grattan, demanding the more independent Irish Parliament that would always bear his name, denounced those who were satisfied merely by new grants of economic opportunity. "A country," he said, "enlightened as Ireland, chartered as Ireland, armed as Ireland and injured as Ireland will be satisfied with nothing less than liberty." And today, I am certain, free Ireland--a full-fledged member of the world community, where some are not yet free, and where some counsel an acceptance of tyranny--free Ireland will not be satisfied with anything less than liberty.

但仅仅繁荣还不够。83年前，亨利·格拉顿谴责那些拿到更多钱就安于现状的人，他要求赋予爱尔兰议会更大的自主权，如果没有他，就不会有今天的爱尔兰议会。他曾说，“像爱尔兰这样进取的国家，像爱尔兰这样受到压迫的国家，像爱尔兰这样孔武有力的国家，像爱尔兰这样饱受伤害的国家，不会甘心于自由之外的一切结果。”今天，我相信爱尔兰已经得到自由——是国际社会上一个独立自主的国家，世界上还有些国家尚未独立，还有些国家处于保证之下——而爱尔兰自己取得自由后，面对世界，必然也绝不会甘心于自由之外的一切结果。

I am glad, therefore, that Ireland is moving in the mainstream of current world events. For I sincerely believe that your future is as promising as your past is proud, and that your destiny lies not as a peaceful island in a sea of troubles, but as a maker and shaper of world peace.

所以我很高兴，爱尔兰能够顺应历史浪潮发展。我坚信贵国的未来会如同其历史一样灿烂辉煌，你们不是汹涌海域中的一片宁静孤岛，你们是世界和平的建设工匠。

For self-determination can no longer mean isolation; and the achievement of national independence today means withdrawal from the old status only to return to the world scene with a new one. New nations can build with their former governing powers the same kind of fruitful relationship that Ireland has established with Great Britain--a relationship founded on equality and mutual interests. And no nation, large or small, can be indifferent to the fate of others, near or far. Modern economics, weaponry and communications have made us all realize more than ever that we are one human family and this one planet is our home.

独立不意味着孤立；今天，争取到国家独立，只是意味着我们摆脱了旧日的殖民地地位，以新的身份重回国际舞台。新国家能与前宗主国一起共建友好关系，就像爱尔兰和英国那样——建成平等互利的关系。任何大小国家都不可能对其他国家的命运视而不见，无论远近。进入现代，无论是经济方面、武器方面还是交通方面来看，我们在都逐渐走向命运与共的人类大家族，地球是我们的家园。

"The world is large," wrote John Boyle O'Reilly.

约翰·波义耳·奥赖利曾写下，

"The world is large when its weary
leagues two loving hearts divide,

“当原本相爱的两心分裂阋墙，

你我距离愈加遥远。”

"But the world is small when your enemy
is loose on the other side."

“当原本敌视的两心既往不咎，

你我距离愈加亲密。”

The world is even smaller today, though the enemy of John Boyle O'Reilly is no longer a hostile power. Indeed, across the gulfs and barriers that now divide us, we must remember that there are no permanent enemies. Hostility today is a fact, but it is not a ruling law. The supreme reality of our time is our indivisibility as children of God and our common vulnerability on this planet.

虽然约翰·波义耳·奥赖利所指的敌人，如今已同我们和解，但今天，世界各国的距离比他所说的还要小。虽然现在我们之间有分歧，有隔阂，但是我们要记住，世界上没有永远的敌人。敌对是客观存在的，但这不并非万物运行的最高法则。在我们这个时代，真正的最高法则是，我们都是上帝的子民，我们都是地球上的人民，不可分割、命运与共。

Some may say that all this means little to Ireland. In an age when "history moves with the tramp of earthquake feet"--in an age when a handful of men and nations have the power literally to devastate mankind--in an age when the needs of the developing nations are so staggering that even the richest lands often groan with the burden of assistance--in such an age, it may be asked, how can a nation as small as Ireland play much of a role on the world stage?

有些人说，这些话对爱尔兰说是没有用的。在现在这个时代，“大国的每一步行动，都能在历史上引起地震般的反应”——在现在这个时代，一部分人、一部分国家掌握着毁灭人类的力量——现在这个时代，发展中国家艰难度日，哪怕是最富有的国家，也因为援助它们而被负担压得喘不过气——在现在这个时代，人们会问，向爱尔兰这样的小国家，怎么能在国际舞台上发挥作用呢？

I would remind those who ask that question, including those in other small countries, of the words of one of the great orators of the English language:

我希望这些发问的人，无论他们来自爱尔兰还是其他国家，都请记住一位伟大的英语演说家的话语：

"All the world owes much to the little 'five feet high' nations. The greatest art of the world was the work of little nations. The most enduring literature of the world came from little nations. The heroic deeds that thrill humanity through generations were the deeds of little nations fighting for their freedom. And oh, yes, the salvation of mankind came through a little nation."

“全世界都需要感谢这些‘五英尺高’的小国家。世界上最伟大的艺术作品都诞生于小国家。世界上最经久不衰的文学作品也都诞生于小国家。人类历史上最英勇的、一代代人为自由而抛头颅撒热血的故事，也都诞生于小国家。哦，是的，全人类的救赎，需要靠小国家来实现。”

Ireland has already set an example and a standard for other small nations to follow.

爱尔兰就是个这么一个模范，是其他小国家效仿的榜样。

This has never been a rich or powerful country, and yet, since earliest times, its influence on the world has been rich and powerful. No larger nation did more to keep Christianity and Western culture alive in their darkest centuries. No larger nation did more to spark the cause of independence in America, indeed, around the world. And no larger nation has ever provided the world with more literary and artistic genius.

爱尔兰从来谈不上强大富裕，但自诞生以来，爱尔兰对世界就产生了不容小觑的影响。那些大国在至暗时刻之际，从不曾如爱尔兰这般捍卫基督信仰和西方文化。那些大国对美国独立，乃至世界各国独立事业做出的贡献，也不及爱尔兰。那些大国为世界文坛艺界所贡献的杰作，亦不如爱尔兰。

This is an extraordinary country. George Bernard Shaw, speaking as an Irishman, summed up an approach to life: Other people, he said "see things and . . . say 'Why?' . . . But I dream things that never were-- and I say: 'Why not?'"

爱尔兰是一个伟大的国度。伟大的爱尔兰作家乔治·萧伯纳曾总结过：世界其他民族，都是只看到事物的现状，并问“为什么？”...而我们爱尔兰人，向来梦想着从未发生的事情，问“为什么不呢？”

It is that quality of the Irish--that remarkable combination of hope, confidence and imagination--that is needed more than ever today. The problems of the world cannot possibly be solved by skeptics or cynics, whose horizons are limited by the obvious realities. We need men who can dream of things that never were, and ask why not. It matters not how small a nation is that seeks world peace and freedom, for, to paraphrase a citizen of my country, "the humblest nation of all the world, when clad in the armor of a righteous cause, is stronger than all the hosts of Error."

爱尔兰人民将希望、信念和想象凝聚为一——而我们当今世界所需要的，正是这种品质。我们当代的问题，不可能由认知狭隘、只能看到眼下的阴谋论者和愤世嫉俗者解决。我们需要敢于梦想从未有过的事情，问为什么不呢。国家的大小并不重要，重要的是它是否追求和平与自由，用一位美国人的话来说，“只要敢于为正义挺身而出，哪怕是世界上最卑微的小国，也远胜过任何蔽美扬恶的大国”。

Ireland is clad in the cause of national and human liberty with peace. To the extent that the peace is disturbed by conflict between the former colonial powers and the new and developing nations, Ireland's role is unique. For every new nation knows that Ireland was the first of the small nations in the 20th century to win its struggle for independence, and that the Irish have traditionally sent their doctors and technicians and soldiers and priests to help other lands to keep their liberty alive.

爱尔兰就是一个敢于为本国和人类自由和平挺身而出的国家。如果想要让前宗主国和新生发展中国家化干戈为玉帛，爱尔兰的帮助必不可少。因为全世界都知道，爱尔兰是20世纪第一个赢得独立的小国，爱尔兰一直以来都在向外国派遣医生、技工、士兵和牧师，帮助各国捍卫自由。

At the same time, Ireland is part of Europe, associated with the Council of Europe, progressing in the context of Europe, and a prospective member of an expanded European Common Market. Thus Ireland has excellent relations with both the new and the old, the confidence of both sides and an opportunity to act where the actions of greater powers might be looked upon with suspicion.

与此同时，爱尔兰是一个欧洲国家，与欧洲理事会联系密切，也在帮助欧洲各国改善境遇，也是欧洲共同市场理想的新成员国。所以爱尔兰和新旧国家的关系都非常友好，爱尔兰深得各国信任，在其他大国因遭到猜疑而无法采取行动时，爱尔兰可以伸出援手。

The central issue of freedom, however, is between those who believe in self-determination and those in the East who would impose on others the harsh and oppressive Communist system; and here your nation wisely rejects the role of a go-between or a mediator. Ireland pursues an independent course in foreign policy, but it is not neutral between liberty and tyranny and never will be.

但自由事业的核心问题在于两大派别的争议，一方是我们这些信奉民族自决的国家，另一方式东方那些想要将自己的严酷压迫制度强加给他国的共产主义国家；而贵国很明智，在这场争议中没有选择走平衡木。爱尔兰奉行独立自主的外交政策，但不会在自由与暴政之争中选择中立，永远都不会。

For knowing the meaning of foreign domination, Ireland is the example and inspiration to those enduring endless years of oppression. It was fitting and appropriate that this nation played a leading role in censuring the suppression of the Hungarian revolution, for how many times was Ireland's quest for freedom suppressed only to have that quest renewed by the succeeding generation? Those who suffer beyond that wall I saw on Wednesday in Berlin must not despair of their future. Let them remember the constancy, the faith, the endurance, and the final success of the Irish. And let them remember, as I heard sung by your sons and daughters yesterday in Wexford, the words, "the boys of Wexford, who fought with heart and hand, to burst in twain the galling chain and free our native land."

爱尔兰知道被外国统治是什么滋味，爱尔兰做出了表率，鼓舞了那些多年饱受压迫的国家。所以爱尔兰才在苏联镇压匈牙利革命时率先谴责苏联，爱尔兰人民追求自由斗争被镇压了无数次，敢问哪一次镇压不是更加坚定了下一代爱尔兰人抗争的决心？周三我在柏林看到了柏林墙，柏林墙后的人民请不要就此放弃希望。请记住爱尔兰人民花了多久、做出了多大牺牲、失望了多少次才最终争得了国家独立。请记住昨天爱尔兰人民在韦克斯福德所高唱的歌曲，“韦克斯福德的小伙子们，倾尽全力加入战斗，粉碎奴役的枷锁，解放我们的祖国”。

The major forum for your nation's greater role in world affairs is that of protector of the weak and voice of the small, the United Nations. From Cork to the Congo, from Galway to the Gaza Strip, from this legislative assembly to the United Nations, Ireland is sending its most talented men to do the world's most important work--the work of peace.

贵国惩恶扬善、为小国发声的主要平台就是联合国。从科克到刚过，从戈尔韦到加沙地带，从爱尔兰议会到联合国大会，爱尔兰将自己最杰出的公民派去国外，去肩负起世界上最重要的任务——世界和平。

In a sense, this export of talent is in keeping with an historic Irish role--but you no longer go as exiles and emigrants but for the service of your country and, indeed, of all men. Like the Irish missionaries of medieval days, like the "wild geese" after the Battle of the Boyne, you are not content to sit by your fireside while others are in need of your help. Nor are you content with the recollections of the past when you face the responsibilities of the present.

从一定程度上来说，本国人才前往其他国家，这在爱尔兰历史上是常态——只不过这次，你们不再是流亡者，不再是逃难移民，而是在海外服务自己的祖国，服务全人类。就如同中世纪的爱尔兰传教士所说，你们就像博因河战役结束后的“野鹅”，在他人呼求你们的帮助时，你们无法坐在火炉旁置之不理。在如今你们面临着艰巨责任时，你们也不会一直沉溺于过去。

Twenty-six sons of Ireland have died in the Congo; many others have been wounded. I pay tribute to them and to all of you for your commitment and dedication to world order. And their sacrifice reminds us all that we must not falter now.

26个爱尔兰的子民殒命在刚果；伤者更是不计其数。我向他们致以敬意，也向你们为世界和平所做的牺牲奉献而致敬。我们绝不能动摇，绝不能让他们的牺牲付之东流。

The United Nations must be fully and fairly financed. Its peace- keeping machinery must be strengthened. Its institutions must be developed until some day, and perhaps some distant day, a world of law is achieved.

世界各国必须为联合国提供充足资金。加强联合国维和机制。发展联合国各大机构，直到未来有朝一日，人人生活在国际法治秩序之下。

Ireland's influence in the United Nations is far greater than your relative size. You have not hesitated to take the lead on such sensitive issues as the Kashmir dispute. And you sponsored that most vital resolution, adopted by the General Assembly, which opposed the spread of nuclear arms to any nation not now possessing them, urging an international agreement with inspection and controls. And I pledge to you that the United States of America will do all in its power to achieve such an agreement and fulfill your resolution.

爱尔兰虽然国土不大，但是在联合国的影响力不小。面临一些他国回避的敏感问题，你们总是带头发声，比如克什米尔争议。你们支持核不扩散决议，推动联大最终通过这份决议，督促世界各国达成条约，监管并控制核武器。我向各位保证，美利坚合众国会竭尽所能地推动这份条约成为现实，落实你们的决议。

I speak of these matters today--not because Ireland is unaware of its role--but I think it important that you know that we know what you have done. And I speak to remind the other small nations that they, too, can and must help build a world peace. They, too, as we all are, are dependent on the United Nations for security, for an equal chance to be heard, for progress towards a world made safe for diversity.

今天，我同大家谈论这些事务——并非是因为爱尔兰忽视了这些事务——而是希望大家知道，世界人民把你们的一切贡献都看在眼里。我希望世界上其他小国明白，它们也可以帮助世界和平事业发展。他们可以像我们一样，通过联合国保障本国安全，通过联合国发声，通过联合国来一起推进世界和平与多元化。

The peace-keeping machinery of the United Nations cannot work without the help of the smaller nations, nations whose forces threaten no one and whose forces can thus help create a world in which no nation is threatened. Great powers have their responsibilities and their burdens, but the smaller nations of the world must fulfill their obligations as well.

联合国的维和机制离不开小国家的帮助，小国家的军队本身不会威胁到他国，所以我们想要打造一个没有威胁的世界，正需要他们的帮助。大国有自己的责任和负担，但小国对世界同样负有自己的义务。

A great Irish poet once wrote: "I believe profoundly . . . in the future of Ireland . . . that this is an isle of destiny, that that destiny will be glorious . . . and that when our hour is come, we will have something to give to the world."

一位伟大的爱尔兰诗人曾写下：“我坚信...未来的爱尔兰...会成为天命之国，而她的天命必定灿烂辉煌...当那一刻到来之际，我们必能助力世界滚滚向前。”

My friends: Ireland's hour has come. You have something to give to the world--and that is a future of peace with freedom.

我的朋友们：那一时刻已经到来。你们可以助力世界滚滚向前——让世界走向和平与自由。

Thank you.

谢谢大家。

声明：本人仅按照原文翻译内容，演讲内容不代表本人观点。此专栏仅供历史和英语交流学习使用，任何读者皆可引用本人的译本。

希望来学习英语的观众明白：我觉得这些专栏的主要精华在于英语原文，而并非我的译本，我的译本很大程度上只是供来学习历史的观众使用的。本人的英语水平一般，翻译得并不会多么精彩，只能在你看不懂时来帮助你了解这些演讲内容最基本的意思，而且翻译时难免会出现差错，切勿直接完全以我的译本为标准。如发现有翻译错误或者歧义内容，欢迎指正。

希望来学习历史的观众明白：任何历史人物都有一定的局限性，随着时代发展，很多观点看法可能已经不再适用今天的世界，西方的观点也不一定适用于我们。通过了解这些演讲，仅可给我们提供一个更全面了解过去和世界的渠道。我们可以从优秀的历史、当代人物身上学到很多，但是请保持独立思考，理性看待演讲内容，切勿全信或将其奉为真理。