FiresideChat
富兰克林·罗斯福
FranklinRoosevelt
富兰克林·罗斯福(1882—1945),美国第三十一、三十二任总统,美国历史上唯一蝉联四届(第四届未任满)的总统。罗斯福在20世纪的经济大萧条和第二次世界大战中扮演了重要的角色,被学者评为是美国最伟大的三位总统之一。
AceintheHole
Understandthesenewwordsbeforeyoureadthisarticle。
1。exansionn。扩大,扩张,扩展,膨胀
2。hilosohyn。哲学;人生哲学,人生观
3。emhaticallyadv。强调地;断然地;明显地
4。arsenaln。兵工厂,军火库
Myfriend,
Thisisnotafiresidechatonwar。Itisatalkonnationalsecurity;becausethenubofthewholeuroseofyourresidentistokeeyounow,andyourchildrenlater,andyourgrandchildrenmuchlater,outofalast-ditchwarforthereservationofAmericanindeendenceandallofthethingsthatAmericanindeendencemeanstoyouandtomeandtoours。
Tonight,intheresenceofaworldcrisis,mymindgoesbackeightyearstoanightinthemidstofadomesticcrisis。ItwasatimewhenthewheelsofAmericanindustryweregrindingtoafullsto,whenthewholebankingsystemofourcountryhadceasedtofunction。
IwellrememberedthatwhileIsatinmystudyintheWhiteHouse,rearingtotalkwiththeeoleoftheUnitedStates,IhadbeforemyeyestheictureofallthoseAmericanswithwhomIwastalking。Isawtheworkmeninthemills,themines,thefactories;thegirlbehindthecounter;thesmallshokeeer;thefarmerdoinghisSringlowing;thewidowsandtheoldmenwonderingabouttheirlife’ssavings。
ItriedtoconveytothegreatmassofAmericaneolewhatthebankingcrisistothemintheirdailylives。
TonightIwanttodothesamething,withthesameeole,inthisnewcrisis,whichfacesAmerica。
Wemettheissueof1933withcourageandrealism。Wefacethisnewcrisis—thisnewthreattothesecurityofournation—withthesamecourageandrealism。
NeverbeforesinceJamestownandPlymouthRockhasourAmericancivilizationbeeninsuchdangerasnow。
ForonSetember27,1940—thisyear—byanagreementsignedinBerlin,threeowerfulnations,twoinEuroeandoneinAsia,joinedthemselvestogetherinthethreatthatiftheUnitedStatesofAmericainterferedwithorblockedtheexansionrogramofthesethreenations—arogramaimedatworldcontrol—theywoulduniteinultimateactionagainsttheUnitedStates。
TheNazimastersofGermanyhavemadeitclearthattheyintendnotonlytodominatealllifeandthoughtintheirowncountry,butalsotoenslavethewholeofEuroe,andthentousetheresourcesofEuroetodominatetherestoftheworld。
Inotherwords,theAxisnotmerelyadmitsbuttheAxisroclaimsthattherecanbenoultimateeacebetweentheirhilosohy—theirhilosohyofgovernment—andourhilosohyofgovernment。
Inviewofthenatureofthisundeniablethreat,itcanbeasserted,roerlyandcategorically,thattheUnitedStateshasnorightorreasontoencouragetalkofeaceuntilthedayshallcomewhenthereisaclearintentionontheartoftheaggressornationstoabandonallthoughtofdominatingorconqueringtheworld。
AtthismomenttheforcesoftheStatesthatareleaguedagainstalleoleswholiveinfreedomarebeingheldawayfromourshores。TheGermansandtheItaliansarebeingblockedontheothersideoftheAtlanticbytheBritishandbytheGreeks,andbythousandsofsoldiersandsailorswhowereabletoescaefromsubjugatedcountries。InAsiatheJaanesearebeingengagedbytheChinesenationinanothergreatdefense。
InthePacificOceanisourfleet。
Thinkingintermsoftodayandtomorrow,ImakethedirectstatementtotheAmericaneolethatthereisfarlesschanceoftheUnitedStatesgettingintowarifwedoallwecannowtosuortthenationsdefendingthemselvesagainstattackbytheAxisthanifweacquiesceintheirdefeat,submittamelytoanAxisvictory,andwaitourturntobetheobjectofattackinanotherwarlateron。
Ifwearetobecomletelyhonestwithourselves,wemustadmitthatthereisriskinanycoursewemaytake。ButIdeelybelievethatthegreatmajorityofoureoleagreethatthecoursethatIadvocateinvolvestheleastrisknowandthegreatesthoeforworldeaceinthefuture。
TheeoleofEuroewhoaredefendingthemselvesdonotaskustodotheirfighting。Theyaskusfortheimlementsofwar,thelanes,thetanks,theguns,thefreighterswhichwillenablethemtofightfortheirlibertyandforoursecurity。Emhaticallywemustgettheseweaonstothem,getthemtotheminsufficientvolumeandquicklyenoughsothatweandourchildrenwillbesavedtheagonyandsufferingofwarwhichothershavehadtoendure。