Developing ideas 课文精读 · 改变了一个国家的演说
一、课文原文及逐段翻译
第1段
On a grey afternoon on 19 November 1863, a tall, thin man mounted a platform in a field in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania and began to speak. The place was the site of a recent battle where thousands of soldiers had died. The man was Abraham Lincoln, President of the United States of America and he was there in memory of the soldiers who had died. The speech he gave was just 268 words long and lasted two minutes. But this address to the crowd changed the minds of his people and helped shape a nation.
1863年11月19日，一个天空灰蒙蒙的下午，宾夕法尼亚州葛底斯堡的一块空地上，一个高大瘦削的男人登上了讲台，开始演说。就在不久前，这里曾是一片战场，数千名士兵牺牲于此。这个人是美国总统亚伯拉罕·林肯，他来到这里悼念已逝的战士。他的演说只有268个词，时长两分钟，但却改变了民众的想法，甚至帮助塑造了整个国家。
第2段
At that time, America was bitterly divided. For two years, its people had been deep in a civil war between the slave-owning Confederate Southern States and the "free" Northern States of the Union. The worst battle lasted three days and took place at Gettysburg in 1863. The Union side won but at a great cost. Over 50,000 soldiers were killed or wounded, and people lost hope and purpose. What was all this suffering for?
在那时，美国分崩离析。两年来，美国人民深陷内战之中，一方是拥护奴隶制的南部邦联，另一方是拥护"自由"的北方联盟。最残酷的战斗持续了三天，就发生在1863年的葛底斯堡。北方联盟取得了胜利，但代价惨重。五万多名士兵死伤，人们失去了希望和目标。遭受这些苦难究竟是为了什么呢？
第3段
Lincoln understood the feelings of the civilian people. His speech gave them hope, belief and a reason to look to the future. He gave them a new vision of what the United States of America should be, based on the ideals set down by its Founding Fathers 87 years before. It was what the soldiers had died for. Now it was up to the living to remove not only the divisions between North and South, but the boundaries between black and white and work step by step towards the equality of humankind.
林肯理解民众的感受。他的演说给了民众希望、信念以及展望未来的理由。他给予了美国人民一个新的愿景，那就是依照87年前开国元勋的理念，美利坚合众国本应成为的样子。那也是已故的将士为之献出生命的原因。现在，责任落到了生者身上，不仅要消除南北之间的分歧，还要打破黑人与白人之间的界限，一步一步朝着实现人类平等而努力。
（以下为林肯《葛底斯堡演说》原文节选）
第4段
Four score and seven years ago our fathers brought forth, upon this continent, a new nation, conceived in Liberty, and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal.
87年前，我们的先辈在这块大陆上创立了一个新的国家，它孕育于自由之中，献身于人人生而平等的理想。
第5段
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 here on a great battlefield of that war. We have come to dedicate a portion of it 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.
当下我们正深陷于一场大规模的内战之中，它考验着这个国家，或者任何一个生于自由、对上述理想深信不疑的国家，能否长久生存下去。现在我们聚集在这场内战的一个重要战场上，我们来到这里，是为了把这里的一部分土地献给那些为了国家存续而献出自己生命的人，作为他们最终的安息之地。我们这样做是完全应当且非常恰当的。
第6段
But in a larger sense, we can not dedicate — we can not consecrate — we can not 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 can never forget what they did here. It is for us, the living, rather to be dedicated here to the unfinished work which they have, thus far, so nobly carried on. 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 here gave the last full measure of devotion — that we here highly resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain: that this nation shall have a new birth of freedom; and that this government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth.
但是，从更广泛意义上来说，我们不能献出——不能圣化——不能神化这块土地，因为在这里勇敢抗争的人们，不论生死，已经圣化了这片土地，这远不是我们渺小的力量所能增减的。世界不会留意，也不会铭记我们在这里说了什么，但它永远不会忘记他们在这里做的事情。他们英勇地坚持至今，现在是我们这些生者献身于这未完成的事业的时候了。我们应该把自己奉献于在我们面前的伟大事业——从这些光荣的逝者身上汲取更多的信仰，来投身于他们为之竭尽最后一丝力量的事业——我们在这里下最大的决心，不让逝者白白失去生命，要让国家获得自由的新生，要使民有、民治、民享的政府永存。
二、重点单词
mount v.：登上；爬上。mounted a platform
platform n.：讲台；平台。mounted a platform in a field
site n.：地点；遗址。the site of a recent battle
address n.：演说；致辞。this address to the crowd
bitterly adv.：极其；痛苦地。America was bitterly divided
divide v.：使分裂；分开。America was bitterly divided
civilian n.：平民。the feelings of the civilian people
equality n.：平等。towards the equality of humankind
conceive v.：构想；怀有。a nation conceived in Liberty
dedicate v.：献身于；把……献给。dedicated to the proposition
consecrate v.：使神圣；圣化。we can not consecrate this ground
hallow v.：使神圣。we can not hallow this ground
perish v.：消亡；毁灭。shall not perish from the earth
resolve v.：决心；决定。we here highly resolve
三、一词多义与熟词生义
address 常见义"地址、网址"，课文 this address to the crowd 中作名词"演说、致辞"，是正式用语。
score 常见义"分数、得分"，课文 four score and seven years 中 score 为旧式计数单位，意为"二十"，four score and seven = 87。
ground 常见指"地面、土地"，课文 this ground / hallow this ground 特指"葛底斯堡这片（饱含牺牲的）土地、战场"。
measure 常见"测量、措施"，课文 the last full measure of devotion 中 measure 意为"程度、全部"，指"竭尽全力的、全部的奉献"。
birth 常见"出生"，a new birth of freedom 指国家"重生、新生"，为比喻用法。
vain 常见"徒劳的、 vain 虚荣的"，die in vain 为固定搭配"白白牺牲、死得无意义"。
四、重点词块
mount a platform 登上讲台
in memory of 纪念
last two minutes 持续两分钟
be bitterly divided 被严重分裂
a civil war 一场内战
at a great cost 付出巨大代价
lose hope and purpose 失去希望与目标
look to the future 展望未来
based on 基于；以……为基础
set down 确立；制定
it is up to sb 取决于某人；是某人的责任
step by step 一步一步地
be engaged in 从事；卷入
in a larger sense 从更广泛的意义上说
the last full measure of devotion 竭尽全力的奉献
of the people, by the people, for the people 民有、民治、民享
五、长难句拆解
【原句 1】On a grey afternoon on 19 November 1863, a tall, thin man mounted a platform in a field in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania and began to speak.
【主干】a tall, thin man mounted a platform and began to speak.
【分层】On a grey afternoon... 为时间状语；in a field in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania 为地点状语嵌套；主语 a tall, thin man 含两个并列形容词前置定语；and 连接 mounted 与 began 两个谓语。
【译文】1863年11月19日一个灰蒙蒙的下午，一个高大瘦削的男人在宾州葛底斯堡的空地登上讲台，开始演说。
【考点】时间/地点状语；并列谓语；前置定语。
【原句 2】The man was Abraham Lincoln, President of the United States of America and he was there in memory of the soldiers who had died.
【主干】The man was Abraham Lincoln and he was there.
【分层】President of the United States of America 为 Lincoln 的同位语；who had died 为定语从句修饰 soldiers；in memory of 为介词短语作状语。
【译文】这个人是美国总统亚伯拉罕·林肯，他来到这里悼念已逝的战士。
【考点】同位语；who 定语从句；in memory of 短语。
【原句 3】Four score and seven years ago our fathers brought forth, upon this continent, a new nation, conceived in Liberty, and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal.
【主干】our fathers brought forth a new nation.
【分层】Four score and seven years ago 为时间状语；upon this continent 为地点状语插入；a new nation 后接两个过去分词短语 conceived... 与 (and) dedicated... 作后置定语；dedicated to 后接 that 引导的同位语从句解释 proposition。
【译文】87年前，我们的先辈在这块大陆上创立了一个新国家，它孕育于自由之中，献身于人人生而平等的理想。
【考点】过去分词作后置定语；that 同位语从句；插入状语。
【原句 4】Now we are engaged in a great civil war, testing whether that nation, or any nation, so conceived, and so dedicated, can long endure.
【主干】we are engaged in a civil war, testing whether... can endure.
【分层】are engaged in 为被动短语"卷入、从事"；testing... 为现在分词作伴随状语；whether 引导宾语从句，其中 so conceived, and so dedicated 为两个过去分词作后置定语修饰 nation；can long endure 为从句谓语。
【译文】当下我们正深陷一场大规模内战，它考验着这个国家——或任何一个如此孕育、如此献身的国家——能否长久存续。
【考点】现在分词伴随状语；whether 宾语从句；过去分词定语。
【原句 5】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 here gave the last full measure of devotion.
【主干】It is for us to be dedicated to the great task — that we take increased devotion.
【分层】It is for us to do 为"引出责任/目的"的句型；remaining before us 现在分词作后置定语修饰 task；破折号后 that 引导同位语从句解释 task；for which 引导定语从句修饰 cause；gave the last full measure of devotion 为"付出全部奉献"之意。
【译文】现在是我们献身于面前伟大事业的时候了——从这些光荣的逝者身上，我们汲取更多的信念，投身于他们竭尽全力的那份事业。
【考点】It is for sb. to do 句型；现在分词定语；that 同位语从句；介词+which 定语从句。
六、语法点清单
1. 一般过去时叙述历史事件
mounted, began, was, understood, gave。全文用过去时回顾葛底斯堡演说及其背景。
2. 定语从句（who / that / which）
the soldiers who had died；the proposition that all men are created equal（同位语从句）；the cause for which they gave...。注意 that 在此引导同位语从句而非定语从句。
3. 同位语
President of the United States of America 解释 Lincoln；a new nation 与同位语从句呼应。
4. 过去分词作定语 / 状语
conceived in Liberty；dedicated to the proposition；so conceived, and so dedicated。过去分词表"被动、已完成"。
5. 现在分词作伴随 / 定语
testing whether...（伴随）；remaining before us（定语）；honored dead（前置过去分词表"受尊敬的"）。
6. 平行结构（parallelism）
we can not dedicate — we can not consecrate — we can not hallow；of the people, by the people, for the people。排比增强演说气势。
七、逻辑链
背景（第1—2段）：1863年林肯于葛底斯堡发表仅268词、两分钟的演说；彼时美国南北分裂、五万死伤、民失希望
↓
意义（第3段）：演说给予民众希望与新愿景——依开国理念，消除南北、黑白分歧，迈向人类平等
↓
演讲立国（第4段）：87年前先辈立国，孕育于自由、献身于"人人生而平等"
↓
演讲当下（第5段）：正处内战考验国家存亡；来此把战场献给逝者，理所当然
↓
演讲升华（第6段）：生者更应献身未竟事业，不让死者白牺牲，国家获自由新生，民有民治民享政府永存
这是一篇"背景介绍+演说赏析"的评论文：第1—3段交代演说的历史语境与精神价值；第4—6段直引《葛底斯堡演说》原文，以凝练排比展现"平等、奉献、永存"的核心思想，是全文重心。
八、写作迁移
模板 1：On a ... afternoon, a ... man mounted ... and began to ...
课文：On a grey afternoon..., a tall, thin man mounted a platform... and began to speak.
仿写：On a sunny morning, an old man mounted the stage and began to tell his story.（一个晴朗的早晨，一位老人登上舞台，开始讲述他的故事。）——用于场景化开篇。
模板 2：At that time, ... was bitterly divided.
课文：At that time, America was bitterly divided.
仿写：At that time, the team was bitterly divided over the plan.（那时，团队对该计划严重分歧。）——用于描写分裂状态。
模板 3：... gave them hope, belief and a reason to ...
课文：His speech gave them hope, belief and a reason to look to the future.
仿写：Her words gave us hope, belief and a reason to keep trying.（她的话给了我们希望、信念和继续尝试的理由。）——用于排比表达影响。
模板 4：It is up to sb to ...
课文：Now it was up to the living to remove the divisions and work towards equality.
仿写：It is up to the young generation to protect our environment.（保护环境的责任落在年轻一代肩上。）——用于点明责任归属。
模板 5：... of the people, by the people, for the people ...
课文：this government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth.
仿写：A truly good service should be of the students, by the students, for the students.（真正好的服务应当是属于学生、由学生参与、为学生服务的。）——用于三连用排比收尾。
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