“Four score 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, that 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：括号内为状语或同位语等不影响主干的成分；斜体为句子主干；下划线部分为定语，单词前带^号的为定语的中心词；#号后加下划线部分为宾语从句；单词后带*号的会做单词释义。
（Four score* 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.)
Translation：八十七年前，我们的先辈们在这片大陆上创立一个新的国家。这个国家孕育于自由之中，并致力于人人生而平等的理念。
Score: (plural ‘score’) a set or group of 20. —‘four score and seven’ = 4 x 20 + 7 = 87.
Bring forth: (old use or formal) to give a birth to sb; produce sth. —‘our fathers brought forth a new nation.’ = Our fathers gave a birth to the United States. [It’s a metaphor.]
Conceive: when a woman conceives(vi.) or conceives(vt.) a child, she becomes pregnant. —‘a new station, conceived in liberty’ = the United States is pregnant with freedom. [metaphor]
Dedicate: to give a lot of your time and effort to a particular activity or purpose because you think it is important. —‘a new station, dedicated to the proposition’ = the USA is devoted to the proposition.
Proposition: a statement that expresses an opinion. —‘the proposition that all men are created equal.’ [‘that all men are created equal’ is in apposition to ‘proposition’]
(Now) we are engaged* in a great civil war, （testing whether that ^nation or any ^nation *so conceived and so dedicated*1 can long endure*.）
Translation：现在，我们参与到了这场伟大的内战中。这可以检验出那样一个或任何一个孕育自由和奉献于生而平等的国家能否长久的存在。
Engage: (formal) to take part in sth.; to make sb. take part in sth. —‘we are engaged in a great civil war’ = we are involved in a great civil war.
*1: ‘So’ means ‘such’. ‘Conceived and dedicated’ are postposition attributes to modify ‘nation’. —‘that nation or any nation so conceived and so dedicated’ = that nation which is conceived in liberty and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal or any nation like this.
Endure: (vi.) to continue to exist for a long time. —‘testing whether that nation can long endure.’ = to test if the nation like that can long exist.
We are met （on a great* battlefield of that war.）
Translation：我们相聚在内战的重要战场上。
Great: important and impressive.
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)*2.)
Translation: 我们来到这里，是为了献出这一部分的土地给那些为国家生存而献出生命的人，作为一个最后的休憩之所。
Dedicate: to hold an official ceremony to say that a building or an object has a special purpose or is special to the memory of a particular person.
Portion: one part of sth larger. ‘a portion of that field’ = a part of that land.
*2: The first ‘that’ is a complementizer to introduce the adverbial clause of purpose ‘that nation might live’. The second ‘that’ is a determiner to refer to the nation so conceived and so dedicated.
It* is altogether* fitting and proper that we should do this.
Translation: 我们这样做，是完全适合而且完全正确的。
It: ‘it’ is a formal subject, and the logical subject is ‘we should do this.’
Altogether: (used to emphasize sth) completely; in every way.
（But, in a larger sense, ）we cannot dedicate, we cannot consecrate*, we cannot hallow this ground.
Translation：但是，从更广泛的意义上来说，我们不能奉献、不能圣化、不能神化这片土地。
Consecrate: to state officially in a religious ceremony that sth is holy and can be used for religious purposes.
The brave ^men, (living and dead) who struggled here have consecrated it (far above our poor power to add or detract*.)
Translation：是曾在这里奋斗过的，无论是生还还是战死的勇士使得这里成为圣地。这里的神圣不是我们渺小之力就可以增减的。
Detract: to make sth seem less good or enjoyable.
The world will little note nor long remember #what we say here, but it can never forget #what they did here.
Translation: 世界不会留意也不会记得我们在这里所说的，但是它永远不会忘记他们在这里所做的。
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.
Translation：我们这些活着的人更应当奉献于他们为之不懈奋斗的未竟之业。
Thus far: until now; up to this point.
It is (rather) for us to be (here) dedicated to the great ^task remaining before us --
Translation：我们应当奉献于仍摆在我们面前的伟大事业。
/1 (that (from these honored dead) we take increased devotion* to that cause* (for which they gave the last full measure* of devotion))
Translation：从这些英勇战亡者身上，我们能汲取更多的他们最后满怀的对未竟事业的奉献精神。
Devotion: the action of spending a lot of time or energy on sth.
Cause: an organization or idea that people support or fight for.
Measure: a particular amount of sth, especially a fairly large amount.
/2 -- (that we here highly resolve* that these dead shall not have died in vain,)
Translation：我们坚信这些战士不会徒劳地战亡。
Resolve: to make a firm decision to do sth.
/3 (that this nation under God shall have a new birth of freedom,)
Translation：这个在上帝之下的国家会有一个新生的自由。
/4 (and that government of the people, by the people, for the people shall not perish from the earth.)
Translation：这个民有、民治、民享的政府将不会从地球上消亡。
参考翻译：
先人立国已逾八十有七载。立国以自由，众生平等乃国本也。
今逢内争，欲明以此为本之国能永存否。今聚战场，欲以方寸之地奉我勇士。勇士者，为国捐躯舍生取义，奉以此地安之，义举也。
然复往广推，此地难奉，遑论祭或圣之。众勇士，或存或亡，皆战于此，已奉祭于斯，我等绵力不能增其圣以毫厘，或减以寸分。吾等今日所言，世人将漠之，记忆必短；然勇士事迹，量不致或忘丝毫。吾尚存者，当担所余大任；承烈士遗志，倍吾力于未竟之业；神佑吾国，当获自由之新生；民有、民治、民享之政必永续于世。
网友评论