Unit 19 A freedom fighter
l] Five score [二十] years ago, a great
American, in whose symbolic [象征性的]shadow
we stand today, signed the Emancipation[解放]Proclamation
[宣言书;声明书] This momentous [非常重大的;非常重要的]decree[法令;政令]came
as a great beacon [灯塔]light of hope to
millions of Negro slaves who had been
seared [使枯萎;烧焦]in the flames[火焰]of withering[使枯萎的;毁灭性的]injustice
[不公正].It came as a joyous[快乐的]daybreak
to end the long night of captivity [囚禁;束缚].
[2] But one hundred years later, we
must face the tragic [悲惨的;不幸的] fact that
the Negro is still not free. One hundred
years later, the life of the Negro is
still sadly crippled [使残废;损坏]by the manacles[镣铐]
of segregation[种族隔离]and the chains of
discrimination[不公平待遇;差别对待;歧视]. One hundred
years later, the Negro lives on a lonely
island of poverty in the midst of [在……之中]
a vast ocean of material prosperity[兴旺;繁荣].
One hundred years later, the Negro is
still languished [憔悴;枯萎;潦倒]in the corners
of American society and finds himself
an exile [流亡者]in his own land. So we have
come here today to dramatize [渲染;使引人注目]an
appalling [骇人的;可怕的] condition.
[14] I have a dream that one day this
nation will rise up[起来]and live out the
true meaning of its creed: “We hold these
truths to be self - evident; that all
men are created equal.”
I have a dream that one day on the red
hills of Georgia the sons of former slaves
and the sons of former slaveowners will
be able to sit down together at the table
of brotherhood [兄弟关系;手足情谊].
I have a dream that one day even the
state of Mississippi , a desert state
sweltering[酷热的;热得发昏的]with the heat of
injustice and oppression, will be transformed
into an oasis of freedom and justice.
I have a dream that my four little children
will one day live in a nation where they
will not be judged by the color of their
skin but by the content[内容;内在物;所容纳的东西]of
their character.
I have a dream today.
I have a dream that one day the state
of Alabama, whose governor's lips are
presently dripping [(人或物)滴下液体]with the
words of interposition[妨害的;干涉] and nullification
[无效;作废;取消;州对联帮法令的拒绝执行],will be transformed
into a situation where little black boys
and black girls will be able to join hands
with little white boys and white girls
and walk together as sisters and brothers.
I have a dream today.
I have a dream that one day every valley
shall be exalted[提高;抬高], every hill and
mountain shall be made low, the rough
places will be made plain, and the crooked
r [弯曲的;歪斜的] places will be made straight,
and the glory of the Lord shall be revealed[显露;展现],
and all flesh[人类;众生]shall see it together.
[15] This is our hope. This is the faith
with which I return to the South. With
this faith we will be able to hew [劈;砍;伐]out
of the mountain of despair a stone of
hope. With this faith we will be able
to transform[转变;改造] the jangling[乱争吵的;发出刺耳声的]discords[不和谐;不一致;嘈杂]
of our nation into a beautiful symphony
of brotherhood.
[16] With this faith we will be able
to work together, to pray together, to
struggle together, to go to jail together,
to stand up f or[维护] freedom together,
knowing that we will be free one day.
[17] This will be the day when all of
God's children will be able to sing with
new meaning
My country, 'tis of thee,
Sweetland of liberty,
Of thee I sing.
Land where my fathers died,
Land of the Pilgrims’[朝圣者;移居美洲的英国清教徒]pride,
From every mountainside[山坡;山腰]
Let freedom ring.
[18] And if America is to be a great
nation, this must become true. So let
freedom ring from the prodigious hilltops
of New Hampshire.
Let freedom ring from the mighty mountains
of New York.
Let freedom ring from the heightening
[提高;升高;使显著]Alleghenies of Pennsylvania!
[19] Let freedom ring from the snowcapped
Rockies of Colorado!
Let freedom ring from the curvaceous[婀娜多姿的;有典线美的]peaks
of California!
But not only that; let freedom ring
from Stone Mountain of Georgia!
Let freedom ring from Lockout Mountain
of Tennessee !
Let freedom ring from every hill and
molehill[鼹鼠丘] of Mississippi.
From every mountainside, let freedom ring.