Loyal Opposition (1)

(Wendell WilIkie)
Nov. 11, 1940.

Good evening, America:
Twenty-two years ago today a great conflict raging on the battlefields of Europe came to an end. The guns were silent. A new era of peace began. And for that era, the people of our western world, our democratic world held the highest hopes. Those hopes have not been fulfilled. The democratic way of life did not become stronger. It became weaker. The spirit of constitutional government flickered like a dying lamp, and within the last year or so, the light from that damp has disappeared entirely upon the continent of Europe. We in America watch darkness fall upon Europe, and as we watch its approach, that important time for us, the national election of 1940. In that election, and in our attitudes after that election, the rest of the world would see an example of democracy in action, an example of a great people, faithful to their constitution and to their elected representatives. The campaign preceding this election stirred us deeply Millions upon millions of us who had never been active in politics took part in it. The people flocked to the polling places in greater numbers than ever before in history. Nearly fifty million people exercised, on November 5, the right of the franchise, the precious right which we inherited from our forefathers and which we must cherish and pass on to future generations. Thus it came about that although constitutional governments have been blotted out elsewhere, here in America, men and women kept it triumphantly alive. No matter which side you were on that day, remember that this great free expression of our faith in the free system of government must have given hope to millions upon millions of others on the heroic island of Britain, in the ruined cities of France and Belgium, yes, perhaps even to people in Germany and in Italy. It has given hope wherever man hopes to be free.
In the campaign preceding this election, serious issues were at stake. People became bitter, many things were said which in calmer moments might have been left unsaid, or might have been worded more thoughtfully. But we Americans know that the bitterness is a distortion, not a true reflection of what is in our hearts. I can truthfully say that there is no bitterness in mine. I hope there is none in yours. We have elected Franklin Roosevelt President. He is your President, he is my President. We all of us owe him the respect due to his high office, we give him that respect. We will support him with our best efforts for our country and we pray that God may guide his hand during the next four years in the supreme task of administering the affairs of the people. It is a fundamental principle of the democratic system that the majority rules. The function of the minority, however, is equally fundamental. It is about the function of that minority twenty-two million people, nearly half of our electorate, that I wish to talk to you tonight.
A vital element in the balanced operation of democracy is a strong, alert and watchful opposition. That is our task for the next four years. We must constitute ourselves a vigorous, loyal and public-spirited opposition party. It has been suggested that in order to present a united front to a threatening world, the minority should now surrender its convictions and join the majority. This would mean that in the United States of America, there would be only one dominant party, only one economic philosophy, only one political philosophy of life. This is a totalitarian idea, it is a slave idea, it must be rejected utterly. The British people are unified with a unity almost unexampled in history for its endurance and its valor, yet that unity co-exists with an unimpaired freedom of criticism and of suggestion. In the continued debates of the House of Commons, and the House of Lords, all of the government's policies, its taxation, its expenditure, its military and naval policies, its basic economic policies, are brought under steady friendly loyal, critical review Britain survives free. Let us Americans choose no lesser freedom.

rage 动词 发怒 (at upon against)；(战争)猛烈进行；大流行，风行。

poll 不及物动词 投票。
polling place　 投票所。

franchise 名词 选举权；公民权，参政权。

cherish 及物动词 珍爱, 怀抱(希望等)

triumphant 形容词 得到胜利的，战胜的；成功的；耀武扬威的，得意洋洋的。

preceding 形容词 在前的，在先的；上述的。

supreme 形容词 最上的，最高的，最重要的。

totalitarian 形容词 极权主义的。

utterly 副词 完全地，全然地；绝对地。

valor 名词 美国〕＝ valour. 勇猛，英勇；豪迈气概。。

unimpaired 形容词 未受损伤的；未削弱的；没有减少的。

expenditure 名词 支出额，消费额。

忠诚的反对党（1）
（温德尔•威基）
1940.11.11

晚上好，美国：
二十二年前的今天，一场席卷欧洲战场的重大战争结束了，枪声平息了，一个新的和平时代已经到来。西方人民及我们的民主社会对此寄予厚望，但这些期望并未出现，民主之势没有变得更加强大，反而在减弱。宪制政府的理念如残烛之光摇曳不定，去年更是从欧洲大陆上彻底消失。我们美国在看着黑暗降临欧洲，而此时，我们迎来了一个举足轻重的时刻——一九四零年全国大选。那次大选以及人民对大选的态度，向世界其他地区显示了一个真实实现民主的典范，一个伟大的人民忠实于宪法和当选者的典范。大选前的竞选活动深深打动了我们，数百万从未热心于政治的群众参加进来。他们成群结队地涌向投票处投票，人数之多，史无前例。近五千万选民在11月5日那天行使了他们的选举权，这一我们从先辈手中接过，必须珍惜，并让它代代相传的神圣权利。这样，无论其他什么地方的民主政府被破坏，但在美国，人们都会将民主发扬光大。无论你大选那天支持哪一方，请记住，我们这种体现对于民主政府的信心的行动，会给予无数身处不列颠英勇的岛屿的、身处法兰西和比利时废墟城市的，甚至可能是身处德国和意大利的人们，带去希望。这行动已给所有渴望自由的人以希望。
投票前的竞选中，对敏感问题的争论十分激烈。人们变得尖刻，说了许多心平气和时不会说或措辞过激的话。但是我们美国人民知道这是被扭曲了的东西不是我们内心真实的写照。我可以坦诚地说，我心中没有尖刻，但愿你们也没有。我们选择富兰克林•罗斯福为总统。他既是你们的总统，也是我的总统。他身处要职，我们应该尊重他，我们也确实尊重他。为了国家，我们将全力以赴地支持他，同时祈求上帝在随后的四年中，指引他完成管理人民事务这一至高无上的使命，这是以多数人为统治的民主制度的基本原则。但少数派的作用也同样重要，这是二千二百万人，约占选民总人数的一半人的作用，这也正是今晚我想向大家谈的。
民主要想稳步推进，一个强大的、警觉的反对党必不可少，这就是今后四年我们的任务。我们必须将自己建成一个生机勃勃、忠心耿耿、顺应民意的反对党。有人建议，为了对威胁我们的世界组成统一阵线，少数派现在不应谴责多数派，而应加入多数派。这就意味着在美利坚合众国，只有一个执政党、一套经济原理、一种政治理论。这是极权主人的想法，是甘为奴隶的想法，必须坚决反对。英国人凭着历史上绝无仅有的忍耐力和勇敢精神，与之俱在丝毫未减的自由批评和建议，统一成一个整体。上议院与下议院，辩声不绝，政府所有的政策--税收政策、财政支出、军事与海上政策以及基本的经济政策，都是在经过坚定、友好、忠实和挑剔的检查后出台的。自由在英国得以幸存。让我们美国人选择不少于此的自由。

Loyal Opposition(1) mp3