First Inaugural Address (B)

(Franklin D. Roosevelt)
Mar. 4, 1933

Yes the task can be helped by definite efforts to raise the value of the agricultural product and with this the power to purchase the output of our cities. It can be helped by preventing realistically the tragedy of the growing losses through fore closures of our small homes and our farms. It can be helped by insistence that the federal, the state, and the local government act forthwith on the demands that their costs be drastically reduce. It can be helped by the unifying of relief activities which today are often scattered, uneconomical and unequal. It can be helped by national planning for, and supervision of all forms of transportation, and of communications, and other utilities that have a definitely public character. There are many ways in which it can be helped, but it can never be helped by merely talking about it. We must act, we must act quickly.
 And finally in our progress toward a resumption of work, we require two safeguards against the return of the evils of the old order; there must be a strict supervision of all banking and credits and investments; there must be an end to speculation with other people’s money; and there must be provisions for an adequate but sound currency.
These, my friends, are the lines of attack. I shall presently urge upon a new Congress in special session, detailed measures for their fulfillment, and I shall seek the immediate assistance of the 48 states. Through this program of action, we address ourselves to putting our own national house in order, and making income balance outflow our international trade relations, though vastly important, are in point of time and necessity secondary to the establishment of a sound national economy. I favor as a practical policy the putting of first things first. I shall spare no effort to restore world trade by international economic readjustment, but the emergency at home cannot wait on that accomplishment.
The basic thought that guides these specific means of national recovery is not narrowly nationalistic. It is the insistence, as a first consideration upon the inter-dependence of the various elements in all parts of the United States of America - a recognition of the old and the permanently important manifestation of the American spirit of the pioneer. It is the way to recovery, it is the immediate way, it is the strongest assurance that recovery will endure.
 In the field of world policy I would dedicate this nation to the policy of the good neighbor. The neighbor who resolutely respects himself, and because he does so, respects the rights of others; The neighbor who respects his obligation, and respects the sanctity of his agreement, in and with, a world of neighbor.  If I read the temper of our people correctly we now realize what we have never realized before, our inter-dependence on each other, that we cannot merely take, but we must give as well. That if we are to go forward, we must move as a trained and loyal army willing to sacrifice for the good of a common discipline, because without such discipline, no progress can be made, no leadership becomes effective. We are all ready and willing to submit our lives and our property to such discipline because it makes possible a leadership which aims at the larger good. This, I propose to offer we are going to larger purposes, bind upon us, bind upon us all, as a sacred obligation with a unity of duty hitherto evoked only in times of armed strife.
With this pledge taken, I assume unhesitatingly, the leadership of this great army of our people dedicated to a disciplined attack upon our common problems. Action in this image, action to this end, is feasible under the form of government which we have inherited from my ancestors. Our constitution is so simple, so practical, that it is possible always, to meet extraordinary needs, by changes in emphasis and arrangements without loss of a central form, that is why our constitutional system has proved itself the most superbly enduring political mechanism the modern world has ever seen. It has met every stress of vast expansion of territory of foreign wars, of bitter internal strife, of world relations. And it is to be hoped that the normal balance of executive and legislative authority will be fully equal, fully adequate to meet the unprecedented task before us. But it may be that an unprecedented demand and need for underlay action may call for temporary departure from that normal balance of public procedure.
We face the arduous days that lie before us in the warm courage of national unity in the clearest consciousness of seeking all and precious moral values, with the clean satisfaction that comes from the stern performance of duty by old and young alike, we aim at the assurance of a rounded, a permanent national life.
We do not distrust the future of essential democracy. The people of the United States have not failed. In their need, they have registered a mandate that they want direct, vigorous action. They have asked for discipline, and direction under leadership, they have made me the present instrument of their wishes. In the spirit of the gift, I take it. In this dedication, in this dedication of a nation, we humbly ask the blessings of God, may He protect each and every one of us, may He guide me in the days to come.

closure n.关闭 vt.使终止
forthwith adv.立刻, 不犹豫地
speculation n.思索, 做投机买卖
spare no effort 不遗余力 v.宽容,节约,抽出
resolutely adv.毅然地, 坚决地
sanctity n.圣洁
superbly adv.雄伟地, 壮丽地
unprecedented adj.空前的
mandate n.(书面)命令, 训令, 要求, (前国际联盟的)委任托管权 vt.委任统治

我们唯一应该害怕的就是害怕本身
1933.3.4
富兰克林•罗斯福

是的，明确地为提高农产品价值并以此购买城市产品所做的努力，有助于这项任务的完成。避免许多小家庭业、农场业被取消赎取抵押品的权利的悲剧，也有助于这项任务的完成。联邦政府、州、各地政府立即行动回应要求降价的呼声；将现在常常是分散的、不经济的、不平等的救济活动统一起来；对所有公共交通运输，通讯及其它涉及公众生活的设施作全国性的计划及监督，这些都有助于这项任务的完成。许多事情都有助于这项任务完成，但这些决不包括空谈，我们必须行动，立即行动。
最后，为了重新开始工作，我们需要两手防御，来抗御旧秩序恶魔卷土重来；一定要有严格监督银行业、信贷及投资的机制；一定要杜绝用别人的钱来投机取巧；一定要有充足而健康的货币供应。
朋友们，以上这些，就是施政方针。我要在特别会议上敦促新国会给予详细实施方案，并且，我要向48个州请求立即的援助。通过行动，我们将建立我们自己的有秩序的国家大厦，使收入平衡。我们的国际贸易关系，虽然很重要，但目前在时间和必要性上，要让位于对本国健康经济的建立。我建议，作为可行的策略，首要事务先行。虽然我将不遗余力通过国际经济重新协调来恢复国际贸易，但我认为国内的紧急情况无法等待这种重新协调的完成。
指导这一特别的全国性复苏的基本思想并非狭隘的国家主义。我首先考虑的是坚持美国这一整体中各部分的相互依赖性--这是对美国式的开拓精神的古老而永恒的证明的体现。这才是复苏之路，是即时之路，是保证复苏功效持久之路。
在国际政策方面，我将使美国采取睦邻友好的政策。做一个决心自重，因此而尊重邻国的国家。做一个履行义务，尊重与他国协约的国家。
如果我对人民的心情的了解正确的话，我想我们已认识到了我们从未认识的问题，我们是互相依存的，我们不可以只索取，我们还必须奉献。我们前进时，必须像一支训练有素的忠诚的军队，愿意为共同的原则而献身，因为，没有这些原则，就无法取得进步，领导就不可能有效。我们都已做好准备，并愿意为此原则献出生命和财产，因为这将使志在建设更美好社会的领导成为可能。我倡议，为了更伟大的目标，我们所有的人，以一致的职责紧紧团结起来。这是神圣的义务，非战乱，不停止。
有了这样的誓言，我保证将毫不犹豫地承担领导伟大人民大军的任务，致力于解决我们普遍问题。这样的行动，这样的目标，在我们从祖先手中接过的政府中是可行的。我们的宪法如此简单、实在，它随时可以应付特殊情况，只需对重点和安排加以修改而不丧失中心思想，正因为如此，我们的宪法体制已被证明是最有适应性的政治体制。它已应付过巨大的国土扩张、外战、内乱及国际关系所带来的压力。而我们还希望执法者做到充分的公平，能充分地担负前所未有的任务。但现在前所未有的对紧急行动的需要，要求国民暂时丢弃平常生活节奏，紧迫起来。
让我们正视面前的严峻岁月，怀着举国一致给我们带来的热情和勇气，怀着寻求传统的、珍贵的道德观念的明确意识，怀着老少都能通过克尽职守而得到的问心无愧的满足。我们的目标是要保证国民生活的圆满和长治久安。我们并不怀疑基本民主制度的未来。美国人民并没有失败，他们在困难中表达了自己的委托，即要求采取直接而有力的行动。他们要求有领导的纪律和方向。他们现在选择了我作为实现他们的愿望的工具，我接受这份厚赠。
在此举国奉献之际，我们谦卑地请求上帝赐福。愿上帝保佑我们大家和每一个人，愿上帝在未来的日子里指引我。

First inaugural Address（B）mp3