評論
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LESSON 102 IMPORTANCE OF THE UNION
第一百零二課 聯邦的重要性
Mr. President: I am conscious of having detained you and the Senate much too long.
總統先生，我覺得耽擱您和參議院太久了。
I was drawn into the debate with no previous deliberation, such as is suited to the discussion of so grave and important a subject.
未及深思熟慮我便卷進了這場爭論，如此唐突唯恐自己不適合討論如此嚴肅和重要的話題。
But it is a subject of which my heart is full, and I have not been willing to suppress the utterance of its spontaneous sentiments.
但這是一個我思量許久的話題，我不愿意克制情感，刻意不說出自己的意見。
I can not, even now, persuade myself to relinquish it, without expressing once more my deep conviction,
甚至現在，我亦不能說服自己放棄這個念頭，不將內心的堅定信仰和盤托出，
that, since it respects nothing less than the union of the states, it is of most vital and essential importance to the public happiness.
因為我堅信各州應該結成聯邦，對于民眾福祉而言這是必不可少且至關重要的。
I profess, sir, in my career hitherto, to have kept steadily in view the prosperity and honor of the whole country, and the preservation of our federal Union.
先生，我在此公開聲稱，在到目前為止我的職業生涯里，一直把整個國家的繁榮和榮譽，把保持我們的合眾國國體看得很重。
It is to that Union we owe our safety at home, and our consideration and dignity abroad.
人民生活安寧，在國外受到尊重。這應該歸功于聯邦。
It is to that Union that we are chiefly indebted for whatever makes us most proud of our country.
人民得到恩惠，這也要歸功于聯邦。
That Union we reached only by the discipline of our virtues, in the severe school of adversity.
只有通過對品性道德和倫理原則的嚴格規范，經歷災難的磨礪，我們才能建立合眾國。
