罗斯福经典演讲：我们唯一害怕的是害怕本身

The only thing we have to fear is fear itself — nameless, unreasoning, unjustified terror, which paralyzes needed efforts to convert retreat into advance.

我们唯一害怕的是害怕本身——这种难以名状、失去理智和毫无道理的恐惧，把人转退为进所需的种种努力化为泡影。——富兰克林·罗斯福

富兰克林·罗斯福（Franklin D.Roosevelt，1882年1月30日－1945年4月12日），史称“小罗斯福”，是美国第32任总统，美国历史上唯一连任超过两届（连任四届，病逝于第四届任期中）的总统，也是美国迄今为止在任时间最长的总统。

在1930年代经济大萧条期间，罗斯福推行新政以提供失业救济与复苏经济，并成立众多机构来改革经济和银行体系，从经济危机的深渊中挽救了美国，他所发起的一些计划仍继续在国家的商贸中扮演重要角色，他是美国现代自由主义的典范。

罗斯福是第二次世界大战期间同盟国阵营的重要领导人之一。1941年珍珠港事件发生后，罗斯福力主对日本宣战对塑造战后世界秩序发挥了关键作用，其影响力在雅尔塔会议及联合国的成立中尤其明显。后来，在美国协助下，盟军击败德国、意大利和日本。

罗斯福曾多次被评为美国最佳总统，美国的权威期刊《大西洋月刊》评为影响美国的100位人物第4名。

今天我们要读的这篇著名的演讲共1808个字，难度六级左右，社会、政治、经济类的词汇比较多，我们先来看这篇演讲的前1/4。

President Hoover, Mister Chief Justice, my friends:

胡佛总统，首席法官先生，朋友们：

This is a day of national consecration, and I am certain that on this day, my fellow Americans expect that on my induction in the Presidency I will address them with a candor and a decision which the present situation of our people impels. This is preeminently the time to speak the truth, the whole truth, frankly and boldly. Nor need we shrink from honestly facing the conditions facing our country today.

*consecration 奉献；神圣化

*induction 入职仪式，就职

*candor 坦白；直率

*preeminently 在很大程度上

*否定词（此处为nor）位于句首，句子要部分倒装（need we shrink）。

今天，对我们的国家来说，是一个神圣的日子。我肯定，同胞们都期待我在就任总统时，会像我国目前形势所要求的那样，坦率而果断地向他们讲话。现在正是坦白、勇敢地说出实话，说出全部实话的最好时刻。我们不必畏首畏尾，不老老实实面对我国今天的情况。

This great nation will endure as it has endured, will revive and will prosper. So first of all, let me express my firm belief that the only thing we have to fear is fear itself-nameless, unreasoning, unjustified terror, which paralyzes needed efforts to convert retreat into advance. In every dark hour of our national life, a leadership of frankness and vigor has met with that understanding and support of the people themselves, which is essential to victory. And I am convinced thatyou will again give that support to leadership in these critical days.

*paralyze 使麻痹；使瘫痪

*retreat 撤退

*I am convinced that……我坚信

这个伟大的国家会一如既往地坚持下去，它会复兴和繁荣起来。因此，让我首先表明我的坚定信念：我们唯一不得不害怕的就是害怕本身——一种莫名其妙、丧失理智的、毫无根据的恐惧，它把人转退为进所需的种种努力化为泡影。凡在我国生活阴云密布的时刻，坦率而有活力的领导都得到过人民的理解和支持，从而为胜利准备了必不可少的条件。我相信，在目前危急时刻，大家会再次给予同样的支持。

In such a spirit on my partand on yours, we face our common difficulties. They concern, thank God, only material things. Values have shrunken to fantastic levels; taxes have risen, our ability to pay has fallen; government of all kinds is faced by serious curtailment of income; the means of exchange are frozen in the currents of trade; the withered leaves of industrial enterprise lie on every side; farmers find no markets for their produce, and the savings of many years and thousands of families are gone.

*on my part 就我而言，对我来说；

*curtailment 缩减，紧缩

*withered 枯萎的；憔悴的（wither的过去分词）

我和你们都要以这种精神，来面对我们共同的困难。感谢上帝，这些困难只是物质方面的。价值难以想象地贬缩了；课税增加了；我们的支付能力下降了；各级政府面临着严重的收入短缺；交换手段在贸易过程中遭到了冻结；工业企业枯萎的落叶到处可见；农场主的产品找不到销路；千家万户多年的积蓄付之东流。

More important,a host ofunemployed citizens face the grim problem of existence and an equal and great number toil with little return. Only a foolish optimist can deny the dark realities of the moment.

*a host of 众多，大量

*toil 长时间地苦干，辛苦劳作

更重要的是，大批失业公民正面临严峻的生存问题，还有大批公民正以艰辛的劳动换取微薄的报酬。只有愚蠢的乐天派会否认当前这些阴暗的现实。

And yet, our distress comes from no failure of substance, we are stricken by no plague of locusts. Compared with the perils which our forefathers conquered, because they believed and were not afraid, we have so much to be thankful for.

*distress 危难，不幸；悲痛

*plague 瘟疫，灾祸

*locust 蝗虫

*peril 危险；冒险

*forefather 祖先；前辈

但是，我们的苦恼决不是因为缺乏物资。我们没有遭到什么蝗虫的灾害。我们的先辈曾以信念和无畏一次次转危为安，比起他们经历过的险阻，我们仍大可感到欣慰。

Nature surrounds us with her bounty, and human efforts have multiplied it. Plenty is at our doorstep, but a generous use of it languishes inthe very sight of the supply. Primarily, this is because the rulers of the exchange of mankind’s goods have failed, through their own stubbornness and their own incompetence, have admitted their failure and have abdicated. Practices of the unscrupulous money changers stand indicted in the court of public opinion, rejected by the hearts and minds of men.

*bounty 慷慨，丰富；奖励金

*at our doorstep=around the corner 近在咫尺

*languish in因…受苦（或憔悴）

Languish 憔悴，凋萎；失去活力，未能取得进展

*abdicate 退位；放弃

*unscrupulous 肆无忌惮的；不讲道德的

scrupulous 正直的，有道德原则的；小心谨慎的，一丝不苟的

*indict 控告，起诉

大自然仍在给予我们恩惠，人类的努力已使之倍增。富足的情景近在咫尺，但就在我们见到这种情景的时候，宽裕的生活却悄然离去。这主要是因为主宰人类物资交换的统治者们失败了，他们固执己见而又无能为力，因而已经认定失败了，并撒手不管了。贪得无厌的货币兑换商的种种行径，将受到舆论法庭的起诉，将受到人类心灵理智的唾弃。

上期精彩演讲节选：经典中英文演讲解析：乔布斯激动人心的毕业演讲