责任 荣誉 国家-第2部分
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20年以后,在世界的另一边,他们又面对着阴暗、肮脏的散兵坑、散发恶臭的战壕、潮 湿污浊的猫耳洞,还有那火辣辣的太阳、狂暴的倾盆大雨、荒无人烟的丛林小道。他们忍受 着与亲人长期分离的痛苦煎熬、热带疾病的猖獗蔓延、兵燹地区的恐怖情景。他们坚定果敢 地防御,迅速准确地攻击;他们站在血泊中继续战斗,终于赢来永恒的胜利。在战斗中,那 些苍白憔悴的人们的目光始终庄严地注视着责任、荣誉、国家的口号。
这几个名词贯穿着最高的道德准则,并将经受任何为提高人类道德修养而传播的伦理或 哲学的检验。它所提倡的是正确的理念,它所制止的是谬误的思想。崇高的战士要履行宗教 修炼的最伟大行为——牺牲。在战斗中,面对着危险与死亡,他显示出造物主按照自己意愿 创造人类时所赋予的品质。只有神明能帮助他、支持他,这是任何肉体的勇敢与动物的本能 都代替不了的。无论战争如何恐怖,召之即来的战士准备为国捐躯是人类最崇高的进化。
现在,你们面临着一个新世界——一个变革中的世界。人造卫星进入星际空间。卫星与 导弹标志着人类漫长的历史进入了另一个时代——太空时代。科学家告诉我们,在50亿年或 更长的时期中,地球形成了;300万年或更长的时期中,人类形成了;人类历史还不曾有过 一次更巨大、更令人惊讶的进化。我们不单要从现在这个世界,而且要从无法估算的距离、 从神秘莫测的宇宙来论述事物。我们正在认识一个崭新的无边无际的世界。我们谈论着不可 思议的话题:控制宇宙的能源;让风力与潮汐为我们所用;创造空前的合成物质以补充甚至 代替古老的基本物质;净化海水以供我们饮用;开发海底以作为财富与食品的新基地;预防 疾病以使寿命延长几百岁;调节空气以使冷热、晴雨分布均衡;登月宇宙飞船;战争中的主 要目标不仅限于敌人的武装力量,也包括其平民;团结起来的人类与某些星系行星的恶势力 的最根本矛盾;使生命成为有史以来最扣人心弦的那些梦境与幻想。
为了迎接所有这些巨大的变化与发展,你们的任务将变得更加坚定而不可侵犯,那就是 赢得战争的胜利。你们的职业要求你们在生死关头勇于献身,再没有比这个更重要的了。其 余的一切公共目的、公共计划、公共需求,无论大小都可以寻找其他办法去完成;而你们就 是训练好参加战斗的,你们的职业就是战斗——决心取胜。在战争中最明确的目标就是为了 胜利,这是任何东西都代替不了的。假如你们失败了,国家就要遭到破坏。因此,你们的职 业惟一要遵循的就是责任、荣誉、国家。
那些能挑起争论的国际国内问题让别人去喋喋不休地辩论吧,那将使人不知所措,无所 适从。但你们要沉着、冷静、清醒,坚守在自己的岗位上。你们是国家防范侵略的卫士;在 国际冲突的惊涛骇浪中,你们是国家的救生员;在战争的竞技场上,你们是国家的斗士。 。。
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在一个半世纪的漫长岁月中,你们日夜戍备,英勇御敌,保卫了国家解放、自由、正义 和公平的神圣传统。让公众去争论政府的功与过吧。让他们去争论连年的财政赤字,联邦政 府日益增长的家长作风,各种权力机构变得十分傲慢,社会道德水准降得太低,各种税收增 长得太高,过激分子变得更加肆无忌惮,等等。这是否削弱了我们国家的力量,伤了国家的 元气!让他们去争论个人自由是否已经达到了应有的彻底和完整。这些重大的国家问题不是 靠你们职业军人或军队来解决的。你们的座右铭就像茫茫黑夜中光芒万丈的灯塔——责任、 荣誉、国家。
你们是维系我国防御系统全部机构的纽带。当战争警钟敲响时,从你们的队伍中将涌现 出手操国家命运的伟大军官。这一长列穿着灰色制服的军士,从没有辜负国人的期望。假如 你们辜负了国人的期望,立刻会有上百万身穿橄榄色、棕色、蓝色和灰色制服的军魂,从他 们的白色十字架下翻身起来,以雷霆般的声音喊出那神奇的口号——责任、荣誉、国家。
这并不意味着你们是战争贩子。相反,士兵比其他人更诚心祈求和平,因为士兵必须忍 受战争最深刻的伤痛。但是,我们的耳边经常响起那位伟大的哲学之父柏拉图的警世之言: “只有死者看过战争的终结。”
我的生命已近黄昏,暮色已经降临。我昔日的风采和荣誉已经消失。它们随着对昔日事 业的憧憬,带着那余晖消失了。昔日的回忆是非常美好的,是以泪水洗涤,以昨天的微笑抚 慰的。我渴望但徒然地聆听着远处那微弱而迷人的起床号声,那咚咚作响的军鼓声。在梦境 里,我又听到隆隆的炮声,滑膛枪的射击声,战场上古怪而悲伤的低语声。然而,在我黄昏 的记忆中,我时常回到西点,耳边始终回响着:责任、荣誉、国家。
今天标志我对你们的最后一次点名。但我希望你们知道,当我死去时,我最后想到的一 定是你们这支部队——这支部队——这支部队。
我向你们珍重道别。
Duty Honor Country
Douglas MacArthur
As I was leaving the hotel this morning; a doorman asked me; “Where are you bound for; General?” And when I replied; “West Point;” he remarked; “Beauti ful place。 Have you ever been there before?”
No human being could fail to be deeply moved by such a tribute as this ayer Award。 ing from a profession I have served so long; and a people I have loved so well; it fills me with an emotion I cannot express。 But this award is not in tended primarily to honor a personality; but to symbolize a great moral code — the code of conduct and chivalry of those who guard this beloved land of culture and ancient descent。 That is the animation of this medallion。 For all eyes and for all time; it is an expression of the ethics of the American soldier。 That I should be integrated in this way with so noble an ideal arouses a sense of pride and yet of humility which will be with me always: Duty; Honor; Country。
Those three hallowed words reverently dictate what you ought to be; what you can be; what you will be。 They are your rallying points: to build courage when courage seems to fail; to regain faith when there seems to be little cause for f aith; to create hope when hope bees forlorn。书 包 网 txt小说上传分享
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Unhappily; I possess neither that eloquence of diction; that poetry of imagi nation; nor that brilliance of metaphor to tell you all that they mean。 The unbe lievers will say they are but words; but a slogan; but a flamboyant phrase。 Ever y pedant; every demagogue; every cynic; every hypocrite; every troublemaker; and I am sorry to say; some others of an entirely different character; will try to downgrade them even to the extent of mockery and ridicule。
But these are some of the things they do。 They build your basic character。 T hey mold you for your future roles as the custodians of the nation's defense。 Th ey make you strong enough to know when you are weak; and brave enough to face yo urself when you are afraid。 They teach you to be proud and unbending in honest f ailure; but humble and gentle in success; not to substitute words for actions; n ot to seek the path of fort; but to face the stress and spur of difficulty an d challenge; to learn to stand up in the storm but to have passion on those w ho fall; to master yourself before you seek to master others; to have a heart th at is clean; a goal that is high; to learn to laugh; yet never forget how to wee p; to reach into the future yet never neglect the past; to be serious yet never to take yourself too seriously; to be modest so that you will remember the simpl icity of true greatness; the open mind of true wisdom; the meekness of true stre ngth。 They give you a temper of the will; a quality of the imagination; a vigor of the emotions; a freshness of the deep springs of life; a temperamental predom inance of courage over timidity; of an appetite for adventure over love of ease。 They create in your heart the sense of wonder; the unfailing hope of what next; and the joy and inspiration of life。 They teach you in this way to be an office r and a gentleman。
And what sort of soldiers are those you are to lead? Are they reliable? Are they brave? Are they capable of victory? Their story is known to all of you。 It is the story of the American manatarms。 My estimate of him was formed on the battlefield many; many years ago; and has never changed。 I regarded him then as I regard him now — as one of the world's noblest figures; not only as one of t he finest military characters; but also as one of the most stainless。 His name a nd fame are the birthright of every American citizen。 In his youth and strength; his love and loyalty; he gave all that mortality can give。
He needs no eulogy from me or from any other man。 He has written his own his tory and written it in red on his enemy's breast。 But when I think of his patien ce under adversity; of his courage under fire; and of his modesty in victory; I am filled with an emotion of admiration I cannot put into words。 He belongs to h istory as furnishing one of the greatest examples of successful patriotism。 He b elongs to posterity as the instructor of future generations in the principles of liberty and freedom。 He belongs to the present; to us; by his virtues and by hi s achievements。 In 20 campaigns; on a hundred battlefields; around a thousand ca mpfires; I have witnesse