肯尼迪登月演讲《We choose to go to the moon》英文原文.docx
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肯尼迪登月演讲《Wechoosetogotothemoon》英文原文
PresidentPitzer,Mr.VicePresident,Governor,CongressmanThomas,SenatorWiley,andCongressmanMiller,Mr.Webb,Mr.Bell,scientists,distinguishedguests,andladiesandgentlemen:
Iappreciateyourpresidenthavingmademeanhonoraryvisitingprofessor,andIwillassureyouthatmyfirstlecturewillbeverybrief.
IamdelightedtobehereandI'mparticularlydelightedtobehereonthisoccasion.
Wemeetatacollegenotedforknowledge,inacitynotedforprogress,inastatenotedforstrength,andwestandinneedofallthree,forwemeetinanhourofchangeandchallenge,inadecadeofhopeandfear,inanageofbothknowledgeandignorance.Thegreaterourknowledgeincreases,thegreaterourignoranceunfolds.
Despitethestrikingfactthatmostofthescientiststhattheworldhaseverknownarealiveandworkingtoday,despitethefactthatthisNation'sownscientificmanpowerisdoublingevery12yearsinarateofgrowthmorethanthreetimesthatofourpopulationasawhole,despitethat,thevaststretchesoftheunknownandtheunansweredandtheunfinishedstillfaroutstripourcollectivecomprehension.
Nomancanfullygrasphowfarandhowfastwehavecome,butcondense,ifyouwill,the50,000yearsofman'srecordedhistoryinatimespanofbutahalf-century.Statedintheseterms,weknowverylittleaboutthefirst40years,exceptattheendofthemadvancedmanhadlearnedtousetheskinsofanimalstocoverthem.Thenabout10yearsago,underthisstandard,manemergedfromhiscavestoconstructotherkindsofshelter.Onlyfiveyearsagomanlearnedtowriteanduseacartwithwheels.Christianitybeganlessthantwoyearsago.Theprintingpresscamethisyear,andthenlessthantwomonthsago,duringthiswhole50-yearspanofhumanhistory,thesteamengineprovidedanewsourceofpower.Newtonexploredthemeaningofgravity.Lastmonthelectriclightsandtelephonesandautomobilesandairplanesbecameavailable.Onlylastweekdidwedeveloppenicillinandtelevisionandnuclearpower,andnowifAmerica'snewspacecraftsucceedsinreachingVenus,wewillhaveliterallyreachedthestarsbeforemidnighttonight.
Thisisabreathtakingpace,andsuchapacecannothelpbutcreatenewillsasitdispelsold,newignorance,newproblems,newdangers.Surelytheopeningvistasofspacepromisehighcostsandhardships,aswellashighreward.
Soitisnotsurprisingthatsomewouldhaveusstaywherewearealittlelongertorest,towait.ButthiscityofHouston,thisstateofTexas,thiscountryoftheUnitedStateswasnotbuiltbythosewhowaitedandrestedandwishedtolookbehindthem.Thiscountrywasconqueredbythosewhomovedforward--andsowillspace.
WilliamBradford,speakingin1630ofthefoundingofthePlymouthBayColony,saidthatallgreatandhonorableactionsareaccompaniedwithgreatdifficulties,andbothmustbeenterprisedandovercomewithanswerablecourage.
Ifthiscapsulehistoryofourprogressteachesusanything,itisthatman,inhisquestforknowledgeandprogress,isdeterminedandcannotbedeterred.Theexplorationofspacewillgoahead,whetherwejoininitornot,anditisoneofthegreatadventuresofalltime,andnonationwhichexpectstobetheleaderofothernationscanexpecttostaybehindinthisraceforspace.
Thosewhocamebeforeusmadecertainthatthiscountryrodethefirstwavesoftheindustrialrevolution,thefirstwavesofmoderninvention,andthefirstwaveofnuclearpower,andthisgenerationdoesnotintendtofounderinthebackwashofthecomingageofspace.Wemeantobeapartofit--wemeantoleadit.Fortheeyesoftheworldnowlookintospace,tothemoonandtotheplanetsbeyond,andwehavevowedthatweshallnotseeitgovernedbyahostileflagofconquest,butbyabanneroffreedomandpeace.Wehavevowedthatweshallnotseespacefilledwithweaponsofmassdestruction,butwithinstrumentsofknowledgeandunderstanding.
YetthevowsofthisNationcanonlybefulfilledifweinthisNationarefirst,and,therefore,weintendtobefirst.Inshort,ourleadershipinscienceandindustry,ourhopesforpeaceandsecurity,ourobligationstoourselvesaswellasothers,allrequireustomakethiseffort,tosolvethesemysteries,tosolvethemforthegoodofallmen,andtobecometheworld'sleadingspace-faringnation.
Wesetsailonthisnewseabecausethereisnewknowledgetobegained,andnewrightstobewon,andtheymustbewonandusedfortheprogressofallpeople.Forspacescience,likenuclearscienceandalltechnology,hasnoconscienceofitsown.Whetheritwillbecomeaforceforgoodorilldependsonman,andonlyiftheUnitedStatesoccupiesapositionofpre-eminencecanwehelpdecidewhetherthisnewoceanwillbeaseaofpeaceoranewterrifyingtheaterofwar.Idonotsaythatweshouldorwillgounprotectedagainstthehostilemisuseofspaceanymorethanwegounprotectedagainstthehostileuseoflandorsea,butIdosaythatspacecanbeexploredandmasteredwithoutfeedingthefiresofwar,withoutrepeatingthemistakesthatmanhasmadeinextendinghiswritaroundthisglobeofours.
Thereisnostrife,noprejudice,nonationalconflictinouterspaceasyet.Itshazardsarehostiletousall.Itsconquestdeservesthebestofallmankind,anditsopportunityforpeacefulcooperationmaynevercomeagain.Butwhy,somesay,themoon?
Whychoosethisasourgoal?
Andtheymaywellaskwhyclimbthehighestmountain?
Why,35yearsago,flytheAtlantic?
WhydoesRiceplayTexas?
Wechoosetogotothemoon.Wechoosetogotothemooninthisdecadeanddotheotherthings,notbecausetheyareeasy,butbecausetheyarehard,becausethatgoalwillservetoorganizeandmeasurethebestofourenergiesandskills,becausethatchallengeisonethatwearewillingtoaccept,oneweareunwillingtopostpone,andonewhichweintendtowin,andtheothers,too.
ItisforthesereasonsthatIregardthedecisionlastyeartoshiftoureffortsinspacefromlowtohighgearasamongthemostimportantdecisionsthatwillbemadeduringmyincumbencyintheofficeofthePresidency.
Inthelast24hourswehaveseenfacilitiesnowbeingcreatedforthegreatestandmostcomplexexplorationinman'shistory.WehavefeltthegroundshakeandtheairshatteredbythetestingofaSaturnC-1boosterrocket,manytimesaspowerfulastheAtlaswhichlaunchedJohnGlenn,generatingpowerequivalentto10,000automobileswiththeiracceleratorsonthefloor.WehaveseenthesitewherefiveF-1rocketengines,eachoneaspowerfulasalleightenginesoftheSaturncombined,willbeclusteredtogethertomaketheadvancedSaturnmissile,assembledinanewbuildingtobebuiltatCapeCanaveralastallasa48-storeystructure,aswideasacityblock,andaslongastwolengthsofthisfield.
Withintheselast19monthsatleast45satelliteshavecircledtheearth.Some40ofthemweremadeintheUnitedStatesofAmericaandtheywerefarmoresophisticatedandsuppliedfarmoreknowledgetothepeopleoftheworldthanthoseoftheSovietUnion.
TheMarinerspacecraftnowonitswaytoVenusisthemostintricateinstrumentinthehistoryofspacescience.TheaccuracyofthatshotiscomparabletofiringamissilefromCapeCanaveralanddroppingitinthisstadiumbetweenthe40-yardlines.
Transitsatellitesarehelpingourshipsatseatosteerasafercourse.Tirossatelliteshavegivenusunprecedentedwarningsofhurricanesandstorms,andwilldothesameforforestfiresandicebergs.
Wehavehadourfailures,butsohaveothers,eveniftheydonotadmitthem.Andtheymaybelesspublic.
Tobesure,wearebehind,andwillbebehindforsometimeinmannedflight.Butwedonotintendtostaybehind,andinthisdecade,weshallmakeupandmoveahead.
Thegrowthofourscienceandeducationwillbeenrichedbynewknowledgeofouruniverseandenvironment,bynewtechniquesoflearningandmappingandobservation,bynewtoolsandcomputersforindustry,medicine,thehomeaswellastheschool.Technicalinstitutions,suchasRice,willreaptheharvestofthesegains.
Andfinally,thespaceeffortitself,whilestillinitsinfancy,hasalreadycreatedagreatnumberofnewcompanies,andtensofthousandsofnewjobs.Spaceandrelatedindustriesaregeneratingnewdemandsininvestmentandskilledpersonnel,andthiscityandthisstate,andthisregion,willsharegreatlyinthisgrowth.WhatwasoncethefurthestoutpostontheoldfrontieroftheWestwillbethefurthestoutpostonthenewfrontierofscienceandspace.Houston,yourcityofHouston,withitsMannedSpacecraftCenter,willbecometheheartofalargescientificandengineeringcommunity.Duringthenext5yearstheNationalAeronauticsandSpaceAdministrationexpectstodoublethenumberofscientistsandengineersinthisarea,toincreaseitsoutlaysforsalariesandexpensesto$60millionayear;toinvestsome$200millioninplantandlaboratoryfacilities;andtodirectorcontractfornewspaceeffortsover$1billionfromthiscenterinthiscity.
Tobesure,allthiscostsusallagooddealofmoney.Thisyear'sspacebudgetisthreetimeswhatitwasinJanuary1961,anditisgreaterthanthespacebudgetofthepreviouseightyearscombined.Thatbudgetnowstandsat$5,400millionayear--astaggeringsum,thoughsomewhatlessthanwepayforcigarettesandcigarseveryyear.Spaceexpenditureswillsoonrisesomemore,from40centsperpersonperweektomorethan50centsaweekforeveryman,womanandchildintheUnitedStates,forwehavegiventhisprogramahighnationalpriority--eventhoughIrealizethatthisisinsomemeasureana