美国大学开学典礼致辞.docx

美国大学开学典礼致辞.docx

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美国大学开学典礼致辞

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美国大学开学典礼致辞

　　美国大学开学典礼致辞

　　PresidentAnderson,membersofthefaculty,boardoftrustees,distinguishedguests,myoldcolleague,SenatorBobByrd,whohasearnedhisdegreethroughmanyyearsofattendingnightlawschool,whileIamearningmineinthenext30minutes,distinguishedguests,ladiesandgentlemen:

　　ItiswithgreatpridethatIparticipateinthisceremonyoftheAmericanUniversity,sponsoredbytheMethodistChurch,foundedbyBishopJohnFletcherHurst,andfirstopenedbyPresidentWoodrowWilsonin1914.

　　Thisisayoungandgrowinguniversity,butithasalreadyfulfilledBishopHurstsenlightenedhopeforthestudyofhistoryandpublicaffairsinacitydevotedtothemakingofhistoryandtotheconductofthepublicsbusiness.Bysponsoringthisinstitutionofhigherlearningforallwhowishtolearn,whatevertheircolorortheircreed,theMethodistsofthisareaandtheNationdeservetheNationsthanks,andIcommendallthosewhoaretodaygraduating.

　　ProfessorWoodrowWilsononcesaidthateverymansentoutfromauniversityshouldbeamanofhisnationaswellasamanofhistime,andIamconfidentthatthemenandwomenwhocarrythehonorofgraduatingfromthisinstitutionwillcontinuetogivefromtheirlives,fromtheirtalents,ahighmeasureofpublicserviceandpublicsupport."

　　Therearefewearthlythingsmorebeautifulthanauniversity,"wroteJohnMasefieldinhistributetoEnglishuniversities--andhiswordsareequallytruetoday.Hedidnotrefertotowersortocampuses.Headmiredthesplendidbeautyofauniversity,becauseitwas,hesaid,"aplacewherethosewhohateignorancemaystrivetoknow,wherethosewhoperceivetruthmaystrivetomakeotherssee."

　　Ihave,therefore,chosenthistimeandplacetodiscussatopiconwhichignorancetoooftenaboundsandthetruthtoorarelyperceived.Andthatisthemostimportanttopiconearth:

peace.WhatkindofpeacedoImeanandwhatkindofapeacedoweseek?

NotaPaxAmericanaenforcedontheworldbyAmericanweaponsofwar.

　　Notthepeaceofthegraveorthesecurityoftheslave.Iamtalkingaboutgenuinepeace,thekindofpeacethatmakeslifeonearthworthliving,andthekindthatenablesmenandnationstogrow,andtohope,andbuildabetterlifefortheirchildren--notmerelypeaceforAmericansbutpeaceforallmenandwomen,notmerelypeaceinourtimebutpeaceinalltime.

　　Ispeakofpeacebecauseofthenewfaceofwar.Totalwarmakesnosenseinanagewheregreatpowerscanmaintainlargeandrelativelyinvulnerablenuclearforcesandrefusetosurrenderwithoutresorttothoseforces.ItmakesnosenseinanagewhereasinglenuclearweaponcontainsalmosttentimestheexplosiveforcedeliveredbyallthealliedairforcesintheSecondWorldWar.Itmakesnosenseinanagewhenthedeadlypoisonsproducedbyanuclearexchangewouldbecarriedbywindandwaterandsoilandseedtothefarcornersoftheglobeandtogenerationsyetunborn.

　　Todaytheexpenditureofbillionsofdollarseveryyearonweaponsacquiredforthepurposeofmakingsureweneverneedthemisessentialtothekeepingofpeace.Butsurelytheacquisitionofsuchidlestockpiles--whichcanonlydestroyandnevercreate--isnottheonly,muchlessthemostefficient,meansofassuringpeace.Ispeakofpeace,therefore,asthenecessary,rationalendofrationalmen.Irealizethepursuitofpeaceisnotasdramaticasthepursuitofwar,andfrequentlythewordsofthepursuersfallondeafears.Butwehavenomoreurgenttask.

　　Somesaythatitisuselesstospeakofpeaceorworldlaworworlddisarmament,andthatitwillbeuselessuntiltheleadersoftheSovietunionadoptamoreenlightenedattitude.Ihopetheydo.Ibelievewecanhelpthemdoit.ButIalsobelievethatwemustreexamineourownattitudes,asindividualsandasaNation,forourattitudeisasessentialastheirs.Andeverygraduateofthisschool,everythoughtfulcitizenwhodespairsofwarandwishestobringpeace,shouldbeginbylookinginward,byexamininghisownattitudetowardsthepossibilitiesofpeace,towardstheSovietunion,towardsthecourseofthecoldwarandtowardsfreedomandpeacehereathome.

　　Firstexamineourattitudetowardspeaceitself.Toomanyofusthinkitisimpossible.Toomanythinkitisunreal.Butthatisadangerous,defeatistbelief.Itleadstotheconclusionthatwarisinevitable,thatmankindisdoomed,thatwearegrippedbyforceswecannotcontrol.Weneednotacceptthatview.Ourproblemsaremanmade;therefore,theycanbesolvedbyman.Andmancanbeasbigashewants.Noproblemofhumandestinyisbeyondhumanbeings.

　　Mansreasonandspirithaveoftensolvedtheseeminglyunsolvable,andwebelievetheycandoitagain.Iamnotreferringtotheabsolute,infiniteconceptofuniversalpeaceandgoodwillofwhichsomefantasiesandfanaticsdream.Idonotdenythevalueofhopesanddreamsbutwemerelyinvitediscouragementandincredulitybymakingthatouronlyandimmediategoal.

　　Letusfocusinsteadonamorepractical,moreattainablepeace,basednotonasuddenrevolutioninhumannaturebutonagradualevolutioninhumaninstitutions--onaseriesofconcreteactionsandeffectiveagreementswhichareintheinterestofallconcerned.Thereisnosingle,simplekeytothispeace;nograndormagicformulatobeadoptedbyoneortwopowers.Genuinepeacemustbetheproductofmanynations,thesumofmanyacts.Itmustbedynamic,notstatic,changingtomeetthechallengeofeachnewgeneration.Forpeaceisaprocess--awayofsolvingproblems.

　　Withsuchapeace,therewillstillbequarrelsandconflictinginterests,astherearewithinfamiliesandnations.Worldpeace,likecommunitypeace,doesnotrequirethateachmanlovehisneighbor,itrequiresonlythattheylivetogetherinmutualtolerance,submittingtheirdisputestoajustandpeacefulsettlement.Andhistoryteachesusthatenmitiesbetweennations,asbetweenindividuals,donotlastforever.

　　Howeverfixedourlikesanddislikesmayseem,thetideoftimeandeventswilloftenbringsurprisingchangesintherelationsbetweennationsandneighbors.Soletuspersevere.Peaceneednotbeimpracticable,andwarneednotbeinevitable.Bydefiningourgoalmoreclearly,bymakingitseemmoremanageableandlessremote,wecanhelpallpeopletoseeit,todrawhopefromit,andtomoveirresistiblytowardsit.

　　Andsecond,letusreexamineourattitudetowardstheSovietunion.Itisdiscouragingtothinkthattheirleadersmayactuallybelievewhattheirpropagandistswrite.Itisdiscouragingtoreadarecent,authoritativeSoviettextonmilitarystrategyandfind,onpageafterpage,whollybaselessandincredibleclaims,suchastheallegationthatAmericanimperialistcirclesarepreparingtounleashdifferenttypesofwar,thatthereisaveryrealthreatofapreventivewarbeingunleashedbyAmericanimperialistsagainsttheSovietunion,andthatthepoliticalaims--andIquote--"oftheAmericanimperialistsaretoenslaveeconomicallyandpoliticallytheEuropeanandothercapitalistcountriesandtoachieveworlddominationbymeansofaggressivewar."

　　Truly,asitwaswrittenlongago:

"Thewickedfleewhennomanpursueth."

　　YetitissadtoreadtheseSovietstatements,torealizetheextentofthegulfbetweenus.Butitisalsoawarning,awarningtotheAmericanpeoplenottofallintothesametrapastheSoviets,nottoseeonlyadistortedanddesperateviewoftheotherside,nottoseeconflictasinevitable,accommodationasimpossible,andcommunicationasnothingmorethananexchangeofthreats.

　　Nogovernmentorsocialsystemissoevilthatitspeoplemustbeconsideredaslackinginvirtue.AsAmericans,wefindcommunismprofoundlyrepugnantasanegationofpersonalfreedomanddignity.ButwecanstillhailtheRussianpeoplefortheirmanyachievementsinscienceandspace,ineconomicandindustrialgrowth,inculture,inactsofcourage.

　　Amongthemanytraitsthepeoplesofourtwocountrieshaveincommon,noneisstrongerthanourmutualabhorrenceofwar.Almostuniqueamongthemajorworldpowers,wehaveneverbeenatwarwitheachother.AndnonationinthehistoryofbattleeversufferedmorethantheSovietunionintheSecondWorldWar.Atleast20millionlosttheirlives.Countlessmillionsofhomesandfamilieswereburnedorsacked.Athirdofthenationsterritory,includingtwothirdsofitsindustrialbase,wasturnedintoawasteland--alossequivalenttothedestructionofthiscountryeastofChicago.

　　Today,shouldtotalwareverbreakoutagain--nomatterhow--ourtwocountrieswillbetheprimarytarget.Itisanironicbutaccuratefactthatthetwostrongestpowersarethetwointhemostdangerofdevastation.

　　Allwehavebuilt,allwehaveworkedfor,wouldbedestroyedinthefirst24hours.Andeveninthecoldwar,whichbringsburdensanddangerstosomanycountries,includingthisNationsclosestallies,ourtwocountriesbeartheheaviestburdens.Forwearebothdevotingmassivesumsofmoneytoweaponsthatcouldbebetterdevotedtocombatignorance,poverty,anddisease.

　　Wearebothcaughtupinaviciousanddangerouscycle,withsuspicionononesidebreedingsuspicionontheother,andnewweaponsbegettingcounter-weapons.Inshort,boththeUnitedStatesanditsallies,andtheSovietunionanditsallies,haveamutuallydeepinterestinajustandgenuinepeaceandinhaltingthearmsrace.AgreementstothisendareintheinterestsoftheSovietunionaswellasours.

　　Andeventhemosthostilenationscanbereliedup