以下是“跳棋演讲”的上半部分、注释及重点词汇:
It isn't easy to come before a nation wide audience and bare your life, as I've done. But I want to say some things before I conclude that I think most of you will agree on. Mr. Mitchell, the Chairman of the Democratic National Committee, made this statement -- that if a man couldn't afford to be in the United States Senate, he shouldn't run for the Senate. And I just want to make my position clear. I don't agree with Mr.Mitchell when he says that only a rich man should serve his Government in theUnited States Senate or in the Congress. I don't believe that represents the thinking of the Democratic Party, and I know that it doesn't represent the thinking of the Republican Party.
I believe that it's fine that a man like Governor Stevenson (1) , who inherited (2) a fortune from his father, can run for President. But I also feel that it's essential in this country of ours that a man of modest means (3) can also run for President, because, you know, remember Abraham Lincoln, you remember what he said: 'God must have loved the common people -- he made so many of them.' (4)
Keys
(1)、Stevenson,伊利诺伊州州长,民主党提名的总统竞选人。
(2)、inherit,[in’herit],继承。
(3)、modest means:modest这里是形容词,作“朴素的、普通的”解;means这里是“收入、财富”的意思。
(4)、God must have loved the common people -- he made so many ofthem. 林肯出身寒门,经历和尼克松颇有相似之处,引用这段话可谓恰到好处。
And now I'm going to suggest some courses of conduct. First of all, you have read in the papers about other funds, now. Mr.Stevenson apparently had a couple(1) -- one of the min which a group of business people paid and helped to supplement (2) the salaries of State employees. Here is where the money went directly into their pockets, and I think that what Mr. Stevenson should do should be to come before the American people, as I have, give the names of the people that contributed to that fund, give the names of the people who put this money into their pockets at the same time that they were receiving money from their State government and see what favors, if any, they gave out for that.
Keys
(1)、a couple – 几个、三两个。如“我有几件事情要办”可以这样说:I have a couple of things to do。
(2)、supplement,补充。
I don't condemn (1) Mr. Stevenson for what he did, but until the facts are in there is a doubt that will be raised. And as far as Mr. Sparkman (2) is concerned, I would suggest the same thing. He's had his wife on the payroll. I don't condemn him for that, but I think that he should come before the American people and indicate what outside sources of income he has had. I would suggest that under the circumstances both Mr. Sparkman and Mr. Stevenson should come before the American people, as I have, and make a complete financial statementas to their financial history, and if they don't it will be an admission that they have something to hide. And I think you will agree with me -- because,folks, remember, a man that's to be President of the United States, a man that's to be Vice President of the United States, must have the confidence of all the people. And that's why I'm doing what I'm doing. And that's why I suggest that Mr. Stevenson and Mr. Sparkman, since they are under attack,should do what they're doing.(3)
Keys
(1)、condemn,批评、谴责。和“be critical of”的意思相近。
(2)、Mr. Sparkman,亚拉巴马州联邦参议员,民主党提名的副总统竞选人。
(3)、以上两段,尼克松向民主党总统、副总统候选人发难,质疑他们私人的财政状况。
Now let me say this: I know that this is not the last of the smears. In spite of my explanation tonight, other smears will be made. Others have been made in the past. And the purpose of the smears, I know,is this: to silence me; to make me let up (1). Well, they just don't know who they're dealing with. I'm going to tell you this: I remember in the dark days of the Hiss case some of the same columnists, some of the same radio commentators who are attacking me now and misrepresenting my position, were violently opposing me at the timeI was after Alger Hiss. But I continued to fight because I knew I was right, and I can say to this great television and radio audience that I have no apologies to the American people for my part in putting Alger Hiss where he is today. And as far as this is concerned, I intend to continue to fight.
Why do I feel so deeply? Why do I feel that in spite of the smears, the misunderstanding, the necessity for a man to come up here and bare his soul as I have -- why is it necessary for me to continue this fight? And I want to tell you why. Because, you see, I love my country. And I think my country is in danger. And I think the only man that can save America at this time is the man that's running for President, on my ticket --Dwight Eisenhower. You say, 'Why do I think it is in danger?' And I say, look at the record. Seven years of the Truman-Acheson Administration, and what's happened? Six hundred million people lost to the Communists. (2) And a war in Korea in which we have lost 117,000 American casualties(3), and I say to all of you that a policy that results in the loss of 600 million people to the Communists, and a war which cost us 117,000 American casualties isn't good enough for America. And I say that those in the State Department that made the mistakes which caused that war and which resulted in those losses should be kicked out of the State Departmentjust as fast as we get them out of there.
Keys
(1)、let up,放弃。
(2)、这里的“Six hundred millionpeople lost to the Communists.”当指中国共产党成立新中国,毛主席说“六亿神州尽舜尧”,当时中国人口约6个亿。这里尼克松这样说,意指杜鲁门对华政策出现失误。
(3)、casualty,伤亡。
And let me say that I know Mr. Stevensonwon't do that because he defends the Truman policy, and I know that Dwight Eisenhower will do that, and that he will give America the leadership that it needs. Take the problem of corruption. You've read about the mess in Washington. Mr. Stevenson can't clean it up because he was picked by the man,Truman, under whose Administration the mess was made. You wouldn't trust the man who made the mess to clean it up. That's Truman. And by the same token (1) you can't trust the man who was picked by the man that made the mess to clean it up -- and that's Stevenson.
And so I say, Eisenhower, who owed nothing to Truman, nothing to the big city bosses -- he is the man that can clean up the mess in Washington. Take Communism. I say that as far as that subject is concerned the danger is great to America. In the Hiss case they got the secrets which enabled them to break the American secret State Department code. They got secrets in the atomic bomb case which enabled them to get the secret of the atomic bomb five years before they would have gotten it by their own devices.And I say that any man who called the Alger Hiss case a red herring (2) isn't fit to be President of the United States. I say that aman who, like Mr. Stevenson, has pooh-poohed andridiculed (3) the Communist threat in the UnitedStates -- he said that they are phantoms (4) among ourselves. He has accused us that have attempted to expose the Communists, of looking for Communists in the Bureau of Fisheries and Wildlife. I say that a man who says that isn't qualified to be President of the United States. And I say that the only man who can lead us in this fight to rid the Government of both those who are Communists and those who have corrupted this Government is Eisenhower, because Eisenhower, you can be sure, recognizes the problem, and he knows how to deal with it.
Keys
(1)、by the same token --出于同样原因。
(2)、a red herring –英语习语,意思是“遮眼法,转移注意力的东西”。这里指杜鲁门政府用Alger Hiss事件来转移公众的视线。
(3)、pooh-pooh – 与后面ridicule同样是嘲笑的意思,前者有“呸呸”的拟声效果。
(4)、phantom,[ˈfæntəm],幻影。
Now let me that finally, this evening, I want to read to you, just briefly, excerpts (1) from a letter which I received, a letter which after all this is over no one can take away from us. It reads as follows:
Dear Senator Nixon:
Since I am only 19 years of age, I can't vote in this presidential election, but believe me if I could you and General Eisenhower would certainly get my vote. My husband is in the Fleet Marines in Korea. He's a corpsman onthe front lines and we have a two month old son he's never seen. And I feel confident that with great Americans like you and General Eisenhower in the White House, lonely Americans like myself will be united with their loved ones now in Korea. I only pray to God that you won't be too late. Enclosed is a small check to help you in your campaign. Living on $85 a month, it is all I can afford at present, but let me know what else I can do.
Folks, it's a check for 10 dollars, and it's one that I will never cash. And just let me say this: We hear a lot about prosperity (2) these days, but I say why can't we have prosperity built on peace, rather than prosperity built on war? Why can't we have prosperity and an honest Government in Washington, D.C., at the same time?Believe me, we can. And Eisenhower is the man that can lead this crusade to bring us that kind of prosperity.
Keys
(1)、excerpt ,摘录、节选。
(2)、prosperity,繁荣。
And now, finally, I know that you wonder whether or not I am going to stay on the Republican ticket or resign. Let me say this: I don't believe that I ought to quit, because I am not a quitter. And, incidentally, Pat's not a quitter. After all, her name was Patricia Ryanand she was born on St. Patrick's Day, and you know the Irish never quit.
But the decision, my friends, is not mine. I would do nothing that would harm the possibilities of Dwight Eisenhower to become President of the United States. And for that reason I am submitting to the Republican National Committee tonight through this television broadcast the decision which it is theirs to make. Let them decide whether my position on the ticket will help or hurt. And I am going to ask you to help them decide. Wire (1)and write the Republican National Committee whether you think I should stay onor whether I should get off. And whatever their decision is, I will abide by (2) it.
But just let me say this last word: Regardless of what happens, I'm going to continue this fight. I'm going to campaign up and down in America until we drive the crooks (3) and the Communists and those that defend them out of Washington. And remember folks, Eisenhower is a great man, believe me. He's a great man. And a vote for Eisenhower is a vote for what's good for America.
Delivered 23 September 1952
(End)
Keys
(1)、Wire – 拍电报。
(2)、abide by – 遵守。
(3)、crook – 骗子。在后来水门事件中,尼克松开始矢口否认,说:“I am not a crook”。这句话几乎成了他的笑柄,记忆至今。
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