我們生來平等

睡前一句話

1. I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal.”

—Martin Luther King, Jr.

我有一個夢想：有一天，這個國家能夠真正實踐自己的信條，即“人人生來平等，我們認為這是不言而喻的真理。”

——馬丁·路德·金

寫給在讀書的你：

“All men are created equal” has been written into the constitutions of many countries, but it is difficult to realize it. However, at the cost of the efforts and bloodshed of generations, we are approaching it step by step.

許多國家的憲法里都寫著“人人生來平等”，但真正實現它卻并不容易。然而，經過數代人的不懈努力和流血犧牲，我們——正在一點一點地接近這個目標。

□ Words and Phrases:

rise up 起來反抗；起義

live out 實踐

creed [kri:d] n．信條；教義

belief [bi?li:f] n．信仰；信念

bloodshed [?bl?d?ed] n．流血；殺戮

step by step 逐步地

睡前一句話

2. I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character.

—Martin Luther King, Jr.

我有一個夢想：有一天，我的4個孩子能夠生活在一個不以膚色而是以品德評價他們的國家。

——馬丁·路德·金

寫給在讀書的你：

Nobody should be belittled for their family background, and no people should be deprived of their human rights for the color of their skin. We should treat every person equally.

沒有人應當因為出身而受到輕視，也沒有哪個民族應當因為膚色而被剝奪人權。我們應當平等地對待每一個人。

□ Words and Phrases:

judge [d??d?] v．判斷；審判

content [k?n?tent] n．內容；容量

belittle [bi?litl] v．輕視，貶低

family background 家庭背景

equally [?i:kw?li] adv．相等地；同樣地

equation [i?kwei??n] n．相等；均衡；方程式

睡前一句話

3. I have a dream that one day on the red hills of Georgia, the sons of former slaves and the sons of former slave owners will be able to sit together at the table of brotherhood.

—Martin Luther King, Jr.

我有一個夢想：有一天，在佐治亞州的紅色山丘上，前奴隸的兒子們和前奴隸主的兒子們能夠像兄弟一樣坐在一起。

——馬丁·路德·金

寫給在讀書的你：

Nowadays slaves and slave owners are both gone. The distinction between the black people and the white people is vanishing away gradually.

如今，奴隸、奴隸主都已經成為了歷史。黑人與白人之間的差別也正在逐漸地消失。

□ Words and Phrases:

former [?f?:m?] adj．從前的；前任的

be able to 會，能夠

brotherhood [?br?e?hud] n．兄弟關系；手足情誼

nowadays [?nau?deiz] adv．現今；時下

tomorrow [t??m?r?u] n. & adv．明天，明日

distinction [di?sti?k??n] n．區別；差別

vanish [?v?ni?] v．消失；突然不見

睡前一句話

4. I want to be the white man's brother, not his brother-in-law.

—Martin Luther King, Jr.

我想成為白人的兄弟，而不是他們的姻親。

——馬丁·路德·金

寫給在讀書的你：

Only when the whites treat the blacks as brothers, the United States can be said an egalitarian country.

只有當白人把黑人當做自己的兄弟一樣對待，美國才能被稱為一個平等的國家。

□ Words and Phrases:

brother-in-law [?br?e?rinl?:] n．姐夫；妹夫；內兄；內弟；大伯；小叔

brotherly [?br?e?li] adj．兄弟般的；親切友好的

treat [tri:t] v．招待；對待

entreat [in?tri:t] v．懇求，乞求

entertain [?ent??tein] v．款待，招待

delectation [?di:lek?tei??n] n．款待

egalitarian [i?g?li?t??ri?n] adj．平等主義的

睡前一句話

5. Discrimination is a hellhound that gnaws at Negroes in every waking moment of their lives to remind them that the lie of their inferiority is accepted as truth in the society dominating them.

—Martin Luther King, Jr.

種族歧視就像是地獄的惡犬，咬噬著黑人的生命，時刻提醒著他們自己總是低人一等。這樣一個謊言，卻在統治他們的社會中，被當做了真理。

——馬丁·路德·金

寫給在讀書的你：

When the whites constantly put emphasis on the difference between the blacks and themselves and claimed that they were superior to those blacks, did they have God in their minds?

當白人不斷地強調他們與黑人之間的差別，并聲稱他們比黑人高一等的時候，他們心中可有上帝？

□ Words and Phrases:

hellhound [?helhaund] n．地獄之犬；惡鬼

gnaw at 啃，咬；侵蝕

inferiority [in?fi?ri??riti] n．自卑；低劣

dominate [?d?mineit] v．支配；統治

domination [?d?mi?nei??n] n．統治；支配

dominion [d??minj?n] n．統治，管轄；支配

put emphasis on 重視；強調

superior to 優于；比……優越

睡前一句話

6. The sweltering summer of the Negro's legitimate discontent will not pass until there is an invigorating autumn of freedom and equality.

—Martin Luther King, Jr.

只有自由平等的爽朗秋天到來，黑人憤怒的酷暑才會過去。

——馬丁·路德·金

寫給在讀書的你：

Nothing can compensate the blacks for the sufferings that they have experienced except giving them freedom and equality.

只有給予黑人自由和平等，才能補償他們所經歷的苦難。

□ Words and Phrases:

sweltering [?swelt?ri?] adj．酷熱的

legitimate [li?d?itimit] adj．正當的，合理的；合法的

discontent [disk?n?tent] n．不滿；adj．不滿的

invigorating [in?vig?reiti?] adj．精力充沛的；爽快的

compensate [?k?mpenseit] v．補償；賠償

睡前一句話

7. We must learn to live together as brothers, or perish together as fools.

—Martin Luther King, Jr.

我們必須像兄弟一樣一起生活，否則就會像愚人一樣一起滅亡。

——馬丁·路德·金

寫給在讀書的你：

Human beings can survive only if we get on well with each other. Constant conflicts and wars will lead us to extinction one day.

只有和平相處，人類才能共同繁榮。無休止的沖突和戰爭終將導致人類的滅亡。

□ Words and Phrases:

perish [?peri?] 毀滅；消失；腐爛

constant [?k?nst?nt] adj．經常的；不變的

extinction [iks?ti?k??n] n．消失

extinct [iks?ti?kt] adj．滅絕的

ecocide [?ik?said] n．生態滅絕

die out 滅絕，消失

睡前一句話

8. All are equal, all are free, and all deserve a chance to pursue their full measure of happiness.

—Barack Obama

每個人都是平等的，都是自由的，都享有追求幸福的權利。

——貝拉克·奧巴馬

寫給在讀書的你：

Everyone has right to pursue their own happiness without harming others; nobody should obtain it at the cost of others' misery.

每個人都有權利在不傷害他人的前提下，去追求自己的幸福；每個人都不能將自己的幸福建立在他人的痛苦之上。

□ Words and Phrases:

deserve [di?z?:v] v．應受，應得

measure [?me??] n．手段，方法；程度；限度

measurable [?me??r?b?l] adj．可測量的

measurably [?me??r?bli] adv．可測地；清楚地

measurement [?me??m?nt] n．測量，度量

meterage [?mi:t?rid?] n．量度，測度

misery [?miz?ri] n．痛苦，悲慘

painful [?peinf?l] adj．令人疼痛的

睡前一句話

9. It was we, the people; not we, the white male citizens; nor yet we, the male citizens; but we, the whole people, who formed the Union.

—Susan Brownnell Anthony

是我們——人民，不是白人男性公民，也不是男性公民，而是我們——全體人民，組成了這個聯邦。

——蘇珊·安東尼

寫給在讀書的你：

No matter men or women, old or young, every person is a member of the country, and none of them should be unfairly excluded from enjoyment of the rights that the God bestowed on them.

無論是男女老幼，每個人都是國家的一份子，沒有人應當被不公平地剝奪上帝賦予他們的權利。

□ Words and Phrases:

male [meil] adj．男性的；雄性的

citizen [?sitizn] n．公民；市民；老百姓

unfairly [?n?f??li] adv．不公平地

exclude [iks?klu:d] v．排除；不包括

enjoyment [in?d??im?nt] n．享受；樂趣；享有

睡前一句話

10. Every discrimination against women in the constitutions and laws of the several states is today null and void, precisely as is every one against Negroes.

—Susan Brownnell Anthony

無論是國家的憲法還是少數幾個州的法律，其中歧視女性的條款，和那些歧視黑人的條款一樣，在今天都是無效的。

——蘇珊·安東尼

寫給在讀書的你：

In a civilized society, women should enjoy the same rights as men, which should be ensured by constitutions and laws.

在文明社會中，憲法和法律應當確保女性享有與男性同等之權利。

□ Words and Phrases:

discrimination [di?skrimi?nei??n] n.歧視；區別

racial discrimination 種族歧視

null and void 無效的

precisely [pri?saisli] adv．精確地；恰恰

precision [pri?si??n] n．精確，準確

civilized [?sivilaizd] adj．文明的；有禮貌的

friendly [?frendli] adj．友好的

睡前一句話

11. As I would not be a slave, so I would not be a master.

—Abraham Lincoln

因為我不想做奴隸，所以也不想做奴隸主。

——亞伯拉罕·林肯

寫給在讀書的你：

Where there are slaves, there are masters. When there are no slaves in the world and everyone is equal, there would not be masters.

有奴隸，才會有奴隸主。如果世上沒有奴隸，人人平等，也就不會有奴隸主了。

□ Words and Phrases:

slaver [?sleiv?] n．奴隸販子；口水；v．流口水

slave [sleiv] n．奴隸；苦工；v．苦干

slavish [?sleivi?] adj．奴隸般的；盲從的

slavishly [?sleivi?li] adv．奴隸般地；盲從地

slave society 奴隸社會

master [?mɑ:st?] n．主人；大師

expert [?eksp?:t] n．專家

睡前一句話

12. Whenever I hear anyone arguing for slavery I feel a strong impulse to see it tried on him personally.

—Abraham Lincoln

每當我聽到有人贊成奴隸制度，我都忍不住想看看他自己變成奴隸后是什么感受。

——亞伯拉罕·林肯

寫給在讀書的你：

“Do not do to others what you would not have them do to you.” If you don't want to be a slave, why do you ask others to be?

“己所不欲，勿施于人。”倘若你自己不愿意變成奴隸，為什么要讓別人當奴隸呢？

□ Words and Phrases:

argue [?ɑ:gju:] v．爭論，爭辯

argue for 贊成；支持

debate [di?beit] v．辯論，討論

impulse [?imp?ls] n．沖動；一時的念頭

impulsive [im?p?lsiv] adj．易沖動的

try on 試驗；試穿

personally [?p?:s?n?li] adv．親自；就個人來說

personal [?p?:s?nl] adj．個人的，私人的

睡前一句話

13. If slavery is not wrong, nothing is wrong.

—Abraham Lincoln

如果奴隸制沒有錯的話，那就沒有什么是錯誤的了。

——亞伯拉罕·林肯

寫給在讀書的你：

If it is not wrong that one people enslaves another, there is no need for the human beings to create the word “justice”.

如果一個民族奴役另一個民族沒有錯的話，那么人類就沒有必要造“正義”這個詞了。

□ Words and Phrases:

no need 不需要；不必了

justice [?d??stis] n．公平；正義；司法

睡前一句話

14. Though disfranchised, we have few women in the best sense.

—Elizabeth Cady Stanton

很少有女性意識到自己被剝奪了公民選舉權。

——伊麗莎白·卡迪·斯坦頓

寫給在讀書的你：

When an unequal law or convention has lasted for too long a time, many people may think it is reasonable, even those who are harmed by it.

當某個不公平的法律或慣例持續得太久，許多人就會覺得它是合理的，就連那些受它迫害的人也這樣想。

□ Words and Phrases:

disfranchise [?dis?fr?nt?aiz] v．剝奪公民權；剝奪……權利

sense [sens] n．觀念；判斷力；理智

convention [k?n?ven??n] n．慣例；公約

treaty [?tri:ti] n. （國際間的）條約，協定

pact [p?kt] n．條約，協議

reasonable [?ri:zn?bl] adj．合理的

reasonably [?ri:zn?bli] adv．合乎邏輯地

睡前一句話

15. We hold these truths to be self-evident: that all men and women are created equal.

—Elizabeth Cady Stanton

我們認為，男女生來平等，這是不言而喻的真理。

寫給在讀書的你：

——伊麗莎白·卡迪·斯坦頓

God treats every person equally, either men or women. He has never said that women should submit themselves to men.

上帝公平地對待每一個人，無論是男是女。他從未說過女人應當服從男人。

□ Words and Phrases:

self-evident [?self?evid?nt] adj．不言而喻的；不證自明的

equal [?i:kw?l] adj．平等的；相等的；v．等于

equally [?i:kw?li] adv．平等地

submit [s?b?mit] v．使服從；使屈服

睡前一句話

16. Today, we've sworn in the first Madame Speaker of the House of Representatives.

—Hillary Clinton

如今，眾議院的第一位女發言人宣誓就職了。

——希拉里·克林頓

寫給在讀書的你：

Women are playing a more and more important part in modern society. With her own actions, Hillary Clinton has shown that women can also become excellent politicians like men.

在現代社會，女性擔當起了越來越重要的角色。希拉里用自己的實際行動證明了女性也可以像男人一樣成為優秀的政治家。

□ Words and Phrases:

swear [sw??] v．發誓，宣誓

swear in 使宣誓就職

speaker [?spi:k?] n．發言人

speech [spi:t?] n．講話，發言

representative [repri?zent?tiv] n．代表；眾議員

behalf [bi?hɑ:f] n．代表；利益；方面

politician [?p?li?ti??n] n．政治家；政客

political [p??litik?l] adj．政治的；政權的

睡前一句話

17. Before God we are all equally wise and equally foolish.

—Albert Einstein

在上帝面前，我們同樣睿智，也同樣愚蠢。

——阿爾伯特·愛因斯坦

寫給在讀書的你：

We are equal before God. Nobody is nobler than other people and nobody is humbler than others.

在上帝面前，我們都是平等的，沒有人比他人高貴，也沒有人比他人低賤。

□ Words and Phrases:

equally [?i:kw?li] adv．同樣地；相等地

equality [i:?kw?liti] n．同等，平等

foolish [?fu:li?] adj．愚蠢的，傻的

fool [fu:l] n．蠢人，傻瓜

silly [?sili] adj．愚蠢的；不明事理的

dull [d?l] adj 遲鈍的，愚笨的

humble [?h?mbl] adj．低下的；卑微的

humility [hju:?militi] n．謙遜，謙虛

睡前一句話

18. If any man claims the Negro should be content...let him say he would willingly change the color of his skin and go to live in the Negro section of a large city. Then and only then has he a right to such a claim.

—Robert Kennedy

如果有人認為黑人應當對自己目前的處境感到滿足……除非他自愿改變自己的膚色，并到大城市里的黑人區生活，他才有資格說這樣的話。

——羅伯特·肯尼迪

寫給在讀書的你：

We should not do to others what we would not like done to us. If you are unwilling to be treated unfairly, how can you do such to others?

己所不欲，勿施于人。如果你不愿意受到不公平的待遇，你又怎么可以不公平地對待別人呢？

□ Words and Phrases:

claim [kleim] v．聲稱，主張；n．主張；斷言

Negro [?ni:gr?u] n．黑人；adj．黑人的

willingly [?wili?li] adv．樂意地，情愿地

unwilling [?n?wili?] adj．不愿意的

睡前一句話

19. Allow men and women to register and vote whatever the color of their skin.

—Lyndon Baines Johnson

請允許所有的男女進行登記和投票，無論他們是何種膚色。

——林登·貝恩斯·約翰遜

寫給在讀書的你：

Give the blacks the right to vote, which is the first and most important step to treat them equally. Without it, the blacks are still slaves.

給予黑人選舉權，這是平等對待黑人的第一步，也是最重要的一步。沒有選舉權，黑人仍舊是奴隸。

□ Words and Phrases:

register [?red?ist?] v．登記，注冊

registration [?red?is?trei??n] n．登記

registered [?red?ist?d] adj．已注冊的；掛號的

registrar [?red?is?trɑ:] n．登記員

vote [v?ut] v．選舉；投票

voter [?v?ut?] n．投票人，選舉人

voting [?v?uti?] n．投票，選舉

whatever [w?t?ev?] pron．無論什么；adj．不管什么樣的

睡前一句話

20. All the citizens of a state cannot be equally powerful, but they may be equally free.

—Voltaire

一個國家的所有公民即使不能夠平等地享有權力，但他們卻可以平等地享受自由。

——伏爾泰

寫給在讀書的你：

There is no absolute equality in the world. Therefore, people can be divided into different classes, but people should equally enjoy the basic human rights.

世上本不存在絕對的平等，所以有窮富之分，高低之別，但是人們理應平等地享有作為人的基本權利。

□ Words and Phrases:

senior citizen 老人

citizenry [?sitiznri] n．全體市民

equality [i:?kw?liti] n．同等；平等

equally [?i:kw?li] adv．平等地；相等地

睡前一句話

21. All men are created equal; it is only men themselves who place themselves above equality.

—David Allan Coe

人們生來本是平等的，不過是自己把自己放在了不平等的位置上。

——大衛·艾倫·科

寫給在讀書的你：

No matter how noble you are born, you have no right to belittle others;no matter how humble your background is, you don't need to downgrade yourself.

無論你的出身有多么高貴，你都沒有權力輕賤別人；無論你的出身有多么卑微，你都沒有必要輕賤自己。

□ Words and Phrases:

degrading [di?greidi?] adj．有辱人格的；貶低的

demeaning [di?mi:ni?] adj．降低身份的；失去尊嚴的

degrade [di?greid] v．使受侮辱

downgrade [?daun?greid] v．使降低；使降級

睡前一句話

22. Equality is the soul of liberty; there is, in fact, no liberty without it.

—Frances Wright

平等是自由的靈魂；因此，沒有平等就沒有自由。

——弗朗西斯·賴特

寫給在讀書的你：

Equality is the foundation of liberty. Where there is no equality, there will be slavery and oppression; where there are slavery and oppression, there will be no real liberty.

平等是自由的基礎。有不平等的地方，就會有奴役和壓迫；有奴役和壓迫的地方，就沒有真正的自由。

□ Words and Phrases:

in fact 事實上；實際上

slavery [?sleiv?ri] n．奴役；奴隸制

oppression [??pre??n] n．壓迫；鎮壓

oppressed [??prest] adj．被壓迫的，受迫害的

oppressive [??presiv] adj．壓迫的，壓制的

oppressor [??pres?] n．壓迫者，殘酷的統治者

睡前一句話

23. Woman is the companion of man, gifted with equal mental capacities. She has the right to participate in the minutest details in the activities of man, and she has an equal right of freedom and liberty with him.

—Mohandas Gandhi

女性是男性的同伴，擁有同等的智力，有權參與到男性最細小的活動中去，并享有同等的自由。

——莫罕達斯·甘地

寫給在讀書的你：

Women are no inferior to men in mental capacities. In some fields they can do better than men. And the society should offer equal chances to women.

女人在智力上決不輸于男人，在某些領域中，她們做得比男人更好。社會應當給女人提供同等的機會。

□ Words and Phrases:

companion [k?m?p?nj?n] n．同伴，朋友

companionable [k?m?p?nj?n?bl] adj．朋友般的友好的

companionship [k?m?p?nj?n?ip] n．友情，友誼

company [?k?mp?ni] n．陪伴，作伴

capacity [k??p?siti] n．能力；資格

participate [pɑ:?tisipeit] v．參加，參與

participate in 參加；分享

minute [?minit] adj．微小的；詳細的

detail [?di:teil] n．細節；詳情

睡前一句話

24. I realize that I'm black, but I like to be viewed as a person, and this is everybody's wish.

—Michael Jordan

我知道我是個黑人，但我希望只是被當做一個“人”來對待，而這也是所有人的希望。

——邁克爾·喬丹

寫給在讀書的你：

Everybody hopes that they can be equally viewed and respected by others, although there are many people in the world who inherit from the last generation unreasonable racism.

每個人都希望被別人平等地看待，希望得到別人的尊重，盡管，這世上還有很多人從上代人那里遺傳了不可理喻的種族歧視。

□ Words and Phrases:

be viewed as 被看成是；被看做是

unreasonable [?n?ri:zn?bl] adj．不合理的；過度的

inherit [in?herit] v．繼承；遺傳

睡前一句話

25. If you are ashamed to stand by your colors, you had better seek another flag.

—Author Unknown

如果你為自己的膚色感到可恥，那么你最好換個國籍。

——佚名

寫給在讀書的你：

Not everybody was born into a rich and noble family, but nobody feels ashamed of his parentage. Also, no matter your country is rich or poor, at least it is your own.

不是每個人都出生于一個高貴富裕的家庭，但是沒有人會為自己的出身而感到羞恥。同樣，無論你的國家是貧窮還是富裕，它至少是你自己的國家。

□ Words and Phrases:

ashamed [???eimd] adj．慚愧的；感到難為情的

had better 最好

parentage [?p??r?ntid?] n．出身；血統

parental [p??rentl] adj．父母的，雙親的

parenthood [?pe?r?nthud] n．做父母的身份

parenting [?pe?r?nti?] n．養育，撫養

睡前一句話

26. The first woman was created from the rib of a man. She was not made from his head to top him, nor from his feet to be trampled on by him, but out of his side to be equal to him.

—Author Unknown

世上的第一個女人是由男人的一根肋骨變成的。因為不是頭骨，所以女人不會凌駕于男人之上；也不是腳骨，所以女人不應當受到男人踐踏；而是身體一側的肋骨，所以女人與男人平等。

——佚名

寫給在讀書的你：

God created a man first, and then he created a woman as his companion instead of his slave or appendix.

上帝先創造了男人，然后創造了女人作為男人的伴侶，而不是他們的奴隸或者附屬品。

□ Words and Phrases:

rib [rib] n．肋骨

trample [?tr?mpl] v．踐踏；輕視

treadle [?tredl] n．踏板

appendix [??pendiks] n．附屬物