John F. Kennedy: Moon Speech at Rice University

John F. Kennedy: Moon Speech at Rice University

Despite the striking fact that most of the scientists that the world has ever known are alive and working today, despite the fact that this nation's own scientific manpower is doubling every 12 years in a rate of growth more than three times that of our population as a whole--despite that, the vast stretches of the unknown and the unanswered and the unfinished still far 1)outstrip 1 our collective comprehension. Surely the opening 2)vistas of space promise high costs and hardships, as well as high reward.

William Bradford, speaking in 1630 of the founding of the Plymouth Bay Colony, said that all great and honorable actions are accompanied with great difficulties, and both must be enterprised and overcome with answerable courage.

If this 3)capsule history of our progress teaches us anything, it is that man in his quest for knowledge and progress is determined 4 and cannot be 4)deterred. The exploration of space will go ahead, whether we join in it or not, and it is one of the great adventures of all time, and no nation which expects to be the leader of other nations can expect to stay behind in this race for space.

We set sail on this new sea because there is new knowledge to be gained, and new rights to be won, and they must be won and used for the progress of all people. For space science, like nuclear science and all technology, has no 5)conscience of its own, whether it will become a force for good or ill depends on man, and only if the United States occupies a position of pre-eminence can we help decide whether this new ocean will be a sea of peace or a new terrifying theater of war. I do not say that we should or will go unprotected against the 6)hostile misuse 5 of space any more than we go unprotected against the hostile use of land or sea, but I do say that space can be explored and mastered without feeding the fires of war, without repeating the mistakes that man has made in extending his 7)writ 6 around this globe of ours.

There is no 8)strife 7, no 9)prejudice, no national conflict in outer space as yet. Its 10)hazards are hostile to us all. Its 11)conquest deserves the best of all mankind, and its opportunity for peaceful cooperation may never come again. But why, some say, the moon? Why choose this as our goal? And they may well ask why climb the highest mountain? Why, 35 years ago, fly the Atlantic?

We choose to go to the moon! We choose to go to the moon, we choose to go to the moon in this decade and do the other things, not because they are easy, but because they are hard, because that goal will serve to organize and measure the best of our energies and skills, because that challenge is one that we are willing to accept, one we are unwilling 8 to postpone 9.

The growth of our science and education will be enriched by new knowledge of our universe and environment, by new techniques of learning and mapping and observation, by new tools and computers for industry, medicine, the home as well as the school. Technical institutions, such as Rice, will reap the harvest of these gains.

Many years ago the great British explorer George Mallory, who was to die on Mount Everest, was asked why did he want to climb it. He said, "Because it is there."

Well, space is there, and we're going to climb it, and the moon and the planets are there, and new hopes for knowledge and peace are there. And, therefore, as we set sail we ask God's blessing 10 on the most 12)hazardous 11 and dangerous and greatest adventure on which man has ever 13)embarked.

注释:
1) outstrip [aut5strip] v. 超过
2) vista 2 [5vistE] n. 街景，展望
3) capsule [5kApsju:l] a. 概要的，简略的
4) deter 3 [di5tE:] v. 阻止
5) conscience [5kCnFEns] n. 良心，道德心
6) hostile [5hCstail] a. 敌对的，敌方的
7) writ [rit] n. 文书，书面命令
8) strife [straif] n. 斗争，竞争
9) prejudice [5predVudis] n. 偏见，成见
10) hazard [5hAzEd] n. 冒险，危险
11) conquest [5kCNkwest] n. 征服
12) hazardous [5hAzEdEs] a. 冒险的，危险的
13) embark 12 [im5bB:k] v. 从事，着手

约翰·F·肯尼迪在莱斯大学的登月演说

尽管绝大多数世界知名的科学家依然健在，仍旧努力工作——这事实让人振奋；尽管我们国家的科研力量每12年翻一番，其增长率超过我国总体人口增长率的3倍；尽管如此，未知、未解、未决事物的扩展仍然远远超过我们已有的知识范畴。确实，太空敞阔的远景意味着巨额的费用与高度的艰难，但也意味着高额的回报。
1630年，威廉·布拉德福建立普利茅斯湾殖民地。在发表讲话时，他说，所有伟大而崇高的事业都是伴随着巨大的困难的；而事业的成功、苦难的克服都必须要有足够的勇气。
如果说我们这段前进的简史教给我们什么，那就是，人类在探求知识和进步的过程中是坚定不移、无坚不摧的。不论我们参加与否，太空的探索都会继续。无论是什么时候，这都是伟大的探险之一，而且任何希望成为他国之首的国家都不会希望自己在太空的竞赛中滞后。
我们之所以在这片新的海洋里起航，是因为有新的知识等我们汲取，有新的权利等我们赢取。而这些知识、权利都必会为我们所得并用于全人类的发展之上。由于空间科学，如同原子科学和其他技术一样，自身并无道德可言，其成为扬善还是扬恶的力量取决于人类。而只有美利坚合众国取得一席优越之地，才能帮助决定这片新海洋是成为和平之海还是战争的骇人场所。
我不是说我们应该或者必须漠视敌人对太空的不合理使用甚于漠视其对陆地与海洋的误用，但是我的确认为太空的开发和利用无需灌以战争的火光，无需重蹈人类在地球扩张时所犯之错误。
外太空至今仍没有斗争、偏见和国家冲突。太空里的危险是针对我们所有人的。征服太空需要集结全人类最优秀的力量，而和平合作的机会或许永不再来了。但有人指出，为何选择月球？为何以登月作为我们的目标？这就好比询问为什么我们要攀登最高之山，为什么三十五年前我们要飞越大西洋了。
我们选择登月!我们选择登月，我们选择在这个十年内登月并实现其它的梦想，这并非因为这些事情容易办到，而是因为它们艰难，因为这个目标的实现将有利于组织和调动我们最优秀的力量和技术，因为这个挑战是我们甘愿接受的挑战，是我们不愿推后的挑战。
宇宙和外部环境的新知识，学习、绘图和观测的新技术以及用于工业、医学、学校和家庭的新型工具及计算机将促进我们科学与教育的发展。技术机构，如莱斯大学，将会从中受益。
许多年前，伟大的英国探险家乔治·马洛礼——他死于攀登珠穆朗玛峰的途中，曾被问到为何要攀登此峰。他说：“因为它就在那里。”
哦，太空就在那里，而我们就要登上它了；月球和其他行星也在那里；知识与和平的新希望就在那里。因此，出航之际，我们祈求上帝庇佑这项人类有史以来所从事的最危险最伟大的冒险活动。