晨读英语美文100篇 Passage 57 Washington’s Address to His Troops
 音频下载[点击右键另存为][00:00.65]Passage 57 Washington’s Address to His Troops[00:05.57]The time is now near at hand which must probably determine whether Americans are to be freemen of slaves; [00:14.10]whether they are to have any property they can call their own; [00:18.70]whether their houses and farms are to be pillaged and destroyed, [00:23.73]and themselves consigned to a state of wretchedness from which no human efforts will deliver them. [00:31.39]The fate of unborn millions will now depend, under God, [00:36.42]on the courage and conduct of this army. [00:39.60]Our cruel and unrelenting enemy leaves us only the choice of a brave resistance [00:46.49]or the most abject submission. [00:49.22]We have, therefore, to resolve to conquer or to die. [00:54.48]Our own, our country’s honor, calls upon us for a vigorous and manly exertion; [01:02.03]and if we now shamefully fail, we shall become infamous to the whole world. [01:08.37]Let us then rely on the goodness of our cause, and the aid of the Supreme Being, [01:14.06]in whose hands victory is, to animate and encourage us to great and noble actions. [01:21.93]The eyes of all our countrymen are now upon us, [01:25.77]and we shall have their blessings and praises, [01:28.72]if happily we are the instruments of saving them from the tyranny meditated against them. [01:35.18]Let us animate and encourage each other, [01:39.11]and show the whole world that a free man contending for liberty on his own ground [01:46.01]is superior to any slavish mercenary on earth. [01:50.49]Liberty, property, life, and honor are all at stake; [01:56.29]upon your courage and conduct rest the hopes of our bleeding and insulted country; [02:03.29]our wives, children, and parents expect safety from us, only; [02:10.29]and they have every reason to believe that Heaven will crown with success so just a cause. [02:17.51]The enemy will endeavor to intimidate by show and appearance; [02:23.21]but remember, they have been repulsed on various occasions by a few brave Americans. [02:31.42]Their cause is bad — their men are conscious of it; [02:36.67]and if opposed with firmness and coolness on their first onset, [02:42.14]with our advantage of works, and knowledge of the ground, [02:46.84]the victory is most assuredly ours. [02:50.23]Every good soldier will be silent and attentive—wait for orders, [02:56.47]and reserve his fire until he is sure of doing execution. |
