FiresideChat
富蘭克林·羅斯福/FranklinRoosevelt
富蘭克林·羅斯福（1882—1945），美國第三十一、三十二任總統，美國歷史上唯一蟬聯四屆(第四屆未任滿)的總統。羅斯福在20世紀的經濟大蕭條和第二次世界大戰中扮演了重要的角色，被學者評為是美國最偉大的三位總統之一。
AceintheHole
Understandthesenewwordsbeforeyoureadthisarticle.
1.expansionn.擴大，擴張，擴展，膨脹
2.philosophyn.哲學；人生哲學，人生觀
3.emphaticallyadv.強調地；斷然地；明顯地
4.arsenaln.兵工廠，軍火庫
Myfriend,
Thisisnotafiresidechatonwar.Itisatalkonnationalsecurity;becausethenubofthewholeurposeofyourpresidentistokeepyounow,andyourchildrenlater,andyourgrandchildrenmuchlater,outofalast-ditchwarforthepreservationofAmericanindependenceandallofthethingsthatAmericanindependencemeanstoyouandtomeandtoours.
Tonight,inthepresenceofaworldcrisis,mymindgoesbackeightyearstoanightinthemidstofadomesticcrisis.ItwasatimewhenthewheelsofAmericanindustryweregrindingtoafullstop,whenthewholebankingsystemofourcountryhadceasedtofunction.
IwellrememberedthatwhileIsatinmystudyintheWhiteHouse,preparingtotalkwiththepeopleoftheUnitedStates,IhadbeforemyeyesthepictureofallthoseAmericanswithwhomIwastalking.Isawtheworkmeninthemills,themines,thefactories;thegirlbehindthecounter;thesmallshopkeeper;thefarmerdoinghisSpringplowing;thewidowsandtheoldmenwonderingabouttheirlife』ssavings.
ItriedtoconveytothegreatmassofAmericanpeoplewhatthebankingcrisistothemintheirdailylives.
TonightIwanttodothesamething,withthesamepeople,inthisnewcrisis,whichfacesAmerica.
Wemettheissueof1933withcourageandrealism.Wefacethisnewcrisis—thisnewthreattothesecurityofournation—withthesamecourageandrealism.
NeverbeforesinceJamestownandPlymouthRockhasourAmericancivilizationbeeninsuchdangerasnow.
ForonSeptember27,1940—thisyear—byanagreementsignedinBerlin,threepowerfulnations,twoinEuropeandoneinAsia,joinedthemselvestogetherinthethreatthatiftheUnitedStatesofAmericainterferedwithorblockedtheexpansionprogramofthesethreenations—aprogramaimedatworldcontrol—theywoulduniteinultimateactionagainsttheUnitedStates.
TheNazimastersofGermanyhavemadeitclearthattheyintendnotonlytodominatealllifeandthoughtintheirowncountry,butalsotoenslavethewholeofEurope,andthentousetheresourcesofEuropetodominatetherestoftheworld.
Inotherwords,theAxisnotmerelyadmitsbuttheAxisproclaimsthattherecanbenoultimatepeacebetweentheirphilosophy—theirphilosophyofgovernment—andourphilosophyofgovernment.
Inviewofthenatureofthisundeniablethreat,itcanbeasserted,properlyandcategorically,thattheUnitedStateshasnorightorreasontoencouragetalkofpeaceuntilthedayshallcomewhenthereisaclearintentiononthepartoftheaggressornationstoabandonallthoughtofdominatingorconqueringtheworld.
AtthismomenttheforcesoftheStatesthatareleaguedagainstallpeopleswholiveinfreedomarebeingheldawayfromourshores.TheGermansandtheItaliansarebeingblockedontheothersideoftheAtlanticbytheBritishandbytheGreeks,andbythousandsofsoldiersandsailorswhowereabletoescapefromsubjugatedcountries.InAsiatheJapanesearebeingengagedbytheChinesenationinanothergreatdefense.
InthePacificOceanisourfleet.
Thinkingintermsoftodayandtomorrow,ImakethedirectstatementtotheAmericanpeoplethatthereisfarlesschanceoftheUnitedStatesgettingintowarifwedoallwecannowtosupportthenationsdefendingthemselvesagainstattackbytheAxisthanifweacquiesceintheirdefeat,submittamelytoanAxisvictory,andwaitourturntobetheobjectofattackinanotherwarlateron.
Ifwearetobecompletelyhonestwithourselves,wemustadmitthatthereisriskinanycoursewemaytake.ButIdeeplybelievethatthegreatmajorityofourpeopleagreethatthecoursethatIadvocateinvolvestheleastrisknowandthegreatesthopeforworldpeaceinthefuture.
ThepeopleofEuropewhoaredefendingthemselvesdonotaskustodotheirfighting.Theyaskusfortheimplementsofwar,theplanes,thetanks,theguns,thefreighterswhichwillenablethemtofightfortheirlibertyandforoursecurity.Emphaticallywemustgettheseweaponstothem,getthemtotheminsufficientvolumeandquicklyenoughsothatweandourchildrenwillbesavedtheagonyandsufferingofwarwhichothershavehadtoendure.