America's second chance美國的第二次機會

美國副總統Henry Wallace在1941年4月8日於美國外交協會發表演說節錄

THE UNITED STATES now has her second opportunity to make the world safe for democracy. During World War 1, our boys enlisted to save the democracy of Western Europe and the New World from the encroachment (1) by the imperialism of a militaristic (2) Prussia.

When the peace came we refused to accept responsibility for the world we had helped to create. We turned our back on Europe and said we were isolationists (3). During the war, prices, taxes and wages had doubled.

The desire of the American millions for normalcy and for isolation caused our people to refuse to accept the world responsibility (4) which had been brought to them by World War 1. We raised our tariff in 1922 and again in 1930. We learned by hard experience (5) that a creditor nation which cultivates a high-tariff policy and an isolationist psychology is certain to bring disaster on itself (6) and the rest of the world as well.

As we have pondered (7) on the lessons of World War I, our study of the nations has led us to realize that the greatest likelihood of remaining at peace is to make these ruthless, treaty-breaking nations understand that the American people are ready to go to war if their rights are transgressed (8) at any vital point. It is one of the rights of the American people to defend democracy by helping the nations resisting aggression to the limit with planes, ships, munitions, and food.

Properly equipped with a Bill of Duties, the United States can shoulder her responsibility to the world in the peace that is to come. With such a Bill we can help build a Pax Democratica (9) which will bless us and the whole world for a century to come.

馮強短評

好辭彙共賞:

(1) encroachment =圍堵政策。Encroach =侵犯；侵略，侵佔；侵害。Encroach on [upon] Julian's right =侵佔他人權利

(2) militaristic =軍事擴張主義，軍國主義者。Military service =兵役。A military adviser =軍事顧問

(3) isolationists =孤立主義者。Isolationism =孤立主義。Fight in isolation =孤軍作戰

(4) refuse to accept the world responsibility =拒絕接受保衞世界的責任

(5) learned by hard experience=從痛苦經驗中學習

(6) bring disaster on itself =為自己帶來災難。Disaster movie =災難電影

(7) ponder =考慮，仔細考慮；沉思，默想

(8) their rights are transgressed =權力被踐踏。Transgress的同義詞有violate the law, challenge, flout和breach等

(9) Pax Democratica =和平和民主的世界。Pax America =（第二次世界大戰後的）美國強權之下的世界和平

短評共賞:

美國副總統Henry Wallace在1940年代已提出美國在和平時段要扮演「世界警察」的角色，保障世界和平與實現民主化。當然，美國的行為很多國家都不認同，認為美國在干預他國的內政。你認為呢？

馮強

浸會大學傳理學院國際新聞和財經新聞碩士課程主任

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