Fourscore and seven years ago our fathers brought forth on this continent a new nation, conceived in liberty, and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal.
Now we are engaged in a great civil war, testing whether that nation, or any nation so conceived and so dedicated, can long endure. We are met on a great battlefield of that war. We have come to dedicate a portion of that field as a final resting place for those who here gave their lives that that nation might live. It is altogether fitting and proper that we should do this.
But, in a larger sense, we cannot dedicate - we cannot consecrate -we cannot hallow -this ground. The brave men, living and dead, who struggled here, have consecrated it far above our poor power to add or detract. The world will little note nor long remember what we say here, but it can never forget what they did here. It is for us, the living, rather, to be dedicated here to the unfinished work, which they who fought here have thus far so nobly advanced. It is rather for us to be here dedicated to the great task remaining before us- that from these honored dead we take increased devotion to that cause for which they gave the last full measure of devotion; that this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom; and that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth.

fourscore  n. 八十，八十年
conceive  v. 构思
proposition  n. 主张
endure  v. 忍耐
battlefield  n. 战场
consecrate v. （使）神圣
hallow  v. 神化
detract  v. 减少
perish  v. 死亡，毁灭

阿伯拉罕•林肯 1863年11月19日
八十七年前，我们的先辈在这块大陆上创建了一个新的国家。她孕育于自由之中，奉行一切人生来平等的原则。
现在，我们正从事于一场伟大的内战，以考验这个国家，或者说，以考验任何孕育于自由并奉行上述原则的国家能否长久生存。我们聚集在这场战争中的一个伟大的战场上。我们在此聚会，是为了把这战场中的一部分奉献给那些为这个国家的生存而献身的烈士，作为他们的最后安息之所。我们这样做，是理所当然，恰如其分的。
但是，从更为广泛的意义来说，我们无法奉献，无法圣化，无法神化这块土地。那些曾在这里战斗过的勇敢的生者与死者已经将这块土地圣化，这远不是我们微薄的力量所能增减的。全世界不会注意，也不会长久记住我们今天在这里所讲的话。但是，全世界永远不会忘记这些勇士在这里做过的事。对我们这些活着的人来说，倒是应该把自己奉献于勇士们以崇高的精神向前推进而尚未完成的事业，应该把自己奉献于依然摆在我们面前的伟大任务--我们要从那些可敬的死者身上汲取更多的献身精神，来完成他们为之献出全部忠诚的事业，我们要在这里下定最大的决心，不让烈士们的鲜血白流；要在上帝的保佑下，使我们的国家获得自由的新生；要使我们这个民有、民治、民享的政府永世长存。

学习札记
That’s why I propose, that as of today.
这就是我为什么样要说,让我们从今天开始.


学习札记
you do not keep anything for a special occasion , because everyday you live is a special occasion.
不要为某一时刻预留些什么,因为你生活的每一天都是特别的时刻.