我们生来平等

睡前一句话

1. I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal.”

—Martin Luther King, Jr.

我有一个梦想：有一天，这个国家能够真正实践自己的信条，即“人人生来平等，我们认为这是不言而喻的真理。”

——马丁·路德·金

写给在读书的你：

“All men are created equal” has been written into the constitutions of many countries, but it is difficult to realize it. However, at the cost of the efforts and bloodshed of generations, we are approaching it step by step.

许多国家的宪法里都写着“人人生来平等”，但真正实现它却并不容易。然而，经过数代人的不懈努力和流血牺牲，我们——正在一点一点地接近这个目标。

□ Words and Phrases:

rise up 起来反抗；起义

live out 实践

creed [kri:d] n．信条；教义

belief [biˈli:f] n．信仰；信念

bloodshed [ˈblʌdʃed] n．流血；杀戮

step by step 逐步地

睡前一句话

2. I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character.

—Martin Luther King, Jr.

我有一个梦想：有一天，我的4个孩子能够生活在一个不以肤色而是以品德评价他们的国家。

——马丁·路德·金

写给在读书的你：

Nobody should be belittled for their family background, and no people should be deprived of their human rights for the color of their skin. We should treat every person equally.

没有人应当因为出身而受到轻视，也没有哪个民族应当因为肤色而被剥夺人权。我们应当平等地对待每一个人。

□ Words and Phrases:

judge [dʒʌdʒ] v．判断；审判

content [kənˈtent] n．内容；容量

belittle [biˈlitl] v．轻视，贬低

family background 家庭背景

equally [ˈi:kwəli] adv．相等地；同样地

equation [iˈkweiʃən] n．相等；均衡；方程式

睡前一句话

3. I have a dream that one day on the red hills of Georgia, the sons of former slaves and the sons of former slave owners will be able to sit together at the table of brotherhood.

—Martin Luther King, Jr.

我有一个梦想：有一天，在佐治亚州的红色山丘上，前奴隶的儿子们和前奴隶主的儿子们能够像兄弟一样坐在一起。

——马丁·路德·金

写给在读书的你：

Nowadays slaves and slave owners are both gone. The distinction between the black people and the white people is vanishing away gradually.

如今，奴隶、奴隶主都已经成为了历史。黑人与白人之间的差别也正在逐渐地消失。

□ Words and Phrases:

former [ˈfɔ:mə] adj．从前的；前任的

be able to 会，能够

brotherhood [ˈbrʌðəhud] n．兄弟关系；手足情谊

nowadays [ˈnauədeiz] adv．现今；时下

tomorrow [təˈmɔrəu] n. & adv．明天，明日

distinction [diˈstiŋkʃən] n．区别；差别

vanish [ˈvæniʃ] v．消失；突然不见

睡前一句话

4. I want to be the white man's brother, not his brother-in-law.

—Martin Luther King, Jr.

我想成为白人的兄弟，而不是他们的姻亲。

——马丁·路德·金

写给在读书的你：

Only when the whites treat the blacks as brothers, the United States can be said an egalitarian country.

只有当白人把黑人当做自己的兄弟一样对待，美国才能被称为一个平等的国家。

□ Words and Phrases:

brother-in-law [ˈbrʌðərinlɔ:] n．姐夫；妹夫；内兄；内弟；大伯；小叔

brotherly [ˈbrʌðəli] adj．兄弟般的；亲切友好的

treat [tri:t] v．招待；对待

entreat [inˈtri:t] v．恳求，乞求

entertain [ˌentəˈtein] v．款待，招待

delectation [ˌdi:lekˈteiʃən] n．款待

egalitarian [iˌgæliˈtɛəriən] adj．平等主义的

睡前一句话

5. Discrimination is a hellhound that gnaws at Negroes in every waking moment of their lives to remind them that the lie of their inferiority is accepted as truth in the society dominating them.

—Martin Luther King, Jr.

种族歧视就像是地狱的恶犬，咬噬着黑人的生命，时刻提醒着他们自己总是低人一等。这样一个谎言，却在统治他们的社会中，被当做了真理。

——马丁·路德·金

写给在读书的你：

When the whites constantly put emphasis on the difference between the blacks and themselves and claimed that they were superior to those blacks, did they have God in their minds?

当白人不断地强调他们与黑人之间的差别，并声称他们比黑人高一等的时候，他们心中可有上帝？

□ Words and Phrases:

hellhound [ˈhelhaund] n．地狱之犬；恶鬼

gnaw at 啃，咬；侵蚀

inferiority [inˌfiəriˈɔriti] n．自卑；低劣

dominate [ˈdɔmineit] v．支配；统治

domination [ˌdɔmiˈneiʃən] n．统治；支配

dominion [dəˈminjən] n．统治，管辖；支配

put emphasis on 重视；强调

superior to 优于；比……优越

睡前一句话

6. The sweltering summer of the Negro's legitimate discontent will not pass until there is an invigorating autumn of freedom and equality.

—Martin Luther King, Jr.

只有自由平等的爽朗秋天到来，黑人愤怒的酷暑才会过去。

——马丁·路德·金

写给在读书的你：

Nothing can compensate the blacks for the sufferings that they have experienced except giving them freedom and equality.

只有给予黑人自由和平等，才能补偿他们所经历的苦难。

□ Words and Phrases:

sweltering [ˈsweltəriŋ] adj．酷热的

legitimate [liˈdʒitimit] adj．正当的，合理的；合法的

discontent [diskənˈtent] n．不满；adj．不满的

invigorating [inˈvigəreitiŋ] adj．精力充沛的；爽快的

compensate [ˈkɔmpenseit] v．补偿；赔偿

睡前一句话

7. We must learn to live together as brothers, or perish together as fools.

—Martin Luther King, Jr.

我们必须像兄弟一样一起生活，否则就会像愚人一样一起灭亡。

——马丁·路德·金

写给在读书的你：

Human beings can survive only if we get on well with each other. Constant conflicts and wars will lead us to extinction one day.

只有和平相处，人类才能共同繁荣。无休止的冲突和战争终将导致人类的灭亡。

□ Words and Phrases:

perish [ˈperiʃ] 毁灭；消失；腐烂

constant [ˈkɔnstənt] adj．经常的；不变的

extinction [iksˈtiŋkʃən] n．消失

extinct [iksˈtiŋkt] adj．灭绝的

ecocide [ˈikəsaid] n．生态灭绝

die out 灭绝，消失

睡前一句话

8. All are equal, all are free, and all deserve a chance to pursue their full measure of happiness.

—Barack Obama

每个人都是平等的，都是自由的，都享有追求幸福的权利。

——贝拉克·奥巴马

写给在读书的你：

Everyone has right to pursue their own happiness without harming others; nobody should obtain it at the cost of others' misery.

每个人都有权利在不伤害他人的前提下，去追求自己的幸福；每个人都不能将自己的幸福建立在他人的痛苦之上。

□ Words and Phrases:

deserve [diˈzə:v] v．应受，应得

measure [ˈmeʒə] n．手段，方法；程度；限度

measurable [ˈmeʒərəbəl] adj．可测量的

measurably [ˈmeʒərəbli] adv．可测地；清楚地

measurement [ˈmeʒəmənt] n．测量，度量

meterage [ˈmi:təridʒ] n．量度，测度

misery [ˈmizəri] n．痛苦，悲惨

painful [ˈpeinfəl] adj．令人疼痛的

睡前一句话

9. It was we, the people; not we, the white male citizens; nor yet we, the male citizens; but we, the whole people, who formed the Union.

—Susan Brownnell Anthony

是我们——人民，不是白人男性公民，也不是男性公民，而是我们——全体人民，组成了这个联邦。

——苏珊·安东尼

写给在读书的你：

No matter men or women, old or young, every person is a member of the country, and none of them should be unfairly excluded from enjoyment of the rights that the God bestowed on them.

无论是男女老幼，每个人都是国家的一份子，没有人应当被不公平地剥夺上帝赋予他们的权利。

□ Words and Phrases:

male [meil] adj．男性的；雄性的

citizen [ˈsitizn] n．公民；市民；老百姓

unfairly [ʌnˈfɛəli] adv．不公平地

exclude [iksˈklu:d] v．排除；不包括

enjoyment [inˈdʒɔimənt] n．享受；乐趣；享有

睡前一句话

10. Every discrimination against women in the constitutions and laws of the several states is today null and void, precisely as is every one against Negroes.

—Susan Brownnell Anthony

无论是国家的宪法还是少数几个州的法律，其中歧视女性的条款，和那些歧视黑人的条款一样，在今天都是无效的。

——苏珊·安东尼

写给在读书的你：

In a civilized society, women should enjoy the same rights as men, which should be ensured by constitutions and laws.

在文明社会中，宪法和法律应当确保女性享有与男性同等之权利。

□ Words and Phrases:

discrimination [diˌskrimiˈneiʃən] n.歧视；区别

racial discrimination 种族歧视

null and void 无效的

precisely [priˈsaisli] adv．精确地；恰恰

precision [priˈsiʒən] n．精确，准确

civilized [ˈsivilaizd] adj．文明的；有礼貌的

friendly [ˈfrendli] adj．友好的

睡前一句话

11. As I would not be a slave, so I would not be a master.

—Abraham Lincoln

因为我不想做奴隶，所以也不想做奴隶主。

——亚伯拉罕·林肯

写给在读书的你：

Where there are slaves, there are masters. When there are no slaves in the world and everyone is equal, there would not be masters.

有奴隶，才会有奴隶主。如果世上没有奴隶，人人平等，也就不会有奴隶主了。

□ Words and Phrases:

slaver [ˈsleivə] n．奴隶贩子；口水；v．流口水

slave [sleiv] n．奴隶；苦工；v．苦干

slavish [ˈsleiviʃ] adj．奴隶般的；盲从的

slavishly [ˈsleiviʃli] adv．奴隶般地；盲从地

slave society 奴隶社会

master [ˈmɑ:stə] n．主人；大师

expert [ˈekspə:t] n．专家

睡前一句话

12. Whenever I hear anyone arguing for slavery I feel a strong impulse to see it tried on him personally.

—Abraham Lincoln

每当我听到有人赞成奴隶制度，我都忍不住想看看他自己变成奴隶后是什么感受。

——亚伯拉罕·林肯

写给在读书的你：

“Do not do to others what you would not have them do to you.” If you don't want to be a slave, why do you ask others to be?

“己所不欲，勿施于人。”倘若你自己不愿意变成奴隶，为什么要让别人当奴隶呢？

□ Words and Phrases:

argue [ˈɑ:gju:] v．争论，争辩

argue for 赞成；支持

debate [diˈbeit] v．辩论，讨论

impulse [ˈimpʌls] n．冲动；一时的念头

impulsive [imˈpʌlsiv] adj．易冲动的

try on 试验；试穿

personally [ˈpə:sənəli] adv．亲自；就个人来说

personal [ˈpə:sənl] adj．个人的，私人的

睡前一句话

13. If slavery is not wrong, nothing is wrong.

—Abraham Lincoln

如果奴隶制没有错的话，那就没有什么是错误的了。

——亚伯拉罕·林肯

写给在读书的你：

If it is not wrong that one people enslaves another, there is no need for the human beings to create the word “justice”.

如果一个民族奴役另一个民族没有错的话，那么人类就没有必要造“正义”这个词了。

□ Words and Phrases:

no need 不需要；不必了

justice [ˈdʒʌstis] n．公平；正义；司法

睡前一句话

14. Though disfranchised, we have few women in the best sense.

—Elizabeth Cady Stanton

很少有女性意识到自己被剥夺了公民选举权。

——伊丽莎白·卡迪·斯坦顿

写给在读书的你：

When an unequal law or convention has lasted for too long a time, many people may think it is reasonable, even those who are harmed by it.

当某个不公平的法律或惯例持续得太久，许多人就会觉得它是合理的，就连那些受它迫害的人也这样想。

□ Words and Phrases:

disfranchise [ˌdisˈfræntʃaiz] v．剥夺公民权；剥夺……权利

sense [sens] n．观念；判断力；理智

convention [kənˈvenʃən] n．惯例；公约

treaty [ˈtri:ti] n. （国际间的）条约，协定

pact [pækt] n．条约，协议

reasonable [ˈri:znəbl] adj．合理的

reasonably [ˈri:znəbli] adv．合乎逻辑地

睡前一句话

15. We hold these truths to be self-evident: that all men and women are created equal.

—Elizabeth Cady Stanton

我们认为，男女生来平等，这是不言而喻的真理。

写给在读书的你：

——伊丽莎白·卡迪·斯坦顿

God treats every person equally, either men or women. He has never said that women should submit themselves to men.

上帝公平地对待每一个人，无论是男是女。他从未说过女人应当服从男人。

□ Words and Phrases:

self-evident [ˌselfˈevidənt] adj．不言而喻的；不证自明的

equal [ˈi:kwəl] adj．平等的；相等的；v．等于

equally [ˈi:kwəli] adv．平等地

submit [səbˈmit] v．使服从；使屈服

睡前一句话

16. Today, we've sworn in the first Madame Speaker of the House of Representatives.

—Hillary Clinton

如今，众议院的第一位女发言人宣誓就职了。

——希拉里·克林顿

写给在读书的你：

Women are playing a more and more important part in modern society. With her own actions, Hillary Clinton has shown that women can also become excellent politicians like men.

在现代社会，女性担当起了越来越重要的角色。希拉里用自己的实际行动证明了女性也可以像男人一样成为优秀的政治家。

□ Words and Phrases:

swear [swɛə] v．发誓，宣誓

swear in 使宣誓就职

speaker [ˈspi:kə] n．发言人

speech [spi:tʃ] n．讲话，发言

representative [repriˈzentətiv] n．代表；众议员

behalf [biˈhɑ:f] n．代表；利益；方面

politician [ˌpɔliˈtiʃən] n．政治家；政客

political [pəˈlitikəl] adj．政治的；政权的

睡前一句话

17. Before God we are all equally wise and equally foolish.

—Albert Einstein

在上帝面前，我们同样睿智，也同样愚蠢。

——阿尔伯特·爱因斯坦

写给在读书的你：

We are equal before God. Nobody is nobler than other people and nobody is humbler than others.

在上帝面前，我们都是平等的，没有人比他人高贵，也没有人比他人低贱。

□ Words and Phrases:

equally [ˈi:kwəli] adv．同样地；相等地

equality [i:ˈkwɔliti] n．同等，平等

foolish [ˈfu:liʃ] adj．愚蠢的，傻的

fool [fu:l] n．蠢人，傻瓜

silly [ˈsili] adj．愚蠢的；不明事理的

dull [dʌl] adj 迟钝的，愚笨的

humble [ˈhʌmbl] adj．低下的；卑微的

humility [hju:ˈmiliti] n．谦逊，谦虚

睡前一句话

18. If any man claims the Negro should be content...let him say he would willingly change the color of his skin and go to live in the Negro section of a large city. Then and only then has he a right to such a claim.

—Robert Kennedy

如果有人认为黑人应当对自己目前的处境感到满足……除非他自愿改变自己的肤色，并到大城市里的黑人区生活，他才有资格说这样的话。

——罗伯特·肯尼迪

写给在读书的你：

We should not do to others what we would not like done to us. If you are unwilling to be treated unfairly, how can you do such to others?

己所不欲，勿施于人。如果你不愿意受到不公平的待遇，你又怎么可以不公平地对待别人呢？

□ Words and Phrases:

claim [kleim] v．声称，主张；n．主张；断言

Negro [ˈni:grəu] n．黑人；adj．黑人的

willingly [ˈwiliŋli] adv．乐意地，情愿地

unwilling [ʌnˈwiliŋ] adj．不愿意的

睡前一句话

19. Allow men and women to register and vote whatever the color of their skin.

—Lyndon Baines Johnson

请允许所有的男女进行登记和投票，无论他们是何种肤色。

——林登·贝恩斯·约翰逊

写给在读书的你：

Give the blacks the right to vote, which is the first and most important step to treat them equally. Without it, the blacks are still slaves.

给予黑人选举权，这是平等对待黑人的第一步，也是最重要的一步。没有选举权，黑人仍旧是奴隶。

□ Words and Phrases:

register [ˈredʒistə] v．登记，注册

registration [ˌredʒisˈtreiʃən] n．登记

registered [ˈredʒistəd] adj．已注册的；挂号的

registrar [ˌredʒisˈtrɑ:] n．登记员

vote [vəut] v．选举；投票

voter [ˈvəutə] n．投票人，选举人

voting [ˈvəutiŋ] n．投票，选举

whatever [wɔtˈevə] pron．无论什么；adj．不管什么样的

睡前一句话

20. All the citizens of a state cannot be equally powerful, but they may be equally free.

—Voltaire

一个国家的所有公民即使不能够平等地享有权力，但他们却可以平等地享受自由。

——伏尔泰

写给在读书的你：

There is no absolute equality in the world. Therefore, people can be divided into different classes, but people should equally enjoy the basic human rights.

世上本不存在绝对的平等，所以有穷富之分，高低之别，但是人们理应平等地享有作为人的基本权利。

□ Words and Phrases:

senior citizen 老人

citizenry [ˈsitiznri] n．全体市民

equality [i:ˈkwɔliti] n．同等；平等

equally [ˈi:kwəli] adv．平等地；相等地

睡前一句话

21. All men are created equal; it is only men themselves who place themselves above equality.

—David Allan Coe

人们生来本是平等的，不过是自己把自己放在了不平等的位置上。

——大卫·艾伦·科

写给在读书的你：

No matter how noble you are born, you have no right to belittle others;no matter how humble your background is, you don't need to downgrade yourself.

无论你的出身有多么高贵，你都没有权力轻贱别人；无论你的出身有多么卑微，你都没有必要轻贱自己。

□ Words and Phrases:

degrading [diˈgreidiŋ] adj．有辱人格的；贬低的

demeaning [diˈmi:niŋ] adj．降低身份的；失去尊严的

degrade [diˈgreid] v．使受侮辱

downgrade [ˈdaunˌgreid] v．使降低；使降级

睡前一句话

22. Equality is the soul of liberty; there is, in fact, no liberty without it.

—Frances Wright

平等是自由的灵魂；因此，没有平等就没有自由。

——弗朗西斯·赖特

写给在读书的你：

Equality is the foundation of liberty. Where there is no equality, there will be slavery and oppression; where there are slavery and oppression, there will be no real liberty.

平等是自由的基础。有不平等的地方，就会有奴役和压迫；有奴役和压迫的地方，就没有真正的自由。

□ Words and Phrases:

in fact 事实上；实际上

slavery [ˈsleivəri] n．奴役；奴隶制

oppression [əˈpreʃən] n．压迫；镇压

oppressed [ɔˈprest] adj．被压迫的，受迫害的

oppressive [əˈpresiv] adj．压迫的，压制的

oppressor [əˈpresə] n．压迫者，残酷的统治者

睡前一句话

23. Woman is the companion of man, gifted with equal mental capacities. She has the right to participate in the minutest details in the activities of man, and she has an equal right of freedom and liberty with him.

—Mohandas Gandhi

女性是男性的同伴，拥有同等的智力，有权参与到男性最细小的活动中去，并享有同等的自由。

——莫罕达斯·甘地

写给在读书的你：

Women are no inferior to men in mental capacities. In some fields they can do better than men. And the society should offer equal chances to women.

女人在智力上决不输于男人，在某些领域中，她们做得比男人更好。社会应当给女人提供同等的机会。

□ Words and Phrases:

companion [kəmˈpænjən] n．同伴，朋友

companionable [kəmˈpænjənəbl] adj．朋友般的友好的

companionship [kəmˈpænjənʃip] n．友情，友谊

company [ˈkʌmpəni] n．陪伴，作伴

capacity [kəˈpæsiti] n．能力；资格

participate [pɑ:ˈtisipeit] v．参加，参与

participate in 参加；分享

minute [ˈminit] adj．微小的；详细的

detail [ˈdi:teil] n．细节；详情

睡前一句话

24. I realize that I'm black, but I like to be viewed as a person, and this is everybody's wish.

—Michael Jordan

我知道我是个黑人，但我希望只是被当做一个“人”来对待，而这也是所有人的希望。

——迈克尔·乔丹

写给在读书的你：

Everybody hopes that they can be equally viewed and respected by others, although there are many people in the world who inherit from the last generation unreasonable racism.

每个人都希望被别人平等地看待，希望得到别人的尊重，尽管，这世上还有很多人从上代人那里遗传了不可理喻的种族歧视。

□ Words and Phrases:

be viewed as 被看成是；被看做是

unreasonable [ʌnˈri:znəbl] adj．不合理的；过度的

inherit [inˈherit] v．继承；遗传

睡前一句话

25. If you are ashamed to stand by your colors, you had better seek another flag.

—Author Unknown

如果你为自己的肤色感到可耻，那么你最好换个国籍。

——佚名

写给在读书的你：

Not everybody was born into a rich and noble family, but nobody feels ashamed of his parentage. Also, no matter your country is rich or poor, at least it is your own.

不是每个人都出生于一个高贵富裕的家庭，但是没有人会为自己的出身而感到羞耻。同样，无论你的国家是贫穷还是富裕，它至少是你自己的国家。

□ Words and Phrases:

ashamed [əˈʃeimd] adj．惭愧的；感到难为情的

had better 最好

parentage [ˈpɛərəntidʒ] n．出身；血统

parental [pəˈrentl] adj．父母的，双亲的

parenthood [ˈpeərənthud] n．做父母的身份

parenting [ˈpeərəntiŋ] n．养育，抚养

睡前一句话

26. The first woman was created from the rib of a man. She was not made from his head to top him, nor from his feet to be trampled on by him, but out of his side to be equal to him.

—Author Unknown

世上的第一个女人是由男人的一根肋骨变成的。因为不是头骨，所以女人不会凌驾于男人之上；也不是脚骨，所以女人不应当受到男人践踏；而是身体一侧的肋骨，所以女人与男人平等。

——佚名

写给在读书的你：

God created a man first, and then he created a woman as his companion instead of his slave or appendix.

上帝先创造了男人，然后创造了女人作为男人的伴侣，而不是他们的奴隶或者附属品。

□ Words and Phrases:

rib [rib] n．肋骨

trample [ˈtræmpl] v．践踏；轻视

treadle [ˈtredl] n．踏板

appendix [əˈpendiks] n．附属物