英语演讲稿:For the League of Nations是一篇经典的英语演讲稿，你可以先模仿，然后融会贯通
woodrowwilson
theleagueofnations
delivered1919
演讲者简介：托马斯·伍德罗·威尔逊(thomaswoodrowwilson，1856年12月28日-1924年2月3日)，美国第28任总统。作为进步主义时代的一个领袖级知识分子，他曾先后任普林斯顿大学校长，新泽西州州长等职。19XX年总统大选中，由于西奥多·罗斯福和威廉·塔夫脱的竞争分散了共和党选票，以民主党人身份当选总统。迄今为止，他是唯一拥有哲学博士(ph.d.)头衔的美国总统(法律博士衔除外)，也是唯一一名任总统以前曾在新泽西州担任公职的美国总统。
itgivesmepleasuretoaddtothisformalreadingoftheresultofourlaborsthatthecharacterofthediscussionwhichoccurredatthesittingsofthecommissionwasnotonlyofthemostconstructivebutofthemostencouragingsort.itwasobviousthroughoutourdiscussionsthat,althoughthereweresubjectsuponwhichtherewereindividualdifferencesofjudgmentwithregardtothemethodbywhichourobjectsshouldbeobtained,therewaspracticallyatnopointanyseriousdifferencesofopinionormotiveastotheobjectswhichwewereseeking.
indeed,whilethesedebateswerenotmadetheopportunityfortheexpressionofenthusiasmandsentiments,ithinktheothermembersofthecommissionwillagreewithmethattherewasanundertoneofhighrespectandofenthusiasmforthethingweweretryingtodowhichwashearteningthroughouteverything.
becausewefeltthatinawaythisconferencedidentrustintoustheexpressionofoneofitshighestandmostimportantpurposes,toseetoitthattheconcordoftheworldinthefuturewithregardtotheobjectsofjusticeshouldnotbesubjecttodoubtoruncertainty;thatthecooperationofthegreatbodyofnationsshouldbeassuredinthemaintenanceofpeaceupontermsofhonorandofinternationalobligations.
thecompulsionofthattaskwasconstantlyuponus,andatnopointwasthereshowntheslightestdesiretodoanythingbutsuggestthebestmeanstoaccomplishthatgreatobject.thereisverygreatsignificance,therefore,inthefactthattheresultwasreachedunanimously.
fourteennationswererepresented,amongthemallofthosepowerswhichforconveniencewehavecalledthegreatpowers,andamongtherestarepresentationofthegreatestvarietyofcircumstancesandinterests.sothatithinkwearejustifiedinsayingthatthesignificanceoftheresult,therefore,hasthedeepestofallmeanings,theunionofwillsinacommonpurpose,aunionofwillswhichcannotberesistedandwhich,idaresay,nonationwillruntheriskofattemptingtoresist.
now,astothecharacterofthedocument.whileithasconsumedsometimetoreadthisdocument,ithinkyouwillseeatoncethatitisverysimple,andinnothingsosimpleasinthestructurewhichitsuggestsforaleagueofnations,abodyofdelegates,anexecutivecouncil,andapermanentsecretariat.
whenitcametothequestionofdeterminingthecharacteroftherepresentationinthebodyofdelegates,wewereallawareofafeelingwhichiscurrentthroughouttheworld.
inasmuchasiamstatingitinthepresenceoftheofficialrepresentativesofthevariousgovernmentsherepresent,includingmyself,imaysaythatthereisauniversalfeelingthattheworldcannotrestsatisfiedwithmerelyofficialguidance.therehasreachedusthroughmanychannelsthefeelingthatifthedeliberatingbodyoftheleagueofnationswasmerelytobeabodyofofficialsrepresentingthevariousgovernments,thepeoplesoftheworldwouldnotbesurethatsomeofthemistakeswhichpreoccupiedofficialshadadmittedlymademightnotberepeated.
itwasimpossibletoconceiveamethodoranassemblysolargeandvariousastobereallyrepresentativeofthegreatbodyofthepeoplesoftheworld,because,asiroughlyreckonit,werepresentaswesitaroundthistablemorethan1.2billionpeople.
youcannothavearepresentativeassemblyof1.2billionpeople,butifyouleaveittoeachgovernmenttohave,ifitpleases,oneortwoorthreerepresentatives,thoughonlywithasinglevote,itmayvaryitsrepresentationfromtimetotime,notonly,butitmay(originate)thechoiceofitsseveralrepresentatives[wirelesshereunintelligible.
thereforewethoughtthatthiswasaproperandaveryprudentconcessiontothepracticallyuniversalopinionofplainmeneverywherethattheywantedthedoorleftopentoavarietyofrepresentation,insteadofbeingconfinedtoasingleofficialbodywithwhichtheycouldormightnotfindthemselvesinsympathy.
andyouwillnoticethatthisbodyhasunlimitedrightsofdiscussion.imeanofdiscussionofanythingthatfallswithinthefieldofinternationalrelations--andthatitisespeciallyagreedthatwarorinternationalmisunderstandingsoranythingthatmayleadtofrictionortroubleiseverybody'sbusiness,becauseitmayaffectthepeaceoftheworld.
andinordertosafeguardthepopularpowersofaraswecouldofthisrepresentativebody,itisprovided,youwillnotice,thatwhenasubjectissubmitteditisnottoarbitrationbuttodiscussionbytheexecutivecouncil;itcan,upontheinitiativeofeitherofthepartiestothedispute,bedrawnoutoftheexecutivecouncilonthelargerformofthegeneralbodyofdelegates,becausethroughthisinstrumentwearedependingprimarilyandchieflyupononegreatforce,andthisisthemoralforceofthepublicopinionoftheworld--thepleasingandclarifyingandcompellinginfluencesofpublicity--sothatintriguescannolongerhavetheircoverts;sothatdesignsthataresinistercanatanytimebedrawnintotheopen,sothatthosethingsthataredestroyedbythelightmaybepromptlydestroyedbytheoverwhelminglightoftheuniversalexpressionofthecondemnationoftheworld.
armedforceisinthebackgroundinthisprogram;butitisinthebackground,and,ifthemoralforceoftheworldwillnotsuffice,thephysicalforceoftheworldshall.butthatisthelastresort,becausethisisintendedasaconstitutionofpeace,notasaleagueofwar.
thesimplicityofthedocumentseemstometobeoneofitschiefvirtues,because,speakingformyself,iwasunabletoseethevarietyofcircumstanceswithwhichthisleaguewouldhavetodeal.iwasunable,therefore,toplanallthemachinerythatmightbenecessarytomeetthedifferingandunexpectedcontingencies.therefore,ishouldsayofthisdocumentthatitisnotastraitjacketbutavehicleoflife.
alivingthingisborn,andwemustseetoitwhatclothesweputonit.itisnotavehicleofpower,butavehicleinwhichpowermaybevariedatthediscretionofthosewhoexerciseitandinaccordancewiththechangingcircumstancesofthetime.andyet,whileitiselastic,whileitisgeneralinitsterms,itisdefiniteintheonethingthatwewerecalledupontomakedefinite.
itisadefiniteguarantyofpeace.itisadefiniteguarantybywordagainstaggression.itisadefiniteguarantyagainstthethingswhichhavejustcomenearbringingthewholestructureofcivilizationintoruin.
itspurposesdonotforamomentlievague.itspurposesaredeclared,anditspowersareunmistakable.itisnotincontemplationthatthisshouldbemerelyaleaguetosecurethepeaceoftheworld.itisaleaguewhichcanbeusedforcooperationinanyinternationalmatter.
thatisthesignificanceoftheprovisionintroducedconcerninglabor.therearemanyameliorationsoflaborconditionswhichcanbeeffectedbyconferenceanddiscussion.ianticipatethattherewillbeaverygreatusefulnessinthebureauoflaborwhichitiscontemplatedshallbesetupbytheleague.
menandwomenandchildrenwhoworkhavebeeninthebackgroundthroughlongagesandsometimesseemedtobeforgotten,whilegovernmentshavehadtheirwatchfulandsuspiciouseyesuponthemaneuversofoneanother,whilethethoughtofstatesmenhasbeenaboutstructuralactionandthelargertransactionsofcommerceandoffinance.
now,ifimaybelievethepicturewhichisee,therecomesintotheforegroundthegreatbodyofthelaboringpeopleoftheworld,themenandwomenandchildrenuponwhomthegreatburdenofsustainingtheworldmustfromdaytodayfall,whetherwewishittodosoornot;peoplewhogotobedtiredandwakeupwithoutthestimulationoflivelyhope.thesepeoplewillbedrawnintothefieldofinternationalconsultationandhelp,andwillbeamongthewardsofthecombinedgovernmentsoftheworld.thisis,itakeleavetosay,averygreatstepinadvanceinthemereconceptionofthat.
then,asyouwillnotice,thereisanimperativearticleconcerningthepublicityofallinternationalagreements.henceforthnomemberoftheleaguecancallanyagreementvalidwhichithasnotregisteredwiththesecretarygeneral,inwhoseoffice,ofcourse,itwillbesubjecttotheexaminationofanybodyrepresentingamemberoftheleague.andthedutyislaiduponthesecretarygeneraltoearliestpossibletime.
isupposemostpersonswhohavenotbeenconversantwiththebusinessofforeignaffairsdonotrealizehowmanyhundredsoftheseagreementsaremadeinasingleyear,andhowdifficultitmightbetopublishthemoreunimportantofthemimmediately.howuninterestingitwouldbetomostoftheworldtopublishthemimmediately,buteventheymustbepublishedjustassoonasitispossibleforthesecretarygeneraltopublishthem.
therehasbeennogreateradvancethanthis,gentlemen.ifyoulookbackuponthehistoryoftheworldyouwillseehowhelplesspeopleshavetoooftenbeenapreytopowersthathadnoconscienceinthematter.ithasbeenoneofthemanydistressingrevelationsofrecentyearsthatthegreatpowerwhichhasjustbeen,happily,defeatedputintolerableburdensandinjusticesuponthehelplesspeopleofsomeofthecolonieswhichitannexedtoitself;thatitsinterestwasrathertheirexterminationthantheirdevelopment;thatthedesirewastopossesstheirlandforeuropeanpurposes,andnottoenjoytheirconfidenceinorderthatmankindmightbeliftedintheseplacestothenexthigherlevel.
now,theworld,expressingitsconscienceinlaw,saysthereisanendofthat,thatourconsciencesshallbesettledtothisthing.stateswillbepickedoutwhichhavealreadyshownthattheycanexerciseaconscienceinthismatter,andundertheirtutelagethehelplesspeoplesoftheworldwillcomeintoanewlightandintoanewhope.