精彩英語勵(lì)志演講稿

　　the united states has already a permanent defense agreement with the dominion of canada, which is so devotedly attached to the british commonwealth and the empire. this agreement is more effective than many of those which have been made under formal alliances. this principle should be extended to all the british commonwealths with full reciprocity. thus, whatever happens, and thus only, shall we be secure ourselves and able to works together for the high and simple causes that are dear to us and bode no ill to any. eventually there may come -- i feel eventually there will come -- the principle of common citizenship, but that we may be content to leave to destiny, whose outstretched arm many of us can already clearly see.

　　there is however an important question we must ask ourselves. would a special relationship between the united states and the british commonwealth be inconsistent with our over-riding loyalties to the world organization? i reply that, on the contrary, it is probably the only means by which that organization will achieve its full stature and strength. there are already the special united states relations with canada that i have just mentioned, and there are the relations between the united states and the south american republics. we british have also our twenty years treaty of collaboration and mutual assistance with soviet russia. i agree with mr. bevin, the foreign secretary of great britain, that it might well be a fifty years treaty so far as we are concerned. we aim at nothing but mutual assistance and collaboration with russia. the british have an alliance with portugal unbroken since the year 1384, and which produced fruitful results at a critical moment in the recent war. none of these clash with the general interest of a world agreement, or a world organization; on the contrary, they help it. “in my father's house are many mansions.” special associations between members of the united nations which have no aggressive point against any other country, which harbor no design incompatible with the charter of the united nations, far from being harmful, are beneficial and, as i believe, indispensable.

　　i spoke earlier, ladies and gentlemen, of the temple of peace. workmen from all countries must build that temple. if two of the workmen know each other particularly well and are old friends, if their families are intermingled, if they have “faith in each other's purpose, hope in each other's future and charity towards each other's shortcomings” -- to quote some good words i read here the other day -- why cannot they work together at the common task as friends and partners? why can they not share their tools and thus increase each other's working powers? indeed they must do so or else the temple may not be built, or, being built, it may collapse, and we should all be proved again unteachable and have to go and try to learn again for a third time in a school of war incomparably more rigorous than that from which we have just been released. the dark ages may return, the stone age may return on the gleaming wings of science, and what might now shower immeasurable material blessings upon mankind, may even bring about its total destruction. beware, i say; time may be short. do not let us take the course of allowing events to drift along until it is too late. if there is to be a fraternal association of the kind of i have described, with all the strength and security which both our countries can derive from it, let us make sure that that great fact is known to the world, and that it plays its part in steadying and stabilizing the foundations of peace. there is the path of wisdom. prevention is better than the cure.