The Almighty has His own purposes. "Woe unto the world because of offenses; for it must needs be that offenses come, but woe to that man by whom the offense cometh."
因为全能的上帝自有主张。“祸哉斯世,以其陷入故也,夫陷人于罪,事所必有,但陷人祸矣。”
If we shall suppose that American slavery is one of those offenses which, in the providence of God, must needs come, but which, having continued through His appointed time,
如果我们把美国的奴隶制当成是上帝必定要降给我们的灾祸,这灾祸已经到了上帝指定期限,他现在要免去这场灾祸了。
He now wills to remove, and that He gives to both North and South this terrible war as the woe due to those by whom the offense came,
他把这场可怕的战争降给南北双方,是要惩罚那些带来灾祸的人。
shall we discern therein any departure from those divine attributes which the believers in a living God always ascribe to Him?
笃信耶稣基督的人常把许多美德归于基督,我们难道可以说基督的这些作为,与他的美德相悖吗?
Fondly do we hope, fervently do we pray, that this mighty scourge of war may speedily pass away.
我们满怀希望,我们热诚祈祷,愿这场惩罚我们的战争早日过去;
Yet, if God wills that it continue until all the wealth piled by the bondsman's two hundred and fifty years of unrequited toil shall be sunk,
但假若天意要这场战争延续下去,直至二百五十年来利用奴隶无偿劳动辛苦积聚下来的财富销毁净尽,
and until every drop of blood drawn with the lash shall be paid by another drawn with the sword,
直至奴隶在皮鞭下流淌的鲜血用刀剑下的鲜血来偿清,
as was said three thousand years ago, so still it must be said "the judgments of the Lord are true and righteous altogether."
如同三千年前古语所说的那样,我们仍然要称颂上帝的判决是公允合理的。
With malice toward none, with charity for all, with firmness in the right as God gives us to see the right, let us strive on to finish the work we are in,
我们对任何人不怀恶意,对所有人都抱有善心,对上帝使我们认识到的正义无限坚定,让我们努力完成我们正在进行的工作,
to bind up the nation's wounds, to care for him who shall have borne the battle and for his widow and his orphan,
愈合国家的战争伤痕,关怀战死的烈士及其遗属,
to do all which may achieve and cherish a just and lasting peace among ourselves and with all nations.
尽一切力量争得并维护我国及全世界的正义的、持久的和平。