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优秀的英语演讲稿

TheymustseeAmericansasstrangeliberators.TheVietnamesepeopleproclaimedtheirownindependencein1954--in1945rather--afterabinedFrenchandJapaneseoupationandbeforethemunistrevolutioninChina.TheywereledbyHoChiMinh.EventhoughtheyquotedtheAmericanDeclarationofIndependenceintheirowndocumentoffreedom,werefusedtorecognizethem.Instead,wedecidedtosupportFranceinitsreconquestofherformercolony.OurgovernmentfeltthenthattheVietnamesepeoplewerenotreadyforindependence,andweagainfellvictimtothedeadlyWesternarrogancethathaspoisonedtheinternationalatmosphereforsolong.Withthattragicdecisionwerejectedarevolutionarygovernmentseekingself-determinationandagovernmentthathadbeenestablishednotbyChina--forwhomtheVietnamesehavenogreatlove--butbyclearlyindigenousforcesthatincludedsomemunists.Forthepeasantsthisnewgovernmentmeantreallandreform,oneofthemostimportantneedsintheirlives.

Fornineyearsfollowing1945wedeniedthepeopleofVietnamtherightofindependence.FornineyearswevigorouslysupportedtheFrenchintheirabortiveefforttorecolonizeVietnam.BeforetheendofthewarweweremeetingeightypercentoftheFrenchwarcosts.EvenbeforetheFrenchweredefeatedatDienBienPhu,theybegantodespairoftheirrecklessaction,butwedidnot.Weencouragedthemwithourhugefinancialandmilitarysuppliestocontinuethewarevenaftertheyhadlostthewill.Soonwewouldbepayingalmostthefullcostsofthistragicattemptatrecolonization.

AftertheFrenchweredefeated,itlookedasifindependenceandlandreformwouldeagainthroughtheGenevaAgreement.ButinsteadtherecametheUnitedStates,determinedthatHoshouldnotunifythetemporarilydividednation,andthepeasantswatchedagainaswesupportedoneofthemostviciousmoderndictators,ourchosenman,PremierDiem.ThepeasantswatchedandcringedasDiemruthlesslyrootedoutallopposition,supportedtheirextortionistlandlords,andrefusedeventodiscussreunificationwiththeNorth.ThepeasantswatchedasallthiswaspresidedoverbyUnitedStates'influenceandthenbyincreasingnumbersofUnitedStatestroopswhocametohelpquelltheinsurgencythatDiem'smethodshadaroused.WhenDiemwasoverthrowntheymayhavebeenhappy,butthelonglineofmilitarydictatorsseemedtooffernorealchange,especiallyintermsoftheirneedforlandandpeace.

TheonlychangecamefromAmerica,asweincreasedourtroopmitmentsinsupportofgovernmentswhichweresingularlycorrupt,inept,andwithoutpopularsupport.Allthewhilethepeoplereadourleafletsandreceivedtheregularpromisesofpeaceanddemocracyandlandreform.Nowtheylanguishunderourbombsandconsiderus,nottheirfellowVietnamese,therealenemy.Theymovesadlyandapatheticallyasweherdthemoffthelandoftheirfathersintoconcentrationcampswhereminimalsocialneedsarerarelymet.Theyknowtheymustmoveonorbedestroyedbyourbombs.

Sotheygo,primarilywomenandchildrenandtheaged.Theywatchaswepoisontheirwater,aswekillamillionacresoftheircrops.Theymustweepasthebulldozersroarthroughtheirareaspreparingtodestroytheprecioustrees.TheywanderintothehospitalswithatleasttwentycasualtiesfromAmericanfirepowerforoneVietcong-inflictedinjury.Sofarwemayhavekilledamillionofthem,mostlychildren.Theywanderintothetownsandseethousandsofthechildren,homeless,withoutclothes,runninginpacksonthestreetslikeanimals.Theyseethechildrendegradedbyoursoldiersastheybegforfood.Theyseethechildrensellingtheirsisterstooursoldiers,solicitingfortheirmothers.

Whatdothepeasantsthinkasweallyourselveswiththelandlordsandaswerefusetoputanyactionintoourmanywordsconcerninglandreform?Whatdotheythinkaswetestoutourlatestweaponsonthem,justastheGermanstestedoutnewmedicineandnewtorturesintheconcentrationcampsofEurope?WherearetherootsoftheindependentVietnamweclaimtobebuilding?Isitamongthesevoicelessones?

Wehavedestroyedtheirtwomostcherishedinstitutions:thefamilyandthevillage.Wehavedestroyedtheirlandandtheircrops.Wehavecooperatedinthecrushingofthenation'sonlynonmunistrevolutionarypoliticalforce,theunifiedBuddhistChurch.WehavesupportedtheenemiesofthepeasantsofSaigon.Wehavecorruptedtheirwomenandchildrenandkilledtheirmen.

Nowthereislittlelefttobuildon,savebitterness.Soontheonlysolidphysicalfoundationsremainingwillbefoundatourmilitarybasesandintheconcreteoftheconcentrationcampswecall"fortifiedhamlets."ThepeasantsmaywellwonderifweplantobuildournewVietnamonsuchgroundsasthese.Couldweblamethemforsuchthoughts?Wemustspeakforthemandraisethequestionstheycannotraise.These,too,areourbrothers.

Perhapsamoredifficultbutnolessnecessarytaskistospeakforthosewhohavebeendesignatedasourenemies.WhatoftheNationalLiberationFront,thatstrangelyanonymousgroupwecall"VC"or"munists"?WhatmusttheythinkoftheUnitedStatesofAmericawhentheyrealizethatwepermittedtherepressionandcrueltyofDiem,whichhelpedtobringthemintobeingasaresistancegroupintheSouth?Whatdotheythinkofourcondoningtheviolencewhichledtotheirowntakingupofarms?Howcantheybelieveinourintegritywhennowwespeakof"aggressionfromtheNorth"asiftherewerenothingmoreessentialtothewar?HowcantheytrustuswhennowwechargethemwithviolenceafterthemurderousreignofDiemandchargethemwithviolencewhilewepoureverynewweaponofdeathintotheirland?Surelywemustunderstandtheirfeelings,evenifwedonotcondoheiractions.Surelywemustseethatthemenwesupportedpressedthemtotheirviolence.Surelywemustseethatourownputerizedplansofdestructionsimplydwarftheirgreatestacts.

Howdotheyjudgeuswhenourofficialsknowthattheirmembershipislessthantwenty-fivepercentmunist,andyetinsistongivingthemtheblanketname?WhatmusttheybethinkingwhentheyknowthatweareawareoftheircontrolofmajorsectionsofVietnam,andyetweappearreadytoallownationalelectionsinwhichthishighlyanizedpoliticalparallelgovernmentwillnothaveapart?TheyaskhowwecanspeakoffreeelectionswhentheSaigonpressiscensoredandcontrolledbythemilitaryjunta.Andtheyaresurelyrighttowonderwhatkindofnewgovernmentweplantohelpformwithoutthem,theonlypartyinrealtouchwiththepeasants.Theyquestionourpoliticalgoalsandtheydenytherealityofapeacesettlementfromwhichtheywillbeexcluded.Theirquestionsarefrighteninglyrelevant.Isournationplanningtobuildonpoliticalmythagain,andthenshoreitupuponthepowerofnewviolence?

Hereisthetruemeaningandvalueofpassionandnonviolence,whenithelpsustoseetheenemy'spointofview,tohearhisquestions,toknowhisassessmentofourselves.Forfromhisviewwemayindeedseethebasicweaknessesofourowncondition,andifwearemature,wemaylearnandgrowandprofitfromthewisdomofthebrotherswhoarecalledtheopposition.

So,too,withHanoi.IntheNorth,whereourbombsnowpummeltheland,andourminesendangerthewaterways,wearemetbyadeepbutunderstandablemistrust.TospeakforthemistoexplainthislackofconfidenceinWesternwords,andespeciallytheirdistrustofAmericanintentionsnow.InHanoiarethemenwholedthenationtoindependenceagainsttheJapaneseandtheFrench,themenwhosoughtmembershipintheFrenchmonwealthandwerebetrayedbytheweaknessofParisandthewillfulnessofthecolonialarmies.ItwastheywholedasecondstruggleagainstFrenchdominationattremendouscosts,andthenwerepersuadedtogiveupthelandtheycontrolledbetweenthethirteenthandseventeenthparallelasatemporarymeasureatGeneva.After1954theywatchedusconspirewithDiemtopreventelectionswhichcouldhavesurelybroughtHoChiMinhtopoweroveraunitedVietnam,andtheyrealizedtheyhadbeenbetrayedagain.Whenweaskwhytheydonotleaptonegotiate,thesethingsmustberemembered.

Also,itmustbeclearthattheleadersofHanoiconsideredthepresenceofAmericantroopsinsupportoftheDiemregimetohavebeentheinitialmilitarybreachoftheGenevaAgreementconcerningforeigntroops.TheyremindusthattheydidnotbegintosendtroopsinlargenumbersandevensuppliesintotheSouthuntilAmericanforceshadmovedintothetensofthousands.

HanoiremembershowourleadersrefusedtotellusthetruthabouttheearlierNorthVietnameseoverturesforpeace,howthepresidentclaimedthatnoneexistedwhentheyhadclearlybeenmade.HoChiMinhhaswatchedasAmericahasspokenofpeaceandbuiltupitsforces,andnowhehassurelyheardtheincreasinginternationalrumorsofAmericanplansforaninvasionoftheNorth.Heknowsthebombingandshellingandminingwearedoingarepartoftraditionalpre-invasionstrategy.Perhapsonlyhissenseofhumorandofironycansavehimwhenhehearsthemostpowerfulnationoftheworldspeakingofaggressionasitdropsthousandsofbombsonapoor,weaknationmorethaneighthundred,orrather,eightthousandmilesawayfromitsshores.

AtthispointIshouldmakeitclearthatwhileIhavetriedintheselastfewminutestogiveavoicetothevoicelessinVietnamandtounderstandtheargumentsofthosewhoarecalled"enemy,"Iamasdeeplyconcernedaboutourowntroopsthereasanythingelse.ForitourstomethatwhatwearesubmittingthemtoinVietnamisnotsimplythebrutalizingprocessthatgoesoninanywarwherearmiesfaceeachotherandseektodestroy.Weareaddingcynicismtotheprocessofdeath,fortheymustknowafterashortperiodtherethatnoneofthethingsweclaimtobefightingforarereallyinvolved.BeforelongtheymustknowthattheirgovernmenthassentthemintoastruggleamongVietnamese,andthemoresophisticatedsurelyrealizethatweareonthesideofthewealthy,andthesecure,whilewecreateahellforthepoor.

Somehowthismadnessmustcease.Wemuststopnow.IspeakasachildofGodandbrothertothesufferingpoorofVietnam.Ispeakforthosewhoselandisbeinglaidwaste,whosehomesarebeingdestroyed,whosecultureisbeingsubverted.IspeakforthepoorofAmericawhoarepayingthedoublepriceofsmashedhopesathome,anddeathandcorruptioninVietnam.Ispeakasacitizenoftheworld,fortheworldasitstandsaghastatthepathwehavetaken.IspeakasonewholovesAmerica,totheleadersofourownnation:Thegreatinitiativeinthiswarisours;theinitiativetostopitmustbeours.

ThisisthemessageofthegreatBuddhistleadersofVietnam.Recentlyoneofthemwrotethesewords,andIquote:

EachdaythewargoesonthehatredincreasesintheheartoftheVietnameseandintheheartsofthoseofhumanitarianinstinct.TheAmericansareforcingeventheirfriendsintobeingtheirenemies.ItiscuriousthattheAmericans,whocalculatesocarefullyonthepossibilitiesofmilitaryvictory,donotrealizethatintheprocesstheyareincurringdeeppsychologicalandpoliticaldefeat.TheimageofAmericawillneveragainbetheimageofrevolution,freedom,anddemocracy,buttheimageofviolenceandmilitarism.

Ifwecontinue,therewillbenodoubtinmymindandinthemindoftheworldthatwehavenohonorableintentionsinVietnam.IfwedonotstopourwaragainstthepeopleofVietnamimmediately,theworldwillbeleftwithnootheralternativethantoseethisassomehorrible,clumsy,anddeadlygamewehavedecidedtoplay.TheworldnowdemandsamaturityofAmericathatwemaynotbeabletoachieve.ItdemandsthatweadmitthatwehavebeenwrongfromthebeginningofouradventureinVietnam,thatwehavebeendetrimentaltothelifeoftheVietnamesepeople.Thesituationisoneinwhichwemustbereadytoturnsharplyfromourpresentways.InordertoatoneforoursinsanderrorsinVietnam,weshouldtaketheinitiativeinbringingahalttothistragicwar.