柏林牆
柏林牆倒塌
看中國編者按：自去年底開始，一股民主的力量席捲了整個阿拉伯世界。從突尼西亞的「茉莉花革命」開始，繼而到約旦、阿爾及利亞、葉門等國家，乃至目前的埃及政變，都掀起一股反獨裁專政的抗議示威浪潮。民主與自由究竟有何魅力？回首看1963年美國總統約翰·肯尼迪如何陳述兩種政黨統治下的不同與自由民主的特點便可窺知一二，以下是肯尼迪在西德市政廳柏林牆前發表的演說：
二千年以前，最自豪的誇耀是Civitas Romanus sum（我是羅馬公民），今天，自由世界最自豪的誇耀是Ich bin ein Berliner（我是一個柏林人）。
世界上有許多人確實不懂，或者說他們不明白什麼是自由世界和共產主義世界的根本分歧。讓他們來柏林吧。有些人說，共產主義是未來的潮流。讓他們來柏林吧。有些人說，我們能在歐洲或其他地方與共產黨人合作。讓他們來柏林吧。甚至有那麼幾個人說，共產主義確是一種邪惡的制度，但它可以使我們取得經濟發展。「Lasst sie nach Berlin kommen.」（讓他們到柏林看看）
自由有許多困難，民主亦非完美，然而我們從未建造一堵牆把我們的人民關在裡面，不准他們離開我們。我願意我的同胞們——他們與你們遠隔千里住在大西洋彼岸——說，他們為能在遠方與你們共有過去十八年的經歷感到莫大的驕傲。我不知道還有哪一個城鎮或都市被圍困十八年仍保有西柏林的這種生機、力量、希望和決心。全世界都看到，柏林牆最生動最明顯地表現出一種失敗。但我們對此並不感到稱心如意，因為柏林牆既是對歷史也是對人性的冒犯，它拆散家庭，造成妻離子散骨肉分離，把希冀統一的一個民族分成兩半。
這個城市的事實也用於整個德國——只要四個德國人中有一個被剝奪了自由人的基本權利，即自由選擇的權利，那麼歐洲真正持久的和平便絕無可能實現。經過保持和平與善意的十八年，這一代德國人終於贏得自由的權利，包括在持久和平中善所有的人民，實現家庭團聚和民族統一的權利。你們住在受到保護的一座自由之島上，但你們的生活是大海的一部分。因此讓我在結束講話時請求你們抬起目光，超越今日的危險看到明天的希望；超越這道牆看到正義的生平來臨的一天；超越你們自己和我們自己看到全人類。自由是不可分割的，只要一人被奴役，所有的人都不自由。當所有的人都自由了，那時我們便能期待這一天的到來：在和平與希望的光輝中這座城市獲得統一，這個國家獲得統一，歐洲大陸獲得統一。當這一天最終來臨---它必將來臨時，西柏林人民將能對這一點感到欣慰：幾乎二十年時間裏他們站在第一線。
一切自由人，不論他們住在何方，皆是柏林市民，所以作為一個自由人，我為「Ich bin ein Berliner」這句話感到自豪。
英文原文：
Two thousand years ago the proudest boast was "civis Romanus sum." Today, in the world of freedom, the proudest boast is "Ich bin ein Berliner."
I appreciate my interpreter translating my German!
There are many people in the world who really don't understand, or say they don't, what is the great issue between the free world and the Communist world. Let them come to Berlin. There are some who say that communism is the wave of the future. Let them come to Berlin. And there are some who say in Europe and elsewhere we can work with the Communists. Let them come to Berlin. And there are even a few who say that it is true that communism is an evil system, but it permits us to make economic progress. Lass' sie nach Berlin kommen. Let them come to Berlin.
Freedom has many difficulties and democracy is not perfect, but we have never had to put a wall up to keep our people in, to prevent them from leaving us. I want to say, on behalf of my countrymen, who live many miles away on the other side of the Atlantic, who are far distant from you, that they take the greatest pride that they have been able to share with you, even from a distance, the story of the last 18 years. I know of no town, no city, that has been besieged for 18 years that still lives with the vitality and the force, and the hope and the determination of the city of West Berlin. While the wall is the most obvious and vivid demonstration of the failures of the Communist system, for all the world to see, we take no satisfaction in it, for it is, as your Mayor has said, an offense not only against history but an offense against humanity, separating families, dividing husbands and wives and brothers and sisters, and dividing a people who wish to be joined together.
What is true of this city is true of Germany--real, lasting peace in Europe can never be assured as long as one German out of four is denied the elementary right of free men, and that is to make a free choice. In 18 years of peace and good faith, this generation of Germans has earned the right to be free, including the right to unite their families and their nation in lasting peace, with good will to all people. You live in a defended island of freedom, but your life is part of the main. So let me ask you as I close, to lift your eyes beyond the dangers of today, to the hopes of tomorrow, beyond the freedom merely of this city of Berlin, or your country of Germany, to the advance of freedom everywhere, beyond the wall to the day of peace with justice, beyond yourselves and ourselves to all mankind.
Freedom is indivisible, and when one man is enslaved, all are not free. When all are free, then we can look forward to that day when this city will be joined as one and this country and this great Continent of Europe in a peaceful and hopeful globe. When that day finally comes, as it will, the people of West Berlin can take sober satisfaction in the fact that they were in the front lines for almost two decades.
All free men, wherever they may live, are citizens of Berlin, and, therefore, as a free man, I take pride in the words "Ich bin ein Berliner."
