1940年6月18日，法国贝当政府号召法军停止抵抗，法国基本陷落，英国首相丘吉尔于同日发表了这篇演讲，重申了英国抵抗到底的决心，总结了法国战役的失败教训，并让英国人民为德国即将到来的入侵做准备。希特勒被英国的顽强激怒，随即调动数千架战机对英国发动入侵，不列颠空战爆发。

If the British Empire and its Commonwealth last for a thousand years, men will still say, "This was their finest hour." —— Winston Churchill

即便大英帝国和英联邦再存续千年，人们回望这段历史时，依旧会说，“这是英国最辉煌的时刻。” —— 温斯顿·丘吉尔

I spoke the other day of the colossal military disaster which occurred when the French High Command failed to withdraw the northern Armies from Belgium at the moment when they knew that the French front was decisively broken at Sedan and on the Meuse. This delay entailed the loss of fifteen or sixteen French divisions and threw out of action for the critical period the whole of the British Expeditionary Force. Our Army and 120,000 French troops were indeed rescued by the British Navy from Dunkirk but only with the loss of their cannon, vehicles and modern equipment. This loss inevitably took some weeks to repair, and in the first two of those weeks the battle in France has been lost. When we consider the heroic resistance made by the French Army against heavy odds in this battle, the enormous losses inflicted upon the enemy and the evident exhaustion of the enemy, it may well be the thought that these 25 divisions of the best-trained and best-equipped troops might have turned the scale. However, General Weygand had to fight without them. Only three British divisions or their equivalent were able to stand in the line with their French comrades. They have suffered severely, but they have fought well. We sent every man we could to France as fast as we could re-equip and transport their formations.

前些日子，我同大家谈到了我们惨痛的军事灾难，当德军在色当和默兹取得了决定性突破时，法军最高指挥部未能将位于北方的集团军及时撤出。因为未能及时采取措施，导致法国损失了15或16个师，还导致整个英国远征军在最关键的时刻陷入瘫痪。虽然英国海军前往敦刻尔克，成功将我们的军队和12万法军从鬼门关拉了回来，但是我们的大炮、车辆和先进装备却丢在了海滩上。我们必须花费数周时间才能恢复元气，而敦刻尔克之后的两个星期，法国战役就宣告失败了(译者注：敦刻尔克大撤退于1940年6月4日结束，两周后即6月18日，也就是这篇演讲发布的日子)。我们看到法国军队在敌众我寡的情况下做着英勇的抵抗，给敌人造成了惨重损失，而且敌人也已是强弩之末，当时我们还觉得，法军这25个装备精良，训练有素的师扭转了战局。可惜，魏刚将军只能在这些部队被消灭的情况下继续抵抗。我们当时只剩下大约3个师的兵力还能协助法军作战。他们损失惨重，也战斗英勇。后来我们也竭尽所能地迅速将一切可派遣的兵力派遣到法国，重振法军部队，帮助法军完成调动部署。

I am not reciting these facts for the purpose of recrimination. That I judge to be utterly futile and even harmful. We cannot afford it. I recite them in order to explain why it was we did not have, as we could have had, between twelve and fourteen British divisions fighting in the line in this great battle instead of only three. Now I put all this aside. I put it on the shelf, from which the historians, when they have time, will select their documents to tell their stories. We have to think of the future and not of the past. This also applies in a small way to our own affairs at home. There are many who would hold an inquest in the House of Commons on the conduct of the Governments-and of Parliaments, for they are in it, too-during the years which led up to this catastrophe. They seek to indict those who were responsible for the guidance of our affairs. This also would be a foolish and pernicious process. There are too many in it. Let each man search his conscience and search his speeches. I frequently search mine.

我阐述这些事实，并不是想指责什么。我认为指责他人没有一丁点作用，甚至可能损害我国利益。我阐述这些，只是在解释为什么我们原本在法国的12—14个师，变成了只剩3个。但现在我们不谈这些。我们把这些档案放在书架上，等着历史学家来挑选研究，讲述历史。我们不要沉溺于过去，要放眼未来。这一谏言在一定程度上，也适用于我国国内的情况。许多下议员要求对政府和议会的决议进行问责，为这几年的失败，最终导致了这场灾难而负责——而这几年里，他们也在议会中。他们想起诉官员对国家的失败领导。这种行为十分愚蠢，且不利于国家。议会中的大多数人都要对失败负责。每个人反省自己的良知和言论即可。我就“吾日三省吾身”。

Of this I am quite sure, that if we open a quarrel between the past and the present, we shall find that we have lost the future. Therefore, I cannot accept the drawing of any distinctions between Members of the present Government. It was formed at a moment of crisis in order to unite all the Parties and all sections of opinion. It has received the almost unanimous support of both Houses of Parliament. Its Members are going to stand together, and, subject to the authority of the House of Commons, we are going to govern the country and fight the war. It is absolutely necessary at a time like this that every Minister who tries each day to do his duty shall be respected; and their subordinates must know that their chiefs are not threatened men, men who are here today and gone tomorrow, but that their directions must be punctually and faithfully obeyed. Without this concentrated power we cannot face what lies before us. I should not think it would be very advantageous for the House to prolong this Debate this afternoon under conditions of public stress. Many facts are not clear that will be clear in a short time. We are to have a secret Session on Thursday, and I should think that would be a better opportunity for the many earnest expressions of opinion which Members will desire to make and for the House to discuss vital matters without having everything read the next morning by our dangerous foes.

我认为，如果我们继续对过去和现在之间发生的事情争论不休，那么我们就不会有未来。所以，我不允许本届政府的成员之间出现任何分歧。本届政府是在战时成立的，要团结全党派各地区的意见。本届政府得到了上下两院的一致支持。本届政府会团结一致，我们会在下议院授权的情况下，治理好国家，继续坚持抵御外敌。在这一时刻，每一位孜孜不倦的大臣都必须受到人们尊重；各大臣的下属也要明白，自己的上司不会屈从于威胁，他们不是短暂的过往云烟，所以要坚定、忠诚地服从他们。如果不进行集权，我们就难以面对当前的威胁。我觉得，在公众惶恐担忧之际，议会延长今天下午的争论并无益处。虽然许多事情尚不明朗，但我们很快便能搞清楚。我们会在周四举行一次不公开的会议，届时议员们并可以大胆地发表见解，讨论最为重要的议题，而无需担心大敌第二天早上就知道我们讨论的内容。

The disastrous military events which have happened during the past fortnight have not come to me with any sense of surprise. Indeed, I indicated a fortnight ago as clearly as I could to the House that the worst possibilities were open; and I made it perfectly clear then that whatever happened in France would make no difference to the resolve of Britain and the British Empire to fight on, 'If necessary for years, if necessary alone." During the last few days we have successfully brought off the great majority of the troops we had on the line of communication in France; and seven-eighths of the troops we have sent to France since the beginning of the war-that is to say, about 350,000 out of 400,000 men-are safely back in this country. Others are still fighting with the French, and fighting with considerable success in their local encounters against the enemy. We have also brought back a great mass of stores, rifles and munitions of all kinds which had been accumulated in France during the last nine months.

过去两周内，我国在军事上遭遇灾难，对此我并不意外。其实早在两周前，我就已经向下议院尽可能清楚地表明，这种灾难性的结果是有可能发生的；而且当时我将得非常清楚，无论法国发生什么，都不会动摇英国及整个帝国抵抗的决心，“如果有必要的话，战斗将持续多年，如果有必要的话，我们将孤军奋战。”(译者注：出自丘吉尔著名演讲《我们将战斗到底》)过去几天中，我们成功撤出了部署在法国各大交通要道上的绝大多数部队；自战争开始以来，我们向法国的派遣的全部军队中，有7/8，也就是40万人中有35万人都安全返回了本土。其他尚未的军队仍在同法军并肩作战，并在各地的战斗中挫败了敌人，取得了不小战绩。

We have, therefore, in this Island today a very large and powerful military force. This force comprises all our best-trained and our finest troops, including scores of thousands of those who have already measured their quality against the Germans and found themselves at no disadvantage. We have under arms at the present time in this Island over a million and a quarter men. Behind these we have the Local Defense Volunteers, numbering half a million, only a portion of whom, however, are yet armed with rifles or other firearms. We have incorporated into our Defense Forces every man for whom we have a weapon. We expect very large additions to our weapons in the near future, and in preparation for this we intend forthwith to call up, drill and train further large numbers. Those who are not called up, or else are employed during the vast business of munitions production in all its branches-and their ramifications are innumerable-will serve their country best by remaining at their ordinary work until they receive their summons. We have also over here Dominions armies. The Canadians had actually landed in France, but have now been safely withdrawn, much disappointed, but in perfect order, with all their artillery and equipment. And these very high-class forces from the Dominions will now take part in the defense of the Mother Country.我们还撤回了过去9个月里囤积在法国的大量物资、步枪和各类弹药。所以，现在我们的本土上得以有一支非常强大的军队。这支部队尽是训练有素的精锐部队，其中有数万人都曾同德军交手，比拼双方的单兵素养，且他们在这场比拼中不落下风。目前，我们本土已有125万军队严阵以待。还有50万本土自卫军，虽然他们中还有很多人没有枪支。但我们会为每一个加入本土自卫军的人准备武器。我们预计，不久后就能有大量武器库存，所以我们现在打算继续征召、训练更多部队。而未应征入伍的人，或者从事各部队军火生产的人——这些人的重要性同样不可或缺，请继续从事日常服务，为国家做贡献，直到你们受到征兵令。各自治领的军队也与我们同在。加拿大军队曾部署至法国，现已安全撤离，他们士气低落，但是依旧军纪严整，且没有丢失任何火炮装备。这些自治领的精锐部队也会和我们一起保卫祖国。

Lest the account which I have given of these large forces should raise the question: Why did they not take part in the great battle in France? I must make it clear that, apart from the divisions training and organizing at home, only 12 divisions were equipped to fight upon a scale which justified their being sent abroad. And this was fully up to the number which the French had been led to expect would be available in France at the ninth month of the war. The rest of our forces at home have a fighting value for home defense which will, of course, steadily increase every week that passes. Thus, the invasion of Great Britain would at this time require the transportation across the sea of hostile armies on a very large scale, and after they had been so transported they would have to be continually maintained with all the masses of munitions and supplies which are required for continuous battle-as continuous battle it will surely be.

我上面提到了我国强大的军队，那么肯定会引起大家发问：那这些军队为什么没去法国参加战斗呢？让我为大家答疑解惑，我国国内大多数部队尚在组建和训练，只有12个师具备参战能力，所以我们将他们派遣出国参战。在战争的第9个月，12个师也完全达到了法军对我们远征军数量的预期。我国国内的预备部队则具备保卫本土的战斗力，他们的战斗力还会稳步与日俱增。所以，敌军想入侵不列颠岛，势必需要展开大规模跨海登陆，就算登陆过后，他们还持续向侵略军输送大量弹药补给——所以这肯定会是一场持久战。

Here is where we come to the Navy-and after all, we have a Navy. Some people seem to forget that we have a Navy. We must remind them. For the last thirty years I have been concerned in discussions about the possibilities of oversea invasion, and I took the responsibility on behalf of the Admiralty, at the beginning of the last war, of allowing all regular troops to be sent out of the country. That was a very serious step to take, because our Territorials had only just been called up and were quite untrained. Therefore, this Island was for several months particularly denuded of fighting troops. The Admiralty had confidence at that time in their ability to prevent a mass invasion even though at that time the Germans had a magnificent battle fleet in the proportion of 10 to 16, even though they were capable of fighting a general engagement every day and any day, whereas now they have only a couple of heavy ships worth speaking of-the Scharnhorst and the Gneisenau. We are also told that the Italian Navy is to come out and gain sea superiority in these waters. If they seriously intend it, I shall only say that we shall be delighted to offer Signor Mussolini a free and safeguarded passage through the Strait of Gibraltar in order that he may play the part to which he aspires. There is a general curiosity in the British Fleet to find out whether the Italians are up to the level they were at in the last war or whether they have fallen off at all.

这里，我们就要谈到海军——毕竟我们还是有海军的。有些人好像都忘了英国皇家海军的存在。那我们在此提醒他们一下。过去30年里，我一直在关注英国是否会遭到海上入侵的相关讨论，在上一次世界大战初期，我曾代表海军部，负责将英国全部正规军运输到国外参战的事务。这是极为冒险的行为，因为当时我国的本土防卫军才刚刚征召，未经训练。因此我国本土上有好几个月都没有任何部队防御。而当时的海军部则完全有信心挫败德军的海上入侵，即便当时德军有一支相当于皇家海军5/8实力的强大舰队，即便当时他们每天都有能力同我们进行决战，我们依旧有信心战胜他们，而现在德国只有屈指可数的几艘船，其中也就沙恩霍斯特号和格奈森瑙号还值得我们瞅一眼，其他都不值一提。我们还听说，意大利海军准备出动，夺下我国附近海域的制海权。如果意大利人真的要来，那我只能说，我们真是太高兴了，我们一定会坐看墨索里尼先生的舰队自由穿过直布罗陀海峡，并十分荣幸为意大利舰队保驾护航，帮助意大利战胜我们。英国海军迫不及待地想检验一下，意大利海军相比一战时有没有进步，不会不仅没有任何长进，反而还退步了吧。

Therefore, it seems to me that as far as sea-borne invasion on a great scale is concerned, we are far more capable of meeting it today than we were at many periods in the last war and during the early months of this war, before our other troops were trained, and while the B.E.F. had proceeded abroad. Now, the Navy have never pretended to be able to prevent raids by bodies of 5,000 or 10,000 men flung suddenly across and thrown ashore at several points on the coast some dark night or foggy morning. The efficacy of sea power, especially under modern conditions, depends upon the invading force being of large size; It has to be of large size, in view of our military strength, to be of any use. If it is of large size, then the Navy have something they can find and meet and, as it were, bite on. Now, we must remember that even five divisions, however lightly equipped, would require 200 to 250 ships, and with modern air reconnaissance and photography it would not be easy to collect such an armada, marshal it, and conduct it across the sea without any powerful naval forces to escort it; and there would be very great possibilities, to put it mildly, that this armada would be intercepted long before it reached the coast, and all the men drowned in the sea or, at the worst blown to pieces with their equipment while they were trying to land. We also have a great system of minefields, recently strongly reinforced, through which we alone know the channels. If the enemy tries to sweep passages through these minefields, it will be the task of the Navy to destroy the mine-sweepers and any other forces employed to protect them. There should be no difficulty in this, owing to our great superiority at sea.

所以，在我看来，英国现在完全有能力挫败敌军的海上入侵，比上一次世界大战、比战争最初几个月、比部队完成训练之前、比英国远征军赴法作战时都更有能力。不过，皇家海军挫败敌人后，确实无力阻止敌人的5000具或者10000具尸体登陆英国，它们可能漂过海峡，在某个漆黑的夜晚或者雾蒙蒙的早上被冲上海岸。在当前情况下，我们要根据敌人的海上入侵规模来决定派遣多少海军力量；考虑到我国的军事实力，德军必须进行大规模登陆才可能成功。既然是大规模登陆，那么海军一定可以发现并歼灭他们。现在，我们要知道，哪怕德军只派遣5个师轻装上阵，也需要200—250艘船进行运输，加之我们不停进行空中侦察摄像，德军想要集结这么一支舰队，指挥统领这支舰队，并在没有护航舰队掩护的情况下渡过海峡，可不是多么容易的事情；说得好听点，德军大概率连海岸都没看到，就遭遇我们拦截，然后全部淹死喂鱼，退一万步来说，就算德军到了海岸，他们也会在登陆时，和自己的武器一起被炸成碎片。而且我们还用水雷布下了天罗地网，最近还多扔了一些水雷，只有我们自己知道如何穿过水雷阵。如果敌人试图在雷区清出一条通道，我国海军就会出动摧毁敌军的扫雷舰，及其护卫舰队。英国牢牢掌握制海权，所以实现这一切不会有什么困难。

Those are the regular, well-tested, well-proved arguments on which we have relied during many years in peace and war. But the question is whether there are any new methods by which those solid assurances can be circumvented. Odd as it may seem, some attention has been given to this by the Admiralty, whose prime duty and responsibility is to destroy any large sea-borne expedition before it reaches, or at the moment when it reaches, these shores. It would not be a good thing for me to go into details of this. It might suggest ideas to other people which they have not thought of, and they would not be likely to give us any of their ideas in exchange. All I will say is that untiring vigilance and mind-searching must be devoted to the subject, because the enemy is crafty and cunning and full of novel treacheries and stratagems. The House may be assured that the utmost ingenuity is being displayed and imagination is being evoked from large numbers of competent officers, well-trained in tactics and thoroughly up to date, to measure and counterwork novel possibilities. Untiring vigilance and untiring searching of the mind is being, and must be, devoted to the subject, because, remember, the enemy is crafty and there is no dirty trick he will not do.

这些有关英国海军的争论时刻存在，这些争论已经得到过实际检验，且已正是英国海军有能力保卫本土，无论是和平时期还是战争年代，海军都是我们的坚实护盾。但问题是，这场新型战争中，敌人是否有别的方法可以绕过英国海军坚实的护盾。有意思的是，这个话题引起了海军部的注意，海军部的首要职责就是赶在敌人大规模海上舰队登陆英国前、或在他们登陆英国时，摧毁敌人的舰队。至于具体方式，我在此不做过多阐述。否则，某些人可能会从中受到启发，萌生一些见不得人的想法。我只是要强调，我们要时刻警惕敌人可能耍的新花招，毕竟他们诡计多端、背信弃义、屡出昏招。但我们下议院优秀出色的议员们会集思广益，各显所长，一起假想并应对敌人可能的入侵方法。我们一定要不间歇地警惕并假想敌人的手段，并牢记，敌人狡猾至极，毫无底线。

Some people will ask why, then, was it that the British Navy was not able to prevent the movement of a large army from Germany into Norway across the Skagerrak? But the conditions in the Channel and in the North Sea are in no way like those which prevail in the Skagerrak. In the Skagerrak, because of the distance, we could give no air support to our surface ships, and consequently, lying as we did close to the enemy's main air power, we were compelled to use only our submarines. We could not enforce the decisive blockade or interruption which is possible from surface vessels. Our submarines took a heavy toll but could not, by themselves, prevent the invasion of Norway. In the Channel and in the North Sea, on the other hand, our superior naval surface forces, aided by our submarines, will operate with close and effective air assistance.

然后，有的人就要问了，既然英国海军那么强，为什么没能阻止德国的大军渡过斯卡格拉克海峡、入侵挪威呢？英吉利海峡、北海与斯卡格拉克海峡没有任何可比性。斯卡格拉克海峡距离英国太远，我们无法为海军提供空中保障，且海峡处于敌方空军控制范围内，所以我们只能出动潜艇阻击敌军。我们的水面舰艇无法前去彻底封锁海峡或阻断登陆。我军潜艇损失惨重，仅凭它们自己实在无法阻止德军的登陆。然而，在英吉利海峡和北海，情况则完全不一样，我们有所向披靡的舰队，加之潜艇配合，还有近距离空中支援。

This brings me, naturally, to the great question of invasion from the air, and of the impending struggle between the British and German Air Forces. It seems quite clear that no invasion on a scale beyond the capacity of our land forces to crush speedily is likely to take place from the air until our Air Force has been definitely overpowered. In the meantime, there may be raids by parachute troops and attempted descents of airborne soldiers. We should be able to give those gentry a warm reception both in the air and on the ground, if they reach it in any condition to continue the dispute. But the great question is: Can we break Hitler's air weapon? Now, of course, it is a very great pity that we have not got an Air Force at least equal to that of the most powerful enemy within striking distance of these shores. But we have a very powerful Air Force which has proved itself far superior in quality, both in men and in many types of machine, to what we have met so far in the numerous and fierce air battles which have been fought with the Germans. In France, where we were at a considerable disadvantage and lost many machines on the ground when they were standing round the aerodromes, we were accustomed to inflict in the air losses of as much as two and two-and-a-half to one. In the fighting over Dunkirk, which was a sort of no-man's-land, we undoubtedly beat the German Air Force, and gained the mastery of the local air, inflicting here a loss of three or four to one day after day. Anyone who looks at the photographs which were published a week or so ago of the re-embarkation, showing the masses of troops assembled on the beach and forming an ideal target for hours at a time, must realize that this re-embarkation would not have been possible unless the enemy had resigned all hope of recovering air superiority at that time and at that place.

而说到空中支援，我就自然想起了另一大问题，那便是空中入侵，英国和德国会展开一场空中大战。而很显然，除非皇家空军彻底丧失制空权，否则敌人不可能从空中发动成规模、有威胁的入侵。在此期间，敌人的空降部队可能会尝试发动突袭。那我们一定要在空中热烈欢迎这些绅士们，如果他们能降落并继续战斗的话，我们还会在地面上继续欢迎他们。不过，最关键的问题是：我们能战胜希特勒的空军吗？目前来说，很遗憾，德国能用以空袭英国的空军力量，还是压过皇家空军一头。但是皇家空军也不是吃素的，皇家空军已经证明了，英国飞行员的水平和战斗机的质量都远胜德国，且我们早就不是第一次以劣势兵力和德国进行空战了。法国战役时，我军丢失了野战机场，许多战机都停留在地上没来得及起飞，处于极大的劣势，即使如此，皇家空军在空中还是打出了1比2，甚至1比2.5的漂亮战损比。在敦刻尔克无人区上空的战斗中，我们毫无疑问击败了德国空军，夺下了当地制空权，每天都能打出1比3甚至1比4的战损比。一周前，我们公布了敦刻尔克大撤退的照片，大家都能看到，我国军队都聚集在沙滩上，排队好几个小时登船，这对于德国空军来说，简直是再理想不过的靶子了，而正是因此，大家也能发现，我们之所可以敢站那么密集，就是因为德军已经彻底丧失夺下敦刻尔克制空权的可能。

In the defense of this Island the advantages to the defenders will be much greater than they were in the fighting around Dunkirk. We hope to improve on the rate of three or four to one which was realized at Dunkirk; and in addition all our injured machines and their crews which get down safely-and, surprisingly, a very great many injured machines and men do get down safely in modern air fighting-all of these will fall, in an attack upon these Islands, on friendly. soil and live to fight another day; whereas all the injured enemy machines and their complements will be total losses as far as the war is concerned.

而在本土防御战中，我军的作战优势比在敦刻尔克时更大。我们有望在3比1或4比1的击杀比的基础上，更上一层楼；此外，我们也希望我们受损的战机能载着飞行员平安返航，说来奇怪，在现代空战中，我军飞行员经常能开着受损的战机降落——他们在保卫本土时，可以跳伞降落在我们的国土上，保住性命，择日再战；而根据目前的战况来看，敌人的战机或飞行员一旦损失，就是永久彻底的损失。

During the great battle in France, we gave very powerful and continuous aid to. the French Army, both by fighters and bombers; but in spite of every kind of pressure we never would allow the entire metropolitan fighter strength of the Air Force to be consumed. This decision was painful, but it was also right, because the fortunes of the battle in France could not have been decisively affected even if we had thrown in our entire fighter force. That battle was lost by the unfortunate strategical opening, by the extraordinary and unforseen power of the armored columns, and by the great preponderance of the German Army in numbers. Our fighter Air Force might easily have been exhausted as a mere accident in that great struggle, and then we should have found ourselves at the present time in a very serious plight. But as it is, I am happy to inform the House that our fighter strength is stronger at the present time relatively to the Germans, who have suffered terrible losses, than it has ever been; and consequently we believe ourselves possessed of the capacity to continue the war in the air under better conditions than we have ever experienced before. I look forward confidently to the exploits of our fighter pilots-these splendid men, this brilliant youth-who will have the glory of saving their native land, their island home, and all they love, from the most deadly of all attacks.

法国战役期间，我军战斗机和轰炸机为法军提供了十分强而有力的支援；但无论如何，我们都承担不起本土所有空军战力全部损耗的后果。所以我们被迫做出艰难决定，但这一决定正确无比，因为即使我们将所有战斗机都投入战斗，也改不了法国即将沦陷的命运。这场战役中，盟军不幸露出了破绽，德军装甲部队的出色表现也大大超出了我们的预料，加之德军兵力处于优势，最终导致了我们的战败。如果出现意外，我们的战斗机部队恐怕会在法国消耗殆尽，届时我们的局面会雪上加霜。不过，我很乐意告知下议院，德国空军在战斗中损失惨重，现在皇家空军战斗机部队的实力强于德军，有着前所未有的优势；所以，在前所未有的优势加持下，我们有信心在空中和德国继续扳手腕。我对我军飞行员有着十足的信心，期待看到他们的耀眼战绩——他们都是出色的人，勇敢的小伙子——他们就有幸拯救自己的祖国、自己的家园和自己的爱人于致命战火之中。

There remains, of course, the danger of bombing attacks, which will certainly be made very soon upon us by the bomber forces of the enemy. It is true that the German bomber force is superior in numbers to ours; but we have a very large bomber force also, which we shall use to strike at military targets in Germany without intermission. I do not at all underrate the severity of the ordeal which lies before us; but I believe our countrymen will show themselves capable of standing up to it, like the brave men of Barcelona, and will be able to stand up to it, and carry on in spite of it, at least as well as any other people in the world. Much will depend upon this; every man and every woman will have the chance to show the finest qualities of their race, and render the highest service to their cause. For all of us, at this time, whatever our sphere, our station, our occupation or our duties, it will be a help to remember the famous lines: He nothing common did or mean, Upon that memorable scene.

当然，我们依旧有可能遭遇德军轰炸，德军很快就会出动轰炸机对我们发动空袭。虽然德军轰炸机数量超过我们不假；但是我们也有一支实力不菲的轰炸机部队，我们会用这支部队持续不断地打击德国军事目标。我不会淡化我们即将面临的苦难；但我相信，英国同胞们会勇敢面对它，正如巴塞罗那的勇士们一样，也愿意勇敢面对它，正如全世界其他国家的人民一样。这一战将决定世界的未来；我们的男男女女都有机会展现出我们民族中最优秀的品质，并为国家的事业做出崇高贡献。此时此刻，我们所有人，无论分属什么阶层，无论身处什么岗位，无论负责什么工作，都能从这两句著名的诗句得到启发：在这一永载史册的时刻，他什么也没做，什么也没说。(译者注：出自安德鲁·马维尔描述查理一世被处决时的诗句)

I have thought it right upon this occasion to give the House and the country some indication of the solid, practical grounds upon which we base our inflexible resolve to continue the war. There are a good many people who say, "Never mind. Win or lose, sink or swim, better die than submit to tyranny-and such a tyranny." And I do not dissociate myself from them. But I can assure them that our professional advisers of the three Services unitedly advise that we should carry on the war, and that there are good and reasonable hopes of final victory. We have fully informed and consulted all the self-governing Dominions, these great communities far beyond the oceans who have been built up on our laws and on our civilization, and who are absolutely free to choose their course, but are absolutely devoted to the ancient Motherland, and who feel themselves inspired by the same emotions which lead me to stake our all upon duty and honor. We have fully consulted them, and I have received from their Prime Ministers, Mr. Mackenzie King of Canada, Mr. Menzies of Australia, Mr. Fraser of New Zealand, and General Smuts of South Africa-that wonderful man, with his immense profound mind, and his eye watching from a distance the whole panorama of European affairs-I have received from all these eminent men, who all have Governments behind them elected on wide franchises, who are all there because they represent the will of their people, messages couched in the most moving terms in which they endorse our decision to fight on, and declare themselves ready to share our fortunes and to persevere to the end. That is what we are going to do.

我认为，我应该借这一场合，给下议院和全国下达一些强硬务实的指令，以表明我们坚定抵抗的决心。我国有许多人说，“输赢沉浮都无所谓，我们只是宁死也不愿屈服于暴政——尤其是纳粹暴政。”我自认为也是这类人中的一员。不过我可以向他们保证，我国海陆空三军的军事顾问都一致认为，英国应该继续抵抗，并且我们有希望，有很大希望取得最终胜利。我也询问了帝国各自治领的意见，这些自治领高悬海外，沿袭着我们的法律和文明，他们可以完全自主地选择自己的道路，却依旧选择绝对忠于自己历史悠久的祖国，他们和我心心相印，决定不惜代价共同捍卫我们的使命与荣誉。我充分询问了他们的意见，包括加拿大总理麦肯齐·金先生，澳大利亚的孟席斯先生，新西兰的弗雷泽先生，还有南非的斯穆特将军——斯穆特将军有相当雄才大略，他知识渊博，目光长远，紧密关注着欧洲事务——这些杰出之士都向我致信，他们代表着各自的特许民选政府，代表他们的人民，用最感人肺腑的话语说明，他们支持我们坚持抵抗的决心，并宣布他们愿意同我们风雨同舟，战斗到底。战斗到底，这正是我们要做的。

We may now ask ourselves: In what way has our position worsened since the beginning of the war? It has worsened by the fact that the Germans have conquered a large part of the coast line of Western Europe, and many small countries have been overrun by them. This aggravates the possibilities of air attack and adds to our naval preoccupations. It in no way diminishes, but on the contrary definitely increases, the power of our long-distance blockade. Similarly, the entrance of Italy into the war increases the power of our long-distance blockade. We have stopped the worst leak by that. We do not know whether military resistance will come to an end in France or not, but should it do so, then of course the Germans will be able to concentrate their forces, both military and industrial, upon us. But for the reasons I have given to the House these will not be found so easy to apply. If invasion has become more imminent, as no doubt it has, we, being relieved from the task of maintaining a large army in France, have far larger and more efficient forces to meet it.

我们现在要自问：自开展以来，我们的处境在哪些方面有所恶化？德国占领了西欧的多数沿海地区，许多小国已经向他们俯首称臣，这无疑恶化了我们的处境。这也增加了德军空袭我们的可能性，海军的活动范围也必须扩大。但是这丝毫不会削弱我们的远距离海军封锁，我们反而会增强海军封锁力度。同理，意大利参战，我们的海军封锁会进一步加强。由此，我们就堵住了最危险的漏洞。我们不知道法国会不会坚持军事抵抗，但是如果他们投降，德国人肯定能利用法国的军队和工业打击我们。因此，我向下议院提议，要求做出艰难决定。德军的入侵迫在眉睫，我们必须放弃同法国并肩作战，将大量军队集中回本土，来有效抵御德军入侵。

If Hitler can bring under his despotic control the industries of the countries he has conquered, this will add greatly to his already vast armament output. On the other hand, this will not happen immediately, and we are now assured of immense, continuous and increasing support in supplies and munitions of all kinds from the United States; and especially of aeroplanes and pilots from the Dominions and across the oceans coming from regions which are beyond the reach of enemy bombers.

如果希特勒使用专制手段，迫使被征服的国家工业为他所用，那德国的军工产出将大大增多。不过，这在短时间内不会发生，而且美国会为我们增援各类型物资弹药，美国的增援规模庞大、持续不断且与日俱增，我们大可安心；特别是从帝国各自治领跨越重洋赶来的战机和飞行员，敌军的轰炸机丝毫威胁不到这些地区。

I do not see how any of these factors can operate to our detriment on balance before the winter comes; and the winter will impose a strain upon the Nazi regime, with almost all Europe writhing and starving under its cruel heel, which, for all their ruthlessness, will run them very hard. We must not forget that from the moment when we declared war on the 3rd September it was always possible for Germany to turn all her Air Force upon this country, together with any other devices of invasion she might conceive, and that France could have done little or nothing to prevent her doing so. We have, therefore, lived under this danger, in principle and in a slightly modified form, during all these months. In the meanwhile, however, we have enormously improved our methods of defense, and we have learned what we had no right to assume at the beginning, namely, that the individual aircraft and the individual British pilot have a sure and definite superiority. Therefore, in casting up this dread balancesheet and contemplating our dangers with a disillusioned eye, I see great reason for intense vigilance and exertion, but none whatever for panic or despair.

我总的认为，在冬季之前，上述因素都不会对我们造成危害；而且冬天还会给纳粹的统治带来压力，几乎整个欧洲都在纳粹的铁蹄下痛苦不堪，忍饥挨饿，尽管纳粹并不在乎人民死活，但是这无疑给纳粹的统治造成了困难。从9月3日我们对德国宣战的那一刻起，我们就知道，德国有可能动用其全部空军入侵我国，还会配合其他可行的入侵手段并用，我们也从没指望法国有能力阻止这一切。这几个月里，我们一直处于德国空袭的威胁中，基本和我们预期的一致，只是略有细微差别。不过我们也在同时大力改进我们的防御手段，而且我们也发现了，自己具有战争伊始时未曾料想到的优势：英国空军的战斗机和飞行员在单兵战斗力上有着远超德军的优势。所以，考虑到上述优势，我的双眼看破了恐惧，得以理性地审视我们面临的威胁，我认为我们需要高度警惕，倾尽全力，但是不要感到害怕或绝望。

During the first four years of the last war the Allies experienced nothing but disaster and disappointment. That was our constant fear: one blow after another, terrible losses, frightful dangers. Everything miscarried. And yet at the end of those four years the morale of the Allies was higher than that of the Germans, who had moved from one aggressive triumph to another, and who stood everywhere triumphant invaders of the lands into which they had broken. During that war we repeatedly asked ourselves the question: How are we going to win? And no one was able ever to answer it with much precision, until at the end, quite suddenly, quite unexpectedly, our terrible foe collapsed before us, and we were so glutted with victory that in our folly we threw it away.

在一战中，一直到最后一年的8月之前，协约国军队也是被打得丢盔弃甲，士气涣散。我们不由自主地感到害怕：屡战屡败，损失惨重，大难临头。一切都毫无希望。但是直到战争最后一年，协约国将士的士气依旧高于德军，德军一次又一次地取得胜利，洋洋得意地站在被他们摧毁占领的土地上。一战时，我们百思不得其解：我们该怎么赢呢？没有用任何人能够回答这个问题，但是直到最后，我们那令人生畏的敌人突然毫无预兆地崩溃了，向我们投降了，而我们则被胜利冲昏了头脑，没能利用好这次胜利。

We do not yet know what will happen in France or whether the French resistance will be prolonged, both in France and in the French Empire overseas. The French Government will be throwing away great opportunities and casting adrift their future if they do not continue the war in accordance with their Treaty obligations, from which we have not felt able to release them. The House will have read the historic declaration in which, at the desire of many Frenchmen-and of our own hearts-we have proclaimed our willingness at the darkest hour in French history to conclude a union of common citizenship in this struggle. However matters may go in France or with the French Government, or other French Governments, we in this Island and in the British Empire will never lose our sense of comradeship with the French people. If we are now called upon to endure what they have been suffering, we shall emulate their courage, and if final victory rewards our toils they shall share the gains, aye, and freedom shall be restored to all. We abate nothing of our just demands; not one jot or tittle do we recede. Czechs, Poles, Norwegians, Dutch, Belgians have joined their causes to our own. All these shall be restored.

我不知道法国会作何选择，我也不知道法国和其海外帝国领地是否会继续坚持抵抗。但如果法国政府拒绝履行《英法条约》中的战争义务，那他们将错失大好良机，放弃了掌握自己未来命运的权利，我们力劝法国政府坚持抵抗。下议院即将宣读一项历史性宣言，这是许多法国人——以及我们都发自内心渴望的宣言——我们宣布，在这一法国历史上的至暗时刻，英国愿意在这场战争中建立英法联邦，所有英国人和法国人都是本联邦的公民。无论法国、或者法国政府，或其他所谓的法国政府作何原选择，英国本土和整个大英帝国都不会放弃同法国人民的兄弟情谊。如果法国人民继续抵抗，号召英国来帮助他们分担痛苦，那么我们也将心怀着和法国人民一样的勇气响应号召，如果我们的一切努力换来了和平，我们也会和法国人民分享我们的胜利果实，并让整个欧洲恢复自由。这是我们的正当要求，我们不会妥协；我们丝毫不会退缩。捷克人、波兰人、挪威人、荷兰人、比利时人都加入了我们的伟大事业。战后，我们会恢复他们祖国的自由。

What General Weygand called the Battle of France is over. I expect that the Battle of Britain is about to begin. Upon this battle depends the survival of Christian civilization. Upon it depends our own British life, and the long continuity of our institutions and our Empire. The whole fury and might of the enemy must very soon be turned on us. Hitler knows that he will have to break us in this Island or lose the war. If we can stand up to him, all Europe may be free and the life of the world may move forward into broad, sunlit uplands. But if we fail, then the whole world, including the United States, including all that we have known and cared for, will sink into the abyss of a new Dark Age made more sinister, and perhaps more protracted, by the lights of perverted science. Let us therefore brace ourselves to our duties, and so bear ourselves that, if the British Empire and its Commonwealth last for a thousand years, men will still say, "This was their finest hour."

魏刚将军宣称，法国战役结束了。那我想，不列颠之战即将打响。整个基督文明的存亡在此一战。英国、英国的制度及其整个帝国的存亡都在此一战。敌人会将一切怒火和力量倾泻在我们身上。希特勒自知，如果他无法征服我们，他就会输掉这场战争。如果我们撑住了，那么整个欧洲都将重获自由，光芒将再次洒满宽阔的大地。但如果我们失败了，那么全世界，包括美国，包括我们所熟知、所珍视的一切，都会坠入黑暗时代的深渊，随着人类的科技走向歧路，这一黑暗时代恐怕会十分凶险漫长。所以，我们要严阵以待，各尽其职，只要我们全力以赴，那即便大英帝国和英联邦再存续千年，人们回望这段历史时，依旧会说，“这是英国最辉煌的时刻。”

声明：本人仅按照原文翻译内容，演讲内容不代表本人观点。此专栏仅供历史和英语交流学习使用，任何读者皆可引用本人的译本。

希望来学习英语的观众明白：我觉得这些专栏的主要精华在于英语原文，而并非我的译本，我的译本很大程度上只是供来学习历史的观众使用的。本人的英语水平一般，翻译得并不会多么精彩，只能在你看不懂时来帮助你了解这些演讲内容最基本的意思，而且翻译时难免会出现差错，切勿直接完全以我的译本为标准。如发现有翻译错误或者歧义内容，欢迎指正。

希望来学习历史的观众明白：任何历史人物都有一定的局限性，随着时代发展，很多观点看法可能已经不再适用今天的世界，西方的观点也不一定适用于我们。通过了解这些演讲，仅可给我们提供一个更全面了解过去和世界的渠道。我们可以从优秀的历史、当代人物身上学到很多，但是请保持独立思考，理性看待演讲内容，切勿全信或将其奉为真理。