When, a week ago today, Mr. Speaker.I asked the House to fix this afternoon as the occasion for a statement, I feared it would be my hard lot to announce the greatest military disaster in our long history.I thought-and some good judges agreed with me-that perhaps 20,000 or 30,000 men might be re-embarked. But it certainly seemed that the whole of the French First Army and the whole of the British Expeditionary Force north of the Amiens-Abbeville gap would be broken up in the open field or else would have to capitulate for lack of food and ammunition.

一周前的今天，当我要求众议院将演讲安排在今天下午时，我担心这将是在我们漫长历史上最难以宣布的最大军事灾难。我想，一些优秀的法官同意我，大概2/3万人可能会重新上船。但是可以预见在亚眠-阿贝维尔山口以北的整个法国第一军和整个英国远征军会在开阔地被击溃或者会因为食物或弹药匮乏被俘虏。

These were the hard and heavy tidings for which I called upon the House and the nation to prepare themselves a week ago. The whole root and core and brain of the British Army, on which and around which we were to build, and are to build, the great British Armies in the later years of the war, seemed about to perish upon the field or to be led into an ignominious and starving captivity.

这是一周前我向众议院和全国人民宣布的一个艰难且沉重的消息。整个英国军队的根本，核心和脑力都建立在我们过去和将来建造的根基之上。战后的英国军队似乎要在战场上死去或变成一个可耻的饥饿的俘虏。

The enemy attacked on all sides with great strength and fierceness, and their main power, the power of their far more numerous Air Force, was thrown into the battle or else concentrated upon Dunkirk and the beaches.Pressing in upon narrow exit，both from the east and from the west. The enemy began to fire with cannon upon the beaches by which alone the shipping can approach or depart. They sowed magnetic mines in the channels and seas；they sent repeated waves of hostile aircraft，sometimes more than 1 hundred strong in one formation，to cast their bombs upon the single pier that remained and upon the sand dunes on which the troops had their eyes for shelter.

敌人以强大的力量从四面八方进攻，而他们的主力，他们无数的空军力量将被投入战斗或集中在敦刻尔克和海滩，从东西两岸向狭窄的海岸推进。敌人用大炮向只有登陆船只可以靠近和离开的海岸开火。他们在海峡和海中种下水雷。他们不断调遣一批批敌机，有时一个编队就超过100架，把他们的炸弹扔到仅存的一个码头上，投在部队寻找掩体的沙丘上。

Their U boats, one of which was sunk, and their motor launches took their toll of the vast traffic which now began. For four or five days，an intense struggle reigned. All their armored divisions- or what was left of them- together with great masses of infantry and artillery，hurled them selves in vain upon the ever-narrowing, ever -contracting appendix within which British and French armies fought.

他们的潜艇, 一艘已经沉没，他们的汽艇造成了现在开始的大规模的交通损失。四五天来，激烈的斗争一直在进行。他们所有的装甲师——或他们所剩下的部分——连同大批步兵和炮兵，向英军法军不断缩小的残余部队发起攻击，但都是徒劳的。

Meanwhile, the Royal Navy with the willing help of countless merchant seaman strained every nerve to embark British and allied troops. 220 light warships and 650 other vessels were engaged. They had to operate upon the difficult coasts, often in adverse weather，under almost ceaseless hail of bombs and an increasing concentration of artillery fire. Nor were the sea, as I have said, themselves free from mines and torpedoes.

同时，皇家海军在无数商船海员的帮助下,竭尽全力让英国和盟国的军队上船。220只轻型车舰和650只其他船只参加了这次战斗。他们不得不在困难的海岸线上战斗，常常是在恶劣的天气下, 在几乎不间断的炮火和越来越密集的炮火下作战。正如我说，海洋本身也并不是没有水雷或鱼雷的。

It was in conditions such as these that our men carried on, with little or no rest for days and nights on end, making trips after trips across the dangerous water，bringing with them always men whom they had rescued. The number they have brought back are the measure of their devotion and their courage. The hospital ship which brought off many thousands of British and French wounded，being so plainly marked were special target for Nazi bombs; but the men and women on board them never faltered in their duty. Meanwhile, the Royal Air Force, which had already been intervening in the battle so far as it range would allow, from home bases, now used parts of its main metropolitan fighter strength, and struck at German bombers and the fighters which in large numbers protected them. The struggle was protracted and fierce.

正是在这样的环境下，我们的人民日夜不停的航行，几乎没有休息, 一次又一次越过危险的水域,总是带着他们救过来的人。他们带回来的救援人数是对他们奉献精神和勇气的衡量。医疗船载着成千上万的英国和法国伤员是纳粹炸弹的如此明显的特殊目标, 但船上的男男女女从来没有在他们的职责上动摇过。与此同时，已经在其射程范围允许内介入战斗的皇家空军现在使用了其主要都市战斗机力量的一部分,向德国轰炸机和大量保护他们的战斗机发动攻击。

Suddenly, the scene has cleared, the crash and thunder has for the moment but only for the moment— died away. A miracle of deliverance, achieved by valor，by perseverance, by perfect discipline, by faultless service, by resource, by skill, by unconquerable fidelity, is manifest to us all. The enemy was hurled back by retreating British troops. He was so roughly handled that he didn’t hurry their departure seriously.

突然间，进攻停止了，飞机的轰鸣暂时消失了，但只是暂时消失了。得救的奇迹, 这奇迹是由勇敢、毅力、完美的纪律、完美的服务，资源、技巧和不可征服的忠诚所实现的。敌人被撤退的英国军队所击退。希特勒如此粗心地处理此事，以至他没有认真地催促他们离开。

We must be very careful not to assign to this deliverance the attributes of a victory.Wars are not won by evacuation. But there was a victory inside this deliverance which should be noted. It was gained by Air Force. Many of our soldiers coming back have not seen the Air Force at work. They saw only bombers which escape its protective attack. They underrate its achievement. I have heard much talk of this.that is why I go out of my way to say this. I will tell you about it. This was a great trial of strength between British and German Air Force. Can you conceive a greater objective for the German in the air than to make evacuation from these beaches impossible, and sink all these ships which were displayed, almost to the extent of thousands? Could there have been an objective of greater military importance and significance for the whole purpose of the war than this? They tried hard, but they were beaten back.

我们必须非常慎重，不要把这次援救说成胜利。战争不是靠撤退赢得胜利，但这次援救中却蕴含着胜利，这点应当注意到。归来的许许多多的士兵未曾见到空军在行动。他们看到的只是逃脱我们空军掩护性攻击的敌人轰炸机。他们低估了我们空军的成就，关于这件事, 其理由就在这里。我一定要把这件事情告诉你们,这是英国盒德国空军力量的重大考验。德国空军的目的是让我们从海滩撤退成为不可能, 并且击沉所有密集在那里数以千计的船只.除此之外，从整个战争的目的来说, 还有什么更重大的军事重要性和军事意义呢？他们曾全力以赴，但他们最终被击败了。

They were frustrated in their task. We got the army away; and they have paid fourfold for any losses they have inflicted. When we consider how much greater would be our advantage in defending the air above this island against an overseas attack，I must say that I find in these facts a sure basis upon which practical and reassuring fact may rest, I will pay my tribute to these young airmen. The great French army was very largely, for the time being, cast back and disturbed by the onrush of a few thousands of armored vehicles

他们在任务执行中遭到挫败，我们撤回了军队。他们付出的代价四倍于他们给我们造成的损失。当我们说在英伦三岛上空抵御来自海外袭击将对我们更有好处时,我应当指出我从这些事实中找到了一个可靠的论据，可以在此基础上产生万无一失的方法。我对这些青年人表示敬意。强大的法国陆军当时在几千倆装甲车的冲击下大部分溃退了。

May it not also be that the cause of civilization itself will be defended by the skill and devotion of a few thousand airmen?There never has been, I suppose, in all the world, in all the history of war, such an opportunity for youth.

难道不可以说，文明事业本身将有数千飞行员的本领和忠诚来保护吗？我想在整个世界上，在所有的战争史上，年轻人从没有过这样的机会。

The Knights of the Round Table, the Crusaders, all fall back into the past-not only distant but prosaic; these young men, going forth every morn to guard their native land and all that we stand for, holding in their hands these instruments of colossal and shattering power, of whom it may be said that:Every morn brought forth a noble chance. And every chance brought forth a noble knight,deserve our gratitude, as do all the brave men who, in so many ways and on so many occasions, are ready, and continue ready to give life and all for their native land.

那些圆桌武士，十字车战士俱往矣,不仅遥远而且平淡无奇，这些年轻人，每天早晨都出去保卫他们的祖国和我们代表的一切，他们手中握着这些巨大的，毁灭性的武器。我们可以说，每一个早晨豆带来一个难得的机会，每一个机会都会带来一位高贵的骑士，我们应该感谢所有勇敢的人，他们在很多的时候都准备好为他们的祖国献出生命和一切。

Nevertheless, our thankfulness at the escape of our Army and so many men, whose loved ones have passed through an agonizing week, must not blind us to the fact that what has happened in France and Belgium is a colossal military disaster.

然而，我们对我们的军队和许多人的逃脱表示感谢，他们的亲人已经度过了痛苦的一个星期。我们绝不能无视这样一个事实，即在法国和比利时发生的是一场巨大的军事灾难。

The French Army has been weakened, the Belgian Army has been lost, a large part of those fortified lines upon which so much faith had been reposed is gone, many valuable mining districts and factories have passed into the enemy’s possession, with all the tragic consequences that follow from that, and we must expect another blow to be struck almost immediately at us or at France.

法国军队已经被削弱，比利时军队损失惨重，大部分被寄予厚望的筑防御工事已经被击溃。许多有价值的社区和工厂已被敌人占有，整个通道的端口都在他们手中，所有接下来的悲剧的后果，我们必须期待另一个打击即将被袭击是美国或法国。

We are told that Herr Hitler has a plan for invading the British Isles. This has often been thought of before. When Napoleon lay at Boulogne for a year with his flat-bottomed boats and his Grand Army, he was told by someone.“There are bitter weeds in England.” There are certainly a great many more of them since the British Expeditionary Force returned.

我们听说希特勒有侵略英国群岛的计划。以前也有人这样想过。当拿破仑带着他的平底船和大军在布洛涅停留了一年的时候，有人告诉他，英国有苦草。自英国远征军归来以后，这样的人肯定多得多。

I have, myself, full confidence that if all do their duty, if nothing is neglected, and if the best arrangements are made, as they are being made, we shall prove ourselves once again able to defend our Island home, to ride out the storm of war, and to outlive the menace of tyranny, if necessary for years, if necessary alone.

At any rate, that is what we are going to try to do. That is the resolve of His Majesty’s Government-every man of them.

我自己充满信心，如果每个人各司其职，事无巨细，如果做了最好的安排，如果这样做了，我们将再一次证明我们可以我们的岛屿家园，安然度过风暴的战争，专制的威胁，即使需要很多年，即使必定孤军作战。无论如何，这就是我们要做的，这是皇室的决心—他们每个人的决心

That is the will of Parliament and the nation. The British Empire and the French Republic, linked together in their cause and in their need, will defend to the death their native soil, aiding each other like good comrades to the utmost of their strength.

这是国会和国家的意志，大英帝国和法兰西共和国在他们的事业和需要中团结一致，将誓死保卫他们的祖国，像好同志一样互相帮助，竭尽全力。

We shall go on to the end, we shall fight in France, we shall fight on the seas and oceans, we shall fight with growing confidence and growing strength in the air, we shall defend our Island, whatever the cost may be, we shall fight on the beaches, we shall fight on the landing grounds, we shall fight in the fields and in the streets, we shall fight in the hills; we shall never surrender, and even if, which I do not for a moment believe, this Island or a large part of it were subjugated and starving, then our Empire beyond the seas, armed and guarded by the British Fleet, would carry on the struggle, until, in God’s good time, the New World, with all its power and might, steps forth to the rescue and the liberation of the old.

我们将战斗到底，我们将在法国战斗，我们将在海洋上战斗，我们将充满信心在空中战斗，我们将不惜任何代价保卫本土，我们将在海滩的战斗，在敌人的登陆地点作战，在田野和街头作战，在山区作战，我们任何时候都不会投降，即使我们这个岛屿或岛屿大部分被敌人占领并陷入饥饿当中，由我们英国舰队武装保护的海外帝国也将继续战斗直到奇迹降临，新世界用其回天之力，向着解放旧世界前进。