Iron-Curtain-Speech

IronCurtainSpeechbyWinstonChurchill,1946本文名句：FromStettinintheBaltictoTriesteintheAdriaticanironcurtainhasdescendedacrosstheContinent.PresidentMcCluer,ladiesandgentlemen,andlast,butcertainlynotleast,thePresidentoftheUnitedStatesofAmerica:IamverygladindeedtocometoWestminsterCollegethisafternoon,andIamcomplimentedthatyoushouldgivemeadegreefromaninstitutionwhosereputationhasbeensosolidlyestablished.ThenameWestminstersomehoworotherseemsfamiliartome.IfeelasifIhaveheardofitbefore.IndeednowthatIcometothinkofit,itwasatWestminsterthatIreceivedaverylargepartofmyeducationinpolitics,dialectic,rhetoric,andoneortwootherthings.Infactwehavebothbeeneducatedatthesame,orsimilar,or,atanyrate,kindredestablishments.Itisalsoanhonor,ladiesandgentlemen,perhapsalmostunique,foraprivatevisitortobeintroducedtoanacademicaudiencebythePresidentoftheUnitedStates.Amidhisheavyburdens,duties,andresponsibilities--unsoughtbutnotrecoiledfrom--thePresidenthastraveledathousandmilestodignifyandmagnifyourmeetinghereto-dayandtogivemeanopportunityofaddressingthiskindrednation,aswellasmyowncountrymenacrosstheocean,andperhapssomeothercountriestoo.ThePresidenthastoldyouthatitishiswish,asIamsureitisyours,thatIshouldhavefulllibertytogivemytrueandfaithfulcounselintheseanxiousandbafflingtimes.Ishallcertainlyavailmyselfofthisfreedom,andfeelthemorerighttodosobecauseanyprivateambitionsImayhavecherishedinmyyoungerdayshavebeensatisfiedbeyondmywildestdreams.LetmehowevermakeitclearthatIhavenoofficialmissionorstatusofanykind,andthatIspeakonlyformyself.Thereisnothingherebutwhatyousee.Icanthereforeallowmymind,withtheexperienceofalifetime,toplayovertheproblemswhichbesetusonthemorrowofourabsolutevictoryinarms,andtotrytomakesurewithwhatstrengthIhavethatwhathasgainedwithsomuchsacrificeandsufferingshallbepreservedforthefuturegloryandsafetyofmankind.Ladiesandgentlemen,theUnitedStatesstandsatthistimeatthepinnacleofworldpower.ItisasolemnmomentfortheAmericanDemocracy.Forwithprimacyinpowerisalsojoinedanawe-inspiringaccountabilitytothefuture.Ifyoulookaroundyou,youmustfeelnotonlythesenseofdutydonebutalsoyoumustfeelanxietylestyoufallbelowthelevelofachievement.Opportunityishereandnow,clearandshiningforbothourcountries.Torejectitorignoreitorfritteritawaywillbringuponusallthelongreproachesoftheafter-time.Itisnecessarythattheconstancyofmind,persistencyofpurpose,andthegrandsimplicityofdecisionshallruleandguidetheconductoftheEnglish-speakingpeoplesinpeaceastheydidinwar.Wemust,andIbelieveweshall,proveourselvesequaltothissevererequirement.PresidentMcCluer,whenAmericanmilitarymenapproachsomeserioussituationtheyarewonttowriteattheheadoftheirdirectivethewordsover-allstrategicconcept.Thereiswisdominthis,asitleadstoclarityofthought.Whatthenistheover-allstrategicconceptwhichweshouldinscribeto-day?Itisnothinglessthanthesafetyandwelfare,thefreedomandprogress,ofallthehomesandfamiliesofallthemenandwomeninallthelands.AndhereIspeakparticularlyofthemyriadcottageorapartmenthomeswherethewage-earnerstrivesamidtheaccidentsanddifficultiesoflifetoguardhiswifeandchildrenfromprivationandbringthefamilyupthefearoftheLord,oruponethicalconceptionswhichoftenplaytheirpotentpart.Togivesecuritytothesecountlesshomes,theymustbeshieldedformtwogauntmarauders,warandtyranny.Wealknowthefrightfuldisturbanceinwhichtheordinaryfamilyisplungedwhenthecurseofwarswoopsdownuponthebread-winnerandthoseforwhomheworksandcontrives.TheawfulruinofEurope,withallitsvanishedglories,andoflargepartsofAsiaglaresusintheeyes.WhenthedesignsofwickedmenortheaggressiveurgeofmightyStatesdissolveoverlargeareastheframeofcivilizedsociety,humblefolkareconfrontedwithdifficultieswithwhichtheycannotcope.Forthemisalldistorted,allisbroken,allisevengroundtopulp.WhenIstandherethisquietafternoonIshuddertovisualizewhatisactuallyhappeningtomillionsnowandwhatisgoingtohappeninthisperiodwhenfaminestalkstheearth.Nonecancomputewhathasbeencalledtheunestimatedsumofhumanpain.Oursupremetaskanddutyistoguardthehomesofthecommonpeoplefromthehorrorsandmiseriesofanotherwar.Weareallagreedonthat.OurAmericanmilitarycolleagues,afterhavingproclaimedtheirover-allstrategicconceptandcomputedavailableresources,alwaysproceedtothenextstep--namely,themethod.Hereagainthereiswidespreadagreement.Aworldorganizationhasalreadybeenerectedfortheprimepurposeofpreventingwar.UNO,thesuccessoroftheLeagueofNations,withthedecisiveadditionoftheUnitedStatesandallthatthatmeans,isalreadyatwork.Wemustmakesurethatitsworkisfruitful,thatitisarealityandnotasham,thatitisaforceforaction,andnotmerelyafrothingofwords,thatitisatruetempleofpeaceinwhichtheshieldsofmanynationscansomedaybehungup,andnotmerelyacockpitinaTowerofBabel.Beforewecastawaythesolidassurancesofnationalarmamentsforself-preservationwemustbecertainthatourtempleisbuilt,notuponshiftingsandsorquagmires,butuponarock.Anyonecanseewithhiseyesopenthatourpathwillbedifficultandalsolong,butifweperseveretogetheraswedidinthetwoworldwars--thoughnot,alas,intheintervalbetweenthem--Icannotdoubtthatweshallachieveourcommonpurposeintheend.Ihave,however,adefiniteandpracticalpr