里根总统关于“挑战者”号航天飞机悲剧的演讲

    里根总统是公认的演讲高手，这篇演辞亦可作为最朴素最动人的悼词载入史册。演辞拿“挑战者”号的全体宇航员同伟大的探险家弗朗西斯·德瑞克相比，赞美他们完全而且彻底的奉献，机智而得体。演辞说宇航员们出发时的挥手告别是“挣脱地球粗暴的枷锁”去“触摸上帝的容颜”，则巧妙地借助宗教信仰的力量给人以慰藉。“我们将继续我们的太空探索。我们会有更多的航天飞机，更多的航天机组，并且，是的，更多的平民，更多的教师飞向太空。一切都不会在此时此地停止——我们的希望我们的探索之旅正在继续。”这个语段则更是利用语言本身的节奏，向听众传递坚定的决心与无穷的力量，忧而不伤，是“挥泪继承烈士志，誓将遗愿化宏图”的美国式表达。在我看来，人教版初中语文课本选用的里根总统关于此事的另一篇演辞，似乎远不如此篇感人。                                 ——梦回濠梁

 

             关于“挑战者”号航天飞机悲剧的演讲

                                                   罗纳尔多·里根

女士们，先生们：

我原来打算今晚发表演讲，向你们汇报政府的工作。但今天早些时候发生的事件使我改变了那些计划。今天是一个悲痛和哀悼的日子。南希和我因挑战者号航天飞船的悲剧而痛彻心肺。我们知道我的国家和人民正和我们一起经历这一痛苦——这是国家的重大损失。

十九年前，几乎就在同一天，我们在一次可怕的地面事故中行动失去了三名宇航员；但是我们从未在飞行中失去一名宇航员，我们从未发生过这样的悲剧。也许我们都忘记了飞船全体成员所抱持的勇敢精神。但是他们——挑战者号上的七人，清醒地认识到所面临的危险并超越了它们，完成了杰出的工作。

    我们哀悼我们的七位英雄：迈克尔·史密斯、迪克·史柯比、朱迪·罗丝尼克、罗纳尔多·麦克奈尔、埃里森·奥尼祖卡、格雷戈里·贾维斯、克里斯特·迈克奥利弗。我们举国一致为他们的逝世而悲哀。

    对七位英雄的亲人，我要说，虽然我们不能感受这一悲剧的全部冲击，但我们意识到这损失的巨大。我们深深地惦念着你们。你们深爱着的人英勇无畏，他们显示出优雅的气质和特别的精神，他们仿佛在说：“给我挑战，我将笑着迎接它！”他们渴望探索宇宙发现它的奥秘。他们热望服役，而且他们做到了——他们为我们所有的人服役。

    我们成长在一个对奇迹习以为常的时代里，很难有什么事物让我们感到惊讶。然而二十五年来，美国航天计划从事的正是这奇迹般的事业。我们已经变得如此熟悉太空的话题，变得似乎忘了我们才刚刚开始。我们一直是这一领域的开拓者——他们，“挑战者”号的宇航员们是勇敢的开拓者。

    有些话，我要对那些收看了飞船升空实况转播的美国中小学学生们说。我知道这的确让人难以接受，但类似今天那样令人悲惨伤的事故的确时时发生——这是探索发现的过程中全部事实的一部分，这是抓住机会扩大人类视野时所发生的事实的一部分。未来不属于怯懦者，她属于勇敢者。“挑战者”号的宇航员们引领我们进入未来，让我们继续跟随他们。

    对于我们的航天计划，我一直抱有坚定的信念和崇高的敬意。今天发生的事情一点也不能使之有任何减损。我们从不隐瞒我们的航天计划。我们从不掩盖任何事故以保持它的神秘性。我们把这一切公诸于众。这就是“自由”的处事方式，我们不会改变它——哪怕只是一分钟。

    我们将继续我们的太空探索。我们会有更多的航天飞机，更多的航天机组，并且，是的，更多的平民，更多的教师飞向太空。一切都不会在此时此地停止——我们的希望我们的探索之旅正在继续。

    此外，我希望能同在NASA工作的每一个男人女人，同那些为这一使命工作的人们说几句话。我要告诉他们：“你们的奉献和敬业精神深深地打动了我们，给我们留下了几十年也难以磨灭的印象。我们了解你们的痛苦，让我们共同分担这痛苦。

    有一个巧合，三百九十年前的今天，伟大的探险家弗朗西斯·德瑞克死在巴拿马海滨的一条小船上。在他生活的时代，最伟大的尚待开拓的领域便是海洋。此后一位历史学家这样评论道：“他生活在海洋上，死在海洋上，葬在海洋里。”是的，今天我们可以这样评价“挑战者”号的全体宇航员——他们的奉献与德瑞克一样，完全而且彻底。

    “挑战者”号航天飞机机组全体成员以他们独特的生命形式给我们以荣耀。我们将永远铭记他们的英名。我们都还记得今天早晨我们最后一次看见他们时，他们正准备开始他们的旅程，挥手向我们告别，“挣脱地球粗暴的枷锁”去“触摸上帝的容颜。”

    谢谢你们。

 

Ronald Reagan: The Space Shuttle "Challenger" Tragedy Address

delivered 28 January 1986

Ladies and Gentlemen, I'd planned to speak to you tonight to report on the state of the Union, but the events of earlier today have led me to change those plans. Today is a day for mourning and remembering. Nancy and I are pained to the core by the tragedy of the shuttle Challenger. We know we share this pain with all of the people of our country. This is truly a national loss.

 

Nineteen years ago, almost to the day, we lost three astronauts in a terrible accident on the ground. But, we've never lost an astronaut in flight. We've never had a tragedy like this. And perhaps we've forgotten the courage it took for the crew of the shuttle. But they, the Challenger Seven, were aware of the dangers, but overcame them and did their jobs brilliantly. We mourn seven heroes: Michael Smith, Dick Scobee, Judith Resnik, Ronald McNair, Ellison Onizuka, Gregory Jarvis, and Christa McAuliffe. We mourn their loss as a nation together.

 

For the families of the seven, we cannot bear, as you do, the full impact of this tragedy. But we feel the loss, and we're thinking about you so very much. Your loved ones were daring and brave, and they had that special grace, that special spirit that says, "Give me a challenge, and I'll meet it with joy." They had a hunger to explore the universe and discover its truths. They wished to serve, and they did. They served all of us.

 

We've grown used to wonders in this century. It's hard to dazzle us. But for twenty-five years the United States space program has been doing just that. We've grown used to the idea of space, and, perhaps we forget that we've only just begun. We're still pioneers. They, the members of the Challenger crew, were pioneers.

 

And I want to say something to the schoolchildren of America who were watching the live coverage of the shuttle's take-off. I know it's hard to understand, but sometimes painful things like this happen. It's all part of the process of exploration and discovery. It's all part of taking a chance and expanding man's horizons. The future doesn't belong to the fainthearted; it belongs to the brave. The Challenger crew was pulling us into the future, and we'll continue to follow them.

 

I've always had great faith in and respect for our space program. And what happened today does nothing to diminish it. We don't hide our space program. We don't keep secrets and cover things up. We do it all up front and in public. That's the way freedom is, and we wouldn't change it for a minute.

 

We'll continue our quest in space. There will be more shuttle flights and more shuttle crews and, yes, more volunteers, more civilians, more teachers in space. Nothing ends here; our hopes and our journeys continue.

 

I want to add that I wish I could talk to every man and woman who works for NASA, or who worked on this mission and tell them: "Your dedication and professionalism have moved and impressed us for decades. And we know of your anguish. We share it."

 

There's a coincidence today. On this day 390 years ago, the great explorer Sir Francis Drake died aboard ship off the coast of Panama. In his lifetime the great frontiers were the oceans, and a historian later said, "He lived by the sea, died on it, and was buried in it." Well, today, we can say of the Challenger crew: Their dedication was, like Drake's, complete.

 

The crew of the space shuttle Challenger honored us by the manner in which they lived their lives. We will never forget them, nor the last time we saw them, this morning, as they prepared for their journey and waved goodbye and "slipped the surly bonds of earth" to "touch the face of God."

 

Thank you.