I am speaking not as a Briton, not as a European, not as a member of a western (democracy), but as a human being, a member of the species Man, whose continued (existence) is in doubt. The world is full of conflicts: Jews and Arabs; Indians and Pakistanis; white men and Negroes in Africa; and, overshadowing all minor conflicts, the titanic (struggle) between communism and anticommunism.
Almost everybody who is politically (conscious) has strong feelings about one or more of these issues; but I want you, if you can, to set aside such feelings for the moment and consider yourself only as a member of a (biological) species which has had a remarkable history and whose disappearance none of us can (desire). I shall try to say no single word which should appeal to one group rather than to another.
All, equally, are in peril, and, if the peril is understood, there is hope that they may collectively avert it. We have to learn to think in a new way. We have to learn to ask ourselves not what steps can be taken to give (military victory) to whatever group we prefer, for there no longer are such steps. The question we have to ask ourselves is: What steps can be taken to prevent a military contest of which the issue must be (disastrous) to all sides?
我们该选择死亡吗?
我不是作为一个英国人、一个欧洲人、一个西方民主国家的一员,而是作为一个人,作为不知是否还能继续生存下去的人类的一员在讲演。世界充满了争斗:犹太人和阿拉伯人;印度人和巴勒斯坦人;非洲的白人和黑人;以及使所有的小冲突都相形见绌的共产主义和反共产主义之间的大搏斗。
差不多每个有政治意识的人都对这类问题怀有强烈的感受;但是我希望你们,如果你们能够的话,把这份感受暂搁一边,并把自己只看作一种具有非凡历史、谁也不希望它灭亡的生物的一员。可能会迎合一群人而冷落另一群人的词语,我将努力一个字都不说。所有的人,不分彼此,都处在危险之中;如果大家都看到了这种危险,那么就有希望联合起来避开它。我们必须学习新的思想方法。我们必须学习不自问能采取什么措施来使我们所喜欢的人群获得军事上的胜利,因为不再有这样的措施。我们必须自问的问题是:能采取什么措施来避免必然会给各方造成灾难的军事竞赛?