Four score and seven years ago our fathers brought forth on this continent, a new nation, conceived in Liberty, and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal.

註：father在此應避免有血緣的聯想。在當時的人，尤其是在政治上，沒有男女平等的觀念，men指的是男人，而且沒有說出來的還是白種男人而已。為求忠實，不應將其視為人類的通稱。

 

今逢內爭，欲明以此為本之國能永存否。今聚戰場，欲以方寸之地奉我勇士。勇士者，為國捐軀舍生取義，奉以此地安之，義舉也。
 

Now we are engaged in a great civil war, testing whether that nation, or any nation so conceived and so dedicated, can long endure. We are met on a great battle field of that war. We have come to dedicate a portion of that field, as a final resting place for those who here gave their lives that nation might live. It is altogether fitting and proper that we should do this.

 

然複往廣推，此地難奉，遑論祭或聖之。眾勇士，或存或亡，皆戰於此，已奉祭於斯，我等綿力不能增其聖以毫厘，或減以寸分。吾等今日所言，世人將漠之，記憶必短；然勇士事跡，量不致或忘絲毫。吾尚存者，當擔所餘大任；承烈士遺誌，倍吾力於未竟之業；神佑吾國，當獲自由之新生；民有、民治、民享之政必永續於世。
 

But, in a larger sense, we can not dedicate—we can not consecrate—we can not hallow—this ground. The brave men, living and dead, who struggled here, have consecrated it, far above our poor power to add or detract. The world will little note, nor long remember what we say here, but it can never forget what they did here. It is for us the living, rather, to be dedicated here to the unfinished work which they who fought here have thus far so nobly advanced. It is rather for us to be here dedicated to the great task remaining before us — that from these honored dead we take increased devotion to that cause for which they gave the last full measure of devotion — that we here highly resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain — that this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom — and that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth.