[영어로 읽는 세기의 名연설] ⑬ 더글러스 맥아더의 웨스트 포인트 연설 <上>

"Duty，Honor，Country : Those three hallowed words reverently dictate what you ought to be, what you can be，what you will be."

⊙ 연설의 배경

이 연설문은 맥아더가 1962년 5월12일 미국의 육사인 웨스트포인트에서 행한 연설이다.

이 연설문에 언급된 'Duty, Honor, Country'는 웨스트 포인트 사관학교의 문장에 새겨진 글귀로 1898년에 정식 교훈으로 채택됐다.

어느 훌륭한 시구절 못지않게 시적이고 아름답게, 군인으로서의 삶과 조국에 대한 신념, 애정을 표현해내고 있어 영혼을 울리는 깊은 감동을 전해준다.

⊙ 더글러스 맥아더(1880~1964)

미국 아칸소주 리틀록에서 태어났으며 웨스트 포인트를 최우수 성적으로 졸업했다.

1차세계대전과 2차세계대전에 참전했으며 한국 전쟁시 국제연합군 총사령관을 지냈다.

한국전쟁중 트루만 대통령과의 불화로 해임당했다.

⊙ 원문 읽기

No human being could fail to be deeply moved by such a tribute as this [Thayer Award].

Coming from a profession I have served so long，and a people I have loved so well，it fills me with an emotion I cannot express.

But this award is not intended primarily to honor a personality，but to symbolize a great moral code －－ the code of conduct and chivalry of those who guard this beloved land of culture and ancient descent.

That is the animation of this ①medallion.

For all eyes and for all time，it is an expression of the ethics of the American soldier.

That I should be integrated in this way with so noble an ideal arouses a sense of pride and yet of humility which will be with me always

Duty，Honor，Country: Those three ②hallowed words ③reverently dictate what you ought to be，what you can be，what you will be.

They are your rallying points: to build courage when courage seems to fail: to regain faith when there seems to be little cause for faith: to create hope when hope becomes ④forlorn.

Unhappily，I possess neither that ⑤eloquence of diction，that poetry of imagination，nor that brilliance of metaphor to tell you all that they mean.

The unbelievers will say they are but words，but a slogan，but a flamboyant phrase.

Every pedant，every demagogue，every cynic，every hypocrite，every troublemaker，and I am sorry to say，some others of an entirely different character，will try to downgrade them even to the extent of mockery and ridicule.

But these are some of the things they do.

They build your basic character.

They mold you for your future roles as the custodians of the nation's defense.

They make you strong enough to know when you are weak，and brave enough to face yourself when you are afraid.

They teach you to be proud and unbending in honest failure，but humble and gentle in success: not to substitute words for actions，not to seek the path of comfort，but to face the stress and spur of difficulty and challenge: to learn to stand up in the storm but to have compassion on those who fall: to master yourself before you seek to master others: to have a heart that is clean，a goal that is high: to learn to laugh，yet never forget how to weep: to reach into the future yet never neglect the past: to be serious yet never to take yourself too seriously: to be modest so that you will remember the simplicity of true greatness，the open mind of true wisdom，the meekness of true strength.

They give you a temper of the will，a quality of the imagination，a vigor of the emotions，a freshness of the deep springs of life，a temperamental predominance of courage over timidity，of an appetite for adventure over love of ease.

They create in your heart the sense of wonder，the unfailing hope of what next，and the joy and inspiration of life.

They teach you in this way to be an officer and a gentleman.

And what sort of soldiers are those you are to lead？

Are they reliable？

Are they brave？

Are they capable of victory？

Their story is known to all of you.

It is the story of the American man－at－arms.

My estimate of him was formed on the battlefield many，many years ago，and has never changed.

I regarded him then as I regard him now －－ as one of the world's noblest figures，not only as one of the finest military characters，but also as one of the most stainless.

His name and fame are the birthright of every American citizen.

In his youth and strength，his love and loyalty，he gave all that mortality can give.

He needs no eulogy from me or from any other man.

He has written his own history and written it in red on his enemy's breast.

But when I think of his patience under adversity，of his courage under fire，and of his modesty in victory，I am filled with an emotion of admiration I cannot put into words.

He belongs to history as furnishing one of the greatest examples of successful patriotism.

He belongs to posterity as the instructor of future generations in the principles of liberty and freedom.

He belongs to the present，to us，by his virtues and by his achievements.

In 20 campaigns，on a hundred battlefields，around a thousand campfires，I have witnessed that enduring fortitude，that patriotic ⑥self－abnegation，and that invincible determination which have carved his statue in the hearts of his people.

From one end of the world to the other he has drained deep the chalice of courage.

As I listened to those songs [of the glee club]，in memory's eye I could see those staggering columns of the First World War，bending under soggy packs，on many a weary march from dripping dusk to drizzling dawn，⑦slogging ankle－deep through the mire of shell－shocked roads，to form grimly for the attack，blue－lipped，covered with sludge and mud，chilled by the wind and rain，driving home to their objective，and for many，to the judgment seat of God.

I do not know the dignity of their birth，but I do know the glory of their death.

They died unquestioning，uncomplaining，with faith in their hearts，and on their lips the hope that we would go on to victory.

Always，for them: Duty，Honor，Country: always their blood and sweat and tears，as we sought the way and the light and the truth.

☞ 다음호에 계속

▶ Words & Idiom

① medallion : 큰 메달

② hallowed : 신성한

③ reverently : 숭배하게

④ forlorn : 버려진, 절망적인

⑤ eloquence : 웅변, 능변

⑥ self－abnegation : 자기거부, 자포자기

⑦ slogging : 근면한