Woman suffrage is inevitable. Suffragists knew it before November 4, 1917; opponents afterward. Three distinct causes made it inevitable. 妇女选举权是不可避免的。妇女参政论者在1917年11月4日之前就知道这一点；反对者之后也明白了。有三个明显的原因使它成为必然。
First, the history of our country. Ours is a nation born of revolution, of rebellion against a system of government so securely entrenched in the customs and traditions of human society that in 1776 it seemed impregnable. 第一，我国的历史。我们的国家诞生于一场革命，诞生于对一个政府体系的反抗，而这个体系在人类社会的习俗和传统中根深蒂固，以至于在1776年它似乎是坚不可摧的。
From the beginning of things, nations had been ruled by kings and for kings, while the people served and paid the cost. The American Revolutionists boldly proclaimed the heresies: "Taxation without representation is tyranny." "Governments derive their just powers from the consent of the governed." 从一开始，各国就由国王统治，为国王服务，而人民则服役并付出代价。美国革命者大胆地宣告了这些"异端邪说"："无代表不纳税是暴政。""政府的正当权力来自被统治者的同意。"
The colonists won, and the nation which was established as a result of their victory has held unfailingly that these two fundamental principles of democratic government are not only the spiritual source of our national existence but have been our chief historic pride and at all times the sheet anchor of our liberties. 殖民者胜利了，作为他们胜利的结果而建立的国家始终不渝地坚持着民主政府的这两条基本原则，它们不仅是我们国家存在的精神源泉，也是我们主要的历史骄傲，始终是我们自由的锚。
Eighty years after the Revolution, Abraham Lincoln welded those two maxims into a new one: "Ours is a government of the people, by the people, and for the people." 革命八十年后，亚伯拉罕·林肯将这两句格言熔铸为一句新话："我们的政府是民有、民治、民享的政府。"
Fifty years more passed and the president of the United States, Woodrow Wilson, in a mighty crisis of the nation, proclaimed to the world: "We are fighting for the things which we have always carried nearest to our hearts: for democracy, for the right of those who submit to authority to have a voice in their own government." 又过了五十年，美国总统伍德罗·威尔逊在国家的一次重大危机中向世界宣告："我们正在为那些我们始终铭记于心的东西而战：为民主，为那些服从权威的人在自己的政府中拥有发言权的权利而战。"
All the way between these immortal aphorisms political leaders have declared unabated faith in their truth. Not one American has arisen to question their logic in the 141 years of our national existence. 在这些不朽的格言之间，政治领袖们一直毫不动摇地宣布对它们真理的信仰。在我们国家存在的141年里，没有一个美国人站起来质疑它们的逻辑。
However stupidly our country may have evaded the logical application at times, it has never swerved from its devotion to the theory of democracy as expressed by those two axioms... 无论我们国家有时多么愚蠢地回避了逻辑上的应用，它从未偏离过对这两句格言所表达的民主理论的忠诚……
With such a history behind it, how can our nation escape the logic it has never failed to follow, when its last un-enfranchised class calls for the vote? 有了这样的历史背景，当我们国家最后一个未获选举权的阶层要求投票权时，它怎么能逃避它从未未能遵循的逻辑呢？
Behold our Uncle Sam floating the banner with one hand, "Taxation without representation is tyranny," and with the other seizing the billions of dollars paid in taxes by women to whom he refuses "representation." 看我们的山姆大叔，一手举着"无代表不纳税是暴政"的旗帜，另一手却在攫取着妇女缴纳的数十亿美元税款，而妇女却被拒绝"代表权"。
Behold him again, welcoming the boys of twenty-one and the newly made immigrant citizen to "a voice in their own government" while he denies that fundamental right of democracy to thousands of women public school teachers from whom many of these men learn all they know of citizenship and patriotism, to women college presidents, to women who preach in our pulpits, interpret law in our courts, preside over our hospitals, write books and magazines, and serve in every uplifting moral and social enterprise. 再看他，欢迎二十一岁的青年和刚入籍的移民公民在"自己的政府中拥有发言权"，同时却拒绝将民主的这一基本权利给予成千上万的女公立学校教师——这些人中的许多人从她们那里学到了所有关于公民权和爱国主义的知识——给予女大学校长，给予在我们的教堂中布道的妇女，在我们的法庭上解释法律的妇女，主持我们医院的妇女，撰写书籍和杂志的妇女，以及在每一个提升道德和社会的事业中服务的妇女。
Is there a single man who can justify such inequality of treatment, such outrageous discrimination? Not one... 有哪一个男人能为这种不平等待遇辩护，为这种无耻的歧视辩护？没有一个……
Second, the suffrage for women already established in the United States makes women suffrage for the nation inevitable. 第二，美国已经确立的妇女选举权使得全国妇女选举权成为必然。
When Elihu Root, as president of the American Society of International Law, at the eleventh annual meeting in Washington, April 26, 1917, said, "The world cannot be half democratic and half autocratic. It must be all democratic or all Prussian. There can be no compromise," he voiced a general truth. 当 Elihu Root 作为美国国际法学会主席于1917年4月26日在华盛顿第十一届年会上说："世界不能一半民主一半专制。它必须要么完全民主，要么完全普鲁士化。没有妥协的余地。"他说出了一个普遍的真理。
Precisely the same intuition has already taught the blindest and most hostile foe of woman suffrage that our nation cannot long continue a condition under which government in half its territory rests upon the consent of half of the people and in the other half upon the consent of all the people; a condition which grants representation to the taxed in half of its territory and denies it in the other half a condition which permits women in some states to share in the election of the president, senators, and representatives and denies them that privilege in others. 同样的直觉已经告诉了最盲目、最敌视妇女选举权的反对者，我们的国家不能长期维持这样一种状态：在其一半领土上的政府建立在一半人民的同意之上，在另一半领土上的政府建立在所有人民的同意之上；一种在其一半领土上给予纳税者代表权、而在另一半领土上拒绝代表权的状态；一种允许某些州的妇女分享总统、参议员和众议员的选举、而在其他州拒绝她们这一特权的状态。
It is too obvious to require demonstration that woman suffrage, now covering half our territory, will eventually be ordained in all the nation. No one will deny it. The only question left is when and how will it be completely established. 太明显了，不需要证明，目前覆盖我们一半领土的妇女选举权最终将在全国范围内被确立。没有人会否认这一点。剩下的唯一问题是它何时以及如何能完全确立。
Third, the leadership of the United States in world democracy compels the enfranchisement of its own women. 第三，美国在世界民主中的领导地位迫使它赋予本国妇女以选举权。
The maxims of the Declaration were once called "fundamental principles of government." They are now called "American principles" or even "Americanisms." They have become the slogans of every movement toward political liberty the world around, of every effort to widen the suffrage for men or women in any land. 宣言的准则曾被称为"政府的基本原则"。它们现在被称为"美国原则"或甚至"美国主义"。它们已经成为世界各地每一场走向政治自由运动的口号，成为任何国家努力扩大男人或妇女选举权的每一场运动的口号。
Not a people, race, or class striving for freedom is there anywhere in the world that has not made our axioms the chief weapon of the struggle. More, all men and women the world around, with farsighted vision into the verities of things, know that the world tragedy of our day is not now being waged over the assassination of an archduke, nor commercial competition, nor national ambitions, nor the freedom of the seas. It is a death grapple between the forces which deny and those which uphold the truths of the Declaration of Independence... 世界上没有一个为自由而奋斗的民族、种族或阶级不把我们的格言作为其斗争的主要武器。更重要的是，世界上所有具有远见卓识的男男女女都知道，我们今天的世界悲剧并不是因大公被暗杀、或商业竞争、或国家野心、或海上自由而进行的。这是一场拒绝独立宣言真理的力量与维护这些真理的力量之间的生死搏斗……
Do you realize that in no other country in the world with democratic tendencies is suffrage so completely denied as in a considerable number of our own states? There are thirteen black states where no suffrage for women exists, and fourteen others where suffrage for women is more limited than in many foreign countries. 你们是否意识到，在世界上没有其他具有民主倾向的国家中，选举权被如此完全地剥夺，就像在我们自己相当多的州中一样？有十三个"黑色"州完全没有妇女选举权，还有十四个州的妇女选举权比许多外国更为有限。
Do you realize that when you ask women to take their cause to state referendum you compel them to do this: that you drive women of education, refinement, achievement, to beg men who cannot read for their political freedom? 你们是否意识到，当你们要求妇女将她们的事业提交州公民投票时，你们就是在迫使她们这样做：你们推动受过教育、有修养、有成就的妇女去恳求那些文盲男人给予她们政治自由？
Do you realize that such anomalies as a college president asking her janitor to give her a vote are overstraining the patience and driving women to desperation? 你们是否意识到，诸如一位大学校长请求他的看门人给予她投票权这样的异常情况，正在使妇女的耐心过度紧张，并将她们推向绝望？
Do you realize that women in increasing numbers indignantly resent the long delay in their enfranchisement? 你们是否意识到，越来越多的妇女对她们获得选举权的长期拖延感到愤慨？
Your party platforms have pledged women suffrage. Then why not be honest, frank friends of our cause, adopt it in reality as your own, make it a party program, and "fight with us"? As a party measure -- a measure of all parties -- why not put the amendment through Congress and the legislatures? We shall all be better friends, we shall have a happier nation, we women will be free to support loyally the party of our choice, and we shall be far prouder of our history. 你们的政党纲领已经保证支持妇女选举权。那么，为什么不做我们事业的诚实、坦率的朋友呢？真正地采纳它作为你们自己的事业，把它作为一个政党计划，并且"与我们一起战斗"。作为一个政党措施——一个所有政党的措施——为什么不通过国会和立法机构通过这项修正案呢？我们都将成为更好的朋友，我们将有一个更幸福的国家，我们妇女将能自由地忠诚地支持我们所选择的政党，我们也将为我们的历史感到无比自豪。
"There is one thing mightier than kings and armies" -- aye, than Congresses and political parties -- "the power of an idea when its time has come to move." The time for woman suffrage has come. The woman's hour has struck. If parties prefer to postpone action longer and thus do battle with this idea, they challenge the inevitable. The idea will not perish; the party which opposes it may. "有比国王和军队更强大的东西"——是的，比国会和政党更强大——"那就是思想在时机到来时的力量"。妇女选举权的时代已经到来。妇女的时刻已经敲响。如果各政党宁愿推迟行动，继续与这一思想作斗争，他们就是在挑战不可避免的事。这一思想不会消亡；而反对它的政党可能会消亡。
Every delay, every trick, every political dishonesty from now on will antagonize the women of the land more and more, and when the party or parties which have so delayed woman suffrage finally let it come, their sincerity will be doubted and their appeal to the new voters will be met with suspicion. This is the psychology of the situation. Can you afford the risk? Think it over. 从现在起，每一次拖延、每一个花招、每一种政治上的不诚实，都会让这个国家的妇女越来越反感，当那些一再拖延妇女选举权的政党最终让它通过时，他们的诚意将受到怀疑，他们对新选民的呼吁将遭到猜疑。这就是当前的心理态势。你们能承担这个风险吗？好好想想吧。
We know you will meet opposition. There are a few "women haters" left, a few "old males of the tribe," as Vance Thompson calls them, whose duty they believe it to be to keep women in the places they have carefully picked out for them. Treitschke, made world famous by war literature, said some years ago, "Germany, which knows all about Germany and France, knows far better what is good for Alsace-Lorraine than that miserable people can possibly know." 我们知道你们会遇到反对。还剩下一些"妇女仇恨者"，一些 Vance Thompson 所称的"部落老男人"，他们认为自己的职责就是把妇女留在他们精心为她们挑选的位置上。Treitschke 以战争文学闻名于世，几年前说过："德国对德国和法国的了解，远比那个可怜的民族自己可能知道的更清楚什么对阿尔萨斯-洛林有利。"
A few American Treitschkes we have who know better than women what is good for them. There are women, too, with "slave souls" and "clinging vines" for backbones. There are female dolls and male dandies. But the world does not wait for such as these, nor does liberty pause to heed the plaint of men and women with a grouch. She does not wait for those who have a special interest to serve, nor a selfish reason for depriving other people of freedom. Holding her torch aloft, liberty is pointing the way onward and upward and saying to America, "Come." 我们也有一些美国的 Treitschkes，他们自以为比妇女更清楚什么对妇女有利。也有一些妇女，她们有着"奴隶的灵魂"和"攀附的藤蔓"作为脊梁。也有女性玩偶和男性花花公子。但世界不会等待这样的人，自由也不会停下来听取那些满腹牢骚的男女的哀怨。她不会等待那些有特殊利益要服务的人，也不会等待有自私理由要剥夺他人自由的人。自由高举着她的火炬，向前向上指明道路，对美国说："来吧。"
To you and the supporters of our cause in Senate and House, and the number is large, the suffragists of the nation express their grateful thanks. This address is not meant for you. We are more truly appreciative of all you have done than any words can express. We ask you to make a last, hard fight for the amendment during the present session. Since last we asked a vote on this amendment, your position has been fortified by the addition to suffrage territory of Great Britain, Canada, and New York. 致你们以及参议院和众议院中我们事业的支持者们——而支持者为数众多——全国的妇女参政论者向你们表达最诚挚的感谢。这篇演说不是为你们准备的。我们对你们所做的一切的感激之情，是任何语言都无法充分表达的。我们请求你们在本届会议上为这项修正案做最后一次艰苦的斗争。自从我们上次请求对这项修正案进行投票以来，你们的地位因英国、加拿大和纽约加入选举权地区而得到了加强。
Some of you have been too indifferent to give more than casual attention to this question. It is worthy of your immediate consideration. A question big enough to engage the attention of our allies in wartime is too big a question for you to neglect. 你们中有些人一直太冷漠，除了偶尔关注之外，没有给予这个问题更多的注意。它值得你们立即加以考虑。一个足以引起我们盟国在战时关注的问题，是一个太大而不能被你们忽视的问题。
Some of you have grown old in party service. Are you willing that those who take your places by and by shall blame you for having failed to keep pace with the world and thus having lost for them a party advantage? Is there any real gain for you, for your party, for your nation by delay? Do you want to drive the progressive men and women out of your party? 你们中有些人在政党服务中已年迈。你们愿意让那些将来接替你们位置的人责备你们未能跟上世界潮流，从而为他们失去一个政党优势吗？通过拖延，对你们、对你们的政党、对你们的国家有什么真正的好处吗？你们想把进步的男男女女赶出你们的政党吗？
Some of you hold to the doctrine of states' rights as applying to woman suffrage. Adherence to that theory will keep the United States far behind all other democratic nations upon this question. A theory which prevents a nation from keeping up with the trend of world progress cannot be justified. 你们中有些人坚持州权学说，将其应用于妇女选举权。坚持这一理论将使美国在这个问题上远远落后于所有其他民主国家。一个阻止一个国家跟上世界进步趋势的理论是无法证明其正当性的。
Gentlemen, we hereby petition you, our only designated representatives, to redress our grievances by the immediate passage of the Federal Suffrage Amendment and to use your influence to secure its ratification in your own state, in order that the women of our nation may be endowed with political freedom before the next presidential election, and that our nation may resume its world leadership in democracy. 先生们，我们在此请求你们——我们唯一的指定代表——通过立即通过联邦选举权修正案来纠正我们的不平，并利用你们的影响力确保你们自己的州批准该修正案，以便我们国家的妇女能在下一次总统选举之前获得政治自由，以便我们的国家能恢复其在世界民主中的领导地位。
Woman suffrage is coming -- you know it. Will you, Honorable Senators and Members of the House of Representatives, help or hinder it? 妇女选举权即将到来——你们知道的。你们，尊敬的参议员和众议员们，是帮助它，还是阻碍它？