林登·约翰逊演讲：让我们坚持(3)
This is our challenge —— not to hesitate， not to pause， not to turn about and linger over this evil moment， but to continue on our course so that we may fulfill the destiny that history has set for us.
On the 20th day of January， in 19 and 61， John F. Kennedy told his countrymen that our national work would not be finished "in the first thousand days， nor in the life of this administration， nor even perhaps in our lifetime on this planet." "But，" he said， "let us begin."
Today in this moment of new resolve， I would say to all my fellow Americans， let us continue.
This is our challenge —— not to hesitate， not to pause， not to turn about and linger over this evil moment， but to continue on our course so that we may fulfill the destiny that history has set for us.
Our most immediate tasks are here on this Hill. First， no memorial oration or eulogy could more eloquently honor President Kennedy's memory than the earliest possible passage of the Civil Rights Bill for which he fought so long. We have talked long enough in this country about equal rights. We have talked for a hundred years or more. It is time now to write the next chapter， and to write it in the books of law. I urge you again， as I did in 19 and 57 and again in 19 and 60， to enact a civil rights law so that we can move forward to eliminate from this nation every trace of discrimination and oppression that is based upon race or color. There could be no greater source of strength to this nation both at home and abroad.
And second， no act of ours could more fittingly continue the work of President Kennedy than the early passage of the tax bill for which he fought all this long year. This is a bill designed to increase our national income and Federal revenues， and to provide insurance against recession. That bill， if passed without delay， means more security for those now working， more jobs for those now without them， and more incentive for our economy.
In short， this is no time for delay. It is a time for action —— strong， forward-looking action on the pending education bills to help bring the light of learning to every home and hamlet in America； strong， forward-looking action on youth employment opportunities； strong， forward-looking action on the pending foreign aid bill， making clear that we are not forfeiting our responsibilities to this hemisphere or to the world， nor erasing Executive flexibility in the conduct of our foreign affairs； and strong， prompt， and forward-looking action on the remaining appropriation bills.
