Franklin D.Roosevelt，32th President of the USA
March 4th，1933
The only thing we have to fear is fear itself—nameless，unreasoning，unjustified terror，which paralyzes needed efforts to convert retreat into advance.
我们唯一害怕的就是害怕本身——这种难以名状、失去理智和毫无道理的恐惧，把人转退为进所需的种种努力化为泡影。
Franklin D.Roosevelt
背景故事
罗斯福一直被视为美国历史上最伟大的总统之一，亦是20世纪美国深孚众望和广受爱戴的总统，也是美国历史上唯一一位连任四届的总统。罗斯福首次就任总统之时，正值经济大萧条的风暴席卷美国，到处是失业、破产、倒闭、暴跌，到处可见痛苦、恐惧和绝望。罗斯福却表现出一种压倒一切的自信，他在宣誓就职时发表了一篇富有激情的演说，告诉人们：我们唯一害怕的就是害怕本身。他的决心和轻松愉快的乐观态度“点燃了举国同心同德的新精神之火”。
名人简介
富兰克林·罗斯福（Franklin D.Roosevelt，1882年1月30日—1945年4月12日）是美国第32任总统，亦是美国历史上唯一蝉联四届的总统，是美国迄今为止在任时间最长的总统。美国历史上最伟大的三位总统之一，同华盛顿、林肯齐名。
在1930年代经济大萧条期间，罗斯福推行新政以提供失业救济与复苏经济，美国在线曾于2005年举办票选活动——《最伟大的美国人》，富兰克林·德拉诺·罗斯福被选为美国最伟大的人物中的第十位。
演讲赏析
The Only Thing We Have to Fear Is Fear Itself
Franklin D.Roosevelt，32th President of the USA
March 4th，1933
President Hoover，Mister Chief Justice，my friends：
This is a day of national consecration，and I am certain that on this day，my fellow Americans expect that on my induction in the Presidency I will address them with a candor and a decision which the present situation of our people impels.This is preeminently the time to speak the truth，the whole truth，frankly and boldly.Nor need we shrink from honestly facing the conditions，facing our country today.This great nation will endure as it has endured，will revive and will prosper.So first of all，let me express my firm belief that the only thing we have to fear is fear itself-nameless，unreasoning，unjustified terror，which paralyzes needed efforts to convert retreat into advance.In every dark hour of our national life，a leadership of frankness and vigor has met with that understanding and support of the people themselves，which is essential to victory.And I am convinced that you will again give that support to leadership in these critical days.
In such a spirit on my part and on yours，we face our common difficulties.They concern，thank God，only material things.Values have shrunken to fantastic levels；taxes have risen，our ability to pay has fallen；government of all kinds is faced by serious curtailment of income；the means of exchange are frozen in the currents of trade；the withered leaves of industrial enterprise lie on every side；farmers find no markets for their produce，and the savings of many years and thousands of families are gone.
More important，a host of unemployed citizens face the grim problem of existence，and an equal and great number toil with little return.Only a foolish optimist can deny the dark realities of the moment.
And yet，our distress comes from no failure of substance，we are stricken by no plague of locusts.Compared with the perils which our forefathers conquered，because they believed and were not afraid，we have so much to be thankful for.Nature surrounds us with her bounty，and human efforts have multiplied it.Plenty is at our doorstep，but a generous use of it languishes in the very sight of the supply.Primarily，this is because the rulers of the exchange of mankind’s goods have failed，through their own stubbornness and their own incompetence，have admitted their failure and have abdicated.Practices of the unscrupulous money changers stand indicted in the court of public opinion，rejected by the hearts and minds of men.
True，they have tried，but their efforts have been cast in the pattern of an outworn tradition.Faced by a failure of credit，they have proposed only the lending of more money.Stripped of the lure of profit by which they induce our people to follow their false leadership，they have resorted to exhortation，pleading tearfully for restored confidence.They only know the rules of a generation of self-seekers.They have no vision，and when there is no vision，the people perish.
Yes，the money changers have fled from their high seats in the temple of our civilization.We may now restore that temple to the ancient truths.A measure of that restoration lies in the extent to which we apply social value，more noble than mere monetary profits.
Happiness lies not in the mere possession of money，it lies in the joy of achievement，in the thrill of creative efforts，the joy and moral stimulation of work no longer must be forgotten in the mad chase of evanescent profits.These dark days，my friends，will be worth all they cost us，if they teach us that our true destiny is not to be ministered on to，but to minister to ourselves，to our fellow men.
Recognition of the falsity of material wealth as the standard of success goes hand in hand with the abandonment of a false belief that public office and high political position are to be valued only by the standards of pride of place and personal profits，and there must be an end to our conduct in banking and in business，which too often has given to a sacred trust，the likeness of callous and selfish wrong-doing.Small wonder that confidence languishes，for it thrives only on honesty，on honor，on the sacredness of our obligation，on faithful protection and on unselfish performance.Without them it cannot live.
Restoration calls，however，not for changes in ethics alone.This nation is asking for action，and action now.
Our greatest primary task is to put people to work.This is no unsolvable problem if we take it wisely and courageously.It can be accomplished in part by direct recruiting by the government itself，treating the task as we would treat the emergency of a war，but at the same time，through this employment，accomplishing greatly needed projects to stimulate and reorganize the use of our great natural resources.
Hand in hand with that，we must frankly recognize the overbalance of population in our industrial centers and by engaging on a national scale in redistribution in an effort to provide better use of the land for those best fitted for the land.