More than three million of our compatriots lost their lives during the war: on the battlefields worrying about the future of their homeland and wishing for the happiness of their families; in remote foreign countries after the war, in extreme cold or heat, suffering from starvation and disease. The atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, the air raids on Tokyo and other cities, and the ground battles in Okinawa, among others, took a heavy toll among ordinary citizens without mercy.
由于那場戰爭失去了三百多萬同胞的生命。有不少人在掛念祖國的未來、祈愿家人的幸福之中捐軀。戰爭結束后，也有不少人在嚴寒或炎熱的遙遠異國他鄉苦于饑餓或疾病之中去世。廣島和長崎遭受的原子彈轟炸、東京以及各城市遭受的轟炸、沖繩發生的地面戰斗等等，這些導致了許許多多的老百姓悲慘遇難。

Also in countries that fought against Japan, countless lives were lost among young people with promising futures. In China, Southeast Asia, the Pacific islands and elsewhere that became the battlefields, numerous innocent citizens suffered and fell victim to battles as well as hardships such as severe deprivation of food. We must never forget that there were women behind the battlefields whose honour and dignity were severely injured.
同樣，在與日本兵戎相見的國家中，不計其數的年輕人失去了原本有著未來的生命。在中國、東南亞、太平洋島嶼等成為戰場的地區，不僅由于戰斗，還由于糧食不足等原因，許多無辜的平民受苦和遇難。我們也不能忘記，在戰場背后被嚴重傷害名譽與尊嚴的女性們的存在。

Upon the innocent people did our country inflict immeasurable damage and suffering. History is harsh. What is done cannot be undone. Each and every one of them had his or her life, dream, and beloved family. When I squarely contemplate this obvious fact, even now, I find myself speechless and my heart is rent with the utmost grief.
我國給無辜的人們帶來了不可估量的損害和痛苦。歷史真是無法取消的、殘酷的。每一個人都有各自的人生、夢想、所愛的家人。我在沉思這樣一個明顯的事實時，至今我仍然無法言語，不禁斷腸。

The peace we enjoy today exists only upon such precious sacrifices. And therein lies the origin of postwar Japan.
在如此重大損失之上，才有現在的和平。這就是戰后日本的出發點。

We must never again repeat the devastation of war.
再也不要重演戰禍。

Incident, aggression, war — we shall never again resort to any form of the threat or use of force as a means of settling international disputes. We shall abandon colonial rule forever and respect the right of self-determination of all peoples throughout the world.
事變、侵略、戰爭。我們再也不應該用任何武力威脅或武力行使作為解決國際爭端的手段。應該永遠跟殖民統治告別，要實現尊重所有民族自決權利的世界。

With deep repentance for the war, Japan made that pledge. Upon it, we have created a free and democratic country, abided by the rule of law, and consistently upheld that pledge never to wage a war again. While taking silent pride in the path we have walked as a peace-loving nation for as long as seventy years, we remain determined never to deviate from this steadfast course.
我國帶著對那場戰爭的深刻悔悟，作出了如此發誓。在此基礎上，我國建設自由民主的國家，重視法治，一直堅持不戰誓言。我們對七十年以來所走過的和平國家道路默默地感到自豪，并且今后也將繼續貫徹這一堅定的方針。

Japan has repeatedly expressed the feelings of deep remorse and heartfelt apology for its actions during the war. In order to manifest such feelings through concrete actions, we have engraved in our hearts the histories of suffering of the people in Asia as our neighbours: those in Southeast Asian countries such as Indonesia and the Philippines, and Taiwan, the Republic of Korea and China, among others; and we have consistently devoted ourselves to the peace and prosperity of the region since the end of the war.
我國對在那場戰爭中的行為多次表示深刻的反省和由衷的歉意。為了以實際行動表明這種心情，我們將印尼、菲律賓等東南亞國家以及臺灣、韓國、中國等亞洲鄰居人民走過的苦難歷史銘刻在心，戰后一直致力于這些國家和地區的和平與繁榮。

Such position articulated by the previous cabinets will remain unshakable into the future.
這些歷代內閣的立場今后也將是堅定不移的。

However, no matter what kind of efforts we may make, the sorrows of those who lost their family members and the painful memories of those who underwent immense sufferings by the destruction of war will never be healed.
不過，即使我們付出多么大的努力，失去家人的悲哀和在戰禍中飽受涂炭之苦的記憶也決不會消失。

Thus, we must take to heart the following.
因此，我們要將下述事實銘刻在心。

The fact that more than six million Japanese repatriates managed to come home safely after the war from various parts of the Asia-Pacific and became the driving force behind Japan's postwar reconstruction; the fact that nearly three thousand Japanese children left behind in China were able to grow up there and set foot on the soil of their homeland again; and the fact that former POWs of the United States, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, Australia and other nations have visited Japan for many years to continue praying for the souls of the war dead on both sides.
超過六百萬人的戰后回國者從亞洲太平洋的各地總算平安回國，成為重建日本的原動力。在中國被殘留的接近三千人的日本兒童得以成長，再次踏上祖國土地。美國、英國、荷蘭、澳大利亞等國家的被俘的人們，長期以來訪問日本，祭奠雙方的戰死者。

How much emotional struggle must have existed and what great efforts must have been necessary for the Chinese people who underwent all the sufferings of the war and for the former POWs who experienced unbearable sufferings caused by the Japanese military in order for them to be so tolerant nevertheless?
飽嘗戰爭痛苦的中國人、以及曾經被俘并遭受日軍施加難以忍受痛苦的人做得如此寬容，他們內心的糾葛究竟多么大，付出的努力又是多么大？

That is what we must turn our thoughts to reflect upon.
我們必須將此事掛在心上。

Thanks to such manifestation of tolerance, Japan was able to return to the international community in the postwar era. Taking this opportunity of the 70th anniversary of the end of the war, Japan would like to express its heartfelt gratitude to all the nations and all the people who made every effort for reconciliation.
戰后，如此寬容的胸懷使得日本重返國際社會。值此戰后七十年之際，我國向致力于和解的所有國家、所有人士表示由衷的感謝。

In Japan, the postwar generations now exceed eighty per cent of its population. We must not let our children, grandchildren, and even further generations to come, who have nothing to do with that war, be predestined to apologize. Still, even so, we Japanese, across generations, must squarely face the history of the past. We have the responsibility to inherit the past, in all humbleness, and pass it on to the future.
現在我國國內戰后出生的一代已超過了總人口的80%。我們不能讓與戰爭毫無關系的子孫后代擔負起繼續道歉的宿命。盡管如此，我們日本人要超越世代，正面面對過去的歷史。我們有責任以謙虛的態度繼承過去，將它交給未來。

Our parents' and grandparents' generations were able to survive in a devastated land in sheer poverty after the war. The future they brought about is the one our current generation inherited and the one we will hand down to the next generation. Together with the tireless efforts of our predecessors, this has only been possible through the goodwill and assistance extended to us that transcended hatred by a truly large number of countries, such as the United States, Australia, and European nations, which Japan had fiercely fought against as enemies.
我們的父母一代以及祖父母一代在戰后廢墟和貧困深淵中維系了生命。他們帶來的未來是可以讓我們一代繼承，且交給我們下一代。這不僅是前輩們不懈努力的結果，也是曾經作為敵國激烈交火的美國、澳大利亞、歐洲各國以及許多國家超越恩仇提供善意和支援的結果。

We must pass this down from generation to generation into the future. We have the great responsibility to take the lessons of history deeply into our hearts, to carve out a better future, and to make all possible efforts for the peace and prosperity of Asia and the world.
我們必須將此事告訴未來的一代。將歷史的教訓深深地銘刻在心，開拓更加美好的未來，為亞洲及世界的和平與繁榮而盡力。我們擔負著這一重大責任。

We will engrave in our hearts the past, when Japan attempted to break its deadlock with force. Upon this reflection, Japan will continue to firmly uphold the principle that any disputes must be settled peacefully and diplomatically based on the respect for the rule of law and not through the use of force, and to reach out to other countries in the world to do the same. As the only country to have ever suffered the devastation of atomic bombings during war, Japan will fulfil its responsibility in the international community, aiming at the non-proliferation and ultimate abolition of nuclear weapons.
我們繼續將謀求以實力打開僵局的過去銘刻在心。正因為如此，我國繼續奉行的是，任何爭端都應該尊重法治，不是行使實力而是以和平與外交方式加以解決的原則。這是我國今后也將堅持并向世界各國推廣的原則。我國作為經歷過原子彈轟炸的唯一國家，追求實現核不擴散和徹底銷毀核武器，在國際社會上履行自己的責任。

We will engrave in our hearts the past, when the dignity and honour of many women were severely injured during wars in the 20th century. Upon this reflection, Japan wishes to be a country always at the side of such women's injured hearts. Japan will lead the world in making the 21st century an era in which women's human rights are not infringed upon.
我們繼續將在二十世紀的戰爭期間眾多女性的尊嚴與名譽遭受嚴重傷害的過去銘刻在心。正因為如此，我國希望成為一個國家要時刻體貼女性的心。我國將在世界領先努力將二十一世紀成為不讓女性人權遭受侵害的世紀。

We will engrave in our hearts the past, when forming economic blocs made the seeds of conflict thrive. Upon this reflection, Japan will continue to develop a free, fair and open international economic system that will not be influenced by the arbitrary intentions of any nation. We will strengthen assistance for developing countries, and lead the world toward further prosperity. Prosperity is the very foundation for peace. Japan will make even greater efforts to fight against poverty, which also serves as a hotbed of violence, and to provide opportunities for medical services, education, and self-reliance to all the people in the world.
我們繼續將區域經濟集團化促發糾紛萌芽的過去銘刻在心。正因為如此，我國努力發展不受任何國家恣意影響的自由、公正、開放的國際經濟體制，加強對發展中國家的支援，牽引走向更加繁榮的世界。繁榮才是和平的基礎。應對暴力溫床的貧困，為全世界所有人享受醫療和教育以及自立的機會而做出更大的努力。

We will engrave in our hearts the past, when Japan ended up becoming a challenger to the international order. Upon this reflection, Japan will firmly uphold basic values such as freedom, democracy, and human rights as unyielding values and, by working hand in hand with countries that share such values, hoist the flag of “Proactive Contribution to Peace,” and contribute to the peace and prosperity of the world more than ever before.
我們繼續將我國曾經當過國際秩序挑戰者的過去銘刻在心。正因為如此，我國堅定不移地堅持自由、民主主義、人權這些基本價值，與共享該價值的國家攜手并進，高舉“積極和平主義”的旗幟，為世界的和平與繁榮做出較之以前更大的貢獻。

Heading toward the 80th, the 90th and the centennial anniversary of the end of the war, we are determined to create such a Japan together with the Japanese people.
我們有決心，面向戰后八十年、九十年以及一百年，與我國國民各位共同努力建設如上所述的日本。

（中國日報網英語點津 Helen 編輯）