Let us not wallow in the valley of despair, I say to you today, my friends. And so even though we face the difficulties of today and tomorrow, I still have a dream. It is a dream deeply rooted in the American dream.

I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: "We hold these truths to be self-evident,that all men are created equal." I have a dream that one day on the red hills of Georgia, the sons of former slaves and the sons of former slave owners will be able to sit down together at the table of brotherhood.

I have a dream that one day even the state of Mississippi, a state sweltering with the heat of injustice, sweltering with the heat of oppression, will be transformed into an oasis of freedom and justice.

I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character.

I have a dream today!

I have a dream that one day, down in Alabama, with its vicious racists, with its governor having his lips dripping with the words of "interposition" and "nullification"—one day right there in Alabama little black boys and black girls will be able to join hands with little white boys and white girls as sisters and brothers.

I have a dream today!

I have a dream that one day every valley shall be exalted, and every hill and mountain shall be made low, the rough places will be made plain, and the crooked places will be made straight; "and the glory of the Lord shall be revealed and all flesh shall see it together."

This is our hope, and this is the faith that I go back to the South with.With this faith, we will be able to hew out of the mountain of despair a stone of hope. With this faith, we will be able to transform the jangling discords of our nation into a beautiful symphony of brotherhood. With this faith, we will be able to work together, to pray together, to struggle together, to go to jail together, to stand up for freedom together, knowing that we will be free one day.

朋友們，今天我要跟你們說，我們不應該在絕望的谷底打滾。儘管現在和未來有重重的困難橫在我們眼前，但我仍然懷有一個夢想，這個夢想深植於美國夢之中。

我有一個夢想：期待有一天，這個國家會站起來實踐宣言的真諦：「這個真理是不言而喻的，那就是，人人生而平等。」

我有一個夢想：期待有一天，在喬治亞州的紅土山丘上，主人和奴隸的孩子們能夠情同手足地同坐一堂。

我有一個夢想：期待有一天，即使是深受不義與壓迫之火所煎熬的密西西比州，也能夠變成一塊自由與正義的綠洲。

我有一個夢想：期待有一天，在我的四個小孩所住的國家裡，人們是以品性而不是膚色來評斷人。

我今天有這麼一個夢想！

我有一個夢想：期待有一天，在種族岐視最嚴重的阿拉巴馬州，州長目前仍然持異議，拒絕承認聯邦法令—期待有一天，就在阿拉巴馬州裡，黑人與白人的小孩們能夠像兄弟姐妹那樣手牽手。

我今天有這麼一個夢想！

我有一個夢想：期待有一天，每一個山谷都能被填平，每一座山岳丘陵都能被剷平，崎嶇不平的地方能變成平原，曲折的彎路能變成筆直的道路，「上帝的榮耀必然顯現，凡有血氣的，必一同看見。」

這就是我們的願望，我就是帶著這個信念回到南方的。有了這個信念，我們就能夠在絕望的山中挖出希望之石。有了這個信念，我們就可以把國家內部各種不和的聲音，變成一首歌頌手足之情的美麗交響曲。有了這個信念，我們就能夠一起工作，一起祈禱，一起奮鬥，一起入獄，一起共同捍衛自由。我們知道，終有一天，我們會是自由的。