标题：联合舰队解散之辞
日文版本
联合舰队解散之辞
二十阅月ノ征战已ニ往事ト过ギ、我ガ联合舰队ハ今ヤ其ノ队务ヲ结了シテ兹ニ解散スル事トナレリ。
然レドモ我等海军々人ノ责务ハ决シテ之ガ为ニ轻减セルモノニアラズ。
此ノ战役ノ收果ヲ永远ニ全ウシ、尚益々国运ノ隆昌ヲ扶持センニハ、时ノ平战ヲ问ハズ、先ヅ外衞ニ立ツベキ海军ガ常ニ其ノ武力ヲ海洋ニ保全シ、一朝缓急応ズルノ觉悟アルヲ要ス。
而シテ武力ナル物ハ舰船兵器等ノミニアラズシテ、之ヲ活用スル无形ノ实力ニアリ、百发百中ノ一炮能ク百发一中ノ敌炮百门ニ对抗シ得ルヲ觉ラバ、我等军人ハ主トシテ武力ヲ形而上ニ求メザルベカラズ。
近ク我ガ海军ノ胜利ヲ得タル所以モ、至尊ノ灵徳ニ頼ル所多シト虽モ、抑亦平素ノ錬磨其ノ因ヲ成シ、果ヲ战役ニ结ビタルモノニシテ、若シ既往ヲ以ツテ将来ヲ推ストキハ、征战息ムト虽モ安ンジテ休憩ス可カラザルモノアルヲ觉ユ。
惟フニ武人ノ一生ハ连绵不断ノ战争ニシテ、时ノ平战ニ由リ其ノ责务ニ轻重アルノ理ナシ。
事有レバ武力ヲ发挥シ、事无ケレバ之ヲ修养シ、终始一贯其ノ本分ヲ尽サンノミ。
过去ノ一年有半彼ノ风涛ト战ヒ、寒暑ニ抗シ、屡々顽敌ト对シテ生死ノ间ニ出入セシコト固ヨリ容易ノ业ナラザリシモ、观ズレバ是レ亦长期ノ一大演习ニシテ之ニ参加シ几多启发スルヲ得タル武人ノ幸福比スルニ物无シ。
岂之ヲ征战ノ劳苦トスルニ足ランヤ。
苟モ武人ニシテ治平ニ偸安センカ、兵备ノ外观毅然タルモ宛モ沙上ノ楼阁ノ如ク、暴风一过忽チ崩倒スルニ至ラン。
洵ニ戒ムベキナリ。
昔者、神功皇后三韩ヲ征服シ给ヒシ以来、韩国ハ四百馀年间、我ガ统理ノ下ニアリシモ、一タビ海军ノ废频スルヤ忽チ之ヲ失ヒ、叉近世ニ入リ、徳川幕府治平ニ狃レテ、兵备ヲ懈レバ、举国米舰数只ノ应对ニ苦シミ、露舰亦千岛桦太ヲ觊觎スルモ、之ト抗争スルコト能ハザルニ至レリ。
飜ツテ之ヲ西史ニ见ルニ、十九世纪ノ初メニ当リ、ナイル及ビトラファルガー等ニ胜チタル英国海军ハ、祖国ヲ泰山ノ安キニ置キタルノミナラズ尔来後进相袭ツテ能ク其ノ武力ヲ保有シ世运ノ进歩ニ後レザリシカハ、今ニ至ル迄永ク其ノ国利ヲ拥护シ国权ヲ伸张スルヲ得タリ。
盖シ此ノ如キ古今东西ノ殷鉴ハ为政ノ然シカラシムルモノアリト虽モ主トシテ武人ガ治ニ居テ乱ヲ忘レザルト否イナトニ基ケル自然ノ结果タラザルハ无シ。
我等战後ノ军人ハ、深ク此等ノ实例ニ鉴ミ、既有ノ錬磨ニ加フルニ战役ノ实验ヲ以ツテ、更ニ将来ノ进歩ヲ图リテ时势ノ发展ニ後レザルヲ期セザル可カラズ。
若シ夫レ常ニ、圣谕ヲ奉体シテ、孜々奋励シ实力ノ满ヲ持シテ放ツベキ时节ヲ待タバ、庶几バ以テ永远ニ护国ノ大任ヲ全ウスル事ヲ得ン。
神明ハ唯平素ノ锻錬ニ力メ战ハヅシテ既ニ胜テル者ニ胜利ノ荣冠ヲ授クルト同时ニ、一胜ニ满足シ治平ニ安ンズル者ヨリ直ニ之ヲ褫フ。
古人曰ク胜ツテ兜ノ绪ヲ缔メヨト。
明治三十八年十二月二十一日　联合舰队司令长官东乡平八郎
中文译本
二十月征战已成往事，我们联合舰队的使命已经完成，由此解散。但是我们作为海军军人的责任感却不能因此松懈。为了保护胜利果实，为了带给国家一个繁荣昌盛的未来，不论是战是和，海军必须站在帝国与外来冲击之间，必须一致保存它在海上的实力以面对不测。
这种实力不单单是蕴含在军舰与装备之中，它更包含在运用这些器物的无形能力里。当我们明白了百发百中之一炮可敌百发一中之百炮后，显然我们海军必须求索于每一种无形的力量。近期海军的胜利极大程度上要归功于我们为了获胜而进行的日常训练。
继往开来，尽管战争暂歇，我们却不可放纵于轻松。军人的一生应当是持续不懈的战斗，他的职责不应因时局变动而更改。在战时表现出来的战力，正是在平时所积累下来的，这样永恒而又独特地履行职责至圆满。过去的一年半时间里我们从没遇过轻松的任务，我们战风斗浪，敌寒御暑，与顽敌死战以争夺海权；而今回顾，这只是总战略里的一次演习而已，我们于此获得的启发带来的快乐，战争的劳苦与之相比是那么无意义。
如果自称军人却只愿享受和平时的愉悦，那么不论战争机器外表如何光鲜，也不过是沙上之塔，在风暴面前只会轰然倒塌。往昔，神功皇后征服三韩以来，四百多年间韩国曾在我国统治下，结果海军衰落时一朝皆失。又如德川幕府时我国武备松弛，美国仅几艘战舰便让我方无法应对，同样在千岛群岛和库页岛我们也无法进行抵抗俄舰。
另一方面，当我们回顾西洋的历史，可以看到19世纪初英国海军通过在尼罗河与特拉法尔加获得的胜利不但使得国家安全稳如泰山，保持实力随着世界的进步而提升，更在当前时代保护国家利益并扩张国势。
以上，无论古代今世、不分西洋东洋，尽管一些是政治所导致的，仍然得承认，主要的战果都取决于士兵和时能否备战。我们这些幸存的军人应当牢记战例，并在将来的训练时将获得的经验加入并磨练，更为将来不落于人后的发展而探索。
只有平时遵照圣谕，用心勤勉服役，才能保持饱满的实力以待时局，履行永远保卫国家的使命。神明只会保佑常常备战之人的武运，并剥夺满足于一次胜利，沉溺于和平之人的武运。
古训曰：胜者尤须系盔绪。
明治38年12月21日 联合舰队司令东乡平八郎
英文译本
The war of twenty months' duration is now a thing of the past, and our United Squadron, having completed its function, is to be herewith dispersed. But our duties as naval men are not at all lightened for that reason. To preserve in perpetuity the fruits of this war; to promote to an ever greater height of prosperity the fortunes of the country, the navy, which, irrespective of peace or war, has to stand between the Empire and shock from abroad, must always maintain its strength at sea and must be prepared to meet emergency. 　　This strength does not consist solely in ships and armament; it consist also in immaterial ability to utilize such agents. When we understand that one gun which scores a hundred per cent. of hits is a match for a hundred of the enemy's guns each of which scores only one per cent. it becomes evident that we sailors must have recourse before everything to the strength which is over and above externals. The triumphs recently won by our Navy are largely to be attributed to the habitual training which enable us to garner the fruits of the fighting. 　　If then we infer the future from the past, we recognize that though war may ceases we can not abandon ourselves to ease and rest. A soldier's whole life is one continuous and unseasing battle, and there is no reason why his responsibilities should vary with the state of the times. In days of crisis he has to display his strength; in days of peace to accumulate it, thus perpetually and uniquely discharging his duties to the full. It was no light task that during the past year and a half we fought with wind and waves, encountered heat and cold, and kept the sea while frequently engaging a stubborn enemy in a death or life struggle; yet, when we reflect, this is seen to have been only one in a long series of general maneuvers, wherein we had the happiness to make some discoveries; happiness which throws into comparative insignificance the hardships of war.　　If men calling themselves sailors grasp at the pleasure of peace, they will learn the lesson that however fine in appearance their engines of war, these, like a house built on the sand, will fall at the first approach of the storm. From the day when in ancient times we conquered Korea, that country remained for over 400 years under our control, to be lost immediately as soon as our navy declined. Again when under the sway of the Tokugawa in modern days our armaments were neglected, the coming of a few American ships threw us into distress, and we were unable to offer any resistance to attempts against the Kuriles and Saghalien. 　　On the other hand, if we turn to the annals of the Occident, we see that at the beginning of the 19th century the British Navy which won the battles of the Nile and of Trafalgar, not only made England as secure as a great mountain but also by thenceforth carefully maintaining its strength and keeping it on a level with the world's progress, has throughout the long interval between that era and the present day safe-guarded the country's interests and promoted its fortunes.　　For such lessons, whether ancient or modern, Occidental or Oriental, though to some extent they are the outcome of political happenings, must be regarded as in the main the natural result of whether the soldier remembers war in the day of peace. We naval men who have survived the war must take these examples deeply to heart, and adding to the training which we have already received our actual experiences in the war, must plan future developments and seek not to fall behind the progress of the time.　　If, keeping the instructions of our Sovereign ever graven on our hearts, we serve earnestly and diligently, and putting forth our full strength, await what the hour may bring forth, we shall then have discharged our great duty of perpetually guarding our country. Heaven gives the crown of victory to those only who by habitual preparation win without fighting, and at the same time forthwith deprives of that crown those who, content with one success, give themselves up to the ease of peace. The ancients well said:　　"Tighten your helmet strings in the hour of victory."　　(Dated) 21st December, 1905.　　TOGO HEIHACHIRO