第一篇:奥巴马在全美中小学开学前的讲话(中英双语)
2009年9月8日,奥巴马总统在弗吉尼亚州阿灵顿郡(Arlington, Virginia)韦克菲尔德高中(Wakefield High School)对全美中小学生发表讲话,强调上学读书的重要性,激励学生努力学习。以下是讲话全文:
REMARKS BY THE PRESIDENT IN A NATIONAL ADDRESS TO AMERICA’S
SCHOOLCHILDREN
Wakefield High School, Arlington, Virginia
September 8, 2009 美国总统奥巴马对全美中小学生的讲话 弗吉尼亚州阿灵顿郡韦克菲尔德高中
2009年9月8日
Hello, everybody!Thank you.Thank you.Thank you, everybody.All right, everybody go ahead and have a seat.How is everybody doing today?(Applause.)How about Tim Spicer?(Applause.)I am here with students at Wakefield High School in Arlington, Virginia.And we’ve got students tuning in from all across America, from kindergarten through 12th grade.And I am just so glad that all could join us today.And I want to thank Wakefield for being such an outstanding host.Give yourselves a big round of applause.(Applause.)大家好!谢谢你们。谢谢你们。谢谢你们大家。好,大家请就坐。你们今天都好吗?(掌声)蒂姆•斯派塞(Tim Spicer)好吗?(掌声)我现在与弗吉尼亚州阿灵顿郡韦克菲尔德高中的学生们在一起。美国各地从小学预备班到中学12年级的学生正在收听收看。我很高兴大家今天都能参与。我还要感谢韦克菲尔德高中出色的组织安排。请为你们自己热烈鼓掌。(掌声)
I know that for many of you, today is the first day of school.And for those of you in kindergarten, or starting middle or high school, it’s your first day in a new school, so it’s understandable if you’re a little nervous.I imagine there are some seniors out there who are feeling pretty good right now--(applause)--with just one more year to go.And no matter what grade you’re in, some of you are probably wishing it were still summer and you could’ve stayed in bed just a little bit longer this morning.我知道,今天是你们很多人开学的日子。对于进入小学预备班、初中或高中的学生,今天是你们来到新学校的第一天,心里可能有点紧张,这是可以理解的。我能想象有些毕业班学生现在感觉很不错——(掌声)——还有一年就毕业了。不论在哪个年级,你们有些人可能希望暑假更长一点,今天早上还能多睡一小会儿。
I know that feeling.When I was young, my family lived overseas.I lived in Indonesia for a few years.And my mother, she didn’t have the money to send me where all the American kids went to school, but she thought it was important for me to keep up with an American education.So she decided to teach me extra lessons herself, Monday through Friday.But because she had to go to work, the only time she could do it was at 4:30 in the morning.我了解这种感觉。我小时候,我们家生活在海外。我在印度尼西亚住了几年。我妈妈没有钱送我上其他美国孩子上的学校,但她认为必须让我接受美式教育。因此,她决定从周一到周五自己给我补课。不过她还要上班,所以只能在清晨四点半给我上课。
Now, as you might imagine, I wasn’t too happy about getting up that early.And a lot of times, I’d fall asleep right there at the kitchen table.But whenever I’d complain, my mother would just give me one of those looks and she’d say, “This is no picnic for me either, buster.”(Laughter.)
你们可以想见,我不太情愿那么早起床。有很多次,我趴在餐桌上就睡着了。但每当我抱怨的时候,我妈妈都会那样地看我一眼,然后说:“小子,这对我也并不轻松。”(笑声)So I know that some of you are still adjusting to being back at school.But I’m here today because I have something important to discuss with you.I’m here because I want to talk with you about your education and what’s expected of all of you in this new school year.我知道你们有些人还在适应开学后的生活。但我今天来到这里是因为有重要的事情要和你们说。我来这里是要和你们谈谈你们的教育问题,以及在这个新学年对你们所有人的期望。Now, I’ve given a lot of speeches about education.And I’ve talked about responsibility a lot.我做过很多次有关教育问题的演讲。我多次谈到过责任问题。
I’ve talked about teachers’ responsibility for inspiring students and pushing you to learn.我谈到过教师激励学生并督促他们学习的责任。
I’ve talked about your parents’ responsibility for making sure you stay on track, and you get your homework done, and don’t spend every waking hour in front of the TV or with the Xbox.我谈到过家长的责任,要确保你们走正路,完成家庭作业,不要整天坐在电视前或玩Xbox游戏。
I’ve talked a lot about your government’s responsibility for setting high standards, and supporting teachers and principals, and turning around schools that aren’t working, where students aren’t getting the opportunities that they deserve.我多次谈到过政府的责任,要制定高标准,支持教师和校长的工作,彻底改善不能为学生提供应有机会的、教育质量差的学校。
But at the end of the day, we can have the most dedicated teachers, the most supportive parents, the best schools in the world--and none of it will make a difference, none of it will matter unless all of you fulfill your responsibilities, unless you show up to those schools, unless you pay attention to those teachers, unless you listen to your parents and grandparents and other adults and put in the hard work it takes to succeed.That’s what I want to focus on today: the responsibility each of you has for your education.然而,即使我们拥有最敬业的教师,最尽力的家长和全世界最好的学校——如果你们大家不履行你们的责任,不到校上课,不专心听讲,不听家长、祖父祖母和其他大人的话,不付出取得成功所必须的勤奋努力,那么这一切都毫无用处,都无关紧要。这就是我今天讲话的重点:你们每个人对自己的教育应尽的责任。
I want to start with the responsibility you have to yourself.Every single one of you has something that you’re good at.Every single one of you has something to offer.And you
have a responsibility to yourself to discover what that is.That’s the opportunity an education can provide.我首先要讲讲你们对自己应尽的责任。你们每个人都有自己的长处。你们每个人都能做出自己的贡献。你们对自己应尽的责任是发现自己的能力所在。而教育能够提供这样的机会。Maybe you could be a great writer--maybe even good enough to write a book or articles in a newspaper--but you might not know it until you write that English paper--that English class paper that’s assigned to you.Maybe you could be an innovator or an inventor--maybe even good enough to come up with the next iPhone or the new medicine or vaccine--but you might not know it until you do your project for your science class.Maybe you could be a mayor or a senator or a Supreme Court justice--but you might not know that until you join student government or the debate team.你或许能成为一名出色的作家——甚至可能写书或在报纸上发表文章——但你可能要在完成那篇英文课的作文后才会发现自己的才华。你或许能成为一名创新者或发明家——甚至可能设计出新一代iPhone或研制出新型药物或疫苗——但你可能要在完成科学课的实验后才会发现自己的才华。你或许能成为一名市长或参议员或最高法院的大法官——但你可能要在参加学生会的工作或辩论队后才会发现自己的才华。
And no matter what you want to do with your life, I guarantee that you’ll need an education to do it.You want to be a doctor, or a teacher, or a police officer? You want to be a nurse or an architect, a lawyer or a member of our military? You’re going to need a good education for every single one of those careers.You cannot drop out of school and just drop into a good job.You’ve got to train for it and work for it and learn for it.不论你的生活志向是什么,我敢肯定你必须上学读书才能实现它。你想当医生、教师或警官吗?你想当护士、建筑师、律师或军人吗?你必须接受良好的教育,才能从事上述任何一种职业。你不能指望辍学后能碰上个好工作。你必须接受培训,为之努力,为之学习。And this isn’t just important for your own life and your own future.What you make of your education will decide nothing less than the future of this country.The future of America depends on you.What you’re learning in school today will determine whether we as a nation can meet our greatest challenges in the future.这并非只对你个人的人生和未来意义重大。可以毫不夸大地说,教育给你带来的益处将决定这个国家的未来。美国的未来取决于你们。你们今日在校学习的知识将决定我们作为一个国家是否能够迎接我们未来所面临的最严峻挑战。
You’ll need the knowledge and problem-solving skills you learn in science and math to cure diseases like cancer and AIDS, and to develop new energy technologies and protect our environment.You’ll need the insights and critical-thinking skills you gain in history and social studies to fight poverty and homelessness, crime and discrimination, and make our nation more fair and more free.You’ll need the creativity and ingenuity you develop in all your classes to build new companies that will create new jobs and boost our economy.你们将需要利用你们通过自然科学和数学课程所学到的知识和解决问题的能力来治愈癌症、艾滋病及其他疾病,开发新的能源技术和保护我们的环境。你们将需要利用你们在历史学和社会学课堂上所获得的知识和独立思考能力来抗击贫困和解决无家可归问题,打击犯罪和消
除歧视,使我们的国家更公平、更自由。你们将需要利用你们在所有课堂上培养的创造力和智慧来创办新公司,增加就业机会,振兴我们的经济。
We need every single one of you to develop your talents and your skills and your intellect so you can help us old folks solve our most difficult problems.If you don’t do that--if you quit on school--you’re not just quitting on yourself, you’re quitting on your country.我们需要你们每个人发挥你们的聪明才智和技能,以便帮助老一辈人解决我们面临的最棘手问题。如果你们不这样做,如果你们辍学,你们不仅仅是自暴自弃,也是抛弃自己的国家。Now, I know it’s not always easy to do well in school.I know a lot of you have challenges in your lives right now that can make it hard to focus on your schoolwork.我自然知道要做到学业优秀并非总是易事。我知道你们许多人在生活中面临挑战,难以集中精力从事学业。
I get it.I know what it’s like.My father left my family when I was two years old, and I was raised by a single mom who had to work and who struggled at times to pay the bills and wasn’t always able to give us the things that other kids had.There were times when I missed having a father in my life.There were times when I was lonely and I felt like I didn’t fit in.我明白这一点。我有亲身感受。两岁时,我父亲离家而去,我是由一位单亲母亲抚养成人的,母亲不得不工作,并时常为支付生活费用而苦苦挣扎,但有时仍无法为我们提供其他孩子享有的东西。有时,我渴望生活中能有一位父亲。有时我感到孤独,感到自己不适应社会。So I wasn’t always as focused as I should have been on school, and I did some things I’m not proud of, and I got in more trouble than I should have.And my life could have easily taken a turn for the worse.我并非总是像我应该做到的那样专心学习,我也曾做过我如今不能引以为豪的一些事情,我曾惹过不应该惹的麻烦。我的人生原本会轻易陷入更糟糕的境地。
But I was--I was lucky.I got a lot of second chances, and I had the opportunity to go to college and law school and follow my dreams.My wife, our First Lady Michelle Obama, she has a similar story.Neither of her parents had gone to college, and they didn’t have a lot of money.But they worked hard, and she worked hard, so that she could go to the best schools in this country.但是,我当年际遇不错。我有过许多第二次机会,我有幸能上大学,上法学院,追求自己的理想。我的妻子,我们的第一夫人米歇尔•奥巴马,也有着类似的经历。她的父母都未曾上过大学,家里很穷。但他们非常勤奋,她也是如此,因此她得以进入一些美国最好的学校。Some of you might not have those advantages.Maybe you don’t have adults in your life who give you the support that you need.Maybe someone in your family has lost their job and there’s not enough money to go around.Maybe you live in a neighborhood where you don’t feel safe, or have friends who are pressuring you to do things you know aren’t right.你们中有一些人可能没有那些有利条件。或许你们生活中没有成年人为你们提供你们所需要的支持。或许你们家中有人失业,经济非常拮据。或许你们生活在使你们感觉不安全的社区,或有朋友逼迫你们去做你们知道不对的事情。
But at the end of the day, the circumstances of your life--what you look like, where you come from, how much money you have, what you’ve got going on at home--none of that is an excuse for neglecting your homework or having a bad attitude in school.That’s no excuse for talking back to your teacher, or cutting class, or dropping out of school.There is no excuse for not trying.然而说到底,你们生活的环境、你们的肤色、你们的原籍、你们的经济收入、你们家中的境况等等,这一切都不能成为你们不用功或不努力的理由。你们没有理由不服从你们的老师、逃学、或辍学。没有理由不付出努力。
Where you are right now doesn’t have to determine where you’ll end up.No one’s written your destiny for you, because here in America, you write your own destiny.You make your own future.你们目前的状况并不决定着你们的未来。没有人决定你们的命运,在美国,你们决定自己的命运。你们掌握自己的未来。
That’s what young people like you are doing every day, all across America.这就是像你们这样的年轻人每天都在做的事情,全美各地都是如此。
Young people like Jazmin Perez, from Roma, Texas.Jazmin didn’t speak English when she first started school.Neither of her parents had gone to college.But she worked hard, earned good grades, and got a scholarship to Brown University--is now in graduate school, studying public health, on her way to becoming Dr.Jazmin Perez.来自得州罗马城的贾兹敏•佩雷斯(Jazmin Perez)就是一个例证,她刚开始上学时并不会说英文。她的父母都没有上过大学。然而,她非常勤奋,成绩优秀,获得了布朗大学的奖学金,她如今正在读研究生,攻读公共卫生专业,不久将成为贾兹敏•佩雷斯博士。I’m thinking about Andoni Schultz, from Los Altos, California, who’s fought brain cancer since he was three.He’s had to endure all sorts of treatments and surgeries, one of which affected his memory, so it took him much longer--hundreds of extra hours--to do his schoolwork.But he never fell behind.He’s headed to college this fall.我想起了加州洛斯阿尔托斯城的安多尼•舒尔茨(Andoni Schultz),他从三岁开始就一直与脑癌进行抗争,他不得不忍受各类治疗和手术带来的痛苦,其中一项手术曾影响了他的记忆,因此他花在功课上的时间比一般人长得多,要多出数百个小时。然而,他从未落后。他今年秋季将迈进大学。
And then there’s Shantell Steve, from my hometown of Chicago, Illinois.Even when bouncing from foster home to foster home in the toughest neighborhoods in the city, she managed to get a job at a local health care center, start a program to keep young people out of gangs, and she’s on track to graduate high school with honors and go on to college.我还想起家乡伊利诺伊州芝加哥市的尚特尔•史蒂夫(Shantell Steve)。她曾在芝加哥最困难的社区生活,寄养于多个不同的家庭,但她最终在一家地方医疗中心找到工作,并开始了一项帮助年轻人远离流氓团伙的计划,她即将以优异成绩从中学毕业,紧接着将上大学。And Jazmin, Andoni, and Shantell aren’t any different from any of you.They face challenges in their lives just like you do.In some cases they’ve got it a lot worse off than
many of you.But they refused to give up.They chose to take responsibility for their lives, for their education, and set goals for themselves.And I expect all of you to do the same.贾兹敏、安多尼和尚特尔与你们中间的每个人没什么两样。跟你们一样,他们在生活中面临种种挑战。在某些情况下,他们的处境比起你们许多人更差。但他们拒绝放弃。他们决定要为自己的一生、自己的教育负起责任,为自己设定各项奋斗目标。我期待你们大家都会这样做。
That’s why today I’m calling on each of you to set your own goals for your education--and do everything you can to meet them.Your goal can be something as simple as doing all your homework, paying attention in class, or spending some time each day reading a book.Maybe you’ll decide to get involved in an extracurricular activity, or volunteer in your community.Maybe you’ll decide to stand up for kids who are being teased or bullied because of who they are or how they look, because you believe, like I do, that all young people deserve a safe environment to study and learn.Maybe you’ll decide to take better care of yourself so you can be more ready to learn.And along those lines, by the way, I hope all of you are washing your hands a lot, and that you stay home from school when you don’t feel well, so we can keep people from getting the flu this fall and winter.因此,我今天呼吁你们每一个人为自己的教育设定目标,并尽自己的最大努力来实现这些目标。你的目标可以是一件十分简单的事情,例如完成家庭作业、上课专心听讲、或每天花一点时间读一本书。也许你会决定要参加课外活动或在你的社区提供志愿服务。也许你会决定挺身而出保护那些因为身份或长相而受人戏弄或欺负的孩子,原因是你和我一样认为所有的年轻人都应该享有一个适合读书和学习的安全环境。也许你会决定更好地照料自己,以便有更充沛的精力来学习。顺便提一下,除了这些事情外,我希望大家要勤洗手,身体感到不舒服的时候要呆在家里不去上学,这样我们能防止人们在今年秋冬季节染上流感。But whatever you resolve to do, I want you to commit to it.I want you to really work at it.但无论你决定做什么,我希望你保证去做。我希望你脚踏实地地去做。
I know that sometimes you get that sense from TV that you can be rich and successful without any hard work--that your ticket to success is through rapping or basketball or being a reality TV star.Chances are you’re not going to be any of those things.我知道有时候你会从电视上得到这样的印象:你不用做任何艰苦的工作就能发财致富并取得成功,唱小调、打篮球或成为真人秀明星是走向成功的途径。但实际情况是:你可能不会成为其中的一员。
The truth is, being successful is hard.You won’t love every subject that you study.You won’t click with every teacher that you have.Not every homework assignment will seem completely relevant to your life right at this minute.And you won’t necessarily succeed at everything the first time you try.事实上,取得成功不是轻而易举的事情。你不会喜欢你学习的每一门课目。你不会与你的每一位老师都很投契。不是所有的家庭作业似乎都与你眼前的生活完全有关。你第一次尝试做每件事的时候,不一定成功。
That’s okay.Some of the most successful people in the world are the ones who’ve had the most failures.J.K.Rowling’s--who wrote Harry Potter--her first Harry Potter book was
rejected 12 times before it was finally published.Michael Jordan was cut from his high school basketball team.He lost hundreds of games and missed thousands of shots during his career.But he once said, “I have failed over and over and over again in my life.And that’s why I succeed.”
这些都没关系。世界上最成功的人士中有一些是遭遇失败最多的人。作者J•K•罗琳(J.K.Rowling)所写的系列小说《哈利•波特》(Harry Potter)第一部在获得出版之前被退稿12次。迈克尔•乔丹(Michael Jordan)曾被他的高中篮球队除名。在乔丹的篮球生涯中,他输过数百场比赛,有成千上万个球没有投中。但他曾说过:“在我的一生中,我失败了一次又一次、一次又一次。这就是我成功的原因。”
These people succeeded because they understood that you can’t let your failures define you--you have to let your failures teach you.You have to let them show you what to do differently the next time.So if you get into trouble, that doesn’t mean you’re a troublemaker, it means you need to try harder to act right.If you get a bad grade, that doesn’t mean you’re stupid, it just means you need to spend more time studying.这些人士获得成功,因为他们懂得:你不能让失败来限制你,而必须让失败来开导你。你必须让失败向你展示下次如何以不同的方式去做这件事情。因此,如果你遇到麻烦,那并不表示你是麻烦的制造者,而意味着你需要更加努力去把它做对。如果你有一门课分数低,那不表示你比别人笨,而只表示你需要花更多的时间学习。
No one’s born being good at all things.You become good at things through hard work.You’re not a varsity athlete the first time you play a new sport.You don’t hit every note the first time you sing a song.You’ve got to practice.The same principle applies to your schoolwork.You might have to do a math problem a few times before you get it right.You might have to read something a few times before you understand it.You definitely have to do a few drafts of a paper before it’s good enough to hand in.没有一个人天生擅长做各种事情。你通过勤奋而变得擅长于各种事情。第一次从事新的体育项目时,你不可能是一位主力队员。第一次唱一首歌曲时,你不可能唱准每个音。你必须练习。同样的道理适用于你的学业。你可能要把一道数学题做几次才把它做对。你可能要把一些材料阅读几遍才能理解。在交出一篇优美的作文之前,你肯定需要打几遍草稿。Don’t be afraid to ask questions.Don’t be afraid to ask for help when you need it.I do that every day.Asking for help isn’t a sign of weakness, it’s a sign of strength because it shows you have the courage to admit when you don’t know something, and that then allows you to learn something new.So find an adult that you trust--a parent, a grandparent or teacher, a coach or a counselor--and ask them to help you stay on track to meet your goals.不要害怕提问。不要在需要帮助时害怕请求别人帮助。我天天请求别人的帮助。请求帮助不是软弱的表现,它是力量的标志,因为它表明你有勇气承认自己对某些事情不懂,这样做会使你学到新的东西。因此,请确定一位你信任的成年人,例如家长、祖父母或老师、教练或辅导员,请他们帮助你遵循既定计划实现你的目标。
And even when you’re struggling, even when you’re discouraged, and you feel like other people have given up on you, don’t ever give up on yourself, because when you give up on yourself, you give up on your country.即使当你苦苦挣扎、灰心丧气、感到其他人对你不抱希望时,也不要对你自己丧失信心,因为当你自暴自弃时,你也抛弃了自己的国家。
The story of America isn’t about people who quit when things got tough.It’s about people who kept going, who tried harder, who loved their country too much to do anything less than their best.书写美国历史的不是在困难时刻退缩的人,而是坚持不懈、加倍努力的人,他们对国家的爱促使他们全力以赴。
It’s the story of students who sat where you sit 250 years ago, and went on to wage a revolution and they founded this nation.Young people.Students who sat where you sit 75 years ago who overcame a Depression and won a world war;who fought for civil rights and put a man on the moon.Students who sat where you sit 20 years ago who founded Google and Twitter and Facebook and changed the way we communicate with each other.书写美国历史的是250年前坐在你们的位置上的学生,他们后来进行了独立战争并创建了这个国家。还有75年前坐在你们的位置上的年轻人和学生,他们走出了大萧条并打赢了一场世界大战;他们为民权而奋斗并把宇航员送上了月球。至于20年前坐在你们的位置上的学生,他们创办了谷歌(Google)、叽喳网(Twitter)和脸谱网(Facebook),改变了我们交流沟通的方式。
So today, I want to ask all of you, what’s your contribution going to be? What problems are you going to solve? What discoveries will you make? What will a President who comes here in 20 or 50 or 100 years say about what all of you did for this country? 而今天,我要问问你们大家,你们将做出什么贡献?你们将解决什么问题?你们将有什么发现?20年、50年或100年后来到这里讲话的总统将会怎样评价你们大家为这个国家所做的一切?
Now, your families, your teachers, and I are doing everything we can to make sure you have the education you need to answer these questions.I’m working hard to fix up your classrooms and get you the books and the equipment and the computers you need to learn.But you’ve got to do your part, too.So I expect all of you to get serious this year.I expect you to put your best effort into everything you do.I expect great things from each of you.So don’t let us down.Don’t let your family down or your country down.Most of all, don’t let yourself down.Make us all proud.你们的家人、你们的老师和我正在竭尽全力保证你们接受必要的教育,以便回答上述问题。我正在努力工作,以便你们的教室得到修缮,你们能够得到学习所需的课本、设备和电脑。但你们也必须尽自己的努力。因此,我希望你们大家从今年起认真对待这个问题。我希望你们尽最大努力做好每一件事。我希望你们每个人都有出色的表现。不要让我们失望。不要让你们的家人或你们的国家失望。而最重要的是,不要辜负你们自己,而要让我们都能[为你们]感到骄傲。
Thank you very much, everybody.God bless you.God bless America.Thank you.(Applause.)非常感谢你们大家。愿主保佑你们。愿主保佑美国。谢谢你们。(掌声)
第二篇:2013奥巴马就职演说全文 中英双语
2013奥巴马就职演说全文 中英双语
美国总统奥巴马当地时间1月21日在国会山发表其第二任期就职演讲。奥巴马在演讲中追溯美国民主传统和宪法精神,通过阐述就业、医保、移民、财政、同性恋及气候变化威胁等多项议题与现实有力契合。奥巴马强调,伟大国家的塑造必须依赖每个美国人的力量,而非少数人的成功,并强调国家团结的重要性。奥巴马提及这代美国人从建国之父那里继承的精神还没有完成实践,现在的美国人需要继续努力,实现生存、自由与追求幸福的权利。以下为奥巴马就职演说全文:
谢谢,非常感谢大家。拜登副总统、首席大法官先生、国会议员们、尊敬的各位嘉宾、亲爱的公民们。
每一次我们集会庆祝总统就职都是在见证美国宪法的持久力量。我们都是在肯定美国民主的承诺。我们重申,将这个国家紧密联系在一起的不是我们的肤色,也不是我们信仰的教条,更不是我们名字的来源。让我们与众不同,让我们成为美国人的是我们对于一种理念的恪守。200多年前,这一理念在一篇宣言中被清晰阐述:
―我们认为下述真理是不言而喻的,人人生而平等。造物主赋予他们若干不可剥夺的权利,包括生存、自由和追求幸福的权利。‖
今天,我们继续着这一未竟的征程,架起这些理念与我们时代现实之间的桥梁。因为历史告诉我们,即便这些真理是不言而喻的,它们也从来不会自动生效。因为虽然自由是上帝赋予的礼物,但仍需要世间的子民去捍卫。1776年,美国的爱国先驱们不是只为了推翻国王的暴政而战,也不是为赢得少数人的特权,建立暴民的统治。先驱们留给我们一个共和国,一个民有、民治、民享的政府。他们委托每一代美国人捍卫我们的建国信条。
在过去的200多年里,我们做到了。
从奴役的血腥枷锁和刀剑的血光厮杀中我们懂得了,建立在自由与平等原则之上的联邦不能永远维持半奴隶和半自由的状态。我们赢得了新生,誓言共同前进。
我们共同努力,建立起现代的经济体系。架设铁路与高速公路,加速了旅行和商业交流。建立学校与大学,培训我们的工人。
我们一起发现,自由市场的繁荣只能建立在保障竞争与公平竞争的原则之上。
我们共同决定让这个伟大的国家远离危险,保护她的人民不受生命威胁和不幸的侵扰。一路走来,我们从未放弃对集权的质疑。我们同样不屈服于这一谎言:一切的社会弊端都能够只靠政府来解决。我们对积极向上与奋发进取的赞扬,我们对努力工作与个人责任的坚持,这些都是美国精神的基本要义。
我们也理解,时代在变化,我们同样需要变革。对建国精神的忠诚,需要我们肩负起新的责任,迎接新的挑战。保护我们的个人自由,最终需要所有人的共同努力。因为美国人不能再独力迎接当今世界的挑战,正如美国士兵们不能再像先辈一样,用步枪和民兵同敌人作战。一个人无法培训所有的数学与科学老师,我们需要他们为了未来去教育孩子们。一个人无法建设道路、铺设网络、建立实验室来为国内带来新的工作岗位和商业机会。现在,与以往任何时候相比,我们都更需要团结合作。作为一个国家,一个民族团结起来。
这一代美国人经历了危机的考验,经济危机坚定了我们的决心,证明了我们的恢复力。长达十年的战争正在结束,经济的复苏已经开始。美国的可能性是无限的,因为我们拥有当今没有边界的世界所需要的所有品质:年轻与活力、多样性与开放、无穷的冒险精神以及创造的天赋才能。我亲爱的同胞们,我们正是为此刻而生,我们更要在此刻团结一致,抓住当下的机会。
因为我们,美国人民,清楚如果只有不断萎缩的少数人群体获得成功,而大多数人不能成功,我们的国家就无法成功。我们相信,美国的繁荣必须建立在不断上升的中产阶级的宽阔臂膀之上,我们知道美国的繁荣只有这样才能实现。只有当每个人都能找到工作中的自立与自豪时才能实现。只有当诚实劳动获得的薪水足够让家庭摆脱困苦的悬崖时才能实现。我们忠诚于我们的事业,保证让一个出生于最贫穷环境中的小女孩都能知道,她有同其他所有人一样的成功机会。因为她是一个美国人,她是自由的、平等的。她的自由平等不仅由上帝来见证,更由我们亲手保护。
我们知道,我们已然陈旧的程序不足以满足时代的需要。我们必须应用新理念和新技术重塑我们的政府,改进我们的税法,改革我们的学校,让我们的公民拥有他们所需要的技能,更加努力地工作,学更多的知识,向更高处发展。这意味着变革,我们的目标是:国家可以奖励每个美国人的努力和果断。
这是现在需要的。这将给我们的信条赋予真正的意义。
我们,人民,仍然认为,每个公民都应当获得基本的安全和尊严。我们必须做出艰难抉择,降低医疗成本,缩减赤字规模。但我们拒绝在照顾建设国家的这一代和投资即将建设国家的下一代间做出选择。因为我们记得过去的教训:老年人的夕阳时光在贫困中度过,家有残障儿童的父母无处求助。我们相信,在这个国家,自由不只是那些幸运儿的专属,或者说幸福只属于少数人。我们知道,不管我们怎样负责任地生活,我们任何人在任何时候都可能面临失业、突发疾病或住房被可怕的 1
飓风摧毁的风险。
我们通过医疗保险、联邦医疗补助计划、社会保障项目向每个人做出承诺,这些不会让我们的创造力衰竭,而是会让我们更强大。这些不会让我们成为充满不劳而获者的国度,这些让我们敢于承担风险,让国家伟大。
我们,人民,仍然相信,我们作为美国人的义务不只是对我们自己而言,还包括对子孙后代。我们将应对气候变化的威胁,认识到不采取措施应对气候变化就是对我们的孩子和后代的背叛。一些人可能仍在否定科学界的压倒性判断,但没有人能够避免熊熊火灾、严重旱灾、更强力风暴带来的灾难性打击。通向可再生能源利用的道路是漫长的,有时是困难的。但美国不能抵制这种趋势,我们必须引领这种趋势。我们不能把制造新就业机会和新行业的技术让给其他国家,我们必须明确这一承诺。这是我们保持经济活力和国家财富(我们的森林和航道,我们的农田与雪峰)的方法。这将是我们保护我们星球的办法,上帝把这个星球托付给我们。这将给我们的建国之父们曾宣布的信条赋予意义。
我们,人民,仍然相信持久的安全与和平,不需要持续的战争。我们勇敢的士兵经受了战火的考验,他们的技能和勇气是无可匹敌的。我们的公民依然铭记着那些阵亡者,他们非常清楚我们为自由付出的代价。明白他们的牺牲将让我们永远对那些试图伤害我们的势力保持警惕。但我们也是那些赢得和平而不只是战争的人们的后代,他们将仇敌转变成最可靠的朋友,我们也必须把这些经验带到这个时代。
我们将通过强大的军力和法制保护我们的人民,捍卫我们的价值观。我们将展现试图和平解决与其它国家分歧的勇气,但这不是因为我们对面临的危险持幼稚的态度,而是因为接触能够更持久地化解疑虑和恐惧。美国将在全球保持强大的联盟,我们将更新这些能扩展我们应对海外危机能力的机制。因为作为世界上最强大的国家,我们在世界和平方面拥有最大的利益。我们将支持从亚洲到非洲、从美洲至中东的民主国家,因为我们的利益和良心驱使我们代表那些想获得自由的人们采取行动。我们必须成为贫困者、病患者、被边缘化的人士、异见受害者的希望来源,不仅仅是出于慈善,也是因为这个时代的和平需要不断推进我们共同信念中的原则:宽容和机遇,人类尊严与正义。
我们,人民,今天昭示的最明白的事实是——我们所有人都是生而平等的,这是依然引领我们的恒星。它引领我们的先辈穿越纽约塞尼卡瀑布城(女权抗议事件)、塞尔马(黑人权力事件)和石墙骚乱(同性恋与警察发生的暴力事件),引领着所有的男性和女性,留下姓名和没留姓名的人。在伟大的征程中,一路上留下足迹的人。曾经听一位牧师说,我们不能独自前行。马丁-路德-金说,我们个人的自由与地球上每个灵魂的自由不可分割。
继续先辈开创的事业是我们这代人的任务。直到我们的妻子、母亲和女儿的付出能够与她们的努力相称,我们的征途才会结束。我们的征途不会终结,我们要让同性恋的兄弟姐妹在法律之下得到与其他人同样的待遇。如果我们真正是生而平等的,那么我们对彼此的爱也应该是平等的。我们的征途没有结束,直到没有公民需要等待数个小时去行使投票权。我们的征途不会结束,直到我们找到更好的方法迎接努力、有憧憬的移民,他们依旧视美国是一块充满机会的土地。直到聪颖年轻的学生和工程师为我们所用,而不是被逐出美国。我们的征途不会结束,直到我们所有的儿童,从底特律的街道到阿巴拉契亚的山岭,再到康涅狄格州纽镇安静的小巷,直到他们得到关心和珍视,永远避免受到伤害。
那是我们这一代的任务——让生存、自由和追求幸福的言语、权力和价值切实体现在每个美国人的身上。我们的立国文本没有要求我们将每个人的生活一致化。这并不意味着,我们会以完全一样的方式去定义自由,沿着同样的道路通向幸福。进步不会终止几个世纪以来一直纠结的关于政府角色的争论,但这要求我们现在就采取行动。
目前是由我们决策,我们不能拖延。我们不能将绝对主义当作原则,或者以表象代替政治,或将中伤视作理性的辩论。我们必须行动,要意识到我们的工作并不完美。我们必须行动,意识到今天的胜利是并不完全的。这些将有赖于未来4年、40年或是400年致力于这项事业的人,去推进当年在费城制宪会议大厅传承给我们的永恒精神。
我的美国同胞,我今天在你们面前宣读的誓词,如同在国会山服务的其他人曾宣读过的誓词一样,是对上帝和国家的誓词,不是对政党或是派别的,我们必须在任期内忠实地履行这些承诺。但我今天宣读的誓词与士兵报名参军或者是移民实现梦想时所宣读的誓词没有多少差别。我的誓词与我们所有的人向我们头顶飘扬的、让我们心怀自豪的国旗所表达的誓言没有多大差别。
这些是公民的誓词,代表着我们最伟大的希望。
你和我,作为公民,都有为这个国家设定道路的权力。
你和我,作为公民,有义务塑造我们时代的辩题,不仅是通过我们的选票,而且要为捍卫悠久的价值观和持久的理想发声。
现在让我们相互拥抱,怀着庄严的职责和无比的快乐,这是我们永恒的与生俱来的权利。有共同的努力和共同的目标,用热情与奉献,让我们回应历史的召唤,将珍贵的自由之光带入并不确定的未来。
感谢你们,上帝保佑你们,愿上帝永远保佑美利坚合众国。
以下是奥巴马第二任期就职演说英文版:
MR.OBAMA: Vice President Biden, Mr.Chief Justice, Members of the United States Congress, distinguished guests, and fellow citizens:
Each time we gather to inaugurate a president, we bear witness to the enduring strength of our Constitution.We affirm the promise of our democracy.We recall that what binds this nation together is not the colors of our skin or the tenets of our faith or the origins of our names.What makes us exceptional – what makes us American – is our allegiance to an idea, articulated in a declaration made more than two centuries ago:
―We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness.‖
Today we continue a never-ending journey, to bridge the meaning of those words with the realities of our time.For history tells us that while these truths may be self-evident, they have never been self-executing;that while freedom is a gift from God, it must be secured by His people here on Earth.The patriots of 1776 did not fight to replace the tyranny of a king with the privileges of a few or the rule of a mob.They gave to us a Republic, a government of, and by, and for the people, entrusting each generation to keep safe our founding creed.For more than two hundred years, we have.Through blood drawn by lash and blood drawn by sword, we learned that no union founded on the principles of liberty and equality could survive half-slave and half-free.We made ourselves anew, and vowed to move forward together.Together, we determined that a modern economy requires railroads and highways to speed travel and commerce;schools and colleges to train our workers。
Together, we discovered that a free market only thrives when there are rules to ensure competition and fair play.Together, we resolved that a great nation must care for the vulnerable, and protect its people from life’s worst hazards and misfortune.Through it all, we have never relinquished our skepticism of central authority, nor have we succumbed to the fiction that all society’s ills can be cured through government alone.Our celebration of initiative and enterprise;our insistence on hard work and personal responsibility, these are constants in our character.But we have always understood that when times change, so must we;that fidelity to our founding principles requires new responses to new challenges;that preserving our individual freedoms ultimately requires collective action.For the American people can no more meet the demands of today’s world by acting alone than American soldiers could have met the forces of fascism or communism with muskets and militias.No single person can train all the math and science teachers we’ll need to equip our children for the future, or build the roads and networks and research labs that will bring new jobs and businesses to our shores.Now, more than ever, we must do these things together, as one nation, and one people.This generation of Americans has been tested by crises that steeled our resolve and proved our resilience.A decade of war is now ending.An economic recovery has begun.America’s possibilities are limitless, for we possess all the qualities that this world without boundaries demands: youth and drive;diversity and openness;an endless capacity for risk and a gift for reinvention.My fellow Americans, we are made for this moment, and we will seize it – so long as we seize it together.For we, the people, understand that our country cannot succeed when a shrinking few do very well and a growing many
barely make it.We believe that America’s prosperity must rest upon the broad shoulders of a rising middle class.We know that America thrives when every person can find independence and pride in their work;when the wages of honest labor liberate families from the brink of hardship.We are true to our creed when a little girl born into the bleakest poverty knows that she has the same chance to succeed as anybody else, because she is an American, she is free, and she is equal, not just in the eyes of God but also in our own.We understand that outworn programs are inadequate to the needs of our time.We must harness new ideas and technology to remake our government, revamp our tax code, reform our schools, and empower our citizens with the skills they need to work harder, learn more, and reach higher.But while the means will change, our purpose endures: a nation that rewards the effort and determination of every single American.That is what this moment requires.That is what will give real meaning to our creed.We, the people, still believe that every citizen deserves a basic measure of security and dignity.We must make the hard choices to reduce the cost of health care and the size of our deficit.But we reject the belief that America must choose between caring for the generation that built this country and investing in the generation that will build its future.For we remember the lessons of our past, when twilight years were spent in poverty, and parents of a child with a disability had nowhere to turn.We do not believe that in this country, freedom is reserved for the lucky, or happiness for the few.We recognize that no matter how responsibly we live our lives, any one of us, at any time, may face a job loss, or a sudden illness, or a home swept away in a terrible storm.The commitments we make to each other – through Medicare, and Medicaid, and Social Security – these things do not sap our initiative;they strengthen us.They do not make us a nation of takers;they free us to take the risks that make this country great.We, the people, still believe that our obligations as Americans are not just to ourselves, but to all posterity.We will respond to the threat of climate change, knowing that the failure to do so would betray our children and future generations.Some may still deny the overwhelming judgment of science, but none can avoid the devastating impact of raging fires, and crippling drought, and more powerful storms.The path towards sustainable energy sources will be long and sometimes difficult.But America cannot resist this transition;we must lead it.We cannot cede to other nations the technology that will power new jobs and new industries – we must claim its promise.That is how we will maintain our economic vitality and our national treasure – our forests and waterways;our croplands and snowcapped peaks.That is how we will preserve our planet, commanded to our care by God.That’s what will lend meaning to the creed our fathers once declared.We, the people, still believe that enduring security and lasting peace do not require perpetual war.Our brave men and women in uniform, tempered by the flames of battle, are unmatched in skill and courage.Our citizens, seared by the memory of those we have lost, know too well the price that is paid for liberty.The knowledge of their sacrifice will keep us forever vigilant against those who would do us harm.But we are also heirs to those who won the peace and not just the war, who turned sworn enemies into the surest of friends, and we must carry those lessons into this time as well.We will defend our people and uphold our values through strength of arms and rule of law.We will show the courage to try and resolve our differences with other nations peacefully – not because we are naïve about the dangers we face, but because engagement can more durably lift suspicion and fear.America will remain the anchor of strong alliances in every corner of the globe;and we will renew those institutions that extend our capacity to manage crisis abroad, for no one has a greater stake in a peaceful world than its most powerful nation.We will support democracy from Asia to Africa;from the Americas to the Middle East, because our interests and our conscience compel us to act on behalf of those who long for freedom.And we must be a source of hope to the poor, the sick, the marginalized, the victims of prejudice – not out of mere charity, but because peace in our time requires the constant advance of those principles that our common creed describes: tolerance and opportunity;human dignity and justice.We, the people, declare today that the most evident of truths – that all of us are created equal – is the star that guides us still;just as it guided our forebears through Seneca Falls, and Selma, and Stonewall;just as it guided all those men and women, sung and unsung, who left footprints along this great Mall, to hear a preacher say that we cannot walk alone;to hear a King proclaim that our individual freedom is inextricably bound to the freedom of every soul on Earth.It is now our generation’s task to carry on what those pioneers began.For our journey is not complete until our wives, our
mothers, and daughters can earn a living equal to their efforts.Our journey is not complete until our gay brothers and sisters are treated like anyone else under the law – for if we are truly created equal, then surely the love we commit to one another must be equal as well.Our journey is not complete until no citizen is forced to wait for hours to exercise the right to vote.Our journey is not complete until we find a better way to welcome the striving, hopeful immigrants who still see America as a land of opportunity;until bright young students and engineers are enlisted in our workforce rather than expelled from our country.Our journey is not complete until all our children, from the streets of Detroit to the hills of Appalachia to the quiet lanes of Newtown, know that they are cared for, and cherished, and always safe from harm.That is our generation’s task – to make these words, these rights, these values – of Life, and Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness – real for every American.Being true to our founding documents does not require us to agree on every contour of life;it does not mean we will all define liberty in exactly the same way, or follow the same precise path to happiness.Progress does not compel us to settle centuries-long debates about the role of government for all time – but it does require us to act in our time.For now decisions are upon us, and we cannot afford delay.We cannot mistake absolutism for principle, or substitute spectacle for politics, or treat name-calling as reasoned debate.We must act, knowing that our work will be imperfect.We must act, knowing that today’s victories will be only partial, and that it will be up to those who stand here in four years, and forty years, and four hundred years hence to advance the timeless spirit once conferred to us in a spare Philadelphia hall.My fellow Americans, the oath I have sworn before you today, like the one recited by others who serve in this Capitol, was an oath to God and country, not party or faction – and we must faithfully execute that pledge during the duration of our service.But the words I spoke today are not so different from the oath that is taken each time a soldier signs up for duty, or an immigrant realizes her dream.My oath is not so different from the pledge we all make to the flag that waves above and that fills our hearts with pride.They are the words of citizens, and they represent our greatest hope.You and I, as citizens, have the power to set this country’s course.You and I, as citizens, have the obligation to shape the debates of our time – not only with the votes we cast, but with the voices we lift in defense of our most ancient values and enduring ideals.Let each of us now embrace, with solemn duty and awesome joy, what is our lasting birthright.With common effort and common purpose, with passion and dedication, let us answer the call of history, and carry into an uncertain future that precious light of freedom.Thank you, God Bless you, and may He forever bless these United States of America.
第三篇:奥巴马获胜演讲(中英双语)
奥巴马获胜演讲(中英双语字幕)
Hello, Chicago!芝加哥,你好!
If there is anyone out there who still doubts that America is a place where all things are possible;who still wonders if the dream of our founders is alive in our time;who still questions the power of our democracy, tonight is your answer.如果有人怀疑美国是个一切皆有可能的地方,怀疑美国奠基者的梦想在我们这个时代依然燃烧,怀疑我们民主的力量,那么今晚这些疑问都有了答案。
It's the answer told by lines that stretched around schools and churches in numbers this nation has never seen;by people who waited three hours and four hours, many for the very first time in their lives, because they believed that this time must be different;that their voice could be that difference.学校和教堂门外的长龙便是答案。排队的人数之多,在美国历史上前所未有。为了投票,他们排队长达三、四个小时。许多人一生中第一次投票,因为他们认为这一次大选结果必须不同以往,而他们手中的一票可能决定胜负。
It's the answer spoken by young and old, rich and poor, Democrat and Republican, black, white, Hispanic, Asian, Native American, gay, straight, disabled and not disabled —Americans who sent a message to the world that we have never been just a collection of individuals or a collection of red states and blue states.We are, and always will be the United States of America.无论年龄,无论贫富,无论民主党人或共和党人,无论黑人、白人,无论拉美裔、亚裔、印地安人, 无论同性恋、异性恋,无论残障人、健全人,所有的人,他们向全世界喊出了同一个声音:我们并不隶属 “红州”与 “蓝州”的对立阵营,我们属于美利坚合众国,现在如此,永远如此!
It's the answer that led those who’ve been told for so long by so many to be cynical, and fearful, and doubtful of what we can achieve to put their hands on the arc of history and bend it once more toward the hope of a better day.长久以来,很多人说:我们对自己的能量应该冷漠,应该恐惧,应该怀疑。但是,历史之轮如今已在我们手中,我们又一次将历史之轮转往更美好的未来。
It's been a long time coming, but tonight, because of what we did on this day, in this election, at this defining moment, change has come to America.漫漫征程,今宵终于来临。特殊的一天,特殊的一次大选,特殊的决定性时刻,美国迎来了变革。
A little bit earlier this evening, I received an extraordinarily gracious call from Sen.McCain.Sen.McCain fought long and hard in this campaign, and he's fought even longer and harder for the country he loves.He has endured sacrifices for America that most of us cannot begin to imagine.We are better off for the service rendered by this brave and selfless leader.I congratulate him, I congratulate Gov.Palin for all they have achieved, and I look forward to working with them to renew this nation's promise in the months ahead.今天傍晚稍早的时候,我接到了麦凯恩参议员的一个特别亲切的电话。在这次竞选中,他的努力持久而艰巨。为了这个他挚爱的国家,他的努力更持久、更艰巨。他为美国的奉献超出绝大多数人的想象。他是一位勇敢无私的领袖,有了他的奉献,我们的生活才更美好。我对他和佩林州长的成绩表示祝贺。同时,我也期待着与他们共同努力,再续美国辉煌。
I want to thank my partner in this journey, a man who campaigned from his heart and spoke for the men and women he grew up with on the streets of Scranton and rode with on that train home to Delaware, the vice-president-elect of the United States, Joe Biden.我要感谢我的竞选搭档——当选副总统乔•拜登。为了与他一起在斯
克兰顿市街头长大、一起坐火车返回特拉华州的人们,拜登全心全意地竟选,他代表了这些普通人的声音。
And I would not be standing here tonight without the unyielding support of my best friend for the last 16 years, the rock of our family, the love of my life, the nation's next first lady, Michelle Obama.Sasha and Malia, I love you both more than you can imagine.And you have earned the new puppy that's coming with us to the White House.And while she's no longer with us, I know my grandmother is watching, along with the family that made me who I am.I miss them tonight, and know that my debt to them is beyond measure.To my sister Maya, my sister Alma, all my other brothers and sisters, thank you so much for all the support that you’ve given me.I am grateful to them.我要感谢下一位第一夫人米歇尔•奥巴马。她是我家的中流砥柱,是我生命中的最爱。没有她在过去16年来的坚定支持,今晚我就不可能站在这里。我要感谢两个女儿萨沙和玛丽娅,我太爱你们两个了,你们将得到一条新的小狗,它将与我们一起入住白宫。我还要感谢已去世的外婆,我知道此刻她正在天上注视着我。她与我的家人一起造就了今天的我。今夜我思念他们,我所亏欠他们的是无以回报的恩情。感谢我的妹妹玛雅和阿尔玛,还有我所有的兄弟姐妹们,非常感谢你们对我的全力支持,我真的很感激他们!
To my campaign manager, David Plouffe, the unsung hero of this campaign, who built the best political campaign, I think, in the history of the United States of America.To my chief strategist, David Axelrod, who’s been a partner with me every step of the way.To the best campaign team ever assembled in the history of politics — you made this happen, and I am forever grateful for what you've sacrificed to get it done.我要感谢我的竞选经理大卫•普鲁夫,这位无名英雄创造了美国历史上最伟大的政治选举;还要感谢我的首席策略师大卫•阿克塞罗德,他是我竞选征程中的好搭档;感谢有史以来最棒的竞选团队,是你们造就了今天这一刻。以及整个竞选团队,他们是政治史上最优秀的竞选团队。你们成就了今夜,我永远感谢你们为今夜所付出的一切。
But above all, I will never forget who this victory truly belongs to — it belongs to you.但最重要的是,我将永远不会忘记这场胜利真正属于谁---是你们!
I was never the likeliest candidate for this office.We didn't start with much money or many endorsements.Our campaign was not hatched in the halls of Washington — it began in the backyards of Des Moines and the living rooms of Concord and the front porches of Charleston.我从来不是最有希望的候选人。起初,我们的资金不多,赞助人也不多。我们的竞选并非始于华盛顿的华丽大厅,而是起于德莫奈地区某家的后院、康科德地区的某家客厅、查尔斯顿地区的某家前廊。
It was built by working men and women who dug into what little savings they had to give $5 and $10 and $20 to this cause.It grew strength from the young people who rejected the myth of their generation's apathy;who left their homes and their families for jobs that offered little pay and less sleep;It drew strength from the not-so-young people who braved the bitter cold and scorching heat to knock on the doors of perfect strangers;from the millions of Americans who volunteered and organized, and proved that more than two centuries later, a government of the people, by the people and for the people has not perished from this earth.This is your victory.劳动大众从自己的微薄积蓄中掏出5美元、10美元、20美元,拿来捐助我们的事业。年轻人证明了他们绝非所谓“冷漠的一代”。他们远离家乡和亲人,拿着微薄的报酬,起早摸黑地助选。上了年纪的人也顶着严寒酷暑,敲开陌生人的家门助选。无数美国人自愿组织起来,充当自愿者。正是这些人壮大了我们的声势。他们的行动证明了在两百多年以后,民有、民治、民享的政府并未从地球上消失。这是你们的胜利。
I know you didn't do this just to win an election, and I know you didn't do it for me.You did it because you understand the enormity of the task that lies ahead.For even as we celebrate tonight, we know the challenges that tomorrow will bring are the greatest of our lifetime — two wars, a planet
in peril, the worst financial crisis in a century.Even as we stand here tonight, we know there are brave Americans waking up in the deserts of Iraq and the mountains of Afghanistan to risk their lives for us.There are mothers and fathers who will lie awake after their children fall asleep and wonder how they'll make the mortgage, or pay their doctor's bills, or save enough for college.There is new energy to harness and new jobs to be created;new schools to build and threats to meet and alliances to repair.你们这样做,并不只是为了赢得一场大选,更不是为了我个人。你们这样做,是因为你们清楚未来的任务有多么艰巨。今晚我们在欢庆,明天我们就将面对一生之中最为严峻的挑战--两场战争、一个充满危险的星球,还有百年一遇的金融危机。今晚我们在这里庆祝,但我们知道在伊拉克的沙漠里,在阿富汗的群山中,许许多多勇敢的美国人醒来后就将为了我们而面临生命危险。许许多多的父母会在孩子熟睡后仍难以入眠,他们正在为月供、医药费,孩子今后的大学费用而发愁。我们需要开发新能源,创造就业机会,建造新学校,迎接挑战和威胁,并修复与盟国的关系。
The road ahead will be long.Our climb will be steep.We may not get there in one year, or even one term, but America — I have never been more hopeful than I am tonight that we will get there.I promise you: We as a people will get there.前方道路还很漫长,任务艰巨。一年之内,甚至一届总统任期之内,我们可能都无法完成这些任务。但我从未像今晚这样对美国满怀希望,我相信我们会实现这个目标。我向你们承诺--我们美利坚民族将实现这一目标!
There will be setbacks and false starts.There are many who won't agree with every decision or policy I make as president, and we know that government can't solve every problem.But I will always be honest with you about the challenges we face.I will listen to you, especially when we disagree.And, above all, I will ask you join in the work of remaking this nation the only way it's been done in America for 221 years — block by block, brick by brick, calluosed hand by calloused hand.我们会遇到挫折,会出师不利,会有许多人不认同我的某一项决定或
政策。政府并不能解决所有问题,但我会向你们坦陈我们所面临的挑战。我会聆听你们的意见,尤其是在我们意见相左之时。最重要的是,我会让你们一起重建这个国家。用自己的双手,从一砖一瓦做起。这是美国立国221年以来的前进方式,也是惟一的方式。
What began 21 months ago in the depths of winter must not end on this autumn night.This victory alone is not the change we seek — it is only the chance for us to make that change.And that cannot happen if we go back to the way things were.It cannot happen without you, without a new spirit of service, a new spirit of sacrifice 21个月前那个隆冬所开始的一切,绝不应在这一个秋夜结束。我们所寻求的变革并不只是赢得大选,这只是给变革提供了一个机会。假如我们照老路子办事,就没有变革;没有你们,就没有变革。没有新的服务精神,没有新的奉献精神,就没有变革。
So let us summon a new spirit of patriotism;of service and responsibility where each of us resolves to pitch in and work harder and look after not only ourselves, but each other.Let us remember that if this financial crisis taught us anything, it's that we cannot have a thriving Wall Street while Main Street suffers.In this country, we rise or fall as one nation — as one people.让我们重新发扬爱国精神,树立崭新的服务意识、责任感,每个人下定决心,一起努力工作,彼此关爱;让我们牢记这场金融危机带来的教训:不能允许商业街挣扎的同时却让华尔街繁荣。在这个国家,我们作为同一个民族,同生死共存亡。
Let us resist the temptation to fall back on the same partisanship and pettiness and immaturity that has poisoned our politics for so long.Let us remember that it was a man from this state who first carried the banner of the Republican Party to the White House — a party founded on the values of self-reliance, individual liberty and national unity.Those are values we all share, and while the Democratic Party has won a great victory tonight, we do so with a measure of humility and determination to heal the divides that have held back our progress.党派之争、琐碎幼稚,长期以来这些东西荼毒了我们的政坛。让我们牢记,当来自伊利诺伊州的一位先生首次将共和党大旗扛进白宫时,伴随着他的是自强自立、个人自由、国家统一的共和党建党理念。这也是我们所有人都珍视的理念。虽然民主党今晚大胜,但我们态度谦卑,并决心弥合阻碍我们进步的分歧。
As Lincoln said to a nation far more divided than ours, “We are not enemies, but friends...Though passion may have strained, it must not break our bonds of affection.” And, to those Americans whose support I have yet to earn, I may not have won your vote, but I hear your voices, I need your help, and I will be your president, too.当年,林肯面对的是一个远比目前更为分裂的国家。他说:“我们不是敌人,而是朋友……虽然激情可能不再,但是我们的感情纽带不会割断。”对于那些现在并不支持我的美国人,我想说,虽然我没有赢得你们的选票,但我听到了你们的声音,我需要你们的帮助,我也将是你们的总统。
And to all those watching tonight from beyond our shores, from parliaments and palaces to those who are huddled around radios in the forgotten corners of our world — our stories are singular, but our destiny is shared, and a new dawn of American leadership is at hand.To those who would tear this world down: We will defeat you.To those who seek peace and security: We support you.And to all those who have wondered if America's beacon still burns as bright: Tonight, we proved once more that the true strength of our nation comes not from the might of our arms or the scale of our wealth, but from the enduring power of our ideals: democracy, liberty, opportunity and unyielding hope.对于关注今夜结果的国际人士,不管他们是在国会、皇宫关注,还是在荒僻地带收听电台,我们的态度是:我们美国人的经历各有不同,但我们的命运相关,新的美国领袖诞生了。对于想毁灭这个世界的人们,我们必将击败你们。对于追求和平和安全的人们,我们将支持你们。对于怀疑美国这盏灯塔是否依然明亮的人们,今天晚上我们已再次证明:美国的真正力量来源并非军事威力或财富规模,而是我们理想的恒久力量:民主、自由、机会和不屈的希望。
That’s the true genius of America — that America can change.Our union can be perfected.And what we have already achieved gives us hope for what we can and must achieve tomorrow.美国能够变革,这才是美国真正的精髓。我们的联邦会不断完善。我们已经取得的成就,将为我们将来能够并且必须取得的成就增添希望。
This election had many firsts and many stories that will be told for generations.But one that's on my mind tonight is about a woman who cast her ballot in Atlanta.She's a lot like the millions of others who stood in line to make their voice heard in this election, except for one thing: Ann Nixon Cooper is 106 years old.这次大选创造了多项“第一”,诞生了很多将流芳后世的故事,但今晚令我最为难忘的却是一位在亚特兰大投票的妇女:安妮•库波尔。她和无数排队等候投票的选民没有什么差别,唯一的不同是她高龄106岁。
She was born just a generation past slavery;a time when there were no cars on the road or planes in the sky;when someone like her couldn't vote for two reasons — because she was a woman and because of the color of her skin.在她出生的那个时代,黑奴制刚刚废除。那时路上没有汽车,天上没有飞机。当时像她这样的人由于两个原因不能投票--一第一因为她是女性,第二个原因是她的肤色。
And tonight, I think about all that she's seen throughout her century in America — the heartache and the hope;the struggle and the progress;the times we were told that we can't and the people who pressed on with that American creed: Yes, we can.今天晚上,我想到了安妮在美国过去一百年间的种种经历:心痛和希望,挣扎和进步,那些我们被告知我们办不到的年代,以及我们现在这个年代。现在,我们坚信美国式信念──是的,我们能!
At a time when women's voices were silenced and their hopes dismissed, she lived to see them stand up and speak out and reach for the ballot.Yes, we can.在那个年代,妇女的声音被压制,她们的希望被剥夺。但安妮活到了今天,看到妇女们站起来了,可以大声发表意见了,有选举权了。是的,我们能。
When there was despair in the Dust Bowl and depression across the land, she saw a nation conquer fear itself with a New Deal, new jobs and a new sense of common purpose.Yes, we can.安妮经历了上世纪三十年代的大萧条。农田荒芜,绝望笼罩美国大地。她看到了美国以新政、新的就业机会以及崭新的共同追求战胜了恐慌。是的,我们能。
When the bombs fell on our harbor and tyranny threatened the world, she was there to witness a generation rise to greatness and a democracy was saved.Yes, we can.二战时期,炸弹袭击我们的海港,全世界受到独裁专制威胁,安妮见证了一代美国人的英雄本色,他们捍卫了民主。是的,我们能。
She was there for the buses in Montgomery, the hoses in Birmingham, a bridge in Selma and a preacher from Atlanta who told a people that “We Shall Overcome.” Yes, we can.安妮经历了蒙哥马利公交车事件、伯明翰黑人暴动事件、塞尔马血腥周末事件。来自亚特兰大的一位牧师告诉人们:我们终将胜利。是的,我们能。
A man touched down on the moon, a wall came down in Berlin, a world was connected by our own science and imagination.And this year, in this election, she touched her finger to a screen and cast her vote, because after 106 years in America, through the best of times and the darkest of hours, she knows how America can change.Yes, we can.人类登上了月球、柏林墙倒下了,科学和想像把世界连成了一块。今年,在这次选举中,安妮的手指轻触电子屏幕,投下自己的一票。她
在美国生活了106年,其间有最美好的时光,也有最黑暗的时刻,她知道美国能够变革。是的,我们能。
America, we have come so far.We have seen so much.But there is so much more to do.So tonight, let us ask ourselves: If our children should live to see the next century;if my daughters should be so lucky to live as long as Ann Nixon Cooper, what change will they see? What progress will we have made? 美利坚,我们已经一路走来,我们已经看到了那么多变化,但我们仍有很多事情要做。今夜,让我们问自己这样一个问题:假如我们的孩子能够活到下一个世纪,假如我的女儿们有幸与安妮一样长寿,她们将会看到怎样的改变?我们又取得了怎样的进步?
This is our chance to answer that call.This is our moment.This is our time — to put our people back to work and open doors of opportunity for our kids;to restore prosperity and promote the cause of peace;to reclaim the American Dream and reaffirm that fundamental truth that out of many, we are one;that while we breathe, we hope, and where we are met with cynicism, and doubt, and those who tell us that we can't, we will respond with that timeless creed that sums up the spirit of a people: Yes, we can.现在,我们获得了回答这个问题的机会。这是我们的时刻,我们的时代。让我们的人民重新就业,为我们的孩子打开机会的大门;恢复繁荣,促进和平;让美国梦重放光芒,再证这一根本性真理,那就是:团结一致,众志成城;一息尚存,希望就在;倘若有人嘲讽和怀疑,说我们不能,我们就以这一永恒信条回应,因为它凝聚了整个民族的精神——是的,我们能!
Thank you, God bless you, and may God bless the United States of America.谢谢大家!愿上帝保佑你们,保佑美利坚合众国。
第四篇:米歇尔·奥巴马在北京大学演讲(中英双语)
Ni hao.It is such a pleasant and an honor to be here with all of you at this great universityThank you so much for having me.And before I get started today, on behalf of myself and my husband, I just want to say a few very brief words above Malaysian(sic)Airline Flight 370.As my husband has said, theUnited Statesis offering as many resources as possible to assist in the search.And please know that we are keeping all the families and loved ones of those on this flight in our thoughts and prayers at this very difficult time.And with that, I want to start by recognizing our news Ambassador toChinaAmbassador BaucusPresident WangChairman ZhuVice President Li.Director Cueller, Professor Oi and the Stanford centerPresident Sexton from New York University which has an excellent study abroad program in Shanghaiand John Thorton, Director of the Global Leadership Program at Tsinghua Universitythank you all so much for joining us.And most of all, I want to thank all of the student for being here todayand I particulary want to thank Eric Schafer and Zhu Xuanbao for that extraordinary English and Chinese introduction.That was such a powerful symbol of everything I want to talk with you about today.You see, by learning each others languagesMr.Schafer and Ms.Zhu and all of you are building bridges of understanding that lead to so much more.And Im here today because I know that our future depends on connections like these among your people like you across the globe.Thats why when my husband and I travel abroad, we don't just visit palaces and parliament and meet with heads of state.We also come to schools like this one to meet with students like you.Because we believe that relationships between nations are not just about relationship between governments or leaderstheyre about relationships between people, particularly our young people.So we view study abroad programs not just as an educational opportunity f or studentsbut also as a vital part ofAmericas foreign policy.You see, through the wonders of modern technology, our world is more connected than ever before.Ideas can cross ocean with the click of a button.Companies can do business and complete with companies across the globe.And we can text, email and skype with people on every continent.So studying abroad isnt just a fun way to spend a semester-its quickly becoming the key to success in our global economy.Because getting ahead in todays workplaces isnt just about getting good grades or test scores in schoolits also about having real experience with the world beyond your bordersits also about shaping the future of your countries and of the world we all share.Because when it comes to the defining challenges of our timeyou do it by improving yourself in someones cultureby learning each others storiesand by getting past the stereotypes and misconceptions that too often divide us.Thats how you come to understand how much we all share.And thats how you realize that we all have a stake in each others successI couldnt have said it better myself, because thats really what Im talking about...Im talking about ordinary citizen reaching out to the world.And as I always tell young people back inAmerica, you dont need to get on a plane to by a citizen diplomacy.I tell them that if you have an internet in your home, school, or library, within seconds, you can be transported anywhere in the world and meet people on every continent.Thats why Im posting a daily travel blog with videos and photos of my experiences in chinahow it can open up the entire world and expose us to ideas and innovations we never could have imagined.And thats why it is so important for information and ideas to flow freely over the internet and through the media.Because thats how we discover the truth...thats how we learn whats really happening in our communities, our country and our world.And thats how we decide which values and ideas we think are best-by questioning and debating them vigorouslyby listening to all sides of every argument...and by judging for ourselves.And believe me, I know this can be a messy and frustrating process.My husband and I are on the receiving and of plenty of questioning and criticizing from our media and our fellow citizens...and its not always easy...but we wouldnt trade it for anything in the world.Because time and again, we have seen that countries are stronger and more prosperous when the voices and opinions of all their citizens can be heard.And as my husband said, we respect the uniqueness of other cultures and societies.But when it comes to expressing yourself freely, and worshipping as your choose, and having open access to information we believe those are universal rights that are the birthright of every person on this planet.We believe that all people deserve the opportunity to fulfill their highest potential as I was able to do in theUnited States.And as you learn about new cultures and form new friendships during your time here in China and in the United States, all of you are the living, breathing embodiment of those values.So I guarantee you that in studying abroad, youre not just changing your own lifeyoure changing the lives of everyone you meet.As the great American President John F.Kennedy once said about foreign students studying in theU.S., I think they teach more than they learn.And that is just as true of young Americans who study abroad.All of you are Americas best face, and Chinas best face, to the world.Every day, you show the world your countries energy, creativity, optimism and unwavering belief in the future.And every day, you remind us of just how much we can achieve if we reach across bordersand learn to see ourselves in each otherand confront our shared challenges with shared resolve.So I hope you will keep seeking these kinds of experiences.And I hope youll keep teaching each otherand learning from each otherand building bonds of friendship that will enrich your lives and enrich our world for decades to come.You all have so much to offer, and I cannot wait to see all that you achieve together in the years ahead.Thank you so much.Xie Xie.from:bxsjbzx.com/wdyz/ bxsjbzx.com/wzylc/ bxsjb32q.com/amcp/ sjbzqtxz.com/xpj/ sjbcq.com/msgj/
第五篇:奥巴马2017年新年贺词中英双语对照
奥巴马2017年元旦贺词中英双语对照
Happy New Year, everybody.At a time when we turn the page on one year and look ahead to the future, I just want to take a minute to thank you for everything you’ve done to make America stronger these past eight years.大家新年快乐。我谨借此挥别过去展望未来之际,感谢你们所有人,在过去的八年里为使美国更加强大所做的一切。
Just eight years ago, as I prepared to take office, our economy teetered on the brink of depression.Nearly 800,000 Americans were losing their jobs each month.In some communities, nearly one in five folks were out of work.就在八年前我准备上任执政的时候,我们国家的经济濒临大萧条的边缘。每个月有将近80万的美国人失业。在一些社区中甚至有1/5的人失业。
Almost 180,000 troops were serving in Iraq and Afghanistan, and Osama bin Laden was still at large.有18万美国军人在伊拉克和阿富汗服役,而奥萨马本拉登依然逍遥法外。
And on challenges from health care to climate change, we’d been kicking the can* down the road for way too long.而在关于从医疗保险到气候变化等挑战的问题上,我们一直行动迟缓,逃避太久了。*kick the can 原是一种小孩子游戏,一群孩子在街上,一个孩子把一个罐子尽可能的踢远,有一个孩子去拣,在拣回来的过程中,其他孩子就躲起来了.这就是我们的“藏猫猫”。它的引申意思就是“缓兵之计”。Eight years later, you’ve told a different story.We’ve turned recession into recovery.八年后,情况大有不同了。我们已经从经济萧条转为经济恢复。
Our businesses have created 15.6 million new jobs since early 2010 – and we’ve put more people back to work than all other major advanced economies combined.从2010年初起,我们的企业已经创造了1560万的新工作机会——比其它所有主要发达国家创造的新就业数量的总和还要多。
A resurgent auto industry has added nearly 700,000 jobs, and is producing more cars than ever.Poverty is falling.Incomes are rising.汽车工业的复苏带来了将近70万的新工作,并比以往任何时候产出的车辆还要多。贫困在减少,收入在增加。
In fact, last year, folks’ typical household income rose by $2,800, that’s the single biggest increase on record, and folks at the bottom and middle saw bigger gains than those at the top.实际上,去年国民平均家庭收入增长了2800美元,这是有记录以来最大的上涨幅度,而低收入和中等收入民众的收入增长要比高等收入的民众还要多。
Twenty million more Americans know the financial security of health insurance.Our kids’ high school graduation rate is at an all-time high.超过2000万美国人了解到了医疗保险的经济保障。高中毕业率达到了历史峰值。We’ve brought 165,000 troops from Iraq and Afghanistan, and took out Osama bin Laden.我们从伊拉克和阿富汗撤回了16.5万名军人,并解决掉了奥萨马本拉登。
Through diplomacy, we shut down Iran’s nuclear weapons program, opened up a new chapter with the people of Cuba, and brought nearly 200 nations together around a climate agreement that could save this planet for our kids.在外交方面,我们关掉了伊朗的核武器项目,翻开了与古巴人民交往的新篇章,并团结将近200个国家达成了气候保护协定,为我们的子孙后代拯救这个星球。
Almost every country on Earth sees America as stronger and more respected today than they did eight years ago.And marriage equality is finally a reality from coast to coast.今天,几乎世界上所有的国家见证了美国比八年前更加强大和受尊敬。婚姻平等终于在美国全境范围内实现。
We’ve made extraordinary progress as a country these past eight years.And here’s the thing: none of it was inevitable.我们作为一个国家在过去的八年里取得了非凡的成就,而这并不是必然发生的。It was the result of tough choices we made, and the result of your hard work and resilience.And to keep America moving forward is a task that falls to all of us.这是我们做出的艰难选择的结果,是你们辛勤努力和坚韧精神的结果。而让美国保持向前发展是落在我们每个人肩上的重担。Sustaining and building on all we’ve achieved – from helping more young people afford a higher education, to ending discrimination based on preexisting conditions, to tightening rules on Wall Street, to protecting this planet for our kids – that’s going to take all of us working together.要维护和建设我们已经取得的成就——从帮助更多的年轻人接受更高的教育,到停止歧视先存条件*,到加强对华尔街的管理,到为我们的子孙后代保护地球——这些需要我们所有人齐心协力共同努力。
Because that’s always been our story – the story of ordinary people coming together in the hard, slow, sometimes frustrating, but always vital work of self-government.因为这一直就是我们的故事——普通民众一起经过艰苦、漫长、有时令人沮丧但始终保持自制的努力实现共同目标的故事。Preexisting condition n.先存情况:投保以前已经存在的情况;例如以前因车祸而引致的受伤;一般保险公司不会支付因先存情况而需要接受治疗服务的费用;有的则隔一段时间才开始承认。It has been the privilege of my life to serve as your President.能够担任你们的总统是我此生最大的荣耀。
And as I prepare to take on the even more important role of citizen, know that I will be there with you every step of the way to ensure that this country forever strives to live up to the incredible promise of our founding – that all of us are created equal, and all of us deserve every chance to live out our dreams.在我已准备好转换为更重要的国民角色之际,请放心,我会和你们一起肩并肩共同确保这个国家永远为实现我们建国的非凡愿景而终生奋斗——那就是我们人人生而平等,我们人人都应赋予实现梦想的权利。
From the Obama family to yours – have a happy and blessed 2017.来自奥巴马家庭的祝福——祝大家2017年快乐幸福。