曼德拉就职演讲英文

第一篇：曼德拉就职演讲英文

曼德拉就职演说词

我们最大的恐惧，不是我们的不足；

我们最大的恐惧，是我们有无穷的力量。

是我们的光芒不是我们的黑暗让我们惶恐。

我们会问：我是谁能配得上拥有这样非凡的才智、惊人的艳丽？ 其实，你为什么不可以？

你是神的孩子，你故作卑微，不足以服务这个世界；

你的畏缩，不能引领他人，让你周边的人感到安慰。我们出生是为了彰显上帝在我们心里面的荣耀，这份荣耀不是在某些人心里面，它是在每个人的心中； 当我们让自己光芒四射时，我们就不经意地容许他人做同样的事； 当我们从自己的恐惧中释放出来时，我们的存在也自动地解放了其他人。篇二：1994年南非总统尼尔森曼德拉就职演讲

1994年南非总统尼尔森曼德拉就职演讲 our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate.our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure.we ask ourselves, who am i to be ？brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous? actually, who are you not to be? we were born to make manifest the glory of god that is within us.and as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same.from nelson mandela inauguration speech, 1994 我们最深的恐惧不是能力不够，我们最深的恐惧是能力超越了界限。扪心自问，我们想成为什么样的人？智者，天才，名人，伟人，事实上，哪一样你不能做到呢？我们生来就是为了证明上帝赋予了我们荣光，而我们让自己发出光芒，在不知不觉中，也感染了他人。(此版本为cctv6播放的中文配音版本的对应台词)我们最恐惧的不是我们做不到，我们最恐惧的是我们的能力无法估量，我们扪心自问，我是不是聪明的慷慨的，才华横溢和出类拔萃的？事实上你为什么不能这样呢？我们生来就是为了证明，上帝的光芒在我们身上，而我们让自己发出光芒，我们不知不觉中也赋予别人这样做的权利。篇三：纳尔逊·曼德拉语录 i have fought against white domination, and i have fought against black domination.i have cherished the ideal of a democratic and free society in which all persons will live together in harmony with equal opportunities.it is an ideal which i hope to live for, and to see realised.but my lord, if needs be, it is an ideal for which i am prepared to die.”

“我已经把我的一生奉献给了非洲人民的斗争，我为反对白人种族统治进行斗争，我也为反对黑人专制而斗争。我怀有一个建立民主和自由社会的美好理想，在这样的社会里，所有人都和睦相处，有着平等的机会。我希望为这一理想而活着，并去实现它。但如果需要的话，我也准备为它献出生命。”

——1964年，曼德拉被判终身监禁时的声明 我们通往自由之路是不可逆转的，我们不能让恐惧挡住道路，非种族化、团结民主的南非的普选权是和平及种族和谐的唯一途径。

——1990年2月11日，曼德拉出狱演讲 we enter into a covenant that we shall build the society in which all south africans, both black and white, will be able to walk tall, without any fear in their hearts, assured of their inalienable right to human dignity--a rainbow nation at peace with itself and the world.我们立下誓约，要建立一个让所有南非人，不论是黑人还是白人，都可以昂首阔步的社会。他们心中不再有恐惧，他们可以肯定自己拥有不可剥夺的人类尊严——这是一个在国内及与其他各国之间都保持和平的美好国度。

——1994年的曼德拉总统就职演说

“death is something inevitable.when a man has done what he considers to be his duty to his people and his country, he can rest in peace.i believe i have made that effort and that is, therefore, why i will sleep for the eternity.”

人固有一死。当一个人已经完成他对人民和国家的应尽义务之后，他便能安息。我已尽我所能，正因如此，我也能够安然长眠。

——1994年的曼德拉纪录片采访

“i was called a terrorist yesterday, but when i came out of jail, many people embraced me, including my enemies, and that is what i normally tell other people who say those who are struggling for liberation in their country are terrorists.i tell them that i was also a terrorist yesterday, but, today, i am admired by the very people who said i was one.”

我曾被叫做恐怖分子，但当我出狱之时，许多人拥抱我，包括我的敌人。我常常如此告诉那些把为自己国家的解放而奋斗者称作恐怖分子的人，我也曾被称为恐怖分子，但如今，那些称我为恐怖分子的人尊重我。

——2000年5月16日在电视节目“拉里?金沟通现场”上的讲话

“what counts in life is not the mere fact that we have lived.it is what difference we have made to the lives of others that will determine the significance of the life we lead.”

生命的意义不仅是活着，而是我们给别人的生命带来了何种不同，这决定了我们人生的意义。——2002年5月18日于南非约翰内斯堡庆祝90岁生日演说

“education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world.”

教育是最强有力的武器，你能用它来改变世界。

——2003年在南非威特沃特斯兰德大学的讲话

“for to be free is not merely to cast off one’s chains, but to live in a way that respects and enhances the freedom of others.”

无人生来会因肤色、背景、宗教而憎恨他人，憎恨是人们后天习得的。如果人们能学会恨，他们也能被教会去爱。因为对于人的心灵来说，爱比恨来的更加自然。

要想与敌人求和平，就需与敌人合作，然后他就会变成你的伙伴。

“the brave man is not he who does not feel afraid, but he who conquers that fear.”

勇者并非指那些不感到害怕的人，而是那些能克服自身恐惧的人。

——曼德拉自传《漫漫自由路》 after climbing a great hill, one only finds that there are many more hills to climb.当我们爬上一座高山时，我们会发现更多的高山。2.education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world.教育是你可以用来改变世界的最强大的武器。3.for to be free is not merely to cast off ones chains, but to live in a way that respects and enhances the freedom of others.拥有自由并不仅仅意味着摆脱自身的枷锁，而且还意味着以一种尊重和提升他人自由的方式生活。4.i learned that courage was not the absence of fear, but the triumph over it.the brave man is not he who does not feel afraid, but he who conquers that fear.我认为拥有勇气并不代表没有恐惧，而是战胜恐惧。因此勇敢者并非没有畏惧心理的人，而是征服畏惧心理的人。5.if you talk to a man in a language he understands, that goes to his head.if you talk to him in his language, that goes to his heart.如果你以一种外语和一个人交流，你的话只是进入他的大脑；如果你以他的母语和他交流，你的话深入他的内心。

如果你想与你的敌人友好相处，你必须和他工作。然后他会成为你的伙伴。

在我的国家我们通常先坐牢然后当总统。8.let there be work, bread, water and salt for all.但愿普天下所有的人有工作、面包、水和盐。9.the greatest glory in living lies not in never falling, but in rising every time we fall.活着最大的荣耀不在于从不摔倒，而在于每一次绊倒后再爬起来。10.we must use time wisely and forever realize that the time is always ripe to do right.我们必须明智地利用时间，永远要认识到想做正义的事时间总是成熟的 money wont create success, the freedom to make it will.创造成功，靠的不是金钱，而是拥有创造成功的自由。nelson mandela never, never and never again shall it be that this beautiful land will again experience the oppression of one by another.这片美丽的土地将永远、永远、永远不会再经历人对人的压迫。nelson mandela only free men can negotiate;prisoners cannot enter into contracts.your freedom and mine cannot be separated.只有自由的人才能谈判，身陷牢笼的人没有谈判的资格。你们的自由和我的自由是不可分割的。nelson mandela there can be no keener revelation of a societys soul than the way in which it treats its children.知晓一个社会的灵魂，就看这个社会对待小孩的方式，除此以外，没有更好的办法。

nelson mandela there is no easy walk to freedom anywhere, and many of us will have to pass through the valley of the shadow of death again and again before we reach the mountaintop of our desires.自由之路从不平坦，我们中的许多人都不得不一次又一次地穿过死神笼罩的山谷，才能抵达愿望的顶峰。

nelson mandela there is no passion to be found playing small-in settling for a life that is less than the one you are capable of living.本来能过得更精彩的生活，却勉强接受现状，满足于个人的生活，这毫无激情可言。nelson mandela there is no such thing as part freedom.不存在部分自由之说。

nelson mandela there is nothing like returning to a place that remains unchanged to find the ways in which you yourself have altered.回到一个未曾改变的地方，发现自己已经改变，没有什么这更美妙。nelson mandela we must use time wisely and forever realize that the time is always ripe to do right.我们必须明智地利用时间，必须永远意识到，主持公平正义的时机已经成熟。nelson mandela when the water starts boiling it is foolish to turn off the heat.水刚煮沸就关火，这很愚蠢。nelson mandela篇四：奥巴马在纪念曼德拉的演讲 中英文

奥巴马在曼德拉追悼会上的演讲 thank you.(applause.)thank you so much.thank you.to gra?a machel and the mandela family;to president zuma and members of the government;to heads of states and government, past and present;distinguished guests--it is a singular honor to be with you today, to celebrate a life like no other.to the people of south africa--(applause)--people of every race and walk of life--the world thanks you for sharing nelson mandela with us.his struggle was your struggle.his triumph was your triumph.your dignity and your hope found expression in his life.and your freedom, your democracy is his cherished legacy.it is hard to eulogize any man--to capture in words not just the facts and the dates that make a life, but the essential truth of a person--their private joys and sorrows;the quiet moments and unique qualities that illuminate someone’s soul.how much harder to do so for a giant of history, who moved a nation toward justice, and in the process moved billions around the world.“i am not a saint,” he said, “unless you think of a saint as a sinner who keeps on trying.” it was precisely because he could admit to imperfection--because he could be so full of good humor, even mischief, despite the heavy burdens he carried--that we loved him so.he was not a bust made of marble;he was a man of flesh and blood--a son and a husband, a father and a friend.and that’s why we learned so much from him, and that’s why we can learn from him still.for nothing he achieved was inevitable.in the arc of his life, we see a man who earned his place in history through struggle and shrewdness, and persistence and faith.he tells us what is possible not just in the pages of history books, but in our own lives as well.mandela showed us the power of action;of taking risks on behalf of our ideals.perhaps madiba was right that he inherited, “a proud rebelliousness, a stubborn sense of fairness” from his father.and we know he shared with millions of black and colored south africans the anger born of, “a thousand slights, a thousand indignities, a thousand unremembered moments?a desire to fight the system that imprisoned my people,”

he said.but like other early giants of the anc--the sisulus and tambos--madiba disciplined his anger and channeled his desire to fight into organization, and platforms, and strategies for action, so men and women could stand up for their god-given dignity.moreover, he accepted the consequences of his actions, knowing that standing up to powerful interests and injustice carries a price.“i have fought against white domination and i have fought against black domination.i’ve cherished the ideal of a democratic and free society in which all persons live together in harmony and [with] equal opportunities.it is an ideal which i hope to live for and to achieve.but if needs be, it is an ideal for which i am prepared to die.”(applause.)mandela taught us the power of action, but he also taught us the power of ideas;the importance of reason and arguments;the need to study not only those who you agree with, but also those who you don’t agree with.he understood that ideas cannot be contained by prison walls, or extinguished by a sniper’s bullet.he turned his trial into an indictment of apartheid because of his eloquence and his passion, but also because of his training as an advocate.he used decades in prison to sharpen his arguments, but also to spread his thirst for knowledge to others in the movement.and he learned the language and the customs of his oppressor so that one day he might better convey to them how their own freedom depend upon his.(applause.)mandela demonstrated that action and ideas are not enough.no matter how right, they must be chiseled into law and institutions.he was practical, testing his beliefs against the hard surface of circumstance and history.on core principles he was unyielding, which is why he could rebuff offers of unconditional release, reminding the apartheid regime that “prisoners cannot enter into contracts.and finally, mandela understood the ties that bind the human spirit.there is a word in south africa--ubuntu--(applause)--a word that captures mandela’s greatest gift: his recognition that we are all bound together in ways that are invisible to the eye;that there is a oneness to humanity;that we achieve ourselves by sharing ourselves with others, and caring for those around us.we can never know how much of this sense was innate in him, or how much was shaped in a dark and solitary cell.but we remember the gestures, large and small--introducing his jailers as honored guests at his inauguration;taking a pitch in a springbok uniform;turning his family’s heartbreak into a call to confront hiv/aids--that revealed the depth of his empathy and his understanding.he not only embodied ubuntu, he taught millions to find that truth within themselves.it took a man like madiba to free not just the prisoner, but the jailer as well--(applause)--to show that you must trust others so that they may trust you;to teach that reconciliation is not a matter of ignoring a cruel past, but a means of confronting it with inclusion and generosity and truth.he changed laws, but he also changed hearts.for the people of south africa, for those he inspired around the globe, madiba’s passing is rightly a time of mourning, and a time to celebrate a heroic life.but i believe it should also prompt in each of us a time for self-reflection.with honesty, regardless of our station or our circumstance, we must ask: how well have i applied his lessons in my own life? it’s a question i ask myself, as a man and as a president.the struggles that follow the victory of formal equality or universal franchise may not be as filled with drama and moral clarity as those that came before, but they are no less important.for around the world today, we still see children suffering from hunger and disease.we still see run-down schools.we still see young people without prospects for the future.around the world today, men and women are still imprisoned for their political beliefs, and are still persecuted for what they look like, and how they worship, and who they love.that is happening today.(applause.)we will never see the likes of nelson mandela again.but let me say to the young people of africa and the young people around the world--you, too, can make his life’s work your own.over 30 years ago, while still a student, i learned of nelson mandela and the struggles taking place in this beautiful land, and it stirred something in me.it woke me up to my responsibilities to others and to myself, and it set me on an improbable journey that finds me here today.and while i will always fall short of madiba’s example, he makes me want to be a better man.(applause.)he speaks to what’s best inside us.what a magnificent soul it was.we will miss him deeply.may god bless the memory of nelson mandela.may god bless the people of south africa.(applause.)译文：

谢谢诸位。（掌声）多谢诸位。谢谢你们。格拉萨·马谢尔及曼德拉的家人；祖马（zuma）篇五：曼德拉的演讲稿 94年就职演说

曼德拉的演讲稿（译文）南非总统曼德拉1994年就职演说 inaugural address speech by nelson mandela may 10th 1994 1994年4月26—28日 南非第一次多种族大选举行，非国大取得决定性胜利。1994年5月9日 多种族议会正式开幕，纳尔逊？曼德拉当选为新政府总统。1994年5月10日 纳尔逊？曼德拉宣誓就职总统。翌日，南非新内阁宣誓就职。as the worlds most famous prisoner and, now, his countrys leader, he exemplifies a moral integrity that shines far beyond south africa today, all of us do, by our presence here, and by our celebrations in other parts of our country and the world, confer glory and hope to newborn liberty.out of the experience of an extraordinary human disaster that lasted too long, must be born a society of which all humanity will be proud.our daily deeds as ordinary south africans must produce an actual south african reality that will reinforce humanitys belief in justice, strengthen its confidence in the nobility of the human soul and sustain all our hopes for a glorious life for all.all this we owe both to ourselves and to the peoples of the world who are so well represented here today.each time one of us touches the soil of this land, we feel a sense of personal renewal.the national mood changes as the seasons change.we are moved by a sense of joy and exhilaration when the grass turns green and the flowers bloom.we, the people of south africa, feel fulfilled that humanity has taken us back into its bosom, that we, who were outlaws not so long ago, have today been given the rare privilege to be host to the nations of the world on our own soil.we trust that you will continue to stand by us as we tackle the challenges of building peace, prosperity, non-sexism, non-racialism and democracy.we deeply appreciate the role that the masses of our people and their political mass democratic, religious, women, youth, business, traditional and other leaders have played to bring about this conclusion.not least among them is my second deputy president, the honourable f.w.de klerk.we would also like to pay tribute to our security forces, in all their ranks, for the distinguished role they have played in securing our first democratic elections and the transition to democracy, from blood-thirsty forces which still refuse to see the light.the time to build is upon us.we have, at last, achieved our political emancipation.we pledge ourselves to liberate all our people from the continuing bondage of poverty, deprivation, suffering, gender and other discrimination.we have triumphed in the effort to implant hope in the breasts of the millions of our people.we enter into a covenant that we shall build the society in which all south africans, both black and white, will be able to walk tall, without any fear in their hearts, assured of their inalienable right to human dignity--a rainbow nation at peace with itself and the world.we dedicate this day to all the heroes and heroines in this country and the rest of the world who sacrificed in many ways and surrendered their lives so that we could be free.we understand it still that there is no easy road to freedom.we know it well that none of us acting alone can achieve success.we must therefore act together as a united people, for national reconciliation, for nation building, for the birth of a new world.let there be justice for all.let there be peace for all.let there be work, bread, water and salt for all.let each know that for each the body, the mind and the soul have been freed to fulfil themselves.never, never and never again shall it be that this beautiful land will again experience the oppression of one by another and suffer the indignity of being the skunk of the world.let freedom reign.the sun shall never set on so glorious a human achievement!god bless africa!曼德拉总统就职演说? 陛下，殿下，尊贵的嘉宾，同胞们，朋友们：? 今天，我们会聚于此，与我国和世界其他地方前来庆贺的人士一起，对新生的自由赋予光辉和希望。? 这异常的人类悲剧太过漫长了，这经验孕育出一个令全人类引以自豪的社会。?作为南非的一介平民，我们日常的一举一动，都要为南非创造现实条件，去巩固人类对正义的信念，增强人类对心灵深处高尚品德的信心，以及让所有人保持对美好生活的期望。? 对我的同胞，我可以毫不犹疑地说，我们每一个人都跟这美丽祖国的大地亲密地牢不可分，就如红木树之于比勒陀利亚，含羞草之于灌木林。?我们对这共同的家乡在精神上和肉体上有共同的感觉，当目睹国家因可怕的冲突而变得四分五裂，遭全球人民唾弃、孤立，特别是它成为恶毒的意识形态时，我们的内心如此地痛苦。? 我们南非人民，对全人类将我们再度纳入怀抱，感到非常高兴。不久之前，我们还遭全世界摒弃，而现在却能在自己的土地上，招待各国的嘉宾。?我们非常感谢我国广大人民，以及各方民主政治、宗教、妇女、青年、商业及其他方面领袖所作的贡献，使我们取得了上述的成就。特别功不可没的，是我的第二副总统——德克勒克先生。? 治愈创伤的时候已经来临。消除分隔我们的鸿沟的时刻已经来临。创建的时机就在眼前。? 我们终于取得了政治解放。我们承诺，会将依然陷于贫穷、剥削、苦难、受着性别及其他歧视的国人解放出来。? 我们已成功地让我们千千万万的国人的心中燃起希望。我们立下誓约，要建立一个让所有南非人，不论是黑人还是白人，都可以昂首阔步的社会。他们心中不再有恐惧，他们可以肯定自己拥有不可剥夺的人类尊严——这是一个在国内及与其他各国之间都保持和平的美好国度。? 作为我国致力更新的证明，新的全国统一过渡政府的当务之急是处理目前在狱中服刑囚犯的特赦问题。? 我们将今天献给为我们的自由而献出生命和作出牺牲的我国以至世界其他地方的英雄。? 他们的理想现已成真，自由就是他们的报酬。? 作为一个统一、民主、非种族主义和非性别主义的南非首任总统，负责带领国家脱离黑暗的深谷。我们怀着既谦恭又欣喜的心情接受你们给予我们的这份荣誉与权利。? 我们深信，自由之路从来都不易走。我们很清楚，没有任何一个人可以单独取得成功。? 因此，为了全国和解，建设国家，为了一个新世界的诞生，我们必须团结成为一个民族，共同行动。? 让所有人得享正义。让所有人得享和平。让所有人得享工作、面包、水、盐分。让每个人都明白，每个人的身体、思想和灵魂都获得了解放，从属于自己。?这片美丽的土地永远、永远、永远再不会经历人对人的压迫，以及遭全球唾弃的屈辱。对于如此光辉的成就，太阳永不会停止照耀。? 让自由战胜一切。

第二篇：曼德拉1994年总统就职演讲

1994年南非总统尼尔森曼德拉就职演讲 our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate.our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure.we ask ourselves, who am i to be ？brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous? actually, who are you not to be? we were born to make manifest the glory of god that is within us.and as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same.from nelson mandela inauguration speech, 1994 我们最深的恐惧不是能力不够，我们最深的恐惧是能力超越了界限。扪心自问，我们想成为什么样的人？智者，天才，名人，伟人，事实上，哪一样你不能做到呢？我们生来就是为了证明上帝赋予了我们荣光，而我们让自己发出光芒，在不知不觉中，也感染了他人。(此版本为cctv6播放的中文配音版本的对应台词)我们最恐惧的不是我们做不到，我们最恐惧的是我们的能力无法估量，我们扪心自问，我是不是聪明的慷慨的，才华横溢和出类拔萃的？事实上你为什么不能这样呢？我们生来就是为了证明，上帝的光芒在我们身上，而我们让自己发出光芒，我们不知不觉中也赋予别人这样做的权利。篇二：曼德拉的演讲稿 94年就职演说 曼德拉的演讲稿（译文）南非总统曼德拉1994年就职演说 inaugural address speech by nelson mandela may 10th 1994 1994年4月26—28日 南非第一次多种族大选举行，非国大取得决定性胜利。1994年5月9日 多种族议会正式开幕，纳尔逊？曼德拉当选为新政府总统。1994年5月10日 纳尔逊？曼德拉宣誓就职总统。翌日，南非新内阁宣誓就职。as the worlds most famous prisoner and, now, his countrys leader, he exemplifies a moral integrity that shines far beyond south africa today, all of us do, by our presence here, and by our celebrations in other parts of our country and the world, confer glory and hope to newborn liberty.out of the experience of an extraordinary human disaster that lasted too long, must be born a society of which all humanity will be proud.our daily deeds as ordinary south africans must produce an actual south african reality that will reinforce humanitys belief in justice, strengthen its confidence in the nobility of the human soul and sustain all our hopes for a glorious life for all.all this we owe both to ourselves and to the peoples of the world who are so well represented here today.each time one of us touches the soil of this land, we feel a sense of personal renewal.the national mood changes as the seasons change.we are moved by a sense of joy and exhilaration when the grass turns green and the flowers bloom.we, the people of south africa, feel fulfilled that humanity has taken us back into its bosom, that we, who were outlaws not so long ago, have today been given the rare privilege to be host to the nations of the world on our own soil.we trust that you will continue to stand by us as we tackle the challenges of building peace, prosperity, non-sexism, non-racialism and democracy.we deeply appreciate the role that the masses of our people and their political mass democratic, religious, women, youth, business, traditional and other leaders have played to bring about this conclusion.not least among them is my second deputy president, the honourable f.w.de klerk.we would also like to pay tribute to our security forces, in all their ranks, for the distinguished role they have played in securing our first democratic elections and the transition to democracy, from blood-thirsty forces which still refuse to see the light.the time to build is upon us.we have, at last, achieved our political emancipation.we pledge ourselves to liberate all our people from the continuing bondage of poverty, deprivation, suffering, gender and other discrimination.we have triumphed in the effort to implant hope in the breasts of the millions of our people.we enter into a covenant that we shall build the society in which all south africans, both black and white, will be able to walk tall, without any fear in their hearts, assured of their inalienable right to human dignity--a rainbow nation at peace with itself and the world.we dedicate this day to all the heroes and heroines in this country and the rest of the world who sacrificed in many ways and surrendered their lives so that we could be free.we are both humbled and elevated by the honour and privilege that you, the people of south africa, have bestowed on us, as the first president of a united, democratic, non-racial and non-sexist south africa, to lead our country out of the valley of darkness.we understand it still that there is no easy road to freedom.we know it well that none of us acting alone can achieve success.we must therefore act together as a united people, for national reconciliation, for nation building, for the birth of a new world.let there be justice for all.let there be peace for all.let there be work, bread, water and salt for all.let each know that for each the body, the mind and the soul have been freed to fulfil themselves.never, never and never again shall it be that this beautiful land will again experience the oppression of one by another and suffer the indignity of being the skunk of the world.let freedom reign.the sun shall never set on so glorious a human achievement!god bless africa!曼德拉总统就职演说? 陛下，殿下，尊贵的嘉宾，同胞们，朋友们：? 今天，我们会聚于此，与我国和世界其他地方前来庆贺的人士一起，对新生的自由赋予光辉和希望。? 这异常的人类悲剧太过漫长了，这经验孕育出一个令全人类引以自豪的社会。?作为南非的一介平民，我们日常的一举一动，都要为南非创造现实条件，去巩固人类对正义的信念，增强人类对心灵深处高尚品德的信心，以及让所有人保持对美好生活的期望。? 对我的同胞，我可以毫不犹疑地说，我们每一个人都跟这美丽祖国的大地亲密地牢不可分，就如红木树之于比勒陀利亚，含羞草之于灌木林。?我们对这共同的家乡在精神上和肉体上有共同的感觉，当目睹国家因可怕的冲突而变得四分五裂，遭全球人民唾弃、孤立，特别是它成为恶毒的意识形态时，我们的内心如此地痛苦。? 我们南非人民，对全人类将我们再度纳入怀抱，感到非常高兴。不久之前，我们还遭全世界摒弃，而现在却能在自己的土地上，招待各国的嘉宾。?我们非常感谢我国广大人民，以及各方民主政治、宗教、妇女、青年、商业及其他方面领袖所作的贡献，使我们取得了上述的成就。特别功不可没的，是我的第二副总统——德克勒克先生。? 治愈创伤的时候已经来临。消除分隔我们的鸿沟的时刻已经来临。创建的时机就在眼前。? 我们终于取得了政治解放。我们承诺，会将依然陷于贫穷、剥削、苦难、受着性别及其他歧视的国人解放出来。? 我们已成功地让我们千千万万的国人的心中燃起希望。我们立下誓约，要建立一个让所有南非人，不论是黑人还是白人，都可以昂首阔步的社会。他们心中不再有恐惧，他们可以肯定自己拥有不可剥夺的人类尊严——这是一个在国内及与其他各国之间都保持和平的美好国度。? 作为我国致力更新的证明，新的全国统一过渡政府的当务之急是处理目前在狱中服刑囚犯的特赦问题。? 我们将今天献给为我们的自由而献出生命和作出牺牲的我国以至世界其他地方的英雄。? 他们的理想现已成真，自由就是他们的报酬。? 作为一个统一、民主、非种族主义和非性别主义的南非首任总统，负责带领国家脱离黑暗的深谷。我们怀着既谦恭又欣喜的心情接受你们给予我们的这份荣誉与权利。? 我们深信，自由之路从来都不易走。我们很清楚，没有任何一个人可以单独取得成功。? 因此，为了全国和解，建设国家，为了一个新世界的诞生，我们必须团结成为一个民族，共同行动。? 让所有人得享正义。让所有人得享和平。让所有人得享工作、面包、水、盐分。让每个人都明白，每个人的身体、思想和灵魂都获得了解放，从属于自己。?这片美丽的土地永远、永远、永远再不会经历人对人的压迫，以及遭全球唾弃的屈辱。对于如此光辉的成就，太阳永不会停止照耀。? 让自由战胜一切。愿上帝保佑南非！?篇三：教案十曼德拉总统就职演说 篇四：曼德拉总统就职宣言

曼德拉总统就职宣言

我们最大的恐惧不是我们没有能力，我们最大的恐惧是我们具有无与伦比的力量。是我们的光芒而不是我们的黑暗使我们震惊。我们常常自问，“我究竟是什么人，这么的聪明、可爱、能干和具有传奇性？”事实上，我们别无它选！

你是上帝的孩子，你小看自己就无法服务世界。

为了使你周围的人感到安全

而缩小你自己不能给人以任何启示。我们生来就要 为我们心中的上帝增加荣耀！

他不只存在于某些人的心中，他存在于所有人的心中！

而当我们允许自己发光时，我们在潜意识里就会允许别人发光。当我们从自己的恐惧中被解救出来时，我们的风范就自动解救了他人！--尼尔森.曼德拉1994年篇五：曼德拉就职演说词

曼德拉就职演说词

我们最大的恐惧，不是我们的不足；

我们最大的恐惧，是我们有无穷的力量。

是我们的光芒不是我们的黑暗让我们惶恐。

我们会问：我是谁能配得上拥有这样非凡的才智、惊人的艳丽？ 其实，你为什么不可以？

你是神的孩子，你故作卑微，不足以服务这个世界；

你的畏缩，不能引领他人，让你周边的人感到安慰。我们出生是为了彰显上帝在我们心里面的荣耀，这份荣耀不是在某些人心里面，它是在每个人的心中；

当我们让自己光芒四射时，我们就不经意地容许他人做同样的事； 当我们从自己的恐惧中释放出来时，我们的存在也自动地解放了其他人。

第三篇：曼德拉就职演讲稿

曼德拉就职演说词

我们最大的恐惧，不是我们的不足；

我们最大的恐惧，是我们有无穷的力量。

是我们的光芒不是我们的黑暗让我们惶恐。

我们会问：我是谁能配得上拥有这样非凡的才智、惊人的艳丽？ 其实，你为什么不可以？

你是神的孩子，你故作卑微，不足以服务这个世界；

你的畏缩，不能引领他人，让你周边的人感到安慰。我们出生是为了彰显上帝在我们心里面的荣耀，这份荣耀不是在某些人心里面，它是在每个人的心中； 当我们让自己光芒四射时，我们就不经意地容许他人做同样的事； 当我们从自己的恐惧中释放出来时，我们的存在也自动地解放了其他人。篇二：曼德拉的演讲稿 94年就职演说 曼德拉的演讲稿（译文）南非总统曼德拉1994年就职演说 inaugural address speech by nelson mandela may 10th 1994 1994年4月26—28日 南非第一次多种族大选举行，非国大取得决定性胜利。1994年5月9日 多种族议会正式开幕，纳尔逊？曼德拉当选为新政府总统。1994年5月10日 纳尔逊？曼德拉宣誓就职总统。翌日，南非新内阁宣誓就职。as the worlds most famous prisoner and, now, his countrys leader, he exemplifies a moral integrity that shines far beyond south africa today, all of us do, by our presence here, and by our celebrations in other parts of our country and the world, confer glory and hope to newborn liberty.out of the experience of an extraordinary human disaster that lasted too long, must be born a society of which all humanity will be proud.our daily deeds as ordinary south africans must produce an actual south african reality that will reinforce humanitys belief in justice, strengthen its confidence in the nobility of the human soul and sustain all our hopes for a glorious life for all.all this we owe both to ourselves and to the peoples of the world who are so well represented here today.each time one of us touches the soil of this land, we feel a sense of personal renewal.the national mood changes as the seasons change.we are moved by a sense of joy and exhilaration when the grass turns green and the flowers bloom.we, the people of south africa, feel fulfilled that humanity has taken us back into its bosom, that we, who were outlaws not so long ago, have today been given the rare privilege to be host to the nations of the world on our own soil.we trust that you will continue to stand by us as we tackle the challenges of building peace, prosperity, non-sexism, non-racialism and democracy.we deeply appreciate the role that the masses of our people and their political mass democratic, religious, women, youth, business, traditional and other leaders have played to bring about this conclusion.not least among them is my second deputy president, the honourable f.w.de klerk.we would also like to pay tribute to our security forces, in all their ranks, for the distinguished role they have played in securing our first democratic elections and the transition to democracy, from blood-thirsty forces which still refuse to see the light.the time to build is upon us.we have, at last, achieved our political emancipation.we pledge ourselves to liberate all our people from the continuing bondage of poverty, deprivation, suffering, gender and other discrimination.we have triumphed in the effort to implant hope in the breasts of the millions of our people.we enter into a covenant that we shall build the society in which all south africans, both black and white, will be able to walk tall, without any fear in their hearts, assured of their inalienable right to human dignity--a rainbow nation at peace with itself and the world.we dedicate this day to all the heroes and heroines in this country and the rest of the world who sacrificed in many ways and surrendered their lives so that we could be free.we are both humbled and elevated by the honour and privilege that you, the people of south africa, have bestowed on us, as the first president of a united, democratic, non-racial and non-sexist south africa, to lead our country out of the valley of darkness.we understand it still that there is no easy road to freedom.we know it well that none of us acting alone can achieve success.we must therefore act together as a united people, for national reconciliation, for nation building, for the birth of a new world.let there be justice for all.let there be peace for all.let there be work, bread, water and salt for all.let each know that for each the body, the mind and the soul have been freed to fulfil themselves.never, never and never again shall it be that this beautiful land will again experience the oppression of one by another and suffer the indignity of being the skunk of the world.let freedom reign.the sun shall never set on so glorious a human achievement!god bless africa!曼德拉总统就职演说? 陛下，殿下，尊贵的嘉宾，同胞们，朋友们：? 今天，我们会聚于此，与我国和世界其他地方前来庆贺的人士一起，对新生的自由赋予光辉和希望。? 这异常的人类悲剧太过漫长了，这经验孕育出一个令全人类引以自豪的社会。?作为南非的一介平民，我们日常的一举一动，都要为南非创造现实条件，去巩固人类对正义的信念，增强人类对心灵深处高尚品德的信心，以及让所有人保持对美好生活的期望。? 对我的同胞，我可以毫不犹疑地说，我们每一个人都跟这美丽祖国的大地亲密地牢不可分，就如红木树之于比勒陀利亚，含羞草之于灌木林。?我们对这共同的家乡在精神上和肉体上有共同的感觉，当目睹国家因可怕的冲突而变得四分五裂，遭全球人民唾弃、孤立，特别是它成为恶毒的意识形态时，我们的内心如此地痛苦。? 我们南非人民，对全人类将我们再度纳入怀抱，感到非常高兴。不久之前，我们还遭全世界摒弃，而现在却能在自己的土地上，招待各国的嘉宾。?我们非常感谢我国广大人民，以及各方民主政治、宗教、妇女、青年、商业及其他方面领袖所作的贡献，使我们取得了上述的成就。特别功不可没的，是我的第二副总统——德克勒克先生。? 治愈创伤的时候已经来临。消除分隔我们的鸿沟的时刻已经来临。创建的时机就在眼前。? 我们终于取得了政治解放。我们承诺，会将依然陷于贫穷、剥削、苦难、受着性别及其他歧视的国人解放出来。? 我们已成功地让我们千千万万的国人的心中燃起希望。我们立下誓约，要建立一个让所有南非人，不论是黑人还是白人，都可以昂首阔步的社会。他们心中不再有恐惧，他们可以肯定自己拥有不可剥夺的人类尊严——这是一个在国内及与其他各国之间都保持和平的美好国度。? 作为我国致力更新的证明，新的全国统一过渡政府的当务之急是处理目前在狱中服刑囚犯的特赦问题。? 我们将今天献给为我们的自由而献出生命和作出牺牲的我国以至世界其他地方的英雄。? 他们的理想现已成真，自由就是他们的报酬。? 作为一个统一、民主、非种族主义和非性别主义的南非首任总统，负责带领国家脱离黑暗的深谷。我们怀着既谦恭又欣喜的心情接受你们给予我们的这份荣誉与权利。? 我们深信，自由之路从来都不易走。我们很清楚，没有任何一个人可以单独取得成功。? 因此，为了全国和解，建设国家，为了一个新世界的诞生，我们必须团结成为一个民族，共同行动。? 让所有人得享正义。让所有人得享和平。让所有人得享工作、面包、水、盐分。让每个人都明白，每个人的身体、思想和灵魂都获得了解放，从属于自己。?这片美丽的土地永远、永远、永远再不会经历人对人的压迫，以及遭全球唾弃的屈辱。对于如此光辉的成就，太阳永不会停止照耀。? 让自由战胜一切。愿上帝保佑南非！?篇三：1994年南非总统尼尔森曼德拉就职演讲 1994年南非总统尼尔森曼德拉就职演讲 our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate.our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure.we ask ourselves, who am i to be ？brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous? actually, who are you not to be? we were born to make manifest the glory of god that is within us.and as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same.from nelson mandela inauguration speech, 1994 我们最深的恐惧不是能力不够，我们最深的恐惧是能力超越了界限。扪心自问，我们想成为什么样的人？智者，天才，名人，伟人，事实上，哪一样你不能做到呢？我们生来就是为了证明上帝赋予了我们荣光，而我们让自己发出光芒，在不知不觉中，也感染了他人。(此版本为cctv6播放的中文配音版本的对应台词)我们最恐惧的不是我们做不到，我们最恐惧的是我们的能力无法估量，我们扪心自问，我是不是聪明的慷慨的，才华横溢和出类拔萃的？事实上你为什么不能这样呢？我们生来就是为了证明，上帝的光芒在我们身上，而我们让自己发出光芒，我们不知不觉中也赋予别人这样做的权利。篇四：曼德拉演讲 as the worlds most famous prisoner and, now, his countrys leader, he exemplifies a moral integrity that shines far beyondsouth africa today, all of us do, by our presence here, and by our celebrations in other parts of our country and the world, confer glory and hope to newborn liberty.out of the experience of an extraordinary human disaster that lasted too long, must be born a society of which all humanity will be proud.our daily deeds as ordinary south africans must produce an actual south african reality that will reinforce humanitys belief in justice, strengthen its confidence in the nobility of the human soul and sustain all our hopes for a glorious life for all.all this we owe both to ourselves and to the peoples of the world who are so well represented here today.each time one of ustouches the soil of this land, we feel a sense of personal renewal.the national mood changes as the seasons change.we are moved by a sense of joy and exhilaration when the grass turns green and the flowers bloom.we, the people of south africa, feel fulfilled that humanity has taken us back into its bosom, that we, who were outlaws not so long ago, have today been given the rare privilege to be host to the nations of the world on our own soil.we trust that you will continue to stand byus as we tackle the challenges of building peace, prosperity, non-sexism, non-racialism and democracy.we deeply appreciate the role that the masses of our people and their political mass democratic, religious, women, youth, business, traditional and other leaders have played to bring about this conclusion.not least among them is my second deputy president, the honourable f.w.de klerk.the time to build is upon us.we have, at last, achieved our political emancipation.we pledge ourselves to liberate all our people from the continuing bondage of poverty, deprivation, suffering, genderand other discrimination.we are both humbled and elevated by the honour and privilege that you, the people of south africa, have bestowed on us, as the first president of a united, democratic, non-racial and non-sexist south africa, to lead our country out of the valley of darkness.we understand it still that there is no easy road to freedom.we know it well that none of us acting alone can achieve success.we must therefore act together as a united people, for national reconciliation, for nation building, for the birth of a new world.let there be justice for all.let there be peace for all.let there be work, bread, water and salt for all.let each know that for each the body, the mind and the soul have been freed to fulfil themselves.never, never and never again shall it be that this beautiful land will again experience the oppression of one by another and suffer the indignity of being the skunk of the world.let freedomreign.the sun shall never set on so glorious a human achievement!god bless africa!曼德拉总统就职演说? 陛下，殿下，尊贵的嘉宾，同胞们，朋友们：? 今天，我们会聚于此，与我国和世界其他地方前来庆贺的人士一起，对新生的自由赋予光辉和希望。? 这异常的人类悲剧太过漫长了，这经验孕育出一个令全人类引以自豪的社会。?作为南非的一介平民，我们日常的一举一动，都要为南非创造现实条件，去巩固人类对正义的信念，增强人类对心灵深处高尚品德的信心，以及让所有人保持对美好生活的期望。? 对我的同胞，我可以毫不犹疑地说，我们每一个人都跟这美丽祖国的大地亲密地牢不可分，就如红木树之于比勒陀利亚，含羞草之于灌木林。?我们对这共同的家乡在精神上和肉体上有共同的感觉，当目睹国家因可怕的冲突而变得四分五裂，遭全球人民唾弃、孤立，特别是它成为恶毒的意识形态时，我们的内心如此地痛苦。? 我们南非人民，对全人类将我们再度纳入怀抱，感到非常高兴。不久之前，我们还遭全

世界摒弃，而现在却能在自己的土地上，招待各国的嘉宾。?我们非常感谢我国广大人民，以及各方民主政治、宗教、妇女、青年、商业及其他方面领袖所作的贡献，使我们取得了上述的成就。特别功不可没的，是我的第二副总统——德克勒克先生。? 治愈创伤的时候已经来临。消除分隔我们的鸿沟的时刻已经来临。创建的时机就在眼前。? 我们终于取得了政治解放。我们承诺，会将依然陷于贫穷、剥削、苦难、受着性别及其他歧视的国人解放出来。? 我们已成功地让我们千千万万的国人的心中燃起希望。我们立下誓约，要建立一个让所有南非人，不论是黑人还是白人，都可以昂首阔步的社会。他们心中不再有恐惧，他们可以肯定自己拥有不可剥夺的人类尊严——这是一个在国内及与其他各国之间都保持和平的美好国度。? 作为我国致力更新的证明，新的全国统一过渡政府的当务之急是处理目前在狱中服刑囚犯的特赦问题。? 我们将今天献给为我们的自由而献出生命和作出牺牲的我国以至世界其他地方的英雄。? 他们的理想现已成真，自由就是他们的报酬。? 作为一个统一、民主、非种族主义和非性别主义的南非首任总统，负责带领国家脱离黑暗的深谷。我们怀着既谦恭又欣喜的心情接受你们给予我们的这份荣誉与权利。? 我们深信，自由之路从来都不易走。我们很清楚，没有任何一个人可以单独取得成功。? 因此，为了全国和解，建设国家，为了一个新世界的诞生，我们必须团结成为一个民族，共同行动。? 让所有人得享正义。让所有人得享和平。让所有人得享工作、面包、水、盐分。让每个人都明白，每个人的身体、思想和灵魂都获得了解放，从属于自己。?这片美丽的土地永远、永远、永远再不会经历人对人的压迫，以及遭全球唾弃的屈辱。对于如此光辉的成就，太阳永不会停止照耀。? 让自由战胜一切。

第四篇：1994年南非总统尼尔森曼德拉就职演讲

1994年南非总统尼尔森曼德拉就职演讲

“ Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate.Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure.We ask ourselves, Who am I to be ？Brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be? We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us.And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same.”

from Nelson Mandela Inauguration Speech, 1994

我们最深的恐惧不是能力不够，我们最深的恐惧是能力超越了界限。扪心自问，我们想成为什么样的人？智者，天才，名人，伟人，事实上，哪一样你不能做到呢？我们生来就是为了证明上帝赋予了我们荣光，而我们让自己发出光芒，在不知不觉中，也感染了他人。(此版本为CCTV6播放的中文配音版本的对应台词)

我们最恐惧的不是我们做不到，我们最恐惧的是我们的能力无法估量，我们扪心自问，我是不是聪明的慷慨的，才华横溢和出类拔萃的？事实上你为什么不能这样呢？我们生来就是为了证明，上帝的光芒在我们身上，而我们让自己发出光芒，我们不知不觉中也赋予别人这样做的权利。

第五篇：奥巴马就职演讲全文(英文)2013[范文]

奥巴马就职演讲全文(英文)

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.