第一篇:奥巴马《yes we can》演讲稿中英对照
奥巴马演讲稿中英对照
2008年11月6日,第一位非洲裔的美国总统诞生,他就是毕业于哈佛大学法学院的奥巴马。
41岁的奥巴马有雄辩之才、文雅之风,其竞选成功当晚的演讲就是一篇非常优秀的演讲范文。可惜网上乱传的许多译文质量差强人意,本人特此翻译一遍,润色一回,以飧各位。
胡子 谨记
2008年11月6日 星期四
YES WE CAN
《我们一定能》
Remarks of President-Elect Barack Obama, as prepared for delivery
总统侯选人巴拉克•奥巴马的竞选成功后的演讲稿,为竞选成功而作
Election Night
竞选之夜
Tuesday, November 4th, 2008
2008年11月4日,星期二
Chicago, Illinois
伊利诺斯,芝加哥
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.是否还有人仍然怀疑美国是可以创造任何可能性的国家;是否还有人仍然对我们这个时代能缔造梦想感到困惑;是否还有人仍在质疑我们民主党的执政能力,答案就在今夜。
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.这个答案正以前所未见的那些延伸至学校和教堂的横幅昭示着;人们等待了三到四个小时,也看到平生第一次的那个时刻来到,人民相信这是如此不同的时刻;他们的呼声也因此前所未有的响亮。
It’s the answer spoken by young and old, rich and poor, Democrat and Republican, black, white, Latino, Asian, Native American, gay, straight, disabled and not disabledyou made this happen, and I am forever grateful for what you’ve sacrificed to get it done.But above all, I will never forget who this victory truly belongs toit began in the backyards of Des Moines and the living rooms of Concord and the front porches of Charleston.我从来不敢奢望成为这次选举最有希望的候选人。我们不能依靠强大的资金支持和财力保障开始我们竞选。我们的竞选方案不是在华盛顿的辉煌大厅中策划出来的——它出自得梅因的农家小院、协和酒店的客房以及查尔斯顿的前廊。
It was built by working men and women who dug into what little savings they had to give five dollars and ten dollars and twenty dollars 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;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.我们的方案需要劳动男工和女工们亲手挖掘潜力才得以建成,正是他们掏出了五美元、十美元或二十美元的有限积蓄支持了这项事业。我们的方案通过那些拒绝将情感淡漠一代的胡说八道强加在他们身上的年轻人得以加强;通过那些抛家舍业、辛苦工作却收入甚微、缺乏睡眠的人得以加强;通过那些老大不小却还要冒酷暑、顶寒风敲开完全陌生人家门的人得以加强;通过数以百万计的美国自愿者和组织者、两个多世纪以来的见证者和人民的政府、人民大众和为了让人民大众不会从地球上消失的名义得以加强。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 lifetimeI have never been more hopeful than I am tonight that we will get there.I promise youblock by block, brick by brick, calloused hand by calloused hand.总有许多挫折和欺诈需要我们去面对。也仍会有不少人不愿意赞成我出任总统后所做出的每一种决策和政策,我们也很清楚政府并不能解决所有的问题。但我会永远诚实地与你们一道去面对挑战。我会倾听你们的呼声,尤其是我们并不赞同的呼声。最为关键的是,我将邀请你们加入到沿着二百二十一年来那条被唯一确定了的道路去重造我们伟大国家的行列中来——让我们一砖一瓦地,一瓦一砖地,用我们布满老茧的双手去建设我们的家园。
What began twenty-one months ago in the depths of winter must not end on this autumn night.This victory alone is not the change we seekin this country, we rise or fall as one nation;as one people.因此,我们需要召唤起新的爱国主义精神;需要召唤起让我们每个人团结协作、努力工作和不仅仅要照顾好自己还要照顾他人的服务和责任精神。让我们记住一点,如果说这场金融危机带给我们什么深刻教训的话,那就是一旦主要街道的经济全都受损就别指望华尔街能一家繁荣(胡子注:正所谓“城门失火,殃及池鱼”是也)——在我们的国家,大家休戚与共,沉浮一体,牵一发而动全身。
Let us resist the temptation to fall back on the same partisanship and pettiness and immaturity that has poisoned our politics for so long.让我们抵御诱惑,不再跌入危害我们政体如此之久的、毫无二致的政党之争、小气之战和青涩之苦。
Let us remember that it was a man from this state who first carried the banner of the Republican Party to the White HouseI may not have won your vote, but I hear your voices, I need your help, and I will be your President too.就是在民主党赢得伟大胜利的今夜,那些价值也仍然值得我们去分享,考虑到谦虚谨慎才能愈合那些已经阻碍了我们进步的分歧,让我们这样去做吧。林肯曾在我们的国家出现了比今天更大分歧的时候说,“我们不是敌人,而是朋友……尽管激情有时会失去理智,但它挣脱不了爱的锁链。”我要对那些我未能赢得支持的美国人民说——尽管我没能够赢得你们的选票,但我听见了你们的心声,我需要你们的帮助,我同样也是你们的总统。
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 worldwe will defeat you.To those who seek peace and securitytonight we proved once more that the true strength of our nation comes not from our 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.我还要对所有远在大洋彼岸关注今夜的人们说,从美国国会和白宫这里对那些远在天涯海角围坐在收音机旁的人们说——尽管我们人生故事各有千秋,却可以分享相同的命运,美国新的黎明已在掌中。我正告那些企图毁灭这个世界的人——我们将击溃你们。我慰告那些追求和平安宁的人们——我们会支持你们。我要告诉那些怀疑美国的灯塔能否继续闪光的人——今夜我们再次证明了我们这个国家真实的力量并不来自于武器的威力和财富的数量,而是来自于我们理想的耐受能力:民主、自由、机遇和永不言败的希望。
For that is the true genius of AmericaAnn Nixon Cooper is 106 years old.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 reasonsthe 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.这次选举已经出现了许许多多的第一次和许多必将代代相传的故事。然而,今夜在我心中仍然记挂那位在亚特兰大投票的女性。她一定就像数以百万计的其他选民一样排队在这次选举中倾诉心声,而有所不同的是——安•尼克松•库柏今年已经106岁了。她刚好出生在奴隶制其后的时代;那还是一个路上没有汽车、空中没有飞机的时代;在那个时代像她这样的人仍会因为两个原因而不能投票——她是女性以及她的皮肤有颜色。今夜,她所见证的一个世纪的美国让我想到了很多——有心伤有希望;有斗争有进步;如今时代似乎在告诉我们我们开始不能了,而人民以美国信条敦促我们:我们一定能。
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.在女性声音沉默和希望泯灭的时代,她活着看到了妇女崛起、大声说话并且投出自己的那一票。因此,我们一定能。
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.当绝望落入深处、萧条遍及大地的时候,她看见我们的国家自身以新政战胜了恐惧,新的工作机会和新的共同计划意识接踵而至。因此,我们一定能。
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.当炸弹扔进了我们的海港、暴政威胁着整个世界的时候,她就在那里目睹了一个时代兴起而至辉煌,民主得到了拯救。因此,我们一定能。
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.她就在那里目睹了蒙哥马利的汽车事件,目睹了伯明翰的水龙头事件,目睹了塞尔马的那座桥(胡子注:美国阿拉巴马州中部偏南一城市,位于蒙哥马利市以西。1965年,这里是小马丁• 路德•金领导选举者登记运动的所在地),也目睹了那位来自亚特兰大的牧师告诉人们“我们无往而不胜”。因此,我们一定能。
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.一个人可以登陆月球表面,一堵墙可以在柏林倒下,一个世界可以因为我们自身的科学和想象能力连接在一起。就在今年,就在这些选举中,她兰指触屏,投下了她的一票,那是因为在见证美国沧桑106年之后,在经历了美好时光和黑暗时刻之后,她仍然知道美国将怎样去实现变革。因此,我们一定能。
America, we have come so far.We have seen so much.But there is so much more to do.So tonight, let us ask ourselvesto 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.这正是我们做出回答的良机。这是属于我们的时刻。这是我们的时代——让我们的人民重新拥有工作,为我们的年轻小子打开机会之门;重返繁荣时代,促进和平事业;重新拾回美国之梦,重新加固真理之基——没有许多的悲伤,我们仍然是世界的唯一;我们照样呼吸,我们仍有希望,我们偶尔也会玩世不恭,偶尔也会怀疑一切,某些人说我们不能,我们将以凝聚着民族精神力量的永恒信条做出我们的回应:我们一定能。
Thank you, God bless you, and may God Bless the United States of America.感谢你们,上帝保佑你们,上帝保佑美利坚合众国。
第二篇:奥巴马开学演讲稿(中英对照)
奥巴马开学演讲稿(中英对照)
按语:同学们,我们为什么要上学?这个问题的答案可能五花八门。有人说是为了以后更轻松的赚钱,有人说是为了有个更好的将来,有人说是为了摆脱现在的窘境,甚至有人说仅仅是为了将来有个饭碗,有个好家庭。当然你也可以说是为了报效祖国!但是,我想还是有很多人对这个问题的理解还是很模糊的。今天,我给大家推荐一个视频,是美国总统奥巴马在弗吉尼亚州阿灵顿高中面向全美中小学生发表的电视开学演讲。他用平实的语言向全美的学生讲述为什么要学习,经济窘迫、家庭问题、情感问题是否能成为与老师辩驳,消极学习的借口?他鼓励学生不畏逆境、发奋学习。请不要放弃自己,放弃自己的责任!引人深思,看完后,希望能对你有所帮助!
Wakefield High School Arlington, Virginia 韦克菲尔德高中,弗吉尼亚州,阿林顿市,September 8,2009
REMARKS BY THE PRESIDENT IN A NATIONAL ADDRESS TO AMERICA'S
SCHOOLCHILDREN(原文题目:总统对学校孩子们的全国讲话)
嗨,大家好!你们今天过得怎么样?我现在和弗吉尼亚州阿林顿郡韦克菲尔德高中的学生们在一起,全国各地也有从幼儿园到高三的众多学生们通过电视关注这里,我很高兴你们能共同分享这一时刻。
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.)
我知道,对你们中的许多人来说,今天是开学的第一天,你们中的有一些刚刚进入幼儿园或升上初高中,对你们来说,这是在新学校的第一天,因此,假如你们感到有些紧张,那也是很正常的。我想也会有许多毕业班的学生们正自信满满地准备最后一年的冲刺。不过,我想无论你有多大、在读哪个年级,许多人都打心底里希望现在还在放暑假,以及今天不用那么早起床。
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.我可以理解这份心情。小时候,我们家在印度尼西亚住过几年,而我妈妈没钱送我去其他美国孩子们上学的地方去读书,因此她决定自己给我上课——时间是每周一到周五的凌晨4点半。
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.显然,我不怎么喜欢那么早就爬起来,很多时候,我就这么在厨房的桌子前睡着了。每当我埋怨的时候,我妈总会用同一副表情看着我说:“小鬼,你以为教你我就很轻松?”
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.)
所以,我可以理解你们中的许多人对于开学还需要时间来调整和适应,但今天我站在这里,是为了和你们谈一些重要的事情。我要和你们谈一谈你们每个人的教育,以及在新的学年里,你们应当做些什么。
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.我做过许多关于教育的讲话,也常常用到“责任”这个词。我谈到过教师们有责任激励和启迪你们,督促你们学习。
我谈到过家长们有责任看管你们认真学习、完成作业,不要成天只会看电视或打游戏。Now, I've given a lot of speeches about education.And I've talked about responsibility a lot.I've talked about teachers' responsibility for inspiring students and pushing you to learn.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.我也很多次谈到过政府有责任设定高标准严要求、协助老师和校长们的工作,改变在有些学校里学生得不到应有的学习机会的现状。
但哪怕这一切都达到最好,哪怕我们有最尽职的教师、最好的家长、和最优秀的学校,假如你们不去履行自己的责任的话,那么这一切努力都会白费。——除非你每天准时去上学、除非你认真地听老师讲课、除非你把父母、长辈和其他大人们说的话放在心上、除非你肯付出成功所必需的努力,否则这一切都会失去意义。
而这就是我今天讲话的主题:对于自己的教育,你们中每一个人的责任。
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.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.首先,我想谈谈你们对于自己有什么责任。你们中的每一个人都会有自己擅长的东西,每一个人都是有用之材,而发现自己的才能是什么,就是你们要对自己担起的责任。教育给你们提供了发现自己才能的机会。
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.或许你能写出优美的文字——甚至有一天能让那些文字出现在书籍和报刊上——但假如不在英语课上经常练习写作,你不会发现自己有这样的天赋;
或许你能成为一个发明家、创造家——甚至设计出像今天的iPhone一样流行的产品,或研制出新的药物与疫苗——但假如不在自然科学课程上做上几次实验,你不会知道自己有这样的天赋;或许你能成为一名议员或最高法院法官,但假如你不去加入什么学生会或参加几次辩论赛,你也不会发现自己的才能。
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.而且,我可以向你保证,不管你将来想要做什么,你都需要相应的教育。——你想当名医生、当名教师或当名警官?你想成为护士、成为建筑设计师、律师或军人?无论你选择哪一种职业,良好的教育都必不可少,这世上不存在不把书念完就能拿到好工作的美梦,任何工作,都需要你的汗水、训练与学习。
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.不仅仅对于你们个人的未来有重要意义,你们的教育如何也会对这个国家、乃至世界的未来产生重要影响。今天你们在学校中学习的内容,将会决定我们整个国家在未来迎接重大挑战时的表现。
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.你们需要在数理科学课程上学习的知识和技能,去治疗癌症、艾滋那样的疾病,和解决我们面临的能源问题与环境问题;你们需要在历史社科课程上培养出的观察力与判断力,来减轻和消除无家可归与贫困、犯罪问题和各种歧视,让这个国家变得更加公平和自由;你们需要在各类课程中逐渐累积和发展出来的创新意识和思维,去创业和建立新的公司与企业,来制造就业机会和推动经济的增长。
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.我们需要你们中的每一个人都培养和发展自己的天赋、技能和才智,来解决我们所面对的最困难的问题。假如你不这么做——假如你放弃学习——那么你不仅是放弃了自己,也是放弃了你的国家。
当然,我明白,读好书并不总是件容易的事。我知道你们中的许多人在生活中面临着各种各样的问题,很难把精力集中在专心读书之上。
我知道你们的感受。我父亲在我两岁时就离开了家庭,是母亲一人将我们拉扯大,有时她付不起帐单,有时我们得不到其他孩子们都有的东西,有时我会想,假如父亲在该多好,有时我会感到孤独无助,与周围的环境格格不入。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.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.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.因此我并不总是能专心学习,我做过许多自己觉得丢脸的事情,也惹出过许多不该惹的麻烦,我的生活岌岌可危,随时可能急转直下。
但我很幸运。我在许多事上都得到了重来的机会,我得到了去大学读法学院、实现自己梦想的机会。我的妻子——现在得叫她第一夫人米歇尔•奥巴马——也有着相似的人生故事,她的父母都没读过大学,也没有什么财产,但他们和她都辛勤工作,好让她有机会去这个国家最优秀的学校读书。
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.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.你们中有些人可能没有这些有利条件,或许你的生活中没有能为你提供帮助和支持的长辈,或许你的某个家长没有工作、经济拮据,或许你住的社区不那么安全,或许你认识一些会对你产生不良影响的朋友,等等。
但归根结底,你的生活状况——你的长相、出身、经济条件、家庭氛围——都不是疏忽学业和态度恶劣的借口,这些不是你去跟老师顶嘴、逃课、或是辍学的借口,这些不是你不好好读书的借口。
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.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.你的未来,并不取决于你现在的生活有多好或多坏。没有人为你编排好你的命运,在美国,你的命运由你自己书写,你的未来由你自己掌握。
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.而在这片土地上的每个地方,千千万万和你一样的年轻人正是这样在书写着自己的命运。例如德克萨斯州罗马市的贾斯敏•佩雷兹(Jazmin Perez)。刚进学校时,她根本不会说英语,她住的地方几乎没人上过大学,她的父母也没有受过高等教育,但她努力学习,取得了优异的成绩,靠奖学金进入了布朗大学,如今正在攻读公共卫生专业的博士学位。
我还想起了加利福尼亚州洛斯拉图斯市的安多尼•舒尔兹(Andoni Schultz),他从三岁起就开始与脑癌病魔做斗争,他熬过了一次次治疗与手术——其中一次影响了他的记忆,因此他得花出比常人多几百个小时的时间来完成学业,但他从不曾落下自己的功课。这个秋天,他要开始在大学读书了。
That's what young people like you are doing every day, all across America.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.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.又比如在我的家乡,伊利诺斯州芝加哥市,身为孤儿的香特尔•史蒂夫(Shantell Steve)换过多次收养家庭,从小在治安很差的地区长大,但她努力争取到了在当地保健站工作的机会、发起了一个让青少年远离犯罪团伙的项目,很快,她也将以优异的成绩从中学毕业,去大学深造。
贾斯敏、安多尼和香特尔与你们并没有什么不同。和你们一样,他们也在生活中遭遇各种各样的困难与问题,但他们拒绝放弃,他们选择为自己的教育担起责任、给自己定下奋斗的目标。我希望你们中的每一个人,都能做得到这些。
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.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.因此,在今天,我号召你们每一个人都为自己的教育定下一个目标——并在之后,尽自己的一切努力去实现它。你的目标可以很简单,像是完成作业、认真听讲或每天阅读——或许你打算参加一些课外活动,或在社区做些志愿工作;或许你决定为那些因为长相或出身等等原因而受嘲弄或欺负的孩子做主、维护他们的权益,因为你和我一样,认为每个孩子都应该能有一个安全的学习环境;或许你认为该学着更好的照顾自己,来为将来的学习做准备……当然,除此之外,我希望你们都多多洗手、感到身体不舒服的时候要多在家休息,免得大家在秋冬感冒高发季节都得流感。
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.不管你决定做什么,我都希望你能坚持到底,希望你能真的下定决心。
But whatever you resolve to do, I want you to commit to it.I want you to really work at it.我知道有些时候,电视上播放的节目会让你产生这样那样的错觉,似乎你不需要付出多大的努力就能腰缠万贯、功成名就——你会认为只要会唱rap、会打篮球或参加个什么真人秀节目就能坐享其成,但现实是,你几乎没有可能走上其中任何一条道路。
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.因为,成功是件难事。你不可能对要读的每门课程都兴趣盎然,你不可能和每名带课教师都相处顺利,你也不可能每次都遇上看起来和现实生活有关的作业。而且,并不是每件事,你都能在头一次尝试时获得成功。
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.但那没有关系。因为在这个世界上,最最成功的人们往往也经历过最多的失败。J.K.罗琳的第一本《哈利•波特》被出版商拒绝了十二次才最终出版;迈克尔•乔丹上高中时被学校的篮球队刷了下来,在他的职业生涯里,他输了几百场比赛、投失过几千次射篮,知道他是怎么说的吗?“我一生不停地失败、失败再失败,这就是我现在成功的原因。”
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.”
他们的成功,源于他们明白人不能让失败左右自己——而是要从中吸取经验。从失败中,你可以明白下一次自己可以做出怎样的改变;假如你惹了什么麻烦,那并不说明你就是个捣蛋贵,而是在提醒你,在将来要对自己有更严格的要求;假如你考了个低分,那并不说明你就比别人笨,而是在告诉你,自己得在学习上花更多的时间。
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.没有哪一个人一生出来就擅长做什么事情的,只有努力才能培养出技能。任何人都不是在第一次接触一项体育运动时就成为校队的代表,任何人都不是在第一次唱一首歌时就找准每一个音,一切都需要熟能生巧。对于学业也是一样,你或许要反复运算才能解出一道数学题的正确答案,你或许需要读一段文字好几遍才能理解它的意思,你或许得把论文改上好几次才能符合提交的标准。这都是很正常的。
不要害怕提问。不要不敢向他人求助。——我每天都在这么做。求助并不是软弱的表现,恰恰相反,它说明你有勇气承认自己的不足、并愿意去学习新的知识。所以,有不懂时,就向大人们求助吧——找个你信得过的对象,例如父母、长辈、老师、教练或辅导员——让他们帮助你向目标前进。
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.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.你要记住,哪怕你表现不好、哪怕你失去信心、哪怕你觉得身边的人都已经放弃了你——永远不要自己放弃自己。因为当你放弃自己的时候,你也放弃了自己的国家。
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.美国不是一个人们遭遇困难就轻易放弃的国度,在这个国家,人们坚持到底、人们加倍努力,为了他们所热爱的国度,每一个人都尽着自己最大的努力,不会给自己留任何余地。
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.250年前,有一群和你们一样的学生,他们之后奋起努力、用一场革命最终造就了这个国家;75年前,有一群和你们一样的学生,他们之后战胜了大萧条、赢得了二战;就在20年前,和你们一样的学生们,他们后来创立了Google、Twitter和Facebook,改变了我们人与人之间沟通的方式。
因此,今天我想要问你们,你们会做出什么样的贡献?你们将解决什么样的难题?你们能发现什么样的事物?
二十、五十或百年之后,假如那时的美国总统也来做一次开学演讲的话,他会怎样描述你们对这个国家所做的一切?
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.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?
你们的家长、你们的老师和我,每一个人都在尽最大的努力,确保你们都能得到应有的教育来回答这些问题。例如我正在努力为你们提供更安全的教室、更多的书籍、更先进的设施与计算机。但你们也要担起自己的责任。因此我要求你们在今年能够认真起来,我要求你们尽心地去做自己着手的每一件事,我要求你们每一个人都有所成就。请不要让我们失望——不要让你的家人、你的国家和你自己失望。你们要成为我们骄傲,我知道,你们一定可以做到。谢谢大家,上帝保佑你们,上帝保佑美国。
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.Thank you very much, everybody.God bless you.God bless America.Thank you.(Applause.)
第三篇:奥巴马演讲中英对照
Hello,Chicago!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.芝城父老,别来无恙,余尝闻世人有疑,不知当今美利坚凡事皆可成就耶?开国先贤之志方岿然于世耶?民主之伟力不减于昔年耶?凡存诸疑者,今夕当可释然。
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 first time in their lives, because they believed that this time must be different, that their voices could be that difference.今夕之释然,皆蒙美利坚民众之协力——学塾祠庙之外,市井乡野之间,万千父老心焦似焚,苦待竟日,愿献一票之力。其中,平生未尝涉国事者,数亦不少,而今有此义举,皆因一念不衰——今夫天下,非同既往,愿发吁天之声,必成动地之势。
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.今夕之释然,皆仰吾国同胞之齐心——何谈贫富老幼之差、党社宗族之异,惶论发肤肌体之别、志趣爱恶之分。吾国既以“合众”为名,吾辈则更无疏离之意,红蓝二党幷肩而立,数十邦州挽手相合,无分你我,共称一家,昂然于世,齐声一呼,天下乃有此释然。
It’s the answer that led those who’ve been told for so long by so many to be cynical and fearful and doubtful about 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.今夕之释然,皆因愤懑者之镇静,忧惧者之勇气,犹疑者之笃定——平素世间种种,消磨其志向,溃灭其梦想,而值此风云之际,除旧更新,当仁不让,倾力而动乾坤者,更何人哉!
It’s been a long time coming, but tonight, because of what we did on this date in this election at this defining moment change has come to America.俟之诚久,其志弥坚。幸天地明察,乃有今日,乃有此刻,乃有此一选举,乃有我亿万美利坚大好国民——吾邦之大变革,方得自兹而始也!
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 that 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 that they’ve achieved.And I look forward to working with them to renew this nation’s promise in the months ahead.顷接参议员麦君凯恩电,虽未得晤,幸有一谈,其言谆谆,其意诚诚,鄙人感佩之至。选战期内,麦君劳碌几重,奔波几许,皆为国家计。诸般求索,时日良多,皆非余所能及。于国于民之惊人牺牲,亦非庸庸如吾辈者所可想见。以麦君之胆魄襟怀,能为吾邦所用,实国家之幸,万民之幸也。前途漫漫,其事未竟,余所盼瞩由衷者,唯共麦凯恩君、佩林君,及诸贤士比肩,会吾等之绵力,成吾邦之大业。
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 the train home to Delaware, the vice president-elect of the United States, Joe Biden.乔君拜登,亦吾所感铭至深者也。竞选之业,艰险不足与外人道,幸有乔君之辅佐,其诚天可鉴之。乔君其人,素言恳辞切,意笃情真,盖尝经斯兰克顿街乡邻之提命,饱聆特拉华州父老之晤教也。他日余既登总统之位,乔君必当副之。
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.拙荆米氏,追随鄙人凡一十六年,既为爱侣,更为挚友,既为吾阖家之基石,又乃余终生之至爱。鄙人尝自忖度,倘无贤妻若此,今朝阔论高谈于此处者,不知何人矣!
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 new White House.小女萨沙、玛丽,余素深喜之。昔日为父尝与汝等言,此番选战若得一胜,愿购小犬一头相赠,待阖家乔迁总统府邸之日,偕汝等同进吾宅。今当胜负已出,既有一诺在前,必自践行不欺也。
And while she’s no longer with us, I know my grandmother’s watching, along with the family that made me who I am.I miss them tonight.I know that my debt to them is beyond measure.祖母大人虽已仙逝,料必有灵在天,俯察人寰,想应颔首开颜矣。吾奥巴马氏列祖列宗,亦当如是。今日今时,此情此景,鄙人追思之心,乌鸟之情,曷其有极!唯生死陌路,仙凡有别,虽怀反哺之心,而无答报之门也!
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.至若玛雅、艾玛二姐妹,以及吾家诸同胞,所惠我者,亦属良多,久沐恩德,此当拜谢。
And to my campaign manager, David Plouffe, the unsung hero of this campaign, who built the best — 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.大卫•普劳夫君,大卫•阿克塞罗德君,一为鄙人竞选事务之经理,一为鄙人国事韬略之智囊。余尝自喟叹,左右谋士,余所仰赖者,皆亘古未见之贤才。普阿二君,则更此中之翘楚。区区不才,有何德能,可得膀臂若此?当此功成之际,感荷之心,亦自拳拳。
But above all, I will never forget who this victory truly belongs to.It belongs to you.It belongs to you.至于鄙人铭之肺腑,须臾不敢忘怀者,则诸位也。盖今日鄙人之胜绩,实诸位之胜绩,鄙人之荣光,实诸位之荣光!
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.It was built by working men and women who dug into what little savings they had to give $5 and $10 and $20 to the cause.余素朴陋,虽有参选之心,幷无必胜之志。谋事之初,银资乏匮,从者寥寥;起事之地,皆蔽寓荒斋,不在高阁;成事之基,无非寻常百姓,涓滴之献。
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 doors of perfect strangers, and 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 the Earth.今日之胜,有赖一众热血青年,抛其家,别其室,不辞其苦,不计其酬,矻矻于此——“国中青年爱国之心已泯”之谬论,今可休矣!今日之胜,有赖壮志未已之诸前辈,无惧寒暑,行走奔波,劝说民众。今日之胜,乃数百万美利坚民众之胜,察其意,皆属踊跃为国,观其行,处处谨严有序,足堪告慰二百年前开国之先贤 ——民有、民治、民享之政体,未尝动摇也!
This is your victory.嗟夫!此实诸位之功也!
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.余知诸君之意非在此一选举,亦非在鄙人一身。盖瞻前路之艰辛,益知此任非同小可也。虽今夕欢贺于此,而明朝酒醒,大患仍自当前,不容有怠——两地烽烟熊熊而起,四海之内纷纷而乱,金融业界惶惶而不得宁。
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 the children fall asleep and wonder how they’ll make the mortgage or pay their doctors’ bills or save enough for their child’s college education.There’s new energy to harness, new jobs to be created, new schools to build, and threats to meet, alliances to repair.是夜,饮宴笙歌之声不绝于耳,而异邦大漠群山中,吾国大好青年,兀自苦戍边塞,惝恍竟夜,性命尚未得安。吾国千万庶民,为人父母者,兀自惴惴难眠,所忧者,乃房宅所贷、病患之费、抚育之资也。至若吾国能源之耗,百业之兴,庠序之教,攻伐之术,怀远之道,亦皆吾等忡忡挂怀者也。
The road ahead will be long.Our climb will be steep.We may not get there in one year or even in 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.渺渺乎其远,如不可达,危危乎其高,若不可攀。朝夕岁月,焉得成就?余不揣愚钝,愿以四载韶华,付诸此业,胜算何如虽不可知,然昂扬必胜之奇志,成就伟业之壮怀,平生未之有也。君子一诺,其重何如,此地今夕,愿斗胆发一狂言——吾辈既在,其事必成!
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 the 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 to 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, calloused hand by calloused hand.逶迤坎坷,份内之事。异见争端,料必有之。国中之政府,谅非无所不能者。余所秉承不移者,唯忠信矣。倘有危难于前,必无欺瞒于世。诸君言论臧否,纵悖逆相左之议,余必当洗耳以聆。于此之外,更当恳请诸君,不吝心血,致力报效,以振吾美利坚重兴之业。余亦别无他想,唯盼吾侪协力,延继吾国既肇二百二十一年之大统,汇涓滴之力,而成万世之业。
What began 21 months ago in the depths of winter cannot 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 can’t happen without you, without a new spirit of service, a new spirit of sacrifice.昔年冬日,余有志于斯,投身此业,屈指算来,倏然近二载矣。当此秋夜,追思反省,仍无溃退逃亡之意。选战之胜,无非一役之功,余梦寐所思矢志所求者,非在乎此。溯源究本,此役之胜,不过革世变时一大好良机耳。倘止步于斯,垂手而待,或无诸君倾力相援,则壮志丰功,无非泡影,诸般梦想,终必虚妄。
So let us summon a new spirit of patriotism, of 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.爱国之心,报国之念,吾人固有之,然逢今日之世,此心此念亦当一变——吾辈各执己业,益当各竭其力,各尽其命,非但为一己之利,而更期普世之荣。今岁,金融业界动荡多舛,细审观之,当可以之为鉴——实业之损,亦是金融之伤。可知,既在邦域之内,吾辈荣辱休戚,皆相与共矣!
第四篇:奥巴马演讲全集(中英对照)
Keynote Address at the 2004 Democratic National Convention: The Audacity of Hope July 27, 2004
On behalf of the great state of Illinois, crossroads of a nation, land of Lincoln, let me express my deepest gratitude for the privilege of addressing this convention.Tonight is a particular honor for me because, let's face it, my presence on this stage is pretty unlikely.My father was a foreign student, born and raised in a small village in Kenya.He grew up herding goats, went to school in a tin-roof shack.His father, my grandfather, was a cook, a domestic servant to the British.But my grandfather had larger dreams for his son.Through hard work and perseverance my father got a scholarship to study in a magical place: America, that shone as a beacon of freedom and opportunity to so many who had come before.While studying here, my father met my mother.She was born in a town on the other side of the world, in Kansas.Her father worked on oil rigs and farms through most of the Depression.The day after Pearl Harbor my grandfather signed up for duty, joined Patton's army and marched across Europe.Back home, my grandmother raised their baby and went to work on a bomber assembly line.After the war, they studied on the GI Bill, bought a house through FHA, and later moved west all the way to Hawaii in search of opportunity.And they, too, had big dreams for their daughter, a common dream, born of two continents.My parents shared not only an improbable love;they shared an abiding faith in the possibilities of this nation.They would give me an African name, Barack, or “blessed,” believing that in a tolerant America your name is no barrier to success.They imagined me going to the best schools in the land, even though they weren't rich, because in a generous America you don't have to be rich to achieve your potential.They are both passed away now.Yet, I know that, on this night, they look down on me with great pride.They stand here, and I stand here today, grateful for the diversity of my heritage, aware that my parents' dreams live on in my two precious daughters.I stand here knowing that my story is part of the larger American story, that I owe a debt to all of those who came before me, and that, in no other country on earth, is my story even possible.Tonight, we gather to affirm the greatness of our nation, not because of the height of our skyscrapers, or the power of our military, or the size of our economy.Our pride is based on a very simple premise, summed up in a declaration made over two hundred years ago, “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal.That they are endowed by their Creator with certain inalienable rights.That among these are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.”
That is the true genius of America, a faith in the simple dreams, the insistence on small miracles.That we can tuck in our children at night and know they are fed and clothed and safe from harm.That we can say what we think, write what we think, without hearing a sudden knock on the door.That we can have an idea and start our own business without paying a bribe or hiring somebody's son.That we can participate in the political process without fear of retribution, and that our votes will he countedDemocrats, Republicans, IndependentsI am my brother's keeper, I am my sister's keeperthere's the United States of America.There's not a black America and white America and Latino America and Asian America;there's the United States of America.The pundits like to slice-and-dice our country into Red States and Blue States;Red States for Republicans, Blue States for Democrats.But I've got news for them, too.We worship an awesome God in the Blue States, and we don't like federal agents poking around our libraries in the Red States.We coach Little League in the Blue States and have gay friends in the Red States.There are patriots who opposed the war in Iraq and patriots who supported it.We are one people, all of us pledging allegiance to the stars and stripes, all of us defending the United States of America.In the end, that's what this election is about.Do we participate in a politics of cynicism or a politics of hope? I'm not talking about blind optimism hereat this defining moment in historyto build a coalition for change that stretches through Red States and Blue States.Because that's how we'll win in November, and that's how we'll finally meet the challenges that we face as a nation.We are choosing hope over fear.We're choosing unity over division, and sending a powerful message that change is coming to America.You said the time has come to tell the lobbyists who think their money and their influence speak louder than our voices that they don't own this government, we do;and we are here to take it back.The time has come for a President who will be honest about the choices and the challenges we face;who will listen to you and learn from you even when we disagree;who won't just tell you what you want to hear, but what you need to know.And in New Hampshire, if you give me the same chance that Iowa did tonight, I will be that president for America.Thank you.I'll be a President who finally makes health care affordable and available to every single American the same way I expanded health care in Illinoisthat in the face of impossible odds, people who love this country can change it.I know this-I know this because while I may be standing here tonight, I'll never forget that my journey began on the streets of Chicago doing what so many of you have done for this campaign and all the campaigns here in Iowaa night-a night that, years from now, when we've made the changes we believe in;when more families can afford to see a doctor;when our children-when Malia and Sasha and your children-inherit a planet that's a little cleaner and safer;when the world sees America differently, and America sees itself as a nation less divided and more united;you'll be able to look back with pride and say that this was the moment when it all began.This was the moment when the improbable beat what Washington always said was inevitable.This was the moment when we tore down barriers that have divided us for too longthis was the placewith a father from Kenya;a mother from Kansas;and a story that could only happen in the United States of America.Hope is the bedrock of this nation;the belief that our destiny will not be written for us, but by us;by all those men and women who are not content to settle for the world as it is;who have the courage to remake the world as it should be.That is what we started here in Iowa, and that is the message we can now carry to New Hampshire and beyond;the same message we had when we were up and when we were down;the one that can change this country brick by brick, block by block, calloused hand by calloused handa champion for working Americans and an inspiration to my daughters and to yours--Hillary Rodham Clinton.To President Clinton, who last night made the case for change as only he can make it;to Ted Kennedy, who embodies the spirit of service;and to the next Vice President of the United States, Joe Biden, I thank you.I am grateful to finish this journey with one of the finest statesmen of our time, a man at ease with everyone from world leaders to the conductors on the Amtrak train he still takes home every night.To the love of my life, our next First Lady, Michelle Obama, and to Sasha and Maliaof the brief union between a young man from Kenya and a young woman from Kansas who weren't well-off or well-known, but shared a belief that in America, their son could achieve whatever he put his mind to.It is that promise that has always set this country apartstudents and soldiers, farmers and teachers, nurses and janitors--found the courage to keep it alive.We meet at one of those defining momentsenough!This momentis our chance to keep, in the 21st century, the American promise alive.Because next week, in Minnesota, the same party that brought you two terms of George Bush and Dick Cheney will ask this country for a third.And we are here because we love this country too much to let the next four years look like the last eight.On November 4th, we must stand up and say: “Eight is enough.”
Now let there be no doubt.The Republican nominee, John McCain, has worn the uniform of our country with bravery and distinction, and for that we owe him our gratitude and respect.And next week, we'll also hear about those occasions when he's broken with his party as evidence that he can deliver the change that we need.But the record's clear: John McCain has voted with George Bush ninety percent of the time.Senator McCain likes to talk about judgment, but really, what does it say about your judgment when you think George Bush has been right more than ninety percent of the time? I don't know about you, but I'm not ready to take a ten percent chance on change.The truth is, on issue after issue that would make a difference in your livesSenator McCain has been anything but independent.He said that our economy has made “great progress” under this President.He said that the fundamentals of the economy are strong.And when one of his chief advisorswas talking about the anxiety Americans are feeling, he said that we were just suffering from a “mental recession,” and that we've become, and I quote, “a nation of whiners.” A nation of whiners? Tell that to the proud auto workers at a Michigan plant who, after they found out it was closing, kept showing up every day and working as hard as ever, because they knew there were people who counted on the brakes that they made.Tell that to the military families who shoulder their burdens silently as they watch their loved ones leave for their third or fourth or fifth tour of duty.These are not whiners.They work hard and give back and keep going without complaint.These are the Americans that I know.Now, I don't believe that Senator McCain doesn't care what's going on in the lives of Americans.I just think he doesn't know.Why else would he define middle-class as someone making under five million dollars a year? How else could he propose hundreds of billions in tax breaks for big corporations and oil companies but not one penny of tax relief to more than one hundred million Americans? How else could he offer a health care plan that would actually tax people's benefits, or an education plan that would do nothing to help families pay for college, or a plan that would privatize Social Security and gamble your retirement?
It's not because John McCain doesn't care.It's because John McCain doesn't get it.For over two decades, he's subscribed to that old, discredited Republican philosophyyou're on your own.Out of work? Tough luck.No health care? The market will fix it.Born into poverty? Pull yourself up by your own bootstrapswhen the average American family saw its income go up $7,500 instead of down $2,000 like it has under George Bush.We measure the strength of our economy not by the number of billionaires we have or the profits of the Fortune 500, but by whether someone with a good idea can take a risk and start a new business, or whether the waitress who lives on tips can take a day off to look after a sick kid without losing her joba promise that is the only reason I am standing here tonight.Because in the faces of those young veterans who come back from Iraq and Afghanistan, I see my grandfather, who signed up after Pearl Harbor, marched in Patton's Army, and was rewarded by a grateful nation with the chance to go to college on the GI Bill.In the face of that young student who sleeps just three hours before working the night shift, I think about my mom, who raised my sister and me on her own while she worked and earned her degree;who once turned to food stamps but was still able to send us to the best schools in the country with the help of student loans and scholarships.When I listen to another worker tell me that his factory has shut down, I remember all those men and women on the South Side of Chicago who I stood by and fought for two decades ago after the local steel plant closed.And when I hear a woman talk about the difficulties of starting her own business, I think about my grandmother, who worked her way up from the secretarial pool to middle-management, despite years of being passed over for promotions because she was a woman.She's the one who taught me about hard work.She's the one who put off buying a new car or a new dress for herself so that I could have a better life.She poured everything she had into me.And although she can no longer travel, I know that she's watching tonight, and that tonight is her night as well.I don't know what kind of lives John McCain thinks that celebrities lead, but this has been mine.These are my heroes.Theirs are the stories that shaped me.And it is on their behalf that I intend to win this election and keep our promise alive as President of the United States.What is that promise?
It's a promise that says each of us has the freedom to make of our own lives what we will, but that we also have the obligation to treat each other with dignity and respect.It's a promise that says the market should reward drive and innovation and generate growth, but that businesses should live up to their responsibilities to create American jobs, look out for American workers, and play by the rules of the road.Ours is a promise that says government cannot solve all our problems, but what it should do is that which we cannot do for ourselvesthe idea that we are responsible for ourselves, but that we also rise or fall as one nation;the fundamental belief that I am my brother's keeper;I am my sister's keeper.That's the promise we need to keep.That's the change we need right now.So let me spell out exactly what that change would mean if I am President.Change means a tax code that doesn't reward the lobbyists who wrote it, but the American workers and small businesses who deserve it.Unlike John McCain, I will stop giving tax breaks to corporations that ship jobs overseas, and I will start giving them to companies that create good jobs right here in America.I will eliminate capital gains taxes for the small businesses and the start-ups that will create the high-wage, high-tech jobs of tomorrow.I will cut taxesfor 95% of all working families.Because in an economy like this, the last thing we should do is raise taxes on the middle-class.And for the sake of our economy, our security, and the future of our planet, I will set a clear goal as President: in ten years, we will finally end our dependence on oil from the Middle East.Washington's been talking about our oil addiction for the last thirty years, and John McCain has been there for twenty-six of them.In that time, he's said no to higher fuel-efficiency standards for cars, no to investments in renewable energy, no to renewable fuels.And today, we import triple the amount of oil as the day that Senator McCain took office.Now is the time to end this addiction, and to understand that drilling is a stop-gap measure, not a long-term solution.Not even close.As President, I will tap our natural gas reserves, invest in clean coal technology, and find ways to safely harness nuclear power.I'll help our auto companies re-tool, so that the fuel-efficient cars of the future are built right here in America.I'll make it easier for the American people to afford these new cars.And I'll invest 150 billion dollars over the next decade in affordable, renewable sources of energyif you commit to serving your community or your country, we will make sure you can afford a college education.Now is the time to finally keep the promise of affordable, accessible health care for every single American.If you have health care, my plan will lower your premiums.If you don't, you'll be able to get the same kind of coverage that members of Congress give themselves.And as someone who watched my mother argue with insurance companies while she lay in bed dying of cancer, I will make certain those companies stop discriminating against those who are sick and need care the most.Now is the time to help families with paid sick days and better family leave, because nobody in America should have to choose between keeping their jobs and caring for a sick child or ailing parent.Now is the time to change our bankruptcy laws, so that your pensions are protected ahead of CEO bonuses;and the time to protect Social Security for future generations.And now is the time to keep the promise of equal pay for an equal day's work, because I want my daughters to have exactly the same opportunities as your sons.Now, many of these plans will cost money, which is why I've laid out how I'll pay for every dimebecause we cannot meet twenty-first century challenges with a twentieth century bureaucracy.And Democrats, we must also admit that fulfilling America's promise will require more than just money.It will require a renewed sense of responsibility from each of us to recover what John F.Kennedy called our “intellectual and moral strength.” Yes, government must lead on energy independence, but each of us must do our part to make our homes and businesses more efficient.Yes, we must provide more ladders to success for young men who fall into lives of crime and despair.But we must also admit that programs alone can't replace parents;that government can't turn off the television and make a child do her homework;that fathers must take more responsibility for providing the love and guidance their children need.Individual responsibility and mutual responsibilitybut he won't even go to the cave where he lives.And today, as my call for a time frame to remove our troops from Iraq has been echoed by the Iraqi government and even the Bush Administration, even after we learned that Iraq has a $79 billion surplus while we're wallowing in deficits, John McCain stands alone in his stubborn refusal to end a misguided war.That's not the judgment we need.That won't keep America safe.We need a President who can face the threats of the future, not keep grasping at the ideas of the past.You don't defeat a terrorist network that operates in eighty countries by occupying Iraq.You don't protect Israel and deter Iran just by talking tough in Washington.You can't truly stand up for Georgia when you've strained our oldest alliances.If John McCain wants to follow George Bush with more tough talk and bad strategy, that is his choicehave built, and we are here to restore that legacy.As Commander-in-Chief, I will never hesitate to defend this nation, but I will only send our troops into harm's way with a clear mission and a sacred commitment to give them the equipment they need in battle and the care and benefits they deserve when they come home.I will end this war in Iraq responsibly, and finish the fight against al Qaeda and the Taliban in Afghanistan.I will rebuild our military to meet future conflicts.But I will also renew the tough, direct diplomacy that can prevent Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons and curb Russian aggression.I will build new partnerships to defeat the threats of the 21st century: terrorism and nuclear proliferation;poverty and genocide;climate change and disease.And I will restore our moral standing, so that America is once again that last, best hope for all who are called to the cause of freedom, who long for lives of peace, and who yearn for a better future.These are the policies I will pursue.And in the weeks ahead, I look forward to debating them with John McCain.But what I will not do is suggest that the Senator takes his positions for political purposes.Because one of the things that we have to change in our politics is the idea that people cannot disagree without challenging each other's character and patriotism.The times are too serious, the stakes are too high for this same partisan playbook.So let us agree that patriotism has no party.I love this country, and so do you, and so does John McCain.The men and women who serve in our battlefields may be Democrats and Republicans and Independents, but they have fought together and bled together and some died together under the same proud flag.They have not served a Red America or a Blue Americaour sense of higher purpose.And that's what we have to restore.We may not agree on abortion, but surely we can agree on reducing the number of unwanted pregnancies in this country.The reality of gun ownership may be different for hunters in rural Ohio than for those plagued by gang-violence in Cleveland, but don't tell me we can't uphold the Second Amendment while keeping AK-47s out of the hands of criminals.I know there are differences on same-sex marriage, but surely we can agree that our gay and lesbian brothers and sisters deserve to visit the person they love in the hospital and to live lives free of discrimination.Passions fly on immigration, but I don't know anyone who benefits when a mother is separated from her infant child or an employer undercuts American wages by hiring illegal workers.This too is part of America's promiseit's worked before.Because it feeds into the cynicism we all have about government.When Washington doesn't work, all its promises seem empty.If your hopes have been dashed again and again, then it's best to stop hoping, and settle for what you already know.I get it.I realize that I am not the likeliest candidate for this office.I don't fit the typical pedigree, and I haven't spent my career in the halls of Washington.But I stand before you tonight because all across America something is stirring.What the nay-sayers don't understand is that this election has never been about me.It's been about you.For eighteen long months, you have stood up, one by one, and said enough to the politics of the past.You understand that in this election, the greatest risk we can take is to try the same old politics with the same old players and expect a different result.You have shown what history teaches usbecause they rise up and insist on new ideas and new leadership, a new politics for a new time.America, this is one of those moments.I believe that as hard as it will be, the change we need is coming.Because I've seen it.Because I've lived it.I've seen it in Illinois, when we provided health care to more children and moved more families from welfare to work.I've seen it in Washington, when we worked across party lines to open up government and hold lobbyists more accountable, to give better care for our veterans and keep nuclear weapons out of terrorist hands.And I've seen it in this campaign.In the young people who voted for the first time, and in those who got involved again after a very long time.In the Republicans who never thought they'd pick up a Democratic ballot, but did.I've seen it in the workers who would rather cut their hours back a day than see their friends lose their jobs, in the soldiers who re-enlist after losing a limb, in the good neighbors who take a stranger in when a hurricane strikes and the floodwaters rise.This country of ours has more wealth than any nation, but that's not what makes us rich.We have the most powerful military on Earth, but that's not what makes us strong.Our universities and our culture are the envy of the world, but that's not what keeps the world coming to our shores.Instead, it is that American spiritthat pushes us forward even when the path is uncertain;that binds us together in spite of our differences;that makes us fix our eye not on what is seen, but what is unseen, that better place around the bend.That promise is our greatest inheritance.It's a promise I make to my daughters when I tuck them in at night, and a promise that you make to yourspeople of every creed and color, from every walk of lifethat American promise-and in the words of Scripture hold firmly, without wavering, to the hope that we confess.Thank you, God Bless you, and God Bless the United States of America.奥巴马演讲稿(中英文对照)2009-02-10 23:34Hello, Chicago.您好,芝加哥。
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.如果仍有人怀疑美国是否是一个能创造奇迹的国度的话,如果还有人仍在疑虑我们美国的缔造者的梦想是否还在我们这个时代存续的话,如果还有人仍在质疑我们民主的力量的话,那么,今晚就给你答案。
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 first time in their lives, because they believed that this time must be different, that their voices could be that difference.排起的长队就是答案:云集于学校和教堂周围的人们盛况空前,他们等待了三四个小时,其中许多人还是生平首次经历选举。因为他们坚信:这次结果必定不同,这就是他们的心声。
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.无论老幼、穷富;民主党还是共和党;黑人、白人;拉美裔、亚裔、原居民;同性恋、非同性恋;残疾人、健全人。这是全体美国人民共同的抉择。美国向全世界传递一个声音:美国不是乌合之众,也没红州或蓝州之分。我们是,而且永远是,一个整体的美国。
It's the answer that led those who've been told for so long by so many to be cynical and fearful and doubtful about what we can achieve to put their hands on the arc of 31 history and bend it once more toward the hope of a better day.这也是对一直以来那些讽刺、担忧和质疑者作出的回答:我们会把握历史的舵轮、使之驶向充满希望的美好未来。
It's been a long time coming, but tonight, because of what we did on this date in this election at this defining moment change has come to America.虽然等待了很长时间,但在今晚,通过选举,改变美国历史的决定性时刻终于到来了。
A little bit earlier this evening, I received an extraordinarily gracious call from Sen.McCain.今天傍晚之前,我接到了麦凯恩参议员极具风度的致电。
Sen.McCain fought long and hard in this campaign.And he's fought even longer and harder for the country that 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.在竞选过程中,麦凯恩作了长期不懈的努力,而且他还会为他所挚爱的国家更加长期不懈地去奋斗。他已经为美国作出了我们多数人都无法想象的牺牲。我们必须要把工作做好,以报答这位英明而无私的领导人。
I congratulate him;I congratulate Gov.Palin for all that they've achieved.And I look forward to working with them to renew this nation's promise in the months ahead.我对他以及佩林州长所做的一切努力深表敬意,我也期待着与他们一起在未来的岁月中为祖国复兴大计而共同努力。
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 the train home to Delaware, the vice president-elect of the United States, Joe Biden.我要感谢我的竞选伙伴。为竞选倾尽心血、为出生地斯克兰顿街区和坐火车即到的特拉华州家乡的拥戴者代言的他,就是当选美国副总统的乔.拜登。
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.如果没有她——我16年来的至友、我家庭的基石、我生命中的至爱、也就是美国未来的第一夫人米歇尔.奥巴马——如没有她的坚定支持,今晚我不可能站在这里。
Sasha and Malia I love you both both so much,And you have earned the new puppy that's coming with us to the new White House.马莉娅和萨莎,我也非常爱你们,你们已赢得了带着新买的小狗与我们一同入主白宫的权利。
And while she's no longer with us, I know my grandmother's watching, along with the family that made me who I am.I miss them tonight.I know that my debt to them is beyond measure.还有我已去世的外祖母——我知道她也正在看着我,她和我的家人一起见证了我的成长。我今晚非常想念他们,我知道亏欠了他们太多。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.我的妹妹玛雅、阿尔玛,所有其他的兄弟姐妹们,感谢你们给予我倾力支持,我感念他们。
And to my campaign manager, David Plouffe, the unsung hero of this campaign, who built the best--the best political campaign, I think, in the history of the United States of America.还有我的竞选顾问大卫.普鲁夫,此次竞选的无名英雄。我认为,是他打造了美国历史上最好最棒的竞选班子。
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.我的首席策略师大卫.阿克塞尔罗德伴我走过了每一步,他使政史上最佳竞选团队始终团集在你的政见上,我对您为此所作的贡献铭感于心。
But above all, I will never forget who this victory truly belongs to.It belongs to you.It belongs to you.但最重要的是,我决不会忘记这场胜利该属于谁,胜利属于你们,33 胜利属于人民!
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.It was built by working men and women who dug into what little savings they had to give $5 and $10 and $20 to the cause.我始终都不是最有希望的总统竞选人。一开始我们缺少资金及筹码,我们的竞选活动难登华盛顿的大雅之堂,只能始于得梅因、康科德、查尔斯顿的简室陋巷之中;资金是由支持者们从微薄的积蓄中抽出5美元、10美元、20美元(一点一滴)捐助来的;
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.而竞选活动的声势壮大则是源自那些年轻人,他们拒绝接受认为他们这代人冷漠的荒诞说法;他们离开家、离开亲人,从事报酬微薄、不眠不休的工作;
It drew strength from the not-so-young people who braved the bitter cold and scorching heat to knock on doors of perfect strangers, and 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 the Earth.同时也源自那些已不年轻的人们,他们冒着严寒酷暑,敲开陌生人的家门进行竞选宣传;更源自数百万的美国民众,他们自发地组织起来当志愿者。这证明历经两百多年之后一个民有、民治、民享的政府,仍未从地球上消亡。
This is your victory.这是你们的胜利。
And I know you didn't do this just to win an election.And I know you didn't do it for me.我知道你们这么做并不只是为了赢得大选,更不是为了我个人。
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.你们这么做是因为你们明白摆在面前的任务有多艰巨。因为即便是我们欢庆胜利的今晚,我们也知道,今后将面临我们一生中最为艰巨的挑战——两场战争。一是地球的环保危机,再就是百年不遇的最严重的金融危机
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.及时今晚我们站在这儿,我们也知道在伊拉克沙漠和阿富汗山区还有勇敢的美国士兵正在警惕地为我们甘冒生命危险
There are mothers and fathers who will lie awake after the children fall asleep and wonder how they'll make the mortgage or pay their doctors' bills or save enough for their child's college education.有多少父母在孩子熟睡后仍难以入眠,他们在为如何偿还按揭月供、付医药费或攒钱供孩子上大学而发愁。
There's new energy to harness, new jobs to be created, new schools to build, and threats to meet, alliances to repair.我们亟待开发新能源;创造新的就业机会;我们需要修建新学校;还要应对众多威胁、恢复与许多国家的关系。
The road ahead will be long.Our climb will be steep.We may not get there in one year or even in 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.路漫漫其修远兮,吾将逆难而求索。我们未必能够一蹴而就。但是,美国啊!是你今晚给了我从未有过的自信,我会不辱使命。d我向你们承诺:只要团结如一人,目标一定会达到。
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 the government can't solve 35 every problem.执政伊始,挫折和错误在所难免。我作为总统所做出的决策,也会有许多人并不赞同。我们知道这届政府并不能解决所有问题。
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 to 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, calloused hand by calloused hand.但我一定会向你们坦陈所面临的挑战;会认真听从你们的建议,尤其是意见不一致的时候。总之,我诚邀你们参与民族复兴的大业。美国221年来唯一的方式,就是一砖一瓦、胼手胝足地去建设。
What began 21 months ago in the depths of winter cannot 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 can't happen without you, without a new spirit of service, a new spirit of sacrifice.始于21个月前深冬的那一切不应在这个秋夜结束。大选的胜利不是我们所寻求的改变,这仅仅是给我们提供了一次变革良机。我们如果重走回头路的话,变革就难以实现;没有你们的支持,变革难以实现;没有一种新的工作态度,变革难以实现;没有一种新的牺牲精神,变革也难以实现。
So let us summon a new spirit of patriotism, of responsibility, where each of us resolves to pitch in and work harder and look after not only ourselves, but each other.因此,让我们充满新的爱国主义精神及责任感吧!让我们每个人都决心付出、努力工作并互相关爱吧!
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.Let's resist the temptation to fall back on the same partisanship and pettiness and immaturity that has poisoned our politics for so long.请记住吧!如果说这次金融危机提示了我们什么,那就是在全部街区都陷入危机 36 时,我们难能保持华尔街的繁荣。国家兴亡,匹夫有责。我们要避免以往那种长期毒害我们的党争、卑劣、幼稚政治对我们的诱惑。
Let's 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 and individual liberty and national unity.Those are values that 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.让我们记住吧!之所以有人首次将共和党大旗扛进白宫,就是因为有自强自立、个人自由、国家统一的建档理念。这是我们所有人都信奉的理念。民主党今晚虽获得了大胜,但我们将用谦卑的态度,并决心去弥合在竞选中产生的裂痕。
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.正如林肯在国家出现比我们现在更大分歧时所说:“我们不是敌人,而是朋友。”尽管情势有些紧张,但决不容许我们之间的亲密关系破裂。
And to those Americans whose support I have yet to earn, I may not have won your vote tonight, but I hear your voices.I need your help.And I will be your president, too.我要对那些支持并投票给我的美国人,以及那些今晚没有将选票投给我的人说:我都听到了你们的声音,我需要你们的帮助,而我将同样是你们的总统;
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 the world, our stories are singular, but our destiny is shared, and a new dawn of American leadership is at hand.我要对所有远在大洋彼岸关注今夜结果的国际人士——不管他们是在国会、皇宫、还是聚在荒僻角落听收音机——我要对他们说:我们的国情各有千秋,但我们休戚与共。美国领导人已掌控一切、曙光乍现。
To those--to those who would tear the 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.还有——我还要对那些破坏世界和平的人说:我将打败你;我要对那些寻求和平与安全的人说:我们支持你;对所有那些疑惑美国的灯塔能否继续闪耀光芒的人,今夜我们将再次申明:美国的真正力量并非来源于军事威力或财富规模,而是来源于我们我们持久的信念力量。这些信念包括:民主、自由、机遇以及坚定不移的希望。
That's the true genius of America: that America can change.Our union can be perfected.What we've already achieved gives us hope for what we can and must achieve tomorrow.勇于变革,这才是真正的美国精神。我们的联邦制度可以完善。我们对未来能达而且必达的目标充满了希望。
This election had many firsts and many stories that will be told for generations.But one that's on my mind tonight's 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”,诞生了许多留芳后世的故事。但今晚最令我难忘的却是一位在亚特兰大投票的妇女:安.尼尔森.库波尔。她和无数排队等候投票的选民没什么不同,唯一不同的是她106岁的高龄。
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.在她出生的那个年代,奴隶制刚刚废除。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——第一个原因她是女性,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.今夜,她见证了一个世纪的美国让我感慨良多——有伤心有希望;有奋斗有进步。在那个我们还不怎么行的年代里,人民就抱定了美国式的信条:是的,我们行。
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。但她活到了现在,看到妇女们站起来了,可以发表意见了,有选举权了。是的,我们行。
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, a new sense of common purpose.Yes we can。大萧条时期,经济跌入深谷,绝望笼罩大地。她见证了美国以新政、新的就业机会以及追求共同目标的崭新精神面貌战胜了恐慌。是的,我们行。
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的威胁,她见证了挺身而出伟大的一代美国人,他们捍卫了民主。是的,我们行。
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.她见证了蒙哥马利公交车事件、伯明翰暴动事件、塞尔玛血腥周末事件。亚特兰大的一位牧师告诉人们:“我们无往而不胜”。是的,我们行。
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,39 through the best of times and the darkest of hours, she knows how America can change.Yes we can.人类登上月球,柏林墙倒塌,我们靠科学和创造把世界连为一体。今年,在这次选举中,激动的她手指轻触电子屏幕,投下了自己的一票。她在美国生活了106年,其间有美好的时光,也有最黑暗的时刻,她知道美国该何去何从。是的,我们行。
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美国啊,迄今为止,我们已见证良多,但前路依然漫长。为此,在今夜,让我们反问一下我们自己,如果我们的孩子能够活到下个世纪;如果我的女儿能有幸像安-尼克森-库珀尔那样长寿,他们将会看到些什么?我们将会取得怎样的进步?
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 doubts 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.现在是我们来回答这一问题的时候了,这是我们的时刻,这是我们的时代。要使我们的人民重获工作并为我们的孩子大开方便之门;重现繁荣并促进和平;实现我们美国的梦想,就得重申一个基本准则,那就是:团结一致,众志成城;一息尚存,希望就在。当我们遭遇嘲讽和质疑时,当有人认为我们无所作为时。我们将用一句发自心中反映我们恒久信念的话做出回答:不,我们行!
Inauguration Speech: We must Pick Ourselves Up
My fellow citizens:
I stand here today humbled by the task before us, grateful for the trust you have bestowed, mindful of the sacrifices borne by our ancestors.I thank President Bush for his service to our nation, as well as the generosity and cooperation he has shown throughout this transition.Forty-four Americans have now taken the presidential oath.The words have been spoken during rising tides of prosperity and the still waters of peace.Yet, every so often, the oath is taken amidst gathering clouds and raging storms.At these moments, America has carried on not simply because of the skill or vision of those in high office, but because We the People have remained faithful to the ideals of our forebearers, and true to our founding documents.So it has been.So it must be with this generation of Americans.That we are in the midst of crisis is now well understood.Our nation is at war, against a far-reaching network of violence and hatred.Our economy is badly weakened, a consequence of greed and irresponsibility on the part of some, but also our collective failure to make hard choices and prepare the nation for a new age.Homes have been lost;jobs shed;businesses shuttered.Our health care is too costly;our schools fail too many;and each day brings further evidence that the ways we use energy strengthen our adversaries and threaten our planet.These are the indicators of crisis, subject to data and statistics.Less measurable but no less profound is a sapping of confidence across our land--a nagging fear that America's decline is inevitable, and that the next generation must lower its sights.Today I say to you that the challenges we face are real.They are serious and they are
many.They will not be met easily or in a short span of time.But know this, America: They will be met.On this day, we gather because we have chosen hope over fear, unity of purpose over conflict and discord.On this day, we come to proclaim an end to the petty grievances and false promises, the recriminations and worn-out dogmas, that for far too long have strangled our politics.We remain a young nation, but in the words of Scripture, the time has come to set aside childish things.The time has come to reaffirm our enduring spirit;to choose our better history;to carry forward that precious gift, that noble idea, passed on from generation to generation: the God-given promise that all are equal, all are free, and all deserve a chance to pursue their full measure of happiness.In reaffirming the greatness of our nation, we understand that greatness is never a given.It must be earned.Our journey has never been one of shortcuts or settling for less.It has not been the path for the fainthearted--for those who prefer leisure over work, or seek only the pleasures of riches and fame.Rather, it has been the risk-takers, the doers, the makers of things--some celebrated, but more often men and women obscure in their labor--who have carried us up the long, rugged path toward prosperity and freedom.For us, they packed up their few worldly possessions and traveled across oceans in search of a new life.For us, they toiled in sweatshops and settled the West;endured the lash of the whip and plowed the hard earth.42 For us, they fought and died, in places like Concord and Gettysburg;Normandy and Khe Sahn.Time and again, these men and women struggled and sacrificed and worked till their hands were raw so that we might live a better life.They saw America as bigger than the sum of our individual ambitions;greater than all the differences of birth or wealth or faction.This is the journey we continue today.We remain the most prosperous, powerful nation on Earth.Our workers are no less productive than when this crisis began.Our minds are no less inventive, our goods and services no less needed than they were last week or last month or last year.Our capacity remains undiminished.But our time of standing pat, of protecting narrow interests and putting off unpleasant decisions--that time has surely passed.Starting today, we must pick ourselves up, dust ourselves off, and begin again the work of remaking America.For everywhere we look, there is work to be done.The state of the economy calls for action, bold and swift, and we will act--not only to create new jobs, but to lay a new foundation for growth.We will build the roads and bridges, the electric grids and digital lines that feed our commerce and bind us together.We will restore science to its rightful place, and wield technology's wonders to raise health care's quality and lower its cost.We will harness the sun and the winds and the soil to fuel our cars and run our factories.And we will transform our schools and colleges and universities to meet the demands of a new age.All this we can do.And all this we will do.Now, there are some who question the scale of our ambitions--who suggest that our system cannot tolerate too many big plans.Their memories are short.For they have forgotten what this country has already done;what free men and women can achieve when imagination is joined to common purpose, and necessity to courage.43 What the cynics fail to understand is that the ground has shifted beneath them--that the stale political arguments that have consumed us for so long no longer apply.The question we ask today is not whether our government is too big or too small, but whether it works--whether it helps families find jobs at a decent wage, care they can afford, a retirement that is dignified.Where the answer is yes, we intend to move forward.Where the answer is no, programs will end.And those of us who manage the public's dollars will be held to account--to spend wisely, reform bad habits, and do our business in the light of day--because only then can we restore the vital trust between a people and their government.Nor is the question before us whether the market is a force for good or ill.Its power to generate wealth and expand freedom is unmatched, but this crisis has reminded us that without a watchful eye, the market can spin out of control--and that a nation cannot prosper long when it favors only the prosperous.The success of our economy has always depended not just on the size of our gross domestic product, but on the reach of our prosperity;on our ability to extend opportunity to every willing heart--not out of charity, but because it is the surest route to our common good.As for our common defense, we reject as false the choice between our safety and our ideals.Our Founding Fathers, faced with perils we can scarcely imagine, drafted a charter to assure the rule of law and the rights of man, a charter expanded by the blood of generations.Those ideals still light the world, and we will not give them up for expedience's sake.And so to all other peoples and governments who are watching today, from the grandest capitals to the small village where my father was born: Know that America is a friend of each nation and every man, woman and child who seeks a future of peace and dignity, and that we are ready to lead once more.Recall that earlier generations faced down fascism and communism not just with missiles and tanks, but with sturdy alliances and enduring convictions.They understood that our power alone cannot protect us, nor does it entitle us to do as we
please.Instead, they knew that our power grows through its prudent use;our security emanates from the justness of our cause, the force of our example, the tempering qualities of humility and restraint.We are the keepers of this legacy.Guided by these principles once more, we can meet those new threats that demand even greater effort--even greater cooperation and understanding between nations.We will begin to responsibly leave Iraq to its people, and forge a hard-earned peace in Afghanistan.With old friends and former foes, we will work tirelessly to lessen the nuclear threat, and roll back the specter of a warming planet.We will not apologize for our way of life, nor will we waver in its defense, and for those who seek to advance their aims by inducing terror and slaughtering innocents, we say to you now that our spirit is stronger and cannot be broken;you cannot outlast us, and we will defeat you.For we know that our patchwork heritage is a strength, not a weakness.We are a nation of Christians and Muslims, Jews and Hindus--and nonbelievers.We are shaped by every language and culture, drawn from every end of this Earth;and because we have tasted the bitter swill of civil war and segregation, and emerged from that dark chapter stronger and more united, we cannot help but believe that the old hatreds shall someday pass;that the lines of tribe shall soon dissolve;that as the world grows smaller, our common humanity shall reveal itself;and that America must play its role in ushering in a new era of peace.To the Muslim world, we seek a new way forward, based on mutual interest and mutual respect.To those leaders around the globe who seek to sow conflict, or blame their society's ills on the West: Know that your people will judge you on what you can build, not what you destroy.To those who cling to power through corruption and deceit and the silencing of dissent, know that you are on the wrong side of history;but that we will extend a hand if you are willing to unclench your fist.45 To the people of poor nations, we pledge to work alongside you to make your farms flourish and let clean waters flow;to nourish starved bodies and feed hungry minds.And to those nations like ours that enjoy relative plenty, we say we can no longer afford indifference to suffering outside our borders;nor can we consume the world's resources without regard to effect.For the world has changed, and we must change with it.As we consider the road that unfolds before us, we remember with humble gratitude those brave Americans who, at this very hour, patrol far-off deserts and distant mountains.They have something to tell us today, just as the fallen heroes who lie in Arlington whisper through the ages.We honor them not only because they are guardians of our liberty, but because they embody the spirit of service;a willingness to find meaning in something greater than themselves.And yet, at this moment--a moment that will define a generation--it is precisely this spirit that must inhabit us all.For as much as government can do and must do, it is ultimately the faith and determination of the American people upon which this nation relies.It is the kindness to take in a stranger when the levees break, the selflessness of workers who would rather cut their hours than see a friend lose their job which sees us through our darkest hours.It is the firefighter's courage to storm a stairway filled with smoke, but also a parent's willingness to nurture a child, that finally decides our fate.Our challenges may be new.The instruments with which we meet them may be new.But those values upon which our success depends--hard work and honesty, courage and fair play, tolerance and curiosity, loyalty and patriotism--these things are old.These things are true.They have been the quiet force of progress throughout our history.What is demanded then is a return to these truths.What is required of us now is a new era of responsibility--a recognition, on the part of every American, that we have duties to ourselves, our nation and the world;duties that we do not grudgingly
accept but rather seize gladly, firm in the knowledge that there is nothing so satisfying to the spirit, so defining of our character, than giving our all to a difficult task.This is the price and the promise of citizenship.This is the source of our confidence--the knowledge that God calls on us to shape an uncertain destiny.This is the meaning of our liberty and our creed--why men and women and children of every race and every faith can join in celebration across this magnificent Mall, and why a man whose father less than 60 years ago might not have been served at a local restaurant can now stand before you to take a most sacred oath.So let us mark this day with remembrance, of who we are and how far we have traveled.In the year of America's birth, in the coldest of months, a small band of patriots huddled by dying campfires on the shores of an icy river.The capital was abandoned.The enemy was advancing.The snow was stained with blood.At a moment when the outcome of our revolution was most in doubt, the father of our nation ordered these words be read to the people:
“Let it be told to the future world...that in the depth of winter, when nothing but hope and virtue could survive...that the city and the country, alarmed at one common danger, came forth to meet [it].”
America.In the face of our common dangers, in this winter of our hardship, let us remember these timeless words.With hope and virtue, let us brave once more the icy currents, and endure what storms may come.Let it be said by our children's children that when we were tested, we refused to let this journey end, that we did not turn back, nor did we falter;and with eyes fixed on the horizon and God's grace upon us, we carried forth that great gift of freedom and delivered it safely to future generations.47
奥巴马就职演讲中文版(供参考)
各位同胞:
今天我站在这里,为眼前的重责大任感到谦卑,对各位的信任心怀感激,对先贤的牺牲铭记在心。我要谢谢布什总统为这个国家的服务,也感谢他在政权转移期间的宽厚和配合。
四十四位美国人发表过总统就职誓言,这些誓词或是在繁荣富强及和平宁静之际发表,或是在乌云密布,时局动荡之时。在艰困的时候,美国能箕裘相继,不仅因为居高位者有能力或愿景,也因为人民持续对先人的抱负有信心,也忠於创建我国的法统。
因此,美国才能承继下来。因此,这一代美国人也必须承继下去。
现在大家都知道我们正置身危机核心,我国正在与四处蔓延的 暴力和憎恨作战。我们的经济元气大伤——这既是某些人贪婪且不负责任的後果,也是大众未能做出艰难的选择,对国家进入新时代做准备不足所致。许多人失去房 子,丢了工作,生意萧条。我们的医疗太昂贵,学校教育让人失望。每天都有更多证据显示,我们利用能源的方式壮大我们的对敌,威胁我们的星球。
这些都是得自资料和统计数据的危机指标。比较无法测量但同样深沉的,是举国信心尽失——持续担心美国将无可避免地衰退,也害怕下一代一定会眼界变低。
今天我要告诉各位,我们面临的挑战是真的,挑战非常严重,且不在少数。它们不是可以轻易,或在短时间内解决。但是,美国要了解,这些挑战会被解决。
在这一天,我们聚在一起,因为我们选择希望而非恐惧,有意义的团结而非纷争 48 和不合。
在这一天,我们来此宣示,那些无用的抱怨和虚伪的承诺已终结,那些扭曲我们政治已久的相互指控和陈旧教条已终结。
我们仍是个年轻的国家,但借用圣经的话,摆脱幼稚事物的时刻到来了,重申我们坚忍精神的时刻到来了,选择我们更好的历史,实践那种代代传承的珍贵权利,那种高贵的理念:就是上帝的应许,我们每个人都是平等的,每个人都是自由的,每个人都应该有机会追求全然的幸福。
再次肯定我们国家的伟大,我们了解伟大绝非赐予而来,必须 努力达成。我们的旅程从来就不是抄捷径或很容易就满足。这条路一直都不是给不勇敢的人走的,那些偏好逸乐胜过工作,或者只想追求名利就满足的人。恰恰相 反,走这条路的始终是勇於冒险的人,做事的人,成事的人,其中有些人很出名,但更常见的是在各自岗位上的男男女女无名英雄,在这条漫长崎岖的道路上支撑我 们,迈向繁荣与自由。
为了我们,他们携带很少的家当,远渡重洋,追寻新生活。
为了我们,他们胼手胝足,在西部安顿下来;忍受风吹雨打,筚路蓝缕。
为了我们,他们奋斗不懈,在康科特和盖茨堡,诺曼地和溪山等地葬身。
前人不断的奋斗与牺牲,直到双手皮开肉绽,我们才能享有比较好的生活。他们将美国视为大於所有个人企图心总和的整体,超越出身、财富或小圈圈的差异。
这是我们今天继续前进的旅程。我们仍旧是 全球最繁荣强盛的国家。这场危机爆发时,我们的劳工生产力并未减弱。我们的心智一样创新,我们的产品和劳务和上周或上个月或去年相比,一样是必需品。我们 的能力并未减损。但是我们 49 墨守成规、维护狭小利益、推迟引人不悦的决定,这段时期肯定已经过去。由今天开始,我们必须振作起来,拍掉身上的灰尘,再度开始重塑美国。
我们无论朝何处望去,都有工作必须完成。经济情势需要大 胆、迅速的行动,我们将有所行动,不光是创造新工作,更要奠定成长的新基础。我们将造桥铺路,为企业兴建电力网格与数位线路,将我们联系在一起。我们将让 科学回归合适的用途,运用科技的奇蹟来提高医疗品质并降低费用。我们将利用太阳能、风力和土壤作为汽车的燃料和工厂的能源。我们将让中小学及大专院校转 型,因应新时代的需要。这些我们可以作到。我们也将会作到。
现在,有人质疑我们的雄心,暗示说我们的体系无法承受太多的大计画。这些人的记性不好。因为他们忘记了这个国家已经完成的成就,当创造力朝同一个目标发展,不受约束的男男女女可以完成何等成就,必要的是勇气。
怀疑者无法理解的是他们的主张已经站不住脚,长期以来折磨 我们的陈腐政治争议已经行不通。我们今天的问题不是政府太大或太小,而是有无功效,是否能帮助家庭找到薪水不错的工作,支付得起照顾费用,有尊严的退休。哪个方向能够提供肯定的答案,我们就往那里走。答案是否定的地方,计画就会停止。所有我们这些管理大众金钱的人都将负起责任,花钱要精明,改掉恶习,正大 光明作事情,只有这样我们才能重建政府与人民间最重要的信任。
我们眼前的问题也不是说市场的力量是善或恶。市场创造财富 和增加自由的力量无与伦比,但是这场危机提醒我们没有监督时,市场发展将失控,当市场只偏爱有钱人时,国家无法永续繁荣。我们经济成功的依据,不只是国内 生产毛额的规模,还有繁荣可及的范围,以及我们将机会拓展给每个愿意打拚的人,不是因为施舍,而是因为这就是达到我们共同利益最稳健的途径。
至於我们的共同防卫,让我们必须在自由和理想之间作一抉 择,是错误的,我们拒绝接受。我们建国诸父在我们难以想像的危难之中。拟具了确保法治和人权 50
第五篇:奥巴马就职演说中英对照稿
奥巴马的就职演说中英对照稿(2009-01-22 10:00:30)
标签:音乐 奥巴马 就职演说美国 美国 演讲 总统 杂谈
巴拉克?奥巴马(Barack Obama)于2009年1月20日宣誓就职美国第44任总统。以下是奥巴马总统就职演说的中英文对照全文,中文由美国国务院国际信息局(IIP)根据演说记录稿翻译。My fellow citizens: I stand here today humbled by the task before us, grateful for the trust you have bestowed, mindful of the sacrifices borne by our ancestors.I thank President Bush for his service to our nation, as well as the generosity and cooperation he has shown throughout this transition.同胞们:
我今天站在这里,深感面前使命的重大,深谢你们赋予的信任,并铭记我们前辈所付的代价。我感谢布什总统对国家的贡献以及他在整个过渡阶段给予的大度合作。
Forty-four Americans have now taken the presidential oath.The words have been spoken during rising tides of prosperity and the still waters of peace.Yet, every so often the oath is taken amidst gathering clouds and raging storms.At these moments, America has carried on not simply because of the skill or vision of those in high office, but because we the people have remained faithful to the ideals of our forebears, and true to our founding documents.至此,有四十四个美国人发出总统誓言。这些字词曾在蒸蒸日上的繁荣时期和宁静安详的和平年代诵读。但是间或,它们也响彻在阴云密布、风暴降临的时刻。美国能够历经这些时刻而勇往直前,不仅因为当政者具有才干或远见,而且也因为“我们人民”始终坚信我们先辈的理想,对我们的建国理念忠贞不渝。
So it has been.So it must be with this generation of Americans.这是过来之路。这是这一代美国的必由之路。
That we are in the midst of crisis is now well understood.Our nation is at war, against a far-reaching network of violence and hatred.Our economy is badly weakened, a consequence of greed and irresponsibility on the part of some, but also our collective failure to make hard choices and prepare the nation for a new age.Homes have been lost;jobs shed;businesses shuttered.Our health care is too costly;our schools fail too many;and each day brings further evidence that the ways we use energy strengthen our adversaries and threaten our planet.我们处于危机之中,这一点已得到充分认识。我国在进行战争,打击分布广泛的暴力和仇恨势力。我们的经济严重衰弱,部分归咎于一些人的贪婪不轨,同时也因为我们作为一个整体,未能痛下决心,让国家作好面对新时代的准备。如今,住房不再,就业减少,商业破产。医疗保健费用过度昂贵;学校质量没有保障;而每一天都在不断显示,我们使用能源的方式在助长敌人的威风,威胁我们的星球。
These are the indicators of crisis, subject to data and statistics.Less measurable but no less profound is a sapping of confidence across our land ― a nagging fear that America's decline is inevitable, and that the next generation must lower its sights.这些是危机的迹象,数据统计将予以证明。不易于衡量然而同样严重的是全国各地受动摇的信心――一种挥之不去的恐惧感,认为美国将不可避免地走下坡路,下一代人不得不放低眼光。
Today I say to you that the challenges we face are real.They are serious and they are many.They will not be met easily or in a short span of time.But know this, America ― they will be met.今天,我告诉大家,我们面临的挑战真实存在,并且严重而多重。它们不可能在一个短时间内被轻易征服。但是,美国,请记住这句话――它们将被征服。
On this day, we gather because we have chosen hope over fear, unity of purpose over conflict and discord.我们今天聚集在这里是因为我们选择希望而不是恐惧,选择齐心协力而不是冲突对立。
On this day, we come to proclaim an end to the petty grievances and false promises, the recriminations and worn out dogmas, that for far too long have strangled our politics.我们今天在这里宣告,让斤斤计较与虚假承诺就此结束,让窒息我国政治为时太久的相互指责和陈词滥调就此完结。
We remain a young nation, but in the words of Scripture, the time has come to set aside childish things.The time has come to reaffirm our enduring spirit;to choose our better history;to carry forward that precious gift, that noble idea, passed on from generation to generation: the God-given promise that all are equal, all are free and all deserve a chance to pursue their full measure of happiness.我们仍是一个年轻的国家,但用圣经的话说,现在是抛弃幼稚的时侯了。现在应是我们让永恒的精神发扬光大的时侯,应是选择创造更佳历史业绩的时侯,应是将代代相传的宝贵财富、崇高理想向前发展的时侯:上帝赋予所有人平等、所有人自由和所有人充分追求幸福的机会。
In reaffirming the greatness of our nation, we understand that greatness is never a given.It must be earned.Our journey has never been one of shortcuts or settling for less.It has not been the path for the faint-hearted ― for those who prefer leisure over work, or seek only the pleasures of riches and fame.Rather, it has been the risk-takers, the doers, the makers of things ― some celebrated but more often men and women obscure in their labor, who have carried us up the long, rugged path towards prosperity and freedom.在重申我们国家伟大精神的同时,我们懂得,伟大从非天生,而是必须赢得。我们的历程从来不是走捷径或退而求其次的历程。它不是弱者的道路――它不属于好逸恶劳或只图名利享受的人;这条路属于冒险者,实干家,创造者――有些人享有盛名,但大多数是默默无闻耕耘劳作的男女志士,是他们带我们走向通往繁荣和自由的漫长崎岖之路。
For us, they packed up their few worldly possessions and traveled across oceans in search of a new life.为了我们,他们打点起贫寒的行装上路,远涉重洋,追求新生活。
For us, they toiled in sweatshops and settled the West;endured the lash of the whip and plowed the hard earth.为了我们,他们在血汗工厂劳作,在西部原野拓荒,忍着鞭笞之痛在坚硬的土地上耕耘。
For us, they fought and died, in places like Concord and Gettysburg;Normandy and Khe Sanh.为了我们,他们奔赴疆场,英勇捐躯,长眠于康科德、葛底斯堡、诺曼底和溪山。
Time and again these men and women struggled and sacrificed and worked till their hands were raw so that we might live a better life.They saw America as bigger than the sum of our individual ambitions;greater than all the differences of birth or wealth or faction.为了我们能够过上更好的生活,他们前赴后继,历尽艰辛,全力奉献,不辞劳苦,直至双手结起层层老茧。他们看到的美国超越了我们每一个人的雄心壮志,也超越了所有种族、财富或派系的差异。
This is the journey we continue today.We remain the most prosperous, powerful nation on Earth.Our workers are no less productive than when this crisis began.Our minds are no less inventive, our goods and services no less needed than they were last week or last month or last year.Our capacity remains undiminished.But our time of standing pat, of protecting narrow interests and putting off unpleasant decisions ― that time has surely passed.Starting today, we must pick ourselves up, dust ourselves off, and begin again the work of remaking America.今天,作为后来者,我们踏上了这一未竟的旅程。我们依然是地球上最繁荣、最强大的国家。我们的劳动者的创造力并没有因为眼前的这场危机而减弱。我们的头脑依然像以往那样善于发明创新。我们的产品与服务仍旧像上星期、上个月或去年一样受人欢迎。我们的能力丝毫无损。但是,维持现状、保护狭隘的利益集团、推迟困难的抉择的时代无疑已成为过去。从今天起,我们必须振作起来,扫除我们身上的尘土,重新开启再造美国的事业。
For everywhere we look, there is work to be done.The state of the economy calls for action, bold and swift, and we will act ― not only to create new jobs, but to lay a new foundation for growth.We will build the roads and bridges, the electric grids and digital lines that feed our commerce and bind us together.We will restore science to its rightful place, and wield technology's wonders to raise health care's quality and lower its cost.We will harness the sun and the winds and the soil to fuel our cars and run our factories.And we will transform our schools and colleges and universities to meet the demands of a new age.All this we can do.All this we will do.无论我们把目光投向何处,都有工作在等待着我们。经济形势要求我们果敢而迅速地行动,我们将不辱使命――不仅要创造新的就业机会,而且要打下新的增长基础。我们将建造道路和桥梁,架设电网,铺设承载我们的商务和把我们紧密相连的电子通讯网络。我们将恢复尊重科学的传统,利用高新技术的超常潜力提高医疗保健质量并降低成本。我们将利用太阳能、风力和地热为车辆和工厂提供能源。我们将改造我们的中小学和高等院校,以应对新时代的挑战。这一切我们都能做到。这一切我们必将做到。
Now, there are some who question the scale of our ambitions ― who suggest that our system cannot tolerate too many big plans.Their memories are short.For they have forgotten what this country has already done;what free men and women can achieve when imagination is joined to common purpose, and necessity to courage.现在,有人怀疑我们的雄心壮志――他们说我们的体制不能承受太多的宏伟规划。他们的记忆是短暂的,因为他们忘记了这个国家已经取得的成就,忘记了一旦共同的目标插上理想的翅膀、现实的要求鼓起勇气的风帆,自由的人民就会爆发出无穷的创造力。
What the cynics fail to understand is that the ground has shifted beneath them ― that the stale political arguments that have consumed us for so long no longer apply.The question we ask today is not whether our government is too big or too small, but whether it works ― whether it helps families find jobs at a decent wage, care they can afford, a retirement that is dignified.Where the answer is yes, we intend to move forward.Where the answer is no, programs will end.Those of us who manage the public's dollars will be held to account ― to spend wisely, reform bad habits, and do our business in the light of day ― because only then can we restore the vital trust between a people and their government.那些冷眼旁观的人没有认识到他们脚下的大地已经移动――那些长期以来空耗我们的精力的陈腐政治观点已经过时。我们今天提出的问题不是我们的政府太大还是太小,而是它是否行之有效――它是否能够帮助人们找到报酬合理的就业机会,是否能够为他们提供费用适度的医疗保健服务,是否能够确保他们在退休后不失尊严。如果回答是肯定的,我们就要向前推进。如果回答是否定的,计划和项目必须终止。作为公共资金的管理者,我们必须承担责任――明智地使用资金,抛弃坏习惯,在阳光下履行职责――因为只有这样我们才能恢复人民对政府的至关重要的信任。
Nor is the question before us whether the market is a force for good or ill.Its power to generate wealth and expand freedom is unmatched, but this crisis has reminded us that without a watchful eye, the market can spin out of control ― and that a nation cannot prosper long when it favors only the prosperous.The success of our economy has always depended not just on the size of our gross domestic product, but on the reach of our prosperity;on our ability to extend opportunity to every willing heart ― not out of charity, but because it is the surest route to our common good.我们提出的问题也不在于市场力量是替天行道还是为虎作伥。市场在生成财富和传播自由方面具有无与伦比的力量,但这场危机提醒我们:没有严格的监督,市场就会失控――如果一个国家仅仅施惠于富裕者,其富裕便不能持久。我们的经济成功从来不是仅仅依赖国内总产值的规模,而是还依赖繁荣的普及,即为每一位愿意致富的人提供机会的能力――不是通过施舍――因为这才是最可靠的共同富裕之路。
As for our common defense, we reject as false the choice between our safety and our ideals.Our founding fathers...our found fathers, faced with perils we can scarcely imagine, drafted a charter to assure the rule of law and the rights of man, a charter expanded by the blood of generations.Those ideals still light the world, and we will not give them up for expedience's sake.And so to all the other peoples and governments who are watching today, from the grandest capitals to the small village where my father was born: know that America is a friend of each nation and every man, woman, and child who seeks a future of peace and dignity, and that we are ready to lead once more.至于我们的共同防御,我们决不接受安全与理念不可两全的荒谬论点。建国先贤面对我们难以想见的险恶局面,起草了一部保障法治和人权的宪章,一部子孙后代以自己的鲜血使之更加完美的宪章。今天,这些理念仍然照耀着世界,我们不会为一时之利而弃之。因此,对于今天正在观看此情此景的其他各国人民和政府──从最繁华的首都到我父亲出生的小村庄──我们希望他们了解:凡追求和平与尊严的国家以及每一位男人、妇女和儿童,美国是你们的朋友。我们已经做好准备,再一次走在前面。
Recall that earlier generations faced down fascism and communism not just with missiles and tanks, but with sturdy alliances and enduring convictions.They understood that our power alone cannot protect us, nor does it entitle us to do as we please.Instead, they knew that our power grows through its prudent use;our security emanates from the justness of our cause, the force of our example, the tempering qualities of humility and restraint.回顾过去,几代人在战胜法西斯主义和共产主义时依靠的不仅仅是导弹和坦克,更是牢固的联盟和不渝的信念。他们懂得单凭实力无法保护我们的安全,实力也并不赋予我们随心所欲的权利。相反,他们知道审慎使用实力会使我们更强大;我们的安全源于事业的正义性、典范的感召力、以及谦卑和克制的平衡作用。
We are the keepers of this legacy.Guided by these principles once more, we can meet those new threats that demand even greater effort ― even greater cooperation and understanding between nations.We will begin to responsibly leave Iraq to its people, and forge a hard-earned peace in Afghanistan.With old friends and former foes, we will work tirelessly to lessen the nuclear threat, and roll back the specter of a warming planet.We will not apologize for our way of life, nor will we waver in its defense, and for those who seek to advance their aims by inducing terror and slaughtering innocents, we say to you now that our spirit is stronger and cannot be broken;you cannot outlast us, and we will defeat you.我们是这一传统的继承者。我们只要从新以这些原则为指导,就能应对那些新威胁,为此必须付出更大的努力──推动国家间更多的合作与理解。我们将开始以负责任的方式把伊拉克移交给伊拉克人民,并在阿富汗巩固来之不易的和平。我们将与多年的朋友和昔日的对手一道不懈地努力,减轻核威胁,扭转全球变暖的厄运。我们不会在价值观念上退缩,也不会动摇捍卫它的决心,对于那些妄图以煽动恐怖和屠杀无辜的手段达到其目的的人,我们现在就告诉你们,我们的意志更加顽强、坚不可摧;你们无法拖垮我们,我们必将战胜你们。
For we know that our patchwork heritage is a strength, not a weakness.We are a nation of Christians and Muslims, Jews and Hindus ― and non-believers.We are shaped by every language and culture, drawn from every end of this Earth;and because we have tasted the bitter swill of civil war and segregation, and emerged from that dark chapter stronger and more united, we cannot help but believe that the old hatreds shall someday pass;that the lines of tribe shall soon dissolve;that as the world grows smaller, our common humanity shall reveal itself;and that America must play its role in ushering in a new era of peace.因为我们知道,我们百衲而成的传统是一种优势,而不是劣势。我们是一个由基督教徒和穆斯林、犹太教徒和印度教徒、以及无宗教信仰者组成的国家。我们受惠于地球上四面八方每一种语言和文化的影响。由于我们饮过南北战争和种族隔离的苦水,走出了那个黑暗时代并变得更加坚强和团结,我们不能不相信昔日的仇恨终有一天会成为过去;部族之间的界线很快会消失;随着世界变得越来越小,我们共同的人性将得到彰显;美国必须为迎来一个和平的新纪元发挥自己的作用。
To the Muslim world, we seek a new way forward, based on mutual interest and mutual respect.To those leaders around the globe who seek to sow conflict, or blame their society's ills on the West ― know that your people will judge you on what you can build, not what you destroy.To those who cling to power through corruption and deceit and the silencing of dissent, know that you are on the wrong side of history;but that we will extend a hand if you are willing to unclench your fist.面对穆斯林世界,我们寻求一条新的前进道路,以共同利益和相互尊重为基础。对于世界上那些妄图制造矛盾、将自己社会的弊端归罪于西方的领导人,我们奉劝你们:你们的人民将以你们的建设成就而不是你们的毁灭能力来评判你们。对于那些依靠腐败、欺骗、压制不同意见等手段固守权势的人,我们提醒你们:你们站在了历史错误的一边;但只要你们放弃压迫,我们将伸手相助。
To the people of poor nations, we pledge to work alongside you to make your farms flourish and let clean waters flow;to nourish starved bodies and feed hungry minds.And to those nations like ours that enjoy relative plenty, we say we can no longer afford indifference to the suffering outside our borders;nor can we consume the world's resources without regard to effect.For the world has changed, and we must change with it.对于贫困国家的人民,我们保证同你们并肩努力,为你们的农田带来丰收,让清洁的用水取之不竭;使饥饿的身体得以饱食,使饥渴的心灵受到滋润。对于那些象我们一样比较富裕的国家,我们要说我们再不能对他人的苦难无动于衷,也再不能肆意消耗世界的资源。世界已经改变,我们必须与时俱进。
As we consider the road that unfolds before us, we remember with humble gratitude those brave Americans who, at this very hour, patrol far-off deserts and distant mountains.They have something to tell us, just as the fallen heroes who lie in Arlington whisper through the ages.We honor them not only because they are guardians of our liberty, but because they embody the spirit of service;a willingness to find meaning in something greater than themselves.And yet, at this moment ― a moment that will define a generation ― it is precisely this spirit that must inhabit us all.在思索我们面前的道路时,我们怀着崇敬的心情感谢此刻正在偏远的沙漠和山区巡逻的英勇无畏的美国人。他们向我们述说着什么,正如在阿灵顿公墓长眠的阵亡英雄在漫漫岁月中低浅的吟诵。我们崇敬他们,不仅因为他们捍卫着我们的自由,而且因为他们代表着献身精神,体现了超越个人,寻求远大理想的意愿。然而,在这个时刻,这个具有划时代意义的时刻,我们大家必须具备的正是这种精神。
For as much as government can do and must do, it is ultimately the faith and determination of the American people upon which this nation relies.It is the kindness to take in a stranger when the levees break, the selflessness of workers who would rather cut their hours than see a friend lose their job which sees us through our darkest hours.It is the firefighter's courage to storm a stairway filled with smoke, but also a parent's willingness to nurture a child, that finally decides our fate.虽然政府能有许多作为也必须有许多作为,但最终离不开美国人民的信仰和决心,这便是我国的立国之本。正是因为人们在大堤崩裂时接纳陌生人的关爱之情,正是因为工人们宁愿减少自己的工时而不愿看到朋友失去工作的无私精神,才使我们度过了最暗淡的时光。正是因为消防队员们有勇气冲进浓烟滚滚的楼道,也正是因为做父母的希望培养一个孩子,我们才能决定最后的命运。Our challenges may be new.The instruments with which we meet them may be new.But those values upon which our success depends ― hard work and honesty, courage and fair play, tolerance and curiosity, loyalty and patriotism ― these things are old.These things are true.They have been the quiet force of progress throughout our history.What is demanded then is a return to these truths.What is required of us now is a new era of responsibility ― a recognition, on the part of every American, that we have duties to ourselves, our nation, and the world, duties that we do not grudgingly accept but rather seize gladly, firm in the knowledge that there is nothing so satisfying to the spirit, so defining of our character, than giving our all to a difficult task.我们面临的挑战可能前所未闻。我们迎接挑战的方式也可能前所未有。然而,我们赖以成功的价值观──诚实和勤奋、勇气和公平、宽容心和探索精神、忠诚和爱国 ──均由来以久。这些价值观都是千真万确的。这些价值观是我国整个历史过程中一股无声的进步力量。现在需要的便是重归这些真理。我们现在需要做的是开创负责任的新时代──每一位美国人都需要认识到我们对自己、对国家、对全世界都承担着义务。对于这些义务,我们并非勉强接受,而是心甘情愿主动承担,同时坚信我们为艰巨的使命付出一切,没有任何事可以如此满足我们的道义感,也没有任何事能如此体现我们的特性。
This is the price and the promise of citizenship.这就是公民的义务和承诺。
This is the source of our confidence ― the knowledge that God calls on us to shape an uncertain destiny.这就是我们自信的来源──认识到上帝呼唤我们在前途不明的情况下掌握自己的命运。
This is the meaning of our liberty and our creed ― why men and women and children of every race and every faith can join in celebration across this magnificent Mall, and why a man whose father less than sixty years ago might not have been served at a local restaurant can now stand before you to take a most sacred oath.这就是我们的自由和我们坚守的信条具有的意义──说明了为什么各种族、各类信仰的男女老少能在这个雄伟的大草坪上欢聚一堂,也说明了为什么今天有人能站在这里进行最庄严的宣誓,但他的父亲在不到60年前还不能在当地餐馆受到接待。
So let us mark this day with remembrance, of who we are and how far we have traveled.In the year of America's birth, in the coldest of months, a small band of patriots huddled by dying campfires on the shores of an icy river.The capital was abandoned.The enemy was advancing.The snow was stained with blood.At a moment when the outcome of our revolution was most in doubt, the father of our nation ordered these words be read to the people: “Let it be told to the future world...that in the depth of winter, when nothing but hope and virtue could survive...that the city and the country, alarmed at one common danger, came forth to meet(it).” 为此,让我们记住这一天,记住我们是什么样的人,记住我们已经走过了多长的路。在美利坚诞生的年月,在那些最寒冷的日子里,为数不多的爱国者聚集在一条冰河的岸边,身旁的篝火即将熄灭。首都已经撤防。敌人正在进军。雪地沾满了斑斑血迹。在我们的革命何去何从,结局最难以估计的时刻,我国的开国元勋决定向人民宣读以下这段话: “让我们昭告未来的世界......在这个酷寒的冬季,万物一片萧苏,只有希望和美德坚忍不拔的时候......这个城市和这个国家,受到共同危难的召唤,挺身而出,奋起迎战。”
America, in the face of our common dangers, in this winter of our hardship, let us remember these timeless words.With hope and virtue, let us brave once more the icy currents, and endure what storms may come.Let it be said by our children's children that when we were tested we refused to let this journey end, that we did not turn back nor did we falter;and with eyes fixed on the horizon and God's grace upon us, we carried forth that great gift of freedom and delivered it safely to future generations.美利坚,在我们面临共同危难之际,在我们遇到艰难险阻的冬日,让我们牢记这些永恒的话语。心怀希望和美德,让我们再一次迎着寒风中流击水,不论什么风暴来袭,必将坚不可摧。今后,让我们的后代子孙如此评说:我们在遇到考验的时候没有半途而废,没有退缩不前,也没有丝毫动摇;让我们全神贯注于前方的目标,感谢上帝对我们的恩典,继承自由这个宝贵的传统,世代相传,永志不忘。
Thank you.God bless you.And God bless the United States of America.谢谢。上帝保佑你们。天佑美国。