第一篇:美國(guó)總統(tǒng)奧巴馬的就職演講(中英雙語)
美國(guó)總統(tǒng)奧巴馬的就職演講
《Change Has Come To America》 《美國(guó)的變革時(shí)代已經(jīng)到來》 Hello, Chicago.芝加哥的市民們,你們好!
If there is anyone out there who still doubts that America is a place where all things are possible;who still wonders if the dream of our founders is alive in our time;who still questions the power of our democracy, tonight is your answer.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.如果還有人對(duì)在美國(guó)是否凡事皆有可能這一點(diǎn)存疑,還有人懷疑美國(guó)奠基者的夢(mèng)想在我們所處的時(shí)代是否依然鮮活,還有人質(zhì)疑我們的民主制度的力量,那么今晚,這些問題都有了答案。這是設(shè)在學(xué)校和教堂的投票站前排起的前所未見的長(zhǎng)隊(duì)給出的答案;是等了三四個(gè)小時(shí)的選民所給出的答案,其中許多人都是有生以來第一次投票,因?yàn)樗麄冋J(rèn)定這一次肯定會(huì)不一樣,認(rèn)為自己的聲音會(huì)是這次大選有別于以往之所在。
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 disabled – Americans who sent a message to the world that we have never been a collection of Red States and Blue States: we are, and always will be, the United States of America.這是所有美國(guó)人民共同給出的答案--無論老少貧富,無論是民主黨還是共和黨,無論是黑人、白人、拉美裔、亞裔、原住民,是同性戀者還是異性戀者、殘疾人還是健全人--我們從來不是“紅州”和“藍(lán)州”的對(duì)立陣營(yíng),我們是美利堅(jiān)合眾國(guó)這個(gè)整體,永遠(yuǎn)都是。It’s the answer that led those who have been told for so long by so many to be cynical, and fearful, and doubtful of what we can achieve to put their hands on the arc of history and bend it once more toward the hope of a better day.長(zhǎng)久以來,很多人一再受到告誡,要對(duì)我們所能取得的成績(jī)極盡諷刺、擔(dān)憂和懷疑之能事,但這個(gè)答案讓這些人伸出手來把握歷史,再次讓它朝向美好明天的希望延伸。
It’s been a long time coming, but tonight, because of what we did on this day, in this election, at this defining moment, change has come to America.已經(jīng)過去了這么長(zhǎng)時(shí)間,但今晚,由于我們?cè)诮裉?、在這場(chǎng)大選中、在這個(gè)具有決定性的時(shí)刻所做的,美國(guó)已經(jīng)迎來了變革。
I just received a very gracious call from Senator McCain.He fought long and hard in this campaign, and he’s fought even longer and harder for the country he loves.He has endured sacrifices for America that most of us cannot begin to imagine, and we are better off for the service rendered by this brave and selfless leader.I congratulate him and Governor Palin for all they have achieved, and I look forward to working with them to renew this nation’s promise in the months ahead.我剛剛接到了麥凱恩參議員極具風(fēng)度的致電。他在這場(chǎng)大選中經(jīng)過了長(zhǎng)時(shí)間的努力奮斗,而他為自己所深愛的這個(gè)國(guó)家奮斗的時(shí)間更長(zhǎng)、過程更艱辛。他為美國(guó)做出了我們大多數(shù)人難以想像的犧牲,我們的生活也因這位勇敢無私的領(lǐng)袖所做出的貢獻(xiàn)而變得更美好。我向他和佩林州長(zhǎng)所取得的成績(jī)表示祝賀,我也期待著與他們一起在未來的歲月中為復(fù)興這個(gè)國(guó)家的希望而共同努力。
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 that train home to Delaware, the Vice President-elect of the United States, Joe Biden.我要感謝我在這次旅程中的伙伴--已當(dāng)選美國(guó)副總統(tǒng)的拜登。他全心參與競(jìng)選活動(dòng),為普通民眾代言,他們是他在斯克蘭頓從小到大的伙伴,也是在他回特拉華的火車上遇到的男男女女。
I would not be standing here tonight without the unyielding support of my best friend for the last sixteen years, the rock of our family and the love of my life, our nation’s next First Lady, Michelle Obama.Sasha and Malia, I love you both so much, and you have earned the new puppy that’s coming with us to the White House.And while she’s no longer with us, I know my grandmother is watching, along with the family that made me who I am.I miss them tonight, and know that my debt to them is beyond measure.如果沒有一個(gè)人的堅(jiān)決支持,我今晚就不會(huì)站在這里,她是我過去16年來最好的朋友、是我們一家人的中堅(jiān)和我一生的摯愛,更是我們國(guó)家的下一位第一夫人:米歇爾?奧巴馬(Michelle Obama)。薩莎(Sasha)和瑪麗亞(Malia),我太愛你們兩個(gè)了,你們已經(jīng)得到了一條新的小狗,它將與我們一起入駐白宮。雖然我的外祖母已經(jīng)不在了,但我知道她與我的親人肯定都在看著我,因?yàn)樗麄儯也拍軗碛薪裉斓某删?。今晚,我想念他們,我知道自己欠他們的無可計(jì)量。
To my campaign manager David Plouffe, my chief strategist David Axelrod, and 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.我的競(jìng)選經(jīng)理大衛(wèi)?普勞夫(David Plouffe)、首席策略師大衛(wèi)?艾克斯羅德(David Axelrod)以及政治史上最好的競(jìng)選團(tuán)隊(duì)--是你們成就了今天,我永遠(yuǎn)感激你們?yōu)閷?shí)現(xiàn)今天的成就所做出的犧牲。
But above all, I will never forget who this victory truly belongs to – it belongs to you.但最重要的是,我永遠(yuǎn)不會(huì)忘記這場(chǎng)勝利真正的歸屬--它屬于你們。
I was never the likeliest candidate for this office.We didn’t start with much money or many endorsements.Our campaign was not hatched in the halls of Washington – it began in the backyards of Des Moines and the living rooms of Concord and the front porches of Charleston.我從來不是最有希望的候選人。一開始,我們沒有太多資金,也沒有得到太多人的支持。我們的競(jìng)選活動(dòng)并非誕生于華盛頓的高門華第之內(nèi),而是始于得梅因、康科德、查爾斯頓這些地方的普通民眾家中。
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.我們的競(jìng)選活動(dòng)能有今天的規(guī)模,是因?yàn)樾燎诠ぷ鞯娜藗儚淖约旱奈⒈》e蓄中拿出錢來,捐出一筆又一筆5美元、10美元、20美元。而競(jìng)選活動(dòng)的聲勢(shì)越來越大則是源自那些年輕人,他們拒絕接受認(rèn)為他們這代人冷漠的荒誕說法;他們離開家、離開親人,從事報(bào)酬微薄、極其辛苦的工作;同時(shí)也源自那些已經(jīng)不算年輕的人們,他們冒著嚴(yán)寒酷暑,敲開陌生人的家門進(jìn)行競(jìng)選宣傳;更源自數(shù)百萬的美國(guó)民眾,他們自動(dòng)自發(fā)地組織起來,證明了在兩百多年以后,民有、民治、民享的政府并未從地球上消失。這是你們的勝利。
I know you didn’t do this just to win an election and I know you didn’t do it for me.You did it because you understand the enormity of the task that lies ahead.For even as we celebrate tonight, we know the challenges that tomorrow will bring are the greatest of our lifetime – two wars, a planet in peril, the worst financial crisis in a century.Even as we stand here tonight, we know there are brave Americans waking up in the deserts of Iraq and the mountains of Afghanistan to risk their lives for us.There are mothers and fathers who will lie awake after their children fall asleep and wonder how they’ll make the mortgage, or pay their doctor’s bills, or save enough for college.There is new energy to harness and new jobs to be created;new schools to build and threats to meet and alliances to repair.我知道你們的所做所為并不只是為了贏得大選,我也知道你們做這一切并不是為了我。你們這樣做是因?yàn)槟銈兠靼讛[在面前的任務(wù)有多艱巨。因?yàn)榧幢阄覀兘裢須g呼慶祝,我們也知道明天將面臨我們一生之中最為艱巨的挑戰(zhàn)—兩場(chǎng)戰(zhàn)爭(zhēng)、一個(gè)面臨危險(xiǎn)的星球,還有百年來最嚴(yán)重的金融危機(jī)。今晚站在此地,我們知道伊拉克的沙漠里和阿富汗的群山中還有勇敢的美國(guó)士兵醒來,甘冒生命危險(xiǎn)保護(hù)著我們。會(huì)有在孩子熟睡后仍難以入眠的父母,擔(dān)心如何償還按揭月供、付醫(yī)藥費(fèi)或是存夠錢送孩子上大學(xué)。我們亟待開發(fā)新能源、創(chuàng)造新的工作機(jī)會(huì);我們需要修建新學(xué)校,還要應(yīng)對(duì)眾多威脅、修復(fù)與許多盟國(guó)的關(guān)系。
The road ahead will be long.Our climb will be steep.We may not get there in one year or even one term, but America – I have never been more hopeful than I am tonight that we will get there.I promise you – we as a people will get there.前方的道路會(huì)十分漫長(zhǎng)艱辛。我們可能無法在一年甚至一屆任期之內(nèi)實(shí)現(xiàn)上述目標(biāo),但我從未像今晚這樣滿懷希望,相信我們會(huì)實(shí)現(xiàn)。我向你們承諾—我們作為一個(gè)整體將會(huì)達(dá)成目標(biāo)。There will be setbacks and false starts.There are many who won’t agree with every decision or policy I make as President, and we know that government can’t solve every problem.But I will always be honest with you about the challenges we face.I will listen to you, especially when we disagree.And above all, I will ask you join in the work of remaking this nation the only way it’s been done in America for two-hundred and twenty-one years – block by block, brick by brick, calloused hand by calloused hand.我們會(huì)遭遇挫折和不成功的開端。對(duì)于我作為總統(tǒng)所做的每項(xiàng)決定和政策,會(huì)有許多人持有異議,我們也知道政府并不能解決所有問題。但我會(huì)向你們坦陳我們所面臨的挑戰(zhàn)。我會(huì)聆聽你們的意見,尤其是在我們意見相左之時(shí)。最重要的是,我會(huì)請(qǐng)求你們參與重建這個(gè)國(guó)家,以美國(guó)221年來從未改變的唯一方式—一磚一瓦而成、胼手胝足相續(xù)。
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 seek – it is only the chance for us to make that change.And that cannot happen if we go back to the way things were.It cannot happen without you.21個(gè)月前那個(gè)寒冬所開始的一切不應(yīng)該在今天這個(gè)秋夜結(jié)束。今天的選舉勝利并不是我們所尋求的改變—這只是我們進(jìn)行改變的機(jī)會(huì)。而且如果我們?nèi)匀话凑张f有方式行事,我們所尋求的改變不可能出現(xiàn)。沒有你們,也不可能有這種改變。
So let us summon a new spirit of patriotism;of service and responsibility where each of us resolves to pitch in and work harder and look after not only ourselves, but each other.Let us remember that if this financial crisis taught us anything, it’s that we cannot have a thriving Wall Street while Main Street suffers – in this country, we rise or fall as one nation;as one people.因此,讓我們發(fā)揚(yáng)新的愛國(guó)精神,樹立新的服務(wù)意識(shí)和責(zé)任感,讓我們每個(gè)人下定決心全情投入、更加努力地工作,并彼此關(guān)愛。讓我們銘記這場(chǎng)金融危機(jī)帶來的教訓(xùn):我們不可能在金融以外的領(lǐng)域備受煎熬的同時(shí)擁有繁榮興旺的華爾街—在這個(gè)國(guó)家,我們患難與共。Let us resist the temptation to fall back on the same partisanship and pettiness and immaturity that has poisoned our politics for so long.Let us remember that it was a man from this state who first carried the banner of the Republican Party to the White House – a party founded on the values of self-reliance, individual liberty, and national unity.Those are values we all share, and while the Democratic Party has won a great victory tonight, we do so with a measure of humility and determination to heal the divides that have held back our progress.As Lincoln said to a nation far more divided than ours, “We are not enemies, but friends?though passion may have strained it must not break our bonds of affection.” And to those Americans whose support I have yet to earn – I may not have won your vote, but I hear your voices, I need your help, and I will be your President too.讓我們抵制重走老路的誘惑,避免重新回到令美國(guó)政治長(zhǎng)期深受毒害的黨派紛爭(zhēng)和由此引發(fā)的遺憾和不成熟表現(xiàn)。讓我們牢記,正是伊利諾伊州的一名男子首次將共和黨的大旗扛到了白宮。共和黨是建立在自強(qiáng)自立、個(gè)人自由以及全民團(tuán)結(jié)的價(jià)值觀上,這也是我們所有人都珍視的價(jià)值。雖然民主黨今天晚上贏得了巨大的勝利,但我們是以謙卑的態(tài)度和彌合阻礙我們進(jìn)步的分歧的決心贏得這場(chǎng)勝利的。林肯在向遠(yuǎn)比我們眼下分歧更大的國(guó)家發(fā)表講話時(shí)說,我們不是敵人,而是朋友??雖然激情可能褪去,但是這不會(huì)割斷我們感情上的聯(lián)系。對(duì)于那些現(xiàn)在并不支持我的美國(guó)人,我想說,或許我沒有贏得你們的選票,但是我聽到了你們的聲音,我需要你們的幫助,而且我也將是你們的總統(tǒng)。And to all those watching tonight from beyond our shores, from parliaments and palaces to those who are huddled around radios in the forgotten corners of our world – our stories are singular, but our destiny is shared, and a new dawn of American leadership is at hand.To those who would tear this world down – we will defeat you.To those who seek peace and security – we support you.And to all those who have wondered if America’s beacon still burns as bright – tonight we proved once more that the true strength of our nation comes not from 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.那些徹夜關(guān)注美國(guó)大選的海外人士,從國(guó)會(huì)到皇宮,以及在這個(gè)世界被遺忘的角落里擠在收音機(jī)旁的人們,我們的經(jīng)歷雖然各有不同,但是我們的命運(yùn)是相通的,新的美國(guó)領(lǐng)袖誕生了。那些想要顛覆這個(gè)世界的人們,我們必將擊敗你們。那些追求和平和安全的人們,我們支持你們。那些所有懷疑美國(guó)能否繼續(xù)照亮世界發(fā)展前景的人們,今天晚上我們?cè)俅巫C明,我們國(guó)家真正的力量并非來自我們武器的威力或財(cái)富的規(guī)模,而是來自我們理想的持久力量:民主、自由、機(jī)會(huì)和不屈的希望。For that is the true genius of America – that America can change.Our union can be perfected.And what we have already achieved gives us hope for what we can and must achieve tomorrow.這才是美國(guó)真正的精華—美國(guó)能夠改變。我們的聯(lián)邦會(huì)日臻完善。我們?nèi)〉玫某删蜑槲覀儗砟軌蛉〉玫囊约氨仨毴〉玫某删驮鎏砹讼M?/p>
This election had many firsts and many stories that will be told for generations.But one that’s on my mind tonight is about a woman who cast her ballot in Atlanta.She’s a lot like the millions of others who stood in line to make their voice heard in this election except for one thing – Ann Nixon Cooper is 106 years old.這次大選創(chuàng)造了多項(xiàng)“第一”,也誕生了很多將世代流傳的故事。但是今天晚上令我難忘的卻是在亞特蘭大投票的一名婦女:安?尼克松?庫波爾(Ann Nixon Cooper)。她和其他數(shù)百萬排隊(duì)等待投票的選民沒有什么差別,除了一點(diǎn):她已是106歲的高齡。
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.她出生的那個(gè)時(shí)代奴隸制度剛剛結(jié)束;那時(shí)路上沒有汽車,天上也沒有飛機(jī);當(dāng)時(shí)像她這樣的人由于兩個(gè)原因不能投票--一是她是女性,另一個(gè)原因是她的膚色。
And tonight, I think about all that she’s seen throughout her century in America – the heartache and the hope;the struggle and the progress;the times we were told that we can’t, and the people who pressed on with that American creed: Yes we can.今天晚上,我想到了她在美國(guó)過去一百年間所經(jīng)歷的種種:心痛和希望;掙扎和進(jìn)步;那些我們被告知我們辦不到的世代,以及那些堅(jiān)信美國(guó)信條—是的,我們能做到—的人們。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.曾幾何時(shí),婦女沒有發(fā)言權(quán),她們的希望化作泡影,但是安?尼克松?庫波爾活了下來,看到婦女們站了起來,看到她們大聲發(fā)表自己的見解,看到她們?nèi)⒓哟筮x投票。是的,我們能做到。
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.當(dāng)30年代的沙塵暴和大蕭條引發(fā)人們的絕望之情時(shí),她看到一個(gè)國(guó)家用羅斯福新政、新就業(yè)機(jī)會(huì)以及對(duì)新目標(biāo)的共同追求戰(zhàn)勝恐慌。是的,我們能做到。
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.當(dāng)炸彈襲擊了我們的海港、獨(dú)裁專制威脅到全世界,她見證了美國(guó)一代人的偉大崛起,見證了一個(gè)民主國(guó)家被拯救。是的,我們能做到。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.她看到蒙哥馬利通了公共汽車、伯明翰接上了水管、塞爾馬建了橋,一位來自亞特蘭大的傳教士告訴人們:我們能成功。是的,我們能做到。
A man touched down on the moon, a wall came down in Berlin, a world was connected by our own science and imagination.And this year, in this election, she touched her finger to a screen, and cast her vote, because after 106 years in America, through the best of times and the darkest of hours, she knows how America can change.Yes we can.人類登上月球、柏林墻倒下,世界因我們的科學(xué)和想像被連接在一起。今年,就在這次選舉中,她用手指觸碰屏幕投下自己的選票,因?yàn)樵诿绹?guó)生活了106年之后,經(jīng)歷了最好的時(shí)光和最黑暗的時(shí)刻之后,她知道美國(guó)如何能夠發(fā)生變革。是的,我們能做到。
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? 美國(guó),我們已經(jīng)走過漫漫長(zhǎng)路。我們已經(jīng)歷了很多。但是我們?nèi)杂泻芏嗍虑橐?。因此今夜,讓我們自問—如果我們的孩子能夠活到下個(gè)世紀(jì);如果我們的女兒有幸活得和安一樣長(zhǎng),他們將會(huì)看到怎樣的改變?我們將會(huì)取得怎樣的進(jìn)步?
This is our chance to answer that call.This is our moment.This is our time – to put our people back to work and open doors of opportunity for our kids;to restore prosperity and promote the cause of peace;to reclaim the American Dream and reaffirm that fundamental truth – that out of many, we are one;that while we breathe, we hope, and where we are met with cynicism, and doubt, and those who tell us that we can’t, we will respond with that timeless creed that sums up the spirit of a people:Yes We Can.現(xiàn)在是我們回答這個(gè)問題的機(jī)會(huì)。這是我們的時(shí)刻。這是我們的時(shí)代—讓我們的人民重新就業(yè),為我們的后代敞開機(jī)會(huì)的大門;恢復(fù)繁榮發(fā)展,推進(jìn)和平事業(yè);讓“美國(guó)夢(mèng)”重新煥發(fā)光芒,再次證明這樣一個(gè)基本的真理:我們是一家人;一息尚存,我們就有希望;當(dāng)我們遇到嘲諷和懷疑,當(dāng)有人說我們辦不到的時(shí)候,我們要以這個(gè)永恒的信條來回應(yīng)他們:是的,我們能做到。
Thank you, God bless you, and may God Bless the United States of America.感謝你們。上帝保佑你們。愿上帝保佑美利堅(jiān)合眾國(guó)。
第二篇:美國(guó)總統(tǒng)奧巴馬連任就職演講(2013)
美國(guó)總統(tǒng)奧巴馬連任就職演講
2013.1.21Vice President Biden, Mr.Chief Justice, Members of the United States Congress, distinguished guests, and fellow citizens:
拜登副總統(tǒng),最高法院首席大法官先生,美國(guó)國(guó)會(huì)議員們,尊敬的客人們,同胞們:
Each time we gather to inaugurate a president, we bear witness to the enduring strength of our Constitution.We affirm the promise of our democracy.We recall that what binds this nation together is not the colors of our skin or the tenets of our faith or the origins of our names.What makes us exceptional – what makes us American – is our allegiance to an idea, articulated in a declaration made more than two centuries ago:
當(dāng)我們每次聚集在一起為總統(tǒng)舉行就職典禮時(shí),我們都是在見證美國(guó)憲法的不朽力量。我們是在又一次立下美國(guó)民主的承諾。我們?cè)俅翁嵝颜f,把這個(gè)國(guó)家凝聚在一起的不是我們的膚色,不是信仰的教條,也不是我們的姓氏源于何處。使我們與眾不同——使我們成為美國(guó)人——的,是我們對(duì)一個(gè)在兩個(gè)多世紀(jì)以前發(fā)表的宣言中所表述的理念:
―We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness.‖
―我們認(rèn)為這些真理是不言而喻的:人人生而平等,他們都從他們的造物主那里被賦予了某些不可剝奪的權(quán)利,包括生命權(quán)、自由權(quán)和追求幸福的權(quán)利?!?/p>
Today we continue a never-ending journey, to bridge the meaning of those words with the realities of our time.For history tells us that while these truths may be self-evident, they have never been self-executing;that while freedom is a gift from God, it must be secured by His people here on Earth.The patriots of 1776 did not fight to replace the tyranny of a king with the privileges of a few or the rule of a mob.They gave to us a Republic, a government of, and by, and for the people, entrusting each generation to keep safe our founding creed.今天,我們?nèi)栽诶^續(xù)這個(gè)永恒的旅程,讓那些字句體現(xiàn)在我們這個(gè)時(shí)代的現(xiàn)實(shí)中。因?yàn)闅v史告訴我們,雖然這些真理是不言而喻的,但它們卻不會(huì)自動(dòng)實(shí)現(xiàn);雖然自由是上帝給我們的禮物,但自由只能靠他在世間的子民的奮斗才能獲得。1776年愛國(guó)先驅(qū)們所進(jìn)行的斗爭(zhēng)并不是以少數(shù)人的特權(quán)或?yàn)鹾现姷慕y(tǒng)治來替代專制君主。他們?yōu)槲覀兙喸斓氖且粋€(gè)共和國(guó),一個(gè)民有、民治、民享的政府,并將捍衛(wèi)這個(gè)建國(guó)理念的任務(wù)交給一代又一代的后人。
For more than two hundred years, we have.兩百多年的歷史證明,我們做到了。
Through blood drawn by lash and blood drawn by sword, we learned that no union founded on the principles of liberty and equality could survive half-slave and half-free.We made ourselves anew, and vowed to move forward together.從皮鞭下和刺刀尖流出的鮮血中,我們發(fā)現(xiàn),建立在自由和平等原則之上的合眾國(guó)不能一半是蓄奴的,一半是自由的。我們?cè)』鹬厣?,我們發(fā)誓共同努力向前。
Together, we determined that a modern economy requires railroads and highways to speed travel and commerce;schools and colleges to train our workers.我們共同決定,現(xiàn)代經(jīng)濟(jì)需要鐵路和公路,以加快旅行和商業(yè),也需要中小學(xué)和大學(xué)來培訓(xùn)我們的工人。
Together, we discovered that a free market only thrives when there are rules to ensure competition and fair play.我們一起發(fā)現(xiàn),只有確保競(jìng)爭(zhēng)和公平的法規(guī)健全,自由市場(chǎng)才能欣欣向榮。
Together, we resolved that a great nation must care for the vulnerable, and protect its people from life’s worst hazards and misfortune.我們一同決定,一個(gè)偉大國(guó)家必須關(guān)照弱者,并保護(hù)我們的人民免受生活中最嚴(yán)重的危險(xiǎn)和不幸。
Through it all, we have never relinquished our skepticism of central authority, nor have we succumbed to the fiction that all society’s ills can be cured through government alone.Our celebration of initiative and enterprise;our insistence on hard work and personal responsibility, are constants in our character.在做這一切的時(shí)候,我們從來沒有放棄對(duì)政府集中權(quán)力的懷疑,我們也沒有屈就于那種相信只靠政府就可以解決所有社會(huì)弊病的幻想。我們一直保持著自己的秉性,推崇創(chuàng)造力和企業(yè)家精神,堅(jiān)持辛勤工作和個(gè)人責(zé)任。
But we have always understood that when times change, so must we;that fidelity to our founding principles requires new responses to new challenges;that preserving our individual freedoms ultimately requires collective action.For the American people can no more meet the demands of today’s world by acting alone than American soldiers could have met the forces of fascism or communism with muskets and militias.No single person can train all the math and science teachers we’ll need to equip our children for the future, or build the roads and networks and research labs that will bring new jobs and businesses to our shores.Now, more than ever, we must do these things together, as one nation, and one people.但是我們也很明白,隨著時(shí)代的變化,我們也必須變化;我們出于對(duì)基本原則的忠誠,需要對(duì)新的挑戰(zhàn)做出新的回應(yīng);我們?yōu)楸Wo(hù)個(gè)人自由就最終需要集體作出努力。美國(guó)人民如果再單打獨(dú)斗去應(yīng)付當(dāng)今世界的挑戰(zhàn),等于讓美國(guó)軍隊(duì)以長(zhǎng)槍和民兵組織去面對(duì)法西斯主義或共產(chǎn)主義的武裝。沒有任何一個(gè)個(gè)人有能力訓(xùn)練出我們后代的教育需要的所有數(shù)學(xué)和科學(xué)教師,或者建造出能把新的工作和商業(yè)機(jī)會(huì)帶給我們的道路、網(wǎng)絡(luò)、實(shí)驗(yàn)室?,F(xiàn)在比以往任何時(shí)候都需要我們共同努力,作為一個(gè)國(guó)家人民的整體,來做這些事情。
This generation of Americans has been tested by crises that steeled our resolve and proved our resilience.A decade of war is now ending.An economic recovery has begun.America’s possibilities are limitless, for we possess all the qualities that this world without boundaries demands:youth and drive;diversity and openness;an endless capacity for risk and a gift for reinvention.My fellow Americans, we are made for this moment, and we will seize it – so long as we seize it together.我們這一代美國(guó)人經(jīng)歷過危機(jī)的考驗(yàn),這些危機(jī)堅(jiān)定了我們的決心,也證明了我們的耐力。長(zhǎng)達(dá)10年的戰(zhàn)爭(zhēng)即將結(jié)束,經(jīng)濟(jì)復(fù)蘇已經(jīng)開始,美國(guó)的潛力是無限的,因?yàn)槲覀儞碛羞@個(gè)全球化的世界需要的所有特質(zhì):我們年輕有動(dòng)力,多元而開放,我們有應(yīng)對(duì)危機(jī)的無限能力和創(chuàng)新發(fā)展的天賦。美國(guó)同胞們,我們?yōu)檫@個(gè)時(shí)刻而生,只要我們共同努力,我們就能牢牢抓住這個(gè)機(jī)會(huì)。For we, the people, understand that our country cannot succeed when a shrinking few do very well and a growing many barely make it.We believe that America’s prosperity must rest upon the broad shoulders of a rising middle class.We know that America thrives when every person can find independence and pride in their work;when the wages of honest labor liberate families from the brink of hardship.We are true to our creed when a little girl born into the bleakest poverty knows that she has the same chance to succeed as anybody else, because she is an American, she is free, and she is equal, not just in the eyes of God but also in our own.我們美國(guó)人知道,我們的國(guó)家不可能在只有越來越少的人富有、越來越多的人捉襟見肘的情況下取得成功,我們相信美國(guó)的繁榮有賴于更多的人成為中產(chǎn)階級(jí),我們知道美國(guó)的振興取決于每個(gè)人都能在工作中找到獨(dú)立與自信,也取決于人們誠實(shí)的勞動(dòng)讓家庭脫離貧困。當(dāng)一個(gè)出身貧困的年輕女孩知道,她與任何人都享有同樣的成功機(jī)會(huì),身為美國(guó)人,她不僅僅是在上帝眼中,而且在每一個(gè)人的眼中,她都享有自由與平等,這樣我們才算是遵守了立國(guó)的原則。
We understand that outworn programs are inadequate to the needs of our time.We must harness new ideas and technology to remake our government, revamp our tax code, reform our schools, and empower our citizens
with the skills they need to work harder, learn more, and reach higher.But while the means will change, our purpose endures:a nation that rewards the effort and determination of every single American.That is what this moment requires.That is what will give real meaning to our creed.我們明白,目前那些陳舊的政府計(jì)劃跟不上時(shí)代。我們必須駕馭新的思想和技術(shù)以重塑政府,更新稅法,改革學(xué)校,并讓公民能夠掌握新技能,以便更加努力工作,學(xué)習(xí)更多的知識(shí),以達(dá)到更高的目標(biāo)。我們的方法雖然會(huì)改變,但目的始終如一:建設(shè)一個(gè)獎(jiǎng)勵(lì)每個(gè)人的努力和決心的國(guó)家。這是當(dāng)下所需要的。這是我們信念的真正意義所在。
We, the people, still believe that every citizen deserves a basic measure of security and dignity.We must make the hard choices to reduce the cost of health care and the size of our deficit.But we reject the belief that America must choose between caring for the generation that built this country and investing in the generation that will build its future.For we remember the lessons of our past, when twilight years were spent in poverty, and parents of a child with a disability had nowhere to turn.We do not believe that in this country, freedom is reserved for the lucky, or happiness for the few.We recognize that no matter how responsibly we live our lives, any one of us, at any time, may face a job loss, or a sudden illness, or a home swept away in a terrible storm.The commitments we make to each other – through Medicare, and Medicaid, and Social Security – these things do not sap our initiative;they strengthen us.They do not make us a nation of takers;they free us to take the risks that make this country great.我們,美國(guó)人,仍然相信,每位公民都應(yīng)該得到基本的安全和尊嚴(yán)。我們必須作出降低我們的醫(yī)保費(fèi)用和赤字規(guī)模的艱難抉擇。但是,我們拒絕接受這種看法,亦即美國(guó)必須在照顧建設(shè)了國(guó)家的那代人和投資于開創(chuàng)國(guó)家未來的那代人之間作出選擇。我們記得過去的教訓(xùn):老人的暮年在貧困中度過,殘疾孩子的父母走投無路。我們不相信,在這個(gè)國(guó)家里自由只屬于幸運(yùn)者,幸福只屬于少數(shù)人。我們知道,無論我們平日如何負(fù)責(zé),我們當(dāng)中任何人,在任何時(shí)候,都有可能面臨失業(yè)、突然生病或者房子被風(fēng)暴卷走的情況。我們通過聯(lián)邦醫(yī)療保險(xiǎn)、醫(yī)療補(bǔ)助計(jì)劃以及社會(huì)安全保障為彼此作出的承諾,不僅不會(huì)挫傷我們的積極性,反而使我們更加強(qiáng)壯。它們不會(huì)使我們成為一群不勞而獲的人,反而使我們敢于去冒險(xiǎn),這才使國(guó)家強(qiáng)大。
We, the people, still believe that our obligations as Americans are not just to ourselves, but to all posterity.We will respond to the threat of climate change, knowing that the failure to do so would betray our children and future generations.Some may still deny the overwhelming judgment of science, but none can avoid the devastating impact of raging fires, and crippling drought, and more powerful storms.The path towards
sustainable energy sources will be long and sometimes difficult.But America cannot resist this transition;we must lead it.We cannot cede to other nations the technology that will power new jobs and new industries – we must claim its promise.That is how we will maintain our economic vitality and our national treasure – our forests and waterways;our croplands and snowcapped peaks.That is how we will preserve our planet, commanded to our care by God.That’s what will lend meaning to the creed our fathers once declared.我們,美國(guó)人,依然相信我們作為美國(guó)人的承諾不僅是對(duì)自己的,也是對(duì)所有子孫后代的。我們會(huì)對(duì)氣候變化的威脅做出回應(yīng),因?yàn)槲覀兞私馊绻贿@樣做,將會(huì)違背對(duì)子孫后代的承諾。有些人可能依然不承認(rèn)科學(xué)的判斷,但所有人都無法不去正視瘋狂的野火、殘酷的干旱、更大風(fēng)暴的襲擊。通往可持續(xù)發(fā)展能源的道路會(huì)是漫長(zhǎng)的,而且有時(shí)會(huì)很艱難。但美國(guó)不能抗拒這個(gè)轉(zhuǎn)變,而是必須領(lǐng)導(dǎo)這個(gè)轉(zhuǎn)變。我們不能將可以增加就業(yè)、誕生新型產(chǎn)業(yè)的這些技術(shù)拱手讓給其它國(guó)家,我們必須擁有這些技術(shù)。這是維護(hù)我們經(jīng)濟(jì)的活力與國(guó)家財(cái)富的途徑,這些財(cái)富包括我們的森林、江河、農(nóng)田、雪山。這是保護(hù)我們的地球的途徑,那是上帝交給我們?nèi)ナ刈o(hù)的。這也是我們?yōu)橄闰?qū)們宣示的信念增加新的含義的途徑。
We, the people, still believe that enduring security and lasting peace do not require perpetual war.Our brave men and women in uniform, tempered by the flames of battle, are unmatched in skill and courage.Our citizens, seared by the memory of those we have lost, know too well the price that is paid for liberty.The knowledge of their sacrifice will keep us forever vigilant against those who would do us harm.But we are also heirs to those who won the peace and not just the war, who turned sworn enemies into the surest of friends, and we must carry those lessons into this time as well.我們,美國(guó)人,依然相信不必通過無休止的戰(zhàn)爭(zhēng)就能獲得永久的安全與和平。我們的軍人久經(jīng)戰(zhàn)火考驗(yàn),技能和勇氣都舉世無雙。我們的人民永遠(yuǎn)銘記先烈們的犧牲,珍惜自由的來之不易。不忘先烈們的犧牲將讓我們永遠(yuǎn)對(duì)敵人保持警惕。但是我們同樣牢記那些不僅能夠贏得戰(zhàn)爭(zhēng)、還能贏得和平、化頑敵為摯友的人們。這些經(jīng)驗(yàn)教訓(xùn),我們今天必須發(fā)揚(yáng)光大。
We will defend our people and uphold our values through strength of arms and rule of law.We will show the courage to try and resolve our differences with other nations peacefully – not because we are na?ve about the dangers we face, but because engagement can more durably lift suspicion and fear.America will remain the anchor of strong alliances in every corner of the globe;and we will renew those institutions that extend our capacity to manage crisis abroad, for no one has a greater stake in a peaceful world than its most powerful nation.We will support democracy from Asia to Africa;from the Americas to the Middle East, because our interests and our conscience compel us to act on behalf of those who long for freedom.And we must be a source of hope to the poor, the sick, the marginalized, the victims of prejudice – not out of mere charity, but because peace in our time requires the constant advance of those principles that our common creed
describes:tolerance and opportunity;human dignity and justice.我們將通過加強(qiáng)武裝力量和法制來保衛(wèi)我們的人民和價(jià)值體系。我們將通過試圖與其它國(guó)家和平地解決爭(zhēng)端來顯示我們的勇氣——這不是出于對(duì)我們面臨的危險(xiǎn)的無知,而是相信協(xié)商能夠更長(zhǎng)久地解除懷疑與恐懼。美國(guó)將繼續(xù)在世界每個(gè)角落都保持積極的聯(lián)盟,我們也將繼續(xù)維護(hù)那些令我們能夠在國(guó)外應(yīng)付危機(jī)的機(jī)制,因?yàn)闆]有哪個(gè)國(guó)家會(huì)比世界上最強(qiáng)大的國(guó)家更需要一個(gè)和平的世界。我們將支持從亞洲到非洲、從拉美到中東的民主發(fā)展,因?yàn)槔婧土贾偈刮覀內(nèi)ブС帜切┫M杂傻娜藗?。我們也必須是貧困、疾病、歧視、偏見的受害者們的后援——這不僅僅是出于慈善為懷,也因?yàn)槲覀儠r(shí)代的和平需要不斷地推動(dòng)我們共同信念所基于的原則,包括寬容、機(jī)遇、人類尊嚴(yán)與公正。
We, the people, declare today that the most evident of truths – that all of us are created equal – is the star that guides us still;just as it guided our forebears through Seneca Falls, and Selma, and Stonewall;just as it guided all those men and women, sung and unsung, who left footprints along this great Mall, to hear a preacher say that we cannot walk alone;to hear a King proclaim that our individual freedom is inextricably bound to the freedom of every soul on Earth.我們,美國(guó)人,今天宣布,最不言自明的真理——人人生而平等——仍然是指引我們的北斗星,就像當(dāng)年這條真理在色內(nèi)加瀑布[1]、塞爾瑪[2]、石墻[3]這些地方指引著人們,它指引著在這個(gè)宏大的草坪上留下了足跡的所有知名和不知名的人們。他們來到這里聆聽宣講,說我們不能獨(dú)自行進(jìn);他們來聆聽一位王者[4]說,我們的個(gè)人自由與地球上每個(gè)人的自由是緊密地聯(lián)系在一起的。
It is now our generation’s task to carry on what those pioneers began.For our journey is not complete until our wives, our mothers, and daughters can earn a living equal to their efforts.Our journey is not complete until our gay brothers and sisters are treated like anyone else under the law – for if we are truly created equal, then surely the love we commit to one another must be equal as well.Our journey is not complete until no citizen is forced to wait for hours to exercise the right to vote.Our journey is not complete until we find a better way to welcome the striving, hopeful immigrants who still see America as a land of opportunity;until bright young students and engineers are enlisted in our workforce rather than expelled from our country.Our journey is not complete until all our children, from the streets of Detroit to the hills of Appalachia to the quiet lanes of Newtown, know that they are cared for, and cherished, and always safe from harm.如今到了我們這一代人去接過先驅(qū)們開創(chuàng)的使命的時(shí)候了。在我們的妻子、母親、女兒,在得到與她們的付出相符的待遇之前,我們的使命還沒有完成;在我們同性戀的兄弟和姐妹像其他人一樣在法律上被視真正平等之前,我們的使命還沒有完成-因?yàn)槿绻覀冎g真正平等,那么可以肯定,我們所承諾的彼此相愛也必須是平等的。在所有公民行使投票權(quán)不必被迫等待幾個(gè)小時(shí)之前,我們的使命還沒有完成。在我們找到一個(gè)更好的方式來歡迎那些仍然可以把美國(guó)看作一個(gè)充滿機(jī)遇的土地,樂于奮斗,充滿希望的移民之前,在那些聰明的年輕學(xué)生和工程師被納入到我們的勞動(dòng)大軍之中而不是被驅(qū)逐出境之前,我們的使命還沒
有完成。在從底特律的街頭到阿巴拉契亞山間到紐頓安靜的小巷中,我們所有的孩子們都知道他們?cè)诒魂P(guān)心和愛護(hù),安全有保障之前,我們的使命還沒有完成。
That is our generation’s task – to make these words, these rights, these values – of Life, and Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness – real for every American.Being true to our founding documents does not require us to agree on every contour of life;it does not mean we will all define liberty in exactly the same way, or follow the same precise path to happiness.Progress does not compel us to settle centuries-long debates about the role of government for all time – but it does require us to act in our time.這是我們這一代人的使命真正成為每一個(gè)美國(guó)人的現(xiàn)實(shí)。忠實(shí)我們國(guó)家的創(chuàng)始文件,并不需要我們生活的每一個(gè)范疇都看法一致,也并不意味著我們以完全相同的方式定義自由,或者遵循同樣的路徑追求幸福。進(jìn)步并不強(qiáng)迫我們放棄幾個(gè)世紀(jì)以來關(guān)于所有政府作用的辯論-但需要我們?cè)谖覀兊臅r(shí)代采取行動(dòng)。For now decisions are upon us, and we cannot afford delay.We cannot mistake absolutism for principle, or substitute spectacle for politics, or treat name-calling as reasoned debate.We must act, knowing that our work will be imperfect.We must act, knowing that today’s victories will be only partial, and that it will be up to those who stand here in four years, and forty years, and four hundred years hence to advance the timeless spirit once conferred to us in a spare Philadelphia hall.我們現(xiàn)在就要做出抉擇,我們不能承受拖延的后果。我們不能誤以為毫無妥協(xié)余地是在堅(jiān)持原則,或者以做秀取代政治,或者以相互指責(zé)取代理性的辯論。我們必須行動(dòng),盡管知道我們的工作不會(huì)十全十美。我們必須行動(dòng),盡管知道今天的勝利只是部分的成功,它將更多地取決于今后四年、四十年乃至四百年后站在這里的人們,繼續(xù)發(fā)揚(yáng)從費(fèi)城獨(dú)立廳傳到我們手中的超越時(shí)代的精神。
My fellow Americans, the oath I have sworn before you today, like the one recited by others who serve in this Capitol, was an oath to God and country, not party or faction – and we must faithfully execute that pledge during the duration of our service.But the words I spoke today are not so different from the oath that is taken each time a soldier signs up for duty, or an immigrant realizes her dream.My oath is not so different from the pledge we all make to the flag that waves above and that fills our hearts with pride.我的美國(guó)同胞們,我今天在你們面前宣誓,就和過去在這座國(guó)會(huì)山上宣誓過的人一樣,是對(duì)上帝和國(guó)家而不是對(duì)一個(gè)政黨或者派別的誓詞。我們必須在任職期間忠實(shí)履行我們的誓言。我的誓詞,和每次軍人接受任務(wù)、移民實(shí)現(xiàn)夢(mèng)想時(shí)的誓詞,并無太大不同;和我們面對(duì)在空中飄揚(yáng),讓我們心中充滿自豪的國(guó)旗所做的宣誓,也無太大差異。
They are the words of citizens, and they represent our greatest hope.You and I, as citizens, have the power to set this country’s course.這些是美國(guó)公民的心聲,代表了我們最大的希望。
You and I, as citizens, have the obligation to shape the debates of our time – not only with the votes we cast, but with the voices we lift in defense of our most ancient values and enduring ideals.你們和我,作為美國(guó)公民,有確定國(guó)家未來前程的權(quán)力。你們和我,作為美國(guó)公民,有塑造我們時(shí)代話語的責(zé)任,不僅通過我們投下的選票,也通過為了維護(hù)我們最永久的價(jià)值觀及理想而發(fā)出的大聲疾呼。
Let each of us now embrace, with solemn duty and awesome joy, what is our lasting birthright.With common effort and common purpose, with passion and dedication, let us answer the call of history, and carry into an uncertain future that precious light of freedom.讓我們每個(gè)人用莊嚴(yán)的責(zé)任和無與倫比的歡悅,來擁抱我們與生俱來的永恒權(quán)利。憑借共同的努力,憑借熱情和執(zhí)著,讓我們響應(yīng)歷史的召喚,承載一個(gè)珍愛自由之光的未知未來。
Thank you, God Bless you, and may He forever bless these United States of America.感謝你們,上帝保佑你們,愿上帝永遠(yuǎn)佑護(hù)美利堅(jiān)合眾國(guó)。
第三篇:奧巴馬獲勝演講(中英雙語)
奧巴馬獲勝演講(中英雙語字幕)
Hello, Chicago!芝加哥,你好!
If there is anyone out there who still doubts that America is a place where all things are possible;who still wonders if the dream of our founders is alive in our time;who still questions the power of our democracy, tonight is your answer.如果有人懷疑美國(guó)是個(gè)一切皆有可能的地方,懷疑美國(guó)奠基者的夢(mèng)想在我們這個(gè)時(shí)代依然燃燒,懷疑我們民主的力量,那么今晚這些疑問都有了答案。
It's the answer told by lines that stretched around schools and churches in numbers this nation has never seen;by people who waited three hours and four hours, many for the very first time in their lives, because they believed that this time must be different;that their voice could be that difference.學(xué)校和教堂門外的長(zhǎng)龍便是答案。排隊(duì)的人數(shù)之多,在美國(guó)歷史上前所未有。為了投票,他們排隊(duì)長(zhǎng)達(dá)三、四個(gè)小時(shí)。許多人一生中第一次投票,因?yàn)樗麄冋J(rèn)為這一次大選結(jié)果必須不同以往,而他們手中的一票可能決定勝負(fù)。
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.無論年齡,無論貧富,無論民主黨人或共和黨人,無論黑人、白人,無論拉美裔、亞裔、印地安人, 無論同性戀、異性戀,無論殘障人、健全人,所有的人,他們向全世界喊出了同一個(gè)聲音:我們并不隸屬 “紅州”與 “藍(lán)州”的對(duì)立陣營(yíng),我們屬于美利堅(jiān)合眾國(guó),現(xiàn)在如此,永遠(yuǎn)如此!
It's the answer that led those who’ve been told for so long by so many to be cynical, and fearful, and doubtful of what we can achieve to put their hands on the arc of history and bend it once more toward the hope of a better day.長(zhǎng)久以來,很多人說:我們對(duì)自己的能量應(yīng)該冷漠,應(yīng)該恐懼,應(yīng)該懷疑。但是,歷史之輪如今已在我們手中,我們又一次將歷史之輪轉(zhuǎn)往更美好的未來。
It's been a long time coming, but tonight, because of what we did on this day, in this election, at this defining moment, change has come to America.漫漫征程,今宵終于來臨。特殊的一天,特殊的一次大選,特殊的決定性時(shí)刻,美國(guó)迎來了變革。
A little bit earlier this evening, I received an extraordinarily gracious call from Sen.McCain.Sen.McCain fought long and hard in this campaign, and he's fought even longer and harder for the country he loves.He has endured sacrifices for America that most of us cannot begin to imagine.We are better off for the service rendered by this brave and selfless leader.I congratulate him, I congratulate Gov.Palin for all they have achieved, and I look forward to working with them to renew this nation's promise in the months ahead.今天傍晚稍早的時(shí)候,我接到了麥凱恩參議員的一個(gè)特別親切的電話。在這次競(jìng)選中,他的努力持久而艱巨。為了這個(gè)他摯愛的國(guó)家,他的努力更持久、更艱巨。他為美國(guó)的奉獻(xiàn)超出絕大多數(shù)人的想象。他是一位勇敢無私的領(lǐng)袖,有了他的奉獻(xiàn),我們的生活才更美好。我對(duì)他和佩林州長(zhǎng)的成績(jī)表示祝賀。同時(shí),我也期待著與他們共同努力,再續(xù)美國(guó)輝煌。
I want to thank my partner in this journey, a man who campaigned from his heart and spoke for the men and women he grew up with on the streets of Scranton and rode with on that train home to Delaware, the vice-president-elect of the United States, Joe Biden.我要感謝我的競(jìng)選搭檔——當(dāng)選副總統(tǒng)喬?拜登。為了與他一起在斯
克蘭頓市街頭長(zhǎng)大、一起坐火車返回特拉華州的人們,拜登全心全意地竟選,他代表了這些普通人的聲音。
And I would not be standing here tonight without the unyielding support of my best friend for the last 16 years, the rock of our family, the love of my life, the nation's next first lady, Michelle Obama.Sasha and Malia, I love you both more than you can imagine.And you have earned the new puppy that's coming with us to the White House.And while she's no longer with us, I know my grandmother is watching, along with the family that made me who I am.I miss them tonight, and know that my debt to them is beyond measure.To my sister Maya, my sister Alma, all my other brothers and sisters, thank you so much for all the support that you’ve given me.I am grateful to them.我要感謝下一位第一夫人米歇爾?奧巴馬。她是我家的中流砥柱,是我生命中的最愛。沒有她在過去16年來的堅(jiān)定支持,今晚我就不可能站在這里。我要感謝兩個(gè)女兒薩沙和瑪麗婭,我太愛你們兩個(gè)了,你們將得到一條新的小狗,它將與我們一起入住白宮。我還要感謝已去世的外婆,我知道此刻她正在天上注視著我。她與我的家人一起造就了今天的我。今夜我思念他們,我所虧欠他們的是無以回報(bào)的恩情。感謝我的妹妹瑪雅和阿爾瑪,還有我所有的兄弟姐妹們,非常感謝你們對(duì)我的全力支持,我真的很感激他們!
To my campaign manager, David Plouffe, the unsung hero of this campaign, who built the best political campaign, I think, in the history of the United States of America.To my chief strategist, David Axelrod, who’s been a partner with me every step of the way.To the best campaign team ever assembled in the history of politics — you made this happen, and I am forever grateful for what you've sacrificed to get it done.我要感謝我的競(jìng)選經(jīng)理大衛(wèi)?普魯夫,這位無名英雄創(chuàng)造了美國(guó)歷史上最偉大的政治選舉;還要感謝我的首席策略師大衛(wèi)?阿克塞羅德,他是我競(jìng)選征程中的好搭檔;感謝有史以來最棒的競(jìng)選團(tuán)隊(duì),是你們?cè)炀土私裉爝@一刻。以及整個(gè)競(jìng)選團(tuán)隊(duì),他們是政治史上最優(yōu)秀的競(jìng)選團(tuán)隊(duì)。你們成就了今夜,我永遠(yuǎn)感謝你們?yōu)榻褚顾冻龅囊磺小?/p>
But above all, I will never forget who this victory truly belongs to — it belongs to you.但最重要的是,我將永遠(yuǎn)不會(huì)忘記這場(chǎng)勝利真正屬于誰---是你們!
I was never the likeliest candidate for this office.We didn't start with much money or many endorsements.Our campaign was not hatched in the halls of Washington — it began in the backyards of Des Moines and the living rooms of Concord and the front porches of Charleston.我從來不是最有希望的候選人。起初,我們的資金不多,贊助人也不多。我們的競(jìng)選并非始于華盛頓的華麗大廳,而是起于德莫奈地區(qū)某家的后院、康科德地區(qū)的某家客廳、查爾斯頓地區(qū)的某家前廊。
It was built by working men and women who dug into what little savings they had to give $5 and $10 and $20 to this cause.It grew strength from the young people who rejected the myth of their generation's apathy;who left their homes and their families for jobs that offered little pay and less sleep;It drew strength from the not-so-young people who braved the bitter cold and scorching heat to knock on the doors of perfect strangers;from the millions of Americans who volunteered and organized, and proved that more than two centuries later, a government of the people, by the people and for the people has not perished from this earth.This is your victory.勞動(dòng)大眾從自己的微薄積蓄中掏出5美元、10美元、20美元,拿來捐助我們的事業(yè)。年輕人證明了他們絕非所謂“冷漠的一代”。他們遠(yuǎn)離家鄉(xiāng)和親人,拿著微薄的報(bào)酬,起早摸黑地助選。上了年紀(jì)的人也頂著嚴(yán)寒酷暑,敲開陌生人的家門助選。無數(shù)美國(guó)人自愿組織起來,充當(dāng)自愿者。正是這些人壯大了我們的聲勢(shì)。他們的行動(dòng)證明了在兩百多年以后,民有、民治、民享的政府并未從地球上消失。這是你們的勝利。
I know you didn't do this just to win an election, and I know you didn't do it for me.You did it because you understand the enormity of the task that lies ahead.For even as we celebrate tonight, we know the challenges that tomorrow will bring are the greatest of our lifetime — two wars, a planet
in peril, the worst financial crisis in a century.Even as we stand here tonight, we know there are brave Americans waking up in the deserts of Iraq and the mountains of Afghanistan to risk their lives for us.There are mothers and fathers who will lie awake after their children fall asleep and wonder how they'll make the mortgage, or pay their doctor's bills, or save enough for college.There is new energy to harness and new jobs to be created;new schools to build and threats to meet and alliances to repair.你們這樣做,并不只是為了贏得一場(chǎng)大選,更不是為了我個(gè)人。你們這樣做,是因?yàn)槟銈兦宄磥淼娜蝿?wù)有多么艱巨。今晚我們?cè)跉g慶,明天我們就將面對(duì)一生之中最為嚴(yán)峻的挑戰(zhàn)--兩場(chǎng)戰(zhàn)爭(zhēng)、一個(gè)充滿危險(xiǎn)的星球,還有百年一遇的金融危機(jī)。今晚我們?cè)谶@里慶祝,但我們知道在伊拉克的沙漠里,在阿富汗的群山中,許許多多勇敢的美國(guó)人醒來后就將為了我們而面臨生命危險(xiǎn)。許許多多的父母會(huì)在孩子熟睡后仍難以入眠,他們正在為月供、醫(yī)藥費(fèi),孩子今后的大學(xué)費(fèi)用而發(fā)愁。我們需要開發(fā)新能源,創(chuàng)造就業(yè)機(jī)會(huì),建造新學(xué)校,迎接挑戰(zhàn)和威脅,并修復(fù)與盟國(guó)的關(guān)系。
The road ahead will be long.Our climb will be steep.We may not get there in one year, or even one term, but America — I have never been more hopeful than I am tonight that we will get there.I promise you: We as a people will get there.前方道路還很漫長(zhǎng),任務(wù)艱巨。一年之內(nèi),甚至一屆總統(tǒng)任期之內(nèi),我們可能都無法完成這些任務(wù)。但我從未像今晚這樣對(duì)美國(guó)滿懷希望,我相信我們會(huì)實(shí)現(xiàn)這個(gè)目標(biāo)。我向你們承諾--我們美利堅(jiān)民族將實(shí)現(xiàn)這一目標(biāo)!
There will be setbacks and false starts.There are many who won't agree with every decision or policy I make as president, and we know that government can't solve every problem.But I will always be honest with you about the challenges we face.I will listen to you, especially when we disagree.And, above all, I will ask you join in the work of remaking this nation the only way it's been done in America for 221 years — block by block, brick by brick, calluosed hand by calloused hand.我們會(huì)遇到挫折,會(huì)出師不利,會(huì)有許多人不認(rèn)同我的某一項(xiàng)決定或
政策。政府并不能解決所有問題,但我會(huì)向你們坦陳我們所面臨的挑戰(zhàn)。我會(huì)聆聽你們的意見,尤其是在我們意見相左之時(shí)。最重要的是,我會(huì)讓你們一起重建這個(gè)國(guó)家。用自己的雙手,從一磚一瓦做起。這是美國(guó)立國(guó)221年以來的前進(jìn)方式,也是惟一的方式。
What began 21 months ago in the depths of winter must not end on this autumn night.This victory alone is not the change we seek — it is only the chance for us to make that change.And that cannot happen if we go back to the way things were.It cannot happen without you, without a new spirit of service, a new spirit of sacrifice 21個(gè)月前那個(gè)隆冬所開始的一切,絕不應(yīng)在這一個(gè)秋夜結(jié)束。我們所尋求的變革并不只是贏得大選,這只是給變革提供了一個(gè)機(jī)會(huì)。假如我們照老路子辦事,就沒有變革;沒有你們,就沒有變革。沒有新的服務(wù)精神,沒有新的奉獻(xiàn)精神,就沒有變革。
So let us summon a new spirit of patriotism;of service and responsibility where each of us resolves to pitch in and work harder and look after not only ourselves, but each other.Let us remember that if this financial crisis taught us anything, it's that we cannot have a thriving Wall Street while Main Street suffers.In this country, we rise or fall as one nation — as one people.讓我們重新發(fā)揚(yáng)愛國(guó)精神,樹立嶄新的服務(wù)意識(shí)、責(zé)任感,每個(gè)人下定決心,一起努力工作,彼此關(guān)愛;讓我們牢記這場(chǎng)金融危機(jī)帶來的教訓(xùn):不能允許商業(yè)街掙扎的同時(shí)卻讓華爾街繁榮。在這個(gè)國(guó)家,我們作為同一個(gè)民族,同生死共存亡。
Let us resist the temptation to fall back on the same partisanship and pettiness and immaturity that has poisoned our politics for so long.Let us remember that it was a man from this state who first carried the banner of the Republican Party to the White House — a party founded on the values of self-reliance, individual liberty and national unity.Those are values we all share, and while the Democratic Party has won a great victory tonight, we do so with a measure of humility and determination to heal the divides that have held back our progress.黨派之爭(zhēng)、瑣碎幼稚,長(zhǎng)期以來這些東西荼毒了我們的政壇。讓我們牢記,當(dāng)來自伊利諾伊州的一位先生首次將共和黨大旗扛進(jìn)白宮時(shí),伴隨著他的是自強(qiáng)自立、個(gè)人自由、國(guó)家統(tǒng)一的共和黨建黨理念。這也是我們所有人都珍視的理念。雖然民主黨今晚大勝,但我們態(tài)度謙卑,并決心彌合阻礙我們進(jìn)步的分歧。
As Lincoln said to a nation far more divided than ours, “We are not enemies, but friends...Though passion may have strained, it must not break our bonds of affection.” And, to those Americans whose support I have yet to earn, I may not have won your vote, but I hear your voices, I need your help, and I will be your president, too.當(dāng)年,林肯面對(duì)的是一個(gè)遠(yuǎn)比目前更為分裂的國(guó)家。他說:“我們不是敵人,而是朋友……雖然激情可能不再,但是我們的感情紐帶不會(huì)割斷。”對(duì)于那些現(xiàn)在并不支持我的美國(guó)人,我想說,雖然我沒有贏得你們的選票,但我聽到了你們的聲音,我需要你們的幫助,我也將是你們的總統(tǒng)。
And to all those watching tonight from beyond our shores, from parliaments and palaces to those who are huddled around radios in the forgotten corners of our world — our stories are singular, but our destiny is shared, and a new dawn of American leadership is at hand.To those who would tear this world down: We will defeat you.To those who seek peace and security: We support you.And to all those who have wondered if America's beacon still burns as bright: Tonight, we proved once more that the true strength of our nation comes not from the might of our arms or the scale of our wealth, but from the enduring power of our ideals: democracy, liberty, opportunity and unyielding hope.對(duì)于關(guān)注今夜結(jié)果的國(guó)際人士,不管他們是在國(guó)會(huì)、皇宮關(guān)注,還是在荒僻地帶收聽電臺(tái),我們的態(tài)度是:我們美國(guó)人的經(jīng)歷各有不同,但我們的命運(yùn)相關(guān),新的美國(guó)領(lǐng)袖誕生了。對(duì)于想毀滅這個(gè)世界的人們,我們必將擊敗你們。對(duì)于追求和平和安全的人們,我們將支持你們。對(duì)于懷疑美國(guó)這盞燈塔是否依然明亮的人們,今天晚上我們已再次證明:美國(guó)的真正力量來源并非軍事威力或財(cái)富規(guī)模,而是我們理想的恒久力量:民主、自由、機(jī)會(huì)和不屈的希望。
That’s the true genius of America — that America can change.Our union can be perfected.And what we have already achieved gives us hope for what we can and must achieve tomorrow.美國(guó)能夠變革,這才是美國(guó)真正的精髓。我們的聯(lián)邦會(huì)不斷完善。我們已經(jīng)取得的成就,將為我們將來能夠并且必須取得的成就增添希望。
This election had many firsts and many stories that will be told for generations.But one that's on my mind tonight is about a woman who cast her ballot in Atlanta.She's a lot like the millions of others who stood in line to make their voice heard in this election, except for one thing: Ann Nixon Cooper is 106 years old.這次大選創(chuàng)造了多項(xiàng)“第一”,誕生了很多將流芳后世的故事,但今晚令我最為難忘的卻是一位在亞特蘭大投票的婦女:安妮?庫波爾。她和無數(shù)排隊(duì)等候投票的選民沒有什么差別,唯一的不同是她高齡106歲。
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.在她出生的那個(gè)時(shí)代,黑奴制剛剛廢除。那時(shí)路上沒有汽車,天上沒有飛機(jī)。當(dāng)時(shí)像她這樣的人由于兩個(gè)原因不能投票--一第一因?yàn)樗桥?,第二個(gè)原因是她的膚色。
And tonight, I think about all that she's seen throughout her century in America — the heartache and the hope;the struggle and the progress;the times we were told that we can't and the people who pressed on with that American creed: Yes, we can.今天晚上,我想到了安妮在美國(guó)過去一百年間的種種經(jīng)歷:心痛和希望,掙扎和進(jìn)步,那些我們被告知我們辦不到的年代,以及我們現(xiàn)在這個(gè)年代?,F(xiàn)在,我們堅(jiān)信美國(guó)式信念──是的,我們能!
At a time when women's voices were silenced and their hopes dismissed, she lived to see them stand up and speak out and reach for the ballot.Yes, we can.在那個(gè)年代,婦女的聲音被壓制,她們的希望被剝奪。但安妮活到了今天,看到婦女們站起來了,可以大聲發(fā)表意見了,有選舉權(quán)了。是的,我們能。
When there was despair in the Dust Bowl and depression across the land, she saw a nation conquer fear itself with a New Deal, new jobs and a new sense of common purpose.Yes, we can.安妮經(jīng)歷了上世紀(jì)三十年代的大蕭條。農(nóng)田荒蕪,絕望籠罩美國(guó)大地。她看到了美國(guó)以新政、新的就業(yè)機(jī)會(huì)以及嶄新的共同追求戰(zhàn)勝了恐慌。是的,我們能。
When the bombs fell on our harbor and tyranny threatened the world, she was there to witness a generation rise to greatness and a democracy was saved.Yes, we can.二戰(zhàn)時(shí)期,炸彈襲擊我們的海港,全世界受到獨(dú)裁專制威脅,安妮見證了一代美國(guó)人的英雄本色,他們捍衛(wèi)了民主。是的,我們能。
She was there for the buses in Montgomery, the hoses in Birmingham, a bridge in Selma and a preacher from Atlanta who told a people that “We Shall Overcome.” Yes, we can.安妮經(jīng)歷了蒙哥馬利公交車事件、伯明翰黑人暴動(dòng)事件、塞爾馬血腥周末事件。來自亞特蘭大的一位牧師告訴人們:我們終將勝利。是的,我們能。
A man touched down on the moon, a wall came down in Berlin, a world was connected by our own science and imagination.And this year, in this election, she touched her finger to a screen and cast her vote, because after 106 years in America, through the best of times and the darkest of hours, she knows how America can change.Yes, we can.人類登上了月球、柏林墻倒下了,科學(xué)和想像把世界連成了一塊。今年,在這次選舉中,安妮的手指輕觸電子屏幕,投下自己的一票。她
在美國(guó)生活了106年,其間有最美好的時(shí)光,也有最黑暗的時(shí)刻,她知道美國(guó)能夠變革。是的,我們能。
America, we have come so far.We have seen so much.But there is so much more to do.So tonight, let us ask ourselves: If our children should live to see the next century;if my daughters should be so lucky to live as long as Ann Nixon Cooper, what change will they see? What progress will we have made? 美利堅(jiān),我們已經(jīng)一路走來,我們已經(jīng)看到了那么多變化,但我們?nèi)杂泻芏嗍虑橐?。今夜,讓我們問自己這樣一個(gè)問題:假如我們的孩子能夠活到下一個(gè)世紀(jì),假如我的女兒們有幸與安妮一樣長(zhǎng)壽,她們將會(huì)看到怎樣的改變?我們又取得了怎樣的進(jìn)步?
This is our chance to answer that call.This is our moment.This is our time — to put our people back to work and open doors of opportunity for our kids;to restore prosperity and promote the cause of peace;to reclaim the American Dream and reaffirm that fundamental truth that out of many, we are one;that while we breathe, we hope, and where we are met with cynicism, and doubt, and those who tell us that we can't, we will respond with that timeless creed that sums up the spirit of a people: Yes, we can.現(xiàn)在,我們獲得了回答這個(gè)問題的機(jī)會(huì)。這是我們的時(shí)刻,我們的時(shí)代。讓我們的人民重新就業(yè),為我們的孩子打開機(jī)會(huì)的大門;恢復(fù)繁榮,促進(jìn)和平;讓美國(guó)夢(mèng)重放光芒,再證這一根本性真理,那就是:團(tuán)結(jié)一致,眾志成城;一息尚存,希望就在;倘若有人嘲諷和懷疑,說我們不能,我們就以這一永恒信條回應(yīng),因?yàn)樗哿苏麄€(gè)民族的精神——是的,我們能!
Thank you, God bless you, and may God bless the United States of America.謝謝大家!愿上帝保佑你們,保佑美利堅(jiān)合眾國(guó)。
第四篇:美國(guó)總統(tǒng)奧巴馬就職演講稿
美國(guó)總統(tǒng)奧巴馬就職演講稿
Hello,芝加哥。
美國(guó)是一個(gè)一切皆有可能的地方,如果還有人對(duì)這一點(diǎn)心存懷疑,如果還有人懷疑美國(guó)奠基者的夢(mèng)想在我們時(shí)代是否還有活力,還有人懷疑我們民主制度的力量,那么,你們今晚正是對(duì)那些疑問作出了回答。
在學(xué)校和教堂周圍所出現(xiàn)的前所未有的長(zhǎng)隊(duì)是答案,這個(gè)國(guó)家從未見過這么多的人前來投票,人們排三個(gè)、四個(gè)小時(shí)的隊(duì)來進(jìn)行有生以來的第一次投票,因?yàn)樗麄兿嘈胚@一次將會(huì)不同,他們發(fā)出的聲音可能就是那個(gè)差別。
這是一個(gè)年輕人和年老人、富人和窮人、民主黨人和共和黨人、黑人、白人、西班牙裔人、亞裔、印第安人、同性戀和異性戀、殘障人士和健全人士所作出的回答。美國(guó)人向世界發(fā)出一個(gè)信息:我們從不只是一些個(gè)人的累加或者“紅色州”和“藍(lán)色州”的累加。
我們是,我們永遠(yuǎn)是美利堅(jiān)合眾國(guó)。
這是一個(gè)引導(dǎo)人們的答案,太多的人在很長(zhǎng)的時(shí)間內(nèi)給他們說這個(gè)答案,以至于他們對(duì)此持憤世疾俗的態(tài)度,對(duì)我們是否可以再一次把握歷史的希望感到擔(dān)心和懷疑。已經(jīng)過去了很長(zhǎng)時(shí)間,但是今晚,由于我們今天在這場(chǎng)選舉所采取的行動(dòng),在這個(gè)決定性的時(shí)候,變革來到了美國(guó)。
今晚早些時(shí)候,我接到來自參議員麥凱恩的一個(gè)特別有風(fēng)度的電話。麥凱恩在這場(chǎng)選戰(zhàn)中進(jìn)行了長(zhǎng)期和艱苦的努力,他為這個(gè)他所愛的國(guó)家戰(zhàn)斗了更長(zhǎng)的時(shí)間,作出了更艱苦的努力。他為美國(guó)承受了我們中的大多數(shù)人無法想像的犧牲。由于這位勇敢和無私領(lǐng)導(dǎo)人的服務(wù),我們的生活變得更好。
我向他表示祝賀,我向佩林州長(zhǎng)表示祝賀,向他們所取得的成果表示祝賀,我盼望與他們共事以繼續(xù)這個(gè)國(guó)家在未來歲月的承諾。
我想感謝我在競(jìng)選旅程的伙伴,一位用心競(jìng)選的男士,一位為和他一起在斯克蘭頓街頭一同長(zhǎng)大的男人和女子代言、經(jīng)常坐火車回特拉華州的男士,美國(guó)當(dāng)選副總統(tǒng)拜登。
如果沒有我過去16年最好的朋友、我們家庭的中堅(jiān)、我生命中的摯愛,我今天晚上不可能站在這里,美國(guó)下一位第一夫人米歇爾-奧巴馬。
薩沙和馬莉婭,我愛你們,我對(duì)你們的愛超出了你們的想象。你們已贏得了新的寵物狗,它將和我們一起前往新的白宮。
盡管她沒能和我們?cè)谝黄穑抑?,我的祖母和養(yǎng)大我的家人在看著我,我今晚很想念他們,我知道我欠他們的東西是無法計(jì)量的。我的妹妹馬婭、我的姐姐奧瑪,我其他的兄弟和姐妹,非常感謝你們對(duì)我的支持,我感謝他們。我的競(jìng)選經(jīng)理大衛(wèi)-普勞夫,這位競(jìng)選活動(dòng)的無名英雄,他進(jìn)行了最好的政治競(jìng)選活動(dòng),我認(rèn)為這是美國(guó)歷史上最棒的。我的首席策略師大衛(wèi)-艾克斯羅德,他一直是追隨我的伙伴。你們組建了政治史上最好的競(jìng)選團(tuán)隊(duì),是你們成就了今天,我永遠(yuǎn)感謝你們?yōu)榇怂鞒龅臓奚?/p>
但最重要的是,我永遠(yuǎn)不會(huì)忘記這場(chǎng)勝利真正屬于誰,它屬于你們,它屬于你們。
我從來不是最有可能獲得這一職務(wù)的候選人。我們剛開始并沒有太多資金,也沒有得到許多人的支持。我們的競(jìng)選活動(dòng)并非始自華盛頓的大廳里,而是始于得梅因、康科德、查爾斯頓這些地方的普通民眾家中。那些辛勤工作的人們從自己微薄的儲(chǔ)蓄中捐出5美元、10美元、20美元。競(jìng)選活動(dòng)因?yàn)槟贻p人的支持而越來越有聲勢(shì),他們拒絕了他們那一代對(duì)政治不感興趣的神話,他們離開家,從事那些薪水少而且辛苦的工作。競(jìng)選活動(dòng)的聲勢(shì)也來自那些已不再年輕的人們,他們冒著嚴(yán)寒酷暑,敲開陌生人的家門進(jìn)行競(jìng)選宣傳;競(jìng)選聲勢(shì)也源自數(shù)百萬的美國(guó)民眾,他們充當(dāng)志愿者和組織者,他們證明了在兩百多年以后,民有、民治、民享的政府并未從地球上消失。這是你們的勝利。
我知道你們的所做的一切并不只是為了贏得選舉,我也知道你們做這一切并不是為了我。你們這樣做是因?yàn)槟銈兠靼浊懊娴娜蝿?wù)有多么艱巨。即便我們今晚歡呼慶祝,我們也知道明天將面臨我們一生之中最艱難的挑戰(zhàn)——兩場(chǎng)戰(zhàn)爭(zhēng)、一個(gè)面臨危險(xiǎn)的星球,一個(gè)世紀(jì)以來最嚴(yán)重的金融危機(jī)。
就在我們今晚站在這里的時(shí)刻,我們知道勇敢的美國(guó)士兵在伊拉克的沙漠里和阿富汗的群山中醒來,他們冒著生命危險(xiǎn)來保護(hù)著我們的生命。仍有在孩子熟睡后仍難以入眠的父母,他們擔(dān)心如何償還按揭月供、付醫(yī)藥費(fèi)或是存夠錢讓孩子上大學(xué)。我們需要開發(fā)新的能源、創(chuàng)造新的工作崗位,我們需要修建新學(xué)校,應(yīng)對(duì)眾多威脅、修復(fù)與許多國(guó)家的盟友關(guān)系。
前方的道路將很漫長(zhǎng),我們攀登的腳步會(huì)很艱辛。我們可能無法在一年甚至一個(gè)任期內(nèi)實(shí)現(xiàn)這些目標(biāo),但我從未像今晚這樣滿懷希望,我們將實(shí)現(xiàn)我們的目標(biāo)。我向你們承諾——我們作為一個(gè)整體將會(huì)達(dá)成目標(biāo)。
我們會(huì)遭遇挫折和不成功的起步。我作為總統(tǒng)所做的每項(xiàng)決定或政策,會(huì)有許多人持有異議,我們也知道,政府不能解決所有問題。但我將總是會(huì)向你們坦陳我們所面臨的挑戰(zhàn)。我會(huì)聽取你們的意見,尤其是存在不同意見的時(shí)候。最重要的是,我會(huì)請(qǐng)求你們參與重建這個(gè)國(guó)家,以美國(guó)221年來從未改變的唯一方式-一磚一瓦、同心協(xié)力。
21個(gè)月前在寒冬所開始的一切不應(yīng)當(dāng)在今天這個(gè)秋夜結(jié)束。今天的選舉勝利并不是我們所尋求的改變--這只是我們進(jìn)行改變的機(jī)會(huì)。如果我們?nèi)匀话凑者^去的方式行事,我們所尋求的改變將不會(huì)發(fā)生。沒有你們,沒有服務(wù)和犧牲的新精神,就不可能發(fā)生改變。
因此,讓我們發(fā)揚(yáng)新的愛國(guó)和負(fù)責(zé)精神,所有的人都下定決心參與其中,更加努力地工作,不僅是為自己而是為彼此。讓我們記住這一點(diǎn),如果說這場(chǎng)金融危機(jī)教會(huì)了我們什么東西的話,那就是我們不可能在金融以外的領(lǐng)域處于困境的同時(shí)擁有繁榮興旺的華爾街。
在這個(gè)國(guó)家,我們患難與共。讓我們抵制重走老路的誘惑,避免重新回到令美國(guó)政治長(zhǎng)期深受毒害的黨派紛爭(zhēng)、小題大作、不成熟的表現(xiàn)。讓我們記住,是伊利諾伊州的一名男子首次將共和黨的旗幟扛到了白宮。共和黨是建立在自立、個(gè)人自由以及國(guó)家團(tuán)結(jié)的價(jià)值觀之上的。這也是我們所有人共同的價(jià)值觀。雖然民主黨今天晚上贏得了巨大的勝利,但我們是以謙卑的態(tài)度和彌合阻礙我們進(jìn)步的分歧的決心贏得這場(chǎng)勝利的。林肯在向遠(yuǎn)比我們眼下分歧更大的國(guó)家發(fā)表講話時(shí)說,我們不是敵人,而是朋友……雖然激情可能會(huì)褪去,但這不會(huì)割斷我們感情上的聯(lián)系。對(duì)于那些現(xiàn)在沒有投票給我的美國(guó)人,我想說,我可能沒有贏得你們的選票,但是我聽到了你們的聲音,我需要你們的幫助,而且我也將是你們的總統(tǒng)。
對(duì)于那些徹夜關(guān)注美國(guó)大選的海外人士,從國(guó)會(huì)到皇宮,以及在被遺忘的角落里擠在收音機(jī)旁的人們,我們的經(jīng)歷雖然各有不同,但是我們的命運(yùn)是一樣的,新的美國(guó)領(lǐng)導(dǎo)層已產(chǎn)生了。
那些想要顛覆這個(gè)世界的人們,我們將擊敗你們。那些追求和平和安全的人們,我們支持你們。那些所有懷疑美國(guó)的燈塔能否能像以前一樣明亮的人們,今天晚上我們?cè)俅巫C明,我們國(guó)家真正的力量并非來自我們武器的威力或財(cái)富的規(guī)模,而是來自我們理想的持久力量:民主、自由、機(jī)會(huì)、不屈服的希望。
這才是美國(guó)真正的精華——美國(guó)能夠改變。我們的聯(lián)邦會(huì)日漸完美。我們現(xiàn)在已取得的成就為我們將來能夠取得和必須取得的成就增添了希望。
這次大選創(chuàng)造了多項(xiàng)第一,也誕生了很多將世代流傳的故事。但是今天晚上令我難忘的卻是在亞特蘭大投票的一名婦女:安-尼克松-庫波爾。她和其他數(shù)百萬排隊(duì)等待投票的選民沒有什么差別,除了一點(diǎn):她已是106歲的高齡。
她出生的那個(gè)時(shí)代奴隸制度剛剛結(jié)束;那時(shí)路上沒有汽車,天上也沒有飛機(jī)。當(dāng)時(shí)像她這樣的人由于兩個(gè)原因不能投票,首先她是女性,其次她是黑人。
今天晚上,我想到了她在美國(guó)過去一百年間所經(jīng)歷的種種:心痛和希望;斗爭(zhēng)和進(jìn)步;在那里時(shí)代,我們被告知我們辦不到,一些人繼續(xù)堅(jiān)信著美國(guó)的信念──是的,我們能做到。
婦女當(dāng)時(shí)沒有投票權(quán),她們的希望被挫敗,但是安-尼克松-庫波爾活著看到婦女們站了起來,看到她們站出來發(fā)表自己的見解,看到她們參加大選投票。是的,我們能做到。
當(dāng)30年代的沙塵暴和大蕭條使人們感到絕望時(shí),她看到一個(gè)國(guó)家用新政、新的就業(yè)機(jī)會(huì)以及對(duì)新目標(biāo)的共同追求戰(zhàn)勝恐慌。是的,我們能做到。
當(dāng)炸彈襲擊了我們的港口、暴政威脅到全世界,她見證了一代美國(guó)人的偉大崛起,見證了一個(gè)民主國(guó)家獲得拯救。是的,我們能做到。
她看到蒙哥馬利通了公共汽車、伯明翰接上了水管、塞爾馬建了橋,一位來自亞特蘭大的傳教士告訴人們:“我們將克服阻力。”是的,我們能做到。
人類登上月球、柏林墻倒下,世界被我們的科學(xué)和想像被連接在一起。今年,在這場(chǎng)選舉中,她用手指觸摸屏幕投下自己的選票,因?yàn)樵诿绹?guó)生活了106年之后,經(jīng)歷了最好的時(shí)光和最黑暗的時(shí)刻之后,她知道美國(guó)如何能夠發(fā)生變革。是的,我們能做到。
美國(guó),我們已經(jīng)走過了一條漫漫長(zhǎng)路。我們已經(jīng)歷了很多。但是我們?nèi)杂泻芏嗍虑橐?。因此今夜,?qǐng)讓我們自問--如果我們的孩子能夠活到下個(gè)世紀(jì);如果我的女兒有幸活得和安一樣長(zhǎng),她們將會(huì)看到怎樣的改變?我們將會(huì)取得什么樣的進(jìn)步?
現(xiàn)在是我們回答這個(gè)問題的機(jī)會(huì)。這是我們的時(shí)刻。
這是我們的時(shí)代--讓我們的人民重新就業(yè),為我們的后代敞開機(jī)會(huì)之門,恢復(fù)繁榮,推進(jìn)和平,重新確立“美國(guó)夢(mèng)”,再次證明這樣一個(gè)基本的真理:我們是一家人;只要一息尚存,我們就有希望;當(dāng)我們遇到嘲諷和懷疑,當(dāng)有人說我們辦不到的時(shí)候,我們要以這個(gè)永恒的信條來回應(yīng)他們:
是的,我們能做到。感謝你們。上帝保佑你們。愿上帝保佑美利堅(jiān)合眾國(guó)。
第五篇:2013奧巴馬就職演說全文 中英雙語
2013奧巴馬就職演說全文 中英雙語
美國(guó)總統(tǒng)奧巴馬當(dāng)?shù)貢r(shí)間1月21日在國(guó)會(huì)山發(fā)表其第二任期就職演講。奧巴馬在演講中追溯美國(guó)民主傳統(tǒng)和憲法精神,通過闡述就業(yè)、醫(yī)保、移民、財(cái)政、同性戀及氣候變化威脅等多項(xiàng)議題與現(xiàn)實(shí)有力契合。奧巴馬強(qiáng)調(diào),偉大國(guó)家的塑造必須依賴每個(gè)美國(guó)人的力量,而非少數(shù)人的成功,并強(qiáng)調(diào)國(guó)家團(tuán)結(jié)的重要性。奧巴馬提及這代美國(guó)人從建國(guó)之父那里繼承的精神還沒有完成實(shí)踐,現(xiàn)在的美國(guó)人需要繼續(xù)努力,實(shí)現(xiàn)生存、自由與追求幸福的權(quán)利。以下為奧巴馬就職演說全文:
謝謝,非常感謝大家。拜登副總統(tǒng)、首席大法官先生、國(guó)會(huì)議員們、尊敬的各位嘉賓、親愛的公民們。
每一次我們集會(huì)慶??偨y(tǒng)就職都是在見證美國(guó)憲法的持久力量。我們都是在肯定美國(guó)民主的承諾。我們重申,將這個(gè)國(guó)家緊密聯(lián)系在一起的不是我們的膚色,也不是我們信仰的教條,更不是我們名字的來源。讓我們與眾不同,讓我們成為美國(guó)人的是我們對(duì)于一種理念的恪守。200多年前,這一理念在一篇宣言中被清晰闡述:
―我們認(rèn)為下述真理是不言而喻的,人人生而平等。造物主賦予他們?nèi)舾刹豢蓜儕Z的權(quán)利,包括生存、自由和追求幸福的權(quán)利?!?/p>
今天,我們繼續(xù)著這一未竟的征程,架起這些理念與我們時(shí)代現(xiàn)實(shí)之間的橋梁。因?yàn)闅v史告訴我們,即便這些真理是不言而喻的,它們也從來不會(huì)自動(dòng)生效。因?yàn)殡m然自由是上帝賦予的禮物,但仍需要世間的子民去捍衛(wèi)。1776年,美國(guó)的愛國(guó)先驅(qū)們不是只為了推翻國(guó)王的暴政而戰(zhàn),也不是為贏得少數(shù)人的特權(quán),建立暴民的統(tǒng)治。先驅(qū)們留給我們一個(gè)共和國(guó),一個(gè)民有、民治、民享的政府。他們委托每一代美國(guó)人捍衛(wèi)我們的建國(guó)信條。
在過去的200多年里,我們做到了。
從奴役的血腥枷鎖和刀劍的血光廝殺中我們懂得了,建立在自由與平等原則之上的聯(lián)邦不能永遠(yuǎn)維持半奴隸和半自由的狀態(tài)。我們贏得了新生,誓言共同前進(jìn)。
我們共同努力,建立起現(xiàn)代的經(jīng)濟(jì)體系。架設(shè)鐵路與高速公路,加速了旅行和商業(yè)交流。建立學(xué)校與大學(xué),培訓(xùn)我們的工人。
我們一起發(fā)現(xiàn),自由市場(chǎng)的繁榮只能建立在保障競(jìng)爭(zhēng)與公平競(jìng)爭(zhēng)的原則之上。
我們共同決定讓這個(gè)偉大的國(guó)家遠(yuǎn)離危險(xiǎn),保護(hù)她的人民不受生命威脅和不幸的侵?jǐn)_。一路走來,我們從未放棄對(duì)集權(quán)的質(zhì)疑。我們同樣不屈服于這一謊言:一切的社會(huì)弊端都能夠只靠政府來解決。我們對(duì)積極向上與奮發(fā)進(jìn)取的贊揚(yáng),我們對(duì)努力工作與個(gè)人責(zé)任的堅(jiān)持,這些都是美國(guó)精神的基本要義。
我們也理解,時(shí)代在變化,我們同樣需要變革。對(duì)建國(guó)精神的忠誠,需要我們肩負(fù)起新的責(zé)任,迎接新的挑戰(zhàn)。保護(hù)我們的個(gè)人自由,最終需要所有人的共同努力。因?yàn)槊绹?guó)人不能再獨(dú)力迎接當(dāng)今世界的挑戰(zhàn),正如美國(guó)士兵們不能再像先輩一樣,用步槍和民兵同敵人作戰(zhàn)。一個(gè)人無法培訓(xùn)所有的數(shù)學(xué)與科學(xué)老師,我們需要他們?yōu)榱宋磥砣ソ逃⒆觽?。一個(gè)人無法建設(shè)道路、鋪設(shè)網(wǎng)絡(luò)、建立實(shí)驗(yàn)室來為國(guó)內(nèi)帶來新的工作崗位和商業(yè)機(jī)會(huì)?,F(xiàn)在,與以往任何時(shí)候相比,我們都更需要團(tuán)結(jié)合作。作為一個(gè)國(guó)家,一個(gè)民族團(tuán)結(jié)起來。
這一代美國(guó)人經(jīng)歷了危機(jī)的考驗(yàn),經(jīng)濟(jì)危機(jī)堅(jiān)定了我們的決心,證明了我們的恢復(fù)力。長(zhǎng)達(dá)十年的戰(zhàn)爭(zhēng)正在結(jié)束,經(jīng)濟(jì)的復(fù)蘇已經(jīng)開始。美國(guó)的可能性是無限的,因?yàn)槲覀儞碛挟?dāng)今沒有邊界的世界所需要的所有品質(zhì):年輕與活力、多樣性與開放、無窮的冒險(xiǎn)精神以及創(chuàng)造的天賦才能。我親愛的同胞們,我們正是為此刻而生,我們更要在此刻團(tuán)結(jié)一致,抓住當(dāng)下的機(jī)會(huì)。
因?yàn)槲覀?,美?guó)人民,清楚如果只有不斷萎縮的少數(shù)人群體獲得成功,而大多數(shù)人不能成功,我們的國(guó)家就無法成功。我們相信,美國(guó)的繁榮必須建立在不斷上升的中產(chǎn)階級(jí)的寬闊臂膀之上,我們知道美國(guó)的繁榮只有這樣才能實(shí)現(xiàn)。只有當(dāng)每個(gè)人都能找到工作中的自立與自豪時(shí)才能實(shí)現(xiàn)。只有當(dāng)誠實(shí)勞動(dòng)獲得的薪水足夠讓家庭擺脫困苦的懸崖時(shí)才能實(shí)現(xiàn)。我們忠誠于我們的事業(yè),保證讓一個(gè)出生于最貧窮環(huán)境中的小女孩都能知道,她有同其他所有人一樣的成功機(jī)會(huì)。因?yàn)樗且粋€(gè)美國(guó)人,她是自由的、平等的。她的自由平等不僅由上帝來見證,更由我們親手保護(hù)。
我們知道,我們已然陳舊的程序不足以滿足時(shí)代的需要。我們必須應(yīng)用新理念和新技術(shù)重塑我們的政府,改進(jìn)我們的稅法,改革我們的學(xué)校,讓我們的公民擁有他們所需要的技能,更加努力地工作,學(xué)更多的知識(shí),向更高處發(fā)展。這意味著變革,我們的目標(biāo)是:國(guó)家可以獎(jiǎng)勵(lì)每個(gè)美國(guó)人的努力和果斷。
這是現(xiàn)在需要的。這將給我們的信條賦予真正的意義。
我們,人民,仍然認(rèn)為,每個(gè)公民都應(yīng)當(dāng)獲得基本的安全和尊嚴(yán)。我們必須做出艱難抉擇,降低醫(yī)療成本,縮減赤字規(guī)模。但我們拒絕在照顧建設(shè)國(guó)家的這一代和投資即將建設(shè)國(guó)家的下一代間做出選擇。因?yàn)槲覀冇浀眠^去的教訓(xùn):老年人的夕陽時(shí)光在貧困中度過,家有殘障兒童的父母無處求助。我們相信,在這個(gè)國(guó)家,自由不只是那些幸運(yùn)兒的專屬,或者說幸福只屬于少數(shù)人。我們知道,不管我們?cè)鯓迂?fù)責(zé)任地生活,我們?nèi)魏稳嗽谌魏螘r(shí)候都可能面臨失業(yè)、突發(fā)疾病或住房被可怕的 1
颶風(fēng)摧毀的風(fēng)險(xiǎn)。
我們通過醫(yī)療保險(xiǎn)、聯(lián)邦醫(yī)療補(bǔ)助計(jì)劃、社會(huì)保障項(xiàng)目向每個(gè)人做出承諾,這些不會(huì)讓我們的創(chuàng)造力衰竭,而是會(huì)讓我們更強(qiáng)大。這些不會(huì)讓我們成為充滿不勞而獲者的國(guó)度,這些讓我們敢于承擔(dān)風(fēng)險(xiǎn),讓國(guó)家偉大。
我們,人民,仍然相信,我們作為美國(guó)人的義務(wù)不只是對(duì)我們自己而言,還包括對(duì)子孫后代。我們將應(yīng)對(duì)氣候變化的威脅,認(rèn)識(shí)到不采取措施應(yīng)對(duì)氣候變化就是對(duì)我們的孩子和后代的背叛。一些人可能仍在否定科學(xué)界的壓倒性判斷,但沒有人能夠避免熊熊火災(zāi)、嚴(yán)重旱災(zāi)、更強(qiáng)力風(fēng)暴帶來的災(zāi)難性打擊。通向可再生能源利用的道路是漫長(zhǎng)的,有時(shí)是困難的。但美國(guó)不能抵制這種趨勢(shì),我們必須引領(lǐng)這種趨勢(shì)。我們不能把制造新就業(yè)機(jī)會(huì)和新行業(yè)的技術(shù)讓給其他國(guó)家,我們必須明確這一承諾。這是我們保持經(jīng)濟(jì)活力和國(guó)家財(cái)富(我們的森林和航道,我們的農(nóng)田與雪峰)的方法。這將是我們保護(hù)我們星球的辦法,上帝把這個(gè)星球托付給我們。這將給我們的建國(guó)之父?jìng)冊(cè)嫉男艞l賦予意義。
我們,人民,仍然相信持久的安全與和平,不需要持續(xù)的戰(zhàn)爭(zhēng)。我們勇敢的士兵經(jīng)受了戰(zhàn)火的考驗(yàn),他們的技能和勇氣是無可匹敵的。我們的公民依然銘記著那些陣亡者,他們非常清楚我們?yōu)樽杂筛冻龅拇鷥r(jià)。明白他們的犧牲將讓我們永遠(yuǎn)對(duì)那些試圖傷害我們的勢(shì)力保持警惕。但我們也是那些贏得和平而不只是戰(zhàn)爭(zhēng)的人們的后代,他們將仇敵轉(zhuǎn)變成最可靠的朋友,我們也必須把這些經(jīng)驗(yàn)帶到這個(gè)時(shí)代。
我們將通過強(qiáng)大的軍力和法制保護(hù)我們的人民,捍衛(wèi)我們的價(jià)值觀。我們將展現(xiàn)試圖和平解決與其它國(guó)家分歧的勇氣,但這不是因?yàn)槲覀儗?duì)面臨的危險(xiǎn)持幼稚的態(tài)度,而是因?yàn)榻佑|能夠更持久地化解疑慮和恐懼。美國(guó)將在全球保持強(qiáng)大的聯(lián)盟,我們將更新這些能擴(kuò)展我們應(yīng)對(duì)海外危機(jī)能力的機(jī)制。因?yàn)樽鳛槭澜缟献顝?qiáng)大的國(guó)家,我們?cè)谑澜绾推椒矫鎿碛凶畲蟮睦?。我們將支持從亞洲到非洲、從美洲至中東的民主國(guó)家,因?yàn)槲覀兊睦婧土夹尿?qū)使我們代表那些想獲得自由的人們采取行動(dòng)。我們必須成為貧困者、病患者、被邊緣化的人士、異見受害者的希望來源,不僅僅是出于慈善,也是因?yàn)檫@個(gè)時(shí)代的和平需要不斷推進(jìn)我們共同信念中的原則:寬容和機(jī)遇,人類尊嚴(yán)與正義。
我們,人民,今天昭示的最明白的事實(shí)是——我們所有人都是生而平等的,這是依然引領(lǐng)我們的恒星。它引領(lǐng)我們的先輩穿越紐約塞尼卡瀑布城(女權(quán)抗議事件)、塞爾馬(黑人權(quán)力事件)和石墻騷亂(同性戀與警察發(fā)生的暴力事件),引領(lǐng)著所有的男性和女性,留下姓名和沒留姓名的人。在偉大的征程中,一路上留下足跡的人。曾經(jīng)聽一位牧師說,我們不能獨(dú)自前行。馬丁-路德-金說,我們個(gè)人的自由與地球上每個(gè)靈魂的自由不可分割。
繼續(xù)先輩開創(chuàng)的事業(yè)是我們這代人的任務(wù)。直到我們的妻子、母親和女兒的付出能夠與她們的努力相稱,我們的征途才會(huì)結(jié)束。我們的征途不會(huì)終結(jié),我們要讓同性戀的兄弟姐妹在法律之下得到與其他人同樣的待遇。如果我們真正是生而平等的,那么我們對(duì)彼此的愛也應(yīng)該是平等的。我們的征途沒有結(jié)束,直到?jīng)]有公民需要等待數(shù)個(gè)小時(shí)去行使投票權(quán)。我們的征途不會(huì)結(jié)束,直到我們找到更好的方法迎接努力、有憧憬的移民,他們依舊視美國(guó)是一塊充滿機(jī)會(huì)的土地。直到聰穎年輕的學(xué)生和工程師為我們所用,而不是被逐出美國(guó)。我們的征途不會(huì)結(jié)束,直到我們所有的兒童,從底特律的街道到阿巴拉契亞的山嶺,再到康涅狄格州紐鎮(zhèn)安靜的小巷,直到他們得到關(guān)心和珍視,永遠(yuǎn)避免受到傷害。
那是我們這一代的任務(wù)——讓生存、自由和追求幸福的言語、權(quán)力和價(jià)值切實(shí)體現(xiàn)在每個(gè)美國(guó)人的身上。我們的立國(guó)文本沒有要求我們將每個(gè)人的生活一致化。這并不意味著,我們會(huì)以完全一樣的方式去定義自由,沿著同樣的道路通向幸福。進(jìn)步不會(huì)終止幾個(gè)世紀(jì)以來一直糾結(jié)的關(guān)于政府角色的爭(zhēng)論,但這要求我們現(xiàn)在就采取行動(dòng)。
目前是由我們決策,我們不能拖延。我們不能將絕對(duì)主義當(dāng)作原則,或者以表象代替政治,或?qū)⒅袀曌骼硇缘霓q論。我們必須行動(dòng),要意識(shí)到我們的工作并不完美。我們必須行動(dòng),意識(shí)到今天的勝利是并不完全的。這些將有賴于未來4年、40年或是400年致力于這項(xiàng)事業(yè)的人,去推進(jìn)當(dāng)年在費(fèi)城制憲會(huì)議大廳傳承給我們的永恒精神。
我的美國(guó)同胞,我今天在你們面前宣讀的誓詞,如同在國(guó)會(huì)山服務(wù)的其他人曾宣讀過的誓詞一樣,是對(duì)上帝和國(guó)家的誓詞,不是對(duì)政黨或是派別的,我們必須在任期內(nèi)忠實(shí)地履行這些承諾。但我今天宣讀的誓詞與士兵報(bào)名參軍或者是移民實(shí)現(xiàn)夢(mèng)想時(shí)所宣讀的誓詞沒有多少差別。我的誓詞與我們所有的人向我們頭頂飄揚(yáng)的、讓我們心懷自豪的國(guó)旗所表達(dá)的誓言沒有多大差別。
這些是公民的誓詞,代表著我們最偉大的希望。
你和我,作為公民,都有為這個(gè)國(guó)家設(shè)定道路的權(quán)力。
你和我,作為公民,有義務(wù)塑造我們時(shí)代的辯題,不僅是通過我們的選票,而且要為捍衛(wèi)悠久的價(jià)值觀和持久的理想發(fā)聲。
現(xiàn)在讓我們相互擁抱,懷著莊嚴(yán)的職責(zé)和無比的快樂,這是我們永恒的與生俱來的權(quán)利。有共同的努力和共同的目標(biāo),用熱情與奉獻(xiàn),讓我們回應(yīng)歷史的召喚,將珍貴的自由之光帶入并不確定的未來。
感謝你們,上帝保佑你們,愿上帝永遠(yuǎn)保佑美利堅(jiān)合眾國(guó)。
以下是奧巴馬第二任期就職演說英文版:
MR.OBAMA: Vice President Biden, Mr.Chief Justice, Members of the United States Congress, distinguished guests, and fellow citizens:
Each time we gather to inaugurate a president, we bear witness to the enduring strength of our Constitution.We affirm the promise of our democracy.We recall that what binds this nation together is not the colors of our skin or the tenets of our faith or the origins of our names.What makes us exceptional – what makes us American – is our allegiance to an idea, articulated in a declaration made more than two centuries ago:
―We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness.‖
Today we continue a never-ending journey, to bridge the meaning of those words with the realities of our time.For history tells us that while these truths may be self-evident, they have never been self-executing;that while freedom is a gift from God, it must be secured by His people here on Earth.The patriots of 1776 did not fight to replace the tyranny of a king with the privileges of a few or the rule of a mob.They gave to us a Republic, a government of, and by, and for the people, entrusting each generation to keep safe our founding creed.For more than two hundred years, we have.Through blood drawn by lash and blood drawn by sword, we learned that no union founded on the principles of liberty and equality could survive half-slave and half-free.We made ourselves anew, and vowed to move forward together.Together, we determined that a modern economy requires railroads and highways to speed travel and commerce;schools and colleges to train our workers。
Together, we discovered that a free market only thrives when there are rules to ensure competition and fair play.Together, we resolved that a great nation must care for the vulnerable, and protect its people from life’s worst hazards and misfortune.Through it all, we have never relinquished our skepticism of central authority, nor have we succumbed to the fiction that all society’s ills can be cured through government alone.Our celebration of initiative and enterprise;our insistence on hard work and personal responsibility, these are constants in our character.But we have always understood that when times change, so must we;that fidelity to our founding principles requires new responses to new challenges;that preserving our individual freedoms ultimately requires collective action.For the American people can no more meet the demands of today’s world by acting alone than American soldiers could have met the forces of fascism or communism with muskets and militias.No single person can train all the math and science teachers we’ll need to equip our children for the future, or build the roads and networks and research labs that will bring new jobs and businesses to our shores.Now, more than ever, we must do these things together, as one nation, and one people.This generation of Americans has been tested by crises that steeled our resolve and proved our resilience.A decade of war is now ending.An economic recovery has begun.America’s possibilities are limitless, for we possess all the qualities that this world without boundaries demands: youth and drive;diversity and openness;an endless capacity for risk and a gift for reinvention.My fellow Americans, we are made for this moment, and we will seize it – so long as we seize it together.For we, the people, understand that our country cannot succeed when a shrinking few do very well and a growing many
barely make it.We believe that America’s prosperity must rest upon the broad shoulders of a rising middle class.We know that America thrives when every person can find independence and pride in their work;when the wages of honest labor liberate families from the brink of hardship.We are true to our creed when a little girl born into the bleakest poverty knows that she has the same chance to succeed as anybody else, because she is an American, she is free, and she is equal, not just in the eyes of God but also in our own.We understand that outworn programs are inadequate to the needs of our time.We must harness new ideas and technology to remake our government, revamp our tax code, reform our schools, and empower our citizens with the skills they need to work harder, learn more, and reach higher.But while the means will change, our purpose endures: a nation that rewards the effort and determination of every single American.That is what this moment requires.That is what will give real meaning to our creed.We, the people, still believe that every citizen deserves a basic measure of security and dignity.We must make the hard choices to reduce the cost of health care and the size of our deficit.But we reject the belief that America must choose between caring for the generation that built this country and investing in the generation that will build its future.For we remember the lessons of our past, when twilight years were spent in poverty, and parents of a child with a disability had nowhere to turn.We do not believe that in this country, freedom is reserved for the lucky, or happiness for the few.We recognize that no matter how responsibly we live our lives, any one of us, at any time, may face a job loss, or a sudden illness, or a home swept away in a terrible storm.The commitments we make to each other – through Medicare, and Medicaid, and Social Security – these things do not sap our initiative;they strengthen us.They do not make us a nation of takers;they free us to take the risks that make this country great.We, the people, still believe that our obligations as Americans are not just to ourselves, but to all posterity.We will respond to the threat of climate change, knowing that the failure to do so would betray our children and future generations.Some may still deny the overwhelming judgment of science, but none can avoid the devastating impact of raging fires, and crippling drought, and more powerful storms.The path towards sustainable energy sources will be long and sometimes difficult.But America cannot resist this transition;we must lead it.We cannot cede to other nations the technology that will power new jobs and new industries – we must claim its promise.That is how we will maintain our economic vitality and our national treasure – our forests and waterways;our croplands and snowcapped peaks.That is how we will preserve our planet, commanded to our care by God.That’s what will lend meaning to the creed our fathers once declared.We, the people, still believe that enduring security and lasting peace do not require perpetual war.Our brave men and women in uniform, tempered by the flames of battle, are unmatched in skill and courage.Our citizens, seared by the memory of those we have lost, know too well the price that is paid for liberty.The knowledge of their sacrifice will keep us forever vigilant against those who would do us harm.But we are also heirs to those who won the peace and not just the war, who turned sworn enemies into the surest of friends, and we must carry those lessons into this time as well.We will defend our people and uphold our values through strength of arms and rule of law.We will show the courage to try and resolve our differences with other nations peacefully – not because we are na?ve about the dangers we face, but because engagement can more durably lift suspicion and fear.America will remain the anchor of strong alliances in every corner of the globe;and we will renew those institutions that extend our capacity to manage crisis abroad, for no one has a greater stake in a peaceful world than its most powerful nation.We will support democracy from Asia to Africa;from the Americas to the Middle East, because our interests and our conscience compel us to act on behalf of those who long for freedom.And we must be a source of hope to the poor, the sick, the marginalized, the victims of prejudice – not out of mere charity, but because peace in our time requires the constant advance of those principles that our common creed describes: tolerance and opportunity;human dignity and justice.We, the people, declare today that the most evident of truths – that all of us are created equal – is the star that guides us still;just as it guided our forebears through Seneca Falls, and Selma, and Stonewall;just as it guided all those men and women, sung and unsung, who left footprints along this great Mall, to hear a preacher say that we cannot walk alone;to hear a King proclaim that our individual freedom is inextricably bound to the freedom of every soul on Earth.It is now our generation’s task to carry on what those pioneers began.For our journey is not complete until our wives, our
mothers, and daughters can earn a living equal to their efforts.Our journey is not complete until our gay brothers and sisters are treated like anyone else under the law – for if we are truly created equal, then surely the love we commit to one another must be equal as well.Our journey is not complete until no citizen is forced to wait for hours to exercise the right to vote.Our journey is not complete until we find a better way to welcome the striving, hopeful immigrants who still see America as a land of opportunity;until bright young students and engineers are enlisted in our workforce rather than expelled from our country.Our journey is not complete until all our children, from the streets of Detroit to the hills of Appalachia to the quiet lanes of Newtown, know that they are cared for, and cherished, and always safe from harm.That is our generation’s task – to make these words, these rights, these values – of Life, and Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness – real for every American.Being true to our founding documents does not require us to agree on every contour of life;it does not mean we will all define liberty in exactly the same way, or follow the same precise path to happiness.Progress does not compel us to settle centuries-long debates about the role of government for all time – but it does require us to act in our time.For now decisions are upon us, and we cannot afford delay.We cannot mistake absolutism for principle, or substitute spectacle for politics, or treat name-calling as reasoned debate.We must act, knowing that our work will be imperfect.We must act, knowing that today’s victories will be only partial, and that it will be up to those who stand here in four years, and forty years, and four hundred years hence to advance the timeless spirit once conferred to us in a spare Philadelphia hall.My fellow Americans, the oath I have sworn before you today, like the one recited by others who serve in this Capitol, was an oath to God and country, not party or faction – and we must faithfully execute that pledge during the duration of our service.But the words I spoke today are not so different from the oath that is taken each time a soldier signs up for duty, or an immigrant realizes her dream.My oath is not so different from the pledge we all make to the flag that waves above and that fills our hearts with pride.They are the words of citizens, and they represent our greatest hope.You and I, as citizens, have the power to set this country’s course.You and I, as citizens, have the obligation to shape the debates of our time – not only with the votes we cast, but with the voices we lift in defense of our most ancient values and enduring ideals.Let each of us now embrace, with solemn duty and awesome joy, what is our lasting birthright.With common effort and common purpose, with passion and dedication, let us answer the call of history, and carry into an uncertain future that precious light of freedom.Thank you, God Bless you, and may He forever bless these United States of America.