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www.ChinaPost.com.tw |
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President Barack Obama's inaugural address |
歐巴馬就職演說全文 |
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| My fellow citizens:
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各位父老鄉親姊妹們: |
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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. |
今天我站在這裡,謙卑地面對眼前的重責大任,感念各位托付於我的信任,遙想先賢先烈的犧牲奉獻,我銘記於心。感謝布希總統對國家的服務,也謝謝他在交接過程中始終如一的寬厚與配合。 | |
| 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. |
至今已有四十四位美國人發表總統就職誓詞,這些誓詞發表於繁榮與和平時期,但也有些是在烏雲密佈、暴風肆虐之際發表。美國人之所以可以在困頓時刻繼續向前,不只是因為高位者的能力或願景,也是因為人民相信前人理念、忠於建國法。 | |
| So it has been. So it must be with this
generation of Americans. |
我們是這樣走過來的,這一代的美國人也必須這樣走下去。 | |
| 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. |
我們非常了解我國現在身處危機中心,對抗暴力與憎恨的戰爭尚未結束,某些人的貪婪與不負責任,導致經濟嚴重衰退,但這也是我們無法做出困難抉擇、讓國家準備好迎接新時代的後果。許多人失去家園、飯碗不保、公司關門;我們的健保費用太過昂貴、學校讓許多人失望;每天一再有證據顯示,我們使用能源的方式,使敵人壯大,讓地球受到威脅。 | |
| 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.
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這些是根據數據與統計得出的危機指標,而比較無法測量、卻同樣嚴重的危機,就是國家上下信心流失,害怕美國國力必將衰退、下一代眼界變低的憂慮揮之不去。 | |
| 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. |
今天我告訴各位,我們面對的是切切實實的挑戰,這些挑戰不只重大,而且將接踵而來。這些挑戰雖然無法在短時間內輕鬆解決,但美國人你們要知道,它們終將迎刃而解。 | |
| On this day, we gather because we have chosen hope
over fear, unity of purpose over conflict and
discord.
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今天我們齊聚於此,因為我們選擇希望而非恐懼,選擇有決心的團結,而非衝突或歧異。 | |
| 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. |
今天我們大聲宣告,那些無用的牢騷與虛偽的承諾已然告終,那些讓我們政壇窒息太久太久的交相指責與陳腐教條從此不再。 | |
| 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.
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我們還是年輕的國家,但引用聖經的話語來說,擺脫幼稚行為的時刻到來了,重申我們堅忍精神的時刻到來了,選擇更好的歷史,發揚寶貴天賦,發揚代代相傳的高貴理想。上帝應許我們,人人平等,人人自由,人人都該有機會追求完完整整的幸福。 | |
| 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.
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重申我國偉大的同時,我們了解到偉大絕非必然,偉大必須努力爭取。我們的旅程永遠不是抄捷徑、或是易於滿足而來;這條路從來就不是意志不堅、偏好享樂重於工作的人會選擇的旅程,也不是只求名利之樂之人會走的路;相反地,在這條漫長且充滿荊棘之路上帶領我們,一路邁向繁榮與自由的人,向來都是勇於冒險的行動派、真正成事之人,這之中有些人赫赫有名,但在工作崗位默默耕耘者更佔多數。 | |
| For us, they packed up their few worldly possessions
and traveled across oceans in search of a new life.
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為了我們,他們帶著簡單的家當漂流萬里,追尋新生活。 | |
| For us, they toiled in sweatshops
and settled the West; endured the lash of the whip and plowed the hard
earth.
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為了我們,他們在剝削勞力的工廠裡苦幹實幹,定居西部,忍受鞭打,耕作於不毛之地。 | |
| For us, they fought and died, in places like Concord and Gettysburg; Normandy and Khe Sanh. | 為了我們,他們奮鬥不懈,葬身康科德(Concord)蓋茨堡(Gettsburg)、諾曼地(Normandy)、溪山(Khe Sahn)等等地方。 |
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| 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. | 這些男男女女一再奮鬥犧牲,工作到雙手紅腫,為 的是讓我們有機會過更好生活。他們認為美國的重要性 ,大於個人野心總和,也超越出身、財富或派系差異。 |
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| 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. |
這是一條我們今天還在繼續的旅程,我們仍是世上 最富足、最強大的國家,這場危機爆發時,我們的生產 力沒少,我們的創造力依舊,我們的商品與服務,跟上 星期、上個月或去年一樣受到需要;我們的能力沒有降 低,但我們維護狹隘利益、抗拒令人不悅決定的時期必 已過去,今天開始,我們需要重整精神、甩落塵埃,重 新開始再造美國的工作。 |
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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. |
環顧四周,許多工作尚待完成:現今的經濟狀況需 要大膽且迅速的行動,我們也將有所動作,不只是創造 新工作機會,也要為成長奠定新基礎;我們將造橋鋪路 ,設立符合商業需求、將我們連結在一起的電力網絡與 數位線路;我們將使科學獲得應有的重視,運用科技奇 蹟,提升健保品質、降低其費用;我們將運用太陽能、 風力及土壤,提供汽車與工廠所需能源;我們也將讓學 校與大專院校適應新時代轉型。這些我們都可以做,我 們也將這麼做。 | |
| 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. |
現在,有些人質疑我們企圖心的規模,他們認為, 我們的體系無法負擔太多大型計畫,他們的記憶力不是 很好,因為他們忘了國家過去的成就,忘了想像力與共 同目標及必要勇氣相結合時,不受拘束的男男女女可以 達成何種成就。 | |
| 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. |
懷疑論者不了解,他們的立場已經站不住腳,政治 爭論讓我們空轉太久,我們今天要問的,不是政府是不 是太大或者太小,而是政府能否發揮作用,能否幫助家 庭找到工資合理的工作、負擔得起醫療照顧、可以有尊 嚴的退休。答案是肯定的道路,我們繼續前進;答案是 否定的地方,計畫就將結束。我們使用公共資金的人會 擔負責任,明智地花費、革除壞習慣、盡心盡力,因為 唯有如此,才能讓人民與政府間重拾重要的信賴。 | |
| 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. |
橫在前方的問題,也並非市場力量是善是惡,市場 創造財富、擴大自由的力量無可比擬,但這場危機提醒 了我們,市場沒有監督就會如脫韁野馬,而且國家如果 只重視有錢人,繁榮就無法持續下去;我們經濟的成功 ,取決的不只是國內生產毛額大小,還端視富裕可及之 範圍,取決於我們能讓每顆積極肯做的心獲得機會的能 力,這樣不是在做善事,而是因為,這是我們最有把握 能達到共同利益之路。 | |
| 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. |
至於我們共同的防衛,我們認為必須在安全及理想 中做選擇是錯誤的。我們建國的諸位國父,面對我們幾 乎無法想像的危難,擬定確保法治與人權的憲章,並由 一代一代的鮮血加以擴充。這些理想依然照亮全世界, 我們不會為了權宜之計而放棄這些理想。同樣的,所有 其他觀看這項就職典禮的各個民族及各國政府、從大首 都到我父親出生的小鄉村,我要向他們說:「凡是追求 和平及有尊嚴未來的國家、男男女女及兒童,美國是你 們的朋友,我們已經準備好再次領導這個世界。」 | |
| 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. |
回想之前數個世代對抗法西斯主義及共產主義,倚 靠的不只是飛彈及坦克,還有堅強的盟邦與不朽的信念 。他們了解單靠自身的力量無法保護我們自己,我們也 不能因此為所欲為。相反的,他們了解到,我們的力量 因為謹慎的使用而增強;我們的安全源自於我們動機正 當、身為楷模的力量、以及謙虛與自制混合起來的特質 。 |
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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. |
我們是這項遺產的保護者。再一次在這些原則的引 導下,我們能夠對付需要更多努力的新威脅,這些努力 包括加強國家間合作以及了解。我們將開始以負責任的 方式將伊拉克交還給它的人民,並在阿富汗建立得來不 易的和平。我們將與老朋友與舊敵人攜手,努力不懈地 降低核子威脅,並擊退地球暖化的幽靈。我們不會為自 己的生活方式道歉,也會毫不猶豫的維護這種生活方式 ,對那些把引發恐怖並屠殺無辜做為手段,推動他們目 的的人,我現在告訴你們,我們的意志力強過你們,且 堅不可摧;你們不可能比我們長久,我們將打敗你們。 | |
| 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. |
因為我們知道,我們融合得來的遺產是種力量,不 是缺點。我們是基督徒及穆斯林、猶太教徒與印度教徒 ─及沒有信仰的人所組成的國家。我們是由地球各個角 落各種語言及文化形塑出來的國家;且因為我們曾嚐過 內戰及種族隔離的痛苦洗禮、走出黑暗時代而變得更強 壯且更團結,我們不得不相信仇恨總有一天會過去;部 落之間的界線很快就會消失;當世界越變越小,我們做 為人類的共同特質也將不言自明;美國必須扮演引進新 和平時代的角色。 | |
| 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. |
有關穆斯林世界方面,我們將根據互利與互重,尋
求新的前進方式。我要告訴那些在全球各地散播衝突種 子或將他們自己社會弊病歸咎於西方國家的領袖,你們
要知道,你們的人民是以你能建立什麼,而非破壞什麼 來評斷你。對於那些利用貪污及欺騙、消滅異己以緊抓
權力的人,你們要知道,你們站在歷史錯誤的那一邊; 但是如果你願意鬆開拳頭,我們將伸出援手。 |
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| 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. |
對貧窮國家的人民,我們誓言與你們一起讓你們的 農場豐收並讓清澈的水流動;滋養飢餓的身體並餵飽飢 餓的心靈。對那些與我們一樣、享受相對富足生活的國 家,我們無法再對國境之外的苦難視而不見;我們也不 能再不計後果地消耗地球資源。因為這個世界已經改變 ,我們必須與這個世界一起改變。 | |
| 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. |
當我們思索眼前開展的道路,我們謙卑感激地記起 在此刻巡邏偏遠沙漠及山區的勇敢美國人。如同長眠阿 靈頓公墓的英雄穿透世世代代的低語,他們今天有話告 訴我們。我們尊敬他們,不僅是他們正在守護我們的自 由,而是他們體現服務的精神;一種希望在比他們自己 更重要的事物中,尋找到意義的意願。然而,在這個能 為一個世代立下定義的時刻,必須常駐我們所有人心中 的正是這種精神。 | |
| 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. |
就算政府能做且必須做,這個國家所能倚仗的終究 是美國人民的信念與決心。仁慈讓我們在堤防潰決時, 收容陌生人,是勞工朋友的無私,希望減少自己的工作 時數,也不願見到朋友失業,讓我們度過黑暗時代。是 消防人員的勇氣,讓他衝進煙霧瀰漫的樓梯間,同樣的 ,是父母培育孩子的意願,最終決定我們的命運。 | |
| 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. |
我們面臨的可能是全新的挑戰。我們對付它們的工 具可能也是全新的。但是那些我們成就所倚仗的價值─
努力工作與誠實、勇氣與公平競爭、容忍與好奇心、忠 誠與愛國主義─都是固有的價值觀。這些價值觀都是正
確的。它們曾經是推動美國各段歷史前進的沉默力量。 現在要求我們的是新時代的責任--每一位美國人都要
體認到我們對自己、我們的國家以及這個世界有責任, 並非不情不願,而是欣然接受的責任,而是堅信沒有什
麼比全力解決艱難任務,更能獲得精神上的滿足,更能 找到自我。 |
|
|
This is the price and the promise of citizenship. |
這是公民的代價與承諾。 | |
| 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. |
這是我們自由與信念的意義所在─為何不同種族與
宗教的男男女女與小孩能在這片大廣場上一起慶祝,為 什麼一個人的父親在不到60年前可能還被拒絕進當地餐
廳用餐,現在卻能站在你們面前宣讀最神聖的誓言。 |
|
| 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: |
讓我們記住這一天,記住我們是誰、我們經歷的有
多少。在美國誕生的那一年,在最寒冷的幾個月,一小 群愛國者在冰凍的河水岸邊擁抱即將熄滅的營火。棄守
首府。敵人正在逼進。白雪上血紅斑斑。我們革命成果 最受質疑的時刻,我們的建國國父下令向人民宣讀以下 這段話: |
|
| "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]." |
「讓這段故事流傳後世,在隆冬時候,當希望與美
德之外,無所倖存之時,這座城市與這個國家,因為一 個共同的危險起而警戒,站出來迎向它。」 |
|
| 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. |
美國。在面對我們共同的危險時、在這個苦難的冬
天、讓我們記住這些不朽的話語。藉由希望與美德,讓 我們再次勇敢面對逆境,忍受可能到來的風暴。讓我們
孩子的孩子傳述下去,當我們遭遇考驗,我們拒絕讓這 趟旅程結束,我們不回頭也不躊躇退卻,將眼光放在未
來,上帝的恩典降臨我們身上,我們帶著自由這份偉大 的禮物,安全地將它送給未來的世代。 |
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