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1、Obamas Inaugural AddressMy fellow citizens: I stand here today humbled by the task before us, grateful for the trust you have bestowed, mindful of the sacrifices borne by our ancestors. I thank President Bush for his service to our nation, as well as the generosity and co-operation he has shown thro
2、ughout this transition. Forty-four Americans have now taken the presidential oath. The words have been spoken during rising tides of prosperity and the still waters of peace. Yet, every so often the oath is taken amidst gathering clouds and raging storms. At these moments, America has carried on not
3、 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 forbearers, and true to our founding documents. So it has been. So it must be with this generation of Americans. That we are in the midst of crisis is now well unders
4、tood. 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 she
5、d; businesses shuttered. Our health care is too costly; our schools fail too many; and each day brings further evidence that the ways we use energy strengthen our adversaries and threaten our planet. These are the indicators of crisis, subject to data and statistics. Less measurable but no less prof
6、ound is a sapping of confidence across our land a nagging fear that Americas decline is inevitable, and that the next generation must lower its sights. Today I say to you that the challenges we face are real. They are serious and they are many. They will not be met easily or in a short span of time.
7、 But know this, America they will be met. On this day, we gather because we have chosen hope over fear, unity of purpose over conflict and discord. On this day, we come to proclaim an end to the petty grievances and false promises, the recriminations and worn-out dogmas, that for far too long have s
8、trangled our politics. We remain a young nation, but in the words of Scripture, the time has come to set aside childish things. The time has come to reaffirm our enduring spirit; to choose our better history; to carry forward that precious gift, that noble idea, passed on from generation to generati
9、on: the God-given promise that all are equal, all are free, and all deserve a chance to pursue their full measure of happiness. In reaffirming the greatness of our nation, we understand that greatness is never a given. It must be earned. Our journey has never been one of shortcuts or settling for le
10、ss. 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 labour, who have carried us up
11、the long, rugged path towards prosperity and freedom. For us, they packed up their few worldly possessions and travelled across oceans in search of a new life. For us, they toiled in sweatshops and settled the West; endured the lash of the whip and plowed the hard earth. For us, they fought and died
12、, in places like Concord and Gettysburg; Normandy and Khe Sahn. Time and again these men and women struggled and sacrificed and worked till their hands were raw so that we might live a better life. They saw America as bigger than the sum of our individual ambitions; greater than all the differences
13、of birth or wealth or faction. This is the journey we continue today. We remain the most prosperous, powerful nation on Earth. Our workers are no less productive than when this crisis began. Our minds are no less inventive, our goods and services no less needed than they were last week or last month
14、 or last year. Our capacity remains undiminished. But our time of standing pat, of protecting narrow interests and putting off unpleasant decisions that time has surely passed. Starting today, we must pick ourselves up, dust ourselves off, and begin again the work of remaking America. For everywhere
15、 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. W
16、e will restore science to its rightful place, and wield technologys wonders to raise health cares 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 demand
17、s of a new age. All this we can do. And all this we will do. Now, there are some who question the scale of our ambitions who suggest that our system cannot tolerate too many big plans. Their memories are short. For they have forgotten what this country has already done; what free men and women can a
18、chieve when imagination is joined to common purpose, and necessity to courage. 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
19、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 publics dollars will
20、 be held to account to spend wisely, reform bad habits, and do our business in the light of day because only then can we restore the vital trust between a people and their government. Nor is the question before us whether the market is a force for good or ill. Its power to generate wealth and expand
21、 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 favours only the prosperous. The success of our economy has always depended not just on the size of our gross domestic product, but on
22、the reach of our prosperity; on our ability to extend opportunity to every willing heart not out of charity, but because it is the surest route to our common good. As for our common defence, we reject as false the choice between our safety and our ideals. Our Founding Fathers, faced with perils we c
23、an 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 expediences sake. And so to all other peoples and governments who are watching today, from the
24、grandest capitals to the small village where my father was born: know that America is a friend of each nation and every man, woman and child who seeks a future of peace and dignity, and that we are ready to lead once more. Recall that earlier generations faced down fascism and communism not just wit
25、h 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 forc
26、e of our example, the tempering qualities of humility and restraint. We are the keepers of this legacy. Guided by these principles once more, we can meet those new threats that demand even greater effort even greater co-peration and understanding between nations. We will begin to responsibly leave I
27、raq 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 spectre of a warming planet. We will not apologize for our way of life, nor will we waver in its defence, and for those who seek
28、to advance their aims by inducing terror and slaughtering innocents, we say to you now that our spirit is stronger and cannot be broken; you cannot outlast us, and we will defeat you. For we know that our patchwork heritage is a strength, not a weakness. We are a nation of Christians and Muslims, Je
29、ws 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 sha
30、ll someday pass; that the lines of tribe shall soon dissolve; that as the world grows smaller, our common humanity shall reveal itself; and that America must play its role in ushering in a new era of peace. To the Muslim world, we seek a new way forward, based on mutual interest and mutual respect.
31、To those leaders around the globe who seek to sow conflict, or blame their societys 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 wron
32、g side of history; but that we will extend a hand if you are willing to unclench your fist. 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
33、 relative plenty, we say we can no longer afford indifference to suffering outside our borders; nor can we consume the worlds resources without regard to effect. For the world has changed, and we must change with it. As we consider the road that unfolds before us, we remember with humble gratitude t
34、hose 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 honour them not only because they are guardians of our liberty, but because they embody the spi
35、rit of service; a willingness to find meaning in something greater than themselves. And yet, at this moment a moment that will define a generation it is precisely this spirit that must inhabit us all. For as much as government can do and must do, it is ultimately the faith and determination of the A
36、merican 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 firefighters courage to storm a stairway fill
37、ed with smoke, but also a parents willingness to nurture a child, that finally decides our fate. Our challenges may be new. The instruments with which we meet them may be new. But those values upon which our success depends hard work and honesty, courage and fair play, tolerance and curiosity, loyal
38、ty 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 du
39、ties to ourselves, our nation and the world, duties that we do not grudgingly accept but rather seize gladly, firm in the knowledge that there is nothing so satisfying to the spirit, so defining of our character, than giving our all to a difficult task. This is the price and the promise of citizensh
40、ip. This is the source of our confidence the knowledge that God calls on us to shape an uncertain destiny. This is the meaning of our liberty and our creed why men, and women and children of every race and every faith can join in celebration across this magnificent mall, and why a man whose father l
41、ess than sixty years ago might not have been served at a local restaurant can now stand before you to take a most sacred oath. So let us mark this day with remembrance, of who we are and how far we have travelled. In the year of Americas birth, in the coldest of months, a small band of patriots hudd
42、led by dying campfires on the shores of an icy river. The capital was abandoned. The enemy was advancing. The snow was stained with blood. At a moment when the outcome of our revolution was most in doubt, the father of our nation ordered these words be read to the people: Let it be told to the futur
43、e world . that in the depth of winter, when nothing but hope and virtue could survive . that the city and the country, alarmed at one common danger, came forth to meet it. America. In the face of our common dangers, in this winter of our hardship, let us remember these timeless words. With hope and
44、virtue, let us brave once more the icy currents, and endure what storms may come. Let it be said by our childrens 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 Gods grace upon us, we carried
45、forth that great gift of freedom and delivered it safely to future generations. 亲爱的同胞们： 今天我站在这里，为我们将面对的任重道远而慨叹。感谢你们对我寄托的信任，同时缅怀我们的前人所做出的牺牲。感谢布什总统为美国做出的贡献，以及他在总统任期交叠过程中的慷慨合作。 至此，共有四十四位美国人曾进行过总统宣誓。这一誓言曾在国家和平、欣欣向荣时做出过。然而这一誓词更曾在乌云笼罩和风暴袭来之时被宣读。美国人民之所以能够走过那些艰难的时刻，不仅仅是因为领袖的能力或远见；更是因为我们，我们人民，保持着对先人理想的忠诚，对我们
46、国家创始文件的追随。 对于我们这一代美国人来说，也是这样，也必须这样。 国家正面临危机，这一点大家已经没有疑问。美国处在战争之中，面对一个有巨大影响力、充满暴力和仇恨的网络。我们的经济严重衰退。这来源于部分人的贪婪和不负责任，更由于作为一个整体，我们未能做出面对一个新时代的艰难决策。人民失去房屋、工作机会减少、商业活动遭到破坏。医疗保障过于昂贵，学校教育系统出现太多失败。而我们对能源的使用，日益让对手强大，与此同时又威胁着我们的星球。 这些，是从数据和统计中可以看到的危机信号。还有难以度量但同样深远的问题，那就是整个国家信心的缺失。那萦绕在我们头上的恐惧，认为美国的衰败不可避免，认为我们的下一
47、代人不可能再有太高的期望。 今天我要对你们说，我们面临的挑战是真切的、严重的，而且有很多重。解决他们不可能很轻松，也不可能在短时间内发生。但美国人民，请记住这一点：这些挑战会被解决。 今天，我们聚集在一起，因为我们选择了希望而不是恐惧；我们选择了为共同的目标团结在一起，而不是冲突与争执。 今天，我们共同终结那些虚假的承诺、陈腐的教条、以及指摘与怨言。这些已经困扰了我们的政治体系太长时间。 我们的国家仍旧年轻，但借用圣经中的话，该是抛开那些孩子气的时候了。现在，需要重新拿出我们的坚韧精神，选择自己的历史。我们要延续代代相传的宝贵礼物，延续神圣的理想，那就是上帝赐予我们的承诺人人平等，人人自由，人
48、人都有机会去追求最大程度的幸福。 在重温我们国家伟大的同时，我们必须明白，伟大不是凭空而来的，而是赢得的。在我们的历程中，从来没有走捷径或是退而求其次。这一历程不是为懦弱者准备的，不是为那些享乐高于工作、只知追求名利的人准备的。相反，是那些甘于承担风险的人，实干家，创造者有些众人皆知，而更多的在辛勤工作中默默无闻是他们带着我们穿越漫长、崎岖的道路走向繁荣与自由。 为了我们，他们把仅有的财物装进行囊，漂洋过海追求新的生活。 为了我们，他们开拓西部，在条件恶劣的工厂中流血流汗；他们忍受鞭笞，开垦贫瘠的土地。 为了我们，他们战斗和牺牲在协和镇、葛底斯堡、诺曼底和科萨恩(KheSahn)。 一次又一次
49、，这些男男女女，他们奋斗和牺牲；他们将双手磨破为了给我们带来更好的生活。在他们眼中，美国超越了我们每个人雄心的总和，超越了个人、财富和派系的差别。 今天，我们仍在这样的历程上。我们仍旧是地球上最繁荣、最强大的国家。美国工人们的效率并不比危机开始之前低。我们的头脑具有同样的创造力。我们的产品与服务和上周、上月、或者去年一样有需求。我们的能力从未被削弱。但墨守陈规、维护狭隘的利益、面对艰难的决策畏首畏尾的日子将一去不复返了。从今天开始，我们必须重新找回我们自己，掸去身上的尘土，开始重塑美国的重任。 环顾四周，有无数工作等着我们。经济状况期待着我们大胆和快速的行动。我们会付诸行动不仅仅是创造就业机会，同时还要为未来的增长打下新的基础。我们将建设公路、桥梁和电网，以及将我们紧密联系起来、提供商业信息的数字高速公路。我们会重新树立科学应有的地位，并利用技术手段提高医疗保障的质量，同时降低其费用。我们将利用太阳、风与土壤，来驱动我们的汽车和工厂。我们将改
