當(dāng)?shù)貢r間21日中午，第57屆美國總統(tǒng)就職典禮在首都華盛頓國會大廈西側(cè)舉行，奧巴馬總統(tǒng)發(fā)表連任就職演講，呼吁美國民眾團(tuán)結(jié)一致，抓住機(jī)遇。80多萬觀禮的嘉賓從全美各地蜂擁而至，他們都期盼著能夠見證這一歷史性的時刻，同時對奧巴馬總統(tǒng)的第二任期也充滿了期待。

Vice President Biden, Mr. Chief Justice, members of the United States Congress, distinguished guests, and fellow citizens:
副總統(tǒng)拜登、首席法官、美國國會議員、尊敬的客人和美國同胞們：

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:
每次聚在一起舉行總統(tǒng)就職儀式時，我們總能見證到憲法經(jīng)久不衰的力量。我們肯定民主的承諾。我們回憶起，團(tuán)結(jié)這個國家的力量不是皮膚的顏色、所信奉的教條或名字的起源。讓我們與眾不同、成為美國人的是源自對一個理念的效忠，它早在2個多世紀(jì)前就在一份宣言中有過明確表述：

“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)為這一真理是不言自明的：人人生而平等，并由造物主賦予了某些不可轉(zhuǎn)讓的權(quán)利，其中包括生命、自由和追求幸福的權(quán)利。”

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’ve never been self-executing; that while freedom is a gift from God, it must be secured by His people here on Earth. (Applause.) 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，為了縮小這些文字意義與當(dāng)今現(xiàn)實間的差距，我們將繼續(xù)這場沒有盡頭的旅程。因為歷史告訴我們，雖然這些真理也許不言自明，但它們從不會自動生效；雖然自由是來自上帝的禮物，但它必須由地球上的子民們?nèi)幦　?776年的愛國者們不是為了用少數(shù)人的特權(quán)或烏合之眾的法則取代國王的暴政而戰(zhàn)斗。他們給予我們的是一個共和國、一個民有、民治、民享的政府，并委托每一代人去捍衛(wèi)我們的建國理念。

And for more than two hundred years, we have.
兩百多年來，我們一直如此。

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.
通過皮鞭抽打和刀劍割劃流出的鮮血，我們學(xué)到，沒有哪個建立在自由平等原則上的聯(lián)盟能夠容忍半奴隸半自由的狀態(tài)。我們重塑自我，并發(fā)誓一同前進(jìn)。

Together, we determined that a modern economy requires railroads and highways to speed travel and commerce, schools and colleges to train our workers.
我們一同決定，一個現(xiàn)代經(jīng)濟(jì)體需要鐵路和高速路來促進(jìn)旅游和商務(wù)，需要學(xué)校和大學(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.
我們一同發(fā)現(xiàn)，一個自由市場只有當(dāng)規(guī)則能確保公平競爭時才能夠繁榮。

Together, we resolved that a great nation must care for the vulnerable, and protect its people from life’s worst hazards and misfortune.
我們一同下定決定，一個偉大的國家必須照顧弱者，并保護(hù)他們不受到生活最惡劣的傷害和不幸。

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, these are constants in our character.
通過以上所有，我們從未放棄過對中央集權(quán)的質(zhì)疑，也未曾對光靠政府就能解決所有社會弊病的幻想有過屈服。對首創(chuàng)精神和進(jìn)取精神的歌頌、對勤勞和責(zé)任的堅持已經(jīng)成為我們性格中無法改變的一部分。

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. (Applause.)
但是我們一直懂得，當(dāng)時代改變時，我們也必須做出相應(yīng)的改變：忠于建國原則需要我們以新的方式應(yīng)對新的挑戰(zhàn)；保證個人自由最終需要我們采取集體行動。因為沒有哪個美國人能獨自滿足當(dāng)今世界的需求，就像美國士兵無法獨自迎戰(zhàn)擁有槍彈和民兵的法西斯主義。沒有哪一個人能為我們孩子的未來培訓(xùn)所有的數(shù)學(xué)和理科教師，或是通過修路聯(lián)網(wǎng)和建立研究型實驗室給我們海岸帶來更多就業(yè)和商業(yè)活動。作為一個國家、一個民族，我們現(xiàn)在比以往任何時候都有必要團(tuán)結(jié)一致，共同去做這些事。

This generation of Americans has been tested by crises that steeled our resolve and proved our resilience. A decade of war is now ending. (Applause.) An economic recovery has begun. (Applause.) 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. (Applause.)
這代美國人經(jīng)受過多次危機(jī)的考驗，鍛煉了我們的意志，證明了我們的韌性。十年的戰(zhàn)爭即將結(jié)束，經(jīng)濟(jì)已經(jīng)開始復(fù)蘇。美國有著無限可能，因為我們擁有這個無國界的世界所要求的一切品質(zhì)：青春和動力，多樣性和開放性，掌控風(fēng)險無窮的能力和進(jìn)行徹底改造的天賦。我親愛的美國同胞們，我們?yōu)榇丝潭灰覀兡芤煌プ∵@個機(jī)遇，我們就能把它緊緊抓牢。

For we, the people, understand that our country cannot succeed when a shrinking few do very well and a growing many barely make it. (Applause.) 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. (Applause.)
因為，作為人民的我們知道，只有少數(shù)人過得好，而越來越多人生活無法好轉(zhuǎn)時，我們的國家就無法成功。我們相信，美國的繁榮必須建立在一個愈加龐大的中產(chǎn)階級寬闊的肩膀上。我們知道，只有當(dāng)每個人都能在自己的工作中找到獨立和自豪，只有當(dāng)誠實勞動所換得的工資能將家人從困苦的邊緣解救出來時，美國才能繁榮。當(dāng)一個出身貧寒的小女孩意識到，因為自己是美國人，她不論在上帝、還是大家眼中都是自由平等的，知道自己和其他人一樣有機(jī)會獲得成功。只有這樣，我們才是堅守了信條。

We understand that outworn programs are inadequate to the needs of our time. So 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, 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.
我們知道，過時的規(guī)劃無法滿足現(xiàn)代的需求。我們必須利用新的想法和科技來重塑我們的政府、改進(jìn)我們的稅法、改革我們的學(xué)校，讓我們的公民獲得所需的技能，更加勤奮地工作、學(xué)習(xí)更多知識，攀登更高峰。盡管方法會有所改變，我們的目標(biāo)始終如一：建設(shè)一個獎勵每個美國人所付出努力和決心的國家。這是我們此刻所需要的，也是賦予我們信條的真實含義。

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. (Applause.) 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.
作為人民，我們?nèi)匀幌嘈牛總€公民都享有一定基礎(chǔ)的安全和尊嚴(yán)。我們必須做出削減醫(yī)保開支和債務(wù)規(guī)模的艱難決定，但是拒絕相信美國必須在照顧建設(shè)國家的這代人和投資下一代兩者間做出選擇的想法。因為我們記得過去的教訓(xùn)，當(dāng)晚年貧困潦倒，而殘疾兒童的父母無處求援時。

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. (Applause.) They do not make us a nation of takers; they free us to take the risks that make this country great. (Applause.)
在這個國家，我們不相信自由只是幸運者的特權(quán)或少數(shù)人的快樂。我們認(rèn)識到，無論自己對生活多么負(fù)有責(zé)任感，任何人在某個時候都有可能面臨失業(yè)、暴病、或者房屋被颶風(fēng)摧毀等危險。我們通過醫(yī)保、醫(yī)補(bǔ)和社保相互間做出的承諾不僅不會損害我們的主動性，反而能使我們更強(qiáng)大。它們不會讓我們淪為國家一味的索取者，而是把我們從建設(shè)偉大國家包含的風(fēng)險中解脫出來。

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. (Applause.) 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.
作為人民，我們?nèi)匀幌嘈牛覀兠绹说牧x務(wù)不僅僅是對自己，而是對所有子孫后代。我們將應(yīng)對氣候變化的威脅，因為我們認(rèn)識到失敗將意味著出賣自己的孩子和后人。一些人仍然否認(rèn)壓倒性的科學(xué)判斷，但沒人能夠逃避熊熊大火、嚴(yán)重干旱和強(qiáng)風(fēng)暴的毀滅性影響。

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’s how we will maintain our economic vitality and our national treasure - our forests and waterways, our crop lands and snow-capped 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.
通往可持續(xù)能源的道路將是漫長的，有時充滿艱辛。但美國不會抵制這樣的轉(zhuǎn)變；我們必須領(lǐng)導(dǎo)它。我們不能把這些能夠增加新崗位和新產(chǎn)業(yè)的技術(shù)割讓給其他國家—我們必須留住這些好處。那是我們保持經(jīng)濟(jì)活力和國家財富的方法——我們的森林和水路，我們的農(nóng)田和雪峰；是我們保護(hù)上帝吩咐我們照顧的星球的方法。它詮釋了我們先輩們所宣揚(yáng)的信條。

We, the people, still believe that enduring security and lasting peace do not require perpetual war. (Applause.) Our brave men and women in uniform, tempered by the flames of battle, are unmatched in skill and courage. (Applause.) 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.
作為人民，我們?nèi)匀幌嘈牛志玫陌踩c和平不要通過永遠(yuǎn)的戰(zhàn)爭來維護(hù)。我們身穿制服、勇敢男女們在戰(zhàn)火中歷練出了無以倫比的技藝和勇氣。被失去親人的痛苦記憶折磨的公民非常清楚為自由付出自由的代價。認(rèn)識他們的犧牲能讓我們對可能傷害我們的人永遠(yuǎn)保持警醒。那些人不僅僅贏得戰(zhàn)爭、還贏得了和平，他們還將不共戴天的仇敵變成最為可靠的盟友。作為繼承人的我們必須把這些教訓(xùn)運用到現(xiàn)代。

We will defend our people and uphold our values through strength of arms and rule of law. We will show the courage to try and resolve our differences with other nations peacefully –- not because we are naïve about the dangers we face, but because engagement can more durably lift suspicion and fear. (Applause.)
我們將通過武器和法律的力量捍衛(wèi)我們的人民、維護(hù)我們的價值觀。我們將用和平的手段嘗試解決和其他國家的分歧——不是因為我們面對危險的天真，而是因為協(xié)約能夠更持久地消除疑慮和恐懼。

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.
美國將在全球每個角落在堅定的聯(lián)盟中繼續(xù)承擔(dān)錨的作用；我們將重啟那些利于我們擴(kuò)展管理國外危機(jī)能力的組織機(jī)構(gòu)，因為和平對于最強(qiáng)大的國家來說，比其他國家有更大的利害關(guān)系。利益和良心驅(qū)使我們?nèi)ゴ砟切┛释杂傻娜耍覀儗⒅С置裰鳎秶采w亞洲到非洲、美洲到中東。我們還必須成為窮人、病患、被邊緣化者和受歧視者希望的源泉——不是僅僅是出于慈善，而是因為這個時代的和平要求我們推進(jìn)這些在信條中有過描述的原則：寬容和機(jī)會；人類的尊嚴(yán)和正義。

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. (Applause.)
作為人民，我們今天在此宣布最不言自明的真理——人人生而平等，它仍是指引我們的星星；就像它曾指引我們的先輩們走過紐約州塞尼卡瀑布城、塞爾瑪和石墻；就像它指引所有那些被歌頌或淹沒的男女們，他們在這條偉大的林蔭大道上留下足跡，傾聽一名牧師訴說我們不能獨自行走；去聽馬丁-路德-金宣講說，我們每個人的自由與地球每一個靈魂的自由有著不可分割的緊密聯(lián)系。

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. (Applause.) Our journey is not complete until our gay brothers and sisters are treated like anyone else under the law –- (applause) - for if we are truly created equal, then surely the love we commit to one another must be equal as well. (Applause.) Our journey is not complete until no citizen is forced to wait for hours to exercise the right to vote. (Applause.) 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 - (applause) - until bright young students and engineers are enlisted in our workforce rather than expelled from our country. (Applause.) 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.
現(xiàn)在，我們這代人的任務(wù)是繼承先驅(qū)們開創(chuàng)的事業(yè)。因為我們的旅程還未完成，除非我們的妻子、母親和女兒能夠獲得和付出等值的回報。我們的旅程還未完成，除非我們的同性戀兄弟姐妹們被法律平等對待。因為，如果我們真的生而平等，那么我們對他人承諾的愛也肯定是平等的。我們的旅程還未完成，除非公民不必被迫等待數(shù)個小時行使投票權(quán)。我們的旅程還未完成，除非我們找到一個更好的方式歡迎那些視美國為機(jī)遇之鄉(xiāng)、艱苦奮斗、滿懷希望的移民；直到聰明年輕的學(xué)生和工程師成為勞動大軍的一員，而不是被驅(qū)逐出境。我們的旅程還未完成，除非我們所有的兒童，從底特律的街頭到阿巴拉契亞山脈，再到紐鎮(zhèn)安靜的小路，知道他們將會受人照顧和珍惜，且永遠(yuǎn)遠(yuǎn)離傷害。

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 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. (Applause.)
那就是我們這代人的任務(wù)——讓這些生命、自由和追求幸福的話語、權(quán)利和價值觀變成每個美國人的現(xiàn)實。忠于建國文獻(xiàn)并不要求我們在生活的方方面面都達(dá)成一致；它不意味著我們用一樣的方式去定義自由，或是遵循通往幸福的某一條固定道路。進(jìn)步不會迫使我們結(jié)束長達(dá)數(shù)個世紀(jì)以來關(guān)于政府作用的討論，但它確實要求我們在當(dāng)代采取行動。

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. (Applause.) 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 40 years and 400 years hence to advance the timeless spirit once conferred to us in a spare Philadelphia hall.
目前，決策的時間越來越臨近，我們已經(jīng)無法再拖延。我們不能把專制主義錯當(dāng)成原則，或是用表演取代政治，抑或是把謾罵當(dāng)作理性的辯論。我們必須行動起來，認(rèn)識到我們的工作將不會完美。我們必須行動起來，認(rèn)識到今天的勝利將只是局部，而這一切將取決于今后4年、40年乃至400年后站在這里的人，由他來推進(jìn)我們在費城獨立大廳被授予的永恒精神。

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.
我們美國同胞們，我今天在你們面前的誓詞跟歷任總統(tǒng)在國會山上背誦的一樣，是對上帝和國家的承諾，不是政黨或派系。我們必須在任職期間忠實地執(zhí)行這一誓言。但是我今天說的話，和報名服役的士兵或?qū)崿F(xiàn)夢想的移民沒有太大不同。我的誓言和大家滿心自豪、在飄揚(yáng)的國旗下所做的宣誓沒有太大不同。

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. (Applause.)
它們是公民的語言，代表了我們最大的期望。你和我作為公民，有能力去設(shè)定這個國家的道路。你和我，作為公民，有義務(wù)去影響我們時代的討論——不僅僅是通過選票，還可以抬高聲音，去維護(hù)我們最古老的價值觀和最持久的理念。

Let us, 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.
讓我們每個人現(xiàn)在用莊嚴(yán)的職責(zé)和無比的喜悅擁抱我們與生俱來的永恒權(quán)利。伴隨著共同的努力和共同的愿望，伴隨著熱情和奉獻(xiàn)，讓我們一起響應(yīng)歷史的號召，高舉珍貴的自由之光進(jìn)入不確定的未來。

Thank you. God bless you, and may He forever bless these United States of America. (Applause.)
謝謝你們，上帝保佑你們，并希望他永遠(yuǎn)保佑美利堅。

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