Weekly Address: Reaffirming Our Commitment to Protecting the Right to Vote (August 08, 2015)

奧巴馬每周電視講話：總統呼吁保護民眾投票權利

Hi, everybody.The right to vote is one of the most fundamental rights of any democracy.Yet for too long, too many of our fellow citizens were denied that right, simply because of the color of their skin.

大家好！投票權是任何民主制度中最為基本的權利之一。長久以來，我們有太多的同胞僅僅因為膚色不同享受不到這一權利。

Fifty years ago this week, President Lyndon Johnson signed a law to change that.The Voting Rights Act broke down legal barriers that stood between millions of African Americans and their constitutional right to cast ballot.It was, and still is, one of the greatest victories in our country's struggle for civil rights.

50年前的今天，林登·約翰遜總統簽署法律改變了這一切。《投票權法案》打破了阻擋在無數非裔美國人與他們享有的憲法賦予的投票權利之間的法律障礙。這部法律的通過，在當時乃至現在都依然是我國民權斗爭取得的最重大的勝利之一。

But it didn't happen overnight.Countless men and women marched and organized, sat in and stood up, for our most basic rights.For this they were called agitators and un-American, they were jailed and beaten.Some were even killed.But in the end, they reaffirmed the idea at the very heart of America: that people who love this country can change it.

但羅馬不是一天建成的。無數人走上街頭，游行示威，奔走呼吁，為我們爭取基本的權利。因此他們當時被稱為煽動者和叛徒，他們被關押，遭毒打。有些人甚至慘遭殺害。但最終，他們的努力喚醒了美國最核心的精神：深愛這個國家的人們可以改變這個國家。

Our country is a better place because of all those heroes did for us.But as one of those heroes, Congressman John Lewis, reminded us in Selma this past March, “There's still work to be done.” Fifty years after the Voting Rights Act, there are still too many barriers to vote, and too many people trying to erect new ones.We've seen laws that roll back early voting, force people to jump through hoops to cast a ballot, or lead to legitimate voters being improperly purged from the rolls.Over the years, we have seen provisions specifically designed to make it harder for some of our fellow citizens to vote.In a democracy like ours, with a history like ours, that's a disgrace.

我們國家因為有了這些英雄以及他們的付出變得更加美好。但正如他們中的一位，約翰·李維斯議員今年在塞爾瑪所說的,“還有大量工作要做。”《投票權法案》通過50年了，依然還有大量阻礙投票的藩籬，甚至有大量的人想要豎起更多新的藩籬。我們還記得，一些法律將早期投票人數壓到最低，強迫人們通過跳圈獲得投票權，或是通過不當方式將法定選民排擠出來。這么多年來，我們看到各種各樣特別設計的法律，讓我們的同胞無法享受投票權。在我們這樣的民主國家，有著這樣的歷史，實在是一種恥辱。

That's why, as we celebrate the 50th Anniversary of the Voting Rights Act, I'm calling on Congress to pass new legislation to make sure every American has equal access to the polls.It's why I support the organizers getting folks registered in their communities.And it's why, no matter what party you support, my message to every American is simple: get out there and vote-not just every four years, but every chance you get.Because your elected officials will only heed your voice if you make your voice heard.

因此，在慶祝《投票權法案》通過50周年的日子里，我呼吁國會通過新的立法，保證每個美國人都有平等的權利走進投票站。正因如此，我支持組織者讓人們在所居住的社區登記注冊。也正因如此，無論你支持什么黨派，我對每個美國人想要說的就是：走出家門，參加投票，不僅僅是每四年的大選，而是每次投票的機會都要參加。因為只有你發表你的意見了，你們所選出的官員才會關注你的意見。

The promise that all of us are created equal is written into our founding documents-but it's up to us to make that promise real.Together, let's do what Americans have always done: let's keep marching forward, keep perfecting our union, and keep building a better country for our kids.

我們所有人生而平等的承諾寫進了我們的立國宣言，但我們要將這一承諾變為現實。讓我們團結起來，做好所有美國人一直在做的事情：讓我們繼續前進，把我們國家建設的更完美，為我們的子孫后代建設一個更美好的國家。

Thanks everybody. Have a great weekend.

謝謝大家，祝周末愉快！
 

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