Jun
19
很久没有在这里发表文章了。虽然，没有在自己的部落格发表文章，但是我有在脸书上发表几遍自己的作品。
在三月，我参加脸书上一个“群”叫「演说技巧同修会」。同修会是借着同修会会员每月发表一遍关于演说技巧的文章让同修们能互相学习和鼓励。透过这样一个平台来分享自己的经验及学习同修们的建议。而在写文章当中学习「写什么」vs「如何写」的分别。
在几个月里，发觉自己的写作思考的方向有不同了。之前我的中文输入法很差的，一遍文章也许需要一天才可以输入完，藉着每月一次的发表文章让我的中文输入法有了改善。
当能找到与自己有的兴趣相近的朋友或同修，我想是一件快乐的事。彼此分享和学习，才能让彼此成长。
Jan
21
亲爱的公民同胞们：今天我站在这里，面对眼前的任务，深感责任重大。感谢你们给予我的信任，我也清楚前辈们为这个国家所作的牺牲。我要感谢布什总统对国家的服务，感谢他在两届政府过渡期间给予的慷慨协作。
时至今日，已有44位美国总统宣誓就职。总统的宣誓有时面对的是国家的和平繁荣，有时面临的是狂风骤雨的紧张形势。在这种时刻，支持美国前进的不仅仅是领导人的能力和远见，更是美国人民对先驱者理想的坚定信仰，以及对美国建国宣言的忠诚。
过去是这样，我们这一代美国人也要如此。
我们都很清楚，我们正处于危机之中。我们的国家正在对触角广泛的暴力和仇恨网络宣战。国家的经济也受到了严重的削弱，这是一些人贪婪和不负责任的后果，但在做出艰难选择和准备迎接新时代方面，我们出现了集体性的失误。家园失去了；工作丢掉了；商业萧条了。我们的医疗卫生耗资巨大；我们的学校让许多人失望；每天都能找到更多的证据表明我们利用能源的方式使得对手更加强大，并且威胁到了我们整个星球。
这些，是从数据和统计中可以看到的危机信号。而更难以衡量但同样意义深远的是美国人自信心的丧失──现在一种认为美国衰落不可避免，我们的下一代必须降低期待的恐惧正在吞噬着我们的自信。
今天我要向你们说的是，我们面临的挑战是真实存在的。这些挑战很多，也很严重，它们不会轻易地或者在短时间内就得以克服。但记住这一点：美国终将渡过难关。
今天，我们聚集在这里，是因为我们选择了希望而不是恐惧，团结而不是冲突与争执。
今天，我们在这里宣布要为无谓的抱怨、不实的承诺和指责画上句号，我们要打破牵制美国政治发展的陈旧教条。
我们仍是一个年轻的国家，但借用《圣经》的话说，摒弃幼稚的时代已经来临。是时候重树我们坚韧的精神；选择我们更好的历史；弘扬那些珍贵的天赋和高尚的理念，并代代传承下去，即上帝赋予的信念：天下众生皆平等，众生皆自由，且均应有追求最大幸福的机会。
在重申我们国家伟大之处的同时，我们深知伟大从来不是上天赐予的，而是要靠我们努力争取。我们从不抄捷径，也不会退而求其次。我们的历程不属于那些胆怯懦弱、享受安逸或追逐名利之人。这条历程属于勇于承担风险者，属于实干家和创造者，他们中的一些人名留青史，但更多的人却在默默无闻地工作着。正是这些人带领我们走过了漫长崎岖的旅途，带领我们走向富强和自由。
为了我们，他们背起简单的行囊漂洋过海寻找新的生活；为了我们，先辈们忍辱负重，用血汗浇铸工厂；为了我们，他们在诸如（独立战争时的)康科德、（南北战争时的)葛底斯堡、(二战时的）诺曼底和（越南战争时的）溪山等地作战并献出生命。
一次又一次，我们的先辈们战斗着、牺牲着、操劳着，只为了给我们带来更美好的生活。在他们眼中，美国的强盛与伟大超越了个人雄心，也超越了个人的出身、贫富和派别差异。
我们仍在继续着这一历程。美国仍是世界上最繁荣、最强大的国家。危机的发生并未削弱我们工人的生产力，我们仍拥有善于创造发明的头脑，我们的商品和服务仍像上一周、一个月乃至一年前那样受到青睐。我们的能力并未被削弱。但是墨守成规、着眼小利、不肯做艰难决定的时代已经过去了。从今天开始，我们必须振奋起来，扫去心头阴霾，再次投入到重整国家的工作中来。
放眼望去，到处都有工作要做。国家的经济状况需要我们采取大胆迅速的行动，不光是为了创造新的就业，也是为增长奠定新的基础。我们将修建路桥、电网、数据线路，不仅仅是为了促进商业也是为了将我们紧密相连。我们将恢复科学应有的地位、并用科技的魔力提高医疗卫生水平、降低就医成本。我们将利用太阳、风以及大地所提供的能源来驱动汽车、开动工厂。我们将改造各级学校，让它们能适应新时代的要求。所有这一切我们都能做到。所有这一切我们都将做到。
现在，有人质疑我们的目标是不是太大了，他们说我们的系统无法承受过多的宏大计划。他们太健忘了。因为他们忘了这个国家曾经取得过怎样的成绩，他们已经忘了当想象力与共同目标以及必要的勇气结合到一起时，自由的人民所能发挥的能量。
这些怀疑论者不能理解美国正在发生的改变，曾长期耗费我们精力的陈腐政治争议已不被接受。如今我们提出的问题不是美国政府规模是太大还是太小，而是它是否发挥应用的作用、是否能帮助美国家庭找到收入理想的工作、可以担负得起的医疗服务和足够安度晚年的退休储蓄。如果答案是肯定的，那么我们要继续执行这些政策，如果答案是否定的，那么我们就结束这些政策。我们当中所有管理公共资金的人要负起责任，要精打细算、革除陋习，并确保我们的工作受到公众监督，唯有这样，人民与政府之间至关重要的信任才能得以恢复。
现在摆在我们面前的问题也并非市场究竟是股好的还是坏的力量。市场创造财富、提高自由度的力量无与伦比，然而当前危机提醒了我们，没有监管，市场可能成为脱缰之马，而且一个只追求繁荣的国家注定不能永葆荣华。一直以来，美国经济的成功并不仅仅依赖于国内生产总值的规模，还有我们经济繁荣所惠及的范围以及我们赋予每一个心怀渴望的人以机会的能力──这一点并非发自谁的慈悲之心，这是我们实现共同利益的最可靠途径。
至于共同防卫领域，我们拒绝在自身的安全与理想之间做出取舍的错误选择。我们的国父在面临着我们难以想像的困难之时还起草了宪法以保障法制与人权，世世代代的美国人用鲜血捍卫并丰富了这份宪法。它里面蕴含的信念至今仍光照世界，我们不能出于一时之便将它放弃。我想对今天正在观看这个仪式的百姓和官员说–不论他们身处最繁华的都市还是像我父亲出生地那样的小村落–他们应该知道，无论男女老幼，只要他们致力于寻求和平和有尊严的未来，美国就是他们的朋友，而且我们已准备好再次在这条道路上担当领导。
我们在此回忆先辈，他们战胜了法西斯主义和共产主义，靠的不只是导弹和坦克，更是靠坚定的盟友和不移的信念。他们明白仅凭武力不足以保护我们，也不能让我们为所欲为。相反，他们知道我们国家实力的增长源于我们对自己力量的谨慎使用，我们的安全源于所开展事业的正义、我们的榜样力量以及谦卑与克己品质的融合。
我们将信守这一传统。在这些原则的指导下，我们能够应对这些需要投入更多努力、更多国与国的合作及理解的崭新挑战。我们将开始负责任地从伊拉克撤军，并在阿富汗打造来之不易的和平。我们将与老友与宿敌一道竭力化解核武威胁，并遏制地球变暖趋势。我们不会为自己的生活方式道歉，我们会坚定不移地捍卫它，对于那些想靠恐怖主义和滥杀无辜来达到目的的人，我们会对他们说：现在我们的精神力量更加强大，坚不可摧，你们不可能战胜我们，我们注定会打败你们。
这是因为我们知道，大杂烩的传统是美国的力量所在，而非我们的弱点。我们国家是由基督徒、穆斯林、犹太人、印度教徒和无神论者组成。地球各个角落的语言和文化汇聚成了美国，正是因为我们曾品尝过南北战争和种族隔离的苦酒，并且在经历了这些黑色的篇章之后变得更加强大更加团结，因此我们毫不犹豫地相信旧日的仇恨终有一天会成为过去，种族的界线不久就会消失，而且随着世界变得越来越小，人类的共有品性将会自动显现。在引领一个和平新时代的到来方面，美国必须发挥自己的作用。
对穆斯林世界，我们正在共同利益和彼此尊重的基础上寻求一条新的前行道路。对全球那些想要播种冲突、将自己国家的问题怪罪于西方社会的领导人，你们应该知道你们的人民将根据你们建设什么而不是摧毁了什么来评价你们。对于那些通过腐败、欺骗、压制异见来统治的人，你们应该知道你们站在了历史的对立面。但是如果你们愿意放开紧攥的拳头，美国会向你们伸出手。
对贫困国家的人民，我们保证将和你们合作，让你们的农场丰收，让水源清洁，滋补饿坏的身体，滋养饥饿的心灵。对那些与我们一样相对富裕的国家，我们说，不能再对外界的苦难漠不关心，更不能毫无顾忌地消耗世界的资源。世界已经改变，我们也必须随之改变。
当我们审视前方的道路时，我们以谦卑感激的心想起那些勇敢的美国同胞，他们正在遥远的沙漠和偏僻的山岭上巡逻。今天，我们应该聆听他们的声音，这也是长眠于阿灵顿国家公墓的先烈们每时每刻都在提醒我们的。我们尊敬他们,不仅是因为他们捍卫了我们的自由，更因为他们代表着奉献精神；他们致力于寻找超越自身的生命真谛。而此时，在这个将界定一个时代的时刻，我们更需让这种精神长住我们心间。
因为即使政府尽最大努力，尽最大义务，这个国家最终仍得依靠每个美国人的信念和决心。这种力量是洪灾泛滥时，陌生人间的温情善举；是人们宁可裁减工时也要保全朋友工作共同度过经济最困难时期的无私忘我；这是消防员们毅然冲入浓烟火海的无畏勇气，也是父母培养孩子的无私之心，孩子最终决定我们的命运。
或许，我们今日面临着全新的挑战，我们迎接挑战的工具完全陌生。但是，我们赖以走向成功的价值观──勤劳、诚实、勇敢、公正、宽容、好奇、忠诚和爱国──从未改变。这些价值观是真实的。它们是推动我们历史进步的沉默的力量。我们所需的就是回归这些真实的价值。如今我们需要的是一个勇于负责的新时代。人人都需要认识到，我们对自己，对国家乃至整个世界，都负有责任。我们不会抱怨，而会欣然接受这份责任，坚信没有什么能比承担艰巨的任务更让人的精神充实，更能塑造我们的性格。
这是公民应尽的义务，应做的承诺。
这是我们信心的源泉──认识到上帝召唤我们对难以琢磨的命运进行塑造。
这是我们所崇尚的自由与信念的真谛──这就是为什么今天，不同肤色，不同信仰的男女老幼在这个大草坪上汇聚一堂；这就是为什么六十年前，一位黑人父亲走入餐厅甚至无人理睬，而今天他的儿子可以站在这里，在你们面前许下最庄严的誓言。
所以让我们铭记这一天，铭记我们的身份和我们走过的道路。在我们的国家诞生那一年，先辈们在最寒冷的日子里，围聚在结冰的河边靠微弱的篝火取暖。首都失守，敌军不断挺近，鲜血染红了白雪。就在革命的成果倍受质疑之时，我们的国父下令向人民宣读这样几句话：
“让这段话流传后世……当一切陷入寒冬，万物俱灭，只有希望和勇气可以长存……这座城市和这个国家，在共同的危机下团结起来，共同面对前方的艰难。”
这就是美国。面对我们共同的危机，在这艰难的寒冬，让我们牢记那些不朽的字句。怀着希望和勇气，让我们再一次冲破结冰的逆流，迎接任何可能来临的狂风骤雨。让我们的子孙传唱，当我们面对考验时，我们拒绝结束我们的旅程，我们没有回头，没有踟蹰不前。我们在上帝的关爱下眺望远方，我们带着自由这个伟大的礼物，将它安全地传递给未来的世世代代
Barack Obama
Jan
21
Text of President Barack Obama‘s inaugural address on Tuesday, as delivered.
OBAMA: My 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 cooperation he has shown throughout 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 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.
So it has been. So it must be with this generation of Americans.
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.
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.
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.
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 strangled 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 generation: 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 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.
For us, they packed up their few worldly possessions and traveled 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, in places like Concord and Gettysburg; Normandy and Khe Sanh.
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.
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.
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. 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 achieve 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 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. 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.
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.
As for our common defense, we reject as false the choice between our safety and our ideals. Our founding fathers … our found 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 the 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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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 the 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.
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, 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.
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.
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.
This is the price and the promise of citizenship.
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 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.
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:
“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).”
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.
Thank you. God bless you. And God bless the United States of America.
Jan
16
Jan
16
以下是演说全文：
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
But above all, I will never forget who this victory truly belongs to – it belongs to you.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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 colour of
her skin.
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.
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.
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.
When
the bombs fell on our harbour and tyranny threatened the world, she was
there to witness a generation rise to greatness and a democracy was
saved. Yes we can.
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.
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.
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?
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. Thank you, God bless you, and may God Bless the United States of America.
（中文）
美国是否暗藏一切皆有可能的巨大潜力？美国是否已经实现开国者锻造的美国梦？民主信仰是否具有强大力量？如果还有人对此报以怀疑，那么今晚这里发生的一切就是答案。
学校旁、教堂边，无数人都在排队投票，这一情景我们已经多年未见；3个小时、4个小时，他们为此而等候良久，这是很多同胞有生以来的第一次。因为他们相信，这一次，将不同以往；这一次，因为他们的呼声而有所不同。
无论老少贫富，无论共和党抑或民主党，不管是黑皮肤、白种人、拉丁后裔、亚裔子孙还是本土美国人；无论性向如何，不管健康抑或残疾，所有的美国人民都向全世界传递出这样一条信息：我们从来都不是红蓝阵营的政治堆砌，我们是，而且永远是，美利坚合众国。
长期以来，很多人缺乏信心，对自己所能取得的成就畏首畏尾、疑心重重。如今，我们走在历史的长河里，挺起胸膛，勾勒出美好明天的光辉画卷。
此情此景，等待尤长。然而，就在今晚，在这个大选的日子，在这个具有历史性意义的时刻，由于你们的付出，美国终于迎来了变革。
刚刚，我接到了麦凯恩参议员礼貌得体的祝贺电话。为了此次竞选，他奋战良久、竭尽所能；为了他所深爱的美国，他曾作出了更长久、更努力的奉献。麦凯恩参议员为美国所作出的牺牲是大部分人难以想象的，他这种英勇无私的奉献改善了我们的生活。对于麦凯恩参议员和佩林州长所取得的成就，我对他们致以祝贺。在接下来的几个月里，以重振美国为目标，我期待着与他们的合作。
在此，我想感谢一路陪伴我的竞选搭档，他就是我们即将上任的副总统，乔·拜登。为了让美国广大的工人阶层发出自己的声音，他毫无私心地全身心投入竞选，因为他和那些宾夕法尼亚州斯克兰顿城街头的人们一样，出生平凡，一切白手起家。
如果没有米歇尔·奥巴马，这一准美国第一夫人的坚定支持，今晚，我就不会站在这儿了。我们相伴走过了16个春秋，她是我们整个家庭的顶梁柱，我一生的挚爱。还有，萨沙和玛利亚，我爱你们，你们姊妹俩终于可以带着你们的新宠物狗入主白宫了。我知道，就像我的其他已故亲属一样，外祖母一定也在某处注视着我，虽然她已经不在人世。是他们造就了今天的我。今晚我很想念他们，我对他们的亏欠无以计量。
我想对我的竞选经理大卫·普劳夫、首席战略师大卫·阿克塞尔罗德以及我们这个史上最佳的竞选团队说，是你们让这一切成为了现实，对于你们为此所做的牺牲和付出我永远感怀在心。
然而，有一点是最重要的，那就是我永远都不会忘记，真正拥有这个胜利的是你们，你们所有人！对于入主白宫，我从来都不是最热候选人。竞选伊始，我们的资金并不充裕，获得的支持也不多。我们的竞选班子并非始于华府，而是一路从艾奥瓦州的得梅因酒店后院、辗转北卡罗莱纳州的康克酒店客房，后来会首在西弗吉尼亚州查尔斯顿酒店的主厅……
我们的胜利来自于广大工薪阶级，正是他们从仅有的微薄存款里掏出5美元、10美元或者20美元来支持我们的竞选。我们的力量来自于摘下冷漠面罩的年轻一代，来自于夜以继日奋力工作以维持生计的下层百姓，来自于冒着严寒酷暑、户户敲门宣传的团队中流砥柱，更来自于成千上万的大选志愿者。他们用出色的奉献精神和组织能力证明了一个民有、民治、民享的政府在两百年后仍然保持着生命力。这就是你们的胜利！
我明白，你们所做的这些，并不仅仅是为了赢得这次竞选，也不单单只是为了我本人。你们之所以这么做，是因为你们懂得前方任务的艰巨。即使我们今晚沉浸于庆祝的喜悦之中，我们也深知明天将会面临的将是我们这辈子最为艰巨的挑战：两场战争、濒临危险的地球和百年一遇的金融危机；即使今晚我们安然站在此处，我们也深知那些深陷伊拉克沙漠和阿富汗山区的英勇美国战士，是为了我们而冒着生命危险。还有那些孩子早已熟睡、自己却辗转反侧的人父人母，他们夜不能寐，想着如何还清房贷、如何支付医药费以及给孩子存下大学经费。我们要掌握新能源，创造就业岗位，建造新校舍，正视存在的威胁，并修复与盟友的关系。
前方的道路很漫长，我们将步履维艰。我们也许无法在一年内，甚至是（我的）一个任期内，达成我们的目标。但是，今晚，我比任何时候都对此更有信心。我承诺，我们所有人将作为一个整体顺利的到达目的地。
我们将不可避免地遭遇许多挫折，也许开头并不会一帆风顺。我们需要弄明白一点，那就是政府无法解决所有的问题，也许有很多人不会同意我上台执政后制定的政策。不过，我将坦诚地接受各方的批评，直面我们的挑战。我将倾听你们的意见，尤其是不同的政见。总之，我邀请各位一同投入到国家的建设中来，用我们勤劳的双手堆砌建设这个国家所需的砖瓦。正是这一方式，使美国在221年的建国道路上不断前行。
我在21个月前的深冬开始为竞选做出的努力并不会在今晚画上句号。我们所追求的并不是这场选举的胜利，这仅仅是为我们提供了一个做出变革的机会。如果回到过去的老路，我们将无法做出任何改变。当然，如果没有你们，一切都无法发生。
所以，让我们一同唤醒自己的爱国心，唤醒为国效力的责任感，我们将一道披星戴月，披荆斩棘向前行进，我们需要照顾的不再只有我们自己，而是每一个人。这次的金融危机让我们认识到一个事实，如果大众受苦受难，华尔街就不可能繁华似锦。我们必须携手与共、共同经历这个国家的荣辱兴衰。
长期以来，两党隔阂以及不成熟的狭隘主义造成了我们现在的失败政策，所以让我们一同抵制住这种倾向，避免回到那条老路。请记住，这个国家有一个民主党人将第一次手扛民主和共和两党旗帜迈向白宫。充满自信，崇尚个人自由，维护国家团结将是我们共同追求的价值观。尽管民主党在今晚取得了压倒性的胜利，但是我们将继续带着谦卑前行，愈合这个国家因分裂受到的创伤。社会的分裂曾经阻碍我们国家前行的脚步。正如林肯总统在1861年的反国家分裂的演说中说到，“我们不是敌人，而是朋友。我们决不能成为敌人。尽管目前的情绪有些紧张，但决不能容许它使我们之间的亲密情感纽带破裂。”我要告诉那些没有将选票投给我的朋友，也许我没有赢得你们的选票，但我将聆听你们的声音，我需要你们的帮助，因为我同样将成为你们的总统。
我要告诉那些在美国大陆以外关注今晚选举的人们，也许你们在一个被世界遗忘的角落通过收音机了解今晚的选举，尽管我们的国情不一样，但是我们的命运是紧紧联系在一起的。一个全新的美国领导层即将呼之欲出。我要告诉那些试图破坏这个世界的人们，我们将打败你们！我要告诉那些追求和平和安全的人们，我们将全力支持你们！我要告诉那些对美国的未来持怀疑态度的人们，今晚，我们再次证明了一个事实，那就是这个国家拥有强大的力量，这并不是因为我们拥有众多的武器和财富。民主、自由、机遇、坚定不屈的希望才是这个国家保持强大的持久力量！
美国强大的真谛在于它能够做出改变，我们的国家可以变得更加完美。我们过去所达到的成就让我们看到了前进的希望。
本届选举创造了多项历史之最，有许多故事将代代相传。但此时此刻，我脑海中想起的是一名来自亚特兰大的选民，这位名叫安妮·尼克松·库珀的女性和千千万万的选民一样，静静地站在投票队伍之中，投出自己的选票，表达自己的声音。不过，与众不同的是，她已经106岁高龄了。在她出生的年代，公路上没有汽车，天空中没有飞机。像她一样的人仅仅因为肤色和性别就被挡在参与投票的大门之外。
今晚，我由此联想到了她一个世纪以来，在美国见证的一切：困苦与希望，奋斗与进步，那是一个让人无能为力的年代，但人们必须不断告诉自己美国的伟大信条：“是的，我们可以！”曾经，女性无法表达自己的意见，她们的希望成为幻影。如今，她终于见证了这一幕，和她一样有着悲惨遭遇的人们成功地投出了自己的选票。是的，我们可以！
当整个美国大陆都笼罩在经济大萧条的绝望之中时，她见证了一个国家战胜自身恐惧，重新崛起，罗斯福总统推行的“新政”不仅给美国带来了新的就业机会，更给美国人民带来了共同的价值观。是的，我们可以！
当敌人的炮弹投向我们的港口，当世界被暴政所威胁，她见证了一个崛起的民族，民主重获新生。是的，我们可以！
她目睹了发生在蒙哥马利巴士上、伯明翰的高压水龙头下、塞尔玛大桥上的种族歧视暴行……而后，来自亚特兰大的民权先驱告诉人们，“我们可以战胜这一切”。是的，我们可以！
而后，人类登月，柏林墙倒塌，世界重新集结在科学和想象力的号角下。现在，在这场选举中，她终于用自己的指尖触碰到投票屏幕，郑重地投下选票。饱经106年的沧桑变化，穿越岁月的风云变迁，她知道美国能做出怎样的改变。是的，我们可以！
美国，我们风雨兼程，一路走来。我们经历了太多，但前方仍有许多梦想等待着我们去实现。今晚，让我们大声地问自己，我们的孩子是否还能看到下一个世纪；我可爱的女儿是否能和安妮·尼克松·库珀一样幸运，享受漫长的人生。他们将看到怎样的变革？我们将取得怎样的进步？
这是我们给出答案的机会。这是属于我们的时刻。这是我们的时代：让人们有事可做；为我们的孩子打开机遇之门；推动世界和平与繁荣；再次锻造美国梦，重申这一不可动摇的事实——虽然我们每个人不尽相同，但我们是一个整体，只要我们呼吸尚存，希望就永不磨灭。我们将用那历经时间考验的不朽信条掷地有声地直面质疑：“是的，我们可以！”
谢谢！上帝保佑你们，保佑美利坚合众国！
Sep
18
STEPS FOR PREPARING A SPEECH:
* Think of an idea for your talk.
* Decide your speech’s purpose.
* Come up with a particular slant or focus.
* Write down your message in one sentence.
* Draft an outline with an opening, body and conclusion.
* Write out your complete speech.
* Do the single sentence test.
* Write something out for the person introducing you.