英文奥巴马告别演讲全文110Word文件下载.docx

英文奥巴马告别演讲全文110Word文件下载.docx

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smyturntosaythanks.Whetherwe'

veseeneye-to-eyeorrarelyagreedatall,myconversationswithyou,theAmericanpeople–inlivingroomsandschools;

atfarmsandonfactoryfloors;

atdinersandondistantoutposts–arewhathavekeptmehonest,keptmeinspired,andkeptmegoing.Everyday,Ilearnedfromyou.YoumademeabetterPresident,andyoumademeabetterman.

IfirstcametoChicagowhenIwasinmyearlytwenties,stilltryingtofigureoutwhoIwas;

stillsearchingforapurposetomylife.ItwasinneighborhoodsnotfarfromherewhereIbeganworkingwithchurchgroupsintheshadowsofclosedsteelmills.ItwasonthesestreetswhereIwitnessedthepoweroffaith,andthequietdignityofworkingpeopleinthefaceofstruggleandloss.ThisiswhereIlearnedthatchangeonlyhappenswhenordinarypeoplegetinvolved,getengaged,andcometogethertodemandit.

AftereightyearsasyourPresident,Istillbelievethat.Andit'

snotjustmybelief.It'

sthebeatingheartofourAmericanidea–ourboldexperimentinself-government.

stheconvictionthatweareallcreatedequal,endowedbyourCreatorwithcertainunalienablerights,amongthemlife,liberty,andthepursuitofhappiness.

stheinsistencethattheserights,whileself-evident,haveneverbeenself-executing;

thatWe,thePeople,throughtheinstrumentofourdemocracy,canformamoreperfectunion.

ThisisthegreatgiftourFoundersgaveus.Thefreedomtochaseourindividualdreamsthroughoursweat,toil,andimagination–andtheimperativetostrivetogetheraswell,toachieveagreatergood.

For240years,ournation'

scalltocitizenshiphasgivenworkandpurposetoeachnewgeneration.It'

swhatledpatriotstochooserepublicovertyranny,pioneerstotrekwest,slavestobravethatmakeshiftrailroadtofreedom.It'

swhatpulledimmigrantsandrefugeesacrossoceansandtheRioGrande,pushedwomentoreachfortheballot,poweredworkerstoorganize.It'

swhyGIsgavetheirlivesatOmahaBeachandIwoJima;

IraqandAfghanistan–andwhymenandwomenfromSelmatoStonewallwerepreparedtogivetheirsaswell.

Sothat'

swhatwemeanwhenwesayAmericaisexceptional.Notthatournationhasbeenflawlessfromthestart,butthatwehaveshownthecapacitytochange,andmakelifebetterforthosewhofollow.

Yes,ourprogresshasbeenuneven.Theworkofdemocracyhasalwaysbeenhard,contentiousandsometimesbloody.Foreverytwostepsforward,itoftenfeelswetakeonestepback.ButthelongsweepofAmericahasbeendefinedbyforwardmotion,aconstantwideningofourfoundingcreedtoembraceall,andnotjustsome.

IfIhadtoldyoueightyearsagothatAmericawouldreverseagreatrecession,rebootourautoindustry,andunleashthelongeststretchofjobcreationinourhistory…ifIhadtoldyouthatwewouldopenupanewchapterwiththeCubanpeople,shutdownIran'

snuclearweaponsprogramwithoutfiringashot,andtakeoutthemastermindof9/11…ifIhadtoldyouthatwewouldwinmarriageequality,andsecuretherighttohealthinsuranceforanother20millionofourfellowcitizens–youmighthavesaidoursightsweresetalittletoohigh.

Butthat'

swhatwedid.That'

swhatyoudid.Youwerethechange.Youansweredpeople'

shopes,andbecauseofyou,byalmosteverymeasure,Americaisabetter,strongerplacethanitwaswhenwestarted.

Intendays,theworldwillwitnessahallmarkofourdemocracy:

thepeacefultransferofpowerfromonefreely-electedpresidenttothenext.IcommittedtoPresident-ElectTrumpthatmyadministrationwouldensurethesmoothestpossibletransition,justasPresidentBushdidforme.Becauseit'

suptoallofustomakesureourgovernmentcanhelpusmeetthemanychallengeswestillface.

Wehavewhatweneedtodoso.Afterall,weremainthewealthiest,mostpowerful,andmostrespectednationonEarth.Ouryouthanddrive,ourdiversityandopenness,ourboundlesscapacityforriskandreinventionmeanthatthefutureshouldbeours.

Butthatpotentialwillberealizedonlyifourdemocracyworks.Onlyifourpoliticsreflectsthedecencyoftheourpeople.Onlyifallofus,regardlessofourpartyaffiliationorparticularinterest,helprestorethesenseofcommonpurposethatwesobadlyneedrightnow.

That'

swhatIwanttofocusontonight–thestateofourdemocracy.

Understand,democracydoesnotrequireuniformity.Ourfoundersquarreledandcompromised,andexpectedustodothesame.Buttheyknewthatdemocracydoesrequireabasicsenseofsolidarity–theideathatforallouroutwarddifferences,weareallinthistogether;

thatweriseorfallasone.

Therehavebeenmomentsthroughoutourhistorythatthreatenedtorupturethatsolidarity.Thebeginningofthiscenturyhasbeenoneofthosetimes.Ashrinkingworld,growinginequality;

demographicchangeandthespecterofterrorism–theseforceshaven'

tjusttestedoursecurityandprosperity,butourdemocracyaswell.Andhowwemeetthesechallengestoourdemocracywilldetermineourabilitytoeducateourkids,andcreategoodjobs,andprotectourhomeland.

Inotherwords,itwilldetermineourfuture.

Ourdemocracywon'

tworkwithoutasensethateveryonehaseconomicopportunity.Today,theeconomyisgrowingagain;

wages,incomes,homevalues,andretirementaccountsarerisingagain;

povertyisfallingagain.Thewealthyarepayingafairershareoftaxesevenasthestockmarketshattersrecords.Theunemploymentrateisnearaten-yearlow.Theuninsuredratehasnever,everbeenlower.Healthcarecostsarerisingattheslowestrateinfiftyyears.Andifanyonecanputtogetheraplanthatisdemonstrablybetterthantheimprovementswe'

vemadetoourhealthcaresystem–thatcoversasmanypeopleatlesscost–Iwillpubliclysupportit.

That,afterall,iswhyweserve–tomakepeople'

slivesbetter,notworse.

Butforalltherealprogresswe'

vemade,weknowit'

snotenough.Oureconomydoesn'

tworkaswellorgrowasfastwhenafewprosperattheexpenseofagrowingmiddleclass.Butstarkinequalityisalsocorrosivetoourdemocraticprinciples.Whilethetoponepercenthasamassedabiggershareofwealthandincome,toomanyfamilies,ininnercitiesandruralcounties,havebeenleftbehind–thelaid-offfactoryworker;

thewaitressandhealthcareworkerwhostruggletopaythebills–convincedthatthegameisfixedagainstthem,thattheirgovernmentonlyservestheinterestsofthepowerful–arecipeformorecynicismandpolarizationinourpolitics.

Therearenoquickfixestothislong-termtrend.Iagreethatourtradeshouldbefairandnotjustfree.Butthenextwaveofeconomicdislocationwon'

tcomefromoverseas.Itwillcomefromtherelentlesspaceofautomationthatmakesmanygood,middle-classjobsobsolete.

Andsowemustforgeanewsocialcompact–toguaranteeallourkidstheeducationtheyneed;

togiveworkersthepowertounionizeforbetterwages;

toupdatethesocialsafetynettoreflectthewaywelivenowandmakemorereformstothetaxcodesocorporationsandindividualswhoreapthemostfromtheneweconomydon'

tavoidtheirobligationstothecountrythat'

smadetheirsuccesspossible.Wecanargueabouthowtobestachievethesegoals.Butwecan'

tbecomplacentaboutthegoalsthemselves.Forifwedon'

tcreateopportunityforallpeople,thedisaffectionanddivisionthathasstalledourprogresswillonlysharpeninyearstocome.

There'

sasecondthreattoourdemocracy–oneasoldasournationitself.Aftermyelection,therewastalkofapost-racialAmerica.Suchavision,howeverwell-intended,wasneverrealistic.Forraceremainsapotentandoftendivisiveforceinoursociety.I'

velivedlongenoughtoknowthatracerelationsarebetterthantheywereten,ortwenty,orthirtyyearsago–youcanseeitnotjustinstatistics,butintheattitudesofyoungAmericansacrossthepoliticalspectrum.

Butwe'

renotwhereweneedtobe.Allofushavemoreworktodo.Afterall,ifeveryeconomicissueisframedasastrugglebetweenahardworkingwhitemiddleclassandundeservingminorities,thenworkersofallshadeswillbeleftfightingforscrapswhilethewealthywithdrawfurtherintotheirprivateenclaves.Ifwedeclinetoinvestinthechildrenofimmigrants,justbecausetheydon'

tlooklikeus,wediminishtheprospectsofourownchildren–becausethosebrownkidswillrepresentalargershareofAmerica'

sworkforce.Andoureconomydoesn'

thavetobeazero-sumgame.Lastyear,incomesroseforallraces,allagegroups,formenandforwomen.

Goingforward,wemustupholdlawsagainstdiscrimination–inhiring,inhousing,ineducationandthecriminaljusticesystem.That'

swhatourConstitutionandhighestidealsrequire.Butlawsalonewon'

tbeenough.Heartsmustchange.Ifourdemocracyistoworkinthisincreasinglydiversenation,eachoneofusmusttrytoheedtheadviceofoneofthegreatcharactersinAmericanfiction,AtticusFinch,whosaid“Youneverreallyunderstandapersonuntilyouconsiderthingsfromhispointofview…untilyouclimbintohisskinandwalkaroundinit.”

Forblacksandotherminorities,itmeanstyingourownstrugglesforjusticetothechallengesthatalotofpeopleinthiscountryface–therefugee,theimmigrant,theruralpoor,thetransgenderAmerican,andalsothemiddle-agedwhitemanwhofromtheoutsidemayseemlikehe'

sgotalltheadvantages,butwho'

sseenhisworldupende