布什在清华大学演讲.docx

布什在清华大学演讲.docx

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布什在清华大学演讲

布什在清华大学演讲

PresidentBushSpeaksatTsinghuaUniversity

TsinghuaUniversity

Beijing,People'sRepublicofChina

10:

35A.M.（Local）

PRESIDENTBUSH:

VicePresidentHu,thankyouverymuchforyourkindandgenerousremarks.Thankyouforwelcomingmeandmywife,Laura,here.（Applause.）Iseeshe'skeepingprettygoodcompany,withtheSecretaryofState,ColinPowell.It'sgoodtoseeyou,Mr.Secretary.（Applause.）AndIseemyNationalSecurityAdvisor,Ms.CondoleezzaRice,whoatonetimewastheprovostatStanfordUniversity.Soshe'scomfortableonuniversitycampusessuchasthis.Thankyouforbeinghere,Condi.（Applause.）

I'msogratefulforthehospitality,andhonoredforthereceptionatoneofChina's,andtheworld's,greatuniversities.

Thisuniversitywasfounded,interestinglyenough,withthesupportofmycountry,tofurthertiesbetweenourtwonations.IknowhowimportantthisplaceistoyourVicePresident.Henotonlyreceivedhisdegreehere,butmoreimportantly,hemethisgraciouswifehere.（Laughter.）

Iwanttothankthestudentsforgivingmethechancetomeetwithyou,thechancetotalkalittlebitaboutmycountryandanswersomeofyourquestions.Thestandardsandreputationofthisuniversityareknownaroundtheworld,andIknowwhatanachievementitistobehere.So,congratulations.（Applause.）Idon'tknowifyouknowthisornot,butmywifeandIhavetwodaughterswhoareincollege,justlikeyou.OnegoestotheUniversityofTexas.OnegoestoYale.They'retwins.Andweareproudofourdaughters,justlikeI'msureyourparentsareproudofyou.

MyvisittoChinacomesonanimportantanniversary,astheVicePresidentmentioned.Thirtyyearsagothisweek,anAmericanPresidentarrivedinChinaonatripdesignedtoenddecadesofestrangementandconfrontcenturiesofsuspicion.PresidentRichardNixonshowedtheworldthattwovastlydifferentgovernmentscouldmeetonthegroundsofcommoninterest,inthespiritofmutualrespect.Astheylefttheairportthatday,PremierZhouEnlaisaidthistoPresidentNixon:

"Yourhandshakecameoverthevastestoceanintheworld--25yearsofnocommunication."

Duringthe30yearssince,AmericaandChinahaveexchangedmanyhandshakesoffriendshipandcommerce.Andaswehavehadmorecontactwitheachother,thecitizensofbothcountrieshavegraduallylearnedmoreabouteachother.Andthat'simportant.OnceAmericaknewChinaonlybyitshistoryasagreatandenduringcivilization.Today,weseeaChinathatisstilldefinedbynobletraditionsoffamily,scholarship,andhonor.AndweseeaChinathatisbecomingoneofthemostdynamicandcreativesocietiesintheworld--asdemonstratedbytheknowledgeandpotentialrighthereinthisroom.Chinaisonarisingpath,andAmericawelcomestheemergenceofastrongandpeacefulandprosperousChina.（Applause.）

AsAmericalearnsmoreaboutChina,IamconcernedthattheChinesepeopledonotalwaysseeaclearpictureofmycountry.Thishappensformanyreasons,andsomeofthemofourownmaking.OurmoviesandtelevisionshowsoftendonotportraythevaluesoftherealAmericaIknow.OursuccessfulbusinessesshowastrengthofAmericancommerce,butourspirit,communityspirit,andcontributionstoeachotherarenotalwaysvisibleasmonetarysuccess.

SomeoftheerroneouspicturesofAmericaarepaintedbyothers.Myfriend,theAmbassadortoChina,tellsmesomeChinesetextbookstalkofAmericansof"bullyingtheweakandrepressingthepoor."AnotherChinesetextbook,publishedjustlastyear,teachesthatspecialagentsoftheFBIareusedto"represstheworkingpeople."Now,neitheroftheseistrue--andwhilethewordsmaybeleftoversfromapreviousera,theyaremisleadingandthey'reharmful.

Infact,Americansfeelaspecialresponsibilityfortheweakandthepoor.Ourgovernmentspendsbillionsofdollarstoprovidehealthcareandfoodandhousingforthosewhocannothelpthemselves--andevenmoreimportant,manyofourcitizenscontributetheirownmoneyandtimetohelpthoseinneed.Americancompassionalsostretcheswaybeyondourborders.We'rethenumberoneproviderofhumanitarianaidtopeopleinneedthroughouttheworld.AndasforthemenandwomenoftheFBIandlawenforcement,they'reworkingpeople;they,themselves,areworkingpeoplewhodevotetheirlivestofightingcrimeandcorruption.

Mycountrycertainlyhasitsshareofproblems,noquestionaboutthat.Andwehaveourfaults.Likemostnationswe'reonalongjourneytowardachievingourownidealsofequalityandjustice.Yetthere'sareasonournationshinesasabeaconofhopeandopportunity,areasonmanythroughouttheworlddreamofcomingtoAmerica.It'sbecausewe'reafreenation,wheremenandwomenhavetheopportunitytoachievetheirdreams.Nomatteryourbackgroundoryourcircumstanceofbirth,inAmericayoucangetagoodeducation,youcanstartyourownbusiness,youcanraiseafamily,youcanworshipfreely,andhelpelecttheleadersofyourcommunityandyourcountry.Youcansupportthepoliciesofourgovernment,oryou'refreetoopenlydisagreewiththem.Thosewhofearfreedomsometimesargueitcouldleadtochaos,butitdoesnot,becausefreedommeansmorethaneverymanforhimself.

Libertygivesourcitizensmanyrights,yetexpectsthemtoexerciseimportantresponsibilities.Ourlibertyisgivendirectionandpurposebymoralcharacter,shapedinstrongfamilies,strongcommunities,andstrongreligiousinstitutions,andoverseenbyastrongandfairlegalsystem.

Mycountry'sgreatestsymboltotheworldistheStatueofLiberty,anditwasdesignedbyspecialcare.Idon'tknowifyou'veeverseentheStatueofLiberty,butifyoulookclosely,she'sholdingnotoneobject,buttwo.Inonehandisthefamiliartorchwecallthe"lightofliberty."Andintheotherhandisabookoflaw.

We'reanationoflaws.Ourcourtsarehonestandtheyareindependent.ThePresident--me--Ican'ttellthecourtshowtorule,andneithercananyothermemberoftheexecutiveorlegislativebranchofgovernment.Underourlaw,everyonestandsequal.Nooneisabovethelaw,andnooneisbeneathit.

AllpoliticalpowerinAmericaislimitedanditistemporary,andonlygivenbythefreevoteofthepeople.WehaveaConstitution,nowtwocenturiesold,whichlimitsandbalancesthepowerofthethreebranchesofourgovernment,thejudicialbranch,thelegislativebranch,andtheexecutivebranch,ofwhichI'mapart.

ManyofthevaluesthatguideourlifeinAmericaarefirstshapedinourfamilies,justastheyareinyourcountry.Americanmomsanddadslovetheirchildrenandworkhardandsacrificeforthem,becausewebelievelifecanalwaysbebetterforthenextgeneration.Inourfamilies,wefindloveandlearnresponsibilityandcharacter.

AndmanyAmericansvoluntarilydevotepartoftheirlivestoservingotherpeople.Anamazingnumber--nearlyhalfofalladultsinAmerica--volunteertimeeveryweektomaketheircommunitiesbetterbymentoringchildren,orbyvisitingthesick,orcaringfortheelderly,orhelpingwiththousandsofotherneedsandcauses.Thisisoneofthegreatstrengthsofmycountry.Peopletakeresponsibilityforhelpingothers,withoutbeingtold,motivatedbytheirgoodheartsandoftenbytheirfaith.

Americaisanationguidedbyfaith.Someoneoncecalledus"anationwiththesoulofachurch."Thismayinterestyou--95percentofAmericanssaytheybelieveinGod,andI'moneofthem.

WhenImetPresidentJiangZemininShanghaiafewmonthsago,Ihadthehonorofsharingwithhimhowfaithchangedmylifeandhowfaithcontributestothelifeofmycountry.Faithpointstoamorallawbeyondman'slaw,andcallsustodutieshigherthanmaterialgain.Freedomofreligionisnotsomethingtobefeared,it'stobewelcomed,becausefaithgivesusamoralcoreandteachesustoholdourselvestohighstandards,toloveandtoserveothers,andtoliveresponsiblelives.

IfyoutravelacrossAmerica--andIhopeyoudosomedayifyouhaven'tbeenthere--youwillfindpeopleofmanydifferentethicbackgroundsandmanydifferentfaiths.We'reavariednation.We'rehometo2.3millionAmericansofChineseancestry,whocanbefoundworkingintheofficesofourcorporations,orintheCabinetofthePresidentoftheUnitedStates,orskatingfortheAmericaOlympicteam.Everyimmigrant,bytakinganoathofallegiancetoourcountry,becomesjustasjustasAmericanasthePresident.Americashowsthatasocietycanbevastanditcanbevaried,yetstillonecountry,commandingtheallegianceandloveofitspeople.

AndallthesequalitiesofAmericawerewidelyondisplayonasingleday,Septemberthe11th,thedaywhenterrorists,murderers,attackedmynation.Americanpolicemenandfirefighters,bythehundreds,ranintoburningtowersindesperationtosavetheirfellowcitizens.Volunteerscamefromeverywheretohelpwithrescueefforts.Americansdonatedbloodandgavemoneytohelpthefamiliesofvictims.Americahadprayerservicesalloverourcountry,andpeopleraisedflagstoshowtheirprideandunity.Andyouneedtoknow,noneofthiswasorderedbythegovernment;ithappenedspontaneously,bytheinitiativeoffreepeople.

LifeinAmericashowsthatliberty,pairedwithlawisnottobefeared.Inafreesociety,diversityisnotdisorder.Debateisnotstrife.Anddissentisnotrevolution.Afreesocietytrustsitscitizenstoseekgreatnessinthemselvesandtheircountry.

ItwasmyhonortovisitChinain1975--someofyouweren'tevenbornthen.ItshowshowoldIam.（Laughter.）Andalothaschangedinyourcountrysincethen.Chinahasmadeamazingprogress--inope