奥巴马离职演讲中英文.docx
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奥巴马离职演讲中英文
英文原文
It’sgoodtobehome.MyfellowAmericans,MichelleandIhavebeensotouchedbyallthewell-wisheswe’vereceivedoverthepastfewweeks.Buttonightit’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.
It’stheconvictionthatweareallcreatedequal,endowedbyourCreatorwithcertainunalienablerights,amongthemlife,liberty,andthepursuitofhappiness.
It’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.
ForwhiteAmericans,itmeansacknowledgingthattheeffectsofslaveryandJimCrowdidn’tsuddenlyvanishinthe‘60s;thatwhenminoritygroupsvoicediscontent,they’renotjustengaginginreverseracismorpracticingpoliticalcorrectness;thatwhentheywagepeacefulprotest,they’renotdemandingspecialtreatment,buttheequaltreatmentourFounderspromised.
Fornative-bornAmericans,itmeansremindingourselvesthatthestereotypesaboutimmigrantstodayweresaid,almostwordforword,abouttheIrish,Italians,andPoles.Americawasn’tweakenedbythepresenceofthesenewcomers;theyembracedthisnation’screed,anditwasstrengthened.
Soregardlessofthestationweoccupy;wehavetotryharder;tostartwiththepremisethateachofourfellowcitizenslovesthiscountryjustasmuchaswedo;thattheyvaluehardworkandfamilylikewedo;thattheirchildrenarejustascuriousandhopefulandworthyofloveasourown.
Noneofthisiseasy.Fortoomanyofus,it’sbecomesafertoretreatintoourownbubbles,whetherinourneighborhoodsorcollegecampusesorplacesofworshiporoursocialmediafeeds,surroundedbypeoplewholooklikeusandsharethesamepoliticaloutlookandneverchallengeourassumptions.Theriseofnakedpartisanship,increasingeconomicandregionalstratification,thesplinteringofourmediaintoachannelforeverytaste–allthismakesthisgreatsortingseemnatural,eveninevitable.Andincreasingly,webecomesosecureinourbubblesthatweacceptonlyinformation,whethertrueornot,thatfitsouropinions,insteadofbasingouropinionsontheevidencethat’soutthere.
Thistrendrepresentsathirdthreattoourdemocracy.Politicsisabattleofideas;inthecourseofahealthydebate,we’llprioritizedifferentgoals,andthedifferentmeansofreachingthem.Butwithoutsomecommonbaselineoffacts;withoutawillingnesstoadmitnewinformation,andconcedethatyouropponentismakingafairpoint,andthatscienceandreasonmatter,we’llkeeptalkingpasteachother,makingcommongroundandcompromiseimpossible.
Isn’tthatpartofwhatmakespoliticssodispiriting?
Howcanelectedofficialsrageaboutdeficitswhenweproposetospendmoneyonpreschoolforkids,butnotwhenwe’recuttingtaxesforcorporations?
Howdoweexcuseethicallapsesinourownparty,butpouncewhentheotherpartydoesthesamething?
It’snotjustdishonest,thisselectivesortingofthefacts;it’sself-defeating.Becauseasmymotherusedtotellme,realityhasawayofcatchingupwithyou.
Takethechallengeofclimatechange.Injusteightyears,we’vehalvedourdependenceonforeignoil,doubledourrenewableenergy,andledtheworldtoanagreementthathasthepromisetosavethisplanet.Butwithoutbolderaction,ourchildrenwon’thavetimetodebatetheexistenceofclimatechange;they’llbebusydealingwithitseffects:
environmentaldisasters,economicdisruptions,andwavesofclimaterefugeesseekingsanctuary.
Now,wecanandshouldargueaboutthebestapproachtotheproblem.Buttosimplydenytheproblemnotonlybetraysfuturegenerations;itbetraystheessentialspiritofinnovationandpracticalproblem-solvingthatguidedourFounders.
It’sthatspirit,bornoftheEnlightenment,thatmadeusaneconomicpowerhouse–thespiritthattookflightatKittyHawkandCapeCanaveral;thespiritthatthatcuresdiseaseandputacomputerineverypocket.
It’sthatspirit–afaithinreason,andenterprise,andtheprimacyofrightovermight,thatallowedustoresistthelureoffascismandtyrannyduringtheGreatDepression,andbuildapost-WorldWarIIorderwithotherdemocracies,anorderbasednotjustonmilitarypowerornationalaffiliationsbutonprinciples–theruleoflaw,humanrights,freedomsofreligion,speech,assembly,andanindependentpress.
Thatorderisnowbeingchallenged–firstbyviolentfanaticswhoclaimtospeakforIslam;morerecentlybyautocratsinforeigncapitalswhoseefreemarkets,opendemocracies,andcivilsocietyitselfasathreattotheirpower.Theperileachposestoourdemocracyismorefar-reachingthanacarbomboramissile.Itrepresentsthefearofchange;thefearofpeoplewholookorspeakorpraydifferently;acontemptfortheruleoflawthatholdsleadersaccountable;anintoleranceofdissentandfreethought;abeliefthattheswordorthegunorthebomborpropagandamachineistheultimatearbiterofwhat’strueandwhat’sright.
Becauseoftheextraordinarycourageofourmenandwomeninuniform,andtheintelligenceofficers,lawenforcement,anddiplomatswhosupportthem,noforeignterroristorganizationhassuccessfullyplannedandexecutedanattackonourhomelandthesepasteightyears;andalthoughBostonandOrlandoremindusofhowdangerousradicalizationcanbe,ourlawenforcementagenciesaremoreeffectiveandvigilantthanever.We’vetakenouttensofthousandsofterrorists–includingOsamabinLaden.Theglobalcoalitionwe’releadingagainstISILhastakenouttheirleaders,andtakenawayabouthalftheirterritory.ISILwillbedestroyed,andnoonewhothreatensAmericawilleverbesafe.Toallwhoserve,ithasbeenthehonorofmylifetimetobeyourCommander-in-Chief.
Butprotectingourwayofliferequiresmorethanourmilitary.Democracycanbucklewhenwegiveintofear.Sojustaswe,ascitizens,mustremainvigilantagainstexternalaggression,wemustguardagainstaweakeningofthevaluesthatmakeuswhoweare.That’swhy,forthepasteightyears,I’veworkedtoputthefightagainstterrorismonafirmlegalfooting.That’swhywe’veendedtorture,workedtocloseGitmo,andreformourlawsgoverningsurveillancetoprotectprivacyandcivilliberties.That’swhyIrejectdiscriminationagainstMuslimAmericans.That’swhywecannotwithdrawfromglobalfights–toexpanddemocracy,andhumanrights,women’srights,andLGBTrights–nomatterhowimperfectourefforts,nomatterhowexpedientignoringsuchvaluesmayseem.Forthefightagainstextremismandintoleranceandsectarianismareofapiecewiththefightagainstauthoritarianismandnationalistaggression.Ifthescopeoffreedomandrespectfortheruleoflawshrinksaroundtheworld,thelikelihoodofwarwithinandbetweennationsincreases,andourownfreedomswilleventuallybethreatened.
Solet’sbevigilant,butnotafraid.ISILwilltrytokillinnocentpeople.ButtheycannotdefeatAmericaunlesswebetrayourConstitutionandourprinciplesinthefight.RivalslikeRussiaorChinacannotmatchourinfluencearoundtheworld–unlesswegiveupwhatwestandfor,andturnourselvesintojustanotherbigcountrythatbulliessmallerneighbors.
Whichbringsmetomyfinalpoint–ourdemocracyisthreatenedwheneverwetakeitforgranted.Allofus,regardlessofparty,shouldthrowourselvesintothetaskofrebuildingourdemocraticinstitutions.Whenvotingratesaresomeofthelowestamongadvanceddemocracies,weshouldmakeiteasier,notharder,tovote.Whentrustinourinstitutionsislow,weshouldreducethecorrosiveinfluenceofmoneyinourpolitics,andinsistontheprinciplesoftransparencyandethicsinpublicservice.WhenCongressisdysfunctional,weshoulddrawourdistrictstoenco