奥巴马离职演讲中英文.docx

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