克林顿就职演讲双语.docx
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克林顿就职演讲双语
∙【美国总统就职演说系列】克林顿连任
作者:
news日期:
2010年05月21日(2周前)
TheSecondInauguralAddressbyBillClinton
January20,1997
Myfellowcitizens:
Atthislastpresidentialinaugurationofthe20thcentury,letusliftoureyestowardthechallengesthatawaitusinthenextcentury.Itisourgreatgoodfortunethattimeandchancehaveputusnotonlyattheedgeofanewcentury,inanewmillennium,butontheedgeofabrightnewprospectinhumanaffairs,amomentthatwilldefineourcourse,andourcharacter,fordecadestocome.Wemustkeepourolddemocracyforeveryoung.Guidedbytheancientvisionofapromisedland,letussetoursightsuponalandofnewpromise.
ThepromiseofAmericawasborninthe18thcenturyoutoftheboldconvictionthatweareallcreatedequal.Itwasextendedandpreservedinthe19thcentury,whenournationspreadacrossthecontinent,savedtheunion,andabolishedtheawfulscourgeofslavery.
Then,inturmoilandtriumph,thatpromiseexplodedontotheworldstagetomakethistheAmericanCentury.
Andwhatacenturyithasbeen.Americabecametheworld'smightiestindustrialpower;savedtheworldfromtyrannyintwoworldwarsandalongcoldwar;andtimeandagain,reachedoutacrosstheglobetomillionswho,likeus,longedfortheblessingsofliberty.
Alongtheway,Americansproducedagreatmiddleclassandsecurityinoldage;builtunrivaledcentersoflearningandopenedpublicschoolstoall;splittheatomandexploredtheheavens;inventedthecomputerandthemicrochip;anddeepenedthewellspringofjusticebymakingarevolutionincivilrightsforAfricanAmericansandallminorities,andextendingthecircleofcitizenship,opportunityanddignitytowomen.
Now,forthethirdtime,anewcenturyisuponus,andanothertimetochoose.Webeganthe19thcenturywithachoice,tospreadournationfromcoasttocoast.Webeganthe20thcenturywithachoice,toharnesstheIndustrialRevolutiontoourvaluesoffreeenterprise,conservation,andhumandecency.Thosechoicesmadeallthedifference.
Atthedawnofthe21stcenturyafreepeoplemustnowchoosetoshapetheforcesoftheInformationAgeandtheglobalsociety,tounleashthelimitlesspotentialofallourpeople,and,yes,toformamoreperfectunion.
Whenlastwegathered,ourmarchtothisnewfutureseemedlesscertainthanitdoestoday.Wevowedthentosetaclearcoursetorenewournation.
Inthesefouryears,wehavebeentouchedbytragedy,exhilaratedbychallenge,strengthenedbyachievement.Americastandsaloneastheworld'sindispensablenation.Onceagain,oureconomyisthestrongestonEarth.Onceagain,wearebuildingstrongerfamilies,thrivingcommunities,bettereducationalopportunities,acleanerenvironment.Problemsthatonceseemeddestinedtodeepennowbendtoourefforts:
ourstreetsaresaferandrecordnumbersofourfellowcitizenshavemovedfromwelfaretowork.
Andonceagain,wehaveresolvedforourtimeagreatdebateovertheroleofgovernment.Todaywecandeclare:
Governmentisnottheproblem,andgovernmentisnotthesolution.We,-theAmericanpeople,wearethesolution.Ourfoundersunderstoodthatwellandgaveusademocracystrongenoughtoendureforcenturies,flexibleenoughtofaceourcommonchallengesandadvanceourcommondreamsineachnewday.
Astimeschange,sogovernmentmustchange.Weneedanewgovernmentforanewcentury-humbleenoughnottotrytosolveallourproblemsforus,butstrongenoughtogiveusthetoolstosolveourproblemsforourselves;agovernmentthatissmaller,liveswithinitsmeans,anddoesmorewithless.Yetwhereitcanstandupforourvaluesandinterestsintheworld,andwhereitcangiveAmericansthepowertomakearealdifferenceintheireverydaylives,governmentshoulddomore,notless.ThepreeminentmissionofournewgovernmentistogiveallAmericansanopportunity,-notaguarantee,butarealopportunitytobuildbetterlives.
Beyondthat,myfellowcitizens,thefutureisuptous.Ourfounderstaughtusthatthepreservationofourlibertyandouruniondependsuponresponsiblecitizenship.Andweneedanewsenseofresponsibilityforanewcentury.Thereisworktodo,workthatgovernmentalonecannotdo:
teachingchildrentoread;hiringpeopleoffwelfarerolls;comingoutfrombehindlockeddoorsandshutteredwindowstohelpreclaimourstreetsfromdrugsandgangsandcrime;takingtimeoutofourownlivestoserveothers.
Eachandeveryoneofus,inourownway,mustassumepersonalresponsibility,notonlyforourselvesandourfamilies,butforourneighborsandournation.Ourgreatestresponsibilityistoembraceanewspiritofcommunityforanewcentury.Foranyoneofustosucceed,wemustsucceedasoneAmerica.
Thechallengeofourpastremainsthechallengeofourfuture,willwebeonenation,onepeople,withonecommondestiny,ornot?
Willweallcometogether,orcomeapart?
ThedivideofracehasbeenAmerica'sconstantcurse.Andeachnewwaveofimmigrantsgivesnewtargetstooldprejudices.Prejudiceandcontempt,cloakedinthepretenseofreligiousorpoliticalconvictionarenodifferent.Theseforceshavenearlydestroyedournationinthepast.Theyplagueusstill.Theyfuelthefanaticismofterror.Andtheytormentthelivesofmillionsinfracturednationsallaroundtheworld.
Theseobsessionscrippleboththosewhohateand,ofcourse,thosewhoarehated,robbingbothofwhattheymightbecome.Wecannot,wewillnot,succumbtothedarkimpulsesthatlurkinthefarregionsofthesouleverywhere.Weshallovercomethem.Andweshallreplacethemwiththegenerousspiritofapeoplewhofeelathomewithoneanother.
Ourrichtextureofracial,religiousandpoliticaldiversitywillbeaGodsendinthe21stcentury.Greatrewardswillcometothosewhocanlivetogether,learntogether,worktogether,forgenewtiesthatbindtogether.
Asthisneweraapproacheswecanalreadyseeitsbroadoutlines.Tenyearsago,theInternetwasthemysticalprovinceofphysicists;today,itisacommonplaceencyclopediaformillionsofschoolchildren.Scientistsnowaredecodingtheblueprintofhumanlife.Curesforourmostfearedillnessesseemcloseathand.
Theworldisnolongerdividedintotwohostilecamps.Instead,nowwearebuildingbondswithnationsthatoncewereouradversaries.Growingconnectionsofcommerceandculturegiveusachancetoliftthefortunesandspiritsofpeopletheworldover.Andfortheveryfirsttimeinallofhistory,morepeopleonthisplanetliveunderdemocracythandictatorship.
MyfellowAmericans,aswelookbackatthisremarkablecentury,wemayask,canwehopenotjusttofollow,buteventosurpasstheachievementsofthe20thcenturyinAmericaandtoavoidtheawfulbloodshedthatstaineditslegacy?
Tothatquestion,everyAmericanhereandeveryAmericaninourlandtodaymustansweraresounding"Yes."
Thisistheheartofourtask.Withanewvisionofgovernment,anewsenseofresponsibility,anewspiritofcommunity,wewillsustainAmerica'sjourney.Thepromisewesoughtinanewlandwewillfindagaininalandofnewpromise.
Inthisnewland,educationwillbeeverycitizen'smostprizedpossession.Ourschoolswillhavethehigheststandardsintheworld,ignitingthesparkofpossibilityintheeyesofeverygirlandeveryboy.Andthedoorsofhighereducationwillbeopentoall.TheknowledgeandpoweroftheInformationAgewillbewithinreachnotjustofthefew,butofeveryclassroom,everylibrary,everychild.Parentsandchildrenwillhavetimenotonlytowork,buttoreadandplaytogether.Andtheplanstheymakeattheirkitchentablewillbethoseofabetterhome,abetterjob,thecertainchancetogotocollege.
Ourstreetswillechoagainwiththelaughterofourchildren,becausenoonewilltrytoshootthemorsellthemdrugsanymore.Everyonewhocanwork,willwork,withtoday'spermanentunderclasspartoftomorrow'sgrowingmiddleclass.Newmiraclesofmedicineatlastwillreachnotonlythosewhocanclaimcarenow,butthechildrenandhardworkingfamiliestoolongdenied.
Wewillstandmightyforpeaceandfreedom,andmaintainastrongdefenseagainstterroranddestruction.Ourchildrenwillsleepfreefromthethreatofnuclear,chemicalorbiologicalweapons.Portsandairports,farmsandfactorieswillthrivewithtradeandinnovationandideas.Andtheworld'sgreatestdemocracywillleadawholeworldofdemocracies.
Ourlandofnewpromisewillbeanationthatmeetsitsobligations,anationthatbalancesitsbudget,butneverlosesthebalanceofitsvalues.Anationwhereourgrandparentshavesecureretirementandhealthcare,andtheirgrandchildrenknowwehavemadethereformsnecessarytosustainthosebenefitsfortheirtime.Anationthatfortifiestheworld'smostproductiveeconomyevenasitprotectsthegreatnaturalbountyofourwater,air,andmajesticland.
Andinthislandofnewpromise,wewillhavereformedourpoliticssothatthevoiceofthepeoplewillalwaysspeaklouderthanthedinofnarrowinterests,regainingtheparticipationanddeservingthetrustofallAmericans.
Fellowcitizens,letusbuildthatAmerica,anationevermovingforwardtowardrealizingthefullpotentialofallitscitizens.Prosperityandpower,yes,theyareimportant,andwemustmaintainthem.Butletusneverforget:
Thegreatestprogresswehavemade,andthegreatestprogresswehaveyettomake,isinthehumanheart.Intheend,alltheworld'swealthandathousandarmiesarenomatchforthestrengthanddecencyofthehumanspirit.
Thirty-fouryearsago,themanwhoselifewecelebratetodayspoketousdownthere,attheotherendofthisMall,inwordsthatmovedthe