Chapter1 震起时代的擂鼓 Knocking on the Drum of Era
在这个艰难的冬天 In This Winter of Our Hardship
巴拉克·胡赛因·奥巴马/Barack Hussein Obama
巴拉克·胡赛因·奥巴马（1961-），生于美国夏威夷，父亲是来自肯尼亚的黑人，穆斯林。母亲是堪萨斯州的白人。他是美国第44任总统，也是美国历史上第一任非洲裔总统。
My fellow-citizens,
I stand here today humbled by the task before us, grateful for the trust you have bestowed, mindful of the sacrifices borne by our ancestors. I thank President Bush for his service to our nation, as well as the generosity and cooperation he has shown throughout this transition.
Forty-four Americans have now taken the presidential oath. The words have been spoken during rising tides of prosperity and the still waters of peace. Yet, every so often the oath is taken amidst gathering clouds and raging storms. At these moments, America has carried on not simply because of the skill or vision of those in high office, but because We the People have remained faithful to the ideals of our forbearers, and true to our founding documents.
So it has been. So it must be with this generation of Americans.
That we are in the midst of crisis is now well understood. Our nation is at war, against a far-reaching network of violence and hatred. Our economy is badly weakened, a consequence of greed and irresponsibility on the part of some, but also our collective failure to make hard choices and prepare the nation for a new age. Homes have been lost; jobs shed; businesses shuttered. Our health care is too costly; our schools fail too many; and each day brings further evidence that the ways we use energy strengthen our adversaries and threaten our planet.
These are the indicators of crisis, subject to data and statistics. Less measurable but no less profound is a sapping of confidence across our land—a nagging fear that America' s decline is inevitable, that the next generation must lower its sights.
Today I say to you that the challenges we face are real. They are serious and they are many. They will not be met easily or in a short span of time. But know this, America—they will be met.
On this day, we gather because we have chosen hope over fear, unity of purpose over conflict and discord. On this day, we come to proclaim an end to the petty grievances and false promises, the recriminations and worn-out dogmas that for far too long have strangled our politics.
We remain a young nation, but in the words of Scripture, the time has come to set aside childish things. The time has come to reaffirm our enduring spirit; to choose our better history; to carry forward that precious gift, that noble idea, passed on from generation to generation: the God-given promise that all are equal, all are free, and all deserve a chance to pursue their full measure of happiness.
In reaffirming the greatness of our nation, we understand that greatness is never a given. It must be earned. Our journey has never been one of shortcuts or settling for less. It has not been the path for the faint-hearted—for those who prefer leisure over work, or seek only the pleasures of riches and fame. Rather, it has been the risk-takers, the doers, the makers of things—some celebrated but more often men and women obscure in their labor, who have carried us up the long, rugged path towards prosperity and freedom.
Time and again these men and women struggled and sacrificed and worked till their hands were raw so that we might live a better life. They saw America as bigger than the sum of our individual ambitions; greater than all the differences of birth or wealth or faction.
This is the journey we continue today. We remain the most prosperous, powerful nation on Earth. Our workers are no less productive than when this crisis began. Our minds are no less inventive, our goods and services no less needed than they were last week or last month or last year. Our capacity remains undiminished. But our time of standing pat, of protecting narrow interests and putting off unpleasant decisions—that time has surely passed. Starting today, we must pick ourselves up, dust ourselves off, and begin again the work of remaking America.
For everywhere we look, there is work to be done. The state of our economy calls for action, bold and swift, and we will act—not only to create new jobs, but to lay a new foundation for growth. We will build the roads and bridges, the electric grids and digital lines that feed our commerce and bind us together. We will restore science to its rightful place, and wield technology' s wonders to raise health care' s quality and lower its cost. We will harness the sun and the winds and the soil to fuel our cars and run our factories. And we will transform our schools and colleges and universities to meet the demands of a new age. All this we can do. All this we will do.
Now, there are some who question the scale of our ambitions—who suggest that our system cannot tolerate too many big plans. Their memories are short. For they have forgotten what this country has already done; what free men and women can achieve when imagination is joined to common purpose, and necessity to courage.
What the cynics fail to understand is that the ground has shifted beneath them—that the stale political arguments that have consumed us for so long no longer apply. The question we ask today is not whether our government is too big or too small, but whether it works—whether it helps families find jobs at a decent wage, care they can afford, a retirement that is dignified. Where the answer is yes, we intend to move forward. Where the answer is no, programs will end. And those of us who manage the public' s dollars will be held to account—to spend wisely, reform bad habits, and do our business in the light of day—because only then can we restore the vital trust between a people and their government.
Nor is the question before us whether the market is a force for good or ill. Its power to generate wealth and expand freedom is unmatched, but this crisis has reminded us that without a watchful eye, the market can spin out of control—the nation cannot prosper long when it favors only the prosperous. The success of our economy has always depended not just on the size of our Gross Domestic Product, but on the reach of our prosperity; on the ability to extend opportunity to every willing heart—not out of charity, but because it is the surest route to our common good.
As for our common defense, we reject as false the choice between our safety and our ideals. Our Founding Fathers, faced with perils that we can scarcely imagine, drafted a charter to assure the rule of law and the rights of man, a charter expanded by the blood of generations. Those ideals still light the world, and we will not give them up for expedience' s sake. And so to all the other peoples and governments who are watching today, from the grandest capitals to the small village where my father was born: know that America is a friend of each nation and every man, woman, and child who seeks a future of peace and dignity, and we are ready to lead once more.
Recall that earlier generations faced down fascism and communism not just with missiles and tanks, but with the sturdy alliances and enduring convictions. They understood that our power alone cannot protect us, nor does it entitle us to do as we please. Instead, they knew that our power grows through its prudent use; our security emanates from the justness of our cause, the force of our example, the tempering qualities of humility and restraint.
We are the keepers of this legacy. Guided by these principles once more, we can meet those new threats that demand even greater effort—even greater cooperation and understanding between nations. We will begin to responsibly leave Iraq to its people, and forge a hardearned peace in Afghanistan. With old friends and former foes, we will work tirelessly to lessen the nuclear threat, and roll back the specter of a warming planet.
For we know that our patchwork heritage is a strength, not a weakness. We are a nation of Christians and Muslims, Jews and Hindus—and non-believers. We are shaped by every language and culture, drawn from every end of this Earth; and because we have tasted the bitter swill of civil war and segregation, and emerged from that dark chapter stronger and more united, we cannot help but believe that the old hatreds shall someday pass; that the lines of tribe shall soon dissolve; that as the world grows smaller, our common humanity shall reveal itself; and that America must play its role in ushering in a new era of peace.
To the Muslim world, we seek a new way forward, based on mutual interest and mutual respect. To those leaders around the globe who seek to sow conflict, or blame their society' s ills on the West—know that your people will judge you on what you can build, not what you destroy. To those who cling to power through corruption and deceit and the silencing of dissent, know that you are on the wrong side of history; but that we will extend a hand if you are willing to unclench your fist.
To the people of poor nations, we pledge to work alongside you to make your farms flourish and let clean waters flow; to nourish starved bodies and feed hungry minds. And to those nations like ours that enjoy relative plenty, we say we can no longer afford indifference to the suffering outside our borders; nor can we consume the world' s resources without regard to effect. For the world has changed, and we must change with it.
As we consider the road that unfolds before us, we remember with humble gratitude those brave Americans who, at this very hour, patrol far-off deserts and distant mountains. They have something to tell us, just as the fallen heroes who lie in Arlington whisper through the ages. We honor them not only because they are the guardians of our liberty, but because they embody the spirit of service; a willingness to find meaning in something greater than themselves. And yet, at this moment—a moment that will define a generation—it is precisely this spirit that must inhabit us all.
For as much as government can do and must do, it is ultimately the faith and determination of the American people upon which this nation relies. It is the kindness to take in a stranger when the levees break, the selflessness of workers who would rather cut their hours than see a friend lose their job which sees us through our darkest hours. It is the firefighter' s courage to storm a stairway filled with smoke, but also a parent' s willingness to nurture a child, that finally decides our fate.
Our challenges may be new. The instruments with which we meet them may be new. But those values upon which our success depends—honesty and hard work, courage and fair play, tolerance and curiosity, loyalty and patriotism—these things are old. These things are true. They have been the quiet force of progress throughout our history. What is demanded then is a return to these truths. What is required of us now is a new era of responsibility—a recognition, on the part of every American, that we have duties to ourselves, our nation, and the world, duties that we do not grudgingly accept but rather seize gladly, firm in the knowledge that there is nothing so satisfying to the spirit, so defining of our character, than giving our all to a difficult task.
This is the price and the promise of citizenship.
This is the source of our confidence—the knowledge that God calls on us to shape an uncertain destiny.
This is the meaning of our liberty and our creed—why men and women and children of every race and every faith can join in celebration across this magnificent mall, and why a man whose father less than sixty years ago might not have been served at a local restaurant can now stand before you to take a most sacred oath.
So let us mark this day with remembrance, of who we are and how far we have traveled. In the year of America' s birth, in the coldest of months, a small band of patriots huddled by dying campfires on the shores of an icy river. The capital was abandoned. The enemy was advancing. The snow was stained with blood. At a moment when the outcome of our revolution was most in doubt, the father of our nation ordered these words be read to the people:
"Let it be told to the future world... that in the depth of winter, when nothing but hope and virtue could survive… that the city and the country, alarmed at one common danger, came forth to meet."
America! In the face of our common dangers, in this winter of our hardship, let us remember these timeless words. With hope and virtue, let us brave once more the icy currents, and endure what storms may come. Let it be said by our children' s children that when we were tested we refused to let this journey end, that we did not turn back nor did we falter; and with eyes fixed on the horizon and God' s grace upon us, we carried forth that great gift of freedom and delivered it safely to future generations.
Thank you. God bless you. And God bless the United States of America.
同胞们：
今天，我站在这里，肩上的重任令我感到自己非常渺小，而你们的信任令我心怀感激，我要把先辈们曾作出的巨大牺牲铭记于心。我要感谢布什总统为这个国家作出的贡献，同时感谢他在政权交接过程中表现出的风度与合作。
迄今，已经有44位美国人宣誓就任总统。在喧闹的繁荣时期与宁静的和平时期，当然更多的还是在乌云密布或狂风暴雨之时，前辈们都曾立下这些誓言。无论何时，美国从未停下前进的步伐，这不仅是因为执政者的技巧和远见卓识，还因为我们的人民一直坚守先辈们的理想，忠诚地履行我们建国时的誓言。
以前是这样，我们这一代美国人仍要这样。
大家都知道，我们现在陷入危机，我们国家正处于激战中，而我们的敌人就是暴力和仇恨。某些人的贪婪和不负责任，令我们的经济受到了重创，当然，这也是因为在面对困境，需要作出抉择，为新世纪做准备时，我们出现了集体性失误。我们失去了房屋，丢掉了工作，商业都陷入萧条。我们在卫生保健方面花费过大，在建设学校方面也很失败，而每过一天，我们都能发现更多的证据，证明我们使用能源的策略不当，从而使我们的敌人更加强大，并威胁到了我们的地球。
这些数据和统计资料都表明我们危机四伏，尽管不是很明显，但其所产生的深远影响却在不断地蚕食全国人民的信心——担心美国的衰退会成为必然，担心美国的下一代会降低他们对未来的期望。
今天，我要告诉大家，我们面临的挑战是真实存在的，而且挑战很多很艰巨，很难在短时间内一一解决。但是，我们知道，美国最终会解决这些问题。
我们今天聚集于此，是因为我们选择了用希望来克服恐惧，团结一心战胜矛盾和冲突。我们今天聚集于此，是为了宣布结束那些抱怨和错误的承诺，结束那长久以来扼杀我们政治的相互指责和陈腐的教条。
我们的国家仍然是一个年轻的国家，但遵照《圣经》的指示，我们已经到了该摒弃幼稚行为的时候，到了要重申我们不朽的精神、选择更好的历史的时候。我们要弘扬珍贵的天赋、崇高的思想，并代代相传。上帝认为，所有人都是平等的，所有人都是自由的，而且所有人都有机会追求自己的幸福。
在重申我们国家的伟大的同时，我们必须明白，伟大从来都不是靠别人赠予的，而是要靠自己努力争取。我们的征途从来没有捷径可走，也从不属于那些胆怯、好逸恶劳或追名逐利的人，它只属于那些冒险家、实干家和制造者。这些人当中不乏声名遐迩的大人物，但他们中的大多数都是默默无闻的劳作者，一直以来，是他们带领我们在漫长坎坷的道路上为了繁荣和自由而奋斗。
这就是我们今天依然要继续的旅途。在这个世界上，我们仍然是最繁荣、最强大的国家。这场危机开始以后，我们工人的生产效率并没有下降；我们思想的创造力也没有降低；与上周，上个月，乃至去年相比，对我们的商品和服务的需求并没有减少；我们的能力丝毫没有降低。但是，我们不能再自满于过去，也不能再保护那些狭隘的利益，以及令人不悦的决定——从今天开始，我们必须打起精神振作起来，拍拍身上的尘土，重新开始复兴美国的伟大事业。
环视四周，到处都有要做的工作。我们国家的经济状况要求我们采取大胆、迅速的行动，而我们也将有所行动，不仅是为了创造新的就业岗位，也是为经济增长奠定基石。我们要建设道路、桥梁、电网和数字网络，让它们服务于商业，把我们联系在一起。我们要使科学恢复其应有的地位，并借助科学技术提高卫生保健的水平，同时降低其费用。我们要大力开发太阳能、风能以及土地能源，来满足我们的汽车和工厂对燃料的需求。我们要对学校、学院以及大学进行改革，使其达到新时代的要求。这一切都是我们能够做的，也是我们即将做的。
现在，我们的抱负遭到了一些人的质疑。他们宣称，我们的制度无法承担起过多的宏伟计划。他们应该很健忘，忘记了这个国家曾经做过的事情，忘记了当自由的人们可以为了共同目标而将自己的想象力结合在一起，可以在有需要的时候鼓起十二分的勇气，他们忘记了自由的人们曾取得的那些辉煌成就。
愤世嫉俗者不会明白，他们脚下的这片土地已今非昔比——那些曾经长时间消耗我们能量的政治争斗已经不复存在。我们今天的问题不是我们的政府太大或太小，而是它能否起作用——能否为每个家庭找到一份薪水体面的工作，能否为他们提供负担得起的医疗服务，能否让他们过上有尊严的退休生活。只要答案是肯定的，我们就会推动这些项目；如果答案是否定的，我们则会停止这些项目。所有管理公共基金的人都会遵循这些原则——明智地花钱、改革错误的坏习惯、让所有办工流程透明化。因为唯有如此，我们才能在人民和他们的政府之间重新建立起极其重要的信任。
我们所面临的问题也不是市场的好与坏，因为市场产生财富和扩展自由的能力是无可匹敌的，然而，这场危机提醒我们，市场如果缺乏有效的监管就会失控。一个只关注富人的国家是无法保持长久的繁荣的。我们经济的成功与否不仅取决于国民生产总值，还取决于其繁荣的覆盖面，取决于我们将机会给予每个渴求者的能力——这不是出于慈善，而是因为这是一条实现我们共同利益的必经之路。
就公共防务而言，我们拒绝在安全和理想之间作错误的选择。尽管面对难以想象的危险，建国先辈们仍然起草了确保法制和人权的宪章，在此之后，数代美国人用自己的鲜血扩展了这部宪章的意义。这些理想依然照耀着这个世界，我们不会因为个人利益而放弃它们。在今天观看就职典礼的其他各国的人民及政府官员们，请你们明白，无论你们来自经济大都会，还是乡村小镇——正如我的父亲——总之，任何国家和人民，只要你们追求的是一个充满和平与尊严的未来，美国就是你们的朋友，而且我们也已经准备好再次担任领导者。
追忆我们的先辈，他们能够击败法西斯主义和共产主义，依靠的不仅仅是导弹和坦克，还有强大的联盟和持久的信念。他们明白，仅仅依靠自身的力量根本无法保护自己，也无法实现自己的愿望；他们明白，只有审慎地使用自己的力量，才能使之壮大。所追求事业的正义性、榜样的力量、人性和克制的品格才是我们安全的保障。
作为这一传奇的继承人，在这些原则的再度引导下，我们完全能够应付这些需要付出更大努力才能化解的新挑战，而这甚至需要国与国之间更大力度的合作与理解。我们将尽责地把伊拉克交给她的人民，并在阿富汗推进付出巨大代价才获得的和平。我们将与过去的老朋友和之前的对手一起，毫不懈怠地削弱核威胁、应对全球气候变暖。
我们都明白，多元化的传统汇集到一起只会变得更强大，而不是更脆弱。信仰基督教、伊斯兰教、犹太教和印度教的人们以及无信仰人士组成了美国这个国家，来自地球各个角落的语言和文化在这里交汇。在历经了内战和种族隔离那段惨痛而黑暗的时期后，我们变得更强大、更团结了。由此，我们相信，久远的仇恨终有一天会冰释，部族之间的隔阂终会消除；此外，我们还坚信，随着世界各国的往来越来越密切，我们共有的人道精神将会放射出光芒，而美国将会在这个和平的新纪元中责无旁贷地肩负起自己的职责。
在互惠互利和相互尊重的基础上，我们将会寻求一条与穆斯林世界和谐相处的新道路。国际上那些播撒冲突的种子、将社会弊端归咎于西方的人应该清楚，人民评判你们的标准是你们的建树，而非破坏行为。那些依靠贿赂、欺诈和压制异己者来攫取权利的领导者应该清楚，你们是在逆历史潮流而行，不过，如果你们愿意改变，我们将会向你们伸出援助之手。
对于贫穷国家的人民，我们保证将会与你们一起努力，让你们的农场兴旺繁荣，让你们拥有清澈的河流，让你们饥饿的身体获得营养，让你们饥渴的精神得到满足。我要对与我们同样富有的国家说，我们再也不能漠视自己国家之外的苦难，再也不能一味地消耗地球的资源而无视后果。这个世界已经改变了，我们必须与它一起改变。
当我们展望未来时，应当心存敬意，向那些驻守在边远沙漠和山区的美国勇士致敬。我们尊敬他们，不仅是因为他们捍卫了我们的自由，更是因为他们的服务精神以及超越自我、寻找生命意义的意愿。然而，在这个定义一代人的重要时刻，我们所需要的正是这种精神。
因为无论这个政府的职责和能力如何，美国人民的信念和决心才是这个国家最终的依赖。它是一种当堤岸溃决时收留一个陌生人的仁慈，是帮助我们度过黑暗时期的工人们，宁愿减少自己的工资也不让朋友失业的无私，也是决定我们命运的消防员冲进浓烟弥漫的楼梯时所展现出来的勇敢，是父母养育孩子的意愿。
也许我们所面临的挑战是全新的，我们应对挑战的手段可能也是全新的。然而，诚实、勤劳、勇敢、公平、忍耐、求知、忠诚和爱国——这些决定我们成败与否的价值标准却是古老的。这些都是真理，是推动我们历史前进的动力。回归这些真理是我们现在刻不容缓的任务，我们现在要进入一个富有责任感的时代——每一个美国人都要认识到，我们对自己、对国家以及这个世界都负有责任。面对这些责任，我们不应痛苦地接受，而应愉快地争取。我们要矢志不渝地相信，世上再也没有比全身心地投入到艰巨使命中更能令我们的精神满足的事情了，也唯有如此，我们的人格才能得到塑造。
这是作为一位公民的价值和承诺。
这是我们获得信心的源泉，是上帝召唤我们去塑造不确定的命运时始终坚信的态度。
这是我们的自由和信念的意义。这是不同种族、不同信仰的男人、女人和儿童都聚集到这个宏伟的大厅，参加这个就职典礼的理由，也是站在你们面前的这个男人此时能够说出这一最庄严的誓言，而他的父亲在60年前的小餐馆里却无法做到这一点的原因。
我们要铭记这一天，因为，通过这一天，我们记住了自己是谁，记住我们已经走了多远。就在美国诞生的那年，就在一年之中最寒冷的那个季节里，在已经冻结的河流边，一小队爱国志士围在将要熄灭的篝火旁。首府被遗弃了，敌人仍在逼近，雪地被鲜血染红了。就在革命前途未卜的时候，我们的国父对人民说了这些话语：
“告诉未来的世界……在天寒地冻的冬天，唯有希望和美德幸存的时候……当危险的警报拉响时，这个城市和这个国家将奋勇迎向它！”
美国！面对这个共同的危机，在这个艰难的冬天，让我们记住这些不朽的话语。让我们带着希望和美德，再次勇敢地面对已经冻结的激流，接受暴风雨的洗礼。让我们的后代这样讲述我们的故事：在考验面前，我们既没有停滞不前，也没有转身离去或畏畏缩缩，而是泽被着上帝的恩赐，双眼坚定地望着前方，携带着自由的伟大礼物，安全地把它交到我们下一代的手中。
谢谢大家！愿上帝保佑大家！愿上帝保佑美国！
历史链接
2007年2月10日，奥巴马在伊利诺伊州斯普林菲尔德市正式宣布参加2008年美国总统大选。2008年6月3日，奥巴马票数领先于希拉里·克林顿，被定为民主党总统候选人。
2008年11月5日，奥巴马击败共和党候选人约翰·麦凯恩，正式当选为美国第四十四任总统。
W词汇笔记
humble ［ˈhʌmbl］v.使谦恭；使温顺；压下……的锐气
例 The proud man felt humbled by Karl' s kindness.
那个傲慢的男人为卡尔的和蔼亲切而自惭形秽。
reaffirm ［ˌri:əˈfə:m］v.再断言；再肯定；重申
例 It is particularly important to reaffirm this point today.
今天重申这一点，有特别重要的意义。
harness ［ˈhɑ:nis］v.披上甲胄；套；驾驭；治理
例 Let us harness the magic of football in our quest for development and peace.
让我们利用足球的魅力来促进发展与和平的事业。
restraint ［riˈstreint］n.抑制；克制；约束
例 They are useful only as a means of restraint.
它们仅在作为控制对手的方法时才是有效的。
S小试身手
今天，我站在这里，肩上的重任令我感到自己非常渺小，而你们的信任令我心怀感激，我要把先辈们曾作出的巨大牺牲铭记于心。
译__________________________________________________
我们的国家仍然是一个年轻的国家，但遵照《圣经》的指示，我们已经到了该摒弃幼稚行为的时候，到了要重申我们不朽的精神、选择更好的历史的时候。我们要弘扬珍贵的天赋、崇高的思想，并代代相传。
译__________________________________________________
在考验面前，我们既没有停滞不前，也没有转身离去或畏畏缩缩，而是泽被着上帝的恩赐，双眼坚定地望着前方，携带着自由的伟大礼物，安全地把它交到我们下一代的手中。
译__________________________________________________
P短语家族
These are the indicators of crisis, subject to data and statistics.
subject to：使服从；使遭受；受……管制
造__________________________________________________
Those ideals still light the world, and we will not give them up for expedience' s sake.
for one' s sake：为……起见
造__________________________________________________