英語美文名人勵(lì)志故事66:喬治.沃克.布什發(fā)表就職演說的故事
66. Bush's Inaugural Address
66. 布什的就職演說
Americans are generous and strong and decent, not because we believe in ourselves, but because we hold beliefs beyond ourselves. When this spirit of citizenship is missing, no government program can replace it. When this spirit is present, no wrong can stand against it.
美國(guó)人民慷慨、強(qiáng)大、體面，這并非因?yàn)槲覀冃湃挝覀冏约?，而是因?yàn)槲覀儞碛谐轿覀冏约旱男拍?。一旦這種公民精神喪失了，無論何種政府計(jì)劃都無法彌補(bǔ)它。一旦這種精神出現(xiàn)了，無論任何錯(cuò)誤都無法抗衡它。
After the Declaration of Independence was signed, Virginia statesman John Page wrote to Thomas Jefferson: "We know the race is neither to the swift nor the battle to the strong. Do you not think an angel rides in the whirlwind and directs this storm?"
在《獨(dú)立宣言》簽署之后，弗吉尼亞州的政治家約翰·佩格曾給托馬斯·杰弗遜寫信說：“我們知道，身手敏捷不一定就能贏得比賽，力量強(qiáng)大不一定就能贏得戰(zhàn)爭(zhēng)。難道這一切不都是上帝安排的嗎?”
Much time has passed since Jefferson arrived for his inauguration. The years and changes accumulate. But the themes of this day he would know: our nation's grand story of courage and its simple dream of dignity.
杰弗遜就任總統(tǒng)的那個(gè)年代離我們已經(jīng)很遠(yuǎn)了。時(shí)光飛逝，美國(guó)發(fā)生了翻天覆地的變化。但是有一點(diǎn)他肯定能夠預(yù)知，即我們這個(gè)時(shí)代的主題仍然是:我們國(guó)家元畏向前的恢宏炊事和它追求尊嚴(yán)的純樸夢(mèng)想。
We are not this story's author, who fills time and eternity with his purpose. Yet his purpose is achieved in our duty, and our duty is fulfilled in service to one another.
我們不是這個(gè)故事的作者，是杰弗遜作者本人的偉大理想穿越時(shí)空，并通過我們每天的努力在使她變?yōu)楝F(xiàn)實(shí)。我們正在通過大家的努力履行著各自的職責(zé)。
Never tiring, never yielding, never finishing, we renew that purpose today, to make our country more just and generous, to affirm the dignity of our lives and every life.
帶著永不疲憊、永不氣餒、永不完竭的信念，今天我們重樹這樣的目標(biāo)：使我們的國(guó)家變得更加公正、更加慷慨，去驗(yàn)證我們每個(gè)人和所有人生命的尊嚴(yán)。
This work continues. This story goes on. And an angel still rides in the whirlwind and directs this storm.
這項(xiàng)工作必須繼續(xù)下去。這個(gè)故事必須延續(xù)下去。上帝會(huì)駕馭我們航行的。
God bless you all, and God bless America.
愿上帝保佑大家!愿上帝保佑美國(guó)。
