奧巴馬就職演說（節選）

2009年1月20日，美國第44任總統、也是美國歷史上第一位黑人總統巴拉克·奧巴馬正式宣誓就職，并在就職儀式上發表了下面這篇演說，呼吁全體美國人民提高公民責任感，為振興國家貢獻自己的力量。這篇演說雖用詞簡練，但大量排比句的使用使得文章激情四溢，極富感染力，大大提振了美國人們迎接挑戰的信心!限于篇幅，這里僅節選了其中一部分內容，和大家一起品讀奧巴馬的精彩演說，感受其語言的獨特魅力!

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.

Forty-four Americans have now taken the presidential 2)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 3)forebears， and 4)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 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 5)shed， businesses shuttered. Our health care is too costly， our schools fail too many. These are the indicators of crisis， subject to data and statistics. Less measurable， but no less profound， is a 6)sapping of confidence across our land; a 7)nagging fear that America’s decline is inevitable， that the next generation must lower its 8)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.

…

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 9)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: 10)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 11)electric grids and digital lines that feed our commerce and 12)bind us together. We will restore science to its 13)rightful place and 14)wield technology’s wonders to raise health care’s quality and lower its cost. We will 15)harness the sun and the winds and the 16)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.

…

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 17)levees break; the selflessness of workers who would rather cut their hours than see a friend lose their job， which 18)sees us through our darkest hours. It is the firefighter’s courage to 19)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 20)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 21)price and the promise of citizenship.

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 60 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 22)huddled by dying campfires on the shores of an icy river. The capital was abandoned. The enemy was advancing. The snow was 23)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 24)virtue could survive， that the city and the country， alarmed at one common danger， came forth to meet it.”

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 25)falter; and with eyes fixed on the horizon and God’s 26)grace upon us， we carried forth that great gift of freedom and delivered it safely to future generations.

Thank you.

各位同胞:

我今天站在這里，因面臨的重大責任而深感卑微，對各位予以的信任心懷感激，心頭銘記我們祖輩作出的犧牲。

迄今為止，已有44任美國總統宣誓就任。這些誓詞或曾在繁榮富強及和平寧靜之際被發表，也往往會在烏云密布及風雨大作之時被宣讀。在這些時刻，美國之所以能夠勇往直前，不僅僅是因為領導者們的才干和卓識，也是因為我們人民始終堅守先輩們的理想，并忠于我們的建國理念。

以往如此，到了我們這一代美國人，亦應如此。

眾所周知，我們現在身處危機之中。我們的經濟嚴重衰退，這不僅僅歸咎于部分人的貪婪和不負責任，更是由于我們作為一個整體未能在艱難時刻做出抉擇，未能為國家走進新時代做好準備。如今，房產不保，職位銳減，企業倒閉，醫療成本飛漲，教育狀況令人堪憂。這些都是危機的跡象，可從統計數據中顯示出來。然而，更加難以度量但同樣嚴重的，是這片土地上人們信心的動搖以及人們揮之不去的恐懼心理——認為美國的衰落不可避免，擔心下一代人必須降低對生活的期望。……