克林頓英語演講稿：1993年就職演說

My fellow citizens :

Today we celebrate the mystery of American renewal.

This ceremony is held in the depth of winter. But, by the words we speak and the faces we show the world, we force the spring. A spring reborn in the world's oldest democracy, that brings forth the vision and courage to reinvent America.

When our founders boldly declared America's independence to the world and our purposes to the Almighty, they knew that America, to endure, would have to change. Not change for change's sake, but change to preserve America's ideals; life, liberty, the pursuit of happiness. Though we march to the music of our time, our mission is timeless. Each generation of Americans must define what it means to be an American.

On behalf of our nation, I salute my predecessor, President Bush, for his half-century of service to America. And I thank the millions of men and women whose steadfastness and sacrifice triumphed over Depression, fascism and Communism.

Today, a generation raised in the shadows of the Cold War assumes new responsibilities in a world warmed by the sunshine of freedom but threatened still by ancient hatreds and new plagues.

Raised in unrivaled prosperity, we inherit an economy that is still the world's strongest, but is weakened by business failures, stagnant wages, increasing inequality, and deep divisions among our people.

When George Washington first took the oath I have just sworn to uphold, news traveled slowly across the land by horseback and across the ocean by boat. Now, the sights and sounds of this ceremony are broadcast instantaneously to billions around the world.

Communications and commerce are global; investment is mobile; technology is almost magical; and ambition for a better life is now universal. We earn our livelihood in peaceful competition with people all across the earth.

Profound and powerful forces are shaking and remaking our world, and the urgent question of our time is whether we can make change our friend and not our enemy.

This new world has already enriched the lives of millions of Americans who are able to compete and win in it. But when most people are working harder for less; when others cannot work at all; when the cost of health care devastates families and threatens to bankrupt many of our enterprises, great and small; when fear of crime robs law-abiding citizens of their freedom; and when millions of poor children cannot even imagine the lives we are calling them to lead, we have not made change our friend.

 

We know we have to face hard truths and take strong steps. But we have not done so. Instead, we have drifted, and that drifting has eroded our resources, fractured our economy, and shaken our confidence.

Though our challenges are fearsome, so are our strengths. And Americans have ever been a restless, questing, hopeful people. We must bring to our task today the vision and will of those who came before us.

From our revolution, the Civil War, to the Great Depression to the civil rights movement, our people have always mustered the determination to construct from these crises the pillars of our history.

Thomas Jefferson believed that to preserve the very foundations of our nation, we would need dramatic change from time to time. Well, my fellow citizens, this is our time. Let us embrace it.

Our democracy must be not only the envy of the world but the engine of our own renewal. There is nothing wrong with America that cannot be cured by what is right with America.

And so today, we pledge an end to the era of deadlock and drift; a new season of American renewal has begun. To renew America, we must be bold. We must do what no generation has had to do before. We must invest more in our own people, in their jobs, in their future, and at the same time cut our massive debt. And we must do so in a world in which we must compete for every opportunity. It will not be easy; it will require sacrifice. But it can be done, and done fairly, not choosing sacrifice for its own sake, but for our own sake. We must provide for our nation the way a family provides for its children.

Our Founders saw themselves in the light of posterity. We can do no less. Anyone who has ever watched a child's eyes wander into sleep knows what posterity is. Posterity is the world to come; the world for whom we hold our ideals, from whom we have borrowed our planet, and to whom we bear sacred responsibility. We must do what America does best: offer more opportunity to all and demand responsibility from all.

It is time to break the bad habit of expecting something for nothing, from our government or from each other. Let us all take more responsibility, not only for ourselves and our families but for our communities and our country. To renew America, we must revitalize our democracy.

 

This beautiful capital, like every capital since the dawn of civilization, is often a place of intrigue and calculation. Powerful people maneuver for position and worry endlessly about who is in and who is out, who is up and who is down, forgetting those people whose toil and sweat sends us here and pays our way.

Americans deserve better, and in this city today, there are people who want to do better. And so I say to all of us here, let us resolve to reform our politics, so that power and privilege no longer shout down the voice of the people. Let us put aside personal advantage so that we can feel the pain and see the promise of America. Let us resolve to make our government a place for what Franklin Roosevelt called "bold, persistent experimentation," a government for our tomorrows, not our yesterdays. Let us give this capital back to the people to whom it belongs.

To renew America, we must meet challenges abroad as well at home. There is no longer division between what is foreign and what is domestic; the world economy, the world environment, the world AIDS crisis, the world arms race; they affect us all.

Today, as an old order passes, the new world is more free but less stable. Communism's collapse has called forth old animosities and new dangers. Clearly America must continue to lead the world we did so much to make.

While America rebuilds at home, we will not shrink from the challenges, nor fail to seize the opportunities, of this new world. Together with our friends and allies, we will work to shape change, lest it engulf us.

When our vital interests are challenged, or the will and conscience of the international community is defied, we will act; with peaceful diplomacy when ever possible, with force when necessary. The brave Americans serving our nation today in the Persian Gulf, in Somalia, and wherever else they stand are testament to our resolve.

But our greatest strength is the power of our ideas, which are still new in many lands. Across the world, we see them embraced, and we rejoice. Our hopes, our hearts, our hands, are with those on every continent who are building democracy and freedom. Their cause is America's cause.

The American people have summoned the change we celebrate today. You have raised your voices in an unmistakable chorus. You have cast your votes in historic numbers. And you have changed the face of Congress, the presidency and the political process itself. Yes, you, my fellow Americans have forced the spring. Now, we must do the work the season demands.

To that work I now turn, with all the authority of my office. I ask the Congress to join with me. But no president, no Congress, no government, can undertake this mission alone. My fellow Americans, you, too, must play your part in our renewal. I challenge a new generation of young Americans to a season of service; to act on your idealism by helping troubled children, keeping company with those in need, reconnecting our torn communities. There is so much to be done; enough indeed for millions of others who are still young in spirit to give of themselves in service, too.

In serving, we recognize a simple but powerful truth, we need each other. And we must care for one another. Today, we do more than celebrate America; we rededicate ourselves to the very idea of America.

An idea born in revolution and renewed through two centuries of challenge. An idea tempered by the knowledge that, but for fate we, the fortunate and the unfortunate, might have been each other. An idea ennobled by the faith that our nation can summon from its myriad diversity the deepest measure of unity. An idea infused with the conviction that America's long heroic journey must go forever upward.

And so, my fellow Americans, at the edge of the 21st century, let us begin with energy and hope, with faith and discipline, and let us work until our work is done. The scripture says, "And let us not be weary in well-doing, for in due season, we shall reap, if we faint not."

From this joyful mountaintop of celebration, we hear a call to service in the valley. We have heard the trumpets. We have changed the guard. And now, each in our way, and with God's help, we must answer the call.

Thank you, and God bless you all.

 

譯文

同胞們:

今天，我們慶祝振興美國這件令人感到異常驚奇的事。

盡管這個儀式在隆冬舉行，但是，我們所說的話，我們向全世界所顯示的面貌，將促使春天的早日來臨。春天重新降臨到這個世界上最古老的民主國家，它給我們帶來了重新塑造美國的構(gòu)想和勇氣。

當(dāng)我們的締造者們大膽地向全世界宣布美國的獨(dú)立，向上帝宣布我們的目的時，他們知道，美國要長久地存在下去，就必須改革。我們不是為改革而改革，而是為了保持美國的理想--生活、自由和追求幸福。雖然我們伴隨著時代的樂曲前進(jìn)，我們的使命卻是永恒的。每一代美國人都必須明確作為一個美國人意味著什么。

我的前任布什總統(tǒng)為美國服務(wù)了半個世紀(jì)，在此，我代表我們的國家向他致以崇高的敬意。

我還要向千百萬人民表示感謝，他們以堅定的信念和犧牲戰(zhàn)勝了經(jīng)濟(jì)蕭條、法西斯主義。今天，在冷戰(zhàn)的陰影下成長起來的一代人在世界上已肩負(fù)起新的責(zé)任。這個世界雖然沐浴在自由的陽光下，但仍然面臨著舊的仇恨和新的災(zāi)禍的威脅。

我們在無與倫比的繁榮中成長，繼承了一個仍然是世界上最強(qiáng)大經(jīng)濟(jì)，但是，商業(yè)失敗、工資停滯、不平等加劇，以及我們自己的人民四分五裂，削弱了這個經(jīng)濟(jì)。

當(dāng)喬治華盛頓第一次發(fā)出我剛才宣誓信守的誓言時，消息緩慢地通過騎馬傳遍大陸和乘船漂洋過海。而今，這個儀式的情景和聲音可以立即向全世界數(shù)十億人廣播。

通訊和商業(yè)是全球性的，投資是流動性的，技術(shù)幾乎是神秘的，而要求改善生活的強(qiáng)烈愿望是全世界人民共同的。今天，我們美國人是和全世界人民在和平競爭中謀求我們的生計。

各種根深蒂固和強(qiáng)大的勢力正在動搖和重新塑造我們的世界。我們時代迫切需要解決的問題是，我們能否使改革成為我們的朋友，而不是我們的敵人。

盡管這個新的世界已經(jīng)使千百萬能夠在其中競爭并取勝的美國人富裕起來了，但是，在大多數(shù)人更加拼命地工作而收入?yún)s在減少的時候，在還有人根本找不到工作的時候，在衛(wèi)生保健費(fèi)用使許多人傾家蕩產(chǎn)、使大大小小的企業(yè)行將倒閉的時候，在恐懼犯罪而使奉公守法的公民喪失自由的時候，在千百萬貧困兒童甚至難以想象我們正召喚他們?nèi)ミ^的那種生活的時候，我們卻還沒有使改革成為我們的朋友。

 

我們知道，我們必須正視嚴(yán)酷的現(xiàn)實(shí)并且采取有力的措施，但是，我們沒有這樣做。相反，我們所奉行的是放任自流的政策，這種政策已經(jīng)削弱了我們的力量，破壞了我們的經(jīng)濟(jì)，動搖了我們的信心。

雖然我們的挑戰(zhàn)是可畏的，但我們的力量也是可畏的。美國人民從來就是一個不甘寂寞、勇于探索和充滿希望的人民。我們必須使我們今天的任務(wù)體現(xiàn)我們前人的遠(yuǎn)見和意志。

從美國革命到南北戰(zhàn)爭，到大蕭條，到民權(quán)運(yùn)動，我們的人民總是下定決心，從這些危機(jī)中擺脫出來去建立我們歷史的支柱。

托馬斯杰斐遜認(rèn)為，要保持我們國家的基礎(chǔ)，我們就需要不時地進(jìn)行改革。同胞們，這是我們的時代，讓我們?nèi)肀?/p>

我們的民主制度不僅要為全世界所仰慕，還必須成為我們自我振興的發(fā)動機(jī)。美國完全有能力自己解救自己。

因此，今天我們決心結(jié)束這個僵持停頓和放任自流的時代。一個振興美國的新時代已經(jīng)到來。要振興美國，我們必須有足夠的勇氣和膽量。我們必須對自己的人民--對他們的工作和對他們的未來--增加投資，同時削減我們的巨額債務(wù)。在一個我們必須靠競爭才能獲得每個機(jī)會的世界上，我們一定要這樣做。雖然，這不是一件輕而易舉的事，它需要作出犧牲。但是，我們能夠做到，而且能夠做得很好。我們不是為了犧牲而犧牲，而是為我們自己的利益而犧牲。我們必須像一個家庭撫育它的孩子那樣撫育我們的國家。

我們的締造者們是從子孫后代的角度來審視他們自己的行為。我們也必須這樣做。任何曾經(jīng)注意過孩子的雙眼朦朧進(jìn)入夢鄉(xiāng)的人，都知道后代是什么。后代是未來的世界。為了他們，我們滿懷理想。從他們那里，我們借用了這塊地球，對他們，我們負(fù)有神圣的責(zé)任。我們必須盡美國之所能：向所有人提供更多的機(jī)會，要求所有人承擔(dān)更多的責(zé)任。

現(xiàn)在，已經(jīng)到了該破除那種只望政府或別人給予，而自己不愿付出的壞習(xí)慣的時候了。讓我們大家都擔(dān)負(fù)起更多的責(zé)任，不光是為我們自己和我們的家庭，而且是我們的社會和我們的國家。為振興美國，我們必須給我們的民主制度帶來新的活力。

這個美麗的首都，就像文明出現(xiàn)以來的所有首都一樣，往往是一個搞陰謀詭計和勾心斗角的地方。達(dá)官貴族們玩弄權(quán)術(shù)、爭名奪利，隨時都在擔(dān)心誰進(jìn)誰出、誰升誰降，忘記了那些用辛勤和汗水把我們送到這里，并為我們承擔(dān)費(fèi)用的人。

美國人應(yīng)當(dāng)生活得更好。今天，在這座城市里，人們希望把事情辦得更好。所以，我要向在場的諸位說，讓我們下定決心改革我們的政治，使人民的呼聲不再被權(quán)力和特權(quán)所壓倒。讓我們拋開個人利益，這樣，我們便能感受到美國的痛苦，也看到美國的希望。讓我們下定決心，使我們的政府成為一個富蘭克林羅斯福所說的，進(jìn)行“大膽而持久的實(shí)驗(yàn)”的地方，即是說，成為一個著眼于未來，而不是留戀過去的政府。讓我們把這個首都還給她所屬的人民。

為了振興美國，我們必須迎接來自國內(nèi)、國外的種種挑戰(zhàn)。在什么是國外和什么是國內(nèi)之間已不再有明確的界線。全球經(jīng)濟(jì)、全球環(huán)境、全球艾滋病危機(jī)和全球軍備競賽，這一切影響著所有的人。

 

今天，隨著舊秩序被打破，新的世界更加自由，但又更加不穩(wěn)定。共產(chǎn)主義的崩潰激起了舊的仇恨和新的危險。顯然，美國必須繼續(xù)領(lǐng)導(dǎo)這個我們曾經(jīng)付出巨大努力而創(chuàng)造的世界。

當(dāng)我們致力于重建美國的時候，我們不會在這個新世界的挑戰(zhàn)面前退縮，也不會坐失良機(jī)。我們將同我們的朋友和盟國一道，努力確定改革和發(fā)展方向，以免被改革所吞沒。

當(dāng)我們的國家利益受到挑戰(zhàn)，或者國際社會的意志及公德遭到蔑視的時候，我們將盡可能地通過和平外交手段去解決。必要時也可以訴諸武力。今天，在波斯灣，在索馬里，在其他地方，那些為國效力的美國勇士們都證明了我們的決心。

然而，我們最大的實(shí)力是我們的思想力量。在許多國家，美國的思想還是一種新生力量?？吹竭@些思想為世界各國所接受，我們感到由衷的高興。我們的希望、我們的心，我們的手，同五大洲正在建設(shè)民主和自由的人民是聯(lián)在一起的。他們的事業(yè)就是美國的事業(yè)。

美國人民呼喚我們今天慶祝的變革。你們異口同聲地提高了自己的呼聲。你們以前所未有的人數(shù)參加了投票。你們改變了國會、總統(tǒng)以及政治進(jìn)程本身的面貌。同胞們，是的，你們已經(jīng)促使春天提前到來了?，F(xiàn)在，我們必須致力于這個時期所賦予我們的任務(wù)。

為了這個任務(wù)，我將充分行使我的職權(quán)。我請求國會同我合作。但是，任何一位總統(tǒng)，任何一個國會，任何一屆政府，都無法獨(dú)自承擔(dān)這一使命。同胞們，你們也必須在國家的振興中發(fā)揮作用。我要求新一代美國青年按照你們的理想行動起來，幫助困難兒童，同患難者休戚與共，把我們這個四分五裂的社會重新凝為一體，為祖國貢獻(xiàn)你們的力量。要做的事情太多--確實(shí)足以使千百萬精神上依然年輕的其他人也投身其中。

在振興祖國的事業(yè)中，我們認(rèn)識到一個簡單而強(qiáng)有力的真理。我們不僅彼此需要，還必須相互關(guān)心。今天，我們不只是在慶祝美國，而且是在重新獻(xiàn)身于美國的思想。

這種思想是一種在革命中誕生、經(jīng)過兩個世紀(jì)的挑戰(zhàn)而獲得新生的思想。一種經(jīng)受過這種認(rèn)識錘煉的思想，即我們這些幸運(yùn)者和不幸者，若非因?yàn)槊\(yùn)的安排，可能已經(jīng)變換位置。一種因?yàn)檫@種信念而變得崇高的思想，即相信我們的國家能夠從無數(shù)的分歧中求得最大程度的團(tuán)結(jié)一致。一種充滿信心的思想，即相信美國漫長而英勇的旅程定會永遠(yuǎn)向上。

為此，同胞們，在即將跨入21世紀(jì)的時候，讓我們重新開始，鼓起勇氣、滿懷希望、堅定信念、遵守紀(jì)律，把我們的事業(yè)進(jìn)行到底?！妒ソ?jīng)》說：“我們行善，不可喪志，只要堅持，終有收獲。”

在這個歡慶的高山之巔，我們聽到山谷里傳來為國效力的召喚。我們聽到了號聲。我們已經(jīng)換崗?，F(xiàn)在，我們每個人都必須以自己的方式在上帝的幫助下響應(yīng)這一號召。

謝謝你們。愿上帝保佑大家。