里根是美国第40任总统,任期从1981年到1989年。在他任内,美国经济因其供应经济学政策而繁荣,同时也留下了庞大的财政赤字,他还被认为推动了柏林墙的倒塌。这是他结束任期前对美国人民的讲话。
美国前总统里根卸任告别演说
美式发音 适合模仿
My fellow Americans,
美国同胞们:
This is the 34th time I’ll speak to you from the 1)Oval Office and the last. We’ve been together eight years now, and soon it’ll be time for me to go. But before I do, I wanted to share some thoughts, some of which I’ve been saving for a long time.
这是我第34次,也是最后一次在白宫椭圆形办公室向你们讲话。我们一起走过了8年的历程,我卸任的时刻即将到来。但是,在此之前,我想与你们分享一些想法,其中有些想法我酝酿已久。
It’s been the honor of my life to be your President. So many of you have written the past few weeks to say thanks, but I could say as much to you. 2)Nancy and I are grateful for the opportunity you gave us to serve.
能成为你们的总统,是我终身的荣耀。过去几周里,你们中的许多人来信表示谢意,但是,我更要向你们说声谢谢。我和南希感谢你们给了我们为国家效力的机会。
One of the things about the Presidency is that you’re always somewhat apart. You spent a lot of time going by too fast in a car someone else is driving, and seeing the people through 3)tinted glass—the parents holding up a child, and the wave you saw too late and couldn’t return. And so many times I wanted to stop and reach out from behind the glass, and connect. Well, maybe I can do a little of that tonight.
作为一名总统,一个特殊之处就在于我总是多少有点与世隔绝之感。很多时候,我都是坐在一辆由别人驾驶的车里,匆匆而过,透过染色玻璃看大家——抱着孩子的父母一晃而过,我来不及回应他们的挥手。多少次,我想停下来,从车窗后面伸出手来,与人们作一番交流。或许,今晚我能够实现这一心愿。
I never meant to go into politics. It wasn’t my intention when I was young. But I was raised to believe you had to pay your way for the 4)blessings 5)bestowed on you. I was happy with 6)my career in the entertainment world, but I ultimately went into politics because I wanted to protect something precious.
我从未想过步入政坛,这不是我年轻时的志向。但是,我从小就接受这样的教诲,相信你自己必须回报你的所得。我当时对自己从事的演艺事业感到满意,但是,我最终进入政界,是因为我要保护一些弥足珍贵的东西。
Ours was the first revolution in the history of mankind that truly reversed the course of government, and with three little words: “7)We the People.” “We the People” tell the government what to do; it doesn’t tell us. “We the People” are the driver; the government is the car. And we decide where it should go, and by what route, and how fast. Almost all the world’s constitutions are documents in which governments tell the people what their privileges are. Our Constitution is a document in which “We the People” tell the government what it is allowed to do. “We the People” are free. This belief has been the 8)underlying basis for everything I’ve tried to do these past eight years.
我们所经历的变革,用几个简单的字“我们人民”,就在人类历史上第一次真正改变了政府的演变进程。“我们人民”告诉政府,而不是政府告诉“我们人民”该做什么。“我们人民”是驾驶员——而政府则是一辆汽车。“我们人民”决定它行驶的方向、路线与速度。世界上几乎所有国家的宪法都是由政府告诉人民,他们享有哪些权利。而在我们的宪法中,则是由“我们人民”告诉政府他们的权限范围。“我们人民”是自由的。这种信念是我在过去8年里作出不懈努力的基础。
But back in the 1960’s, when I began, it seemed to me that we’d begun reversing the order of things—that through more and more rules and regulations and 9)confiscatory taxes, the government was taking more of our money, more of our options, and more of our freedom. I went into politics in part to put up my hand and say, “Stop.” I was a citizen politician, and it seemed the right thing for a citizen to do.
但是,回想60年代,当我开始投身政治时,我觉得我们似乎正把一切都颠倒了——就是说,政府通过越来越多的法规和赋税条例,从我们手上剥夺我们越来越多的钱财、我们的选择权以及我们的自由。我之所以步入政坛,在某种程度上,就是要举起我的手,大喝一声:“住手!”我是一名平民政治家,这是一个平民应尽的责任。
I’ve been asked if I have any regrets. Well, I do. The deficit is one. I’ve been talking a great deal about that lately, but tonight isn’t for arguments, and I’m going to hold my tongue. But an observation: I’ve had my share of victories in the Congress, but what few people noticed is that I never won anything you didn’t win for me. They never saw my troops, they never saw Reagan’s regiments, the American people. You won every battle with every call you made and letter you wrote demanding action. Well, action is still needed. If we’re to finish the job, Reagan’s 10)regiments will have to become the 11)Bush brigades. Soon he’ll be the chief, and he’ll need you every bit as much as I did.
曾经有人问我,是否有遗憾之处。有的。如赤字就是其中之一。近来,我对此问题谈了许多,但是今晚不是讨论这个问题的时候,我愿保持缄默。但是,我看到一个现象:我确实在国会取得了不错的战绩。然而,几乎无人注意到,我的胜利无不是由你们创造的。他们从来看不到我的部队,看不到里根军团,也就是美国人民。你们要求采取行动的来电、来信赢得了每一次战斗。噢,行动仍然是必不可少的。如果我们想要完成这项工作,那么里根军团就应当成为布什军团。不久他将成为我们国家的领导人,他像我一样需要你们。
We’ve done our part. And as I walk off into the city streets, a final word to the men and women of the Reagan revolution, the men and women across America who for eight years did the work that brought America back. My friends: We did it. We weren’t just marking time. We made a difference. We made the city stronger, we made the city freer, and we left her in good hands.
我们履行了自己的职责。 当我走到这座城市的大街上,我要向参与这场里根革命的人们,那些在过去8年里为复兴美国而工作的全国各地的人们道别,最后说一句:朋友们,我们成功了。我们不仅没有虚度时光,而且改变了世界。我们使这座城市变得更加兴旺,更加自由,并且将她交到佼佼者手中。
All in all, not bad, not bad at all.
总的来说,情况不错,一切顺利。
And so, goodbye, God bless you, and God bless the United States of America.
那么,再见了。上帝保佑你们。上帝保佑美利坚合众国。
翻译:丁一
