精美英文欣赏:写给女儿的信(下)

I want us to push the boundaries of discovery so that you'll live to see new technologies and inventions that improve our lives and make our planet cleaner and safer.

我要大家向发现的极限挑战，让你在有生之年能够看见改善我们生活、使这个行星更干净、更安全的新科技和发明。

And I want us to push our own human boundaries to reach beyond the divides of race and region, gender¹ and religion that keep us from seeing the best in each other.

我也要大家向自己的人际界限挑战，跨越使我们看不到对方长处的种族、地域、性别和宗教樊篱。

Sometimes we have to send our young men and women into war and other dangerous situations to protect our country--but when we do,

有时候为了保护我们的国家，我们不得不把青年男女派到战场或其它危险的地方，然而当我们这么做的时候，

I want to make sure that it is only for a very good reason, that we try our best to settle our differences with others peacefully,

我要确保师出有名，我们尽了全力以和平方式化解与他人的争执，

and that we do everything possible to keep our servicemen and women safe.

也想尽了一切办法保障男女官兵的安全。

And I want every child to understand that the blessings² these brave Americans fight for are not free--

我要每个孩子都明白，这些勇敢的美国人在战场上捍卫的福祉是无法平白得到的：

that with the great privilege of being a citizen of this nation comes great responsibility.

在享有作为这个国家公民的伟大特权之际，重责大任也随之而来。

That was the lesson your grandmother tried to teach me when I was your age,

这正是我在你们这年纪时，外婆想要教我的功课，

reading me the opening lines of the Declaration of Independence and telling me about the men and women who marched for equality

她把独立宣言开头几行念给我听，告诉我有一些男女为了争取平等挺身而出游行抗议，

because they believed those words put to paper two centuries ago should mean something.

因为他们认为两个世纪前白纸黑字写下来的这些句子，不应只是空话。

She helped me understand that America is great not because it is perfect but because it can always be made better--

她让我了解到，美国所以伟大，不是因为它完美，而是因为我们可以不断让它变得更好，

and that the unfinished work of perfecting our union falls to each of us.

而让它更好的未竟工作，就落在我们每个人的身上。

It's a charge we pass on to our children, coming closer with each new generation to what we know America should be.

这是我们交给孩子们的责任，每过一代，美国就更接近我们的理想。

I hope both of you will take up that work, righting the wrongs that you see and working to give others the chances you've had.

我希望你们俩都愿接下这个工作，看到不对的事要想办法改正，努力帮助别人获得你们有过的机会。

Not just because you have an obligation to give something back to this country that has given our family so much--although you do have that obligation.

这并非只因国家给了我们一家这么多，你们也当有所回馈，虽然你们的确有这个义务，

But because you have an obligation to yourself.

而是因为你们对自己负有义务。

Because it is only when you hitch³ your wagon⁴ to something larger than yourself that you will realize your true potential.

因为，唯有在把你的马车套在更大的东西上时，你才会明白自己真正的潜能有多大。

These are the things I want for you--to grow up in a world with no limits on your dreams and no achievements beyond your reach,

这些是我想要让你们得到的东西：在一个梦想不受限制、无事不能成就的世界中长大，

and to grow into compassionate⁵, committed women who will help build that world.

长成具慈悲心、坚持理想，能帮忙打造这样一个世界的女性。

And I want every child to have the same chances to learn and dream and grow and thrive that you girls have.

我要每个孩子都有和你们一样的机会，去学习、梦想、成长、发展。

That's why I've taken our family on this great adventure.

这就是我带领我们一家展开这趟大冒险的原因。

I am so proud of both of you. I love you more than you can ever know.

我深以你俩为荣，你们永远不会明白我有多爱你们，

And I am grateful every day for your patience, poise⁶, grace, and humor as we prepare to start our new life together in the White House.

在我们准备一同在白宫开始新生活之际，我没有一天不为你们的忍耐、沉稳、明理和幽默而心存感激。

Love, Dad

爱你们的老爹

1 gender   

n.（生理上的）性，（名词、代词等的）性

参考例句：

• French differs from English in having gender for all nouns.法语不同于英语，所有的名词都有性。
• Women are sometimes denied opportunities solely because of their gender.妇女有时仅仅因为性别而无法获得种种机会。

2 blessings   

n.（上帝的）祝福( blessing的名词复数 )；好事；福分；因祸得福

参考例句：

• Afflictions are sometimes blessings in disguise. 塞翁失马，焉知非福。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• We don't rely on blessings from Heaven. 我们不靠老天保佑。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

3 hitch   

v.免费搭(车旅行)；系住；急提；n.故障；急拉

参考例句：

• They had an eighty-mile journey and decided to hitch hike.他们要走80英里的路程，最后决定搭便车。
• All the candidates are able to answer the questions without any hitch.所有报考者都能对答如流。

4 wagon   

n.四轮马车，手推车，面包车；无盖运货列车

参考例句：

• We have to fork the hay into the wagon.我们得把干草用叉子挑进马车里去。
• The muddy road bemired the wagon.马车陷入了泥泞的道路。

5 compassionate   

adj.有同情心的，表示同情的

参考例句：

• She is a compassionate person.她是一个有同情心的人。
• The compassionate judge gave the young offender a light sentence.慈悲的法官从轻判处了那个年轻罪犯。

6 poise   

vt./vi. 平衡，保持平衡；n.泰然自若，自信

参考例句：

• She hesitated briefly but quickly regained her poise.她犹豫片刻，但很快恢复了镇静。
• Ballet classes are important for poise and grace.芭蕾课对培养优雅的姿仪非常重要。