奥巴马每周电视讲话：总统与民众欢度安全幸福的独立日

Hi everybody.

嗨，大家好。

I hope you all had a safe and happy Fourth of July, filled with parades, cookouts, fireworks and family reunions.

我希望在7月4日这一天你们所有人都享受这到处是欢乐游行、野餐、烟花和家庭团聚的安全幸福的独立日。

We celebrated¹ at the White House with a few hundred members of the military and their families.

我们在白宫与几百名官兵将士和他们的家人一起共庆这一节日。

And we took a moment amid the festivities to remember what our Independence Day is all about.

而在这当中我们要铭记独立日的意义。

what happened 237 years ago, and what it meant to the world.

237年前发生的一切以及它对世界的影响。

On July 4th, 1776, a small band of patriots² declared that we were a people created equal-free to think and worship and live as we please.

在1776年7月4日，为数不多的爱国者们宣布我们生来就是平等的民族—自由思考、崇拜及过我们希望的生活。

It was a declaration heard around the world-that we were no longer colonists³, we were Americans,

这一宣言响彻世界—我们不再是殖民者，我们是美国人，

and our destiny would not be determined⁴ for us;

我们的命运不再由他人主宰；

it would be determined by us.

我们的命运由自己掌控。

It was a bold and tremendously brave thing to do.

这是一次英勇无比的壮举。

It was also nearly unthinkable.

几乎不可想象。

At that time, kings and princes and emperors ruled the world.

在那个时代是由国王们、王子们和皇帝们统治这个世界。

But those patriots were certain that a better way was possible.

但是爱国者们确信当然可能有更好的生活方式。

And to achieve it-to win their freedom-they were willing to lay it all on the line.

为了实现这一理想—赢得自由—他们甘愿付出一切。

Their lives. Their fortunes. Their sacred honor.

他们的生命、他们的财富及他们的神圣荣誉。

They fought a revolution.

他们发起了一次革命。

Few would have bet on our side to win.

几乎没有人认为我们能赢。

But for the first of many times to come, America proved the doubters wrong.

但是在此后的多个第一次里，美国证明了怀疑者们的错误论调。

And now, 237 years later, the United States-this improbable nation– is the greatest in the world.

而现在，237年后，美利坚合众国这个不大可能诞生的国家成为了世界上最伟大的国家。

A land of liberty and opportunity.

一片自由和希望的乐土。

A global defender⁵ of peace and freedom.

一位全球和平和自由的捍卫者。

A beacon⁶ of hope to people everywhere who cherish those ideals.

一座珍惜世界各国人民理想的希望灯塔。

Generations of Americans made our country what it is today.

一代代美国人把美国铸就成现今的模样

farmers and teachers, engineers and laborers⁷, entrepreneurs and elected leaders-people from all walks of life, from all parts of the world, all pulling in the same direction.

农民、工程师和工人、企业家和民选领导人们—来自各行各业的人们、来自世界各地的走向同一方向的人们。

And now we, the people, must make their task our own.

而现在我们，美国人民，必须继承他们的使命，

to live up to the words of that Declaration of Independence, and secure liberty and opportunity for our own children, and for future generations.

履行独立宣言，保障我们的儿女们和未来后代的自由和机会。

I want to say a special word of thanks to the men and women of our military, who have played such a vital role in the story of our nation.

我想对在我们国家历史上起着中流砥柱作用的军人们表示特别的感谢。

You have defended us at home and abroad.

你们在本土和海外保卫了我们的国家。

And you have fought on our nation's behalf to make the world a better, safer place.

你们为我们国家的利益而战，使世界成为更美好及更安全的乐土。

People in scattered⁸ corners of the world are living in peace today, free to write their own futures⁹, because of you.

因为你们，世界各地的人们今天生活在和平中，可以自由地书写他们的历未来。

We are grateful for your service and your sacrifice,

我们对你们的无私奉献和牺牲表达感激，

especially those still serving in harm's way and your families here at home.

特别是那些至今仍然远离家人置身险境的军人们。

So, God bless you all.

愿上帝保佑你们。

And may God bless the United States of America.

愿上帝保佑美利坚合众国。

1 celebrated   

adj.有名的，声誉卓著的

参考例句：

• He was soon one of the most celebrated young painters in England.不久他就成了英格兰最负盛名的年轻画家之一。
• The celebrated violinist was mobbed by the audience.观众团团围住了这位著名的小提琴演奏家。

2 patriots   

爱国者，爱国主义者( patriot的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Abraham Lincoln was a fine type of the American patriots. 亚伯拉罕·林肯是美国爱国者的优秀典型。
• These patriots would fight to death before they surrendered. 这些爱国者宁愿战斗到死，也不愿投降。

3 colonists   

n.殖民地开拓者，移民，殖民地居民( colonist的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Colonists from Europe populated many parts of the Americas. 欧洲的殖民者移居到了美洲的许多地方。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Some of the early colonists were cruel to the native population. 有些早期移居殖民地的人对当地居民很残忍。 来自《简明英汉词典》

4 determined   

adj.坚定的；有决心的

参考例句：

• I have determined on going to Tibet after graduation.我已决定毕业后去西藏。
• He determined to view the rooms behind the office.他决定查看一下办公室后面的房间。

5 defender   

n.保卫者，拥护者，辩护人

参考例句：

• He shouldered off a defender and shot at goal.他用肩膀挡开防守队员，然后射门。
• The defender argued down the prosecutor at the court.辩护人在法庭上驳倒了起诉人。

6 beacon   

n.烽火，（警告用的）闪火灯，灯塔

参考例句：

• The blink of beacon could be seen for miles.灯塔的光亮在数英里之外都能看见。
• The only light over the deep black sea was the blink shone from the beacon.黑黢黢的海面上唯一的光明就只有灯塔上闪现的亮光了。

7 laborers   

n.体力劳动者，工人( laborer的名词复数 )；（熟练工人的）辅助工

参考例句：

• Laborers were trained to handle 50-ton compactors and giant cranes. 工人们接受操作五十吨压土机和巨型起重机的训练。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》
• Wage-labour rests exclusively on competition between the laborers. 雇佣劳动完全是建立在工人的自相竞争之上的。 来自英汉非文学 - 共产党宣言

8 scattered   

adj.分散的，稀疏的；散步的；疏疏落落的

参考例句：

• Gathering up his scattered papers,he pushed them into his case.他把散乱的文件收拾起来，塞进文件夹里。

9 futures   

n.期货，期货交易

参考例句：

• He continued his operations in cotton futures.他继续进行棉花期货交易。
• Cotton futures are selling at high prices.棉花期货交易的卖价是很高的。