奥巴马每周电视讲话:总统祝福全国人民感恩节快乐

On behalf of the Obama family-Michelle, Malia, Sasha, Bo, and Sunny-I want to wish you a very happy Thanksgiving.

我谨代表奥巴马家庭，米歇尔、玛莉亚、萨莎、波和撒尼祝大家感恩节快乐。
Like many of you, we'll spend the day with family and friends, catching¹ up, eating some good food and watching a little football.
与大家一样，我们将在这一天与亲朋好友欢聚一堂，享受美味佳肴，观看精彩的球赛。
Before we lift a fork, we lend a hand by going out in the community to serve some of our neighbors in need.
但在开餐之前，我希望大家走出家门，为社区里需要帮助的人们伸出援助之手。
And we give thanks for each other, and for all of God's blessings².
让我们向彼此表达感激之情，感谢上帝对我们的庇佑。
Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday because, more than any other, it is uniquely American.
感恩节是我最喜欢的节日。因为，与其他节日不同，这是一个纯粹的美国节日。
Each of us brings our own traditions and cultures and recipes to the table-but we all share this day, united by the gratitude³ for the bounty⁴ of this nation.
我们每个人来到这个国家，传统不一样、文化不一样、饮食也不一样，但我们都共同庆祝这个节日，一起感谢这个慷慨的国家。
And we welcome the contributions of all people-no matter their origin or color or beliefs-who call America home, and who enrich the life of our nation.
我们欢迎所有的建设者，无论他们来自哪里、是什么样的肤色、有什么样的信仰，只要他把美国当作家乡，让我们的生活丰富多彩。
It is a creed⁵ as old as our founding: "E pluribus unum"-that our of many, we are one.
正如建国以来的信条：“万众一心”，我们是相亲相爱一家人。
We are reminded that this creed, and America itself, was never an inevitability⁶, but the result of ordinary people in every generation doing their part to uphold our founding ideals-by taking the blessings of freedom, and multiplying them for those who would follow.
我们要牢记这一信条，美国本身并不是一开始就是今天这样，但正是无数一代又一代普通的美国人用自己的行动支撑起美国的立国之本：那就是牢记上帝赐予的自由权利，并通过不断的努力践行这一理念。
As President Kennedy once wrote, even as we give thanks for all that we've inherited from those who came before us-"the decency⁷ of purpose, steadfastness⁸ of resolve and strength of will, for the courage and the humility⁹, which they posessed," we must also remember that "the highest appreciation¹⁰ is not to utter words but to live by them."
肯尼迪总统曾这么描述，我们在感谢先贤，追随他们的脚步的时候，“要记住他们正直、坚定、不屈不挠、勇敢和谦卑的精神”。我们必须牢记“我们对他们最崇高的敬意不是在嘴上说，而是在生活中去实践这些精神”。
Today, we are grateful to all Americans who do their part to live by those ideals, including our brave men and women in uniform overseas and their families, who sacrifice so much to keep America safe.
今天，我们要感谢所有为这些精神尽心尽力的人们，这些人中有我们在海外服役的英勇的男女将士以及他们的家人，他们为了我们的安宁付出了巨大的牺牲。
To our service members who are away from home, we say an extra prayer for you and your loved ones, and we renew our commitment to take care of you as well as you've taken care of us.
我们要感谢这些远离家乡的军人，为他们和他们的亲人送上最崇高的祝福，我们要牢记对他们的承诺，我们要像他们保护我们一样照顾他们。
We are grateful to the countless¹¹ Americans who serve their communities in soup kitchens and shelters, looking out for those who are less fortunate, and lifting up those who have fallen on hard times.
我们要感谢无数在社区服务的美国人民，他们在施粥棚、救济所照顾那些不幸的人们，为那些陷入困境的人们带去希望。
This generosity¹², this compassion¹³, this belief that we are each other's keepers, is essential to who we are, not just on this day, but every day.
这种无私、投入的精神，这种为互帮互助的信念，正是我们作为美国人最基本的精神，不仅仅在这一天是这样，每一天都应该是这样。
It's easy to focus on what separates us.
意见的分歧很容易引起大家的关注。
But as we gather with loved ones on this Thanksgiving, let's remember and be grateful for what binds¹⁴ us together.
但在我们与亲人在感恩节相聚的时候，别忘了把我们团结起来的精神。
Our love of country.
别忘了我们对祖国的爱。
Our commitment to justice and equality.
对公平和公正的敬畏。
Our belief that America's best days are ahead, and that her destiny is ours to shape-and that our inherited ideals must be the birthright of all of our children.
我们对美国美好未来的信念，祖国的未来由我们去创造，我们从前辈身上继承的精神将指引我们的下一代继续前进。
That's what today is all about: that out of many, we are one.
这正是今天的意义所在，我们所有人都是一家人。
Thank you, God bless you, and from my family to yours, Happy Thanksgiving.
谢谢大家，愿上帝保佑你们，我代表家人祝你们感恩节快乐！

1 catching   

adj.易传染的，有魅力的，迷人的，接住

参考例句：

• There are those who think eczema is catching.有人就是认为湿疹会传染。
• Enthusiasm is very catching.热情非常富有感染力。

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 gratitude   

adj.感激，感谢

参考例句：

• I have expressed the depth of my gratitude to him.我向他表示了深切的谢意。
• She could not help her tears of gratitude rolling down her face.她感激的泪珠禁不住沿着面颊流了下来。

4 bounty   

n.慷慨的赠予物，奖金；慷慨，大方；施与

参考例句：

• He is famous for his bounty to the poor.他因对穷人慷慨相助而出名。
• We received a bounty from the government.我们收到政府给予的一笔补助金。

5 creed   

n.信条；信念，纲领

参考例句：

• They offended against every article of his creed.他们触犯了他的每一条戒律。
• Our creed has always been that business is business.我们的信条一直是公私分明。

6 inevitability   

n.必然性

参考例句：

• Evolutionism is normally associated with a belief in the inevitability of progress. 进化主义通常和一种相信进步不可避免的看法相联系。
• It is the tide of the times, an inevitability of history. 这是时代的潮流，历史的必然。

7 decency   

n.体面，得体，合宜，正派，庄重

参考例句：

• His sense of decency and fair play made him refuse the offer.他的正直感和公平竞争意识使他拒绝了这一提议。
• Your behaviour is an affront to public decency.你的行为有伤风化。

8 steadfastness   

n.坚定，稳当

参考例句：

• But he was attacked with increasing boldness and steadfastness. 但他却受到日益大胆和坚决的攻击。 来自辞典例句
• There was an unceremonious directness, a searching, decided steadfastness in his gaze now. 现在他的凝视中有一种不礼貌的直率，一种锐利、断然的坚定。 来自辞典例句

9 humility   

n.谦逊，谦恭

参考例句：

• Humility often gains more than pride.谦逊往往比骄傲收益更多。
• His voice was still soft and filled with specious humility.他的声音还是那么温和，甚至有点谦卑。

10 appreciation   

n.评价；欣赏；感谢；领会，理解；价格上涨

参考例句：

• I would like to express my appreciation and thanks to you all.我想对你们所有人表达我的感激和谢意。
• I'll be sending them a donation in appreciation of their help.我将送给他们一笔捐款以感谢他们的帮助。

11 countless   

adj.无数的，多得不计其数的

参考例句：

• In the war countless innocent people lost their lives.在这场战争中无数无辜的人丧失了性命。
• I've told you countless times.我已经告诉你无数遍了。

12 generosity   

n.大度，慷慨，慷慨的行为

参考例句：

• We should match their generosity with our own.我们应该像他们一样慷慨大方。
• We adore them for their generosity.我们钦佩他们的慷慨。

13 compassion   

n.同情，怜悯

参考例句：

• He could not help having compassion for the poor creature.他情不自禁地怜悯起那个可怜的人来。
• Her heart was filled with compassion for the motherless children.她对于没有母亲的孩子们充满了怜悯心。

14 binds   

v.约束( bind的第三人称单数 )；装订；捆绑；（用长布条）缠绕

参考例句：

• Frost binds the soil. 霜使土壤凝结。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Stones and cement binds strongly. 石头和水泥凝固得很牢。 来自《简明英汉词典》