奥巴马每周电视讲话：美国总统奥巴马告别演讲(3)

It's what led patriots¹ to choose republic over tyranny, pioneers to trek² west, slaves to brave that makeshift railroad to freedom.

正是这一召唤引领着爱国者推翻暴政、选择共和，引领着西进运动，引领着勇敢的奴隶们建造通向自由的地下铁路。

It's what pulled immigrants and refugees across oceans and the Rio Grande.

它也吸引着大批移民和难民越过大洋、越过格兰德河（位于美墨之间）来到这片土地，

It's what pushed women to reach for the ballot³.

鼓动女性走向投票站，

It's what powered workers to organize.

给工人们以团结的动力。

It's why GIs gave their lives at Omaha Beach and Iwo Jima, Iraq and Afghanistan.

这是为什么美国大兵在奥马哈海滩（译者注：奥马哈海滩为二战诺曼底战役中盟军主要登陆点之一的代号）、硫磺岛战役（译者注：硫磺岛战役为二战太平洋战争中最激烈的战斗之一）、伊拉克和阿富汗中挥洒鲜血，

And why men and women from Selma to Stonewall were prepared to give theirs, as well.

为什么从塞尔玛（译者注：1965年马丁·路德·金在塞尔玛领导争取黑人权益的抗议游行）到格林尼治石墙（译者注：1969年美国同性恋者在格林尼治石墙酒吧进行暴力示威，争取权利）的男男女女也都准备好了，要献出他们的生命。你

So that's what we mean when we say America is exceptional -- not that our nation has been flawless from the start,

这就是为什么我们说美国是一个独特的国家——并不是说我们的国家从一开始就完美无瑕，

but that we have shown the capacity to change and make life better for those who follow.

而是我们有能力做出改变，让追随美国梦的人拥有更好的生活。

Yes, our progress has been uneven⁴.

是的，我们取得的进步并不对每个人来说都是公平的，

The work of democracy has always been hard. It's always been contentious⁵. Sometimes it's been bloody⁶.

民主的事业总是艰难的、充满争议的，有时甚至是血腥的。

For every two steps forward, it often feels we take one step back.

我们前进两步，给人的感觉却是我们退后了一步。

But the long sweep of America has been defined by forward motion, a constant widening of our founding creed⁷ to embrace all and not just some.

但是，美国仍然一直在前进，我们的立国信条会拥抱越来越多的人，拥抱所有人，而不只是部分人。

1 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。

2 trek   

vi.作长途艰辛的旅行；n.长途艰苦的旅行

参考例句：

• We often go pony-trek in the summer.夏季我们经常骑马旅行。
• It took us the whole day to trek across the rocky terrain.我们花了一整天的时间艰难地穿过那片遍布岩石的地带。

3 ballot   

n.（不记名）投票，投票总数，投票权；vi.投票

参考例句：

• The members have demanded a ballot.会员们要求投票表决。
• The union said they will ballot members on whether to strike.工会称他们将要求会员投票表决是否罢工。

4 uneven   

adj.不平坦的，不规则的，不均匀的

参考例句：

• The sidewalk is very uneven—be careful where you walk.这人行道凹凸不平—走路时请小心。
• The country was noted for its uneven distribution of land resources.这个国家以土地资源分布不均匀出名。

5 contentious   

adj.好辩的，善争吵的

参考例句：

• She was really not of the contentious fighting sort.她委实不是好吵好闹的人。
• Since then they have tended to steer clear of contentious issues.从那时起，他们总想方设法避开有争议的问题。

6 bloody   

adj.非常的的；流血的；残忍的；adv.很；vt.血染

参考例句：

• He got a bloody nose in the fight.他在打斗中被打得鼻子流血。
• He is a bloody fool.他是一个十足的笨蛋。

7 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。