奥巴马每周电视讲话：美国总统奥巴马告别演讲(5)

We have what we need to do so.

我们拥有这些，

We have everything we need to meet those challenges. After all,

我们拥有一切应对挑战的武器。毕竟，

we remain the wealthiest, most powerful, and most respected nation on Earth.

我们仍然是这个世界上最富有、最强大、最受尊敬的国家。

Our youth, our drive, our diversity and openness,

我们的年轻人，我们的驱动力，我们的多样性和开放性，

our boundless¹ capacity for risk and reinvention means that the future should be ours.

我们拥有无限的力量去应对风险、实现革新，这些都意味着，未来应该是我们的。

But that potential will only be realized if our democracy works.

但是要释放这些潜力，我们的民主必须运转良好。

Only if our politics better reflects the decency² of our people.

只有我们的政治变得更好，人民的高尚庄重才能得以体现。

Only if all of us, regardless of party affiliation³ or particular interests,

只有我们所有人都抛弃党派偏见和私利，

help restore the sense of common purpose that we so badly need right now.

才能重建我们目前急需寻找的共同目标。

That's what I want to focus on tonight: The state of our democracy.

我今晚想要强调的正是这一点：我们的民主体制。

Understand, democracy does not require uniformity.

我们的国父说过，民主并不强求一致。

Our founders⁴ argued. They quarreled. Eventually they compromised. They expected us to do the same.

他们争论过，最终他们妥协了。他们希望我们亦能如此。

But they knew that democracy does require a basic sense of solidarity⁵,

但是他们知道民主需要基本的团结意识，

the idea that for all our outward differences,

需要我们认识到尽管我们外表有差异，

we're all in this together; that we rise or fall as one.

我们却是一个整体，我们共兴亡。

There have been moments throughout our history that threatens that solidarity.

历史上，我们国家的团结曾多次受到威胁。

And the beginning of this century has been one of those times.

在本世纪初，我们的国家就面临了这样的挑战。

1 boundless   

adj.无限的；无边无际的；巨大的

参考例句：

• The boundless woods were sleeping in the deep repose of nature.无边无际的森林在大自然静寂的怀抱中酣睡着。
• His gratitude and devotion to the Party was boundless.他对党无限感激、无限忠诚。

2 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。

3 affiliation   

n.联系，联合

参考例句：

• There is no affiliation between our organization and theirs,even though our names are similar.尽管两个组织的名称相似，但我们之间并没有关系。
• The kidnappers had no affiliation with any militant group.这些绑架者与任何军事组织都没有紧密联系。

4 founders   

n.创始人( founder的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• He was one of the founders of the university's medical faculty. 他是该大学医学院的创建人之一。 来自辞典例句
• The founders of our religion made this a cornerstone of morality. 我们宗教的创始人把这看作是道德的基石。 来自辞典例句

5 solidarity   

n.团结；休戚相关

参考例句：

• They must preserve their solidarity.他们必须维护他们的团结。
• The solidarity among China's various nationalities is as firm as a rock.中国各族人民之间的团结坚如磐石。