Almost three weeks ago in Syria, more than 1,000 innocent people-including hundreds of children-were murdered in the worst chemical weapons attack of the 21st century.
大约三个星期前，叙利亚包括数百名儿童在内的超过1000名无辜平民被21世纪最严重的化学武器袭击夺去了生命。
And the United States has presented a powerful case to the world that the Syrian government was responsible for this horrific attack on its own people.
美国已经向世界严重申明，叙利亚政府必须为此次针对其人民的残忍袭击负责。
This was not only a direct attack on human dignity; it is a serious threat to our national security.
这不仅是对人的尊严的直接践踏；也是对我们国家安全的严重威胁。
There's a reason governments representing 98 percent of the world's people have agreed to ban the use of chemical weapons.
代表全世界百分之98人口的各国政府赞同禁止使用化学武器有其理由。
Not only because they cause death and destruction in the most indiscriminate and inhumane way possible-but because they can also fall into the hands of terrorist groups who wish to do us harm.
不仅因为它们以最不分青红皂白的惨无人道的方式造成死亡和破坏—更因为它们若落入恐怖分子之手将危害到我们的安全。
That's why, last weekend, I announced that, as Commander in Chief, I decided that the United States should take military action against the Syrian regime.
这就是上周末作为最高统帅的我宣布决定美国应该对叙利亚政权采取军事行动的原因。
This is not a decision I made lightly.
这不是我草率做出的决定。
Deciding to use military force is the most solemn decision we can make as a nation.
决定采取军事行动是我们国家所能采取的唯一措施。
As the leader of the world's oldest Constitutional democracy, I also know that our country will be stronger if we act together, and our actions will be more effective.
作为世界上最早大的民主国家领导人，我清楚只要我们团结一致，我们的国家就会更加强大，我们的行动就能更加有效。
That's why I asked Members of Congress to debate this issue and vote on authorizing the use of force.
这就是为什么我请求国会对这一提议进行辩论投票，授权采取军事行动的原因。
What we 're talking about is not an open-ended intervention.
我们所说的并非无休止的介入。
This would not be another Iraq or Afghanistan.
这不会是另一场伊拉克战争或阿富汗战争。
There would be no American boots on the ground.
美国军人不会踏进叙利亚领土半步。
Any action we take would be limited, both in time and scope-designed to deter the Syrian government from gassing its own people again and degrade its ability to do so.
我们采取的任何行动无论是在时间上还是地域上都是有限的，目的就是要对叙利亚政府对其人民使用毒气的行为进行打击，并降低其继续使用毒气的能力。
I know that the American people are weary after a decade of war, even as the war in Iraq has ended, and the war in Afghanistan is winding down.
我也清楚经过10多年的战争洗礼后人民早已感到厌倦，特别是伊拉克战争趋于结束，阿富汗战争也正在结束的过程中。
That's why we're not putting our troops in the middle of somebody else's war.
这就是为什么我们不把美国部队派遣到他人战场中间的原因。
But we are the United States of America.
但作为美利坚合众国的我们。
We cannot turn a blind eye to images like the ones we've seen out of Syria.
我们不能对我们亲眼所见发生在叙利亚的情况视而不见。
Failing to respond to this outrageous attack would increase the risk that chemical weapons could be used again;
对这类残暴的攻击袖手旁观会增加他人再次使用化学武器的风险；
that they would fall into the hands of terrorists who might use them against us,
它们可能落入恐怖分子之手用于攻击我们，
and it would send a horrible signal to other nations that there would be no consequences for their use of these weapons.
这会对一些国家发出恐怖的信号，就是他们使用化学武器而不受惩罚。
All of which would pose a serious threat to our national security.
所有这些都会对我们的国家安全造成严重的威胁。
That's why we can't ignore chemical weapons attacks like this one-even if they happen halfway around the world.
这就是为什么我们不能无视类似这样的化学武器攻击—尽管它们发生在遥远的地球另一端。
And that's why I call on Members of Congress, from both parties, to come together and stand up for the kind of world we want to live in; the kind of world we want to leave our children and future generations.
这就是为什么我号召国会的两党议员们为我们生存的世界，为将子孙后代留下的世界团结行动起来的原因。
Thank you.
谢谢大家。 |