THE PRESIDENT: Hi everyone. As you gather with family and friends this weekend, Michelle, Malia, Sasha and I – and of course Bo – want to wish you all Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays.
THE FIRST LADY: This is such a wonderful time of year.
It’s a time to honor the story of love and redemption that began 2,000 years ago … a time to see the world through a child’s eyes and rediscover the magic all around us … and a time to give thanks for the gifts that bless us every single day.
This holiday season at the White House, we wanted to show our thanks with a special holiday tribute to some of the strongest, bravest, and most resilient members of our American family – the men and women who wear our country’s uniform and the families who support them.
THE PRESIDENT: For many military families, the best gift this year is a simple one – welcoming a loved one back for the holidays. You see, after nearly nine years, our war in Iraq is over. Our troops are coming home. And across America, military families are being reunited.
So let’s take a moment to give thanks for their service; for their families’ service; for our veterans’ service. And let’s say a prayer for all our troops standing post all over the world, especially our brave men and women in Afghanistan who are serving, even as we speak, in harm’s way to protect the freedoms and security we hold dear.
THE FIRST LADY: Our veterans, troops, and military families sacrifice so much for us.
So this holiday season, let’s make sure that all of them know just how much we appreciate everything they do.
Let’s ask ourselves, “How can I give back? How can my family serve them as well as they’ve served us”
One way you can get started is to visit JoiningForces.gov to find out how you can get involved in your community.
THE PRESIDENT: Giving of ourselves; service to others – that’s what this season is all about. For my family and millions of Americans, that’s what Christmas is all about. It reminds us that part of what it means to love God is to love one another, to be our brother’s keeper and our sister’s keeper. But that belief is not just at the center of our Christian faith, it’s shared by Americans of all faiths and backgrounds. It’s why so many of us, every year, volunteer our time to help those most in need; especially our hungry and our homeless.
So whatever you believe, wherever you’re from, let’s remember the spirit of service that connects us all this season – as Americans. Each of us can do our part to serve our communities and our country, not just today, but every day.
THE FIRST LADY: So from our family to yours, Merry Christmas.
THE PRESIDENT: Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays, everybody.
奥巴马：大家好。本周末当你与家人和朋友团聚时，我和玛利亚，米歇尔，萨沙——还有Bo沙——要祝大家圣诞快乐，节日快乐。
第一夫人：这是一年中美好的时光。
一个兑现两千多年前爱和赎罪故事开始的时间... ..通过孩子的眼睛看世界并重新发现我们周围的神奇之处... ...，是时候感谢上天保佑我们平安度过每一天。
在白宫度假期，我们希望献上一份特别的节日礼物来感谢美国打家庭中最坚强，最勇敢的，和最有活力的成员我——那些军队中的男女同胞们以及支持他们的家庭。
奥巴马：对于许多军人家属，今年最好的礼物是一个简单的 -，欢迎心爱的人回来的假期。你看，持续了将近9年后，我们在伊拉克的战争已经结束。我们的部队回家。在美国各地，军人家属们正在团聚。
因此，让我们花点时间为他们的做出的贡献表示感谢，感谢他们为祖国做贡献，感谢军人家属的贡献，感谢老兵们的努力。让我们位驻守在世界各地的所有的军人们祈祷，特别是那些在阿富汗服役的勇敢战士们，甚至在我们发言时，他们仍在履行职责来保护我们珍视的自由和安全。
第一夫人：我们的退伍军人，军队和军人家属为我们牺牲了太多。
所以这个假期，要让他们所有人都知道我们感谢他们所做的一切。
让我们扪心自问，“我怎样才能回赠呢？我们的家庭该如何给他们服务，就像他们为我们服务一样？“
你可以开始的方法之一是访问JoiningForces.gov找出如何可以参与到社区活动中。
奥巴马：奉献自己，为他人提供服务—— 这就是这个季节最重要的。对于我的家人和百万计的美国人，这是圣诞节的意义所在。它提醒我们，爱上帝就要彼此关心，成为兄弟的保护着，成为姊妹的守护者。但这种信念不只是在我们的基督教信仰的中心，也被不同信仰和背景的美国人共享。这是为什么我们这么多人，每年，志愿贡献我们的时间来帮助那些最需要帮助的人，尤其是那些饥饿和无家可归的人。
所以，无论你信仰什么，无论你从哪里来，让我们记住这个季节连接我们彼此的服务精神——美国人的精神。我们每个人都可以尽我们所能来为为社区和国家服务，不只是今天，但每天都要做到这一点。
第一夫人：我们祝大家，圣诞快乐。
奥巴马：大家，圣诞快乐，节日快乐。 |