In reaffirming the greatness of our nation, we understand that greatness is never a given. It must be earned. Our journey has never been one of short-cuts or settling for less. It has not been the path for the faint-hearted-for those who prefer leisure over work, or seek only the pleasures of riches and fame. Rather, it has been the risk-takers, the doers, the makers of things-some celebrated but more often men and women obscure in their labor, who have carried us up the long, rugged path towards prosperity and freedom.
在重申我们国家伟大精神的同时，我们懂得，伟大并非天成，而是必须赢得。我们的历程从来不是走捷径或退而求其次的历程。它不是弱者的道路——它不属于好逸恶劳或只图名利享受的人；这条路属于冒险者，实干家，创造者——有些人享有盛名，但大多数是默默无闻耕耘劳作的男女志士，是他们带我们走向通往繁荣和自由漫长的崎岖之路。
For us, they packed up their few worldly possessions and traveled across oceans in search of a new life.
为了我们，他们打点起贫寒的行装上路，远涉重洋，追求新生活。
For us, they toiled in sweatshops and settled the West; endured the lash of the whip and plowed the hard earth.
为了我们，他们在血汗工厂劳作，在西部原野拓荒，忍着鞭笞之痛在坚硬的土地上耕耘。
For us, they fought and died, in places like Concord and Gettysburg; Normandy and Khe Sanh.
为了我们，他们奔赴疆场，英勇捐躯，长眠于康科德、葛底斯堡、诺曼底和溪山。
Time and again these men and women struggled and sacrificed and worked till their hands were raw so that we might live a better life. They saw America as bigger than the sum of our individual ambitions; greater than all the differences of birth or wealth or faction.
为了我们能够过上更好的生活，他们前赴后继，历尽艰辛，全力奉献，不辞劳苦，直至双手结起层层老茧。他们看到的美国超越了我们每一个人的雄心壮志，也超越了所有种族、财富或派系的差异。
This is the journey we continue today. We remain the most prosperous, powerful nation on Earth. Our workers are no less productive than when this crisis began. Our minds are no less inventive, our goods and services no less needed than they were last week or last month or last year. Our capacity remains undiminished. But our time of standing pat, of protecting narrow interests and putting off unpleasant decisions-that time has surely passed. Starting today, we must pick ourselves up, dust ourselves off, and begin again the work of remaking America.
今天，我们踏上了这一未完的旅程。我们依然是地球上最繁荣、最强大的国家。我们的劳动者的创造力并没有因为眼前的这场危机而减弱。我们的头脑依然像以往那样善于发明创新。我们的产品与服务仍旧像上星期、上个月或去年一样受人欢迎。我们的能力丝毫无损。但是，维持现状、保护狭隘的利益集团、推迟困难的抉择的时代无疑已成为过去。从今天开始，让我们团结一致，振作精神，重新开启再造美国的事业。
重点讲解：
1. short cut
快捷办法，捷径；
eg. He thinks of nothing but the short cut to his success.
他一天到晚只想着走捷径取得成功。
eg. There is no short cut on the problem.
在这个问题上没有捷径可走。
2. faint-hearted
胆怯的；畏怯的；
eg. This is no time to be faint-hearted.
现在不是怯懦的时候。
eg. It's a film about a serial killer and not for the faint-hearted.
这部电影是讲一个连环杀手的，不适合胆小的人看。
3. pack up
打点（行装）；
eg. He began packing up his things.
他开始收拾行李。
eg. In the morning he would go home and pack up.
早上，他将回家整理行装。
4. in search of
寻找；寻求；
eg. Migrant workers move from country to country in search of work.
流动工人为寻找工作，从一个国家迁移到另一个国家。
eg. They went over nationwide in search of uranium mines.
他们为了探寻铀矿走遍了全国。
5. time and again
再三；反复；
eg. They inquired about the matter time and again.
他们一再探问此事。
eg. These abusive remarks the young woman overheard time and again.
像这样的话，她耳闻到不止一次了。
6. put off
推迟；拖延；
eg. The Association has put the event off until October.
协会已把这次活动推迟至10月。
eg. Never put off till tomorrow what you can do today.
今日事今日毕。
7. dust oneself off
重新振作；
eg. She dusted herself off and left to build her own career.
她重振旗鼓去开创自己的事业了。
eg. When we are rejected, although we have been hurt we can pick ourselves up, dust ourselves off and start again.
被拒绝的时候尽管我们很难过，但是我们会鼓起勇气，重新振作，从头再来。 |