2013年奥巴马感恩节致辞

Hi, everybody.  On behalf of all the Obamas – Michelle, Malia, Sasha, Bo, and the newest member of our family, Sunny – I want to wish you a happy and healthy Thanksgiving.
大家好！我代表我们家所有人——米歇尔、玛利亚、萨莎、波尔以及新添成员桑尼，祝愿大家有一个快乐舒适的感恩节。
We’ll be spending today just like many of you – sitting down with family and friends to eat some good food, tell stories, watch a little football, and most importantly, count our blessings¹.
我们今天会和家人朋友一起享用美味的食物、讲故事、看点足球比赛，最重要的是，感恩——就像你们大多数人一样。
And as Americans, we have so much to be thankful for.
作为美国人，我们有那么多值得感恩的东西。
We give thanks for the men and women who set sail for this land nearly four centuries ago, risking everything for the chance at a better life – and the people who were already here, our Native American brothers and sisters, for their generosity² during that first Thanksgiving.
我们对近400年前航行到这片土地的人们表达感谢，因为他们为了寻求更好的生活，甘冒一切风险。我们还要感激已经在这片土地上的，我们的原住民印第安兄弟姐妹们，感激他们在第一次感恩节上的慷慨大度。
We give thanks for the generations who followed – people of all races and religions, who arrived here from every country on Earth and worked to build something better for themselves and for us.
我们对相继而来的世世代代的人们表达感激。来自世界各国的人们——来自不同民族并有着不同宗教信仰，齐心协力为他们自己和我们建筑起更美好的将来。
We give thanks for all our men and women in uniform – and for their families, who are surely missing them very much today.  We’re grateful for their sacrifice too.
我们对穿制服为我们服务的人们表达谢意，对今天必定无比想念他们的亲人表达谢意。我们感激他们的牺牲。
We give thanks for the freedoms they defend – the freedom to think what we want and say what we think, to worship according to our own beliefs, to choose our leaders and, yes, criticize them without punishment.  People around the world are fighting and even dying for their chance at these freedoms.  We stand with them in that struggle, and we give thanks for being free.
我们感恩他们所捍卫的自由——让我们敢想敢说的自由、让我们选择信仰的自由、让我们选择自己的领导人的自由，以及，不受惩罚地批评领导人的自由。世界各国人民都在为有这些自由而奋斗甚至牺牲。我们和他们站在同一战线上，我们为自由而感恩。
And we give thanks to everyone who’s doing their part to make the United States a better, more compassionate³ nation – who spend their Thanksgiving volunteering at a soup kitchen, or joining a service project, or bringing food and cheer to a lonely neighbor.  That big-hearted generosity is a central part of our American character.  We believe in lending a hand to folks who need it.  We believe in pitching in to solve problems even if they aren’t our problems.  And that’s not a one-day-a-year belief.  It’s part of the fabric⁴ of our nation.
而且，我们感恩所有让美国成为更强大并且更富同情心的国家而尽责职守的人们——那些感恩节在救济所参加志愿服务的人，或者参加服务项目的人，或者给孤单的邻居送去食物和鼓励的人。这样的大度慷慨是我们美国人性格中的核心部分。我们愿意给需要的人以援手，我们愿意路见不平拔刀相助。这些不是一年一次的想法，这是我们国家的构成。
And we remember that many Americans need that helping⁵ hand right now.  Americans who’ve lost their jobs and can’t get a new one through no fault of their own.  Americans who’ve been trapped in poverty and just need that helping hand to climb out.  Citizens whose prayers and hopes move us to act.
我们牢记着许多美国人现在需要帮助。那些失去工作而且没有丝毫过错却找不到新工作的美国人，那些深陷贫困而且急需救援之手的美国人。正是这些公民的祈祷和希望促使我们行动。
We are a people who are greater together than we are on our own.  That’s what today is about.  That’s what every day should be about.  No matter our differences, we’re all part of one American family.  We are each other’s keeper.  We are one nation, under God.  That core tenet of our American experience has guided us from the earliest days of our founding – and it will guide us to a future that’s even brighter than today.
我们是一个团结胜过单独行动的国家。今天如此，每天都如此。不管我们多么不同，我们都是美国大家庭的一份子。我们是彼此的守护者。我们是上帝庇佑的一个国家。我们美国历史实践出的这个核心信条将带领我们走向比今天更辉煌的未来，从建国初期到将来都是如此。
Thank you, God bless you, and from my family to yours, Happy Thanksgiving.
谢谢，上帝保佑你。还有我们全家想对大家表示感恩节快乐。
 

1 blessings   

n.（上帝的）祝福( blessing的名词复数 )；好事；福分；因祸得福

参考例句：

• Afflictions are sometimes blessings in disguise. 塞翁失马，焉知非福。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• We don't rely on blessings from Heaven. 我们不靠老天保佑。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

2 generosity   

n.大度，慷慨，慷慨的行为

参考例句：

• We should match their generosity with our own.我们应该像他们一样慷慨大方。
• We adore them for their generosity.我们钦佩他们的慷慨。

3 compassionate   

adj.有同情心的，表示同情的

参考例句：

• She is a compassionate person.她是一个有同情心的人。
• The compassionate judge gave the young offender a light sentence.慈悲的法官从轻判处了那个年轻罪犯。

4 fabric   

n.织物，织品，布；构造，结构，组织

参考例句：

• The fabric will spot easily.这种织品很容易玷污。
• I don't like the pattern on the fabric.我不喜欢那块布料上的图案。

5 helping   

n.食物的一份&adj.帮助人的，辅助的

参考例句：

• The poor children regularly pony up for a second helping of my hamburger. 那些可怜的孩子们总是要求我把我的汉堡包再给他们一份。
• By doing this, they may at times be helping to restore competition. 这样一来, 他在某些时候,有助于竞争的加强。