THE PRESIDENTIAL INAUGURATION SPEECH

 

Renquist: Governor, are you ready to take the oath?

Bush: I am.

Renquist: Please raise your right hand and repeat after me. I, George Walker Bush, do solemnly swear.

Bush: I, George Walker Bush, do solemnly swear.

Renquist: That I will faithfully execute the office of President of the United States.

Bush: That I will faithfully execute the office of President of the United States.

Renquist: And will to the best of my ability...

Bush: And will to the best of my ability...

Renquist: ...preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States.

Bush: ...preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States.

Renquist: So help me, God.

Bush: So help me, God.

Renquist: Congratulations!

 

　I thank you all. Chief Justice Renquist, President Carter, President Bush, President Clinton, distinguished¹ guests and my fellow citizens.

　The peaceful transfer of authority is rare in history, yet common in our country. With a simple oath, we affirm old traditions and make new beginnings.

  I am honored and humbled² to stand here where so many of America's leaders have come before me, and so many will follow.

　We have a place, all of us, in a long story. A story we continued, but whose end we will not see. It is a story of a new world that became a friend and liberator³ of the old. A story of a slave holding society that became a servant of freedom. It is the American story. A story of flawed and fallible people, united across the generations by grand and 1)enduring ideals.

　The grandest of these ideals is an 2)unfolding American promise that everyone belongs, that everyone deserves a chance, that no insignificant⁴ person was ever born. Americans are called to 3)enact this promise in our lives and in our laws. And although our nation has sometimes halted and sometimes delayed, we must follow no other course.

　Sometimes in life we're called to do great things. But as a saint of our times has said, "Everyday we're called to do small things with great love." The most important tasks of a democracy are done by everyone.

　I will live and lead by these principles, to advance my convictions with civility, to pursue the public interest with courage, to speak for greaterjustice and compassion⁵, to call for responsibility, and try to live it as well. In all these ways, I will bring the values of our history to the care of our times. 

　What you do is an important as anything government does. I ask you to seek a common good beyond your comfort, to defend needed reforms against easy attacks, to serve your nation beginning with your neighbor. I ask you to be citizens; citizens, not 4)spectators; citizens, not subjects; responsible citizens building communities of service and a nation of character.

　Americans are generous and strong and decent not because we believe in ourselves, but because we hold beliefs beyond ourselves. When this spirit of citizenship⁶ is missing, no government program can replace it. When this spirit is present, no wrong can stand against it.

　After the Declaration of Independence was signed, Virginian statesman John Page wrote to Thomas Jefferson. "We know the race is not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong. Do you not think an angel rides in the 5)whirlwind and directs this storm?"

　Much time has passed since Jefferson arrived for his inauguration⁷. The yearsand changes accumulate. But the things of this day, he would know; our nation's grand story of courage, and its simple dream of dignity.

　We are not this story's author, who fills time and eternity⁸ with his purpose. Yet his purpose is achieved in our duty, and our duty is fulfilled in service to one another. 

　Never tiring, never yielding, never finishing. We renew that purpose today, to make our country more just and generous, to affirm the dignity of our lives, and every life. This work continues. The story goes on. And an angel still rides in the whirlwind and directs this storm.

God bless you all and God bless America!t

 

总统就职演说

乔治..w..布什

 

芮恩奎斯特：州长先生，您准备好宣誓了吗？

布什：准备好了。

芮恩奎斯特：请举起您的右手跟着我说∶我--乔治·沃尔克·布什--庄严宣誓。

布什：我--乔治·沃尔克·布什--庄严宣誓。

芮恩奎斯特：我必会忠诚履行美利坚合众国总统的职责。

布什：我必会忠诚履行美利坚合众国总统的职责。

芮恩奎斯特：竭尽全力……

布什：竭尽全力……

芮恩奎斯特：保护与捍卫《美国宪法》。

布什：保护与捍卫《美国宪法》。

芮恩奎斯特：上帝保佑我。

布什：上帝保佑我。

芮恩奎斯特：恭喜！

 

　 谢谢大家！尊敬的芮恩奎斯特大法官、卡特总统、布什总统、克林顿总统、尊敬的来宾、同胞们：

　 这次政权的和平过渡在历史上是罕见的，但在美国是平常的。我们以朴素的宣誓庄严地维护了古老的传统，同时开始了新的历程。

　　站在这里，我既觉得荣幸，也觉得谦卑。在我之前，有许多美国领导人从这里起步；在我之后，也会有许多领导人从这里继续前进。

　 在美国悠久的历史中，我们每个人都有自己的位置。我们还在继续推动着历史前进，但是我们不可能看到它的尽头。这是一部美国成为友人和旧社会解放者的新世界发展史。这是一部美国由奴隶制社会发展成为崇尚自由的社会史。这就是美国史。它不是一部完美无暇的民族发展史，但它是一部在伟大和永恒理想指导下几代人团结奋斗的历史。

　 这些理想中最伟大的是正在慢慢实现中的美国的承诺，即：每个人都有自身的价值，每个人都有成功的机会，每个人天生都会有所作为。美国人民肩负着一种使命，那就是要竭力将这个诺言变成生活中和法律上的现实。虽然我们的国家过去在追求实现这个承诺的途中有时曾停滞不前，但我们仍将坚定不移地完成这一使命。

　 在生活中，有时我们被召唤着去做一些惊天动地的事情。但是，正如我们时代的一位圣人所言：“每一天我们都被召唤怀着挚爱之心去做一些小事情。”一个民主制度最重要的任务是由大家每一个人来完成的。

　 我为人处事的原则包括：坚信自己而不强加于人，为公众的利益勇往直前，追求正义而不乏同情心，勇担责任而决不推卸。我要通过这一切，用我们历史上传统价值观来滋养我们的时代。

　 你们大家所做的一切和政府的工作同样重要。我希望你们不要仅仅追求个人享受而忽略公众的利益。要捍卫既定的改革措施，使其不会轻易被攻击；要从身边小事做起，为我们的国家效力。我希望你们成为公民，是真正的公民而不是旁观者；是真正的公民而不是臣民；是有责任心的公民，共同一起建设一个互助的社会和一个有特色的国家。

　　美国人民慷慨、坚强、体面，这并非因为我们信任我们自己，而是因为我们拥有超越我们自己的信念。一旦这种公民精神丧失了，任何政府计划都无法补救。一旦这种精神出现了，任何错误都无法与它抗衡。

　　在《独立宣言》签署后，弗吉尼亚州的政治家约翰·佩齐曾给托马斯·杰弗逊写信说：“我们知道，身手敏捷的不一定就能赢得比赛，力量强大的不一定就能赢得战争。难道这一切不都是冥冥中的安排吗？”

　 杰斐逊就任总统的那个年代离我们已经很远了。时光飞逝，美国发生了翻天覆地的变化。但是有一点他肯定能够预知，即我们这个时代的主题仍然是：我们国家无畏向前的恢宏故事和它追求尊严的纯朴梦想。

　 我们不是这个故事的作者，是杰斐逊作者本人的伟大理想穿越时空并通过我们每天的努力在变为现实。我们正在通过大家的努力在履行着各自的职责。

   带着永不疲惫、永不气馁、永不完竭的信念，今天我们重树这样的目标：使我们的国家变得更加公正、更加慷慨，去验证我们每个人和所有人生命的尊严。这项工作必须继续下去。这个故事必须延续下去。上帝会驾驭我们航行的。

愿上帝保佑大家！愿上帝保佑美国！

 

1) enduring  a. 持久的     

2) unfolding  a. 呈现的    

3) enact  v. 制定，扮演，颁布

4) spectator  n.旁观者   

5) whirlwind  n. 旋风

 

 

 

1 distinguished   

adj.卓越的，杰出的，著名的

参考例句：

• Elephants are distinguished from other animals by their long noses.大象以其长长的鼻子显示出与其他动物的不同。
• A banquet was given in honor of the distinguished guests.宴会是为了向贵宾们致敬而举行的。

2 humbled   

adj. 卑下的，谦逊的，粗陋的 vt. 使 ... 卑下，贬低

参考例句：

• The examination results humbled him. 考试成绩挫了他的傲气。
• I am sure millions of viewers were humbled by this story. 我相信数百万观众看了这个故事后都会感到自己的渺小。

3 liberator   

解放者

参考例句：

• The best integrated turf quality was recorded in Ram I、Midnight、America、Connie、Liberator, which could be adopted in Shanxi. RamI、Midnight、America、Connie、Liberator综合质量表现均衡且分值较高，是山西省推广应用的重点品种。
• It is the story of a new world that became a friend and liberator of the old. 这是一部新世界的发展史，是一部后浪推前浪的历史。

4 insignificant   

adj.无关紧要的，可忽略的，无意义的

参考例句：

• In winter the effect was found to be insignificant.在冬季，这种作用是不明显的。
• This problem was insignificant compared to others she faced.这一问题与她面临的其他问题比较起来算不得什么。

5 compassion   

n.同情，怜悯

参考例句：

• He could not help having compassion for the poor creature.他情不自禁地怜悯起那个可怜的人来。
• Her heart was filled with compassion for the motherless children.她对于没有母亲的孩子们充满了怜悯心。

6 citizenship   

n.市民权，公民权，国民的义务(身份)

参考例句：

• He was born in Sweden,but he doesn't have Swedish citizenship.他在瑞典出生，但没有瑞典公民身分。
• Ten years later,she chose to take Australian citizenship.十年后，她选择了澳大利亚国籍。

7 inauguration   

n.开幕、就职典礼

参考例句：

• The inauguration of a President of the United States takes place on January 20.美国总统的就职典礼于一月二十日举行。
• Three celebrated tenors sang at the president's inauguration.3位著名的男高音歌手在总统就职仪式上演唱。

8 eternity   

n.不朽，来世；永恒，无穷

参考例句：

• The dull play seemed to last an eternity.这场乏味的剧似乎演个没完没了。
• Finally,Ying Tai and Shan Bo could be together for all of eternity.英台和山伯终能双宿双飞，永世相随。