VOA常速英语20116--奥巴马谈民主政体的重要性

In contrast to regimes that rule by coercion¹, democracies are rooted in the consent of the governed – citizens know that there's a path for peaceful change, including the moral force of nonviolence. And that brings a stability that so often can facilitate economic growth.

与用高压政治来统治的政体相反，民主政体植根于民众意愿——市民明白有渠道去实现和平的改变，比如通过非暴力的道德力量。这样的民主还能带来稳定，稳定继而促进经济发展。

President Obama also noted² that democracies are less likely to fight wars among themselves, and because of their inclusiveness and strength, are more welcoming to refugees and people in need; in addition, that inclusiveness and strength enable democracies to stand up to those who seek to change people's way of life through violence, while at the same time hindering those in power from betraying fundamental democratic values.

奥巴马还指出，民主政体是不太可能内部发生战争的，此外，由于民主政体具有能包容、有力量，因此也向难民和需要帮助的人敞开大门；接着，这种包容性和力量就让民主政体奋起与那些试图通过暴力改变人民生活方式的人，同时也阻止当权者背叛根本的民主价值观。

President Obama acknowledged that in a globalized world, where people from a variety of backgrounds try to live together, the practice of democracy can be difficult. But, he emphasized, it is democracy that allows us to bend the arc of history, in Dr. Martin Luther King's words, to justice.

奥巴马承认，在全球化的世界中，来自不同背景的人一同群居使得民主的实行变得艰难。但他强调说，正是民主让我们能将历史之轮转向正义的方向，用马丁路德金的话来说。

“In this great, imperfect, but necessary system of self-government, power and progress will always come from the demos – from “We, the people,” said Mr. Obama, and “as long as we are true to that system of self-government...our futures³ will be bright.”

“在这个伟大、有缺憾但又不可或缺的自治系统中，力量与进步将总是来自人民，来自‘我们的人民’”，奥巴马说道，“而只要我们忠于民主自治的系统……我们的未来就会无限光明。”

1 coercion   

n.强制，高压统治

参考例句：

• Neither trickery nor coercion is used to secure confessions.既不诱供也不逼供。
• He paid the money under coercion.他被迫付钱。

2 noted   

adj.著名的，知名的

参考例句：

• The local hotel is noted for its good table.当地的那家酒店以餐食精美而著称。
• Jim is noted for arriving late for work.吉姆上班迟到出了名。

3 futures   

n.期货，期货交易

参考例句：

• He continued his operations in cotton futures.他继续进行棉花期货交易。
• Cotton futures are selling at high prices.棉花期货交易的卖价是很高的。