尊重身边的每个人

Thank you!

 

    Chief Justice Rehnquist, President Carter, President Bush, President Clinton, distinguished 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.

 

    As I begin, I thank President Clinton for his service to our nation.

 

    And I thank Vice President Gore for a contest conducted with spirit and ended with grace.

 

    I am honored and humbled 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 continue, but whose end we will not see. It is the story of a new world that became a friend and liberator of the old, a story of a slave-holding society that became a servant of freedom, the story of a power that went into the world to protect but not possess, to defend but not to conquer.

 

    It is the American story -- a story of flawed and fallible people, united across the generations by grand and enduring ideals.

 

    The grandest of these ideals is an unfolding American promise that everyone belongs, that everyone deserves a chance, that no insignificant person was ever born.

 

    Americans are called to enact this promise in our lives and in our laws. And though our nation has sometimes halted, and sometimes delayed, we must follow no other course.

 

    Through much of the last century, America 's faith in freedom and democracy was a rock in a raging sea. Now it is a seed upon the wind, taking root in many nations.

 

    Our democratic faith is more than the creed of our country, it is the inborn hope of our humanity, an ideal we carry but do not own, a trust we bear and pass along. And even after nearly 225 years, we have a long way yet to travel.

 

    While many of our citizens prosper, others doubt the promise, even the justice, of our own country. The ambitions of some Americans are limited by failing schools and hidden prejudice and the circumstances of their birth. And sometimes our differences run so deep, it seems we share a continent, but not a country.

 

    We do not accept this, and we will not allow it. Our unity, our union, is the serious work of leaders and citizens in every generation. And this is my solemn pledge: I will work to build a single nation of justice and opportunity.

 

    I know this is in our reach because we are guided by a power larger than ourselves who creates us equal in His image.

 

    And we are confident in principles that unite and lead us onward.

 

    America has never been united by blood or birth or soil. We are bound by ideals that move us beyond our backgrounds, lift us above our interests and teach us what it means to be citizens. Every child must be taught these principles. Every citizen must uphold them. And every immigrant, by embracing these ideals, makes our country more, not less, American.

 

    Today, we affirm a new commitment to live out our nation's promise through civility, courage, compassion and character.

 

    America , at its best, matches a commitment to principle with a concern for civility. A civil society demands from each of us good will and respect, fair dealing and forgiveness.

 

    Some seem to believe that our politics can afford to be petty because, in a time of peace, the stakes of our debates appear small.

 

    But the stakes for America are never small. If our country does not lead the cause of freedom, it will not be led. If we do not turn the hearts of children toward knowledge and character, we will lose their gifts and undermine their idealism. If we permit our economy to drift and decline, the vulnerable will suffer most.

 

    We must live up to the calling we share. Civility is not a tactic or a sentiment. It is the determined choice of trust over cynicism, of community over chaos. And this commitment, if we keep it, is a way to shared accomplishment.

 

    America , at its best, is also courageous.

 

    Our national courage has been clear in times of depression and war, when defending common dangers defined our common good. Now we must choose if the example of our fathers and mothers will inspire us or condemn us. We must show courage in a time of blessing by confronting problems instead of passing them on to future generations.

 

    Together, we will reclaim America 's schools, before ignorance and apathy claim more young lives.

 

    We will reform Social Security and Medicare, sparing our children from struggles we have the power to prevent. And we will reduce taxes, to recover the momentum of our economy and reward the effort and enterprise of working Americans.

 

    We will build our defenses beyond challenge, lest weakness invite challenge.

 

    We will confront weapons of mass destruction, so that a new century is spared new horrors.

 

    The enemies of liberty and our country should make no mistake: America remains engaged in the world by history and by choice, shaping a balance of power that favors freedom. We will defend our allies and our interests. We will show purpose without arrogance. We will meet aggression and bad faith with resolve and strength. And to all nations, we will speak for the values that gave our nation birth.

 

    America , at its best, is compassionate. In the quiet of American conscience, we know that deep, persistent poverty is unworthy of our nation's promise.

 

    And whatever our views of its cause, we can agree that children at risk are not at fault. Abandonment and abuse are not acts of God, they are failures of love.

 

    And the proliferation of prisons, however necessary, is no substitute for hope and order in our souls.

 

    Where there is suffering, there is duty. Americans in need are not strangers, they are citizens, not problems, but priorities. And all of us are diminished when any are hopeless.

 

    Government has great responsibilities for public safety and public health, for civil rights and common schools. Yet compassion is the work of a nation, not just a government.

 

    And some needs and hurts are so deep they will only respond to a mentor's touch or a pastor's prayer. Church and charity, synagogue and mosque lend our communities their humanity, and they will have an honored place in our plans and in our laws.

 

    Many in our country do not know the pain of poverty, but we can listen to those who do.

 

    And I can pledge our nation to a goal: When we see that wounded traveler on the road to Jericho , we will not pass to the other side.

 

    America , at its best, is a place where personal responsibility is valued and expected.

 

    Encouraging responsibility is not a search for scapegoats, it is a call to conscience. And though it requires sacrifice, it brings a deeper fulfillment. We find the fullness of life not only in options, but in commitments. And we find that children and community are the commitments that set us free.

 

    Our public interest depends on private character, on civic duty and family bonds and basic fairness, on uncounted, unhonored acts of decency which give direction to our freedom.

 

    Sometimes in life we are called to do great things. But as a saint of our times has said, every day we are 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 greater justice and compassion, 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 as 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 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 citizenship 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, Virginia 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 whirlwind and directs this storm?"

 

    Much time has passed since Jefferson arrived for his inauguration. The years and changes accumulate. But the themes 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 eternity 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. This story goes on. And an angel still rides in the whirlwind and directs this storm.

 

    God bless you all, and God bless America .

2001年1月20日

 

 

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克林顿总统，尊敬的来宾们和我的同胞们，权力的和平移交在历史上是罕见的，然而在我们国家却是习以为常的。用一段简短的誓词，我们维护了悠久的传统并创造了新的开端。

 

首先，我感谢克林顿总统对我们国家的贡献。我也感谢戈尔副总统在竞选中表现的精神和竞选后的风度。

 

站在这里，我感到荣幸和谦卑。有许多美国领导人走在我的前面，还会有很多人相继而来。

 

我们所有人都在我们国家漫长的历程中有自己的位置；我们将继续这个历程，然而不会看到它的尽头。这是一个新世界承前启后的历程，一个从拥有奴隶的社会变成崇尚自由的社会的历程，一个强国保护而不占有世界、捍卫而不征服世界的历程。

 

这就是美国的历程...一个并非完美无缺的民族的历程，但是一个世世代代被伟大和永恒的理想团结起来的民族的历程。

 

这些理想中最伟大的理想是正在展现的美国的承诺：每个人都拥有这个承诺，每个人均应享有机遇，没有一个人是无足轻重的。

 

美国人民有责任在生活和法律中实践这一承诺。虽然我们有时停滞不前，有时彷徨拖延，但我们必须对这条道路坚定不移。

 

在上世纪大部份的时间里，美国对自由民主的信念犹如汹涌大海中的磐石。今天它就像风中的种子，落在许多国土上生根发芽。

 

对民主的信仰不仅是我们国家的信条，它是我们人类本能的希望，是一个我们怀有但并不独有的理想，是一个我们肩负并继承发扬的信念。即使历经将近225年，可我们仍有漫长的路要走。

 

在我们的很多公民获得成功的同时，也有一些人对美国的承诺，甚至我们国家本身的公正，感到怀疑。衰退的学校教育、潜在的偏见和出生时的环境限制了一些美国人要求进取的欲望。有时候，我们的分歧如此之深，以至我们虽然似乎同属于一个大陆，但生活在不同的国度。

 

我们不能接受这种状况，我们不允许存在这种状况。我们的团结一致是每一代领导人和公民的严肃使命。我在此郑重宣誓：我将致力于建设一个公正和充满机会的国家。

 

我知道这是可以达到的目标，因为上帝把我们创造成平等的人，我们是在他那超越凡俗的力量的引导下。我们对使我们团结和指引我们向前的原则充满信心。

 

美国从来不是靠血缘、出身或地域结合起来的国家。把我们联系在一起的是理想，理想使我们超越背景的不同，超越个人的利益，并逐步领会公民的涵义。每一个孩子都必须学习这些原则。每一个公民都必须坚持这些原则。 而信奉这些理想的每一个移民使我们的国家不仅不丧失反而更具有美国特征。

 

今天，我们做出新的保证，要用文明、勇气、同情心和品格去实践我们国家的承诺。

 

在一个最理想的美国，对原则的承诺和对文明的关注是完全相应的。一个文明社会要求每个人怀有善意，彼此尊重、行事公平，懂得宽恕。

 

有些人似乎相信我们的政治在和平时期可以平庸琐碎，因为引起争论的事情看上去并没那么利害攸关，然而美国的任何利害从来都不是无足轻重的。如果我们的国家不领导争取自由的事业，这个事业就没有领袖。如果我们不能使孩子们热爱知识和重视品德，我们将浪费他们的天赋，破坏他们的理想。如果我们允许经济随波逐流和日益衰退，弱者将受害最深。

 

我们一定不辜负命运的召唤。文明不是一种技巧或情感。它是有意识的抉择，选择信任，拒绝玩世不恭；选择共同责任，拒绝混乱。如果我们保持这个承诺，我们将走上通往共同成就的道路。

 

一个最理想的美国也是最有勇气的美国。

 

我们民族的勇气在大萧条和战争时期、在抵御我们的共同危险成为我们共同利益的时刻表现得淋漓尽致。如今我们必须决定是让我们父辈的榜样激励我们，还是受到他们榜样的谴责。我们在繁荣盛世也必须表现勇气，敢于正视问题，而不是把问题遗留给后代。

 

我们将齐心协力重新振兴美国的学校，不让无知和冷漠夺去更多青年人的生命。

 

我们将改革社会福利和老年医疗保险制度，避免让我们的孩子们陷入原本有能力避免的困境。我们将减少税收，恢复经济势头，对美国人民的辛勤劳作和进取精神给予奖励。

 

我们将建设起无懈可击的防卫系统，不让虚弱给敌人带来可乘之机。我们将处理大规模杀伤性武器问题，使新世纪没有新恐惧。

 

与自由为敌和与我们国家为敌的人都不应置疑：传统和意愿将使美国继续参与国际事务，平衡力量格局，加强自由的势力。我们将维护我们的盟友和我们的利益。我们将展示自己的目标，但不狂妄自大。我们将坚决有力地对待攻击和恶意。我们将向所有国家宣传赋予我们国家生命的价值观。

 

一个最理想的美国是富于同情心的美国。在内心深处，我们知道：深重持续的贫穷与我们国家的承诺是不相称的。

 

不管我们怎样看待其根源，能肯定的是，处于危难中的儿童自己并没有过错。遗弃和虐待不是上帝所为，而是缺少爱心的表现。增多监狱，不论多么必要，都不能代替灵魂深处的希望和安宁。

 

哪里有苦难，哪里就有责任。需要帮助的美国人不是陌路人，而是国家公民。他们不应被看成祸端，而应被作为重点。有任何人绝望都使我们大家黯然失色。

 

政府对公共安全、公共健康、民权和公共教育，负有极大的责任。然而热忱的同情心是靠整个民族使然，而不是仅属于政府的职责。有些人的需求和所受的伤害如此迫切深重，只有良师的指点或神职人员的祈祷才起作用。教会和慈善机构、犹太会堂和清真寺，在用它们的人道主义影响我们的社会。它们将在我们的规划和法律中占有一个崇高的位置。

 

我们国家有很多人没受过贫困之苦，但我们可以倾听受过苦的人的心声。我可以向我们的国家承诺做到一点：当我们看到那个在去往耶利哥的途中受伤的行路人时，不会掉头不管。

 

最理想的美国是一个推崇并期待个人有责任心的国家。

 

鼓励承担责任不是寻找替罪羊，而是对良知的呼唤。尽管这需要做出牺牲，但它能带来更深的满足感。生活的充实不仅在于选择，也在于承诺。我们发现，致力于儿童和社会事业，使我们获得了自由。

 

我们的公共利益是由个人性格、公民责任、家庭联系、公平基本原则，以及指导我们的自由的数不胜数的无名的高尚行为所决定的。

 

生活中有些时刻，我们被召唤去做一些伟大的事情。但正如我们这个时代的一位圣人所说，我们每天都被召唤以极大的爱心来从事琐碎的工作。一个民主制度中的最重要的使命是靠每一个人完成的。

 

我将恪守以下原则，并以它们为指导：有礼有节地推行我的信念、勇敢地追求公共利益、为更广泛的正义和同情而直言、倡导责任感，并争取以身作则。

 

我将通过所有这些途径，使我们的历史传统在我们的时代得到发扬。

 

你们个人的所作所为同政府的作为同样重要。我请求你们不计个人享乐为大众造福；保护应该进行的改革不被随意攻击；以及从帮助邻居做起，为国家服务。我请求你们做公民：做公民而不做旁观者；做公民而不做臣民；做有责任感的公民，建设一个奉献的社会和一个有道德的国家。

 

美国人是慷慨、坚强和正直的，不是因为我们相信自己，而是因为我们具有超越自己的信念。这种公民精神一旦失去，任何政府项目都无法替代。而只要这种精神存在，任何邪恶都无法与之对抗。

 

在《独立宣言》签署之后，弗吉尼亚州的政治家佩奇在写给杰斐逊的信中说：“我们知道跑得快的人不一定跑第一，争斗中的赢家也不一定是强方。你难道不认为有一个驾驭旋风的天使指挥这场风暴吗？”

 

从杰斐逊来这里宣誓就职至今已经多年过去了。虽然时光和变化在日积月累，但他会知道我们这一天的主题，这就是：我们国家充满勇气的光辉历史和保持尊严的淳朴梦想。

 

我们不是书写历史的人。史书的作者有着他自己跨越时空直到永恒的目标。但他的目标是通过我们的责任实现的，而我们的责任是在造福他人中完成的。

 

今天我们再次重申这个目标：永不疲倦、永不屈服、永不停止地使我们的国家变得更公正、更慷慨；矢志维护我们生命的以及每个人的生命的尊严。

 

这种努力在继续。这个历史在延续。一个天使仍然在驾驭旋风，指挥着这场风暴。

 

愿上帝保佑你们所有人，愿上帝保佑美国。

 

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