59.The Audacity[n.大胆,厚颜] of Hope 有希望则无所畏惧
1.On behalf[n.利益] of the great state[n.国家；(美国的)州] of Illinois[n.伊利诺州],crossroads[n.十字路口,汇集地] of a nation[n.民族；国家],Land of Lincoln[n.林肯],let me express[vt.表达；表示] my deepest gratitude[n.感激,感谢] for the privilege[n.特有的权利或利益] of addressing this convention[n.习俗,惯例]. Tonight is a particular[adj.特殊的；特别的] honor[n.荣誉;尊敬;敬意] for me because,let's face it,my presence[n.在场] on this stage[n.舞台；时期；阶段] is pretty[adj.漂亮的；俊俏的] unlikely. My father was a foreign student,born and raised[(raise):vt.使升高；饲养 vt.饲养] in a small village in Kenya[n.肯亚]. He grew up herding[(herd):n.兽群,牧群 vt.放牧] goats[(goat):n.山羊],went to school in a tin-roof shack[n.简陋的小屋,棚屋]. His father-my grandfather-was a cook,a domestic[a.家里的;国内的,本国的 n.家仆,佣人] servant[n.仆人] to the British[adj.英国的；英国人的].
1.今晚我将在这里代表伟大的伊利诺伊州来向大会发表演讲，为此我感到无上荣幸。众所周知，伊利诺伊州是全国的交通枢纽，林肯总统的发祥地。另外，我能够站在讲台上向全党的代表发言实在是有点受宠若惊，因为坦率地讲，这对我而言几乎是做梦都想不到的事情。请允许我先从我的出身讲起，我的父亲是个外国留学生，他土生土长在肯尼亚的一个小村庄，他从小在那里放羊，在简陋的铁皮顶小屋里上学。他的父亲，也就是我的爷爷，是一位为别人做饭的家庭佣工。
2.But my grandfather[n.祖父;外祖父] had larger dreams[(dream):vt.&n.梦；梦想] for his son. Through hard work and perseverance[n.坚持不懈,不屈不挠] my father got a scholarship[n.奖学金] to study in a magical[a.魔术的;神奇的] place,America,that shone as a beacon[n.灯塔;指向标] of freedom[n.自由] and opportunity[n.机会] to so many who had come before. While studying here,my father met my mother. She was born in a town on the other side of the world,in Kansas[n.堪萨斯州]. Her father worked on oil[n.油] rigs[(rig):vt.操纵,垄断 n.钻井架,塔台] and farms through most of the Depression[n.沮丧;消沉]. The day after Pearl[n.珍珠] Harbor[v.怀有,怀着 n.港口,港湾] my grandfather[n.祖父;外祖父] signed up for duty; joined Patton's army[n.军队],marched across Europe[n.欧洲]. Back home,my grandmother[n.祖母,外祖母] raised[(raise):vt.使升高；饲养 vt.饲养] a baby and went to work on a bomber[(bomb):n.炸弹] assembly[n.装配] line. After the war[n.战争],they studied on the G.I. Bill[n.(美)钞票；纸币],bought a house through F.H.A.,and later moved west all the way to Hawaii[n.夏威夷(美国州名)] in search[n.&v.搜寻；搜查] of opportunity[n.机会].
2.但是我爷爷不想让我父亲步其后尘
，他对我的父亲有着更大的期许和梦想。艰辛的努力和顽强的毅力使我父亲拿到了到美国留学的奖学金。于是我父亲漂洋过海，来到了美国这片神奇的国土。美国是自由的灯塔，她给予了早年来这里闯世界的人大量的机会。在留学期间，我父亲遇到了我母亲。我母亲出生在堪萨斯的一个小镇上，这里和肯尼亚分属地球的两端。我的外祖父在大萧条时期为了养家糊口，不是在石油钻井架下打工，就是在农场务农。珍珠港事件后他自愿入伍，进入巴顿将军的部队，曾在整个欧洲大陆辗转作战。在后方家中，外祖母养育着他们的孩子，并在一条轰炸机流水线上工作。战后，他们研究了《退伍军人权利法案》，通过联邦住宅管理局提供的贷款买了一套房子，并移居到美国西部的夏威夷，以寻找更好的发展机会。
3.And they,too,had big dreams[(dream):vt.&n.梦；梦想] for their daughter. A common dream[vt.&n.梦；梦想],born of two continents[(continent):n.大陆；大洲]. My parents shared[(share):vt.分享；共同使用] not only an improbable[adj.奇异的] love,they shared[(share):vt.分享；共同使用] an abiding[(abide):vi.遵守;vt.忍受] faith[n.信仰；信念] in the possibilities[(possibility):n.可能；可能性] of this nation[n.民族；国家]. They would give me an African[adj.非洲的；非洲人的] name,Barack,or "blessed[(bless):vt.保佑；祝福]," believing[(believe):vt.&vi.相信；认为] that in a tolerant[adj.宽容的,容忍的] America your name is no barrier[n.障碍] to success[n.成功]. They imagined[(imagine):vt.想象；设想] me going to the best schools in the land,even though they weren't rich,because in a generous[adj.慷慨大方的] America you don't have to be rich to achieve[vt.完成；达到] your potential[n.潜在性,可能性]. They're both passed away now. And yet,I know that on this night they look down on me with great pride[n.自豪].
3.他们对我的母亲也有着同样的期许和梦想。这是一个来自两个大洲的共同梦想。我的父母不但共同享受着来自父母们无以复加的爱，他们也笃信在美国这个国家一切皆有可能。他们赐予我一个非洲名字，巴拉克，意为“受神福佑的”。他们相信在宽容大度的美国，一个人的名字不是通向成功的障碍。尽管生活并不富裕，但他们还是想让我去最好的学校接受最好的教育，因为在慷慨大方的美国，一个人即使不富裕也能淋漓尽致地发挥他的潜能。现在他们都过世了。不过我知道，在这个夜晚，他们正满怀骄傲自天堂注视着我。
4.They stand here and I stand here today,grateful[adj.(表示)感激的] for the diversity[n.差异,多样性] of my heritage[n.遗产,继承物],aware[a.知道的,意识到的] that my parents' dreams[(dream):vt.&n.梦；梦想] live on in my two preci
ous[a.宝贵的，珍贵的] daughters. I stand here knowing that my story is part of the larger American story,that I owe[vt.欠(债等)] a debt[n.债务；欠款] to all of those who came before me,and that,in no other country on earth,is my story even possible. Tonight,we gather[vi.&vt.聚集；采集] to affirm[v.证实,确认] the greatness of our nation[n.民族；国家],not because of the height[n.高；高度] of our skyscrapers[(skyscraper):n.摩天大楼],or the power[n.力；动力；电力] of our military[n.军方],or the size of our economy[n.经济]. Our pride[n.自豪] is based[(base):n.根据地；基地] on a very simple premise[n.前提,假设,房产],summed[(sum):n.一笔钱] up in a declaration[n.宣布,宣言;申诉]2 made over two hundred years ago,"We hold these truths[(truth):n.真相；实际情况] to be self-evident[a.自明的],that all men are created[(create):vt.创造；造成] equal[adj.平等的；均等的],that they are endowed[(endow):vt.资助;赋予,授予] by their Creator[创造者] with certain[adj.某种；一定的] inalienable[a.不可分割的,不可剥夺的] rights,that among these are Life,Liberty[n.自由 n.权利] and the pursuit[n.从事的事务,研究] of Happiness[n.幸福；愉快]."
4.今天他们站在这里，我站在这里，为我血液里流淌着多样遗传基因而满怀感激，我知道我父母的梦想正在我的两个宝贝女儿身上延续。我站在这里，知道我的故事是更宏大的美国故事集里的一部分，也知道我应该感激那些在我之前来到这里的先辈们，更知道我的故事在这个世界的任何其他地方都不可能发生。今晚，我们欢聚一堂，更加坚定地相信我们国家的伟大，这个伟大并不在于我们的摩天大楼有多高，也不在于我们的军备实力有多强，更不在于我们的经济规模有多大。我们对这个伟大的国家的自豪感建筑在一个相当简单的前提之上，用两百多年前先辈们写就的《独立宣言》里的话概括起来就是：“我们坚信以下真理不言而喻：人人生而平等。造物主赋予他们某些不可剥夺的权利，包括生命权、自由权和追求幸福的权利。”5.That is the true genius[n.天才] of America,a faith[n.信仰；信念] in simple dreams[(dream):vt.&n.梦；梦想],an insistence[n.坚持] on small miracles[(miracle):n.奇迹]; that we can tuck[v.塞(好),掖(好)] in our children at night and know that they are fed[(feed):vt.喂(养)；饲(养)] and clothed[(clothe):vt.给…穿衣服] and safe from harm[v.伤害]; that we can say what we think,write what we think,without hearing a sudden[a.突然的] knock on the door; that we can have an idea and start our own business without paying a bribe[n.贿赂 vt.向…行贿]; that we can participate[v.参与] in the political[adj.政治的] process[n.过程;步骤] without fear[n.害怕，恐惧；担忧] of retribution[n.(由于伤害等)应得的惩罚
或赔偿],and that our votes[(vote):vi.选举；投票] will be counted-at least[n.最少量；最少] most of the time.3
5.这就是美国的本质之所在：我们对简单梦想的无比信任，我们对生命中小小奇迹的执着追求。我们能在深夜给孩子掖好被子时确信他们衣食无忧且远离伤害；我们能言吾所想，写吾所悟，而毋庸担心因言获罪；我们一旦有了某种奇思妙想，就可以大干一场，开创自己的事业而无须去行贿。我们能参与政治进程而不必担心被报复，也无需担心我们的投票是否有效（至少绝大多数时候，我们的选票是被计票的）。
6.This year,in this election[n.选举] we are called to reaffirm[vt.重申,再肯定] our values[(value):n.价值；益处] and our commitments[(commitment):n.承诺],to hold them against a hard reality[n.现实] and see how we're measuring[(measure):vt.&vi.量] up to the legacy[n.遗产] of our forbearers and the promise[vi.&vt.允诺；答应] of future[n.将来] generations[(generation):n.代；一代]. And fellow[n.同伴；伙伴] Americans,Democrats[(Democrat):n.(美)民主党党员],Republicans[(Republican):n.(美)共和党党员],Independents[(independent):a.独立的，有主见的],I say to you tonight: We have more work to do-more work to do for the workers I met in Galesburg,Illinois[n.伊利诺州],who are losing their union[n.联合；联盟] jobs[(job):n.工作] at the Maytag plant that's moving to Mexico[n.墨西哥],and now are having to compete[vi.比赛；竞赛] with their own children for jobs[(job):n.工作] that pay seven bucks[(buck):n.美元] an hour; more to do for the father that I met who was losing his job[n.工作] and choking[(choke):v.说不出话来] back the tears[(tear):vt.&vi.扯破；撕开],wondering[(wonder):vt.想知道] how he would pay 4,500 dollars a month for the drugs[(drug):n.药；药物] his son needs without the health benefits[(benefit):n.好处] that he counted on; more to do for the young woman in East St. Louis[n.路易斯],and thousands more like her,who has the grades,has the drive,has the will,but doesn't have the money to go to college[n.学院].
6.在今年这次选举中，我们要重申我们的价值观和承诺，秉持它们去对抗艰难时局；并继承先辈的精神遗产，谨守对后世子孙的诺言。所有的美国公民们，无论你是民主党人、共和党人还是无党派人士，今晚我要对你们说：我们还有更多的工作要做。伊利诺伊州盖尔斯堡市的那些工人们需要我们做更多的努力，他们正面临无法在美泰格工厂里工作的危险，该工厂正准备搬迁到墨西哥，因此他们现今被迫同他们的子女争抢每小时7美金的工作机会；一位失了业的父亲需要我们做更多的工作，当我遇到他时，他勉强克制住泪水向我叙述他的不幸遭遇，他在担心他如何负担儿子每个月多需要的4500美金的医药
费，而原本这些费用是可以指望他的医疗保险报销的；伊利诺伊州东圣路易斯市的一个年轻女孩需要我们做更多的工作，她有成绩、有动力，也愿意去上大学，但她却没钱去实现她的大学梦，处境像她这样的人还有成千上万。
7.Now,don't get me wrong. The people I meet-in small towns and big cities,in diners[(diner):n.食客] and office parks- they don't expect[vt.盼望；认为] government[n.政府] to solve[vt.解决；解答(难题)] all their problems. They know they have to work hard to get ahead,and they want to. Go into the collar[n.衣领；硬领] counties[(county):n.郡,县] around Chicago[n.芝加哥(美国城市)],and people will tell you they don't want their tax[n.税 vt.对......征税] money wasted[(waste):n.&vt.浪费],by a welfare[n.福利] agency[n.某种机构] or by the Pentagon[n.五边形]. Go into any inner city neighborhood[n.邻近地区],and folks[(folk):adj.民间的] will tell you that government[n.政府] alone can't teach our kids[(kid):v.开玩笑,取笑] to learn; they know that parents have to teach,that children can't achieve[vt.完成；达到] unless[conj.除非，如果不] we raise[vt.使升高；饲养 vt.饲养] their expectations[(expectation):n.期望] and turn off the television[n.电视;电视机] sets and eradicate[v.摆脱,消灭] the
slander[n.&vt.诽谤,诋毁] that says a black youth[n.青春；小伙子] with a book is acting[(act):vi.(戏)表演 vt.扮演(角色)；演出(戏)] white. They know those things. People don't expect-People don't expect[vt.盼望；认为] government[n.政府] to solve[vt.解决；解答(难题)] all their problems. But they sense[n.感觉；意识],deep in their bones[(bone):n.骨，骨头],that with just a slight[adj.微小的] change in priorities[(priority):n.优先考虑的事],we can make sure that every child in America has a decent[adj.合适的] shot[(shoot):vt.射击；射中；发射] at life,and that the doors of opportunity[n.机会] remain[vt.余下；留下] open to all. They know we can do better. And they want that choice[n.选择；抉择].
7.请不要误解我说的话，认为政府应该包揽一切。事实上，我所接触的人们，无论是在大城还是小镇，无论是在餐厅还是在办公楼停车场偶然遇到的，他们并未期待政府去解决他们所有的困难。他们清楚他们自己必须勤劳工作去克服难关，他们也真的想这样做。你若走进芝加哥周边的卫星城镇，人们会告诉你他们不愿让政府的福利机构或是五角大楼浪费自己所纳的税款。走进市中心的任何街区，人们会告诉你仅仅靠政府是不可能让孩子好好读书的。他们知道父母需要教育孩子，需要提高孩子的期望值，需要关掉电视机，需要消除诽谤--一个读过书的黑人小孩，其行为举止就会变得和白人青年一样--只有这样孩子才能进步。他们什么都知道
，人们并不指望政府解决他们面临的困难。但他们从骨子里认为，只要是政府理顺执政的轻重缓急，它就能确保美国的每个孩子的生活有个像样的目标，让机遇向所有人敞开大门。他们知道我们能做的更好。他们选择的就是我们。
8.John Kerry[n.黑色的小乳牛] believes[(believe):vt.&vi.相信；认为] in America. And he knows that it's not enough for just some of us to prosper-for alongside[ad.在旁边 prep.和…在一起;在…旁边] our famous individualism[n.个性(独立思考、行动的原则或习惯)],there's another ingredient[n.要素,成分] in the American saga[n.传说,英雄事迹,冒险故事],a belief[n.信念；信条] that we're all connected[(connect):vt.&vi.连接；把......联系起来] as one people. If there is a child on the south side of Chicago[n.芝加哥(美国城市)] who can't read,that matters to me,even if it's not my child. If there is a senior[adj.高级的；较高的] citizen[n.公民；居民] somewhere[ad.在某处] who can't pay for their prescription[n.药方] drugs[(drug):n.药；药物],and having to choose between medicine and the rent[n.租金],that makes my life poorer,even if it's not my grandparent[n.祖父(母),外祖父(母)]. If there's an Arab[n.阿拉伯人 adj.阿拉伯的] American family being rounded up without benefit[n.好处] of an attorney[n.(业务或法律事务上的)代理人;辩护律师] or due[adj.预期的；约定的] process[n.过程;步骤],that threatens[(threaten):v.威胁,恐吓] my civil[adj.国内的] liberties[(liberty):n.自由 n.权利]. It is that fundamental[a.基本的,根本的] belief-I am my brother's keeper. I am my sister's keeper-that makes this country work. It's what allows[(allow):vt.允许，准许] us to pursue[v.(继续)从事或忙于(某事物)] our individual[n.个人,个体] dreams[(dream):vt.&n.梦；梦想] and yet still come together as one American family. "E pluribus unum." Out of many,one.
8.约翰?克里相信美国。他也知道仅仅一部分公民的富足远远不够，与我们闻名于世的个人主义如影随形的，是美国激荡的历史中的另一种元素。这个元素就是我们的信仰，即我们形形色色的人心心相通，凝聚成一个民族。加入芝加哥南部的一个小朋友不识字，即使那不是我的孩子，我也会因此惴惴不安。如果一个年事已高的老婆婆付不起她的诊疗费而被迫在医疗费和房租之间进行选择，即使她不是我的祖母，也会使我羞愧难当。如果一个阿拉伯裔的美国家庭未经律师辩护或诉讼程序就遭到驱逐，我也会感到我的公民自由受到了威胁。正是这个基本的信仰使我们美国国祚棉长--“我是我的兄弟的守护人，我是我的姐妹的守护人”。这样的信念确保我们在被允许追逐个人梦想的同时，还能紧密团结成一个美利坚大家庭。“合众为一”，众志成城
。
9.In the end,that's what this election[n.选举] is about. Do we participate[v.参与] in a politicsof cynicism[n.犬儒主义] or do we participate[v.参与] in a politics[n.政治] of hope? I'm not talking about blindoptimism here-the almost willful[adj.任性的,固执的] ignorance[n.无知] that thinks unemployment[n.失业;失业人数] will goaway if we just don't think about it,or the health care crisis[n.(重病的)转折点;危机] will solve[vt.解决；解答(难题)] itself if wejust ignore[v.忽视] it. That's not what I'm talking about. I'm talking about something moresubstantial. It's the hope of slaves[(slave):n.奴隶] sitting around a fire singing freedom[n.自由] songs; thehope of immigrants[(immigrant):n.移民] setting out for distant[adj.远的；遥远的] shores[(shore):n.滨；岸]; the hope of a young navallieutenant bravely[(brave):adj.勇敢的] patrolling[(patrol):n.巡逻 v.巡逻] the Mekong[n.湄公河] Delta[n.三角洲]; the hope of a mill[n.工厂] worker's sonwho dares[(dare):v.aux.敢；敢于] to defy[v.(公然)违抗,藐视;使不可能] the odds[n.可能性;机会]; the hope of a skinny[adj.极瘦的] kid[v.开玩笑,取笑] with a funny[adj.有趣的；滑稽的] name whobelieves that America has a place for him,too. Hope in the face of difficulty[adj.困难；费力]. Hopein the face of uncertainty[n.不肯定的事]. The audacity[n.大胆,厚颜] of hope!4
9.一言以蔽之，这才是这次选举的意义：我们投入愤世嫉俗的政治还是参与满怀希望的政治？我不是在谈盲目的乐观主义。不要以为如果我们不讨论失业问题它便会自动消失，不要以为只要是我们无视医疗保险中存在的问题它就会自行解除，那是一厢情愿的无知。我要说的不是这个，我在此谈论的都是实质性问题。我谈的是希望，希望就是奴隶们围坐在篝火旁吟唱自由的歌曲；希望就是移民们背井离乡驾船出发驶向遥远的彼岸；希望就是年轻的海军上尉勇敢地在湄公河三角洲巡逻；希望就是一个工厂工人的儿子对厄运的不屈抗争；希望就是一个有着怪怪名字的、干瘦的小孩也相信美国会有一片属于他的天地。有希望则无所畏惧！10.In the end,that is God's[(god):n.神；(大写)上帝] greatest gift to us,the bedrock[n.基础,基石] of this nation[n.民族；国家]. Abelief in things not seen. A belief[n.信念；信条] that there are better days ahead. I believe[vt.&vi.相信；认为] that wecan give our middle class relief[n.(痛苦等)减轻,解除] and provide[vt.提供] working families with a road toopportunity. I believe[vt.&vi.相信；认为] we can provide[vt.提供] jobs[(job):n.工作] to the jobless[a.失业的],homes to the homeless[a.无家的,无养主的],and reclaim[n.认领] young people in cities across America from violence[n.暴力行为] and despair[n.绝望]. I believe[vt.&vi.相信；认为] that we have a righteous[a.
公正的,正义的,正直的] wind at our backs and that as we stand on the crossroads[n.十字路口,汇集地] of history,we can make the right choices[(choice):n.选择；抉择],and meet the challenges[(challenge):n.考验(人或事物)的能力,激发] that face us.
10.其实，希望是上帝赐予我们的最好礼物，是这个民族的基石，是对未来的愿景，是对明天更美好的坚信。我相信我们民主党人能为中产阶级提供帮助，为工薪阶层制造更多的机会；我相信我们能为失业者提供工作，为无家可归者提供归宿，能把陷于暴力和绝望中的美国都市里的年轻人挽救出来。我相信当我们站在历史的十字路口时，我们能作出正确的抉择，并迎接我们面临的挑战。