看完之後的心得，
美國，果然還是一個自由的國家！因為自由，才帶來希望。
在我看來，是一個保守中不失突破的演說。
他是第一個在就職演說時，提到同志權利的總統。我覺得這很重要，總統觀念的改變，是有影響力的，是會讓一些事情轉變的！ 當總統也注意到同志的權利時，下面的幕僚就應該會有相對應的對策及施行方案，讓我們靜觀其變吧！
原文網址：http://www.udn.com/2013/1/22/NEWS/WORLD/WOR1/7652704.shtml
Vice President Biden, Mr. Chief Justice, members of the United States Congress, distinguished guests, and fellow citizens:
Each time we gather to inaugurate a president, we bear witness to the enduring strength of our Constitution. We affirm the promise of our democracy. We recall that what binds this nation together is not the colors of our skin or the tenets of our faith or the origins of our names. What makes us exceptional — what makes us American — is our allegiance to an idea, articulated in a declaration made more than two centuries ago:
每次我們聚在一起為總統舉行就職儀式，我們同時見證了我們憲法的持久力量。我們肯定我們對民主制度的承諾。我們也再次想起，讓這個國家團結一致的，不是我們的膚色，我們的信仰的教義，或是我們姓氏的來歷。讓我們與眾不同，讓美國人之所以是美國人的，是我們忠於一個想法，而它在兩百多年前的一項宣言中已有所闡述：
"We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness."
「我們認為這些真理是不言自明的，所有人生而平等，創造者賦予他們一些特定不可剝奪的權利，包括生命權，自由權和追求幸福的權利。」
Today we continue a never-ending journey, to bridge the meaning of those words with the realities of our time. For history tells us that while these truths may be self-evident, they have never been self-executing; that while freedom is a gift from God, it must be secured by His people here on earth. The patriots of 1776 did not fight to replace the tyranny of a king with the privileges of a few or the rule of a mob. They gave to us a Republic, a government of, and by, and for the people, entrusting each generation to keep safe our founding creed.
今天，我們將繼續展開一項永無止境的旅程，讓這些話的意義與我們時代的現實相結合。歷史告訴我們，這些真理雖然不言而喻，它們卻從來不會自動執行，雖然自由是神賜的禮物，它必須靠地球上祂的子民加以確保。一七七六年的愛國者並非是為推翻專制國王，換上少數人的特權或是暴民統治而戰。他們給予我們一個共和國，一個民有、民治、民享的政府，交託給每一世代保護我們的建國信念。
For more than 200 years, we have.
兩百多年來，我們做到了。
Through blood drawn by lash and blood drawn by sword, we learned that no union founded on the principles of liberty and equality could survive half-slave and half-free. We made ourselves anew, and vowed to move forward together. Together, we determined that a modern economy requires railroads and highways to speed travel and commerce; schools and colleges to train our workers.
透過挨鞭與中劍所流的血液，我們領悟到，植基於自由與平等的聯邦，沒有一個能夠在半奴隸半自由的狀態下存活。我們讓自己重生，誓言向前邁進。
同心協力，我們決定一個現代經濟必須要有鐵路和公路以加快旅遊和商業，我們也需要學校和大學以培養我們的工人。
Together, we discovered that a free market only thrives when there are rules to ensure competition and fair play. Together, we resolved that a great nation must care for the vulnerable, and protect its people from life's worst hazards and misfortune.
同心協力，我們發現，唯有訂定規則，確保競爭與公平，自由市場方能蓬勃發展。
同心協力，我們決定，一個偉大的國家必須照顧弱勢族群，保護人民免於遭受生命中最大的危險和不幸。
Through it all, we have never relinquished our skepticism of central authority, nor have we succumbed to the fiction that all society's ills can be cured through government alone. Our celebration of initiative and enterprise; our insistence on hard work and personal responsibility, are constants in our character.
在這一切過程中，我們從未放棄對中央威權的質疑，也從未相信這種假話，亦即所有的社會弊病可以單獨透過政治解決。
我們頌揚自動自發與進取心，我們對努力工作和個人責任的堅持已在我們的個性中根深柢固。
But we have always understood that when times change, so must we; that fidelity to our founding principles requires new responses to new challenges; that preserving our individual freedoms ultimately requires collective action. For the American people can no more meet the demands of today's world by acting alone than American soldiers could have met the forces of fascism or communism with muskets and militias. No single person can train all the math and science teachers we'll need to equip our children for the future, or build the roads and networks and research labs that will bring new jobs and businesses to our shores. Now, more than ever, we must do these things together, as one nation, and one people.
但是我們始終了解，當時代改變時，我們也必須有所改變。忠於我們的建國原則需要在面對新挑戰時作出新的反應；維護我們每一個人的自由最終需要集體行動。因為美國人已無法靠單獨行動滿足今天世界的需求，一如美國軍人無法單獨對付擁有兵槍的法西斯主義或共產主義。不是單靠一個人，就能訓練出我們所需的所有數學和科學教師，協助我們的兒童為未來作好準備，也不是單靠一個人，就能修築道路與架設網路和研究實驗室，帶來新的工作機會與商機。現在，更甚以往，我們同心協力，一個國家，一個民族。
This generation of Americans has been tested by crises that steeled our resolve and proved our resilience. A decade of war is now ending. An economic recovery has begun. America's possibilities are limitless, for we possess all the qualities that this world without boundaries demands: youth and drive; diversity and openness; an endless capacity for risk and a gift for reinvention. My fellow Americans, we are made for this moment, and we will seize it — so long as we seize it together. For we, the people, understand that our country cannot succeed when a shrinking few do very well and a growing many barely make it. We believe that America's prosperity must rest upon the broad shoulders of a rising middle class. We know that America thrives when every person can find independence and pride in their work; when the wages of honest labor liberate families from the brink of hardship. We are true to our creed when a little girl born into the bleakest poverty knows that she has the same chance to succeed as anybody else, because she is an American, she is free, and she is equal, not just in the eyes of God but also in our own.
這一代的美國人已經歷過危機的測試，更加鍛鍊了我們的決心，證明我們的應變能力。十年的戰爭現在正在結束中。經濟已開始復甦。美國的可能性是無窮的，因為我們擁有無疆界世界所需的所有特質：年輕與動力；多元與開放；對抗風險的無止盡能力，以及再創造的天賦。我的美國同胞們，我們是為這一刻而生，而我們會抓緊這一刻，只要我們是同心協力抓緊它。
我們，人民，了解到當愈來愈少的人非常富有，愈來愈多的人僅能糊口，國家不會成功。我們相信美國的繁榮必須仰賴廣大崛起中的中產階級肩膀。我們知道，當每個人能在工作中找到獨立和驕傲，美國就會繁盛；當誠實勞工的薪水能使家庭免於貧苦。出生在極貧家庭的小女孩知道她與其他人一樣，都有機會成功，因為她是美國人，她是自由的，她是平等的，不僅在上帝的眼中，也在我們自己的眼中，那麼我們就忠於我們的信仰。
We understand that outworn programs are inadequate to the needs of our time. We must harness new ideas and technology to remake our government, revamp our tax code, reform our schools, and empower our citizens with the skills they need to work harder, learn more, and reach higher. But while the means will change, our purpose endures: a nation that rewards the effort and determination of every single American. That is what this moment requires. That is what will give real meaning to our creed.
我們了解到，過時的計畫不符我們的時代所需。我們必須有新的想法和科技，再造我們的政府，修改我們的稅制、改革我們的學校，給更努力工作、學習更多和追求更高的公民所需的技術。雖然這意味要改變，我們的目標不變：一個給每個美國人的努力和決心報酬的國家。這是此刻需要的，將賦予我們的信條真正的意義。
We, the people, still believe that every citizen deserves a basic measure of security and dignity. We must make the hard choices to reduce the cost of health care and the size of our deficit. But we reject the belief that America must choose between caring for the generation that built this country and investing in the generation that will build its future. For we remember the lessons of our past, when twilight years were spent in poverty, and parents of a child with a disability had nowhere to turn. We do not believe that in this country, freedom is reserved for the lucky, or happiness for the few. We recognize that no matter how responsibly we live our lives, any one of us, at any time, may face a job loss, or a sudden illness, or a home swept away in a terrible storm. The commitments we make to each other — through Medicare, and Medicaid, and social security — these things do not sap our initiative; they strengthen us. They do not make us a nation of takers; they free us to take the risks that make this country great.
我們，人民，仍相信每個公民都值得基本的安全和尊嚴。我們必須做艱難抉擇，降低健保的成本和我們的赤字。但我們拒絕這樣的想法：美國必須在照顧建立這個國家的一代，與投資在將建立未來的一代身上，做一選擇。因為我們記得我們過去的教訓，當晚年在貧窮中度過，殘障孩子的父母求助無門。我們不相信，在這個國家，自由專屬於幸運者，快樂專屬於少數人。我們認知到，不管我們多麼負責的過日子，我們任何一個人，在任何時候，也許面臨失業或突然生病，或家園被可怕的暴風雨吹走。我們相互的承諾，透過聯邦醫療保險、聯邦醫療補助和社會安全，這些不會削弱我們的計畫，而是強化。這些不會使我們成為接受者的國家，這些讓我們免於冒險使這個國家不偉大。
We, the people, still believe that our obligations as Americans are not just to ourselves, but to all posterity. We will respond to the threat of climate change, knowing that the failure to do so would betray our children and future generations. Some may still deny the overwhelming judgment of science, but none can avoid the devastating impact of raging fires, and crippling drought, and more powerful storms. The path towards sustainable energy sources will be long and sometimes difficult. But America cannot resist this transition; we must lead it. We cannot cede to other nations the technology that will power new jobs and new industries — we must claim its promise. That is how we will maintain our economic vitality and our national treasure — our forests and waterways; our croplands and snowcapped peaks. That is how we will preserve our planet, commanded to our care by God. That's what will lend meaning to the creed our fathers once declared.
我們，人民，仍相信身為美國人的責任不只是顧自己，而是全體的繁榮。我們將回應氣候變遷的威脅，了解無法做到，將背叛我們的孩子和未來的世世代代。有些人也許仍否認科學的判斷，但沒有人能避開火災的毀滅性威力、具有破壞力的乾旱和更強大的暴風雨。通往永續能源的道路將很漫長，有時滿布荊蕀。但美國不能抗拒此一轉型；我們必須當領頭羊。我們不能放棄能提供新工作和新產業的科技，拱手讓給其他國家，我們必須宣稱擁有它的發展性。這是我們如何來維持我們的經濟活力和我們國家寶藏─我們的森林和河川；我們的農田和覆蓋白雪的山峰。這是我們如何來維護我們的地球，上帝命令我們照顧的地球。這將賦予我們父親宣稱的信條意義。
We, the people, still believe that enduring security and lasting peace do not require perpetual war. Our brave men and women in uniform, tempered by the flames of battle, are unmatched in skill and courage. Our citizens, seared by the memory of those we have lost, know too well the price that is paid for liberty. The knowledge of their sacrifice will keep us forever vigilant against those who would do us harm. But we are also heirs to those who won the peace and not just the war, who turned sworn enemies into the surest of friends, and we must carry those lessons into this time as well.
我們，人民，仍相信持久的安全與和平不需要持久的戰爭。我們勇敢的軍人，經過戰火的洗禮，戰技與勇氣無與倫比。我們的公民，為懷念我們失去的人所苦，太了解為自由付出的代價有多高。了解他們的犧牲，將使我們永遠對傷害我們的人提高警覺。但我們也是那些贏得和平者，而不只是贏得戰爭者的繼承人，他們把咀咒的敵人變成最可靠的朋友，我們也必須記取這些教訓。
We will defend our people and uphold our values through strength of arms and rule of law. We will show the courage to try and resolve our differences with other nations peacefully — not because we are naïve about the dangers we face, but because engagement can more durably lift suspicion and fear. America will remain the anchor of strong alliances in every corner of the globe; and we will renew those institutions that extend our capacity to manage crisis abroad, for no one has a greater stake in a peaceful world than its most powerful nation. We will support democracy from Asia to Africa; from the Americas to the Middle East, because our interests and our conscience compel us to act on behalf of those who long for freedom. And we must be a source of hope to the poor, the sick, the marginalized, the victims of prejudice — not out of mere charity, but because peace in our time requires the constant advance of those principles that our common creed describes: tolerance and opportunity; human dignity and justice.
我們會透過法治以及武器的力量，守護我們的人民並堅持我們的價值。我們會展現勇氣，嘗試和其他國家和平的解決歧見，這並非因為我們以天真的態度面對危險，而是因為接觸才能更持久的消除懷疑和恐懼。在全球每個角落，美國會持續在堅強的盟邦中擔任舵手，我們會持續更新這些機制，伸展我們的力量處理國外的危機，因為一個和平的世界，對於這個世界最強大的國家而言最是利害相關。我們會支持從亞洲到非洲、從美洲到中東的民主政權，因為我們的利益和我們的良心，迫使我們為這些企求自由的人們代言。對於窮人、病人、處於邊緣和歧視的受害者，我們必須成為希望的來源，這並不只出於慈善之心，而是因為我們這個時代的和平，仰賴這些信念的持續進展，如同我們的普世價值所陳述：容忍和機會，人性尊嚴和公平正義。
We, the people, declare today that the most evident of truths — that all of us are created equal — is the star that guides us still; just as it guided our forebears through Seneca Falls, and Selma, and Stonewall; just as it guided all those men and women, sung and unsung, who left footprints along this great Mall, to hear a preacher say that we cannot walk alone; to hear a King proclaim that our individual freedom is inextricably bound to the freedom of every soul on earth.
我們今天宣示最明顯的真理，就是我們都生而平等，這仍是引領我們的晨星，如同其引領我們的祖先經歷塞尼卡佛爾（譯注：美國女權運動發源地）、 謝爾瑪（譯注：美國南北戰爭著名戰場）以及史東沃爾（譯注：美國同性戀者爭平權的示威之地），如同其引領那些男男女女，高歌的或是靜默的，在這個偉大的殿堂上留下足跡，並聆聽一位導師（譯注：指馬丁路德金恩）說我們不能踽踽獨行，聆聽金恩宣示我們的個人自由和地球上每一個人的個人自由是密不可分的。
It is now our generation's task to carry on what those pioneers began. For our journey is not complete until our wives, our mothers, and daughters can earn a living equal to their efforts. Our journey is not complete until our gay brothers and sisters are treated like anyone else under the law — for if we are truly created equal, then surely the love we commit to one another must be equal as well. Our journey is not complete until no citizen is forced to wait for hours to exercise the right to vote. Our journey is not complete until we find a better way to welcome the striving, hopeful immigrants who still see America as a land of opportunity; until bright young students and engineers are enlisted in our workforce rather than expelled from our country. Our journey is not complete until all our children, from the streets of Detroit to the hills of Appalachia to the quiet lanes of Newtown, know that they are cared for, and cherished, and always safe from harm.
接續這些先驅所開展的志業，是我們這一代的使命。我們的旅程不會結束，除非我們的妻子、母親和女兒付出的努力能與她們獲得的報酬相稱。我們的旅程不會結束，除非我們的同志兄弟和姊妹在法律之下享有和其他人同樣的權利，因為我們如果真的生而平等，那麼我們付出給他人的愛應該也是平等的。我們的旅程不會結束，除非沒有人會為了行使投票權被迫等待幾小時，我們的旅程不會結束，除非我們找到更好的方式，歡迎那些飢餓的、懷抱希望而來的移民，他們仍視美國為機會之地，讓那些充滿天分的年輕學子和工程師成為我們的人力，而非將他們趕出我們的國家。我們的旅程不會結束，除非所有的孩童，從底特律街頭、阿帕拉契山巔到新鎮（譯注：2012年12月14日發生28人死亡的小學槍擊案）的平靜街巷，都能感受到他們被照顧被珍視，永遠安全不被傷害。
That is our generation's task — to make these words, these rights, these values — of Life, and Liberty, and the pursuit of happiness — real for every American. Being true to our founding documents does not require us to agree on every contour of life; it does not mean we will all define liberty in exactly the same way, or follow the same precise path to happiness. Progress does not compel us to settle centuries-long debates about the role of government for all time — but it does require us to act in our time.
這是我們這一代的任務：讓這些屬於生活、自由與追求快樂的紀錄、權利與價值，為每一位美國人落實。對我們立國的文件求真，並不是要我們事事順服；也不意謂我們用完全相同的方式定義自由；或遵循相同精確的途徑，尋求快樂。進步不迫使我們在政府角色這項長達數世紀的辯論上，尋求定論；但卻要求我們現下要有所作為。
For now decisions are upon us, and we cannot afford delay. We cannot mistake absolutism for principle, or substitute spectacle for politics, or treat name-calling as reasoned debate. We must act, knowing that our work will be imperfect. We must act, knowing that today's victories will be only partial, and that it will be up to those who stand here in four years, and 40 years, and four hundred years hence to advance the timeless spirit once conferred to us in a spare Philadelphia hall. My fellow Americans, the oath I have sworn before you today, like the one recited by others who serve in this Capitol, was an oath to God and country, not party or faction — and we must faithfully execute that pledge during the duration of our service. But the words I spoke today are not so different from the oath that is taken each time a soldier signs up for duty, or an immigrant realizes her dream. My oath is not so different from the pledge we all make to the flag that waves above and that fills our hearts with pride.
現在是我們做決定的時刻，也不容拖延。我們不能把拒不妥協錯當原則，或讓譁眾表現取代政治，或把辱罵當成合理的辯論。儘管知道我們的作為並不完美，我們仍必須有所作為；儘管知道今天的勝利只是片面的，取決於站在此地四年，四十年與四百年者，以推進曾從費城一座大廳傳達給我們的永恆精神，我們仍必須有所作為。
我的美國同胞們，我今天在各位面前宣誓的誓詞，和在國會山莊任職的人所誦讀的一樣，是對上帝與國家，而非對政黨或派系的誓言。我們必須在任職期間，忠實地履行那項誓言。但我今天所說的，與士兵登錄服役，或新移民實現夢想時所說的，並無二致。我的誓詞，與讓我們對在上飛舞，且讓我們胸滿驕傲的國旗所做的誓詞，並無二致。
They are the words of citizens, and they represent our greatest hope.
他們是公民的話語，也代表我們最偉大的夢想。
You and I, as citizens, have the power to set this country's course.
你和我，作為公民，有能力設定這個國家的路徑。
You and I, as citizens, have the obligation to shape the debates of our time — not only with the votes we cast, but with the voices we lift in defence of our most ancient values and enduring ideals.
你和我，作為公民，有義務形塑當今的辯論；不僅用我們投下的選票，也以我們用來辯護我們最古老價值與恆久理想的聲音。
Let each of us now embrace, with solemn duty and awesome joy, what is our lasting birthright. With common effort and common purpose, with passion and dedication, let us answer the call of history, and carry into an uncertain future that precious light of freedom.
讓我們每個人，用莊嚴的責任與無比的喜悅，擁抱屬於我們的與生俱來的永續權利。用共同的努力與共同的目的；用熱情與全心付出，讓我們回應歷史的呼喚，並在不確定的未來，帶入寶貴的自由之光。
Thank you, God bless you, and may He forever bless these United States of America.
謝謝！願神保祐你，也願神保祐美利堅合眾國。
（原文取自白宮網站，譯文為聯合報編譯提供）
美國，果然還是一個自由的國家！因為自由，才帶來希望。
在我看來，是一個保守中不失突破的演說。
他是第一個在就職演說時，提到同志權利的總統。我覺得這很重要，總統觀念的改變，是有影響力的，是會讓一些事情轉變的！ 當總統也注意到同志的權利時，下面的幕僚就應該會有相對應的對策及施行方案，讓我們靜觀其變吧！
原文網址：http://www.udn.com/2013/1/22/NEWS/WORLD/WOR1/7652704.shtml
Vice President Biden, Mr. Chief Justice, members of the United States Congress, distinguished guests, and fellow citizens:
Each time we gather to inaugurate a president, we bear witness to the enduring strength of our Constitution. We affirm the promise of our democracy. We recall that what binds this nation together is not the colors of our skin or the tenets of our faith or the origins of our names. What makes us exceptional — what makes us American — is our allegiance to an idea, articulated in a declaration made more than two centuries ago:
每次我們聚在一起為總統舉行就職儀式，我們同時見證了我們憲法的持久力量。我們肯定我們對民主制度的承諾。我們也再次想起，讓這個國家團結一致的，不是我們的膚色，我們的信仰的教義，或是我們姓氏的來歷。讓我們與眾不同，讓美國人之所以是美國人的，是我們忠於一個想法，而它在兩百多年前的一項宣言中已有所闡述：
"We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness."
「我們認為這些真理是不言自明的，所有人生而平等，創造者賦予他們一些特定不可剝奪的權利，包括生命權，自由權和追求幸福的權利。」
Today we continue a never-ending journey, to bridge the meaning of those words with the realities of our time. For history tells us that while these truths may be self-evident, they have never been self-executing; that while freedom is a gift from God, it must be secured by His people here on earth. The patriots of 1776 did not fight to replace the tyranny of a king with the privileges of a few or the rule of a mob. They gave to us a Republic, a government of, and by, and for the people, entrusting each generation to keep safe our founding creed.
今天，我們將繼續展開一項永無止境的旅程，讓這些話的意義與我們時代的現實相結合。歷史告訴我們，這些真理雖然不言而喻，它們卻從來不會自動執行，雖然自由是神賜的禮物，它必須靠地球上祂的子民加以確保。一七七六年的愛國者並非是為推翻專制國王，換上少數人的特權或是暴民統治而戰。他們給予我們一個共和國，一個民有、民治、民享的政府，交託給每一世代保護我們的建國信念。
For more than 200 years, we have.
兩百多年來，我們做到了。
Through blood drawn by lash and blood drawn by sword, we learned that no union founded on the principles of liberty and equality could survive half-slave and half-free. We made ourselves anew, and vowed to move forward together. Together, we determined that a modern economy requires railroads and highways to speed travel and commerce; schools and colleges to train our workers.
透過挨鞭與中劍所流的血液，我們領悟到，植基於自由與平等的聯邦，沒有一個能夠在半奴隸半自由的狀態下存活。我們讓自己重生，誓言向前邁進。
同心協力，我們決定一個現代經濟必須要有鐵路和公路以加快旅遊和商業，我們也需要學校和大學以培養我們的工人。
Together, we discovered that a free market only thrives when there are rules to ensure competition and fair play. Together, we resolved that a great nation must care for the vulnerable, and protect its people from life's worst hazards and misfortune.
同心協力，我們發現，唯有訂定規則，確保競爭與公平，自由市場方能蓬勃發展。
同心協力，我們決定，一個偉大的國家必須照顧弱勢族群，保護人民免於遭受生命中最大的危險和不幸。
Through it all, we have never relinquished our skepticism of central authority, nor have we succumbed to the fiction that all society's ills can be cured through government alone. Our celebration of initiative and enterprise; our insistence on hard work and personal responsibility, are constants in our character.
在這一切過程中，我們從未放棄對中央威權的質疑，也從未相信這種假話，亦即所有的社會弊病可以單獨透過政治解決。
我們頌揚自動自發與進取心，我們對努力工作和個人責任的堅持已在我們的個性中根深柢固。
But we have always understood that when times change, so must we; that fidelity to our founding principles requires new responses to new challenges; that preserving our individual freedoms ultimately requires collective action. For the American people can no more meet the demands of today's world by acting alone than American soldiers could have met the forces of fascism or communism with muskets and militias. No single person can train all the math and science teachers we'll need to equip our children for the future, or build the roads and networks and research labs that will bring new jobs and businesses to our shores. Now, more than ever, we must do these things together, as one nation, and one people.
但是我們始終了解，當時代改變時，我們也必須有所改變。忠於我們的建國原則需要在面對新挑戰時作出新的反應；維護我們每一個人的自由最終需要集體行動。因為美國人已無法靠單獨行動滿足今天世界的需求，一如美國軍人無法單獨對付擁有兵槍的法西斯主義或共產主義。不是單靠一個人，就能訓練出我們所需的所有數學和科學教師，協助我們的兒童為未來作好準備，也不是單靠一個人，就能修築道路與架設網路和研究實驗室，帶來新的工作機會與商機。現在，更甚以往，我們同心協力，一個國家，一個民族。
This generation of Americans has been tested by crises that steeled our resolve and proved our resilience. A decade of war is now ending. An economic recovery has begun. America's possibilities are limitless, for we possess all the qualities that this world without boundaries demands: youth and drive; diversity and openness; an endless capacity for risk and a gift for reinvention. My fellow Americans, we are made for this moment, and we will seize it — so long as we seize it together. For we, the people, understand that our country cannot succeed when a shrinking few do very well and a growing many barely make it. We believe that America's prosperity must rest upon the broad shoulders of a rising middle class. We know that America thrives when every person can find independence and pride in their work; when the wages of honest labor liberate families from the brink of hardship. We are true to our creed when a little girl born into the bleakest poverty knows that she has the same chance to succeed as anybody else, because she is an American, she is free, and she is equal, not just in the eyes of God but also in our own.
這一代的美國人已經歷過危機的測試，更加鍛鍊了我們的決心，證明我們的應變能力。十年的戰爭現在正在結束中。經濟已開始復甦。美國的可能性是無窮的，因為我們擁有無疆界世界所需的所有特質：年輕與動力；多元與開放；對抗風險的無止盡能力，以及再創造的天賦。我的美國同胞們，我們是為這一刻而生，而我們會抓緊這一刻，只要我們是同心協力抓緊它。
我們，人民，了解到當愈來愈少的人非常富有，愈來愈多的人僅能糊口，國家不會成功。我們相信美國的繁榮必須仰賴廣大崛起中的中產階級肩膀。我們知道，當每個人能在工作中找到獨立和驕傲，美國就會繁盛；當誠實勞工的薪水能使家庭免於貧苦。出生在極貧家庭的小女孩知道她與其他人一樣，都有機會成功，因為她是美國人，她是自由的，她是平等的，不僅在上帝的眼中，也在我們自己的眼中，那麼我們就忠於我們的信仰。
We understand that outworn programs are inadequate to the needs of our time. We must harness new ideas and technology to remake our government, revamp our tax code, reform our schools, and empower our citizens with the skills they need to work harder, learn more, and reach higher. But while the means will change, our purpose endures: a nation that rewards the effort and determination of every single American. That is what this moment requires. That is what will give real meaning to our creed.
我們了解到，過時的計畫不符我們的時代所需。我們必須有新的想法和科技，再造我們的政府，修改我們的稅制、改革我們的學校，給更努力工作、學習更多和追求更高的公民所需的技術。雖然這意味要改變，我們的目標不變：一個給每個美國人的努力和決心報酬的國家。這是此刻需要的，將賦予我們的信條真正的意義。
We, the people, still believe that every citizen deserves a basic measure of security and dignity. We must make the hard choices to reduce the cost of health care and the size of our deficit. But we reject the belief that America must choose between caring for the generation that built this country and investing in the generation that will build its future. For we remember the lessons of our past, when twilight years were spent in poverty, and parents of a child with a disability had nowhere to turn. We do not believe that in this country, freedom is reserved for the lucky, or happiness for the few. We recognize that no matter how responsibly we live our lives, any one of us, at any time, may face a job loss, or a sudden illness, or a home swept away in a terrible storm. The commitments we make to each other — through Medicare, and Medicaid, and social security — these things do not sap our initiative; they strengthen us. They do not make us a nation of takers; they free us to take the risks that make this country great.
我們，人民，仍相信每個公民都值得基本的安全和尊嚴。我們必須做艱難抉擇，降低健保的成本和我們的赤字。但我們拒絕這樣的想法：美國必須在照顧建立這個國家的一代，與投資在將建立未來的一代身上，做一選擇。因為我們記得我們過去的教訓，當晚年在貧窮中度過，殘障孩子的父母求助無門。我們不相信，在這個國家，自由專屬於幸運者，快樂專屬於少數人。我們認知到，不管我們多麼負責的過日子，我們任何一個人，在任何時候，也許面臨失業或突然生病，或家園被可怕的暴風雨吹走。我們相互的承諾，透過聯邦醫療保險、聯邦醫療補助和社會安全，這些不會削弱我們的計畫，而是強化。這些不會使我們成為接受者的國家，這些讓我們免於冒險使這個國家不偉大。
We, the people, still believe that our obligations as Americans are not just to ourselves, but to all posterity. We will respond to the threat of climate change, knowing that the failure to do so would betray our children and future generations. Some may still deny the overwhelming judgment of science, but none can avoid the devastating impact of raging fires, and crippling drought, and more powerful storms. The path towards sustainable energy sources will be long and sometimes difficult. But America cannot resist this transition; we must lead it. We cannot cede to other nations the technology that will power new jobs and new industries — we must claim its promise. That is how we will maintain our economic vitality and our national treasure — our forests and waterways; our croplands and snowcapped peaks. That is how we will preserve our planet, commanded to our care by God. That's what will lend meaning to the creed our fathers once declared.
我們，人民，仍相信身為美國人的責任不只是顧自己，而是全體的繁榮。我們將回應氣候變遷的威脅，了解無法做到，將背叛我們的孩子和未來的世世代代。有些人也許仍否認科學的判斷，但沒有人能避開火災的毀滅性威力、具有破壞力的乾旱和更強大的暴風雨。通往永續能源的道路將很漫長，有時滿布荊蕀。但美國不能抗拒此一轉型；我們必須當領頭羊。我們不能放棄能提供新工作和新產業的科技，拱手讓給其他國家，我們必須宣稱擁有它的發展性。這是我們如何來維持我們的經濟活力和我們國家寶藏─我們的森林和河川；我們的農田和覆蓋白雪的山峰。這是我們如何來維護我們的地球，上帝命令我們照顧的地球。這將賦予我們父親宣稱的信條意義。
We, the people, still believe that enduring security and lasting peace do not require perpetual war. Our brave men and women in uniform, tempered by the flames of battle, are unmatched in skill and courage. Our citizens, seared by the memory of those we have lost, know too well the price that is paid for liberty. The knowledge of their sacrifice will keep us forever vigilant against those who would do us harm. But we are also heirs to those who won the peace and not just the war, who turned sworn enemies into the surest of friends, and we must carry those lessons into this time as well.
我們，人民，仍相信持久的安全與和平不需要持久的戰爭。我們勇敢的軍人，經過戰火的洗禮，戰技與勇氣無與倫比。我們的公民，為懷念我們失去的人所苦，太了解為自由付出的代價有多高。了解他們的犧牲，將使我們永遠對傷害我們的人提高警覺。但我們也是那些贏得和平者，而不只是贏得戰爭者的繼承人，他們把咀咒的敵人變成最可靠的朋友，我們也必須記取這些教訓。
We will defend our people and uphold our values through strength of arms and rule of law. We will show the courage to try and resolve our differences with other nations peacefully — not because we are naïve about the dangers we face, but because engagement can more durably lift suspicion and fear. America will remain the anchor of strong alliances in every corner of the globe; and we will renew those institutions that extend our capacity to manage crisis abroad, for no one has a greater stake in a peaceful world than its most powerful nation. We will support democracy from Asia to Africa; from the Americas to the Middle East, because our interests and our conscience compel us to act on behalf of those who long for freedom. And we must be a source of hope to the poor, the sick, the marginalized, the victims of prejudice — not out of mere charity, but because peace in our time requires the constant advance of those principles that our common creed describes: tolerance and opportunity; human dignity and justice.
我們會透過法治以及武器的力量，守護我們的人民並堅持我們的價值。我們會展現勇氣，嘗試和其他國家和平的解決歧見，這並非因為我們以天真的態度面對危險，而是因為接觸才能更持久的消除懷疑和恐懼。在全球每個角落，美國會持續在堅強的盟邦中擔任舵手，我們會持續更新這些機制，伸展我們的力量處理國外的危機，因為一個和平的世界，對於這個世界最強大的國家而言最是利害相關。我們會支持從亞洲到非洲、從美洲到中東的民主政權，因為我們的利益和我們的良心，迫使我們為這些企求自由的人們代言。對於窮人、病人、處於邊緣和歧視的受害者，我們必須成為希望的來源，這並不只出於慈善之心，而是因為我們這個時代的和平，仰賴這些信念的持續進展，如同我們的普世價值所陳述：容忍和機會，人性尊嚴和公平正義。
We, the people, declare today that the most evident of truths — that all of us are created equal — is the star that guides us still; just as it guided our forebears through Seneca Falls, and Selma, and Stonewall; just as it guided all those men and women, sung and unsung, who left footprints along this great Mall, to hear a preacher say that we cannot walk alone; to hear a King proclaim that our individual freedom is inextricably bound to the freedom of every soul on earth.
我們今天宣示最明顯的真理，就是我們都生而平等，這仍是引領我們的晨星，如同其引領我們的祖先經歷塞尼卡佛爾（譯注：美國女權運動發源地）、 謝爾瑪（譯注：美國南北戰爭著名戰場）以及史東沃爾（譯注：美國同性戀者爭平權的示威之地），如同其引領那些男男女女，高歌的或是靜默的，在這個偉大的殿堂上留下足跡，並聆聽一位導師（譯注：指馬丁路德金恩）說我們不能踽踽獨行，聆聽金恩宣示我們的個人自由和地球上每一個人的個人自由是密不可分的。
It is now our generation's task to carry on what those pioneers began. For our journey is not complete until our wives, our mothers, and daughters can earn a living equal to their efforts. Our journey is not complete until our gay brothers and sisters are treated like anyone else under the law — for if we are truly created equal, then surely the love we commit to one another must be equal as well. Our journey is not complete until no citizen is forced to wait for hours to exercise the right to vote. Our journey is not complete until we find a better way to welcome the striving, hopeful immigrants who still see America as a land of opportunity; until bright young students and engineers are enlisted in our workforce rather than expelled from our country. Our journey is not complete until all our children, from the streets of Detroit to the hills of Appalachia to the quiet lanes of Newtown, know that they are cared for, and cherished, and always safe from harm.
接續這些先驅所開展的志業，是我們這一代的使命。我們的旅程不會結束，除非我們的妻子、母親和女兒付出的努力能與她們獲得的報酬相稱。我們的旅程不會結束，除非我們的同志兄弟和姊妹在法律之下享有和其他人同樣的權利，因為我們如果真的生而平等，那麼我們付出給他人的愛應該也是平等的。我們的旅程不會結束，除非沒有人會為了行使投票權被迫等待幾小時，我們的旅程不會結束，除非我們找到更好的方式，歡迎那些飢餓的、懷抱希望而來的移民，他們仍視美國為機會之地，讓那些充滿天分的年輕學子和工程師成為我們的人力，而非將他們趕出我們的國家。我們的旅程不會結束，除非所有的孩童，從底特律街頭、阿帕拉契山巔到新鎮（譯注：2012年12月14日發生28人死亡的小學槍擊案）的平靜街巷，都能感受到他們被照顧被珍視，永遠安全不被傷害。
That is our generation's task — to make these words, these rights, these values — of Life, and Liberty, and the pursuit of happiness — real for every American. Being true to our founding documents does not require us to agree on every contour of life; it does not mean we will all define liberty in exactly the same way, or follow the same precise path to happiness. Progress does not compel us to settle centuries-long debates about the role of government for all time — but it does require us to act in our time.
這是我們這一代的任務：讓這些屬於生活、自由與追求快樂的紀錄、權利與價值，為每一位美國人落實。對我們立國的文件求真，並不是要我們事事順服；也不意謂我們用完全相同的方式定義自由；或遵循相同精確的途徑，尋求快樂。進步不迫使我們在政府角色這項長達數世紀的辯論上，尋求定論；但卻要求我們現下要有所作為。
For now decisions are upon us, and we cannot afford delay. We cannot mistake absolutism for principle, or substitute spectacle for politics, or treat name-calling as reasoned debate. We must act, knowing that our work will be imperfect. We must act, knowing that today's victories will be only partial, and that it will be up to those who stand here in four years, and 40 years, and four hundred years hence to advance the timeless spirit once conferred to us in a spare Philadelphia hall. My fellow Americans, the oath I have sworn before you today, like the one recited by others who serve in this Capitol, was an oath to God and country, not party or faction — and we must faithfully execute that pledge during the duration of our service. But the words I spoke today are not so different from the oath that is taken each time a soldier signs up for duty, or an immigrant realizes her dream. My oath is not so different from the pledge we all make to the flag that waves above and that fills our hearts with pride.
現在是我們做決定的時刻，也不容拖延。我們不能把拒不妥協錯當原則，或讓譁眾表現取代政治，或把辱罵當成合理的辯論。儘管知道我們的作為並不完美，我們仍必須有所作為；儘管知道今天的勝利只是片面的，取決於站在此地四年，四十年與四百年者，以推進曾從費城一座大廳傳達給我們的永恆精神，我們仍必須有所作為。
我的美國同胞們，我今天在各位面前宣誓的誓詞，和在國會山莊任職的人所誦讀的一樣，是對上帝與國家，而非對政黨或派系的誓言。我們必須在任職期間，忠實地履行那項誓言。但我今天所說的，與士兵登錄服役，或新移民實現夢想時所說的，並無二致。我的誓詞，與讓我們對在上飛舞，且讓我們胸滿驕傲的國旗所做的誓詞，並無二致。
They are the words of citizens, and they represent our greatest hope.
他們是公民的話語，也代表我們最偉大的夢想。
You and I, as citizens, have the power to set this country's course.
你和我，作為公民，有能力設定這個國家的路徑。
You and I, as citizens, have the obligation to shape the debates of our time — not only with the votes we cast, but with the voices we lift in defence of our most ancient values and enduring ideals.
你和我，作為公民，有義務形塑當今的辯論；不僅用我們投下的選票，也以我們用來辯護我們最古老價值與恆久理想的聲音。
Let each of us now embrace, with solemn duty and awesome joy, what is our lasting birthright. With common effort and common purpose, with passion and dedication, let us answer the call of history, and carry into an uncertain future that precious light of freedom.
讓我們每個人，用莊嚴的責任與無比的喜悅，擁抱屬於我們的與生俱來的永續權利。用共同的努力與共同的目的；用熱情與全心付出，讓我們回應歷史的呼喚，並在不確定的未來，帶入寶貴的自由之光。
Thank you, God bless you, and may He forever bless these United States of America.
謝謝！願神保祐你，也願神保祐美利堅合眾國。
（原文取自白宮網站，譯文為聯合報編譯提供）
