精美英文欣赏:克林顿告别演说

My fellow citizens,tonight is my last opportunity to speak to you from the Oval Office as your president.

同胞们，今晚是我最后一次作为你们的总统，在白宫椭圆形办公室向你们做最后一次演讲。

I am profoundly grateful to you for twice giving me the honor to serve,to work for you and with you to prepare our nation for the 21st century.

我从心底深处感谢你们给了我2次机会和荣誉，为你们服务，为你们工作，和你们一起为我们的国家进入21世纪做准备。

And I'm grateful to Vice¹ President Gore,to my Cabinet secretaries, and to all those who have served with me for the last eight years.

这里，我要感谢戈尔副总统，我的内阁部长们以及所有伴我度过过去8年的同事们。

This has been a time of dramatic transformation,and you have risen to every new challenge.

现在是一个极具变革的年代，你们为迎接新的挑战已经做好了准备。

You have made our social fabric² stronger,our families healthier and safer,our people more prosperous.

是你们使我们的社会更加强大，我们的家庭更加健康和安全，我们的人民更加富裕。

You, the American people,have made our passage into the global information age an era of great American renewal³.

同胞们，我们已经进入了全球信息化时代，这是美国复兴的伟大时代。

In all the work I have done as president,every decision I have made,

作为总统，我所做的一切，每一个决定，

every executive action I have taken,every bill I have proposed and signed,

每一个行政命令，提议和签署的每一项法令，

I've tried to give all Americansthe tools and conditions to build the future of our dreams,

都是在努力为美国人民提供工具和创造条件，来实现美国的梦想，建设美国的未来

in a good society, with a strong economy,a cleaner environment,and a freer, safer, more prosperous world.

一个美好的社会，繁荣的经济，清洁的环境，进而实现一个更自由、更安全、更繁荣的世界。

I have steered⁴ my course by our enduring values.

借助我们永恒的价值，我驾驭了我的航程。

Opportunity for all. Responsibility from all.

机会属于每一个美国公民；

A community of all Americans.

责任来自全体美国人民；

I have sought to give America a new kind of government,smaller, more modern, more effective,full of ideas and policies appropriate to this new time,always putting people first,always focusing on the future.

所有美国人民组成了一个大家庭。我一直在努力为美国创造一个新型的政府：更小、更现代化、更有效率、面对新时代的挑战充满创意和思想、永远把人民的利益放在第一位、永远面向未来。

Working together, America has done well.

我们在一起使美国变得更加美好。

Our economy is breaking records,with more than 22 million new jobs,the lowest unemployment in 30 years,the highest home ownership ever,the longest expansion in history.

我们的经济正在破着一个又一个的记录，向前发展。我们已创造了2200万个新的工作岗位，我们的失业率是30年来最低的，老百姓的购房率达到一个空前的高度，我们经济繁荣的持续时间是历史上最长的。

As for me, I'll leave the presidency⁵ more idealistic,more full of hope than the day I arrived and more confident than ever that America's best days lie ahead.

对我来说，当我离开总统宝座时，我充满更多的理想，比初进白宫时更加充满希望，并且坚信美国的好日子还在后面。

My days in this office are nearly through,but my days of service, I hope, are not.

我的总统任期就要结束了，但是我希望我为美国人民服务的日子永远不会结束。

In the years ahead,I will never hold a position higher or a covenant⁶ more sacred than that of president of the United States.

在我未来的岁月里，我再也不会担任一个能比美利坚合众国总统更高的职位、签订一个比美利坚合众国总统所能签署的更为神圣的契约了。

But there is no titleI will wear more proudly than that of citizen.

当然，没有任何一个头衔能让我比作为一个美国公民更为自豪的了。

Thank you.

谢谢你们！

God bless you, and God bless America.

愿上帝保佑你们！愿上帝保佑美国！

1 vice   

n.坏事；恶习；[pl.]台钳，老虎钳；adj.副的

参考例句：

• He guarded himself against vice.他避免染上坏习惯。
• They are sunk in the depth of vice.他们堕入了罪恶的深渊。

2 fabric   

n.织物，织品，布；构造，结构，组织

参考例句：

• The fabric will spot easily.这种织品很容易玷污。
• I don't like the pattern on the fabric.我不喜欢那块布料上的图案。

3 renewal   

adj.(契约)延期，续订，更新，复活，重来

参考例句：

• Her contract is coming up for renewal in the autumn.她的合同秋天就应该续签了。
• Easter eggs symbolize the renewal of life.复活蛋象征新生。

4 steered   

v.驾驶( steer的过去式和过去分词 )；操纵；控制；引导

参考例句：

• He steered the boat into the harbour. 他把船开进港。
• The freighter steered out of Santiago Bay that evening. 那天晚上货轮驶出了圣地亚哥湾。 来自《简明英汉词典》

5 presidency   

n.总统(校长，总经理)的职位(任期)

参考例句：

• Roosevelt was elected four times to the presidency of the United States.罗斯福连续当选四届美国总统。
• Two candidates are emerging as contestants for the presidency.两位候选人最终成为总统职位竞争者。

6 covenant   

n.盟约，契约；v.订盟约

参考例句：

• They refused to covenant with my father for the property.他们不愿与我父亲订立财产契约。
• The money was given to us by deed of covenant.这笔钱是根据契约书付给我们的。