偶像励志英语演讲 第105期:美国总统奥巴马就职演说(1)

　　My fellow citizens:
同胞们：
I stand here today humbled¹ by the task before us, grateful for the trust you have bestowed², mindful of the sacrifices borne by our ancestors. I thank President Bush for his service to our nation, as well as the generosity³ and cooperation he has shown throughout this transition.
我今天站在这里，深感我们面前使命的重大，感谢你们赋予的信任，并将铭记我们的前辈所付出的代价。我感谢布什总统对国家的贡献以及他在整个过渡阶段给予的慷慨和合作。
Forty-four Americans have now taken the presidential oath. The words have been spoken during rising tides of prosperity and the still waters of peace. Yet, every so often the oath is taken amidst gathering⁴ clouds and raging storms. At these moments, America has carried on not simply because of the skill or vision of those in high office, but because we the People have remained faithful to the ideals of our forbearers, and true to our founding documents.
至此，有四十四个美国人发出总统誓言。这些字词曾在蒸蒸日上的繁荣时期和宁静安详的和平年代诵读，但是有时也发布在阴云密布、风暴降临的时刻。美国能够历经这些时刻而勇往直前，不仅因为当政者的才干或远见，而且也因为我们的人民始终坚信我们先辈的理想，对我们的建国理念忠贞不渝地履行。
So it has been. So it must be with this generation of Americans.
这是过来之路，也是这一代美国人的必由之路。
That we are in the midst of crisis is now well understood. Our nation is at war, against a far-reaching network of violence and hatred⁵. Our economy is badly weakened, a consequence of greed and irresponsibility on the part of some, but also our collective failure to make hard choices and prepare the nation for a new age. Homes have been lost; jobs shed; businesses shuttered. Our health care is too costly⁶; our schools fail too many; and each day brings further evidence that the ways we use energy strengthen our adversaries⁷ and threaten our planet.
我们处于危机之中，这一点已得到充分认识。我们国家在进行战争，打击分布广泛的暴力和仇恨势力。我们的经济被严重削弱，部分归咎于一些人的贪婪不轨，同时也因为我们作为一个整体，未能痛下决心，让国家做好面对新时代的准备。如今，房地产不济，就业减少，商业破产。医疗保健费用过度昂贵；学校质量没有保障；而每一天都在不断显示，我们使用能源的方式在助长敌人的威风，威胁我们的星球。
重点讲解：
1. be grateful for
感激的；表示感谢的；
eg. I was grateful for the old man's sage⁸ advice.
我很感激那位老人贤明的忠告。
eg. He was grateful for all you did.
他对你所做的一切表示感激。
2. be mindful of
留心的；注意的；
eg. We must be mindful of the consequences of selfishness.
我们必须考虑自私自利的后果。
eg. Mindful of the needs of its students, Cardiff has invested heavily in providing new and improved residences.
考虑到学生的需要，加的夫大学投入了巨资兴建和改善学生宿舍。
3. every so often
（有规律地）有时，偶尔；
eg. She's going to come back every so often.
她会偶尔回来的。
eg. Every so often he would turn and look at her.
他会时不时回头看她一眼。
4. be faithful to
忠实的；忠诚的；忠贞不渝的；
eg. She had been faithful to her promise to guard this secret.
她一直信守承诺，保守着这个秘密。
eg. I plight⁹ that I will always be faithful to my work.
我发誓我会一直忠诚于我的工作。
5. be true to
忠实的；忠诚的；恪守（诺言、思想等）的；
eg. We believe in him, who is always true to his word.
我们信任他，他总是说话算话的。
eg. He is always true to his friends.
他始终忠于朋友。
6. in the midst of
在…中；
eg. He was in the midst of a great and mingled¹⁰ emotional experience.
他百感交集，正经历着巨大的感情冲击。
eg. The students were in the midst of a lively discussion when the teacher came in.
正当同学们热烈讨论的时候，老师进来了。

1 humbled   

adj. 卑下的，谦逊的，粗陋的 vt. 使 ... 卑下，贬低

参考例句：

• The examination results humbled him. 考试成绩挫了他的傲气。
• I am sure millions of viewers were humbled by this story. 我相信数百万观众看了这个故事后都会感到自己的渺小。

2 bestowed   

赠给，授予( bestow的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• It was a title bestowed upon him by the king. 那是国王赐给他的头衔。
• He considered himself unworthy of the honour they had bestowed on him. 他认为自己不配得到大家赋予他的荣誉。

3 generosity   

n.大度，慷慨，慷慨的行为

参考例句：

• We should match their generosity with our own.我们应该像他们一样慷慨大方。
• We adore them for their generosity.我们钦佩他们的慷慨。

4 gathering   

n.集会，聚会，聚集

参考例句：

• He called on Mr. White to speak at the gathering.他请怀特先生在集会上讲话。
• He is on the wing gathering material for his novels.他正忙于为他的小说收集资料。

5 hatred   

n.憎恶，憎恨，仇恨

参考例句：

• He looked at me with hatred in his eyes.他以憎恨的眼光望着我。
• The old man was seized with burning hatred for the fascists.老人对法西斯主义者充满了仇恨。

6 costly   

adj.昂贵的，价值高的，豪华的

参考例句：

• It must be very costly to keep up a house like this.维修这么一幢房子一定很昂贵。
• This dictionary is very useful,only it is a bit costly.这本词典很有用，左不过贵了些。

7 adversaries   

n.对手，敌手( adversary的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• That would cause potential adversaries to recoil from a challenge. 这会迫使潜在的敌人在挑战面前退缩。 来自辞典例句
• Every adversaries are more comfortable with a predictable, coherent America. 就连敌人也会因有可以预料的，始终一致的美国而感到舒服得多。 来自辞典例句

8 sage   

n.圣人，哲人；adj.贤明的，明智的

参考例句：

• I was grateful for the old man's sage advice.我很感激那位老人贤明的忠告。
• The sage is the instructor of a hundred ages.这位哲人是百代之师。

9 plight   

n.困境，境况，誓约，艰难；vt.宣誓，保证，约定

参考例句：

• The leader was much concerned over the plight of the refugees.那位领袖对难民的困境很担忧。
• She was in a most helpless plight.她真不知如何是好。

10 mingled   

混合，混入( mingle的过去式和过去分词 )； 混进，与…交往[联系]

参考例句：

• The sounds of laughter and singing mingled in the evening air. 笑声和歌声交织在夜空中。
• The man and the woman mingled as everyone started to relax. 当大家开始放松的时候，这一男一女就开始交往了。