英语沙龙：奥巴马-胜利属于你们

If there is anyone out there who still doubts that America is a place where all things are possible,

who still wonders if the dream of our founders¹ is alive in our time, who still questions the power of our democracy,

tonight is your answer.

It's the answer told by lines that stretched around schools and churches in numbers this nation has never seen,

by people who waited three hours and four hours, many for the first time in their lives,

because they believed that this time must be different, that their voices could be that difference.

It's the answer spoken by young and old, rich and poor, Democrat² and Republican, black,

white, Hispanic, Asian, Native American, gay, straight, disabled and not disabled.

Americans who sent a message to the world that we have never been just a collection of individuals or a collection of red states and blue states.

We are, and always will be, the United States of America.

It's the answer that led those who 've been told for so long by so many to be cynical³ and fearful and doubtful about what we can achieve to put their hands on the arc of history and bend it once more toward the hope of a better day.

It's been a long time coming, but tonight, because of what we did on this date in this election at this defining moment change has come to America.

The election had many firsts and many stories that will be told for generations.

But one that's on my mind tonight is about a woman who cast her ballot⁴ in Atlanta.

She is a lot like the millions of others who stood in line to make their voices heard in this election except for one thing Ann Nixon Cooper is 106 years old.

When there was despair in the dust bowl and depression across the land, she saw a nation conquer fear itself with a New Deal,

new jobs and a new sense of common purpose.

Yes we can.

1 founders   

n.创始人( founder的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• He was one of the founders of the university's medical faculty. 他是该大学医学院的创建人之一。 来自辞典例句
• The founders of our religion made this a cornerstone of morality. 我们宗教的创始人把这看作是道德的基石。 来自辞典例句

2 democrat   

n.民主主义者，民主人士；民主党党员

参考例句：

• The Democrat and the Public criticized each other.民主党人和共和党人互相攻击。
• About two years later,he was defeated by Democrat Jimmy Carter.大约两年后，他被民主党人杰米卡特击败。

3 cynical   

adj.(对人性或动机)怀疑的，不信世道向善的

参考例句：

• The enormous difficulty makes him cynical about the feasibility of the idea.由于困难很大，他对这个主意是否可行持怀疑态度。
• He was cynical that any good could come of democracy.他不相信民主会带来什么好处。

4 ballot   

n.（不记名）投票，投票总数，投票权；vi.投票

参考例句：

• The members have demanded a ballot.会员们要求投票表决。
• The union said they will ballot members on whether to strike.工会称他们将要求会员投票表决是否罢工。