For as much as government can do and must do, it is ultimately the faith and determination of the American people upon which this nation relies. It is the kindness to take in a stranger when the levees break, the selflessness of workers who would rather cut their hours than see a friend lose their job which sees us through our darkest hours. It is the firefighter's courage to storm a stairway filled with smoke, but also a parent's willingness to nurture a child, that finally decides our fate.
虽然政府有大有作为的能力，而且也必须有所作为，但最终离不开美国人民的信仰和决心，这便是我们的立国之本。正是因为人们在大堤崩裂时接纳陌生人的关爱之情，正是因为工人们宁愿减少自己的工时而不愿看到朋友失去工作的无私精神，才使我们度过了最暗淡的时光。正是因为消防队员们有勇气冲进浓烟滚滚的楼道，也正是因为做父母的希望把一个孩子培养成才，我们才有能力决定最后的命运。
Our challenges may be new. The instruments with which we meet them may be new. But those values upon which our success depends-honesty and hard work, courage and fair play, tolerance and curiosity, loyalty and patriotism-these things are old. These things are true. They have been the quiet force of progress throughout our history. What is demanded then is a return to these truths. What is required of us now is a new era of responsibility-a recognition on the part of every American, that we have duties to ourselves, our nation, and the world, duties that we do not grudgingly accept but rather seize gladly, firm in the knowledge that there is nothing so satisfying to the spirit, so defining of our character, than giving our all to a difficult task.
我们面临的挑战可能前所未有。我们迎接挑战的方式也可能前所未有。然而，我们赖以成功的价值观——诚实和勤奋、勇气和公平、宽容心和探索精神、忠诚和爱国——均由来已久。这些价值观都是千真万确的。这些价值观是我国整个历史过程中一股无声的进步力量。现在需要的便是重归这些真理。我们现在需要做的是开创负责任的新时代——每一位美国人都需要认识到我们对自己、对国家、对全世界都承担着义务。对于那些义务，我们并非勉强接受，而是心甘情愿主动承担。同时我们坚信我们为艰巨的使命付出的一切，没有任何事情可以如此满足我们的道义感，也没有任何事能如此体现我们的特色。
This is the price and the promises of citizenship.
这就是公民的价值所在和承诺。
This is the source of our conficence-the knowledge that God calls on us to shape an uncertain destiny.
这就是我们自信的来源——认识到上帝呼唤我们在前途不明的情况下掌握自己的命运。
重点讲解：
1. take in
接纳；接受；
eg. The club took in a new member last week.
俱乐部上星期又吸收了一名新会员。
eg. We should get rid of the stale and take in the fresh.
我们应该吐故纳新。
2. would rather do sth. than do sth.
宁愿做某事而不愿做某事；
eg. I would rather remain poor than get money by dishonest means.
我宁可安于贫穷，也不愿用不当手段赚钱。
eg. I would rather die than live in disgrace.
我宁可死，也不愿忍辱偷生。
3. be filled with
充塞；
eg. He was filled with anger at the way he had been treated.
他因遭受如此待遇而怒火满腔。
eg. My room is filled with the odour of roses.
我的房间里充满了玫瑰花的香味。
4. depend upon
依赖；取决于；
eg. Whether you will succeed or not depend upon your own exertion.
是否会成功，取决于你自己的努力。
eg. Remember happiness doesn't depend upon who you are or what you have; it depends solely on what you calculate.
幸福不在于你是谁，你拥有什么，而仅仅在于你自己怎么看待。
5. call on sb. to do sth.
要求；呼吁；号召某人做某事；
eg. You'd better call on your friends to help you.
你最好请朋友来帮你。
eg. I now call on Mr. Jones to address the meeting.
我现在请琼斯先生在会上讲话。 |