英语视频：美国总统奥巴马在圣诞树亮灯活动上的讲话

Remarks by the President at the Lighting¹ of the National Christmas Tree
总统在国家圣诞树亮灯活动上的讲话
The Ellipse
椭圆形草坪
December 6, 2013
2013年12月6日
Merry Christmas, everybody! Well, this show is always a great way to get in the holiday spirit. Every year, I rehearse my own little act, just in case. But it seems like, yet again, they couldn’t find space to squeeze me into the program. (Laughter.) You are lucky I’m not singing.
大家圣诞快乐！亮灯活动一向是感受节日气氛的很好的方式。每年我都要排练一下我自己的小节目，以防万一。不过看起来，他们又一次无法把我安排到节目中。（笑声）我不唱歌是大家的运气。
First of all, let me thank Secretary Jewell and welcome her to her first Christmas Tree Lighting. She is doing a great job for our national parks. She used to run one of America’s biggest outdoor recreation companies, and now she’s charged with protecting the great outdoors for all of us. So we appreciate her and we want to thank Neil Mulholland and the whole National Park Foundation and National Park Service team for helping² to put this beautiful production together.
首先，让我感谢朱厄尔部长，并欢迎她第一次参加圣诞树亮灯活动。她为国家公园所做的工作极为出色。她过去执掌美国最大的户外休闲活动公司之一，现在她负责为我们所有人保护我们的大户外。所以，我们向她表示感谢，我们还要感谢尼尔·马尔霍兰和整个国家公园基金会及国家公园管理局团队，他们帮助组织了这场美不胜收的表演。
Let’s also give it up for Jane Lynch and all the great performers who are doing an incredible job putting us in a festive³ mood tonight. (Applause.) And to all Americans who are here today and watching at home, we are so glad to be part of this wonderful holiday tradition.
也让我们为简·林奇和所有出色的演员们鼓掌，今晚，他们令人赞叹的表演让我们沉浸在节日气氛中（掌声）。而且我们要对今天在这里和在家里观看表演的所有美国人说，我们很高兴地参加这一精彩的节日传统活动。
For 91 years, the National Christmas Tree has stood as a beacon⁴ of light and a promise during the holiday season. During times of peace and prosperity, challenge and change, Americans have gathered around our national tree to kick off the holiday season and give thanks for everything that makes this time of year so magical -- spending time with friends and family, and spreading tidings of peace and goodwill⁵ here at home and around the world.
91年来，国家圣诞树始终代表着节日期间的灯塔和希望。在和平和繁荣以及挑战和变化的时代，美国人民汇聚在我们的国家圣诞树下，庆祝节日的开始，并对让每年的此时美妙无比的所有事物表达感恩——与亲朋好友共度时光，并在国内和世界各地传播和平及友善的喜讯。
And this year, we give a special measure of gratitude⁶ for Nelson Mandela, a man who championed that generosity⁷ of spirit. (Applause.) In his life, he blessed us with tremendous grace and unbelievable courage. And we are all privileged to live in a world touched by his goodness.
今年，我们向倡导这一慷慨精神的纳尔逊·曼德拉致以特别的谢意（掌声）。他在一生中以高风亮节和难以置信的勇气给我们带来福祉。生活在被其美德触动的世界中是我们所有人的殊荣。
Each Christmas, we celebrate the birth of a child who came into the world with only a stable’s roof to shelter Him. But through a life of humility⁸ and the ultimate sacrifice, a life guided by faith and kindness towards others, Christ assumed a mighty⁹ voice, teaching us lessons of compassion¹⁰ and charity that have lasted more than two millennia¹¹. He ministered to the poor. He embraced the outcast. He healed the sick. And in Him we see a living example of scripture¹² that we ought to love others not only through our words, but also through our deeds.
每年圣诞节，我们都庆祝一位在出生时只有马厩的屋顶为他遮风挡雨的婴孩的降生。但是，通过谦卑及付出最大牺牲的一生、由信仰及善待他人引领的一生，耶稣基督发出了强有力的声音，给予我们同情和仁爱的教诲，这些教诲已持续了两千多年。他扶助穷人。他接纳被遗弃者。他治愈病人。在他身上，我们看到经文活生生的典范，教导我们不仅应当通过我们的言词，还应当通过我们的行动去关爱他人。
It’s a message both timeless and universal -- no matter what God you pray to, or if you pray to none at all – we all have a responsibility to ourselves and to each other to make a difference that is real and lasting¹³. We are our brother’s keeper. We are our sister’s keeper.
这是一条永恒、普世的启示——不管具有何种信仰，亦或根本不信神——我们对自己和彼此都承担着产生切实和持久的影响的责任。我们是我们的兄弟的守护者。我们是我们的姊妹的守护者。
And so in this season of generosity, let’s reach out to those who need help the most. In this season of reflection, let’s make sure that our incredibly brave servicemembers and their families know how much we appreciate their sacrifice. And there are several military families and servicemen and women here tonight. We are so grateful to you for all that you do. (Applause.)
因此，在这慷慨助人的时节，让我们向那些最需要帮助的人伸出援手。在这反思自省的时节，让我们确保我们无比英勇的军人及其家属知道我们是多么地感谢他们所作的牺牲。今晚在场的有几家军人家庭和男女军人。我们非常感谢你们所付出的一切。（掌声）
In this season of hope, let us come together as one people, one family to ensure that we’re doing everything we can to keep America the land of endless opportunity and boundless¹⁴ optimism for which we’re so thankful.
在这希望的时节，让我们汇集在一起，作为一国子民和一个大家庭，保证尽我们所能确保美国一直是充满无限机会和无尽乐观精神的土地，我们为此心存感激。
So on behalf of Malia, Sasha, Marian, the First Lady Michelle, plus Bo and Sunny, I want to wish everybody a Merry Christmas and a joyful¹⁵ holiday season. God bless you. God bless our troops. God bless the United States of America. (Applause.)
在此，我代表玛莉娅、萨莎、玛丽安、第一夫人米歇尔，还有波和桑尼，谨祝大家圣诞快乐、节日愉快！愿上帝保佑大家。愿上帝保佑我们的军队。愿上帝保佑美利坚合众国。（掌声）
 

1 lighting   

n.照明，光线的明暗，舞台灯光

参考例句：

• The gas lamp gradually lost ground to electric lighting.煤气灯逐渐为电灯所代替。
• The lighting in that restaurant is soft and romantic.那个餐馆照明柔和而且浪漫。

2 helping   

n.食物的一份&adj.帮助人的，辅助的

参考例句：

• The poor children regularly pony up for a second helping of my hamburger. 那些可怜的孩子们总是要求我把我的汉堡包再给他们一份。
• By doing this, they may at times be helping to restore competition. 这样一来, 他在某些时候,有助于竞争的加强。

3 festive   

adj.欢宴的，节日的

参考例句：

• It was Christmas and everyone was in festive mood.当时是圣诞节，每个人都沉浸在节日的欢乐中。
• We all wore festive costumes to the ball.我们都穿着节日的盛装前去参加舞会。

4 beacon   

n.烽火，（警告用的）闪火灯，灯塔

参考例句：

• The blink of beacon could be seen for miles.灯塔的光亮在数英里之外都能看见。
• The only light over the deep black sea was the blink shone from the beacon.黑黢黢的海面上唯一的光明就只有灯塔上闪现的亮光了。

5 goodwill   

n.善意，亲善，信誉，声誉

参考例句：

• His heart is full of goodwill to all men.他心里对所有人都充满着爱心。
• We paid ￡10,000 for the shop,and ￡2000 for its goodwill.我们用一万英镑买下了这家商店，两千英镑买下了它的信誉。

6 gratitude   

adj.感激，感谢

参考例句：

• I have expressed the depth of my gratitude to him.我向他表示了深切的谢意。
• She could not help her tears of gratitude rolling down her face.她感激的泪珠禁不住沿着面颊流了下来。

7 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。

8 humility   

n.谦逊，谦恭

参考例句：

• Humility often gains more than pride.谦逊往往比骄傲收益更多。
• His voice was still soft and filled with specious humility.他的声音还是那么温和，甚至有点谦卑。

9 mighty   

adj.强有力的；巨大的

参考例句：

• A mighty force was about to break loose.一股巨大的力量即将迸发而出。
• The mighty iceberg came into view.巨大的冰山出现在眼前。

10 compassion   

n.同情，怜悯

参考例句：

• He could not help having compassion for the poor creature.他情不自禁地怜悯起那个可怜的人来。
• Her heart was filled with compassion for the motherless children.她对于没有母亲的孩子们充满了怜悯心。

11 millennia   

n.一千年，千禧年

参考例句：

• For two millennia, exogamy was a major transgression for Jews. 两千年来，异族通婚一直是犹太人的一大禁忌。
• In the course of millennia, the dinosaurs died out. 在几千年的时间里，恐龙逐渐死绝了。

12 scripture   

n.经文，圣书，手稿；Scripture:(常用复数)《圣经》，《圣经》中的一段

参考例句：

• The scripture states that God did not want us to be alone.圣经指出上帝并不是想让我们独身一人生活。
• They invoked Hindu scripture to justify their position.他们援引印度教的经文为他们的立场辩护。

13 lasting   

adj.永久的，永恒的；vbl.持续，维持

参考例句：

• The lasting war debased the value of the dollar.持久的战争使美元贬值。
• We hope for a lasting settlement of all these troubles.我们希望这些纠纷能获得永久的解决。

14 boundless   

adj.无限的；无边无际的；巨大的

参考例句：

• The boundless woods were sleeping in the deep repose of nature.无边无际的森林在大自然静寂的怀抱中酣睡着。
• His gratitude and devotion to the Party was boundless.他对党无限感激、无限忠诚。

15 joyful   

adj.欢乐的，令人欢欣的

参考例句：

• She was joyful of her good result of the scientific experiments.她为自己的科学实验取得好成果而高兴。
• They were singing and dancing to celebrate this joyful occasion.他们唱着、跳着庆祝这令人欢乐的时刻。