奥巴马每周电视讲话：总统呼吁保护民众投票权利

Hi, everybody.The right to vote is one of the most fundamental rights of any democracy.Yet for too long, too many of our fellow citizens were denied that right, simply because of the color of their skin.

大家好！投票权是任何民主制度中最为基本的权利之一。长久以来，我们有太多的同胞仅仅因为肤色不同享受不到这一权利。

Fifty years ago this week, President Lyndon Johnson signed a law to change that.The Voting Rights Act broke down legal barriers that stood between millions of African Americans and their constitutional right to cast ballot¹.It was, and still is, one of the greatest victories in our country's struggle for civil rights.

50年前的今天，林登·约翰逊总统签署法律改变了这一切。《投票权法案》打破了阻挡在无数非裔美国人与他们享有的宪法赋予的投票权利之间的法律障碍。这部法律的通过，在当时乃至现在都依然是我国民权斗争取得的最重大的胜利之一。

But it didn't happen overnight.Countless² men and women marched and organized, sat in and stood up, for our most basic rights.For this they were called agitators³ and un-American, they were jailed and beaten.Some were even killed.But in the end, they reaffirmed the idea at the very heart of America: that people who love this country can change it.

但罗马不是一天建成的。无数人走上街头，游行示威，奔走呼吁，为我们争取基本的权利。因此他们当时被称为煽动者和叛徒，他们被关押，遭毒打。有些人甚至惨遭杀害。但最终，他们的努力唤醒了美国最核心的精神：深爱这个国家的人们可以改变这个国家。

Our country is a better place because of all those heroes did for us.But as one of those heroes, Congressman⁴ John Lewis, reminded us in Selma this past March, “There's still work to be done.” Fifty years after the Voting Rights Act, there are still too many barriers to vote, and too many people trying to erect⁵ new ones.We've seen laws that roll back early voting, force people to jump through hoops⁶ to cast a ballot, or lead to legitimate⁷ voters being improperly⁸ purged⁹ from the rolls.Over the years, we have seen provisions specifically designed to make it harder for some of our fellow citizens to vote.In a democracy like ours, with a history like ours, that's a disgrace.

我们国家因为有了这些英雄以及他们的付出变得更加美好。但正如他们中的一位，约翰·李维斯议员今年在塞尔玛所说的,“还有大量工作要做。”《投票权法案》通过50年了，依然还有大量阻碍投票的藩篱，甚至有大量的人想要竖起更多新的藩篱。我们还记得，一些法律将早期投票人数压到最低，强迫人们通过跳圈获得投票权，或是通过不当方式将法定选民排挤出来。这么多年来，我们看到各种各样特别设计的法律，让我们的同胞无法享受投票权。在我们这样的民主国家，有着这样的历史，实在是一种耻辱。

That's why, as we celebrate the 50th Anniversary of the Voting Rights Act, I'm calling on Congress to pass new legislation to make sure every American has equal access to the polls.It's why I support the organizers getting folks registered in their communities.And it's why, no matter what party you support, my message to every American is simple: get out there and vote-not just every four years, but every chance you get.Because your elected officials will only heed¹⁰ your voice if you make your voice heard.

因此，在庆祝《投票权法案》通过50周年的日子里，我呼吁国会通过新的立法，保证每个美国人都有平等的权利走进投票站。正因如此，我支持组织者让人们在所居住的社区登记注册。也正因如此，无论你支持什么党派，我对每个美国人想要说的就是：走出家门，参加投票，不仅仅是每四年的大选，而是每次投票的机会都要参加。因为只有你发表你的意见了，你们所选出的官员才会关注你的意见。

The promise that all of us are created equal is written into our founding documents-but it's up to us to make that promise real.Together, let's do what Americans have always done: let's keep marching forward, keep perfecting our union, and keep building a better country for our kids.

我们所有人生而平等的承诺写进了我们的立国宣言，但我们要将这一承诺变为现实。让我们团结起来，做好所有美国人一直在做的事情：让我们继续前进，把我们国家建设的更完美，为我们的子孙后代建设一个更美好的国家。

Thanks everybody. Have a great weekend.

谢谢大家，祝周末愉快！

1 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。

2 countless   

adj.无数的，多得不计其数的

参考例句：

• In the war countless innocent people lost their lives.在这场战争中无数无辜的人丧失了性命。
• I've told you countless times.我已经告诉你无数遍了。

3 agitators   

n.（尤指政治变革的）鼓动者( agitator的名词复数 )；煽动者；搅拌器；搅拌机

参考例句：

• The mud is too viscous, you must have all the agitators run. 泥浆太稠，你们得让所有的搅拌机都开着。 来自辞典例句
• Agitators urged the peasants to revolt/revolution. 煽动者怂恿农民叛变（革命）。 来自辞典例句

4 Congressman   

n.（美）国会议员

参考例句：

• He related several anecdotes about his first years as a congressman.他讲述自己初任议员那几年的几则轶事。
• The congressman is meditating a reply to his critics.这位国会议员正在考虑给他的批评者一个答复。

5 erect   

n./v.树立，建立，使竖立；adj.直立的，垂直的

参考例句：

• She held her head erect and her back straight.她昂着头，把背挺得笔直。
• Soldiers are trained to stand erect.士兵们训练站得笔直。

6 hoops   

n.箍( hoop的名词复数 )；（篮球）篮圈；（旧时儿童玩的）大环子；（两端埋在地里的）小铁弓

参考例句：

• a barrel bound with iron hoops 用铁箍箍紧的桶
• Hoops in Paris were wider this season and skirts were shorter. 在巴黎，这个季节的裙圈比较宽大，裙裾却短一些。 来自飘（部分）

7 legitimate   

adj.合法的，合理的，合乎逻辑的；v.使合法

参考例句：

• Sickness is a legitimate reason for asking for leave.生病是请假的一个正当的理由。
• That's a perfectly legitimate fear.怀有这种恐惧完全在情理之中。

8 improperly   

不正确地，不适当地

参考例句：

• Of course it was acting improperly. 这样做就是不对嘛！
• He is trying to improperly influence a witness. 他在试图误导证人。

9 purged   

清除（政敌等）( purge的过去式和过去分词 )； 涤除（罪恶等）； 净化（心灵、风气等）； 消除（错事等）的不良影响

参考例句：

• He purged his enemies from the Party. 他把他的敌人从党内清洗出去。
• The iron in the chemical compound must be purged. 化学混合物中的铁必须清除。

10 heed   

v.注意，留意；n.注意，留心

参考例句：

• You must take heed of what he has told.你要注意他所告诉的事。
• For the first time he had to pay heed to his appearance.这是他第一次非得注意自己的外表不可了。