奥巴马每周电视讲话：美国总统奥巴马告别演讲(9)

And we have shown that our economy doesn't have to be a zero-sum game.

经济并不一定是一场零和博弈，这一点已经被证实了。

Last year, incomes rose for all races, all age groups, for men and for women.

去年，不同种族、年龄和性别群体的收入都实现了增长。

So if we're going to be serious about race going forward, we need to uphold laws against discrimination,

所以如果我们想要严肃地对待种族问题，我们就应该支持反歧视的相关法律。

in hiring, and in housing, and in education, and in the criminal justice system.

这些法律包括雇佣、住房、教育和司法体系方面的反歧视。

That is what our Constitution and our highest ideals require.

这是我们宪法的要求，也是我们最高理想的要求。

But laws alone won't be enough.

但是仅仅依靠法律是不够的。

Hearts must change. It won't change overnight.

我们必须转变观念，当然这种转变不会在一朝一夕间实现。

Social attitudes oftentimes take generations to change.

社会观念的转变一般通过几代人的努力才能完成。

But if our democracy is to work in this increasingly diverse nation,

但是我们的民主制度将继续在这个多元的国家中发挥作用。

then each one of us need to try to heed¹ the advice of a great character in American fiction, Atticus Finch²,

而我们每一个人都应该从一部美国小说中的主角身上吸取教训，这一角色是阿提克斯·芬奇

who said "You never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view...

他曾说“你永远不能真正了解一个人，除非你从他的角度去看问题，

until you climb into his skin and walk around in it."

除非你披着他的皮囊行走世间。”

For blacks and other minority groups,

对于黑人和其他少数群体来说，

it means tying our own very real struggles for justice to the challenges that a lot of people in this country face,

应该将我们为正义而进行的奋斗同其他群体正面临的挑战联系在一起。

not only the refugee, or the immigrant, or the rural poor, or the transgender American,

这些群体不仅包括难民、移民、城市里的贫穷家庭和跨性别美国人，

but also the middle-aged³ white guy who, from the outside, may seem like he's got advantages,

还包括中年白人，因为他们也许看起来具有优势，

but has seen his world upended by economic and cultural and technological⁴ change.

但他们同时也正面临经济、文化和技术方面的变革。

We have to pay attention, and listen.

我们应该关注他们，倾听他们的想法。

1 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。

2 finch   

n.雀科鸣禽(如燕雀，金丝雀等)

参考例句：

• This behaviour is commonly observed among several species of finch.这种行为常常可以在几种雀科鸣禽中看到。
• In Australia,it is predominantly called the Gouldian Finch.在澳大利亚，它主要还是被称之为胡锦雀。

3 middle-aged   

adj.中年的

参考例句：

• I noticed two middle-aged passengers.我注意到两个中年乘客。
• The new skin balm was welcome by middle-aged women.这种新护肤香膏受到了中年妇女的欢迎。

4 technological   

adj.技术的；工艺的

参考例句：

• A successful company must keep up with the pace of technological change.一家成功的公司必须得跟上技术变革的步伐。
• Today,the pace of life is increasing with technological advancements.当今， 随着科技进步，生活节奏不断增快。