on behalf of the obama family – michelle, malia, sasha, bo and me– i want to wish everyone a very happy thanksgiving.
我代表马全家——米歇尔,玛利亚,莎莎,小狗波,还有我——祝愿大家感恩节快乐!
for us, like so many of you, this is a day full of family and friends; food and football. it’s a day to fight the overwhelming urge to take a nap – at least until after dinner. but most of all, it’s a time to give thanks for each other, and for the incredible bounty we enjoy.
对于我们来说,就像你们大家一样,这一天会在家人和朋友中度过,一起吃感恩节食物,看橄榄球比赛。这一天要忙忙碌碌总想找个时间小憩一会,至少晚饭后会有这种想法。但对大多数人来说,这一天都会彼此感恩,感谢我们所得到的一切。
that’s especially important this year. as a nation, we’ve just emerged from a campaign season that was passionate, noisy, and vital to our democracy. but it also required us to make choices – and sometimes those choices led us to focus on what sets us apart instead of what ties us together; on what candidate we support instead of what country we belong to.
这一天对于今年来说格外重要。作为一个国家,我们刚刚走出充满激情、嘈杂和我们民主制度中最重要的大选季节,但它需要我们作出选择。而有时候这些选择会过于着重在什么使我们不同,而不是联系起来;在支持我们的候选人,而不是我们的国家。
thanksgiving is a chance to put it all in perspective – to remember that, despite our differences, we are, and always will be, americans first and foremost.
感恩节是一个让我们全面思考的好机会,要记住,尽管存在分歧,我们永远要把美国人民的利益放在首位。
today we give thanks for blessings that are all too rare in this world. the ability to spend time with the ones we love; to say what we want; to worship as we please; to know that there are brave men and women defending our freedom around the globe; and to look our children in the eye and tell them that, here in america, no dream is too big if they’re willing to work for it.
今天我们感激所获得的恩赐,在当今世界它们还是那么的稀有珍贵:我们可以与深爱的人一起度过美好的时光,我们可以自由表达我们的思想与崇拜,我们有那些无畏的军人在世界各地捍卫我们的自由,我们可以看着我们的孩子告诉他们,在美国这里,只要你愿意为之努力,没有什么梦想是不能实现的。
we’re also grateful that this country has always been home to americans who see these blessings not simply as gifts to enjoy, but as opportunities to give back. americans who believe we have a responsibility to look out for those less fortunate – to pull each other up and move forward together.
我们感恩,也是因为在这个国家,美国人不会简单地把恩赐当做礼物去享受,还会把它们当做机会去回报。美国人相信我们有责任去关心那些不太幸运的人,彼此拉对方一把,然后一起向前。
right now, as we prepare to gather around our dinner tables, there are families in the northeast who don’t have that luxury. many of them have lost everything to hurricane sandy – homes, possessions, even loved ones. and it will be a long time before life goes back to normal.
此时此刻,当我们准备围坐在餐桌前时,在东北还有许多家庭无法享受这些。他们在飓风桑迪的灾害中失去了一切——家园,财产,甚至深爱的亲人,生活恢复正常还需要很长一段时间。
but in the midst of so much tragedy, there are also glimmers of hope. over the last few weeks, we’ve seen fema personnel, national guard and first responders working around the clock in hard-hit communities. we’ve seen hospital workers using their lunch breaks to distribute supplies. families offering up extra bedrooms. the fire department advertising free hot showers. buses full of volunteers coming from hundreds of miles away. neighbors sharing whatever they have – food, water, electricity – and saying again and again how lucky they are to have a roof over their heads.
但在这些悲剧之中,我们仍会看到希望的曙光。过去几周以来,我们看到了联邦应急管理署的工作人员,国民警卫队的军人,以及第一救援人员们在受灾地区不分昼夜的工作。我们看到了医护人员利用午休时间发放救援物资。众多家庭提供出他们的空余卧室,消防部门提供免费热水淋浴,巴士满载着来自数百英里以外的志愿者来到灾区,大家彼此分享着拥有的一切——食物,水,电——并且一遍遍地说能有屋顶来遮雨是多么的幸运。
it would have been easy for these folks to do nothing – to worry about themselves and leave the rest to someone else. but that’s not who we are. that’s not what we do.
这些人如果作壁上观本是很容易的——只要担心自己的问题,把其他的困难留给别人。但那就不是我们了,那也不是我们会做的。
as americans, we are a bold, generous, big-hearted people. when our brothers and sisters are in need, we roll up our sleeves and get to work – not for the recognition or the reward, but because it’s the right thing to do. because there but for the grace of god go i. and because here in america, we rise or fall together, as one nation and one people.
作为美国人,我们勇敢,慷慨,善良。当我们的兄弟姐妹有需要的时候,我们会挽起袖子就去帮忙,不是为了获得认可或是奖赏,而是因为这是我们认为正确的事情。因为我这么做是为了上帝的恩典。因为在美国,我们同甘苦共患难,作为一个国家,一个民族。
that’s something to be grateful for – today and every day.
总有些事是值得我们感激的——今天以及每一天。
so to all the americans doing your part to make our world a better place – it is my privilege to serve as your president. to all our servicemembers – it is my honor to be your commander in chief. and from our family to yours, happy thanksgiving.
因此,我要对所有各尽其职共同创造我们美好家园的美国人说,我为能够成为你们的'总统而感到无比荣幸;我要对所有的部队军人说,我为能够成为你们的总司令而无比自豪。我代表我们全家祝愿你们感恩节快乐!