InThisWinterofOurHardship
巴拉克·胡賽因·奧巴馬（1961— ），生於美國夏威夷，父親是來自肯尼亞的黑人，穆斯林，母親是堪薩斯州的白人。美國第四十四任總統，也是美國歷史上第一任非洲裔總統。
AceintheHole
Understandthesenewwordsbeforeyoureadthisarticle.
1.proclaimv.正式宣佈
2.faint-heartedadj.膽怯的，怯懦的
3.ambitionn.抱負，雄心，野心；渴望得到的東西
4.legacyn.遺產,遺贈物；遺留之物
5.determinationn.決心；果斷；堅定；決定
Myfellowcitizens,
Istandheretodayhumbledbythetaskbeforeus,gratefulforthetrustyouhavebestowed,mindfulofthesacrificesbornebyourancestors.IthankPresidentBushforhisservicetoournation,aswellasthegenerosityandcooperationhehasshownthroughoutthistransition.
Forty-fourAmericanshavenowtakenthepresidentialoath.Thewordshavebeenspokenduringrisingtidesofprosperityandthestillwatersofpeace.Yet,everysooftentheoathistakenamidstgatheringcloudsandragingstorms.Atthesemoments,Americahascarriedonnotsimplybecauseoftheskillorvisionofthoseinhighoffice,butbecauseWethePeoplehaveremainedfaithfultotheidealsofourforbearers,andtruetoourfoundingdocuments.
Soithasbeen.SoitmustbewiththisgenerationofAmericans.
Thatweareinthemidstofcrisisisnowwellunderstood.Ournationisatwar,againstafar-reachingnetworkofviolenceandhatred.Oureconomyisbadlyweakened,aconsequenceofgreedandirresponsibilityonthepartofsome,butalsoourcollectivefailuretomakehardchoicesandpreparethenationforanewage.Homeshavebeenlost;jobsshed;businessesshuttered.Ourhealthcareistoocostly;ourschoolsfailtoomany;andeachdaybringsfurtherevidencethatthewaysweuseenergystrengthenouradversariesandthreatenourplanet.
Thesearetheindicatorsofcrisis,subjecttodataandstatistics.Lessmeasurablebutnolessprofoundisasappingofconfidenceacrossourland—anaggingfearthatAmerica』sdeclineisinevitable,thatthenextgenerationmustloweritssights.
TodayIsaytoyouthatthechallengeswefacearereal.Theyareseriousandtheyaremany.Theywillnotbemeteasilyorinashortspanoftime.Butknowthis,America—theywillbemet.
Onthisday,wegatherbecausewehavechosenhopeoverfear,unityofpurposeoverconflictanddiscord.Onthisday,wecometoproclaimanendtothepettygrievancesandfalsepromises,therecriminationsandworn-outdogmasthatforfartoolonghavestrangledourpolitics.
Weremainayoungnation,butinthewordsofScripture,thetimehascometosetasidechildishthings.Thetimehascometoreaffirmourenduringspirit;tochooseourbetterhistory;tocarryforwardthatpreciousgift,thatnobleidea,passedonfromgenerationtogeneration:theGod-givenpromisethatallareequal,allarefree,andalldeserveachancetopursuetheirfullmeasureofhappiness.
Inreaffirmingthegreatnessofournation,weunderstandthatgreatnessisneveragiven.Itmustbeearned.Ourjourneyhasneverbeenoneofshortcutsorsettlingforless.Ithasnotbeenthepathforthefaint-hearted—forthosewhopreferleisureoverwork,orseekonlythepleasuresofrichesandfame.Rather,ithasbeentherisk-takers,thedoers,themakersofthings—somecelebratedbutmoreoftenmenandwomenobscureintheirlabor,whohavecarriedusupthelong,ruggedpathtowardsprosperityandfreedom.
Timeandagainthesemenandwomenstruggledandsacrificedandworkedtilltheirhandswererawsothatwemightliveabetterlife.TheysawAmericaasbiggerthanthesumofourindividualambitions;greaterthanallthedifferencesofbirthorwealthorfaction.
Thisisthejourneywecontinuetoday.Weremainthemostprosperous,powerfulnationonEarth.Ourworkersarenolessproductivethanwhenthiscrisisbegan.Ourmindsarenolessinventive,ourgoodsandservicesnolessneededthantheywerelastweekorlastmonthorlastyear.Ourcapacityremainsundiminished.Butourtimeofstandingpat,ofprotectingnarrowinterestsandputtingoffunpleasantdecisions—thattimehassurelypassed.Startingtoday,wemustpickourselvesup,dustourselvesoff,andbeginagaintheworkofremakingAmerica.
Foreverywherewelook,thereisworktobedone.Thestateofoureconomycallsforaction,boldandswift,andwewillact—notonlytocreatenewjobs,buttolayanewfoundationforgrowth.Wewillbuildtheroadsandbridges,theelectricgridsanddigitallinesthatfeedourcommerceandbindustogether.Wewillrestoresciencetoitsrightfulplace,andwieldtechnology』swonderstoraisehealthcare』squalityandloweritscost.Wewillharnessthesunandthewindsandthesoiltofuelourcarsandrunourfactories.Andwewilltransformourschoolsandcollegesanduniversitiestomeetthedemandsofanewage.Allthiswecando.Allthiswewilldo.