To a few of us here today, this is a solemn and most momentous occasion; and yet, in the history of our Nation, it is a commonplace occurrence.
今天對于我們中間的一些人來說,是一個非常莊嚴隆重的時刻,對于這個國家的歷史卻是一件普通的事情。
The orderly transfer of authority as called for in the Constitution routinely takes place as it has for almost two centuries and few of us stop to think how unique we really are.
按照憲法要求,政府權利正在有序地移交,我們已經如此“例行公事”了兩個世紀,很少有人覺得這有什么特別。
In the eyes of many in the world, this every-4-year ceremony we accept as normal is nothing less than a miracle.
但在世界上更多人看來,我們這個已經習以為常的四年一次的儀式卻是一個奇跡。
Mr. President, I want our fellow citizens to know how much you did to carry on this tradition.
總統先生,我希望我們的同胞們都能知道你為了這個傳承而付出的努力。
By your gracious cooperation in the transition process, you have shown a watching world that we are a united people pledged to maintaining a political system which guarantees individual liberty to a greater degree than any other,
通過移交程序中的通力合作,展示了這樣一個事實:我們是一個團結一致的民族,這個民族決心捍衛一種比任何其他體制更能充分保證個人民主自由的政治制度,
and I thank you and your people for all your help in maintaining the continuity which is the bulwark of our Republic.
我要感謝你和你的伙伴們的幫助,因為你們堅持了這樣的傳承,這種傳承的連續性恰是我們共和國的支柱。
The business of our nation goes forward.
我們國家的事業在繼續前進。
These United States are confronted with an economic affliction of great proportions.
合眾國正面臨巨大的經濟困難。
We suffer from the longest and one of the worst sustained inflations in our national history.
我們遭遇到我國歷史上歷時最長、最嚴重之一的通貨膨脹,
It distorts our economic decisions, penalizes thrift, and crushes the struggling young and the fixed income elderly alike.
它擾亂著我們的經濟決策,使儲蓄的人反而受到懲罰,壓迫著正在掙扎謀生的青年人和收入固定的中年人,
It threatens to shatter the lives of millions of our people.
威脅著要摧毀我國千百萬人民的生計。
Idle industries have cast workers into unemployment, causing human misery and personal indignity.
停滯的工業使工人失業、蒙受痛苦并失去了個人尊嚴。
Those who do work are denied a fair return for their labor by a tax system which penalizes successful achievement and keeps us from maintaining full productivity.
即使那些有工作的人,也因沉重的稅負而得不到公正的勞動報酬,因為這種稅收制度使我們無法在事業上取得成就,使我們無法保持充分的生產力。
But great as our tax burden is, it has not kept pace with public spending.
盡管我們的納稅負擔相當沉重,但還是跟不上公共開支的增長。
For decades, we have piled deficit upon deficit, mortgaging our future and our children's future for the temporary convenience of the present.
數十年來,我們的赤字額屢屢上升,我們為圖目前暫時的方便,已把自己和子孫的前途都抵押出去。
To continue this long trend is to guarantee tremendous social, cultural, political, and economic upheavals.
這一趨勢如果長此以往,必然引起社會、文化、政治和經濟等方面的大動蕩。
You and I, as individuals, can, by borrowing, live beyond our means, but for only a limited period of time.
作為個人,你們和我可以靠借貸過一種入不敷出的生活,然而只能維持一段有限的時期,
Why, then, should we think that collectively, as a nation, we are not bound by that same limitation?
我們怎么可以認為,作為一個國家整體,我們就不應受到同樣的約束呢?
We must act today in order to preserve tomorrow.
為了明天,我們今天就必須行動起來。
And let there be no misunderstanding. we are going to begin to act, beginning today.
大家都要明白無誤地懂得 我們從今天起就要采取行動。