I want us to push the boundaries of discovery so that you‘ll liveto see new technologies and inventions that improve our lives andmake our planet cleaner and safer. And I want us to push our ownhuman boundaries to reach beyond the divides of race and region,gender and religion that keep us from seeing the best in eachother。

　　我要大家向發現的極限挑戰，讓你在有生之年能夠看見改善我們生活、使這個行星更干凈、更安全的新科技和發明。我也要大家向自己的人際界限挑戰，跨越使我們看不到對方長處的種族、地域、性別和宗教樊籬。

　　Sometimes we have to send our young men and women into war andother dangerous situations to protect our country—but when we do, Iwant to make sure that it is only for a very good reason, that wetry our best to settle our differences with others peacefully, andthat we do everything possible to keep our servicemen and womensafe. And I want every child to understand that the blessings thesebrave Americans fight for are not free—that with the greatprivilege of being a citizen of this nation comes greatresponsibility。

　　有時候為了保護我們的國家，我們不得不把青年男女派到戰場或其它危險的地方，然而當我們這么做的時候，我要確保師出有名，我們盡了全力以和平方式化解與他人的爭執，也想盡了一切辦法保障男女官兵的安全。我要每個孩子都明白，這些勇敢的美國人在戰場上捍衛的福祉是無法平白得到的：在享有作為這個國家公民的偉大特權之際，重責大任也隨之而來。

　　That was the lesson your grandmother tried to teach me when I wasyour age, reading me the opening lines of the Declaration ofIndependence and telling me about the men and women who marched forequality because they believed those words put to paper twocenturies ago should mean something。

　　這正是我在你們這年紀時，外婆想要教我的功課，她把獨立宣言開頭幾行念給我聽，告訴我有一些男女為了爭取平等挺身而出游行抗議，因為他們認為兩個世紀前白紙黑字寫下來的這些句子，不應只是空話。

　　She helped me understand that America is great not because it isperfect but because it can always be made better—and that theunfinished work of perfecting our union falls to each of us. It‘s acharge we pass on to our children, coming closer with each newgeneration to what we know America should be。

　　她讓我了解到，美國所以偉大，不是因為它完美，而是因為我們可以不斷讓它變得更好，而讓它更好的未竟工作，就落在我們每個人的身上。這是我們交給孩子們的責任，每過一代，美國就更接近我們的理想。

　　I hope both of you will take up that work, righting the wrongs thatyou see and working to give others the chances you‘ve had. Not justbecause you have an obligation to give something back to thiscountry that has given our family so much—although you do have thatobligation. But because you have an obligation to yourself. Becauseit is only when you hitch your wagon to something larger thanyourself that you will realize your true potential。

　　我希望你們倆都愿接下這個工作，看到不對的事要想辦法改正，努力幫助別人獲得你們有過的機會。這并非只因國家給了我們一家這么多，你們也當有所回饋，雖然你們的確有這個義務，而是因為你們對自己負有義務。因為，唯有在把你的馬車套在更大的東西上時，你才會明白自己真正的潛能有多大。

　　These are the things I want for you—to grow up in a world with nolimits on your dreams and no achievements beyond your reach, and togrow to compassionate, committed women who will help build thatworld. And I want every child to have the same chances to learn anddream and grow and thrive that you girls have. That‘s why I‘vetaken our family on this great adventure。

　　這些是我想要讓你們得到的東西：在一個夢想不受限制、無事不能成就的世界中長大，長成具慈悲心、堅持理想，能幫忙打造這樣一個世界的女性。我要每個孩子都有和你們一樣的機會，去學習、夢想、成長、發展。這就是我帶領我們一家展開這趟大冒險的原因。

　　《奧巴馬給女兒的信》我們一家的大冒險

　　I am so proud of both of you. I love you more than you can everknow. And I am grateful every day for your patience, poise, grace,and humor as we prepare to start our new life together in the WhiteHouse。

　　Love, Dad

　　我深以你倆為榮，你們永遠不會明白我有多愛你們，在我們準備一同在白宮開始新生活之際，我沒有一天不為你們的忍耐、沉穩、明理和幽默而心存感激。

　　愛你們的老爹