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On behalf of the great state of Illinois, crossroads of a nation, land of Lincoln, let me express my deep gratitude for the privilege of addressing this convention. Tonight is a particular honor for me because, let's face it, my presence on this stage is pretty unlikely. My father was a foreign student, born and raised in a small village in Kenya. He grew up herding goats, went to school in a tin-roof shack. His father, my grandfather, was a cook, a domestic servant.
偉大的伊利諾伊州既是全國的交通樞紐，也是林肯的故鄉，作為州代表，今天我將在大會致詞，并為自己能有幸獲此殊榮而倍感驕傲和自豪。今晚對我而言頗不尋常，我們得承認，我能站在這里本身就已意義非凡。我父親是一個外國留學生，他原本生于肯尼亞的一個小村莊，并在那里長大成人。他小的時候還放過羊，上的學校簡陋不堪，屋頂上僅有塊鐵皮來遮風擋雨。而他的父親，也就是我的祖父，不過是個普通的廚子，還做過家傭。
But my grandfather had larger dreams for his son. Through hard work and perseverance my father got a scholarship to study in a magical place: America, which stood as a beacon of freedom and opportunity to so many who had come before. While studying here, my father met my mother. She was born in a town on the other side of the world, in Kansas. Her father worked on oil rigs and farms through most of the Depression. The day after Pearl Harbor he signed up for duty, joined Patton's army and marched across Europe. Back home, my grandmother raised their baby and went to work on a bomber assembly line. After the war, they studied on the GI Bill, bought a house through FHA, and moved west in search of opportunity.
但祖父對父親抱以厚望。憑借不懈的努力和堅忍不拔的毅力，父親榮獲赴美留學的機會，而且還拿到獎學金。美國這片神奇的土地，對于很多踏上這片國土的人而言，意味著自由和機遇。還在留學期間，父親與母親不期而遇。母親來自完全不同的另一個世界，她生于堪薩斯的一個小鎮。大蕭條時期，外祖父為謀生計，曾在石油鉆井打工，還曾在農場務農。日軍偷襲珍珠港后的第二天，他就自愿應征入伍，在巴頓將軍麾下，轉戰南北，橫掃歐洲。在后方的家中，外祖母含辛茹苦，撫養子女，并在轟炸機裝配線上找了份活計。戰后，依據士兵福利法案, 他們通過聯邦住宅管理局購置了一套房子，并舉家西遷，謀求更大發展。
And they, too, had big dreams for their daughter, a common dream, born of two continents. My parents shared not only an improbable love; they shared an abiding faith in the possibilities of this nation. They would give me an African name, Barack, or "blessed," believing that in a tolerant America your name is no barrier to success. They imagined me going to the best schools in the land, even though they weren't rich, because in a generous America you don't have to be rich to achieve your potential. They are both passed away now. Yet, I know that, on this night, they look down on me with pride.
他們對自己的女兒也寄予厚望，兩家人雖然身在不同的非洲和美洲大陸，卻有著共同的夢想。我的父母不僅不可思議地彼此相愛，而且還對這個國家有了不移的信念。他們賜予我一個非洲名字，巴拉克，意為“上天福佑”, 因為他們相信，在如此包容的國度中，這樣的名字不應成為成功的羈絆。盡管他們生活并不寬裕，還是想方設法讓我接受當地最好的教育，因為在這樣一個富足的國度中，無論貧富貴賤，都同樣有機會發展個人的潛力。現在他們都已不在人世，不過，我知道，他們的在天之靈，此時此刻正在驕傲地關注著我。
I stand here today, grateful for the diversity of my heritage, aware that my parents' dreams live on in my precious daughters. I stand here knowing that my story is part of the larger American story, that I owe a debt to all of those who came before me, and that, in no other country on earth, is my story even possible. Tonight, we gather to affirm the greatness of our nation, not because of the height of our skyscrapers, or the power of our military, or the size of our economy. Our pride is based on a very simple premise, summed up in a declaration made over two hundred years ago, "We hold these truths to he self-evident, that all men are created equal. That they are endowed by their Creator with certain inalienable rights. That among these are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness."
今天，我站在這里，對自己身上這種特殊的血統而心懷感激，而且我知道父母的夢想將在我的寶貝女兒身上繼續延續；我站在這里，深知自己的經歷只是千百萬美國故事中的滄海一粟，更深知自己無法忘卻那些更早踏上這片土地的先人，因為若不是在美國，我的故事無論如何都不可能發生。今夜，我們聚集一堂，再次證明這個國度的偉大之處，而這一切并不在于鱗次櫛比的摩天大廈，也不在于傲視群雄的軍備實力，更不在于穩健雄厚的經濟實力。我們的自豪與榮耀來自一個非常簡單的前提，兩百多年前，它在一個著名的宣言中得以高度的概括：“我們認為以下真理不言而喻，人生來平等，造物主賜與他們以下不可剝奪的權利：生命、自由和對幸福的追求。”
That is the true genius of America, a faith in the simple dreams of its people, the insistence on small miracles. That we can tuck in our children at night and know they are fed and clothed and safe from harm. That we can say what we think, write what we think, without hearing a sudden knock on the door. That we can have an idea and start our own business without paying a bribe or hiring somebody's son. That we can participate in the political process without fear of retribution, and that our votes will he counted - or at least, most of the time.
這才是真正的美國智慧，堅信自己的國民有著樸素無華的夢想， 堅信點滴的奇跡終會出現在身邊。入夜，當我們為孩子掖好小被的同時，相信他們不會為衣食所累，不會為安全擔憂。我們可以暢所欲言，無需擔心不速之客會不請自來。我們有靈感，有想法，可以去實現，去創業，無須行賄或雇傭某些人物的子女作為籌碼和條件。我們可以參政議政，不必擔心打擊報復，我們的選票至關重要，至少多數情況下，都是如此。
This year, in this election, we are called to reaffirm our values and commitments, to hold them against a hard reality and see how we are measuring up, to the legacy of our forbearers, and the promise of future generations. And fellow Americans - Democrats, Republicans, Independents - I say to you tonight: we have more work to do. More to do for the workers I met in Galesburg, Illinois, who are losing their union jobs at the Maytag plant that's moving to Mexico, and now are having to compete with their own children for jobs that pay seven bucks an hour. More to do for the father I met who was losing his job and choking back tears, wondering how he would pay $4,500 a month for the drugs his son needs without the health benefits he counted on. More to do for the young woman in East St. Louis, and thousands more like her, who has the grades, has the drive, has the will, but doesn't have the money to go to college.
在今年的選舉中，特別重申了我們主張的價值和肩負的責任，以此來應對當下的艱難現實：并希望了解怎樣才能更好秉承前輩的遺產，實現對子孫的承諾。諸位美國國民，無論你是民主黨，還是共和黨，抑或是無黨派人士，今晚我想對大家說的是：我們需要作的事情還有很多很多，在伊利諾伊州蓋爾斯堡(Galesburg), 由于Maytag洗衣機廠要遷至墨西哥，很多工人將失去工作，而現在唯一的選擇就是和自己的子女一起競爭每小時7美元的低薪工作。我曾遇到一位強忍淚水的父親，他也因此丟掉了工作，沒有了經濟來源，不知怎樣才能為兒子支付得起每月4500美元的高昂醫藥費用，本可救命的醫療保險對他而言卻遙不可及，我們應該為他們做點什么；在東圣路易斯市，有這樣一個年輕女孩，她品學兼優，成績出色，卻因為沒有錢，無法完成學業，與大學無緣，而像她這樣的孩子還有千千萬萬，我們應該為他們做點什么。
Don't get me wrong. The people I meet in small towns and big cities, in diners and office parks, they don't expect government to solve all their problems. They know they have to work hard to get ahead and they want to. Go into the collar counties around Chicago, and people will tell you they don't want their tax money wasted by a welfare agency or the Pentagon. Go into any inner city neighborhood, and folks will tell you that government alone can't teach kids to learn. They know that parents have to parent, that children can't achieve unless we raise their expectations and turn off the television sets and eradicate the slander that says a black youth with a book is acting white. No, people don't expect government to solve all their problems. But they sense, deep in their bones, that with just a change in priorities, we can make sure that every child in America has a decent shot at life, and that the doors of opportunity remain open to all. They know we can do better. And they want that choice.
請正面理解我的意思。我在城市與鄉鎮，在餐廳和辦公樓停車場，接觸過很多民眾，他們并不期待由政府出面，幫他們排憂解難。而是清楚地意識到，需要通過努力工作，去面對和解決所有的問題，而這也確實是他們真實的想法和愿望。走進芝加哥周邊的城鎮，大家會告訴你，希望自己辛苦繳納的稅款能夠物盡其用，而不是讓社會保障機構或五角大樓任意支配。走進市中心的街區，大家會告訴你，讓孩子好好讀書不能僅僅依靠政府的力量，父母也要盡職盡責，培養下一代，不讓孩子整天沉溺于電視，對于黑人而言，更要和白人一樣，讓子女有接受教育的權利，而不是相反。人們并不是依賴政府來解決所有問題，但他們真誠地認為，只要政府把工作的重點有所調整，就可以使得每個孩子都能奮發圖強，積極向上，讓機遇大門向每個人敞開。他們深知，我們有能力做得更好，他們同樣希望如此。
In this election, we offer that choice. Our party has chosen a man to lead us who embodies the best this country has to offer. That man is John Kerry. John Kerry understands the ideals of community, faith, and sacrifice, because they've defined his life. From his heroic service in Vietnam to his years as prosecutor and lieutenant governor, through two decades in the United States Senate, he has devoted himself to this country. Again and again, we've seen him make tough choices when easier ones were available. His values and his record affirm what is best in us.
在本次選舉中，我們做出了這樣的選擇。民主黨已選出一國之中品行最為高尚的人作為我們的領袖，帶領大家實現這樣的選擇。他就是約翰?凱利, 他深刻地領悟了社區、信念和獻身精神這些崇高的理想，因為這些鑄就了他生命的全部。他曾在越南英勇作戰，回國后出任過檢察官和副州長，在美國參議院度過了20個春秋，把全部精力都投入到國家社稷大業之中。多少次，他面對艱難抉擇，知難而上，不畏艱險，他的閱歷和品行為我們樹立了榜樣。
