《奥巴马--无畏的希望（中英文版）》.doc

Keynote Address at the 2004 Democratic National Convention 无畏的希望 让奥巴马迈向白宫的演讲 希望就是勇气，希望就是力量：2004年7月27日在民主党全国代表大会上的致辞 巴拉克·奥巴马 文 海星 译 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, lets 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. 作为伟大的伊利诺斯州——全国的交通枢纽，林肯的故乡——的代表，我为有向此次大会致辞的机会而深感荣幸。今晚于我而言是一份特殊的荣耀。我们得承认，我出现在这个讲坛上是件不可思议的事。我的父亲是个外国留学生，在肯尼亚的一个小村庄出生并长大，他幼时牧羊，在铁皮顶做成的简陋小屋里上学。他的父亲，我的祖父，是个厨师，一个佣人。 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 Pattons 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. 但我祖父对他的儿子有更大的梦想。艰辛的努力和顽强的毅力使父亲拿到了到美国留学的奖学金。美国是一片神奇的国土，它对于许多未曾来过的人而言是自由和机会的象征。在留学期间，父亲遇到了母亲。她出生在世界另一端的堪萨斯的一个小镇上。她父亲在大萧条时期为了养家糊口，不是在石油钻塔下打工，就是在农场务农。珍珠港事件后他自愿入伍，进入巴顿的部队，曾在整个欧洲大陆辗转作战。在后方家中，外祖母养育着他们的孩子，并在一条轰炸机流水线上工作。战后，他们研究了士兵福利法案，通过联邦住宅管理局买了一套房子，并移居到西部寻找机会。 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, belie