美国总统奥巴马每周电台演讲2015.08.09

Hi, everybody.  The right to vote is one of the most fundamental rights of any democracy.  Yet for too long, too many of our fellow citizens were denied that right, simply because of the color of their skin.
Fifty years ago this week, President Lyndon Johnson signed a law to change that.  The Voting Rights Act broke down legal barriers that stood between millions of African Americans and their constitutional right to cast ballot.  It was, and still is, one of the greatest victories in our country’s struggle for civil rights. 

大家好。投票权对如何民主政体都是最基本的权利之一。然而长期以来，我们的很多同胞被剥夺了这个权利，仅仅是因为他们的肤色。
50年前的本周，林登·约翰逊总统签署了一项法律改变了这一切。投票权法案扫除了横亘在几百万非洲裔美国人和他们的宪法赋予的投票权之间的障碍。它仍然是我们国家为民权斗争的最伟大的胜利之一。

But it didn’t happen overnight.  Countless men and women marched and organized, sat in and stood up, for our most basic rights.  For this they were called agitators and un-American, they were jailed and beaten.  Some were even killed.  But in the end, they reaffirmed the idea at the very heart of America: that people who love this country can change it.
Our country is a better place because of all those heroes did for us.  But as one of those heroes, Congressman John Lewis, reminded us in Selma this past March, “There’s still work to be done.”  Fifty years after the Voting Rights Act, there are still too many barriers to vote, and too many people trying to erect new ones.  We’ve seen laws that roll back early voting, force people to jump through hoops to cast a ballot, or lead to legitimate voters being improperly purged from the rolls.  Over the years, we have seen provisions specifically designed to make it harder for some of our fellow citizens to vote.  In a democracy like ours, with a history like ours, that’s a disgrace.

但是这不是一蹴而就的。无数的男男女女为了我们最基本的权利游行示威、组织集会、静坐可以和挺身而出。因此他们被污为煽动者和伪美国人，他们被囚禁殴打。有些甚至被杀害。但是最终，他们弘扬了美国心中的理想：热爱这个国家的人们可以改变这个国家。
因为所有这些英雄们为我们所做的一切，我们的国家成为最好的地方。但是作为这些英雄之一，国会议员约翰·刘易斯在过去的三月份在Selma提醒我们“前面的路更长。”五十年前投票法案通过以后，还有很多障碍阻挠投票，很多人试图设立一些新法。我们已经看到一些法律使初选倒退，迫使人们按很多规定投票，或造成很多合法投票人被错误地挤出选举。在那些年里，我们已经看到一些特别设立的条款使我们的很多同胞投票非常困难。在我们这样的民主政体，拥有我们这样的历史，这是极大的耻辱。

That’s why, as we celebrate the 50th Anniversary of the Voting Rights Act, I’m calling on Congress to pass new legislation to make sure every American has equal access to the polls.  It’s why I support the organizers getting folks registered in their communities.  And it’s why, no matter what party you support, my message to every American is simple: get out there and vote – not just every four years, but every chance you get.  Because your elected officials will only heed your voice if you make your voice heard.
The promise that all of us are created equal is written into our founding documents – but it’s up to us to make that promise real.  Together, let’s do what Americans have always done: let’s keep marching forward, keep perfecting our union, and keep building a better country for our kids.
Thanks everybody. Have a great weekend.
这就是为什么我们庆祝投票权法案50周年，我将要求国会通过新的立法确保每个美国人有同样的投票途径。这就是为什么我支持让人们在社区注册的组织者。这就是为什么无论你支持哪个党派，我们向每个美国人表达的心声很简单：去投票—不仅仅四年一次，而是有机会就投。因为你们选出来的官员只有听到你们的呼声才能注意你们的呼声。
人人平等的承诺写进了立国宪法—但是现在轮到我们使它成为现实了。让我们共同发扬美国人民的传统：继续前进，继续完善我们的联邦，继续为我们的孩子们打造一个更好的国家。
谢谢各位。周末快乐。