奥巴马俄罗斯毕业典礼演讲

By no means is America perfect. But it is our commitment to certain universal values which allows us to correct our imperfections, to improve constantly, and to grow stronger over time. Freedom of speech and assembly has allowed women, and minorities, and workers to protest for full and equal rights at a time when they were denied. The rule of law and equal administration of justice has busted monopolies, shut down political machines that were corrupt, ended abuses of power. Independent media have exposed corruption at all levels of business and government. Competitive elections allow us to change course and hold our leaders accountable. If our democracy did not advance those rights, then I, as a person of African ancestry, wouldn't be able to address you as an American citizen, much less a President. Because at the time of our founding, I had no rights -- people who looked like me. But it is because of that process that I can now stand before you as President of the United States.
美国并非十全十美。但正是因为我们坚持某些普遍的价值观，我们才有可能弥补不足之处，不断努力改进，假以时日即可愈益强大。由于倡导言论自由和集会自由，妇女、少数族裔和工人可以在自己的权利被剥夺的时候为获得全部的平等权利进行抗争。由于实行法治和司法平等，垄断被打破，腐败的政治机器被关闭，滥用权力的行为被制止。由于存在独立的媒体，工商业和政府的各级腐败行为被公之于众。由于采取竞选制度，我们可以改弦易辙，责成领导人忠于职守。如果我国的民主没有发挥促进这些权利的作用，那么我本人作为非洲裔的后代，就不可能以美国公民的身份向你们发表讲话，更不可能以美国总统的身份站在这里。在我国建国之初，我还没有什么权利——指当年和我类似的人们。但正是因为经历了这样的过程，现在我可以作为美国总统站在你们面前。

So around the world, America supports these values because they are moral, but also because they work. The arc of history shows that governments which serve their own people survive and thrive; governments which serve only their own power do not. Governments that represent the will of their people are far less likely to descend into failed states, to terrorize their citizens, or to wage war on others. Governments that promote the rule of law, subject their actions to oversight, and allow for independent institutions are more dependable trading partners. And in our own history, democracies have been America's most enduring allies, including those we once waged war with in Europe and Asia -- nations that today live with great security and prosperity.
因此，在世界各地，美国支持这些价值观，因为它们是道义的，也因为它们是有效的。历史的轨迹显示，为民服务的政府生存壮大；为自身谋利的政府则非如此。代表民意的政府很少会导致国家堕落衰败或恫吓公民、挑起战争。那些促进法治、接受监督、容许独立机构的政府是更为可靠的贸易伙伴。在美国自身历史上，民主国家一直是我们最持久的同盟，其中包括我们曾与之交战的欧洲和亚洲国家──这些国家如今享有极大的安全与繁荣。

Now let me be clear: America cannot and should not seek to impose any system of government on any other country, nor would we presume to choose which party or individual should run a country. And we haven't always done what we should have on that front. Even as we meet here today, America supports now the restoration of the democratically-elected President of Honduras, even though he has strongly opposed American policies. We do so not because we agree with him. We do so because we respect the universal principle that people should choose their own leaders, whether they are leaders we agree with or not.
但让我明确这一点：美国不能够也不应该谋求将任何政府体制强加于任何国家；我们也不会擅自认为应该由哪个政党或个人主管国家。在这方面我们不是一向做得很理想。就在我们在这里聚会的今天，美国现在支持洪都拉斯民选总统复职，尽管他强烈反对美国的政策。我们这样做并不是因为我们赞同他。我们这样做是因为我们尊重这样一个普世原则，即应该由人民选择他们自己的领导人，无论我们对这些领导人赞同与否。

And that leads me to the final area that I will discuss, which is America's interest in an international system that advances cooperation while respecting the sovereignty of all nations.
由此引到我要讨论的最后一个方面，即美国希望看到一个推动合作同时尊重所有国家主权的国际体制。

State sovereignty must be a cornerstone of international order. Just as all states should have the right to choose their leaders, states must have the right to borders that are secure, and to their own foreign policies. That is true for Russia, just as it is true for the United States. Any system that cedes those rights will lead to anarchy. That's why we must apply this principle to all nations -- and that includes nations like Georgia and Ukraine. America will never impose a security arrangement on another country. For any country to become a member of an organization like NATO, for example, a majority of its people must choose to; they must undertake reforms; they must be able to contribute to the Alliance's mission. And let me be clear: NATO should be seeking collaboration with Russia, not confrontation.
国家主权必须是国际秩序的根基。犹如所有国家应该有权选择自己的领导人一样，国家也必须有权保障自己边境的安全和制定自己的外交政策。这包括俄罗斯，也包括美国。任何割让那些权利的体制都将导致政治混乱。因此，我们必须将这一原则用于所有国家──其中包括像格鲁吉亚和乌克兰这样的国家。美国将绝不把安全机制强加于另一个国家。例如，任何国家要成为北约组织的一员都必须是基于其大多数公民的意愿；这些国家必须实行改革；它们必须能够为北约组织的使命贡献力量。让我明确表示：北约应该谋求与俄罗斯的合作，而不是对抗。

And more broadly, we need to foster cooperation and respect among all nations and peoples. As President of the United States, I will work tirelessly to protect America's security and to advance our interests. But no one nation can meet the challenges of the 21st century on its own, nor dictate its terms to the world. That is something that America now understands, just as Russia understands. That's why America seeks an international system that lets nations pursue their interests peacefully, especially when those interests diverge; a system where the universal rights of human beings are respected, and violations of those rights are opposed; a system where we hold ourselves to the same standards that we apply to other nations, with clear rights and responsibilities for all.
在更广泛的层次上，我们需要增进在所有国家和人民之间的合作与尊重。作为美国总统，我要不懈地为维护美国的安全和推进美国的利益而努力。但是，没有任何一个国家能够独自应对21世纪的挑战或让世界按自己的意志行事。美国现在认识到这点，俄罗斯也是如此。正因为如此，美国所寻求的是一个能够让各国和平发展自身利益──尤其是当这些利益相异时──的国际体制；一个使普世人权受尊重、践踏人权行为受抵制的体制；一个我们将自己和其他国家一视同仁、所有国家都具有明确的权利与责任的体制。

There was a time when Roosevelt, Churchill, and Stalin could shape the world in one meeting. Those days are over. The world is more complex today. Billions of people have found their voice, and seek their own measure of prosperity and self-determination in every corner of the planet. Over the past two decades, we've witnessed markets grow, wealth spread, and technology used to build -- not destroy. We've seen old hatreds pass, illusions of differences between people lift and fade away; we've seen the human destiny in the hands of more and more human beings who can shape their own destinies. Now, we must see that the period of transition which you have lived through ushers in a new era in which nations live in peace, and people realize their aspirations for dignity, security, and a better life for their children. That is America's interest, and I believe that it is Russia's interest as well.
当年罗斯福(Roosevelt)、邱吉尔(Churchill)和斯大林(Stalin)可以通过一次会议改变世界。但那个时代已经结束。今天，全世界的情况更为复杂。在全球每一个角落，数十亿人民已经发出自己的声音，并寻求以自己的方式实现繁荣和自决。过去20多年来，我们亲眼目睹了市场的发达、财富的扩展和利用技术进行建设——不是为了毁灭。我们看见老一代人的仇恨归于消泯，人与人之间想像中的差异逐渐淡薄和消逝；我们看见人类的未来掌握在越来越多能够决定自己命运的人手中。现在，我们应该看见，你们经历的过渡时期正迎来一个新时代，世界各国可以和平相处，各国人民也可以实现对尊严、安全和为子孙后代改善生活的渴望。这正是美国的利益所在。我相信，这也是俄罗斯的利益所在。

I know that this future can seem distant. Change is hard. In the words of that NES student back in 1993, the real world is not so rational as on paper. But think of the change that has unfolded with the passing of time. One hundred years ago, a czar ruled Russia, and Europe was a place of empire.  When I was born, segregation was still the law of the land in parts of America, and my father's Kenya was still a colony. When you were born, a school like this would have been impossible, and the Internet was only known to a privileged few.
我知道，这样的未来似乎还很遥远。变革并非轻而易举。正如新经济学院的那位学生在1993年所说的，现实的世界并不像书本上那样理性。但是不妨想一想过去已经发生的变革。一百年前，俄罗斯还在受沙皇的统治。整个欧洲仍然是帝国的天下。我出生的时候，种族隔离在美国部份地区仍属当地合法的行为。我父亲的原籍肯尼亚(Kenya)还是别国的殖民地。你们刚出生的时候，还不可能建立这样一个学院，同时只有少数有条件的人知道因特网。

You get to decide what comes next. You get to choose where change will take us, because the future does not belong to those who gather armies on a field of battle or bury missiles in the ground; the future belongs to young people with an education and the imagination to create. That is the source of power in this century. And given all that has happened in your two decades on Earth, just imagine what you can create in the years to come.
你们必须确定下一步怎么走。你们必须选择变革引导我们前进的方向，因为未来不属于在战场上调兵遣将的人，也不属于在地面上安置导弹的人；未来属于有教养的、充满想象力开创新天地的年轻一代。这才是这个世纪力量的源泉。考虑到你们这一代20多年来全世界发生的一切变化，不妨想一想你们在今后的年代可以有哪些开创性的作为。

Every country charts its own course. Russia has cut its way through time like a mighty river through a canyon, leaving an indelible mark on human history as it goes. As you move this story forward, look to the future that can be built if we refuse to be burdened by the old obstacles and old suspicions; look to the future that can be built if we partner on behalf of the aspirations we hold in common. Together, we can build a world where people are protected, prosperity is enlarged, and our power truly serves progress. And it is all in your hands. Good luck to all of you. Thank you very much. (Applause.)
每一个国家都需要规划本国的道路。俄罗斯已经走过了岁月的征程，正如一条汹涌澎湃的大河穿越深深的峡谷，在身后留下了人类历史不可磨灭的印记。在你们继续奋进的道路上展望远大前程，只要我们抛弃历史的障碍和疑虑，不再背负沉重的包袱；展望远大前程，╗要我们为了实现共同的愿望相互合作。我们如果携手共进，完全可以建成能够保护人民，拓展繁荣和真正运用我们的实力不断进步的世界。愿上帝保佑你们大家一切顺利。多谢诸位。(掌声)