Home

Reading

Listening

Translation

Writing

Vocabulary

Forum

Home > Learning English > Bilingual News

Remarks by President Obama to Parliament in London
奥巴马在英国议会发表讲话 [视频]

President Obama addresses the British Parliament at Westminster Hall in London. [Photo/Agencies]

从2011年5月23日开始，美国总统奥巴马前往欧洲，对4个国家进行为期6天的访问。第一站是爱尔兰，然后是英国、法国和波兰。这次出访是奥巴马就任美国总统以来第8次访问欧洲。

5月25日，美国总统奥巴马在具有上千年历史的西敏寺大厅对数百名英国议会两院和政界人士等贵宾发表讲演。英国给了奥巴马最高规格待遇，邀请他在英国议会上下两院发表演讲，从而使他成为有史以来第一位在英国上下两院发表演说的美国总统。

My Lord Chancellor, Mr. Speaker, Mr. Prime Minister, my lords, and members of the House of Commons:	尊敬的大法官先生、议长先生、首相先生、上议院和下议院各位议员：
I have known few greater honors than the opportunity to address the Mother of Parliaments at Westminster Hall. I am told that the last three speakers here have been the Pope, Her Majesty the Queen, and Nelson Mandela -- which is either a very high bar or the beginning of a very funny joke. (Laughter.)	我知道，能有机会在威斯敏斯特厅向议会之母发表讲演是我无尚的荣誉。我听说此前来这里发表讲演的三位是教皇、女王陛下和纳尔逊·曼德拉——这说明规格之高非同一般，也可能让人因此成为笑柄。（笑声）
I come here today to reaffirm one of the oldest, one of the strongest alliances the world has ever known. It's long been said that the United States and the United Kingdom share a special relationship. And since we also share an especially active press corps, that relationship is often analyzed and overanalyzed for the slightest hint of stress or strain.	我今天来到这里，再次肯定全世界有史以来最古老、最牢固的联盟关系之一。人们很早就说，美国和英国有着特殊的关系。而且，由于我们都有特别活跃的记者团，这种关系往往被分析来分析去，试图发现说明关系紧张和异样的极为微小的蛛丝马迹。
Of course, all relationships have their ups and downs. Admittedly, ours got off on the wrong foot with a small scrape about tea and taxes. (Laughter.) There may also have been some hurt feelings when the White House was set on fire during the War of 1812. (Laughter.) But fortunately, it's been smooth sailing ever since.	当然，所有的关系都有起有落。诚然，我们的关系出师不利，为了茶叶和税务撕破了一点脸皮。（笑声）当白宫在1812年战争期间被大火焚烧的时候，感情也可能受到一些伤害。（笑声）但幸运的是，从此以后就一帆风顺了。
The reason for this close friendship doesn't just have to do with our shared history, our shared heritage; our ties of language and culture; or even the strong partnership between our governments. Our relationship is special because of the values and beliefs that have united our people through the ages.	建立这种亲密的友谊，原因并不仅仅因为我们有共同的历史、共同的传统；我们的语言和文化联系，甚至也包括我们政府之间牢固的伙伴关系。我们的关系是特殊的，因为有将我们世世代代的人民团结在一起的价值观和信仰。
Centuries ago, when kings, emperors, and warlords reigned over much of the world, it was the English who first spelled out the rights and liberties of man in the Magna Carta. It was here, in this very hall, where the rule of law first developed, courts were established, disputes were settled, and citizens came to petition their leaders.	几个世纪前，当国王、皇帝和军阀主宰世界大部分地区的时候，是英国人在《大宪章》里首先阐明了人的权利和自由。正是在这里，在这个大厅里，法治首建其功，法庭得以建立，纠纷获得解决，公民前来向他们的领导人请愿。
Over time, the people of this nation waged a long and sometimes bloody struggle to expand and secure their freedom from the crown. Propelled by the ideals of the Enlightenment, they would ultimately forge an English Bill of Rights, and invest the power to govern in an elected parliament that's gathered here today.	随着时间的推移，这个国家的人民发动了一场长期、有时血腥的斗争，以扩大和保证他们与王权抗争获得的自由。在启蒙运动的理想推动下，他们经过千辛万苦最终制定了英国《权利法案》，把治理的权利交给了延续至今在此举行会议的民选议会。
What began on this island would inspire millions throughout the continent of Europe and across the world. But perhaps no one drew greater inspiration from these notions of freedom than your rabble-rousing colonists on the other side of the Atlantic. As Winston Churchill said, the "...Magna Carta, the Bill of Rights, Habeas Corpus, trial by jury, and English common law find their most famous expression in the American Declaration of Independence."	在这个岛上开创的事业激励了整个欧洲大陆乃至全世界的亿万人民。但从这些自由的概念中获取了最大灵感的或许莫过于大西洋彼岸那些发动民众的英国殖民地居民。正如温斯顿·丘吉尔所说，“……大宪章、权利法案、人身保护令、陪审团制度和英国普通法都可以在美国《独立宣言》中找到了最经典的表述。”
For both of our nations, living up to the ideals enshrined in these founding documents has sometimes been difficult, has always been a work in progress. The path has never been perfect. But through the struggles of slaves and immigrants, women and ethnic minorities, former colonies and persecuted religions, we have learned better than most that the longing for freedom and human dignity is not English or American or Western -- it is universal, and it beats in every heart. Perhaps that's why there are few nations that stand firmer, speak louder, and fight harder to defend democratic values around the world than the United States and the United Kingdom.	对我们两国来说，要实现庄严地载入这些建国文献中的理想有时是困难的，这历来是一个不断进步的过程。道路从来不可能总是平坦的通途。但是通过奴隶和移民、妇女和少数族裔、前殖民地和受迫害的各类宗教的艰苦奋斗，我们比大多数人都更了解，对自由和尊严的渴望并不专属于英国人或美国人或西方——这是举世皆然的要求，敲击着每一个人的心灵。也许这就是为什么没有哪一个国家能像美国和英国那样能以如此坚定的立场、如此洪亮的声音、如此艰苦奋斗的精神在全世界各地捍卫民主的价值。