第8章 教育的曙光就在前方 The dawn of the Education Lies Ahead

在我进行演讲的伊始，我要对来到这里参加活动的社区公民表示由衷的感谢——年轻人和老人们，不同种族、不同背景，以及不同的信仰——你们参与了伟大的美国的剧变，充分发挥自身的才能发展你们的社区。

我们现在来到了这项工作必须要完成的关键时刻。今天，我们面临着我们之前从未遇到过的残酷挑战，许多华盛顿的公民以及其他地区的美国公民都感到很受伤，他们对于美国的未来持不确定的态度。就在我准备好明天进行宣誓的时候，我才知道我的行政部门终止了我们的工作。

但是，我同样还知道：无论我们的政府工作做得多出色；无论我们要付出多大的努力去制定周密的计划、政策，并且保留对华盛顿的责任感，光靠政府是解决不了我们的问题的——甚至是大多数的问题。它要求我们大家团结一心，做好自己的本职工作来重塑伟大的美国。

这就是为什么我们要把美国人民召集起来，将他们的时间和精力投入到为他们的社区服务和工作中去。这就是为什么我要选择今天这么特殊的一天，让我们向一个将自己当作是为他人服务的公仆致敬——这样伟大的品德不仅仅能从他自身卓越的贡献中看出来，更能从他是如何激励其他人为社区和国家做贡献中看出来。

马丁·路德·金教导我们，我们不能再将我们的日常的关心和责任与这个世界上所发生的事情相分离，那些我们从报纸和电视里看到的新闻。因为，基本上，对于我们来说，我们自身的历史和美国的历史是紧紧联系在一起的，它们是共享的。每一次当我们站在一起，回应解决我们新世纪的挑战的时候，它们就会被加强、被充实。

所以今天，我要求大家卷起你们的袖口，加入到重塑我们伟大祖国的任务中来。我在此向大家承诺，政府会竭尽全力为公民提供更多参与的机会。而作为回报，我恳请你们做好你们自身的本职工作——并不是在今天去奉献，而是作出一个不间断的保证，它将持续下去，甚至超过某一个总统的任期。

至于那些对这样的事情是否会发生持怀疑态度的人来说——对于那些认为美国人民自私或者冷漠的人来说——我邀请他们到柯立芝大学来，让他们亲眼见证在今天来自美国一万一千多个不同地方的志愿者齐聚在这里，他们修整了学校，重新布置了教室，并且给学校带来了食物和血液，等等。我亲眼看到了美国人民在今天和每一天的行动。所以，你们不要对我说，我们不可能在这个国家里迎接新的奉献精神。

我知道我们能够做到这一点。准确地说，美国是一个伟大的国家，因为美国人民在困难面前会团结一致；即使自身条件不是很充裕的情况下也会毫不犹豫地施舍；并且在面临巨大挑战和残酷考验的时候崛起。

我知道我今天站在这里——还有在座的各位——因为某些人，在某些时刻，决定热爱他们的社区和他们的祖国意味着要做出一些事情来改变它。

这就是为什么我们要再一次在这个伟大的历史时刻——属于我们的时刻，付诸行动。所以，今天，我要用马丁·路德·金的话对大家说：“让我们站起来。让我们带着更大的决心站起来。让我们在这些日益强大的日子里前行，让这些挑战并铸造美国应有的形象。”

感谢大家，愿上帝保佑你们，愿上帝保佑美国。

附：英文原文

I want to start by thanking all of you for coming together from across this community - people who are young and old, of every race and background and faith - and taking part in the great American tradition of giving of yourselves to lift up your community.

We meet at a moment when this work could not be more urgent. Today, we face challenges like never before in our lifetime. A lot of folks here in DC and across America are hurting and filled with uncertainty about what the future holds. And as I prepare to take that oath tomorrow, I know my Administration has our work cut out for us.

But I also know this: that however well government does its job; however hard we work to make good plans and policies and restore a sense of responsibility to Washington, our problems cannot be solved by government alone - or even mostly by government. It's going to take all of us, putting our shoulder to the wheel, doing our part to remake this nation.

That's why we've called on the American people to come together and devote their time and effort to work in their communities today. And that's why we chose this particular day, when we honor a man who lived his life as a servant to his fellow citizens - and whose greatness can be measured not just in his own extraordinary contributions, but in how he inspired others to contribute.

Dr. King taught us that we could no longer view our own day-to-day cares and responsibilities as somehow separate from what was happening in the wider world that we read about in the newspaper and saw on TV. Because ultimately, for each of us, our own story and the American story are not separate, they are shared. And they are both strengthened and enriched each time we stand up and answer the call to help meet the challenges of our new century.

So today, I am asking you to roll up your sleeves and join in the work of remaking this nation. I pledge to you that government will do its part to open up more opportunities for citizens to participate. And in return, I ask you to play your part - to not just pitch in today, but to make an ongoing commitment that lasts far beyond one day, or even one presidency.

And to those who are skeptical about whether this will happen - to anyone who thinks that the American people are selfish or apathetic - I invite them to come here to Coolidge High School and to the more than 11,000 other places across this country where people have spent today fixing up schools and renovating homes and organizing food drives and blood drives and so much more. I see what the American people are doing today and every day. So don't tell me that we can't usher in a new spirit of service in this country.

I know we can do this. America is a great nation precisely because Americans have been willing to stand up when it was hard; to give when they had little left to give; to rise above moments of great challenge and terrible trial.

And I know that I am here today - as are so many of you - because somebody, at some point, decided that loving their community and their country meant doing something to change it.

That's what we are called to do once again, in this moment - our moment -in history. So today, in the words of Dr. King, “Let us rise up…with a greater readiness. Let us stand with a greater determination. And let us move on in these powerful days, these days of challenge to make America what it ought to be.”

Thank you, God bless you, and God bless America.