2011年1月20日，美国总统奥巴马在华盛顿肯尼迪中心发表讲话，纪念肯尼迪就任总统50周年，以下是讲话全文：

Remarks at the 50th Anniversary of John F. Kennedy's Inauguration
Barack Obama, President of the United States
January 20, 2011
The Kennedy Center, Washington, D.C.

在纪念约翰∙肯尼迪就任总统50周年活动上的讲话
美国总统 巴拉克∙奥巴马
2011年1月20日
华盛顿特区肯尼迪中心

Thank you so much, everybody. Thank you. Thank you. To Caroline and the Kennedy family, to all the members of Congress and distinguished guests here tonight, it is an extraordinary pleasure to join you to mark the 50th anniversary of John F. Kennedy’s inauguration. (Applause.) And I can’t think of a better place to do it than here, in a living memorial that reflects not only his love of the arts, but also his recognition of how the arts can help sustain our national strength. (Applause.)

非常感谢，谢谢大家，谢谢。卡罗琳和肯尼迪家族各位成员、今晚在场的各位国会议员和尊贵的客人们，十分高兴同你们一起纪念约翰∙肯尼迪就任总统50周年。（掌声）在此举行这次活动是最恰当的，这个供人们日常使用的纪念场所不仅反映了他对艺术的热爱，而且反映了他对艺术在保持我国国力中所能发挥的作用的认识。（掌声）

Now, we mark this anniversary with a measure of sadness, as we remember the extraordinary life of Sargent Shriver -- (applause) -- a man who embodied the spirit of the New Frontier as well as anybody. When a person passes away, there’s often an urge to define their legacy, and find a way in which it will endure. In the case of Sarge, that is not hard to do. His legacy is written in the villages around the world that have clean water or a new school through the Peace Corps. It’s written into the lives of all the children in our own country whose fortunes have been lifted through Head Start. And it will endure in the work of his children who are living out his legacy of service, and our thoughts and prayers are with them tonight.

我们在缅怀萨金特∙施莱弗[肯尼迪总统的妹夫－译者注]不平凡的一生之时来纪念这个周年不免感到一种悲伤——（掌声）——在体现“新前沿”精神方面，他是一个出类拔萃的人。在一个人逝去的时候，常会产生一种界定其遗产并设法使之永存的动力。对施莱弗来说，做到这一条并非难事。他的遗产就写在世界各地那些通过和平队获得了清洁用水或新的学校的村庄里，写在我国那些因“起跑”计划[美国的一项帮助贫困儿童的教育计划－译者注]而改变命运的所有孩子的生活中。他的子女们继承了这份为他人奉献的遗产，并将通过自己的努力使之发扬光大。今晚，我们的心和他们连在一起，我们为他们祈祷。

One of the remarkable aspects in commemorating the JFK inauguration, in remembering those who were part of his team, like Sargent Shriver, who would help bring Kennedy’s soaring vision to life, is that none of it feels dated. Even now, one half century later, there is something about that day -– January 20, 1961 -– that feels immediate, feels new and urgent and exciting, despite the graininess of the 16-millimeter news reels that recorded it for posterity.

在纪念约翰∙肯尼迪就任总统50周年之时，在怀念萨金特∙施莱弗等为实现肯尼迪的宏大愿景而努力的团队成员之时，值得一提的是，人们可以看到这一切并没有过时。即便在今日，半个世纪之后，那一天——1961年1月20日——仍然让人感到历历在目，感到新鲜，感到紧迫和振奋，尽管为后人记录这一天的16毫米新闻胶卷已经老旧。

There he is, the handsome Bostonian, summoning a generation to service and a nation to greatness, in a speech that would become part of the American canon. And there’s the crowd, bundled up for the cold, making their way through streets white with snow, full of expectation. A nation, feeling young again, its mood brightened by the promise of a new decade.

他——一位英俊的波士顿人——就在那里，以一篇后来成为美国行为准则一部分的演说，呼唤一代人为他人奉献，呼唤整个国家创造伟大业绩。当时那一群人穿着厚厚的冬衣，满怀期待地行进在白雪覆盖的街道上。一个国家，青春焕发，充满着朝气，憧憬着充满希望的新的十年。

Now, I confess, I don’t have my own memories of that day. (Laughter.) I wasn’t born until later that year. (Laughter.) What I know of that day and the 1,000 days that followed -– what I know of President Kennedy –- came from a mother and grandparents who adored him; from books I read and classes I took; from growing up in a country still mourning its beloved leader, whose name was spoken with reverence. And I know him through the legacy of his children and his brother Teddy who became extraordinarily dear friends of mine.

我得坦率承认，我对那一天没有直接的记忆。（笑声）我是那一年稍晚的时候才出生的。（笑声）我对那一天及其后1000天的了解——我对肯尼迪总统的了解——来自于一位崇敬他的母亲和外祖父母；来自于我阅读的书籍和学校的课堂；来自于在一个依然思念其敬爱领袖的国家里的成长过程，在这个国家里，他的名字依然让人肃然起敬。我对他的了解还来自于他遗留身后的子女和他的弟弟特迪[即已故参议员爱德华·肯尼迪－译者注），他们后来成为我的挚友。

But I know him, John F. Kennedy, less as a man than as an icon, as a larger-than-life figure who graced this Earth for one brief and shining moment. But part of the function of this event, on this day, we must remember him as he was -- as a father who loved his children, as a friend who lived life fully, as a noble public servant who wanted to make a difference.

但在我心目中，约翰·肯尼迪并不是一个凡人，而是一位偶像，一个富有传奇色彩的人物，在地球上度过了短暂而光辉的时光。而本次活动的目的之一是，在今天，我们必须记住他曾是怎样一个人——一位疼爱自己孩子的父亲、一个生活充实的朋友、一名想有所作为的高尚公仆。

A quick wit with a light touch, he was dealt, in many ways, a fortunate hand at birth. Attending one event, early in his career, where every speaker before him pompously claimed humble roots -- things haven’t changed that much -- (laughter) -- John Kennedy confessed, when he took the podium, that he was –- and I quote -– “the only fellow here who didn’t come up the hard way.” (Laughter.)

他机敏巧智，从多方面讲，一出生就应天承运。他在从政早期曾参加过一次活动，当时所有在他前面发言的人都大谈自己卑微的身世——现在的情况和那时也差不多——（笑声）——约翰·肯尼迪走上讲台时自报家底说，他是——我引用原话—— “这里唯一一个不是苦出身的人”。(笑声)

And yet, it cannot be said that John F. Kennedy lived an easy life. He lost an older brother in the war; a sister shortly thereafter. He nearly lost his own life, too, when a Japanese gunship cut his PT boat in half, casting him into the water, from which he swam a crewmate to safety. Another sister struggled with a severe mental handicap. His own health was so poor that priests pronounced his last rites on several different occasions. And he endured the personal prejudice and political poison of anti-Catholic fervor.

然而，并不能说约翰·肯尼迪一生都安逸顺利。他在战争中失去了哥哥；之后不久又失去了一个妹妹。他自己也几乎遇难，当时一架日本战机把他的鱼雷艇截成两半，他被抛入水中，但他从水里救起另一名水手，一起安然逃生。他的另一个妹妹患有严重脑障。他自己的身体状况也很差，以至于牧师数次为他做过临终祷告。他还忍受了反天主教狂热所引发的个人偏见和政治毒害。

And there is surely a possibility, under such circumstances, that a person will retreat from the world; that a person, particularly one born to wealth, will seek a life of luxury and ease; that a person, confronted by the coldness of chance, will become bitter or cynical or small. It has happened to others.

在这种情况下，一个人确实有可能遁世隐居；特别是一个天生富贵的人，有可能会追求一种奢华安逸的生活；一个面对机会之冷漠的人，可能会变得刻薄、愤世嫉俗或心胸狭隘。这种情况并不罕见。

But that is not the life that John F. Kennedy chose. As he famously said at a press conference, “life is unfair.” We can’t choose the lots we are given in life, but we can choose how to live that life. John F. Kennedy chose a life in the arena, full of confidence that our country could surmount any obstacle, as he’d seen it do himself. He chose a life of leadership, fired not by naïve optimism, but committed realism; “idealism,” as his wife Jackie put it, “without illusions.” That is the idealism -– soaring but sober –- that inspired the country and the world one half century ago.

但是，这并不是约翰·肯尼迪选择的人生。他在一次新闻发布会上说得好：“生活是不公平的。”我们不能选择生活给予我们的定数，但我们可以选择如何度过一生。约翰·肯尼迪选择生活在公众舞台上，坚信我们的国家能够克服任何困难，就像他亲眼目睹的那样。他选择了做领袖的生活，不为天真的乐观主义所驱使，而是受到坚定的现实主义、即他的夫人杰基所说的“不抱幻想的理想主义”的鼓舞。正是这种理想主义——豪情冲天又冷静沉着——在半个世纪前感召了这个国家和整个世界。

I can only imagine how he must have felt, entering the Oval Office in turbulent times. (Laughter and applause.) The Soviet Premier, Khrushchev, had threatened to “bury” America just a few years before. Wars of Liberation, as they were called, were being waged around the globe -– from Laos and Vietnam to Congo and Cuba, just 90 miles from our shore. At home, a young preacher’s cause was gaining traction across a segregated land.

我只能想象他在那个动荡的年代步入椭圆形办公室时的所思所想。（笑声和掌声 ）苏联总理赫鲁晓夫，仅仅几年前曾扬言要“埋葬”美国。所谓的“解放战争”在世界各地蔓延——从老挝和越南到刚果及距我国海岸只有90英里的古巴。而当时在国内，一位年轻牧师[即马丁·路德·金－译者注]的事业正在种族隔离的土地上赢得人心。

In this volatile America, this tinderbox of a world, President Kennedy led with a steadying hand, defusing the most perilous crisis of the Cold War without firing a single shot. Enforcing the rights of young black men and women to attend the university of their choice. Launching a corps of volunteers as ambassadors for peace in distant centers of the globe. Setting America’s sights on the moon, unwilling to lose the Space Race in the wake of Sputnik.

在这个动荡的美国，在这个战争一触即发的地区，肯尼迪总统以稳健之手担纲，不费一枪一弹化解了冷战时期最危险的危机。他强制履行了黑人男女青年选择大学的权利。他动员志愿者队伍，前往遥远的异乡担任和平大使。他让美国放眼月球，在“斯普特尼克”升空后的太空竞赛中力争上游。

We know the moon-shot story. It’s a familiar one, often invoked to make the case for an ambitious idea. But it’s easy to lose sight of just how improbable it seemed in May of 1961. When President Kennedy proposed going to the moon, America had just 15 minutes of manned flight experience in space. NASA had neither a plan nor a shuttle for making a lunar voyage. (Laughter.) Its own engineers had taken out the slide rules, and they were deeply skeptical of the mission. (Laughter.)

我们都知道飞船登月的故事。这个故事为人们所熟知，人们经常用它来激励一个远大理想。然而，人们很容易忽略，在1961年5月这个想法看来是多么遥不可及。当肯尼迪总统提出登月计划时，美国的载人太空飞行经历不过15分钟。美国国家航空航天局既无月球飞行的计划又无可用于登月的飞船。（笑声）该局的工程师们已将计算尺收了起来，他们对这一使命表示十分怀疑。（笑声）

The science just wasn’t there. President Kennedy understood that. But he also knew something else. He knew that we, as a people, can do big things. We can reach great heights. We can rise to any challenge, so long as we’re willing to ask what we can do for our country; so long as we’re willing to take America’s destiny into our own hands. What President Kennedy understood was the character of the people he led: our resilience, our fearlessness, our distinctly American ability, revealed time and again throughout history, to defy the odds, to fashion our future, to make the world anew.

当时的科学还没有发展到那一步。肯尼迪总统理解这一点，但是他也清楚另一点。他知道，我们作为一个国家能够大有作为。我们能够攀登高峰。我们能够迎接任何挑战，只要我们愿意扪心自问：我们能为我们的国家做些什么，只要我们自己愿意主宰美国的命运。肯尼迪总统看到的是他所率领的人民的个性：我们的坚韧；我们的无畏；我们美国与众不同的能力，这种能力历经考验，在整个历史进程中反复展现，它造就未来，使世界焕然一新。

The world is very different now than it was in 1961. We face new trials and new uncertainties, from our economy to our security. We have a politics that can often seem too small for the hardships at hand. So meeting these tests won’t be easy. But we cannot forget, we are the heirs of this President, who showed us what is possible. Because of his vision, more people prospered; more people served; our union was made more perfect. Because of that vision, I can stand here tonight as President of the United States. (Applause.)

当今世界与1961年相比已经全然不同。在从经济到安全的诸多领域，我们面临新的考验、新的变数。面对眼前的困难，我们的政治运作常常显得偏于狭隘。因此，应对这些考验并非易事。然而，我们不能忘记，我们是这位总统的传人，他曾向我们昭示我们的潜力。由于他的远大理想，更多的人走向繁荣；更多的人作出奉献；我们的合众国变得更加美好。由于这一远大理想，我今晚才能够以美国总统的身份来到这里。（掌声）

So John F. Kennedy captured that American spirit that not only put a man on the moon, but saved a continent from tyranny and overcame a Great Depression; that forged, from 13 colonies, the last best hope on Earth. And if we can hold onto that spirit today, I know that our generation will answer its call as ably as earlier ones did before us.

约翰∙肯尼迪激发了美国精神，这一精神使人类登上月球，把一个大陆从暴政下拯救出来，战胜了大萧条，还从13个殖民地开始，缔造了世界迄今最美好的希望。如果我们今天继续弘扬这一精神，我知道我们这一代人将会像前几代人那样以非凡的能力响应这一召唤。

In December 1962, President Kennedy was asked by the Saturday Evening Post to submit his favorite quotation. A student not only of history, but also of literature, he chose a passage written by the poet Oliver Wendell Holmes, Sr., father of the Supreme Court justice. Mr. Holmes wrote:

1962年12月，《星期六晚报》邀请肯尼迪总统介绍他的座右铭。由于他在大学时兼修历史和文学，他挑选了诗人奥利弗•温德尔•霍姆斯——即最高法院大法官霍姆斯的父亲——的一段话。霍姆斯先生写道：

“I find the great things in this world -- is not so much where we stand, as in what direction we are moving: to reach the port of heaven, we must sail sometimes with the wind and sometimes against it -– but we must sail, and not drift, nor lie at anchor.”

“我感悟到，这个世界上的伟大事业——并非在于我们身处何地，而在于我们走向何方：为了到达天堂之门，我们有时必须顺风而行，有时则必须逆风而行——但我们必须航行，而非随波逐流或原地不动。”

That, I think, captures well the daring, graceful spirit of the unfinished life we celebrate today; a life that inspires us and lights our way, as we sail on to the new frontiers of our own time. Thank you, God bless you, and may God bless this country that we love. Thank you. (Applause.)

我认为，这段话确切地再现了我们今日所庆祝的依然延续的生命中那种无畏而高尚的精神，这一生命激励着我们，照亮我们的前进道路，伴随着我们驶向我们这个时代的新前沿。多谢各位，愿主保佑你们，愿主保佑我们所挚爱的国家。谢谢。（掌声）