Remarks of President Barack Obama on Thanksgiving Day
November 22, 2012

美國總統(tǒng)奧巴馬感恩節(jié)致辭
2012年11月22日

On behalf of the Obama family – Michelle, Malia, Sasha, Bo and me– I want to wish everyone a very happy Thanksgiving.
我代表奧巴馬全家——米歇爾，瑪利亞，莎莎，小狗波，還有我——祝愿大家感恩節(jié)快樂！

For us, like so many of you, this is a day full of family and friends; food and football. It’s a day to fight the overwhelming urge to take a nap – at least until after dinner. But most of all, it’s a time to give thanks for each other, and for the incredible bounty we enjoy.
對于我們來說，就像你們大家一樣，這一天會在家人和朋友中度過，一起吃感恩節(jié)食物，看橄欖球比賽。這一天要忙忙碌碌總想找個時間小憩一會，至少晚飯后會有這種想法。但對大多數(shù)人來說，這一天都會彼此感恩，感謝我們所得到的一切。

That’s especially important this year. As a nation, we’ve just emerged from a campaign season that was passionate, noisy, and vital to our democracy. But it also required us to make choices – and sometimes those choices led us to focus on what sets us apart instead of what ties us together; on what candidate we support instead of what country we belong to.
這一天對于今年來說格外重要。作為一個國家，我們剛剛走出充滿激情、嘈雜和我們民主制度中最重要的大選季節(jié)，但它需要我們作出選擇。而有時候這些選擇會過于著重在什么使我們不同，而不是聯(lián)系起來；在支持我們的候選人，而不是我們的國家。

Thanksgiving is a chance to put it all in perspective – to remember that, despite our differences, we are, and always will be, Americans first and foremost.
感恩節(jié)是一個讓我們?nèi)嫠伎嫉暮脵C會，要記住，盡管存在分歧，我們永遠要把美國人民的利益放在首位。

Today we give thanks for blessings that are all too rare in this world. The ability to spend time with the ones we love; to say what we want; to worship as we please; to know that there are brave men and women defending our freedom around the globe; and to look our children in the eye and tell them that, here in America, no dream is too big if they’re willing to work for it.
今天我們感激所獲得的恩賜，在當今世界它們還是那么的稀有珍貴：我們可以與深愛的人一起度過美好的時光，我們可以自由表達我們的思想與崇拜，我們有那些無畏的軍人在世界各地捍衛(wèi)我們的自由，我們可以看著我們的孩子告訴他們，在美國這里，只要你愿意為之努力，沒有什么夢想是不能實現(xiàn)的。

We’re also grateful that this country has always been home to Americans who see these blessings not simply as gifts to enjoy, but as opportunities to give back. Americans who believe we have a responsibility to look out for those less fortunate – to pull each other up and move forward together.
我們感恩，也是因為在這個國家，美國人不會簡單地把恩賜當做禮物去享受，還會把它們當做機會去回報。美國人相信我們有責任去關(guān)心那些不太幸運的人，彼此拉對方一把，然后一起向前。

Right now, as we prepare to gather around our dinner tables, there are families in the northeast who don’t have that luxury. Many of them have lost everything to Hurricane Sandy – homes, possessions, even loved ones. And it will be a long time before life goes back to normal.
此時此刻，當我們準備圍坐在餐桌前時，在東北還有許多家庭無法享受這些。他們在颶風桑迪的災(zāi)害中失去了一切——家園，財產(chǎn)，甚至深愛的親人，生活恢復正常還需要很長一段時間。

But in the midst of so much tragedy, there are also glimmers of hope. Over the last few weeks, we’ve seen FEMA personnel, National Guard and first responders working around the clock in hard-hit communities. We’ve seen hospital workers using their lunch breaks to distribute supplies. Families offering up extra bedrooms. The fire department advertising free hot showers. Buses full of volunteers coming from hundreds of miles away. Neighbors sharing whatever they have – food, water, electricity – and saying again and again how lucky they are to have a roof over their heads.
但在這些悲劇之中，我們?nèi)詴吹较Ｍ氖锕?。過去幾周以來，我們看到了聯(lián)邦應(yīng)急管理署的工作人員，國民警衛(wèi)隊的軍人，以及第一救援人員們在受災(zāi)地區(qū)不分晝夜的工作。我們看到了醫(yī)護人員利用午休時間發(fā)放救援物資。眾多家庭提供出他們的空余臥室，消防部門提供免費熱水淋浴，巴士滿載著來自數(shù)百英里以外的志愿者來到災(zāi)區(qū)，大家彼此分享著擁有的一切——食物，水，電——并且一遍遍地說能有屋頂來遮雨是多么的幸運。

It would have been easy for these folks to do nothing – to worry about themselves and leave the rest to someone else. But that’s not who we are. That’s not what we do.
這些人如果作壁上觀本是很容易的——只要擔心自己的問題，把其他的困難留給別人。但那就不是我們了，那也不是我們會做的。

As Americans, we are a bold, generous, big-hearted people. When our brothers and sisters are in need, we roll up our sleeves and get to work – not for the recognition or the reward, but because it’s the right thing to do. Because there but for the grace of God go I. And because here in America, we rise or fall together, as one nation and one people.
作為美國人，我們勇敢，慷慨，善良。當我們的兄弟姐妹有需要的時候，我們會挽起袖子就去幫忙，不是為了獲得認可或是獎賞，而是因為這是我們認為正確的事情。因為我這么做是為了上帝的恩典。因為在美國，我們同甘苦共患難，作為一個國家，一個民族。

That’s something to be grateful for – today and every day.
總有些事是值得我們感激的——今天以及每一天。

So to all the Americans doing your part to make our world a better place – it is my privilege to serve as your President. To all our servicemembers – it is my honor to be your Commander in Chief. And from our family to yours, happy Thanksgiving.
因此，我要對所有各盡其職共同創(chuàng)造我們美好家園的美國人說，我為能夠成為你們的總統(tǒng)而感到無比榮幸；我要對所有的部隊軍人說，我為能夠成為你們的總司令而無比自豪。我代表我們?nèi)易Ｔ改銈兏卸鞴?jié)快樂！