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本帖最后由 王兵 于 2016-7-3 01:30 编辑
今天是加拿大国庆节，Happy Canada Day!
两天前，6月29日，美国总统奥巴马在加拿大国会发表了演讲，代表美国人民为加拿大国庆节送上了一份贺礼。奥巴马的演讲极为精彩堪称佳作，值得品味值得欣赏，值得学习英语学习演讲的朋友们共同学习：
美国和加拿大两国交流频繁合作密切语言相通文化相融，即使正式场合也不乏幽默与玩笑，奥巴马在感谢词之后就先幽自己一默也幽加拿大一默：
So Canada was the very first country that I visited as President. It was in February. (Laughter.) It was colder. (Laughter.) I was younger. (Laughter.) Michelle now refers to my hair as the Great White North. (Laughter.)
（加拿大是我任总统后访问的第一个国家。那是在二月，那时天气更冷，那时我更年轻，现在米歇尔把我的头发叫大北方白茫茫。）
笑过之后奥巴马立即释出真情：
I could not be more honored to be joining you in this historic hall — this cathedral of freedom. And we Americans can never say it enough — we could not ask for a better friend or ally than Canada. (Applause.) We could not. It's true. It is true. And we do not take it for granted.
（我感到无比的荣幸，在这座历史的大厅——这自由的殿堂发表演讲。我们美国人民总是要表达这样的心情——我们没有比加拿大更好的朋友或同盟了。没有。这是真的。这来之不易，我们非常珍惜。）
然后再笑谈两国历史与现实：
That does not mean we don't have our differences. As I understand it, one of the reasons the Queen chose this site for Parliament was that it was a safe distance from America's border. (Laughter.) And I admit, in the War of 1812, American troops did some damage to Toronto. I suspect that there were some people up here who didn't mind when the British returned the favor and burned down the White House. (Laughter.)
（这不是说我们之间没有差别。就我所知，女王把国会地点选在这里，原因之一就是离美国边境有个安全的距离。我也承认，在1812年战争中，美国军队给多伦多造成了破坏。我猜当英国人还我们以颜色烧了白宫的时候，你们这边的人也都出了口气。）
In more recent times, however, the only forces crossing our borders are the armies of tourists and businesspeople and families who are shopping and doing business and visiting loved ones. Our only battles take place inside the hockey rink. Even there, there's an uneasy peace that is maintained. As Americans, we, too, celebrate the life of Mr. Hockey himself, the late, great Gordie Howe. (Applause.) Just as Canadians can salute American teams for winning more Stanley Cups in the NHL. (Laughter.)
（然而如今，跨域我们两国边境的，只有旅游者和生意人的队伍，只有探亲访友购物血拼的大军。我们之间的战争只在冰球场上进行，而即使是在冰球场上，也维持着和平，虽然并不太容易维持。作为美国人，我们同样，也纪念冰球先生，最近刚刚去世的，伟大的戈迪.豪。就好像你们加拿大人一样，你们也称赞我们美国球队赢得更多次冰球联赛的斯坦利杯。）
奥巴马显然是在说美国冰球队更厉害，加拿大人哪能听这样的话，于是国会议员们嘘他：
AUDIENCE: Ooooh —
PRESIDENT OBAMA: I told you I should have stopped after the applause. (Laughter.)
（奥巴马说：你看我早就说了，我应该在掌声之后见好就收不要啰嗦。）
在热烈的气氛下，奥巴马逐渐切入两国关系的各个方面：
But in a world where too many borders are a source of conflict, our two countries are joined by the longest border of peace on Earth. (Applause.) And what makes our relationship so unique is not just proximity. It's our enduring commitment to a set of values — a spirit, alluded to by Justin, that says no matter who we are, where we come from, what our last names are, what faith we practice, here we can make of our lives what we will.
（但是在一个有着太多边界纠纷冲突的世界上，我们两国以地球上最长的和平边境而相连。并且我们的关系如此独特的，还不仅仅是邻近，而是我们长期不懈共同致力的价值观念，也正是贾斯汀所指出的，不论我们是谁，不论我们来自哪里，不论我们姓什么，不论我们信奉什么宗教，在这里，我们都能够按我们的意愿生活。）
奥巴马发挥他的语言天赋，使我们学习到这样的英语句型：“be so remarkable because it seems so unremarkable”，原来英语还可以这样说的：
Our relationship is so remarkable precisely because it seems so unremarkable — which is why Americans often are surprised when our favorite American actor or singer turns out to be Canadian! (Applause.)
（我们的关系是如此地引人注目，恰恰是因为看起来是如此地不引人注目——所以美国人常常惊讶地发现我们最喜欢的明星或歌星其实是加拿大人！
加拿大人同意并欣赏他的看法：
We see ourselves in each other, and our lives are richer for it.
(我们互相在对方身上看到自己，而我们的生活因此而更加丰富。）
作为非裔美国人的后代，奥巴马没有忘记加拿大当年接受逃亡黑人奴隶的历史：
The hope of run-away slaves who went north on an underground railroad. "Deep in our history of struggle," said Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., "Canada was the north star… The freedom road links us together."
（通过地下铁路逃往北方的奴隶们心中的希望，“深深地植入了我们挣扎的历史”，小马丁路德金博士说，“加拿大是北方之星……自由的道路将我们联结在一起。”）
不能忘记为两国共同经历的战争而奋战的将士们：
We're bound as well by the service of those who've defended us — at Flanders Field, the beaches of Normandy, in the skies of the Balkans, and more recently, in the mountains of Afghanistan, and training bases in Iraq. Their sacrifice is reflected in the silent rows of Arlington and in the Peace Tower above us. Today we honor those who gave their lives for all of us. (Applause.)
（使我们相连的，还有那些为保卫我们而战斗的将士们——在弗兰德斯战场、在诺曼底海岸、在巴尔干上空，还有近期的阿富汗的山岭，和伊拉克的训练营。牺牲的他们安眠在阿灵顿一排排安静的墓碑下，他们的名字在我们头顶的和平塔上。今天我们纪念这些为我们所有人而献出生命的人。
奥巴马演讲中更精彩更使人感动的，还在后面。请继续欣赏The World Needs More Canada（下）。
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发表于 2016-7-2 02:12:29
发表于 2016-7-2 03:30:26