Americans across the political spectrum supported the use of force against those who attacked us on 9/11. Now, as we approach our 10th year of combat in Afghanistan, there are those who are understandably asking tough questions about our mission there. But we must never lose sight of what's at stake. As we speak, al Qaeda continues to plot against us, and its leadership remains anchored in the border region of Afghanistan and Pakistan. We will disrupt, dismantle, and defeat al Qaeda, while preventing Afghanistan from again serving as a base for terrorists. And because of our drawdown in Iraq, we are now able to apply the resources necessary to go on offense. In fact, over the last 19 months, nearly a dozen al Qaeda leaders -and hundreds of Al Qaeda's extremist allies-have been killed or captured around the world.

美國的全體政界人士都支持使用武力打擊發動9?11襲擊的恐怖分子。現在我們在阿富汗的戰爭接近第10個年頭，有人質疑我們在那里的使命，這一點可以理解。但我們絕對不能忽視所面臨的危險。正如我們所說的，基地組織繼續對我們圖謀不軌，而且其頭目仍藏身在阿富汗和巴基斯坦交界地區。我們將擾亂、驅散并擊敗基地組織，同時阻止阿富汗再次成為恐怖分子的基地。由于我們從伊拉克撤軍，我們現在能夠提供進攻所需的資源。實際上，在過去19個月中，全世界已有十幾名基地組織頭目、數百名基地組織極端分子盟友已被擊斃或俘虜。

Within Afghanistan, I have ordered the deployment of additional troops who-under the command of General David Petraeus -are fighting to break the Taliban's momentum. As with the surge in Iraq, these forces will be in place for a limited time to provide space for the Afghans to build their capacity and secure their own future. But, as was the case in Iraq, we cannot do for Afghans what they must ultimately do for themselves. That's why we are training Afghan Security Forces and supporting a political resolution to Afghanistan's problems. And, next July, we will begin a transition to Afghan responsibility. The pace of our troop reductions will be determined by conditions on the ground, and our support for Afghanistan will endure. But make no mistake: this transition will begin - because open-ended war serves neither our interests nor the Afghan people's.

在阿富汗境內，我已經命令增加軍隊部署，由戴維?彼得雷烏斯將軍指揮，打擊并粉碎塔利班的勢頭。與在伊拉克一樣，這些部隊不會永遠駐扎在阿富汗，他們主要是為阿富汗爭取空間，使他們可以增強能力以掌握自己的未來。與伊拉克也一樣，我們并不能替代阿富汗做最終需要他們親自動手做的事情。正是因為這樣，我們才會訓練阿富汗安全部隊并支持通過政治途徑解決阿富汗問題。而且，明年7月，我們將開始將責任逐步轉交給阿富汗。我們撤軍的步伐將根據當地的情況而定，而且，我們對阿富汗的支持也會是長期的。但不要弄錯：這種權責轉交將會開始，因為美軍無限期停留在阿富汗既不符合我們的利益也不符合阿富汗人民的利益。

Indeed, one of the lessons of our effort in Iraq is that American influence around the world is not a function of military force alone. We must use all elements of our power -including our diplomacy, our economic strength, and the power of America's example -to secure our interests and stand by our allies. And we must project a vision of the future that is based not just on our fears, but also on our hopes -a vision that recognizes the real dangers that exist around the world, but also the limitless possibility of our time.

實際上，我們在伊拉克的努力得到的教訓之一就是，美國對全世界的影響并不僅是軍力影響。我們必須全方位使用我們的力量——包括我們的外交、我們的經濟力量以及美國榜樣的力量，來確保我們的利益并支持我們的盟國。而且我們對于未來的展望必須既基于我們的擔憂，也要基于我們的希望。這種展望既要承認全世界存在危險，也必須承認我們的時代有無限的可能。

Today, old adversaries are at peace, and emerging democracies are potential partners. New markets for our goods stretch from Asia to the Americas. A new push for peace in the Middle East will begin here tomorrow. Billions of young people want to move beyond the shackles of poverty and conflict. As the leader of the free world, America will do more than just defeat on the battlefield those who offer hatred and destruction -we will also lead among those who are willing to work together to expand freedom and opportunity for all people.

今天，老對手處于和平狀態，新興民主國家是我們的潛在合作伙伴。我們商品的新市場從亞洲延伸到美洲。推進中東地區和平的新努力將于明天從這里開始。數十億年輕人都想努力掙脫貧窮和沖突的桎梏。作為自由世界的領導者，美國不僅要在戰場上打敗那些給人們帶來仇恨和破壞的敵人，還要領導那些愿意共同努力為所有人爭取自由和機遇的人們。

That effort must begin within our own borders. Throughout our history, America has been willing to bear the burden of promoting liberty and human dignity overseas, understanding its link to our own liberty and security. But we have also understood that our nation's strength and influence abroad must be firmly anchored in our prosperity at home. And the bedrock of that prosperity must be a growing middle class.

這種努力必須從我們自己的疆域內開始。縱觀歷史，美國一直愿意承擔推動海外自由和人類尊嚴的責任，因為這與我們自己的自由和安全息息相關。不過，我們也要理解，我們國家在國外的力量和影響力，必須牢牢地植根于國內的繁榮。而且，這種繁榮的基礎必定是不斷壯大的中產階級。

Unfortunately, over the last decade, we have not done what is necessary to shore up the foundation of our own prosperity. We have spent over a trillion dollars at war, often financed by borrowing from overseas. This, in turn, has short-changed investments in our own people, and contributed to record deficits. For too long, we have put off tough decisions on everything from our manufacturing base to our energy policy to education reform. As a result, too many middle class families find themselves working harder for less, while our nation's long-term competitiveness is put at risk.

遺憾的是，在過去的十年里，我們并沒有為鞏固我國繁榮的基礎做過什么。在戰爭中，我們花費了逾萬億美元，這些資金往往來自海外借貸。這反過來減少了我們對自己國民的投資，并催生了破紀錄的財政赤字。長久以來，我們一直在推遲制造業基礎、能源政策及教育改革等所有領域的重大決定。結果，太多的中產階級家庭發現他們的工作更辛苦，但掙的卻更少，我國的長期競爭力也處在危險中。

And so at this moment, as we wind down the war in Iraq, we must tackle those challenges at home with as much energy, and grit, and sense of common purpose as our men and women in uniform who have served abroad. They have met every test that they faced. Now, it is our turn. Now, it is our responsibility to honor them by coming together, all of us, and working to secure the dream that so many generations have fought for -the dream that a better life awaits anyone who is willing to work for it and reach for it.

因此，在這個時刻，當我們逐漸結束伊拉克戰爭的時候，我們必需拿出更多的精力、勇氣和共同追求感應對國內挑戰，就像我們的士兵在國外的表現一樣。他們經受了遇到的每一個考驗。現在，輪到我們了。現在，我們有責任團結起來，通過努力爭取我們世代為之努力奮斗的夢想，以此向他們致敬。我們的夢想就是美好的生活等著每一個愿意為之努力、為之奮斗的人。

Our most urgent task is to restore our economy, and put the millions of Americans who have lost their jobs back to work. To strengthen our middle class, we must give all our children the education they deserve, and all our workers the skills that they need to compete in a global economy. We must jumpstart industries that create jobs, and end our dependence on foreign oil. We must unleash the innovation that allows new products to roll off our assembly lines, and nurture the ideas that spring from our entrepreneurs. This will be difficult. But in the days to come, it must be our central mission as a people, and my central responsibility as President.

我們最緊迫的任務是重振我們的經濟，讓數百萬失去工作的美國人重新上崗。為了壯大我們的中產階級，我們必須讓孩子們享受他們應該得到的教育，讓我們的工人擁有足以在全球經濟中競爭的技能。我們必須推動可創造就業機會的產業的發展，擺脫對外國石油的依賴。我們必須改革創新，生產制造新產品，并鼓勵企業家提出新理念。這將很困難，不過，在未來的日子里，這將是我們民族的中心任務，同時也我身為美國總統的主要責任。

Part of that responsibility is making sure that we honor our commitments to those who have served our country with such valor. As long as I am President, we will maintain the finest fighting force that the world has ever known, and do whatever it takes to serve our veterans as well as they have served us. This is a sacred trust. That is why we have already made one of the largest increases in funding for veterans in decades. We are treating the signature wounds of today's wars post-traumatic stress and traumatic brain injury, while providing the health care and benefits that all of our veterans have earned. And we are funding a post-9/11 GI Bill that helps our veterans and their families pursue the dream of a college education. Just as the GI Bill helped those who fought World War II- including my grandfather- become the backbone of our middle class, so today's servicemen and women must have the chance to apply their gifts to expand the American economy. Because part of ending a war responsibly is standing by those who have fought it.

這種責任的一部分就是，確保兌現我們對懷著巨大勇氣為我們國家服務的人的承諾。只要我還是總統，我們就會維持世界所知的最精良的戰隊，盡我們所能為退伍軍人服務，就像他們為我們所做的一樣，這是一種神圣的信任。正因為如此，我們此前大幅度提升了對退伍軍人的資助，這是數十年來最大的增幅。我們治療他們的戰后精神損傷，同時為退伍軍人提供醫療保健和給予他們應得的利益。而且我們正在提供資金實施《后9-11士兵福利法案》，幫助我們的老兵和他們的家人實現追求大學教育的夢想。就像《士兵福利法案》幫助那些二戰老兵、包括我祖父，成為了我們中產階級的支柱一樣，今天的士兵必須有機會施展他們的才能，以增強美國的經濟。因為，負責任地結束一場戰爭部分有賴于那些曾經為之戰斗的人們。

Two weeks ago, America's final combat brigade in Iraq -the Army's Fourth Stryker Brigade -journeyed home in the pre-dawn darkness. Thousands of soldiers and hundreds of vehicles made the trip from Baghdad, the last of them passing into Kuwait in the early morning hours. Over seven years before, American troops and coalition partners had fought their way across similar highways, but this time no shots were fired. It was just a convoy of brave Americans, making their way home.

兩周前，美國駐伊拉克的最后一個戰斗旅、陸軍第四斯瑞克裝甲旅已在黎明前的黑暗中踏上歸途。數千名士兵以及數百輛車輛離開巴格達，并在清早時分進入科威特境內。大約7年前，美國軍隊與盟友沿著相似的道路戰斗挺進，但是，這一次我們并未開槍射擊。這一次僅僅是一隊勇敢的美國人，正在返回家鄉。

Of course, the soldiers left much behind. Some were teenagers when the war began. Many have served multiple tours of duty, far from their families who bore a heroic burden of their own, enduring the absence of a husband's embrace or a mother's kiss. Most painfully, since the war began fifty-five members of the Fourth Stryker Brigade made the ultimate sacrifice -part of over 4,400 Americans who have given their lives in Iraq. As one staff sergeant said, "I know that to my brothers in arms who fought and died, this day would probably mean a lot."

當然，這些士兵身后留下了許多東西。戰爭爆發時，他們之中的一些人僅僅只有十幾歲。許多士兵都曾多次服役，遠離家鄉。他們身處千里之外的家人也肩負著崇高的使命，忍受無法擁抱丈夫或親吻母親的日子。最令人痛心的是，自戰爭爆發以來，第四斯瑞克裝甲旅已有55名士兵獻出了自己的生命，他們是為伊拉克犧牲的4400多名美國人中的一份子。就像一名上士所說的那樣：“我知道對于那些戰斗過并已犧牲的戰友來說，今天本來應該非常重要。”

Those Americans gave their lives for the values that have lived in the hearts of our people for over two centuries. Along with nearly 1.5 million Americans who have served in Iraq, they fought in a faraway place for people they never knew. They stared into the darkest of human creations -war -and helped the Iraqi people seek the light of peace.

這些美國人為了已在國人心中存在了200多年的價值理想獻出了寶貴的生命。同近150萬在伊拉克服役的美國人一道，他們在遙遠的國度，為素未謀面的陌生人奮戰。他們直視人類創造的最黑暗的事物——戰爭，幫助伊拉克人民尋找和平之光。

In an age without surrender ceremonies, we must earn victory through the success of our partners and the strength of our own nation. Every American who serves joins an unbroken line of heroes that stretches from Lexington to Gettysburg; from Iwo Jima to Inchon; from Khe Sanh to Kandahar - Americans who have fought to see that the lives of our children are better than our own. Our troops are the steel in our ship of state. And though our nation may be travelling through rough waters, they give us confidence that our course is true, and that beyond the pre-dawn darkness, better days lie ahead.

在沒有投降儀式的時代里，我們的勝利須由盟友的成功以及自身國家的強大來體現。為國家效力的美國人都是英雄，從萊克星頓到葛底斯堡，從硫磺島到仁川，從溪山到坎大哈，不斷奮戰的美國人相信，孩子們的生命重于自己的生命。軍隊是我們這個國家的鋼鐵護衛。雖然我們的國家或許正身處險灘之中，但他們使我們確信航線是正確的，突破黎明前的黑暗后，前方必定是更美好的日子。

Thank you. May God bless you. And may God bless the United States of America, and all who serve her.

謝謝。愿上帝保佑你。愿上帝保佑美利堅合眾國，保佑她的子民。

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（來源：news.sky.com/中國日報網  編輯：Julie）