On behalf of the great state of Illinois, crossroads of a nation, Land of Lincoln, let me express my deepest gratitude for the privilege of addressing this convention. 我谨代表伟大的伊利诺伊州——这个国家的十字路口、林肯的故乡——对有幸在本届大会上发言表示最深切的感谢。
Tonight is a particular honor for me because, let’s face it, my presence on this stage is pretty unlikely. My father was a foreign student, born and raised in a small village in Kenya. He grew up herding goats, went to school in a tin-roof shack. His father -- my grandfather -- was a cook, a domestic servant to the British. 今晚对我来说尤为荣幸，因为坦率地说，我能站在这个讲台上实在出乎寻常。我的父亲是一名外国留学生，在肯尼亚一个小村庄出生并长大。他小时候放羊，在一间铁皮屋顶的简陋校舍里上学。他的父亲，也就是我的祖父，曾是厨师和英国人的家仆。
But my grandfather had larger dreams for his son. Through hard work and perseverance my father got a scholarship to study in a magical place, America, that shone as a beacon of freedom and opportunity to so many who had come before. 但祖父对儿子怀有更远大的梦想。父亲凭借勤奋与毅力获得奖学金，来到一个神奇的地方求学——美国。对于此前到来的许多人而言，这里一直闪耀着自由与机遇的光芒。
While studying here, my father met my mother. She was born in a town on the other side of the world, in Kansas. Her father worked on oil rigs and farms through most of the Depression. The day after Pearl Harbor my grandfather signed up for duty; joined Patton’s army, marched across Europe. Back home, my grandmother raised a baby and went to work on a bomber assembly line. After the war, they studied on the G.I. Bill, bought a house through F.H.A., and later moved west all the way to Hawaii in search of opportunity. 父亲在这里求学时遇见了母亲。她出生在世界另一端、堪萨斯州的一座小镇。经济大萧条的大部分岁月里，她的父亲辗转于油田和农场工作。珍珠港事件次日，外祖父报名入伍，加入巴顿将军的部队，横跨欧洲作战。在国内，外祖母一边抚养婴儿，一边到轰炸机装配线上工作。战后，他们依靠《退伍军人权利法案》求学，通过联邦住房管理局贷款购房，后来一路西迁至夏威夷寻找机会。
And they, too, had big dreams for their daughter. A common dream, born of two continents. 他们同样对女儿寄予厚望。这是一个诞生于两片大陆的共同梦想。
My parents shared not only an improbable love, they shared an abiding faith in the possibilities of this nation. They would give me an African name, Barack, or “blessed,” believing that in a tolerant America your name is no barrier to success. They imagined -- They imagined me going to the best schools in the land, even though they weren’t rich, because in a generous America you don’t have to be rich to achieve your potential. 我的父母不仅拥有一段不可思议的爱情，也始终坚信这个国家蕴藏着无限可能。他们为我取了一个非洲名字“巴拉克”，意为“受祝福的人”，相信在一个宽容的美国，名字不会成为成功的障碍。他们设想我能进入全国最好的学校，尽管家境并不富裕，因为在一个慷慨的美国，人不必富有也能发挥自己的潜能。
They're both passed away now. And yet, I know that on this night they look down on me with great pride. 如今他们都已离世。但我知道，今夜他们正在天上注视着我，并深感自豪。
They stand here, and I stand here today, grateful for the diversity of my heritage, aware that my parents’ dreams live on in my two precious daughters. I stand here knowing that my story is part of the larger American story, that I owe a debt to all of those who came before me, and that, in no other country on earth, is my story even possible. 他们仿佛站在这里，而我今天也站在这里。我感激自己多元的血脉，明白父母的梦想延续在我两个珍爱的女儿身上。我站在这里，知道自己的故事是更宏大的美国故事的一部分，知道自己受惠于所有先行者，也知道在世界上任何其他国家，我的故事都不可能发生。
Tonight, we gather to affirm the greatness of our Nation -- not because of the height of our skyscrapers, or the power of our military, or the size of our economy. Our pride is based on a very simple premise, summed up in a declaration made over two hundred years ago: 今晚，我们相聚于此，是为了重申我们国家的伟大。这并非因为摩天大楼有多高、军事实力有多强或经济规模有多大。我们的自豪建立在一个极其朴素的信念之上，两百多年前的一份宣言对此作出了概括：
We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain inalienable rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. 我们认为这些真理不言而喻：人人生而平等，造物主赋予他们若干不可剥夺的权利，其中包括生命、自由和追求幸福的权利。
That is the true genius of America, a faith -- a faith in simple dreams, an insistence on small miracles; that we can tuck in our children at night and know that they are fed and clothed and safe from harm; that we can say what we think, write what we think, without hearing a sudden knock on the door; that we can have an idea and start our own business without paying a bribe; that we can participate in the political process without fear of retribution, and that our votes will be counted -- at least most of the time. 这正是美国真正的非凡之处：相信朴素的梦想，坚持创造一个个平凡的奇迹。我们可以在夜晚为孩子盖好被子，并确信他们有饭吃、有衣穿，不会受到伤害；我们可以畅所欲言、自由写作，而不必担心门外突然响起敲门声；我们可以萌生创意并创办企业，无须行贿；我们可以无惧报复地参与政治进程，也可以相信自己的选票会被计入——至少大多数时候如此。
This year, in this election we are called to reaffirm our values and our commitments, to hold them against a hard reality and see how we're measuring up to the legacy of our forbearers and the promise of future generations. 今年，在这场选举中，我们必须再次确认自己的价值观和承诺，让它们接受严峻现实的检验，看看我们是否无愧于先辈留下的遗产和对后代许下的承诺。
And fellow Americans, Democrats, Republicans, Independents, I say to you tonight: We have more work to do -- more work to do for the workers I met in Galesburg, Illinois, who are losing their union jobs at the Maytag plant that’s moving to Mexico, and now are having to compete with their own children for jobs that pay seven bucks an hour; 美国同胞们，无论你们是民主党人、共和党人还是独立人士，今晚我要对你们说：我们还有更多工作要做。我们要为我在伊利诺伊州盖尔斯堡遇到的工人做更多事情。随着美泰克工厂迁往墨西哥，他们正在失去有工会保障的工作，如今甚至不得不与自己的子女竞争时薪七美元的岗位。
more to do for the father that I met who was losing his job and choking back the tears, wondering how he would pay 4500 dollars a month for the drugs his son needs without the health benefits that he counted on; 我们要为我遇到的那位父亲做更多事情。他正面临失业，强忍着泪水，不知道失去赖以依靠的医疗福利后，如何负担儿子每月四千五百美元的药费。
more to do for the young woman in East St. Louis, and thousands more like her, who has the grades, has the drive, has the will, but doesn’t have the money to go to college. 我们还要为东圣路易斯的一位年轻女性以及成千上万与她相似的人做更多事情。她成绩优秀，有动力、有意志，却没有钱上大学。
Now, don’t get me wrong. The people I meet -- in small towns and big cities, in diners and office parks -- they don’t expect government to solve all their problems. They know they have to work hard to get ahead, and they want to. 请不要误解我的意思。我在小镇和大城市、餐馆和办公园区遇到的人，并不指望政府解决他们所有的问题。他们知道，要想取得进步就必须努力工作，而且他们愿意这样做。
Go into the collar counties around Chicago, and people will tell you they don’t want their tax money wasted, by a welfare agency or by the Pentagon. 到芝加哥周边各县走一走，人们会告诉你，他们不希望自己的税款被福利机构或五角大楼浪费。
Go in -- Go into any inner city neighborhood, and folks will tell you that government alone can’t teach our kids to learn; they know that parents have to teach, that children can’t achieve unless we raise their expectations and turn off the television sets and eradicate the slander that says a black youth with a book is acting white. They know those things. 走进任何市中心贫困社区，人们都会告诉你，单靠政府无法教会我们的孩子如何学习。他们知道父母必须承担教育责任；如果我们不提高对孩子的期望，不关掉电视，不消除“黑人青年读书就是装白人”的污蔑，孩子就无法取得成就。这些道理他们都懂。
People don’t expect -- People don't expect government to solve all their problems. But they sense, deep in their bones, that with just a slight change in priorities, we can make sure that every child in America has a decent shot at life, and that the doors of opportunity remain open to all. 人们并不指望政府解决所有问题。但他们从心底感觉到，只要稍微调整施政重点，我们就能确保美国每一个孩子都拥有体面的人生起点，让机会之门始终向所有人敞开。
They know we can do better. And they want that choice. 他们知道我们可以做得更好，也希望拥有这样的选择。
In this election, we offer that choice. Our Party has chosen a man to lead us who embodies the best this country has to offer. And that man is John Kerry. 在这次选举中，我们提供了这个选择。我们党选出了一位能够体现这个国家最优秀品质的人来领导我们，这个人就是约翰·克里。
John Kerry understands the ideals of community, faith, and service because they’ve defined his life. From his heroic service to Vietnam, to his years as a prosecutor and lieutenant governor, through two decades in the United States Senate, he's devoted himself to this country. Again and again, we’ve seen him make tough choices when easier ones were available. 约翰·克里理解共同体、信仰和服务的理想，因为这些理想塑造了他的一生。从英勇参加越南战争，到担任检察官和副州长，再到在美国参议院任职二十年，他始终献身于这个国家。一次又一次，当轻松的选择摆在面前时，我们看到他仍作出艰难的决定。
His values and his record affirm what is best in us. John Kerry believes in an America where hard work is rewarded; so instead of offering tax breaks to companies shipping jobs overseas, he offers them to companies creating jobs here at home. 他的价值观和履历彰显了我们身上最美好的一面。约翰·克里相信，在美国，辛勤劳动应当得到回报。因此，他不会给把工作岗位转移到海外的公司减税，而会把税收优惠给予在国内创造就业的企业。
John Kerry believes in an America where all Americans can afford the same health coverage our politicians in Washington have for themselves. 约翰·克里相信，在美国，每个美国人都应当能够负担得起华盛顿政客为自己享有的同等医疗保障。
John Kerry believes in energy independence, so we aren’t held hostage to the profits of oil companies, or the sabotage of foreign oil fields. 约翰·克里相信能源独立，这样我们就不会受制于石油公司的利润，也不会受制于外国油田遭到破坏。
John Kerry believes in the Constitutional freedoms that have made our country the envy of the world, and he will never sacrifice our basic liberties, nor use faith as a wedge to divide us. 约翰·克里信奉使我们的国家为世界所羡慕的宪法自由。他绝不会牺牲我们的基本自由，也不会把信仰当作分裂我们的工具。
And John Kerry believes that in a dangerous world war must be an option sometimes, but it should never be the first option. 约翰·克里还相信，在一个危险的世界里，战争有时必须成为选项，但绝不应成为首选。
You know, a while back -- awhile back I met a young man named Shamus in a V.F.W. Hall in East Moline, Illinois. He was a good-looking kid -- six two, six three, clear eyed, with an easy smile. He told me he’d joined the Marines and was heading to Iraq the following week. 前些时候，我在伊利诺伊州东莫林的一座美国海外战争退伍军人协会会堂里遇到一位名叫谢默斯的年轻人。他长得很精神，身高六英尺二三英寸，目光清澈，笑容亲切。他告诉我，自己已经加入海军陆战队，下周就要前往伊拉克。
And as I listened to him explain why he’d enlisted, the absolute faith he had in our country and its leaders, his devotion to duty and service, I thought this young man was all that any of us might ever hope for in a child. 我听他解释为何参军，听他讲述对国家及其领导人的绝对信任，以及对职责和服务的忠诚。我心想，这个年轻人具备我们每个人都希望自己孩子拥有的一切品质。
But then I asked myself, "Are we serving Shamus as well as he is serving us?" 但随后我问自己：“我们是否像谢默斯为我们服务那样尽心地为他服务？”
I thought of the 900 men and women -- sons and daughters, husbands and wives, friends and neighbors, who won’t be returning to their own hometowns. I thought of the families I’ve met who were struggling to get by without a loved one’s full income, or whose loved ones had returned with a limb missing or nerves shattered, but still lacked long-term health benefits because they were Reservists. 我想到了那九百名无法返回故乡的军人。他们是别人的儿女、夫妻、朋友和邻居。我想到了自己遇见的那些家庭：有人因为亲人拿不到原来的全额收入而艰难度日；有人所爱的人归来时肢体残缺或精神受到重创，却因身为预备役军人而仍得不到长期医疗保障。
When we send our young men and women into harm’s way, we have a solemn obligation not to fudge the numbers or shade the truth about why they’re going, to care for their families while they’re gone, to tend to the soldiers upon their return, and to never ever go to war without enough troops to win the war, secure the peace, and earn the respect of the world. 当我们把年轻男女送上险境时，就负有庄严的责任：不能篡改数据或掩饰他们出征的真实原因；要在他们离家期间照顾其家人；要在军人归来后悉心照料；绝不能在兵力不足以赢得战争、保障和平并赢得世界尊重的情况下贸然开战。
Now -- Now let me be clear. Let me be clear. We have real enemies in the world. These enemies must be found. They must be pursued. And they must be defeated. John Kerry knows this. And just as Lieutenant Kerry did not hesitate to risk his life to protect the men who served with him in Vietnam, President Kerry will not hesitate one moment to use our military might to keep America safe and secure. 现在，请允许我把话说清楚。世界上确实存在我们的敌人。我们必须找到他们、追击他们并击败他们。约翰·克里明白这一点。正如克里中尉当年在越南毫不犹豫地冒着生命危险保护并肩作战的士兵，克里总统也会毫不迟疑地运用我们的军事力量，维护美国的安全。
John Kerry believes in America. And he knows that it’s not enough for just some of us to prosper -- for alongside our famous individualism, there’s another ingredient in the American saga, a belief that we’re all connected as one people. 约翰·克里相信美国。他也知道，仅有一部分人繁荣是不够的。除了我们著名的个人主义，美国故事中还有另一项重要内涵，那就是相信我们作为一个民族彼此相连。
If there is a child on the south side of Chicago who can’t read, that matters to me, even if it’s not my child. 如果芝加哥南区有一个孩子不会阅读，这就与我有关，即使他不是我的孩子。
If there is a senior citizen somewhere who can’t pay for their prescription drugs, and having to choose between medicine and the rent, that makes my life poorer, even if it’s not my grandparent. 如果某处有一位老人买不起处方药，不得不在药物和房租之间作选择，我的生活也会因此变得贫乏，即使那不是我的祖父母。
If there’s an Arab American family being rounded up without benefit of an attorney or due process, that threatens my civil liberties. 如果一个阿拉伯裔美国家庭在没有律师帮助、未经正当程序的情况下遭到围捕，我的公民自由也会受到威胁。
It is that fundamental belief -- It is that fundamental belief: I am my brother’s keeper. I am my sister’s keeper -- that makes this country work. It’s what allows us to pursue our individual dreams and yet still come together as one American family. 正是这种根本信念——我是兄弟的守护者，我是姐妹的守护者——让这个国家得以运转。它使我们既能追求个人梦想，又能作为一个美国家庭团结在一起。
E pluribus unum : "Out of many, one." 合众为一。
Now even as we speak, there are those who are preparing to divide us -- the spin masters, the negative ad peddlers who embrace the politics of "anything goes." Well, I say to them tonight, there is not a liberal America and a conservative America -- there is the United States of America. There is not a Black America and a White America and Latino America and Asian America -- there’s the United States of America. 就在我们说话的此刻，有人正准备分裂我们。他们是操弄舆论的人，是兜售负面广告、奉行“不择手段”政治的人。但今晚我要告诉他们：不存在一个自由派的美国和一个保守派的美国，只有美利坚合众国；不存在一个黑人美国、一个白人美国、一个拉丁裔美国和一个亚裔美国，只有美利坚合众国。
The pundits, the pundits like to slice-and-dice our country into red states and blue states; red states for Republicans, blue states for Democrats. But I’ve got news for them, too. 评论家喜欢把我们的国家切分成红州和蓝州：红州属于共和党人，蓝州属于民主党人。但我也要告诉他们一些事实。
We worship an awesome God in the blue states, and we don’t like federal agents poking around in our libraries in the red states. 我们在蓝州敬奉伟大的上帝；在红州，我们也不喜欢联邦探员到图书馆里四处窥探。
We coach Little League in the blue states and yes, we’ve got some gay friends in the red states. 我们在蓝州执教少年棒球队；在红州，我们同样有同性恋朋友。
There are patriots who opposed the war in Iraq and there are patriots who supported the war in Iraq. We are one people, all of us pledging allegiance to the stars and stripes, all of us defending the United States of America. 反对伊拉克战争的人中有爱国者，支持这场战争的人中也有爱国者。我们是同一个民族，所有人都向星条旗宣誓效忠，所有人都在捍卫美利坚合众国。
In the end -- In the end -- In the end, that’s what this election is about. Do we participate in a politics of cynicism or do we participate in a politics of hope? 归根结底，这正是本次选举的意义所在：我们要参与愤世嫉俗的政治，还是参与充满希望的政治？
John Kerry calls on us to hope. John Edwards calls on us to hope. 约翰·克里号召我们怀抱希望，约翰·爱德华兹也号召我们怀抱希望。
I’m not talking about blind optimism here -- the almost willful ignorance that thinks unemployment will go away if we just don’t think about it, or the health care crisis will solve itself if we just ignore it. 我所说的不是盲目乐观，不是那种近乎故意无视现实的想法，以为只要不去想，失业就会消失；也不是以为只要置之不理，医疗危机就会自行解决。
That’s not what I’m talking about. I’m talking about something more substantial. It’s the hope of slaves sitting around a fire singing freedom songs; the hope of immigrants setting out for distant shores; the hope of a young naval lieutenant bravely patrolling the Mekong Delta; the hope of a millworker’s son who dares to defy the odds; the hope of a skinny kid with a funny name who believes that America has a place for him, too. 我说的并不是这些，而是更坚实的东西：那是奴隶围坐在火旁高唱自由之歌时的希望，是移民启程驶向遥远海岸时的希望，是年轻的海军中尉勇敢巡逻湄公河三角洲时的希望，是纺织工人的儿子敢于挑战命运时的希望，也是一个身材瘦削、名字古怪的孩子相信美国同样有他一席之地时的希望。
Hope -- Hope in the face of difficulty. Hope in the face of uncertainty. The audacity of hope! 希望——面对困难时的希望，面对不确定时的希望，敢于怀抱希望！
In the end, that is God’s greatest gift to us, the bedrock of this nation. A belief in things not seen. A belief that there are better days ahead. 归根结底，这就是上帝赐予我们的最伟大礼物，是这个国家的基石：相信尚未看见的事物，相信更美好的日子就在前方。
I believe that we can give our middle class relief and provide working families with a road to opportunity. 我相信，我们能够减轻中产阶级的负担，为劳动家庭铺就通往机遇的道路。
I believe we can provide jobs to the jobless, homes to the homeless, and reclaim young people in cities across America from violence and despair. 我相信，我们能够为失业者提供工作，为无家可归者提供住所，并把美国各城市的年轻人从暴力和绝望中挽救出来。
I believe that we have a righteous wind at our backs and that as we stand on the crossroads of history, we can make the right choices, and meet the challenges that face us. 我相信，正义之风正在我们身后推动着我们；当我们站在历史的十字路口时，我们能够作出正确选择，迎接面前的挑战。
America! Tonight, if you feel the same energy that I do, if you feel the same urgency that I do, if you feel the same passion that I do, if you feel the same hopefulness that I do -- if we do what we must do, then I have no doubt that all across the country, from Florida to Oregon, from Washington to Maine, the people will rise up in November, and 美国！今晚，如果你们感受到与我相同的力量、相同的紧迫感、相同的激情和相同的希望，如果我们去做必须做的事情，那么我毫不怀疑，从佛罗里达到俄勒冈，从华盛顿州到缅因州，全国人民都会在十一月奋起行动。
John Kerry will be sworn in as President, and John Edwards will be sworn in as Vice President, and this country will reclaim its promise, and out of this long political darkness a brighter day will come. 约翰·克里将宣誓就任总统，约翰·爱德华兹将宣誓就任副总统。这个国家将重新兑现自己的承诺，在漫长的政治黑暗之后，一个更加光明的日子终将到来。
Thank you very much everybody. 非常感谢大家。
God bless you. 愿上帝保佑你们。
Thank you. 谢谢。