Well, good evening, everybody. On behalf of Michelle and myself, welcome to the White House. Over the past eight years, this has always been one of our favorite nights. And this year, I was especially looking forward to seeing how Joe Walsh cleans up -- pretty good. 大家晚上好。我谨代表米歇尔和我本人，欢迎各位来到白宫。过去八年来，这一直是我们最喜爱的夜晚之一。今年，我特别期待看到乔·沃尔什盛装打扮的样子——还挺不错的嘛。
I want to begin by once again thanking everybody who makes this wonderful evening possible, including David Rubenstein, the Kennedy Center Trustees -- I’m getting a big echo back there -- and the Kennedy Center President, Deborah Rutter. Give them a big round of applause. 首先，我要再次感谢每一位让这个美好夜晚成为可能的人，包括大卫·鲁宾斯坦、肯尼迪中心的理事们——我听到后面有很大的回音——以及肯尼迪中心主席黛博拉·拉特。让我们为他们热烈鼓掌。
We have some outstanding members of Congress here tonight. And we are honored also to have Vicki Kennedy and three of President Kennedy’s grandchildren with us here -– Rose, Tatiana, and Jack. 今晚，我们有幸邀请到几位杰出的国会议员。我们也很荣幸维姬·肯尼迪和肯尼迪总统的三位孙辈——罗斯、塔季扬娜和杰克——与我们同在。
So the arts have always been part of life at the White House, because the arts are always central to American life. And that’s why, over the past eight years, Michelle and I have invited some of the best writers and musicians, actors, dancers to share their gifts with the American people, and to help tell the story of who we are, and to inspire what’s best in all of us. Along the way, we’ve enjoyed some unbelievable performances -– this is one of the perks of the job that I will miss. 艺术一直是白宫生活的一部分，因为艺术始终是美国生活的核心。这就是为什么在过去八年里，米歇尔和我邀请了一些最优秀的作家、音乐家、演员、舞蹈家，与美国人民分享他们的才华，帮助讲述我们是谁的故事，激发我们每个人心中最美好的一面。一路走来，我们欣赏了一些不可思议的演出——这是我会怀念的总统职务福利之一。
Thanks to Michelle’s efforts, we’ve brought the arts to more young people -– from hosting workshops where they learn firsthand from accomplished artists, to bringing “Hamilton” to students who wouldn’t normally get a ticket to Broadway. And on behalf of all of us, I want to say thanks to my wife for having done simply. Yes. And she’s always looked really good doing it. She does. 多亏了米歇尔的努力，我们让更多年轻人接触到了艺术——从举办工作坊让他们亲炙成就卓著的艺术家，到把《汉密尔顿》带给那些通常没机会看百老汇演出的学生。我谨代表我们所有人，向我的妻子说一声谢谢，她做得太棒了。是的。而且她做这一切的时候总是那么光彩照人。真的。
This is part of how we’ve tried to honor the legacy of President and Mrs. Kennedy. They understood just how vital art is to our democracy -- that we need song and cinema and paintings and performance to help us challenge our assumptions, to question the way things are, and maybe inspire us to think about how things might be. The arts help us celebrate our triumphs, but also holds up a mirror to our flaws. And all of that deepens our understanding of the human condition. It helps us to see ourselves in each other. It helps to bind us together as a people. 这是我们努力传承肯尼迪总统夫妇遗志的一部分。他们深知艺术对我们的民主至关重要——我们需要歌曲、电影、绘画和表演，来帮助我们挑战固有假设，质疑现状，或许还能激发我们思考事物可以如何改变。艺术帮助我们欢庆胜利，也映照出我们的缺陷。所有这一切都深化了我们对人类境况的理解。它帮助我们在彼此身上看见自己。它将我们作为一个民族凝聚在一起。
As President Kennedy once said, “In serving his vision of the truth, the artist best serves his nation.” Tonight, we honor five amazing artists who have dedicated their lives to telling their truth, and helping us to see our own. 正如肯尼迪总统曾经说过的："在服务于他的真理愿景时，艺术家最好地服务了他的国家。"今晚，我们表彰五位杰出的艺术家，他们毕生致力于讲述自己的真理，并帮助我们看见自己的真理。
At eight years old, Mavis Staples climbed onto a chair in church, leaned into the microphone, raised her eyes upwards and belted out the gospel. When people heard that deep, old soul coming out of that little girl, they wept -- which, understandably, concerned her. But her mother told her, “Mavis, they’re happy. Your singing makes them cry happy tears.” 八岁那年，梅维丝·斯台普斯站在教堂的椅子上，凑近麦克风，抬起双眼，放声高歌福音歌。当人们听到那个小女孩身体里发出的深沉、古老的灵魂之音时，他们哭了——这自然让她感到不安。但她母亲告诉她："梅维丝，他们是开心的。你的歌声让他们流下了幸福的泪水。"
It was those early appearances on the South Side of Chicago -– South Side! -- with Mavis, her siblings, their father, Roebuck “Pops” Staples that launched the legendary Staple Singers. Theirs was gospel with just a touch of country, a twist of the blues, little bit of funk. There was a little bit of sin with the salvation. And driven by Pops’ reverbed guitar, Mavis’ powerhouse vocals and the harmonies that only family can make, the Staple Singers broke new ground with songs like “Uncloudy Day.” They had some truths to tell. 正是在芝加哥南区的那些早期演出——南区！——梅维丝、她的兄弟姐妹、他们的父亲罗巴克·"波普斯"·斯台普斯一起，成就了传奇的斯台普斯歌手乐队。他们的音乐是福音歌，带着一丝乡村、一抹布鲁斯、一点放克。救赎之中带着几分世俗。在波普斯的混响吉他、梅维丝充满力量的歌声以及只有家人才能唱出的和声驱动下，斯台普斯歌手乐队凭借《晴朗的日子》等歌曲开辟了新天地。他们有一些真理要讲述。
Inspired by Dr. King, Pops would tell his kids, “If he can preach it, we can sing it.” And so they wrote anthems like “Freedom Highway,” and “When Will We Be Paid” -- which became the soundtrack of the Civil Rights movement. 受金博士（马丁·路德·金，美国民权运动领袖）启发，波普斯会告诉他的孩子们："如果他能讲道，我们就能歌唱。"于是他们创作了《自由大道》《我们何时才能得到报偿》等颂歌——这些歌曲成为了民权运动的配乐。
As a solo artist, Mavis has done it all and worked with just about everybody from Bob Dylan to Prince to Jeff Tweedy. On albums like “We’ll Never Turn Back,” and “One True Vine,” she still is singing for justice and equality, and influencing a new generation of musicians and fans. And each soulful note -- even in heartbreak and even in despair -– is grounded in faith, and in hope, and the belief that there are better days yet to come. “These aren't just songs I'm singing to be moving my lips,” she says. “I mean this.” And we mean it too. 作为独唱艺人，梅维丝成就非凡，与几乎所有人都合作过——从鲍勃·迪伦到王子，再到杰夫·特威迪。在《我们永不回头》《一棵真葡萄树》等专辑中，她依然在为正义和平等歌唱，影响着新一代的音乐家和乐迷。每一个充满灵魂的音符——即便在心碎与绝望中——都植根于信仰、希望，以及更好的日子终将到来的信念。"我唱这些歌不只是动动嘴唇，"她说，"我是真心的。"而我们也是真心的。
Six decades on, nobody makes us feel “the weight” like Mavis Staples. Give her a big round of applause. 六十年来，没有人能像梅维丝·斯台普斯那样让我们感受到"那份重量"。请为她热烈鼓掌。
Al Pacino calls the theater his “flashlight.” It’s how he finds himself, where he sees truth. And since Al first hit Broadway in 1969, his singular talent has been the gold standard for acting. 阿尔·帕西诺把戏剧称为他的"手电筒"。那是他找到自我、看见真理的方式。自1969年阿尔首次登上百老汇舞台以来，他非凡的才华一直是表演的黄金标准。
A great playwright once compared the way Al inhabits his characters to the way Louis Armstrong played jazz. One director said that while “some actors play characters, Al Pacino becomes them.” And we’ve all seen it. In the span of five years -- you think about it -- he became Serpico, became Sonny Wortzik, twice became Michael Corleone for, let’s face it, what have got to be the two best movies of all time, became Tony Montana on screen, then became the owner of a couple of Tonys on stage. And he’s always been this way. 一位伟大的剧作家曾将阿尔塑造角色的方式比作路易斯·阿姆斯特朗演奏爵士乐。一位导演说，"有些演员扮演角色，而阿尔·帕西诺成为角色"。我们都亲眼见证过。想想看，在短短五年间——你想想——他成为了塞尔皮科，成为了桑尼·沃齐克，两次成为迈克尔·柯里昂——说实话，那可是史上最棒的两部电影，在银幕上成为了托尼·蒙大拿，然后又在舞台上获得了两座托尼奖。他一直都是这样。
At 13, Al committed so profoundly to a role in the school play that when his character was supposed to get sick on stage, Al actually got sick on stage. I’m not sure how audiences felt about that. Later, when he played Richard III and Jackie Kennedy visited him backstage, the actor playing the self-absorbed king didn’t even stand up to greet actual American royalty, which he says he still regrets. 13岁时，阿尔在校园剧中全情投入一个角色，以至于当他的角色本该在舞台上生病时，阿尔真的在舞台上吐了。我不知道观众作何感想。后来，他出演《理查三世》时，杰奎琳·肯尼迪到后台探望他，这位扮演自我中心的国王的演员甚至没有起身迎接这位真正的美国皇室成员，他说他至今仍为此感到遗憾。
Through it all, Al has always cared more for his “flashlight” than the spotlight. He says he’s still getting used to the idea of being an icon. But his gift, for all the inspiration and intensity that he brings to his roles, is that he lets us into what his characters are feeling. And for that, we are extraordinarily grateful. Al Pacino. 一路走来，阿尔始终更在乎他的"手电筒"而非聚光灯。他说自己还在适应成为偶像的想法。但他的天赋——尽管他为角色带来了所有的灵感与强度——在于他让我们走进了角色的内心。为此，我们深表感激。阿尔·帕西诺。
In the late sixties, James Taylor got the chance to audition in front of Paul McCartney and George Harrison. Ringo, I don’t know if you were there -- but this is a true story. “I was as nervous as a Chihuahua on methamphetamines" is what James Taylor says. Which is exactly the kind of metaphor that makes him such a brilliant songwriter. 六十年代末，詹姆斯·泰勒得到了在保罗·麦卡特尼和乔治·哈里森面前试唱的机会。林戈，我不知道你当时在不在——但这是真事。"我紧张得就像吃了兴奋剂的吉娃娃"，詹姆斯·泰勒是这么说的。而正是这种比喻，让他成为了如此才华横溢的词曲作者。
But if James has a defining gift, it is empathy. It’s why he’s been such a great friend to and Michelle and myself. We're so grateful to him and Kim for their friendship over the years. It’s why everybody from Carole King to Garth Brooks to Taylor Swift collaborates with him. It’s what makes him among the most prolific and admired musicians of our time. In fact, James recently went through all his songs and kept coming across the same stories -- songs about fathers and traffic jams; love songs, recovery songs. 但如果说詹姆斯有一种最具代表性的天赋，那就是同理心。这就是为什么他一直是我和米歇尔的好朋友。我们非常感谢他和金这些年的友谊。这就是为什么从卡罗尔·金到加斯·布鲁克斯再到泰勒·斯威夫特，每个人都愿意与他合作。这使他成为我们这个时代最多产、最受敬仰的音乐家之一。事实上，詹姆斯最近重温了自己所有的歌曲，发现反复出现的都是同样的主题——关于父亲和交通堵塞的歌；情歌、康复之歌。
I really love this phrase: “Hymns for agnostics.” He says that in making music, “There’s the idea of comforting yourself. There’s also the idea of taking something that’s untenable and internal and communicating it.” And that's why it feels like James is singing only to you when he sings. It feels like he's singing about your life. 我特别喜欢这句话："不可知论者的赞美诗。"他说，在创作音乐时，"有一种自我安慰的想法。还有一种将难以承受的内心感受表达出来的想法。"这就是为什么詹姆斯唱歌时，你会觉得他只唱给你一个人听。你会觉得他唱的就是你的人生。
The stories he tells and retells dwell on our most enduring and shared experiences. “Carolina on My Mind” is about where you grew up, even if you didn’t grow up in Carolina. “Mean Old Man” is probably somebody you know. “Angels of Fenway” -- well, actually, that’s just about the Red Sox. So if you're a White Sox fan you don’t love that song, but it's okay. 他反复讲述的故事，都围绕着我们最持久、最共通的经历。《卡罗莱纳在我心中》唱的是你成长的地方，即便你并非在卡罗莱纳长大。《刻薄的老头》唱的可能就是你认识的某个人。《芬威球场的天使》——好吧，其实那就是写红袜队的。所以如果你是白袜队球迷，你可能不会喜欢那首歌，但没关系。
James is the consummate truth-teller about a life that can leave us with more unresolved questions than satisfying answers, but holds so much beauty that you don’t mind. And from his honesty about his own struggles with substance abuse to his decades of progressive activism, James Taylor has inspired people all over the world and helped America live up to our highest ideals. Thank you, James Taylor. 詹姆斯是一位彻头彻尾的真理讲述者，他讲述的人生或许留给我们的未解问题比满意答案更多，但其中蕴含着如此之多的美，让你并不介意。从他对自己与药物滥用作斗争的坦诚，到他数十年的进步主义行动主义，詹姆斯·泰勒激励了全世界的人们，帮助美国践行我们最高的理想。谢谢你，詹姆斯·泰勒。
Without a preschool rivalry, we might not be honoring Martha Argerich. The story goes that when Martha was two years old, a little boy taunted her, saying, “I bet you can’t play the piano!” So she sat down at the keys, remembered a piece her teacher had played, and played it flawlessly. By eight years old, she had made her concert debut. By the time she was a teenager, she left her native Argentina to study in Vienna and won two major international competitions, launching one of the most storied and influential careers in classical music. That little boy lost his bet. 如果不是一次幼儿园里的较劲，我们或许不会表彰玛莎·阿格里奇。据说，玛莎两岁时，一个小男孩挑衅她说："我打赌你不会弹钢琴！"于是她坐到琴键前，回忆起老师弹过的一首曲子，然后完美地弹了出来。八岁时，她首次登台演出。十几岁时，她离开祖国阿根廷前往维也纳学习，并赢得了两项重要的国际比赛，开启了古典音乐史上最富传奇色彩、最具影响力的职业生涯之一。那个小男孩输了他的赌。
Martha combines unparalleled technical prowess with passion and glittering musicianship. From Bach to Schumann, she doesn’t just play the piano, she possesses it. Martha can charge through a passage with astonishing power and speed and accuracy, and, in the same performance, uncover the delicate beauty in each note. As a critic once wrote, “She is an unaffected interpreter whose native language is music.” 玛莎将无与伦比的技巧与激情和辉煌的音乐性融为一体。从巴赫到舒曼，她不只是在弹钢琴，她是在驾驭钢琴。玛莎能以惊人的力量、速度和精准冲锋般地弹完一段乐章，而在同一场演出中，她又能揭示每个音符中精致的美。正如一位评论家所写："她是一位自然流露的诠释者，音乐就是她的母语。"
But what truly sets her apart and has cemented her place as one of the greatest pianists in modern history is her dogged commitment to her craft. In an age of often superficial connections, where people too often seek fame and recognition, Martha has been guided by one passion, and that is fidelity to the music. She can only be herself. And that is the truest mark of an artist. And the result is timeless, transcendent music for which we thank Martha Argerich. 但真正让她脱颖而出、奠定她现代史上最伟大钢琴家之一地位的，是她对艺术的执着坚守。在一个往往流于表面、人们太过追求名利和认可的时代，玛莎始终被一种激情所指引，那就是对音乐的忠诚。她只做自己。而这正是艺术家最真实的标志。其结果是永恒的、超越的音乐，为此我们感谢玛莎·阿格里奇。
You hear it in the crisp, overpowering a capella chords of "Seven Bridges Road"; dueling guitar solos in "Hotel California"; complex, funky riffs opening "Life in the Fast Lane." It's the sound not just of a California band, but one of America's signature bands -- a supergroup whose greatest hits sold more copies in the United States than any other record in the 20th century. And the 20th Century had some pretty good music. 你能在《七桥路》清脆而震撼的阿卡贝拉和弦中听到它；在《加州旅馆》对决的吉他独奏中听到它；在《快道生活》开头复杂而放克的即兴重复段中听到它。这不只是一支加州乐队的声音，更是美国标志性乐队之一的声音——这支超级乐队的精选集在美国的销量超过了20世纪任何其他唱片。而20世纪的好音乐可不少。
So, here tonight, we have three of the Eagles: Don Henley, the meticulous, introspective songwriter with an unmistakable voice that soars above his drum set. Timothy Schmit, the bass player and topline of many of those harmonies. And Joe Walsh, who’s as rowdy with a guitar lick as I’m told he once was in a hotel room. Twice. This is the White House, though. And Michelle and I are about to leave. As I've said before, we want to get our security deposit back. 今晚，我们请到了老鹰乐队的三位成员：唐·亨利，这位严谨、内省的词曲作者，拥有在架子鼓上方翱翔的独特嗓音。蒂莫西·施密特，贝斯手，也是许多和声中的高音声部。还有乔·沃尔什，他的吉他独奏就像我听说他曾经在酒店房间里一样狂野——还不止一次。不过这可是白宫。米歇尔和我马上就要搬出去了。我之前就说过，我们还想把押金拿回来呢。
But, of course, the Eagles are also the one and only Glenn Frey. And we all wish Glenn was still here with us. We are deeply honored to be joined by his beautiful wife, Cindy, and their gorgeous children. Because the truth is that these awards aren't just about this reception or even the show we have this evening, which will be spectacular. The Kennedy Center Honors are about folks who spent their lives calling on us to think a little harder, and feel a little deeper, and express ourselves a little more bravely, and maybe “take it easy” once in a while. 当然，老鹰乐队还有独一无二的格伦·弗雷。我们都希望格伦仍与我们同在。我们深感荣幸，他美丽的妻子辛迪和他们可爱的孩子们也来到了现场。因为事实上，这些奖项不只是为了这场招待会，甚至也不只是为了今晚精彩的演出。肯尼迪中心荣誉奖表彰的是那些用毕生精力呼唤我们多思考一点、多感受一点、更大胆地表达自己，偶尔还可以"放轻松"的人们。
And that is Glenn Frey -- the driving force behind a band that owned a decade, and did not stop there. We are all familiar with his legacy. And the music of the Eagles will always be woven into the fabric of our nation. 而格伦·弗雷就是这样的人——他是这支统治了一个十年的乐队背后的驱动力，并且从未止步。我们都熟悉他的遗产。老鹰乐队的音乐将永远编织在我们国家的肌理之中。
So we are extraordinarily honored to be able to give thanks for the Eagles. And what's true for them is true for all of tonight’s honorees: remarkable individuals who have created the soundtrack to our own lives -- on road trips, in jukebox diners; folks who have mesmerized us on a Saturday night out at the movies or at a concert hall. 我们非常荣幸能够向老鹰乐队表达感谢。适用于他们的，也适用于今晚所有的获奖者：这些非凡的个体创造了我们人生的配乐——在公路旅行中，在点唱机餐厅里；这些人在周六夜晚的电影院或音乐厅里令我们如痴如醉。
Mavis Staples. Al Pacino. James Taylor. Martha Argerich The Eagles. Their legacies are measured not just in works of art, but the lives they've touched, and creating a stronger and more beautiful America. They’re artists who have served our nation by serving their truth. And we’re all better off for it. 梅维丝·斯台普斯。阿尔·帕西诺。詹姆斯·泰勒。玛莎·阿格里奇。老鹰乐队。他们留下的遗产不仅在于艺术作品，更在于他们触动的生命，以及创造了一个更强大、更美丽的美国。他们是通过服务于自己的真理来服务我们国家的艺术家。我们都因此受益良多。
So before we transport ourselves to what I'm sure will be a spectacular evening, please join me in saluting our extraordinary 2016 Kennedy Center Honorees. 在我们进入这个必将精彩绝伦的夜晚之前，请与我一起，向我们杰出的2016年肯尼迪中心荣誉奖得主致敬。