Good afternoon. Since 9/11, more than 80 Americans have been taken hostage by murderous groups engaged in terrorism or piracy. For these innocent men and women -- tourists, journalists, humanitarians -- it's a horror, and cruelty, beyond description. For their families and for their friends, it's an unrelenting nightmare that the rest of us cannot even begin to imagine. 下午好。自9·11事件以来，已有80多名美国人被从事恐怖主义或海盗活动的凶残组织劫为人质。对于这些无辜的男女——游客、记者、人道主义工作者——来说，这是一种难以形容的恐惧和残酷。对于他们的家人和朋友而言，这是一场无休止的噩梦，我们其他人甚至无法想象。
As a government, we should always do everything in our power to bring these Americans home safe and to support their families. Dedicated public servants across our government work tirelessly to do so. Our military personnel risk their lives in dangerous missions, such as the operation I authorized last year that attempted to rescue Americans held in Syria and Yemen. And there have been successes, such as the rescue of Captain Richard Phillips, held by Somali pirates, and Jessica Buchanan, rescued from Somalia. 作为政府，我们应当始终尽一切努力将这些美国人安全带回家，并支持他们的家人。我们政府各处兢兢业业的公职人员为此不懈努力。我们的军事人员在危险任务中冒着生命危险，比如我去年授权的那项行动，试图营救被关押在叙利亚和也门的美国人。我们也取得过成功，例如从索马里海盗手中救出理查德·菲利普斯船长，以及从索马里救出杰西卡·布坎南。
Of these more than 80 Americans taken hostage since 9/11, more than half have ultimately come home, some after many years. Tragically, too many others have not. And at this very moment, Americans continue to be held by terrorist groups or detained unjustly by foreign governments. For them, the nightmare goes on -- and so does our work, day and night, to reunite them with their loved ones. 在自9·11以来被劫持的80多名美国人中，超过一半最终回到了家中，有些人是在多年之后归来的。可悲的是，还有太多人未能回家。就在此时此刻，仍有美国人被恐怖组织关押或被外国政府无理拘留。对他们来说，噩梦仍在继续——而我们的工作也日以继夜地进行着，要让他们与亲人团聚。
As I've said before, the terrorist threat is evolving. The world has been appalled by ISIL's barbaric murder of innocent hostages, including Americans. 正如我之前所说，恐怖主义威胁正在演变。全世界都对ISIL野蛮杀害无辜人质（包括美国人）的行径感到震惊。
Moreover, the families of hostages have told us -- and they've told me directly about their frequent frustrations in dealing with their own government: How different departments and agencies aren't always coordinated. How there's been confusion and conflicting information about what the government is prepared to do to help. How they've often felt lost in the bureaucracy. And how, in some cases, families feel that they've been threatened for exploring certain options to bring their loved ones home. 此外，人质家属告诉我们——他们也直接告诉我——他们在与本国政府打交道时经常感到沮丧：各部门和机构之间并不总是协调一致。关于政府准备提供哪些帮助，存在着混乱和相互矛盾的信息。他们常常觉得自己在官僚机构中迷失了方向。而且在某些情况下，家属们感到因为寻求接回亲人的某些途径而受到了威胁。
That's totally unacceptable. As I've gotten to know some of these families and heard some of these stories, it has been my solemn commitment to make sure that they feel fully supported in their efforts to get their families home, and that there is a syncing-up of what I know to be sincere, relentless efforts within government and the families who obviously have one priority and one priority only, and that's getting their loved ones back. 这是完全不可接受的。当我逐渐认识了其中一些家庭、听到了他们的故事后，我庄严承诺要确保他们在接回家人的努力中感受到全力支持，确保政府内部我所知道的真诚而不懈的努力，与那些显然只有一个优先事项、那就是接回亲人的家属们能够协同一致。
These families have already suffered enough, and they should never feel ignored or victimized by their own government. Diane Foley, whose son Jim was killed by ISIL last year, said, "As Americans, we can do better." I totally agree. We must do better. And that's why I ordered a comprehensive review of our hostage policy. 这些家庭已经承受了足够多的痛苦，他们永远不应该感到被自己的政府忽视或伤害。戴安娜·福利的儿子吉姆去年被ISIL杀害，她说："作为美国人，我们可以做得更好。"我完全同意。我们必须做得更好。这就是为什么我下令对我们的人质政策进行全面审查。
I want to thank everybody who contributed to this review -- inside and outside of government, some of whom are here today. I especially want to thank the former hostages and families who contributed. I've come to know some of these families, often under the most heartbreaking of circumstances. 我要感谢所有为这次审查做出贡献的人——政府内外的人士，其中一些人今天也在场。我特别要感谢做出贡献的前人质和家属们。我逐渐认识了其中一些家庭，往往是在最令人心碎的情况下。
When her son, Peter -- also known as Abdul-Rahman -- was being held in Syria, his mother Paula Kassig wrote me a letter. And in it, she described how on clear nights she and her husband would look up at the stars and the moon and wonder if, perhaps, their son might be able to see them, too -- a reminder of the bond they might still share. 当她的儿子彼得——又名阿卜杜勒-拉赫曼——被关押在叙利亚时，他的母亲宝拉·卡西格给我写了一封信。在信中，她描述了在晴朗的夜晚，她和丈夫如何仰望星空和月亮，想知道他们的儿子是否也能看到它们——这提醒着他们之间也许仍然共享的羁绊。
I've called these families to offer our condolences after they've received gut-wrenching news no parents ever want to hear. I've visited with them. I've hugged them. I've grieved with them. I just spent time with some of the families, as well as some former hostages here at the White House. And needless to say, it was a very emotional meeting. Some are still grieving. 我曾在这些家庭接到任何父母都不愿听到的令人心碎的消息后打电话表示慰问。我曾去看望他们。我拥抱过他们。我与他们一同悲伤。我刚刚在白宫与一些家属以及一些前人质进行了会面。不用说，那是一次非常动情的会面。有些人仍在悲痛之中。
I thanked them for sharing their experiences and their ideas with our review team. In fact, many of the changes we're announcing today are a direct result of their recommendations. I acknowledged to them in private what I want to say publicly -- that it is true that there have been times where our government, regardless of good intentions, has let them down. I promised them that we can do better. Here's how. 我感谢他们与我们的审查团队分享他们的经历和想法。事实上，我们今天宣布的许多改革都是他们建议的直接结果。我在私下向他们承认了我想公开说的话——确实，有时候我们的政府尽管出于好意，却让他们失望了。我向他们承诺我们可以做得更好。以下是具体措施。
Today, I'm formally issuing a new presidential policy directive to improve how we work to bring home American hostages and how we support their families. I've signed a new executive order to ensure our government is organized to do so. And we're releasing the final report of our review, which describes the two dozen specific steps that we're taking. Broadly speaking, they fall into three areas. 今天，我正式发布一项新的总统政策指令，以改进我们接回美国人质和支持其家属的工作方式。我已签署一项新的行政命令，确保我们的政府能够有序地开展这项工作。我们还将公布审查的最终报告，其中描述了我们正在采取的二十多项具体措施。大体而言，这些措施分为三个方面。
First, I'm updating our hostage policy. I'm making it clear that our top priority is the safe and rapid recovery of American hostages. And to do so, we will use all elements of our national power. I am reaffirming that the United States government will not make concessions, such as paying ransom, to terrorist groups holding American hostages. And I know this can be a subject of significant public debate. It's a difficult and emotional issue, especially for the families. 第一，我正在更新我们的人质政策。我明确表示，我们的首要任务是安全、迅速地营救美国人质。为此，我们将动用国家力量的所有要素。我重申，美国政府不会向扣押美国人质的恐怖组织做出让步，例如支付赎金。我知道这可能会引发重大的公众辩论。这是一个困难而感性的问题，对家属来说尤其如此。
As I said to the families who are gathered here today, and as I've said to families in the past, I look at this not just as a President, but also as a husband and a father. And if my family were at risk, obviously I would move heaven and earth to get those loved ones back. 正如我对今天聚集在这里的家属所说，也正如我过去对家属们所说的，我不仅以总统的身份看待这个问题，也以一个丈夫和父亲的身份来看待。如果我的家人处于危险之中，显然我会想尽一切办法救回我的亲人。
As President, I also have to consider our larger national security. I firmly believe that the United States government paying ransom to terrorists risks endangering more Americans and funding the very terrorism that we're trying to stop. And so I firmly believe that our policy ultimately puts fewer Americans at risk. 作为总统，我还必须考虑我们更广泛的国家安全。我坚信，美国政府向恐怖分子支付赎金会危及更多美国人的安全，并为我们试图制止的恐怖主义提供资金。因此我坚信，我们的政策最终会让更少的美国人处于危险之中。
At the same time, we are clarifying that our policy does not prevent communication with hostage-takers -- by our government, the families of hostages, or third parties who help these families. And, when appropriate, our government may assist these families and private efforts in those communications -- in part, to ensure the safety of family members and to make sure that they're not defrauded. So my message to these families was simple: We're not going to abandon you. We will stand by you. 与此同时，我们正在澄清，我们的政策并不禁止与人质劫持者进行沟通——无论是我们的政府、人质家属，还是帮助这些家庭的第三方。而且，在适当情况下，我们的政府可以协助这些家庭和私人进行此类沟通——部分原因是为了确保家属的安全，确保他们不会上当受骗。所以我对这些家庭的信息很简单：我们不会抛弃你们。我们会与你们站在一起。
Second, we're making changes to ensure that our government is better organized around this mission. Every department that is involved in our national security apparatus cares deeply about these hostages, prioritizes them and works really hard. But they're not always as well coordinated as they need to be. 第二，我们正在进行改革，以确保我们的政府围绕这一使命更好地组织起来。我们国家安全机构中的每个部门都深切关心这些人质，将他们列为优先事项，并付出了巨大努力。但它们并不总是像所需的那样协调一致。
Under the National Security Council here at the White House, we're setting up a new Hostage Response Group, comprised of senior officials from across our government who will be responsible for ensuring that our hostage policies are consistent and coordinated and implemented rapidly and effectively. And they will be accountable at the highest levels; they'll be accountable to me. 在白宫国家安全委员会的领导下，我们将成立一个新的人质应对小组，由来自政府各部门的高级官员组成，他们将负责确保我们的人质政策保持一致、协调统一，并得到迅速有效的执行。他们将向最高层负责；他们将向我负责。
Soon I'll be designating, as well, a senior diplomat as my Special Presidential Envoy for Hostage Affairs, who will be focused solely on leading our diplomatic efforts with other countries to bring our people home. 不久之后，我还将任命一名高级外交官担任我的人质事务总统特使，专门负责领导与其他国家的外交努力，接回我们的人民。
At the operational level, we're creating for the first time one central hub where experts from across government will work together, side-by-side, as one coordinated team to find American hostages and bring them home safely. In fact, this fusion cell, located at the FBI, is already up and running. And we're designating a new official in the intelligence community to be responsible for coordinating the collection, analysis and rapid dissemination of intelligence related to American hostages so we can act on that intelligence quickly. 在行动层面，我们将首次建立一个中央枢纽，来自政府各部门的专家将并肩合作，作为一个协调一致的团队寻找美国人质并将他们安全带回家。事实上，这个设在FBI的融合小组已经开始运作。我们还将在情报界任命一名新官员，负责协调与美国人质相关情报的收集、分析和快速传播，以便我们能够根据情报迅速采取行动。
Third -- and running through all these efforts -- we are fundamentally changing how our government works with families of hostages. Many of the families told us that they at times felt like an afterthought or a distraction; that, too often, the law enforcement, or military and intelligence officials they were interacting with were begrudging in giving them information. And that ends today. 第三——也是贯穿所有这些努力的一点——我们正在从根本上改变政府与人质家属合作的方式。许多家属告诉我们，他们有时觉得自己像是事后诸葛亮或一种干扰；很多时候，与他们接触的执法部门、军方和情报官员在提供信息方面显得勉强。而今天这一切到此为止。
I'm making it clear that these families are to be treated like what they are -- our trusted partners and active partners in the recovery of their loved ones. We are all on the same team, and nobody cares more about bringing home these Americans than their own families, and we have to treat them as partners. 我明确表示，这些家庭应当得到他们应有的对待——作为我们营救亲人过程中值得信赖的伙伴和积极的合作伙伴。我们都在同一战线，没有人比这些美国人的家人更关心接回他们，我们必须把他们当作伙伴来对待。
So, specifically, our new fusion cell will include a person dedicated to coordinating the support families get from the government. This coordinator will ensure that we communicate with families better, with one clear voice, and that families get information that is timely and accurate. Working with the intelligence community, we will be sharing more intelligence with families. 因此，具体而言，我们新的融合小组将包括一名专门负责协调政府为家属提供支持的人员。这名协调员将确保我们以一个清晰的声音更好地与家属沟通，确保家属获得及时准确的信息。通过与情报界合作，我们将向家属分享更多情报。
And this coordinator will be the family's voice within government -- making sure that when decisions are made about their loved ones, their concerns are front and center. Everyone who deals with these families on a regular basis will be given additional training to ensure families are treated with the dignity and compassion that they deserve. In particular, I want to point out that no family of an American hostage has ever been prosecuted for paying a ransom for the return of their loved ones. The last thing that we should ever do is to add to a family's pain with threats like that. 而这名协调员将成为家属在政府内部的代言人——确保在做出关于他们亲人的决定时，他们的关切被置于首要位置。每个定期与这些家庭打交道的人都将接受额外培训，确保家属得到应有的尊严和同情。我特别要指出，从来没有一个美国人质家庭因为支付赎金营救亲人而被起诉。我们最不应该做的就是用那样的威胁增加一个家庭的痛苦。
So the bottom line is this: When it comes to how our government works to recover Americans held hostage and how we work with their families, we are changing how we do business. After everything they've endured, these families are right to be skeptical, and that's why it's so important -- as I told them today -- that we will be setting up mechanisms to ensure accountability and implementation. I've directed my national security team to report back to me, including getting feedback from the families to make sure that these reforms are being put in place and that they are working. 所以底线是：在我们的政府如何营救被扣押的美国人以及如何与他们的家属合作方面，我们正在改变我们的做事方式。在经历了这一切之后，这些家庭有理由持怀疑态度，这就是为什么——正如我今天告诉他们的——我们将建立机制以确保问责和落实。我已指示我的国家安全团队向我汇报进展，包括听取家属的反馈，以确保这些改革正在落实并且行之有效。
And in the course of our review, several families told us they wanted to spare other families the frustrations they endured. Some have even created new organizations to support families like theirs or to honor their loved ones, such as the memorial foundation for Steven Sotloff, who wrote, "Everyone has two lives. The second one begins when you realize you only have one." As a government, and as a nation, we can learn from the example and the strength of their lives -- the kind of strength we've seen in all these held hostages, including Kayla Mueller. 在我们的审查过程中，有几个家庭告诉我们，他们希望让其他家庭免于承受他们所经历的挫败。有些人甚至创建了新的组织来支持像他们这样的家庭，或者纪念他们的亲人，比如史蒂文·索特洛夫纪念基金会。史蒂文曾写道："每个人都有两次生命。第二次始于你意识到你只有一次生命的时候。"作为一个政府，作为一个国家，我们可以从他们的人生榜样和力量中学习——我们在所有这些被扣押的人质身上都看到了这种力量，包括凯拉·米勒。
Kayla devoted her life to serving those in need around the world. To refugees in Syria who had lost everything, she was a source of comfort and hope. Before her tragic death, she was held by ISIL in Syria for a year and a half. And during her captivity, Kayla managed to smuggle a letter to her family. She said, "None of us could have known it would be this long but I know I am also fighting from my side in the ways that I am able, and I have a lot of fight left in me. I am not breaking down and I will not give in no matter how long it takes." 凯拉一生致力于为世界各地有需要的人服务。对于在叙利亚失去一切的难民来说，她是安慰和希望的源泉。在她不幸去世之前，她被ISIL在叙利亚关押了一年半。在被囚禁期间，凯拉设法偷偷带出了一封给家人的信。她说："我们谁也没想到会这么久，但我知道我也在以我能做到的方式从这边战斗，我还有很多斗志。我没有崩溃，无论需要多久我都不会屈服。"
Today, my message to anyone who harms Americans is that we do not forget. Our reach is long. Justice will be done. My message to every American being held unjustly around the world who is fighting from the inside to survive another day, my message to their families who long to hold them once more, is that the United States of America will never stop working to reunite you with your family. We will not give up -- no matter how long it takes. 今天，我要对任何伤害美国人的人说：我们不会忘记。我们的长臂遍及四方。正义终将得到伸张。我要对每一个在世界各地被无理关押、正在内部为生存而战的美国人说，我要对那些渴望再次拥抱他们的家人说，美利坚合众国永远不会停止努力让你们与家人团聚。我们不会放弃——无论需要多长时间。
Thank you very much, everybody. 非常感谢大家。