Good afternoon, everybody. I want to say a few words about the tragedy that took place this week in West Virginia, but before I do, I'd first like to comment on the news that Justice John Paul Stevens will retire from the Supreme Court at the end of its current term. 大家下午好。我想就本周发生在西弗吉尼亚州的悲剧说几句话，但在此之前，我想先谈谈约翰·保罗·史蒂文斯大法官将在本届任期结束后从最高法院退休的消息。
When President Ford was faced with a Supreme Court vacancy shortly after the nation was still recovering from the Watergate scandal, he wanted a nominee who was brilliant, non-ideological, pragmatic, and committed above all to justice, integrity, and the rule of law. He found that nominee in John Paul Stevens. 当福特总统面临最高法院空缺时——彼时国家仍在从水门事件丑闻中恢复——他希望找到一位才华横溢、不囿于意识形态、务实，且将正义、廉洁和法治置于首位的人选。他在约翰·保罗·史蒂文斯身上找到了这样一位提名人。
Justice Stevens has courageously served his country from the moment he enlisted the day before Pearl Harbor to his long and distinguished tenure on the Supreme Court. During that tenure, he has stood as an impartial guardian of the law. He has worn the judicial robe with honor and humility. He has applied the Constitution and the laws of the land with fidelity and restraint. 从珍珠港事件前一天报名参军，到在最高法院漫长而卓越的任期，史蒂文斯大法官始终勇敢地服务着这个国家。在任期间，他始终是法律公正无私的守护者。他以荣誉和谦逊身着司法法袍。他以忠诚和克制适用宪法和国家法律。
He will soon turn 90 this month, but he leaves his position at the top of his game. His leadership will be sorely missed, and I just had an opportunity to speak with him and told him on behalf of a grateful nation, that I thanked him for his service. 他本月即将年满90岁，但他仍处于其职业生涯的巅峰期离开这一职位。他的领导力将被深深怀念，我刚刚有机会与他交谈，代表一个感恩的国家向他表示感谢，感谢他的服务。
As Justice Stevens expressed to me in the letter announcing his retirement, it is in the best interests of the Supreme Court to have a successor appointed and confirmed before the next term begins. And so I will move quickly to name a nominee, as I did with Justice Sotomayor. 正如史蒂文斯大法官在宣布退休的信中所表达的，在下届任期开始前任命并确认一位继任者符合最高法院的最佳利益。因此，我将像提名索托马约尔大法官时一样，迅速提名继任者。
Once again, I view the process of selecting a Supreme Court nominee as among my most serious responsibilities as President. And while we cannot replace Justice Stevens' experience or wisdom, I will seek someone in the coming weeks with similar qualities -- an independent mind, a record of excellence and integrity, a fierce dedication to the rule of law, and a keen understanding of how the law affects the daily lives of the American people. 我再次将挑选最高法院大法官提名人视为我作为总统最严肃的职责之一。虽然我们无法替代史蒂文斯大法官的经验或智慧，但我将在未来几周内寻找具有类似品质的人——独立的头脑、卓越和诚信的履历、对法治的坚定奉献，以及对法律如何影响美国人民日常生活的深刻理解。
It will also be someone who, like Justice Stevens, knows that in a democracy, powerful interests must not be allowed to drown out the voices of ordinary citizens. Much like they did with Justice Sotomayor, I hope the Senate will move quickly in the coming weeks to debate and then confirm my nominee so that the new Justice is seated in time for the fall term. 这位被提名者也应像史蒂文斯大法官一样，深知在民主制度中，绝不能允许强大的利益集团淹没普通公民的声音。正如他们在索托马约尔大法官一事上所做的那样，我希望参议院能在未来几周内迅速展开辩论并确认我的提名人，以便新任大法官能及时就任参加秋季开庭期。
Now, let me say a few words about what has happened in West Virginia. 现在，让我谈谈在西弗吉尼亚州发生的事情。
This has been an unimaginably difficult week for the people who live near Montcoal. Thirty-one workers were inside the Upper Big Branch mine when an explosion ripped through its walls on Monday afternoon. Two were saved. Twenty-five were lost. And for the four who remain missing, we are praying for a miracle. 对于居住在蒙特科尔附近的人们来说，这是难以想象的艰难一周。周一下午，三十一名矿工正在上大支矿井内作业时，一场爆炸撕裂了矿井的墙壁。两人获救。二十五人罹难。对于仍失踪的四人，我们正在祈祷奇迹发生。
I want to offer my deepest condolences to the friends and the families of the fathers and the husbands and brothers, nephews and sons who were killed in this accident. I'm also in awe of the courage and selflessness shown by the rescue teams who've risked their lives over and over and over this week for the chance to save another. They've worked around the clock, with little sleep, for the past few days, and this nation owes them a debt of gratitude. 我要向在这场事故中遇难的父亲、丈夫、兄弟、侄子和儿子们的亲友和家属表达最深切的哀悼。我也对救援队伍所展现出的勇气和无私感到敬佩，他们本周一次又一次地冒着生命危险，只为能多救出一个人。他们连续几天几乎不眠不休地日夜工作，这个国家欠他们一份感激之情。
Now, mining has a long and proud history in West Virginia. For many families and communities, it's not just a way to make a living; it's a way of life. And the jobs they do in these mines help bring heat and electricity to millions of Americans. 采矿在西弗吉尼亚州有着悠久而值得骄傲的历史。对许多家庭和社区来说，这不仅仅是一种谋生方式，更是一种生活方式。他们在这些矿井中所做的工作，为数百万美国人带来了温暖和电力。
It's a profession that's not without risks and danger, and the workers and their families know that. But their government and their employers know that they owe it to these families to do everything possible to ensure their safety when they go to work each day. 这是一个不无风险和危险的职业，矿工及其家属都深知这一点。但他们的政府和雇主也知道，他们有义务为这些家庭尽一切可能，确保矿工每天上班时的安全。
When I was in the Senate, I supported the efforts of Senators Byrd and Rockefeller to try and improve mine safety, but it's clear that more needs to be done. And that's why I've asked my Secretary of Labor as well as the head of the Mine Safety and Health Administration to give me a preliminary report next week on what went wrong and why it went wrong so badly, so that we can take the steps necessary to prevent such accidents in the future. 我在参议院任职时，曾支持伯德和洛克菲勒参议员改善矿山安全的努力，但显然还需要做更多工作。正因如此，我已要求我的劳工部长以及矿山安全与健康管理局负责人下周向我提交一份初步报告，说明哪里出了问题以及为何如此严重，以便我们采取必要措施防止未来再次发生此类事故。
Because mining is a tradition that's often passed down through generations, it's not uncommon to see an entire family choose this line of work. And sadly, when a tragedy like this occurs, it's also not uncommon to lose almost an entire family all at once. 由于采矿是一项常常代代相传的传统，常常会看到整个家族都选择这一行当。令人悲痛的是，当这样的悲剧发生时，一次失去几乎整个家族的情况也并不罕见。
I spoke to some surviving members of one such family on Wednesday. This week, Tim Davis, and two of his nephews, Josh, age 25, and Cory, age 20, were killed in the explosion in the Upper Big Branch mine. 周三，我与这样一个家庭的几位幸存成员交谈。本周，蒂姆·戴维斯和他的两个侄子——25岁的乔什和20岁的科里——在上大支矿井的爆炸中遇难。
Rescuers have reported that Tim and his two nephews were all found together. Two other members of their families that worked in the mine were able to escape unharmed. 救援人员报告说，蒂姆和他的两个侄子被发现时在一起。他们的家人中另外两名在矿井工作的成员得以安然逃生。
Before he left for the mine on Monday, Josh wrote a letter for his girlfriend and young daughter. And in it, he said, "If anything happens to me, I'll be looking down from heaven at you all. I love you. Take care of my baby. Tell her that daddy loves her, she's beautiful, she's funny. Just take care of my baby girl." 周一去矿井之前，乔什给他的女朋友和年幼的女儿写了一封信。在信中，他说："如果我发生什么事，我会从天堂俯瞰你们所有人。我爱你们。照顾好我的孩子。告诉她，爸爸爱她，她很漂亮，她很有趣。一定要照顾好我的宝贝女儿。"
Reflecting on that letter, and the losses she endured in just one week, Josh's mother Pam simply said, "It is just West Virginia. When something bad happens, we come together." When something bad happens, we come together. 回顾那封信，以及她仅仅一周内所承受的失去，乔什的母亲帕姆只是说："这就是西弗吉尼亚。当不幸发生时，我们团结在一起。"当不幸发生时，我们团结在一起。
Through tragedy and heartache, that's the spirit that has sustained this community, and this country, for over 200 years. And as we pray for the souls of those we've lost, and the safe return of those who are missing, we are also sustained by the words of the Psalm that are particularly poignant right now. Those words read: "You, O Lord, keep my lamp burning; my God turns my darkness into light." 历经悲剧与心痛，正是这种精神支撑着这个社区和这个国家走过了两百多年。当我们为逝去的灵魂祈祷、为失踪者平安归来祈祷时，我们也从《诗篇》中那些此刻尤为深切动人的话语中获得慰藉。那些话语写道："主啊，你使我的灯长明；我的神将我的黑暗变为光明。"
Thank you very much. 非常感谢大家。