Good afternoon, everybody. As you know, this weekend, I traveled to Afghanistan to thank our men and women in uniform and our deployed civilians, on behalf of a grateful nation, for the extraordinary sacrifices they make on behalf of our security. I was also able to meet with our commanding General and Ambassador to review the progress that we've made. And today, I'd like to update the American people on the way forward in Afghanistan and how, this year, we will bring America's longest war to a responsible end. 大家下午好。正如各位所知，这个周末我前往阿富汗，代表心怀感激的全国人民，感谢我们的军人和派驻当地的文职人员为国家安全作出的非凡牺牲。我也会见了驻阿指挥官和大使，审视我们取得的进展。今天，我想向美国人民说明阿富汗的下一步，以及我们将如何在今年以负责任的方式结束美国历时最长的战争。
The United States did not seek this fight. We went into Afghanistan out of necessity, after our nation was attacked by al Qaeda on September 11th, 2001. We went to war against al Qaeda and its extremist allies with the strong support of the American people and their representatives in Congress; with the international community and our NATO allies; and with the Afghan people, who welcomed the opportunity of a life free from the dark tyranny of extremism. 美国并没有寻求这场战争。2001年9月11日基地组织袭击我国后，我们出于必要进入阿富汗。在美国人民及其国会代表、国际社会与北约盟友，以及欢迎摆脱极端主义黑暗暴政的阿富汗人民的有力支持下，我们向基地组织及其极端主义盟友开战。
We have now been in Afghanistan longer than many Americans expected. But make no mistake -- thanks to the skill and sacrifice of our troops, diplomats, and intelligence professionals, we have struck significant blows against al Qaeda’s leadership, we have eliminated Osama bin Laden, and we have prevented Afghanistan from being used to launch attacks against our homeland. We have also supported the Afghan people as they continue the hard work of building a democracy. We’ve extended more opportunities to their people, including women and girls. 我们在阿富汗的时间已经比许多美国人预想的更长。但毫无疑问，正是凭借军人、外交官和情报人员的能力与牺牲，我们重创了基地组织领导层，消灭了奥萨马·本·拉登，并阻止阿富汗被用作袭击美国本土的基地。我们也支持阿富汗人民艰难地建设民主，为他们创造更多机会，包括妇女和女孩。
And we’ve helped train and equip their own security forces. 我们还帮助训练和装备了他们自己的安全部队。
Now we’re finishing the job we started. Over the last several years, we’ve worked to transition security responsibilities to the Afghans. One year ago, Afghan forces assumed the lead for combat operations. Since then, they’ve continued to grow in size and in strength, while making huge sacrifices for their country. This transition has allowed us to steadily draw down our own forces -- from a peak of 100,000 U.S. troops, to roughly 32,000 today. 如今，我们正在完成当初开始的工作。过去几年，我们一直努力把安全责任移交给阿富汗人。一年前，阿富汗部队开始主导作战。此后，他们的规模和力量不断增长，也为自己的国家作出巨大牺牲。这一过渡使我们能够稳步减少驻军，从最高峰的十万人降至今天约三万二千人。
2014, therefore, is a pivotal year. Together with our allies and the Afghan government, we have agreed that this is the year we will conclude our combat mission in Afghanistan. This is also a year of political transition in Afghanistan. Earlier this spring, Afghans turned out in the millions to vote in the first round of their presidential election -- defying threats in order to determine their own destiny. And in just over two weeks, they will vote for their next President, and Afghanistan will see its first democratic transfer of power in history. 因此，2014年是关键的一年。我们与盟友和阿富汗政府一致同意，今年结束在阿富汗的作战任务。今年也是阿富汗政治过渡的一年。今年早些时候的春天，数百万阿富汗人不顾威胁，参加总统选举第一轮投票，以决定自己的命运。再过两周多，他们将投票选出下一任总统，阿富汗也将迎来历史上首次民主权力移交。
In the context of this progress, having consulted with Congress and my national security team, I’ve determined the nature of the commitment that America is prepared to make beyond 2014. Our objectives are clear: Disrupting threats posed by al Qaeda; supporting Afghan security forces; and giving the Afghan people the opportunity to succeed as they stand on their own. 鉴于这些进展，在与国会和国家安全团队协商后，我决定了美国准备在2014年之后承担何种责任。我们的目标很明确：瓦解基地组织构成的威胁；支持阿富汗安全部队；并让阿富汗人民在自立的过程中获得成功的机会。
Here’s how we will pursue those objectives. First, America’s combat mission will be over by the end of this year. Starting next year, Afghans will be fully responsible for securing their country. American personnel will be in an advisory role. We will no longer patrol Afghan cities or towns, mountains or valleys. That is a task for the Afghan people. 我们将这样实现这些目标。第一，美国的作战任务将在今年年底结束。从明年起，阿富汗人将完全负责本国安全。美国人员将担任顾问。我们不再巡逻阿富汗的城市、乡镇、山岭和山谷。那是阿富汗人民的任务。
Second, I’ve made it clear that we’re open to cooperating with Afghans on two narrow missions after 2014: training Afghan forces and supporting counterterrorism operations against the remnants of al Qaeda. 第二，我已明确表示，2014年之后，我们愿意同阿富汗人合作执行两项范围有限的任务：训练阿富汗部队，以及支持针对基地组织残余势力的反恐行动。
Today, I want to be clear about how the United States is prepared to advance those missions. At the beginning of 2015, we will have approximately 98,000 U.S. -- let me start that over, just because I want to make sure we don’t get this written wrong. At the beginning of 2015, we will have approximately 9,800 U.S. servicemembers in different parts of the country, together with our NATO allies and other partners. By the end of 2015, we will have reduced that presence by roughly half, and we will have consolidated our troops in Kabul and on Bagram Airfield. 今天，我想清楚说明美国准备如何推进这两项任务。到2015年初，我们将有约九万八千名美军——让我重新说一遍，以免数字被记错。到2015年初，我们将在阿富汗各地保留约九千八百名美国军人，与北约盟友和其他伙伴一起工作。到2015年底，我们将把人数再削减约一半，并把部队集中在喀布尔和巴格拉姆空军基地。
One year later, by the end of 2016, our military will draw down to a normal embassy presence in Kabul, with a security assistance component, just as we’ve done in Iraq. 再过一年，到2016年底，我们的军队将缩减为驻喀布尔大使馆的正常规模，并保留安全援助人员，就像我们在伊拉克所做的那样。
Now, even as our troops come home, the international community will continue to support Afghans as they build their country for years to come. But our relationship will not be defined by war -- it will be shaped by our financial and development assistance, as well as our diplomatic support. Our commitment to Afghanistan is rooted in the strategic partnership that we agreed to in 2012. And this plan remains consistent with discussions we’ve had with our NATO allies. 即使我们的军人回国，国际社会今后多年仍将支持阿富汗人建设自己的国家。但我们的关系将不再由战争定义，而将由财政与发展援助以及外交支持塑造。我们对阿富汗的承诺植根于2012年达成的战略伙伴关系。这一计划也符合我们与北约盟友的讨论。
Just as our allies have been with us every step of the way in Afghanistan, we expect that our allies will be with us going forward. 正如盟友在阿富汗一路与我们同行，我们也期待他们今后继续与我们并肩前行。
Third, we will only sustain this military presence after 2014 if the Afghan government signs the Bilateral Security Agreement that our two governments have already negotiated. This Agreement is essential to give our troops the authorities they need to fulfill their mission, while respecting Afghan sovereignty. The two final Afghan candidates in the run-off election for President have each indicated that they would sign this agreement promptly after taking office. So I’m hopeful that we can get this done. 第三，只有阿富汗政府签署两国已经谈妥的《双边安全协议》，我们才会在2014年以后维持这一军事存在。该协议既要赋予军人完成任务所需的权限，也要尊重阿富汗主权。进入总统决选的两名阿富汗候选人都表示，上任后会迅速签署协议。因此，我希望能够完成这件事。
The bottom line is, it’s time to turn the page on more than a decade in which so much of our foreign policy was focused on the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq. When I took office, we had nearly 180,000 troops in harm’s way. By the end of this year, we will have less than 10,000. In addition to bringing our troops home, this new chapter in American foreign policy will allow us to redirect some of the resources saved by ending these wars to respond more nimbly to the changing threat of terrorism, while addressing a broader set of priorities around the globe. 归根结底，是时候翻过这十多年以阿富汗和伊拉克战争为外交政策重心的一页了。我上任时，有近十八万名军人身处险境。到今年年底，这一人数将降至一万以下。除了让军人回家，美国外交政策的新篇章也将使我们能够把结束战争节省下的部分资源，用于更灵活地应对不断变化的恐怖主义威胁，同时处理全球范围内更广泛的优先事项。
I think Americans have learned that it’s harder to end wars than it is to begin them. Yet this is how wars end in the 21st century -- not through signing ceremonies, but through decisive blows against our adversaries, transitions to elected governments, security forces who take the lead and ultimately full responsibility. We remain committed to a sovereign, secure, stable, and unified Afghanistan. And toward that end, we will continue to support Afghan-led efforts to promote peace in their country through reconciliation. 我想，美国人已经明白，结束战争比发动战争更难。然而，二十一世纪的战争就是这样结束的：靠的不是签字仪式，而是对敌人予以决定性打击、向民选政府移交权力，以及让当地安全部队先发挥领导作用，最终承担全部责任。我们仍致力于建设一个有主权、安全、稳定和统一的阿富汗。为此，我们将继续支持由阿富汗人主导、通过和解促进国内和平的努力。
We have to recognize that Afghanistan will not be a perfect place, and it is not America’s responsibility to make it one. The future of Afghanistan must be decided by Afghans. But what the United States can do -- what we will do -- is secure our interests and help give the Afghans a chance, an opportunity to seek a long, overdue and hard-earned peace. 我们必须认识到，阿富汗不会成为一个完美的地方，使它完美也不是美国的责任。阿富汗的未来必须由阿富汗人决定。但美国能够做、也将会做的是维护自身利益，并给阿富汗人一个机会，去追求一份姗姗来迟、来之不易的持久和平。
America will always keep our commitments to friends and partners who step up, and we will never waver in our determination to deny al Qaeda the safe haven that they had before 9/11. That commitment is embodied by the men and women in and out of uniform who serve in Afghanistan today and who have served in the past. In their eyes, I see the character that sustains American security and our leadership abroad. These are mostly young people who did not hesitate to volunteer in a time of war. 美国始终会信守对挺身而出的朋友和伙伴的承诺；我们阻止基地组织重获“9·11”之前那种安全庇护所的决心也绝不会动摇。今天在阿富汗服役、以及过去曾在那里服役的军人和文职人员，体现了这一承诺。从他们身上，我看到了支撑美国安全和海外领导力的品格。他们大多是年轻人，在战争时期毫不犹豫地志愿从军。
And as many of them begin to transition to civilian life, we will keep the promise we make to them and to all veterans, and make sure they get the care and benefits that they have earned and deserve. 随着其中许多人开始回归平民生活，我们将履行对他们和所有退伍军人的承诺，确保他们得到自己已经赢得、也理应享有的照护和福利。
This 9/11 Generation is part of an unbroken line of heroes who give up the comfort of the familiar to serve a half a world away -- to protect their families and communities back home, and to give people they never thought they’d meet the chance to live a better life. It’s an extraordinary sacrifice for them and for their families. But we shouldn’t be surprised that they’re willing to make it. That’s who we are as Americans. That’s what we do. 这“9·11一代”延续着一脉相承的英雄传统：他们离开熟悉安逸的生活，到半个地球之外服役，保护家乡的亲人和社区，也让素未谋面的人有机会过上更好的生活。这对他们和家人都是非凡的牺牲。但我们不应惊讶于他们愿意作出这样的牺牲。这就是我们美国人。这就是我们会做的事。
Tomorrow, I will travel to West Point and speak to America’s newest class of military officers to discuss how Afghanistan fits into our broader strategy going forward. And I’m confident that if we carry out this approach, we can not only responsibly end our war in Afghanistan and achieve the objectives that took us to war in the first place, we’ll also be able to begin a new chapter in the story of American leadership around the world. 明天，我将前往西点军校，向美国最新一届军官学员讲话，讨论阿富汗在我们未来整体战略中的位置。我相信，只要落实这一方针，我们不仅能够负责任地结束阿富汗战争，实现当初参战的目标，也能开启美国在世界上发挥领导作用的新篇章。
