翻譯
◎聯合報國際新聞中心編譯組
單字、文句解析
◎李振清(世新大學英語系客座教授、世新大學前人文社會學院院長、前教育部國際文教處處長)
1
My fellow citizens:
I stand here today humbled by the task before us, grateful for the trust you have bestowed, mindful of the sacrifices borne by our ancestors. I thank President Bush for his service to our nation, as well as the generosity and cooperation he has shown throughout this transition.
各位同胞:
今天我站在這裡,為眼前的重責大任感到謙卑,對各位的信任心懷感激,對先賢的犧牲銘記在心。我要謝謝布希總統為這個國家的服務,也感謝他在政權轉移期間的寬厚和配合。
◎ humble(v.)原為形容詞「謙卑」,此處的humbled作動詞(過去分詞),意為「令人感到謙卑」。
◎ bestow(v.)賜予。
◎ mindful(adj.)to be mindful of於某事緬懷在心、銘記在心。
◎ transition(n.)過渡;交接──此指政權移轉。
2
Forty-four Americans have now taken the presidential oath. The words have been spoken during rising tides of prosperity and the still waters of peace. Yet, every so often, the oath is taken amidst gathering clouds and raging storms. At these moments, America has carried on not simply because of the skill or vision of those in high office, but because We the People have remained faithful to the ideals of our forebearers, and true to our founding documents.
四十四位美國人發表過總統就職誓言,這些誓詞或是在繁榮富強及和平寧靜之際發表,或是在烏雲密布,時局動盪之時。在艱困的時候,美國能箕裘相繼,不僅因為居高位者有能力或願景,也因為人民持續對先人的抱負有信心,也忠於創建我國的法統。
◎ oath(n.)誓言。
◎ prosperity(n.)繁榮。
◎ We the People(片語)「我們人民」──《美國憲法》序言的第一句。
◎ forebearer(n.)先人;祖宗。
◎ founding documents(n.)立國的重要文件──指《美國憲法》、《獨立宣言》等重要文件。
3
So it has been. So it must be with this generation of Americans.
因此,美國才能承繼下來。因此,這一代美國人必須承繼下去。
4
That we are in the midst of crisis is now well understood. Our nation is at war, against a far-reaching network of violence and hatred. Our economy is badly weakened, a consequence of greed and irresponsibility on the part of some, but also our collective failure to make hard choices and prepare the nation for a new age. Homes have been lost; jobs shed; businesses shuttered. Our health care is too costly; our schools fail too many; and each day brings further evidence that the ways we use energy strengthen our adversaries and threaten our planet.
現在大家都知道我們正置身危機核心。我國正處於對抗深遠暴力和憎恨的戰爭。我們的經濟元氣大傷,是某些人貪婪且不負責任的後果,也是大眾未能作出艱難的選擇,為國家進入新時代作準備所致。許多人失去房子,許多人丟了工作,許多人生意垮了。我們的醫療照護太昂貴,學校教育辜負了許多人。每天都有更多證據顯示,我們利用能源的方式壯大我們的對敵,威脅我們的星球。
◎ collective(adj.)共同的。
◎ shed(v.)裁撤;去除。
◎ shutter(v.)關閉。
◎ adversary(n.)敵手;敵人。
5
These are the indicators of crisis, subject to data and statistics. Less measurable but no less profound is a sapping of confidence across our land-a nagging fear that Americas decline is inevitable, and that the next generation must lower its sights.
這些都是得自資料和統計數據的危機指標。比較無法測量但影響同樣深遠的,是舉國信心盡失──持續擔心美國將無可避免地衰退,也害怕下一代一定會眼界變低。
◎ indicator(n.)指標。
◎ profound(adj.)(影響)深遠。
◎ sap(v.)使透支精力;使元氣大傷。
◎ nagging(adj.)揮之不去的;一直糾纏的。nag(v.)嘮叨、糾纏。
◎ decline(n.)衰退。
◎ lower ones sights(片語)將眼界調低;降低標準。
6
Today I say to you that the challenges we face are real. They are serious and they are many. They will not be met easily or in a short span of time. But know this, America: They will be met.
今天我要告訴各位,我們面臨的挑戰是真的,挑戰非常嚴重,且不在少數。它們不是可以輕易,或在短時間內解決。但是,美國要了解,這些挑戰會被解決。
7
On this day, we gather because we have chosen hope over fear, unity of purpose over conflict and discord.
在這一天,我們聚在一起,因為我們選擇希望而非恐懼,選擇追求共同目標而非紛爭和不合。
◎ unity of purpose(片語)目標的一致性;有共同的目標。
◎ discord(n.)不合;不和諧。
8
On this day, we come to proclaim an end to the petty grievances and false promises, the recriminations and worn-out dogmas, that for far too long have strangled our politics.
在這一天,我們來此宣示,那些小心眼的抱怨和虛偽的承諾已終結,那些扭曲我們政治已久的相互指控和陳舊教條已終結。
◎ proclaim(v.)宣稱。
◎ grievance(n.)埋怨;牢騷。petty grievances(n.)氣度狹小的牢騷;心胸狹隘的埋怨。
◎ recrimination(n.)指責;指控。
◎ dogma(n.)教條。
◎ strangle(v.)掐脖子;勒斃。
9
We remain a young nation, but in the words of Scripture, the time has come to set aside childish things. The time has come to reaffirm our enduring spirit; to choose our better history; to carry forward that precious gift, that noble idea, passed on from generation to generation: the God-given promise that all are equal, all are free, and all deserve a chance to pursue their full measure of happiness.
我們仍是個年輕的國家,但借用《聖經》的話,擺脫幼稚事物的時刻到來了,重申我們堅忍精神的時刻到來了,選擇我們更好的歷史,實踐那種代代傳承的珍貴權利,那種高貴的理念:就是上帝的應許,我們每個人都是平等的,每個人都是自由的,每個人都應該有機會追求全然的幸福。
◎ scripture(n.)經文。大寫的Scripture指《聖經》。
◎ reaffirm(v.)重申;再次肯定。
10
In reaffirming the greatness of our nation, we understand that greatness is never a given. It must be earned. Our journey has never been one of shortcuts or settling for less. It has not been the path for the fainthearted-for those who prefer leisure over work, or seek only the pleasures of riches and fame. Rather, it has been the risk-takers, the doers, the makers of things-some celebrated, but more often men and women obscure in their labor-who have carried us up the long, rugged path toward prosperity and freedom.
再次肯定我們國家的偉大,我們了解偉大絕非天生具備,而必須努力去求得。我們的旅程從來就不是抄捷徑或很容易就滿足。這條路一直都不是給不勇敢的人走的,那些偏好逸樂勝過工作,或者只想追求名利就滿足的人。恰恰相反,走這條路的始終是勇於冒險的人,做事的人,成事的人,其中有些人很出名,但更常見的是在各自崗位上的男男女女無名英雄,在這條漫長崎嶇的道路上支撐我們,邁向繁榮與自由。
◎ given(n.)理所當然的事。
◎ settle for less(片語)降低標準;輕易滿足。
◎ fainthearted(adj.)膽小的;懦弱的。
◎ obscure(adj.)隱晦的;不為人知的。
◎ rugged(adj.)粗獷的;崎嶇的。
11
For us, they packed up their few worldly possessions and traveled across oceans in search of a new life.
為了我們,他們攜帶很少的家當,遠渡重洋,追尋新生活。
◎ worldly possessions(n.)世俗的財物──指所擁有的物質面的東西(相對於精神內涵)。
12
For us, they toiled in sweatshops and settled the West; endured the lash of the whip and plowed the hard earth.
為了我們,他們胼手胝足,在西部安頓下來;忍受風吹雨打,篳路藍縷。
◎ sweatshop(n.)「血汗工廠」,指剝削勞力的工作環境(工時長、環境差,雇用廉價勞工的工作場所) ── 美國的新移民往往必須在此種工作環境中謀生。
◎ lash(n./v.)鞭打;鞭策。
◎ whip(n.)鞭子。
13
For us, they fought and died, in places like Concord and Gettysburg; Normandy and Khe Sahn.
為了我們,他們奮鬥不懈,在康科特和蓋茲堡,諾曼地和溪山等地葬身。
◎ Concord(n.)(美國麻州)康科特──一七七五年美國獨立戰爭首役戰場。
◎ Gettysburg(n.)(美國賓州)蓋茲堡──一八六三年美國南北戰爭決定性戰役之主戰場。林肯總統(Abraham Lincoln)在此發表著名之「蓋茨堡宣言」(Gettysburg Address),力倡解放黑奴。
◎ Normandy(n.)(法國)諾曼第──二次世界大戰聯軍登陸歐陸之地。
◎ Khe Sahn(n.)(越南)溪山──一九六八年越戰的主戰場之一。
14
Time and again, these men and women struggled and sacrificed and worked till their hands were raw so that we might live a better life. They saw America as bigger than the sum of our individual ambitions; greater than all the differences of birth or wealth or faction.
前人不斷的奮鬥與犧牲,直到雙手皮開肉綻,我們才能享有比較好的生活。他們將美國視為大於所有個人企圖心總和的整體,超越出身、財富或派系的分別。
◎ raw(adj.)皮開肉綻。
◎ faction(n.)派系;派別。
15
This is the journey we continue today. We remain the most prosperous, powerful nation on Earth. Our workers are no less productive than when this crisis began. Our minds are no less inventive, our goods and services no less needed than they were last week or last month or last year. Our capacity remains undiminished. But our time of standing pat, of protecting narrow interests and putting off unpleasant decisions -- that time has surely passed. Starting today, we must pick ourselves up, dust ourselves off, and begin again the work of remaking America.
這是我們今天繼續前進的旅程。我們仍舊是全球最繁榮強盛的國家。這場危機爆發時,我們的勞工生產力並未減弱。我們的心智一樣創新,我們的產品和勞務和上週或上個月或去年相比,一樣是必需品。我們的能力並未減損。但是我們墨守成規、維護狹小利益、推遲引人不悅的決定,這段時期肯定已經過去。從今天起,我們必須重新出發,再次展開再造美國的工程。
◎ capacity(n.)容量;產量;產能。
◎ undiminished(adj.)未減;未消退。diminished(adj.)減少;消減。
◎ stand pat(片語)守舊不肯嘗新;固執不肯變通。
16
For everywhere we look, there is work to be done. The state of the economy calls for action, bold and swift, and we will act-not only to create new jobs, but to lay a new foundation for growth. We will build the roads and bridges, the electric grids and digital lines that feed our commerce and bind us together. We will restore science to its rightful place, and wield technologys wonders to raise health cares quality and lower its cost. We will harness the sun and the winds and the soil to fuel our cars and run our factories. And we will transform our schools and colleges and universities to meet the demands of a new age. All this we can do. And all this we will do.
我們無論朝何處望去,都有工作必須完成。經濟情勢需要大膽、迅速的行動,我們將有所行動,不光是創造新工作,更要奠定成長的新基礎。我們將造橋鋪路,為企業興建電力網格與數位線路,將我們聯繫在一起。我們將讓科學再度得到應有的重視,運用科技的奇蹟來提高醫療品質並降低費用。我們將利用太陽能、風力和土壤作為汽車的燃料和工廠的能源。我們將讓中小學及大專院校轉型,因應新時代的需要。這些我們可以做到。我們也將會做到。
◎ grid(n.)網格;棋盤網路。electrical grids(n.)(棋盤網路式的)電力系統。
◎ wield(v.)揮舞;運用。
◎ harness(v.)駕馭;運用。
◎ fuel(v.)為……提供燃料;刺激……的成長。
17
Now, there are some who question the scale of our ambitions-who suggest that our system cannot tolerate too many big plans. Their memories are short. For they have forgotten what this country has already done; what free men and women can achieve when imagination is joined to common purpose, and necessity to courage.
現在,有人質疑我們的企圖心規模,暗示說我們的體系無法承受太多的大計畫。這些人的記性不好。因為他們忘記了這個國家已經完成的成就,當創造力與共同目標結合時,當需求與勇氣結合時,不受約束的男男女女可以完成何等成就!
◎ scale(n.)規模;大小。
◎ tolerate(v.)容忍;承受。
18
What the cynics fail to understand is that the ground has shifted beneath them-that the stale political arguments that have consumed us for so long no longer apply. The question we ask today is not whether our government is too big or too small, but whether it works-whether it helps families find jobs at a decent wage, care they can afford, a retirement that is dignified. Where the answer is yes, we intend to move forward. Where the answer is no, programs will end. And those of us who manage the publics dollars will be held to account-to spend wisely, reform bad habits, and do our business in the light of day-because only then can we restore the vital trust between a people and their government.
唱衰者無法理解的是他們的主張已經站不住腳,長期以來折磨我們的陳腐政治爭議已經行不通。我們今天的問題不是政府太大或太小,而是有無功效,是否能幫助家庭找到薪水不錯的工作,支付得起照顧費用,有尊嚴的退休。哪個方向能夠提供肯定的答案,我們就往那裡走。答案是否定的地方,計畫就會停止。所有我們這些管理大眾金錢的人都將負起責任,花錢要精明,改掉惡習,正大光明做事情,只有這樣,我們才能重建政府與人民間最重要的信任。
◎ cynic(n.)諷世者;不看好者。
◎ stale(adj.)陳腐的;毫無新意的。
◎ dignified(adj.)有尊嚴的。
◎ hold to account(片語)亦作hold accountable;要求對所做的事情負責;要求對方承擔行為之後果。
19
Nor is the question before us whether the market is a force for good or ill. Its power to generate wealth and expand freedom is unmatched, but this crisis has reminded us that without a watchful eye, the market can spin out of control-and that a nation cannot prosper long when it favors only the prosperous. The success of our economy has always depended not just on the size of our gross domestic product, but on the reach of our prosperity; on our ability to extend opportunity to every willing heart-not out of charity, but because it is the surest route to our common good.
我們眼前的問題也不是說市場的力量是善或惡。市場創造財富和增加自由的力量無與倫比,但是這場危機提醒我們沒有監督時,市場發展將失控,當市場只偏愛有錢人時,國家無法永續繁榮。我們經濟成功的依據,不只是國內生產毛額的規模,還有繁榮可及的範圍,以及我們將機會拓展給每個願意打拚的人,不是因為施捨,而是因為這就是達到我們共同利益最穩健的途徑。
◎ gross domestic product(片語)國民生產毛額,縮寫成GDP。
◎ charity(n.)施捨。
◎ sure route(n.);surest route(n.)不二法門;最穩當的途徑。
◎ common good(n.)共同利益;眾人的利益。
20
As for our common defense, we reject as false the choice between our safety and our ideals. Our Founding Fathers, faced with perils we can scarcely imagine, drafted a charter to assure the rule of law and the rights of man, a charter expanded by the blood of generations. Those ideals still light the world, and we will not give them up for expediences sake. And so to all other peoples and governments who are watching today, from the grandest capitals to the small village where my father was born: Know that America is a friend of each nation and every man, woman and child who seeks a future of peace and dignity, and that we are ready to lead once more.
至於我們的共同防衛,有人說我們必須在我們的安全和理想之間作一抉擇──這是不確實的,我們拒絕接受。我們開國元老在我們難以想像的危難之中,擬具了確保法治和人權的憲章,被一代代以鮮血擴大充實的憲章。這些理想依然照亮這個世界,我們不會為了便宜行事而揚棄它。同樣地,今日在觀看此情此景的其他民族和政府,從最宏偉的都城到家父出生的小村莊,我要說:任何一個國家、男、女和孩童,只要你在追求一個和平且有尊嚴的未來,美國就是你的朋友,我們準備再次帶領大家。
◎ Founding Fathers(片語)開國元老。
◎ peril(n.)危險;危機。
◎ charter(n.)憲章。
◎ expedience(n.)便利;方便。for expediences sake為了方便起見。
文句解析
◎李振清(世新大學英語系客座教授、世新大學前人文社會學院院長、前教育部國際文教處處長)
歐巴馬的就職演說精采處,不但在於突顯啟發性的多元內涵、精湛感人的詞彙與堅實的文章結構,更重要的是整篇演說貫穿著跨時代精神,和虔誠的人文意涵。字裡行間同時也處處展現出對美國古聖先賢的尊崇與感恩,尤其是分別在二○○○與二○○九年透過歷史學者與C-SPAN電視台票選為「最佳總統」(二○○九Historians Presidential Survey)的亞伯拉罕.林肯(Abraham Lincoln)。就職演說中處處流露真情與全方位的人文素養。這和他早年居住過印尼雅加達、在夏威夷接受高中教育,以及後來分別在哥倫比亞大學和哈佛大學的踏實歷練,有密切的關係。由此可見這篇文獻的珍貴、高度的文學價值與可讀性。
二○○八年九月二十八日出刊的「紐約時報」,曾在In Crisis, Glimpses of Candidates Leadership(在經濟危機中──一瞥總統候選人的領導才能)文中,深入分析歐巴馬的特質:組織能力強、善於集思廣益、口才便給、分析力強,但態度冷靜、處世謙和審慎。這種謙和(humble)與感懷(mindful)的政治家人格特質,很明顯地反映於本就職演說的第一段:
I stand here today humbled by the task before us, grateful for the trust you have bestowed, mindful of the sacrifices borne by our ancestors. I thank President Bush for his service to our nation, as well as the generosity and cooperation he has shown throughout this transition.
同時,整篇就職演說的內涵中,也反映出歐巴馬充分肯定美國開國先賢(Founding Fathers)的無上功勳,以及對立國精神的堅定(第9段)。同時,就職演說中明顯地充滿著林肯總統著名的「蓋茲堡演說」之人道精神與恢弘文氣。民權運動領袖金恩博士 (Martin Luther King, Jr.)的「I Have a Dream」期許,也隱約地在這篇就職演說中呈現。
在這篇鏗鏘有聲的就職典禮演說中,歐巴馬一開始就參照林肯總統慣用的溫和,但堅定的語氣,暗示他所傳承自林肯的精神資產(legacy)。在全部三十四段的就職演說中,歐巴馬彷彿成為林肯的分身,並且藉由「蓋茲堡演說」的經典內涵、前瞻視野與修辭藝術,從頭到尾闡述著飲水思源、鑑往知來(1-2段)、因應挑戰、多難興邦(4-6段)、堅持革新、肯定自我(8-13段)、期許未來(15-16段)、替代能源、振興經濟(16-17段)、道德廉能(20, 28-30段)、同舟共濟、廣結善緣(21-27段)、繼往開來、求新求變(32-34段)等二十一世紀的新普世價值。
歐巴馬在本就職演說中,引經據典,扼要地點出歷史的典故。例如在第2段中所說的「We the People have remained faithful to the ideals of our forebearers, and true to our founding documents.」,係引自美國憲法(Constitution of the United States) 之序言(Preamble):
We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defence, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America.
中譯:
我們,美利堅合眾國的人民,為了組織一個更完善的聯邦,樹立正義,保障國內的安寧,建立共同的國防,增進全民福利和確保我們自己及我們後代能安享自由帶來的幸福,乃為美利堅合眾國制定和確立這一部憲法。(美國國務院中譯)
「founding documents」指本演講中所提及之《美國憲法》(第2段)、美國《獨立宣言》(第9段)等重要文件。
第九段首句乃引用《聖經》哥林多前書13:11(Corinthinians 13:11):
When I was a child, I spake as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child: but when I became a man, I put away childish things. (以上引用《詹姆士王英譯本》﹝King James Bible﹞譯文)
中譯:「我作孩子的時候,話語像孩子、心思像孩子、意見像孩子,既成了人,就把孩子的事情棄掉。」(引自1878北京官話譯本《新約全書》)
第九段後半段內容是美國《獨立宣言》(Declaration of Independence)的口語轉述。茲比較如下:
歐巴馬(2009)第九段 美國《獨立宣言》(1776)第二段
The time has come…to carry forward that precious gift, that noble idea, passed on from generation to generation: the God-given promise that all are equal, all are free, and all deserve a chance to pursue their full measure of happiness. We hold these Truths to be self-evident, that all Men are created equal, that they are endowed, by their CREATOR, with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness.
歐巴馬的這一句話,顯然也深受林肯總統著名的「蓋茲堡演說」之影響。「蓋茲堡演說」一開始就有這麼一句語意深遠、震撼人心、鏗鏘有聲的開場白:
Four score and seven years ago our fathers brought forth on this continent, a new nation, conceived in liberty, and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal.
歐巴馬和林肯的思維十分類似;核心用詞幾乎完全相同:「that all…are …equal.」。
第33段:原文出自美國革命家潘恩 (Thomas Paine:1737-1809)一篇名為〈危機〉(The Crisis)之論述,在一七七六年冬被美國開國元首華盛頓用以鼓勵年輕人參加獨立革命,報效國家。潘恩為美國獨立革命期間之文宣大將,印有「常識報」(Common Sense)小報,藉之鼓吹革命。全長三千四百字之大作「危機」即出自「常識報」版面。
本文的另一特點是文法結構運用的簡潔有力。其中,現代英文句法最常使用的現在與過去分詞(present/past participial phrases)結構,以及從屬子句(subordinate clauses)的配合和轉換(transformation)等,正好是台灣的高中生可以學習、模仿,然後有效運用於英文寫作,或口語表達的基本範例。大學生更可進一步運用此種文類,作為英語文進階歷練的寶貴參考資料。例如第一段的第一句,就完全展現此種精簡語法結構的特色。而此一強有力的精簡句子,是由原來的五個簡單句經由語法轉換而形成的表層結構(surface structure):
I stand here today humbled by the task before us, grateful for the trust you have bestowed, mindful of the sacrifices borne by our ancestors.
I stand here today.
I am humbled by the task before us.
I am grateful for the trust (that) you have bestowed.
I am mindful of the sacrifices.
The sacrifices were borne by our ancestors.
了解這個道理後,大家必然可以依此發現閱讀英文的奧祕,從而有效提升英語文學習的成效與興趣。無論是高中生、大學生,甚或英文老師們,這種閱讀經典英文,與提升英語文實用(讀、聽、寫、說、譯)能力的共識,應該及早藉此有效培養。
整體而言,歐巴馬總統的這一篇就職演說之精神、內涵、文采與影響力,堪與甘耐迪一九六一年的就職演說並列,同時也是一篇足以發人深省的絕佳好文。這種難得一見的精采實用性文類(genre),值得大家深入閱讀、分析、朗讀、模仿,以便作為提升英語文能力的參考。