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2014年5月28日,美国时任总统奥巴马面对西点军校毕业生演讲。他认为,美国的国力比任何时候都更加强盛,“全世界都期待美国出手相助”,“美国是一个不可或缺的国家,而且至今仍然如此。这是上一个世纪的现实,也将是下一个世纪的现实。”奥巴马将美国“在世界舞台上发挥领导作用”视为自己的底线,并表示“我们如果不领导世界,谁来领导?”当面对国际舆论时他说,“为了保护我国人民、我们的国土、我们的生活方式,美国永远不需要征求别人的许可”,“我对美国例外论深信不疑。”
奥巴马认为,“美国对民主和人权的支持超出了理想主义的范畴”,“民主政权”这个最亲密的朋友能成为美国产品的市场。在中国南海问题上,他表示“我们正在这个过程中向东南亚国家提供支持”。最后,他勉励西点军校的毕业生们:“为了让美国领导世界,你们要竭尽所能。”
PRESIDENT OBAMA: Thank you. Thank you so much. Thank you. Thankyou, General Caslen, for that introduction. General Trainor, General Clarke,faculty and staff at West Point, you have been outstanding stewards of thisproud institution and outstanding mentors for the newest officers in the UnitedStates Army.
美国总统奥巴马:谢谢!非常感谢!谢谢!谢谢卡斯兰将军的介绍!特雷纳将军、克拉克将军、西点军校的教职工们,你们一直以来都是这所令人自豪的学府的优秀管理者,也是美国陆军新晋军官的杰出导师。
Adifferent view, from interventionists from the left and right, says that weignore these conflicts at our own peril, that America’s willingness to applyforce around the world is the ultimate safeguard against chaos, and America’sfailure to act in the face of Syrian brutality or Russian provocations not onlyviolates our conscience, but invites escalating aggression in the future.
然而,干涉主义者对此持不同观点。他们认为,无视这些冲突最终会危及我们自身,美国在全球充当“世界警察”角色的意愿能够最彻底地保卫世界安全,使其免于陷入混乱。而若美国对叙利亚的暴乱或俄罗斯的挑衅撒手不管、无所作为的话,那么这不仅违背我们的良心,也会使得这些行径在未来愈演愈烈。
And eachside can point to history to support its claims, but I believe neither viewfully speaks to the demands of this moment. It is absolutely true that in the21st century, American isolationism is not an option. We don’t have a choice toignore what happens beyond our borders. If nuclear materials are not secure,that poses a danger to American citizens.
尽管双方的观点从历史角度看都成立,但我认为他们并没有充分反映当前形势下的需求。显然,对21世纪的美国而言,孤立主义行不通。我们无法对发生在世界其他地区的事情漠然视之。例如,如果核燃料不安全,那么它就会威及美国人民的生命。
As theSyrian civil war spills across borders, the capacity of battle-hardenedextremist groups to come after us only increases. Regional aggression that goesunchecked, whether in southern Ukraine or the South China Sea or anywhere elsein the world, will ultimately impact our allies, and could draw in ourmilitary. We can’t ignore what happens beyond our boundaries.
随着叙利亚内战战火跨越边境,受战争洗礼的极端组织攻击美国的能力也在增强。地区冲突接踵而至,无论是在乌克兰南部地区、南海亦或是世界其他地方,如果我们对此坐视不管,最终这将危及美国盟友的利益,美军也会卷入其中。因此,我们必须时刻关注外界事态。
And beyondthese narrow rationales, I believe we have a real stake -- abidingself-interest -- in making sure our children and our grandchildren grow up in aworld where schoolgirls are not kidnapped; where individuals aren’t slaughteredbecause of tribe or faith or political belief.
此外,跳出这些狭隘的理论框架来看,我认为大家还存在着一个真正的共同关切——持久的个人利益,那就是要始终确保我们的子孙后代成长在这样一个世界当中,在那里,人们不会因为种族、信仰或政治理念的迥异而劫持女学生或滥杀无辜。
I believethat a world of greater freedom and tolerance is not only a moral imperative;it also helps keep us safe.
我认为,建设一个更加自由及包容的世界不仅在道德上势在必行,而且有助于维护我们自身安全。
But to saythat we have an interest in pursuing peace and freedom beyond our borders isnot to say that every problem has a military solution. Since World War II, someof our most costly mistakes came not from our restraint but from ourwillingness to rush into military adventures without thinking through theconsequences, without building international support and legitimacy for ouraction, without leveling with the American people about the sacrificesrequired. Tough talk often draws headlines, but war rarely conforms to slogans.As General Eisenhower, someone with hard-earned knowledge on this subject, saidat this ceremony in 1947, “War is mankind’s most tragic and stupid folly; toseek or advise its deliberate provocation is a black crime against all men.”
尽管我们有意向在全球倡导和平与自由,但这并不意味着我们要借助军事手段来解决每个问题。二战结束以来,我们所犯的那些严重的错误,皆源自我们倾向于以诉诸武力的方式来解决问题,而对后果考虑不周、缺乏国际支持及法律支持,也没有向美国人民交代他们需要作出的牺牲,以使他们心中有数。虽然强硬的表态时常占据报纸头条,但战争却很少与口号“步调一致”。正如对这个问题深有体会的艾森豪威尔将军(GeneralEisenhower),于1947年在西点军校毕业典礼上所说的那样:“战争是人类最悲惨、最愚笨的蠢行,无论是蓄意挑起战争,还是为其献计献策,这都是对全人类犯下的滔天罪行。”
Like Eisenhower, this generation of men and women in uniform know all too well thewages of war, and that includes those of you here at West Point. Four of theservice members who stood in the audience when I announced the surge of ourforces in Afghanistan gave their lives in that effort. A lot more were wounded.
与他一样,这一代的军人——无论男女,都对战争理解深刻。这其中也包括了你们西点毕业生。在我宣布增兵阿富汗时,听众当中的4名服役人员后来就在那里壮烈牺牲。此外,还有许多西点士兵受伤。
I believeAmerica’s security demanded those deployments.But I am haunted by those deaths. I am haunted by those wounds. And I wouldbetray my duty to you, and to the country we love, if I sent you into harm’sway simply because I saw a problem somewhere in the world that needed to befixed, or because I was worried about critics who think military interventionis the only way for America to avoid looking weak.
我认为,出于维护美国国家安全的考虑,这些军事部署是很有必要的。但是,这些伤亡者的英魂和伤痛一直萦绕在我的脑海、令我难安。如果我将你们派上战场,仅仅是因为世界某地出现问题需要处理,或是担心批评家会将军事不作为视作是美国软弱的表现,那么,我就违背了自己对你们、对这个我们所爱国家的职责了。
Here’s mybottom line: America must always lead on the world stage. If we don’t, no oneelse will. The military that you have joined is, and always will be, thebackbone of that leadership. But U.S. military action cannot be the only -- oreven primary -- component of our leadership in every instance. Just because wehave the best hammer does not mean that every problem is a nail.
我的底线是:美国必须在世界范围保持领导力。如果我们不能,没人能。你们所加入的美军,永远都是美国领导世界的中坚力量。但是美国的军事行动不是我们展现领导力的唯一方式,更不是主要部分。因为虽然我们有最好的锤子(美军),但并不意味着每个问题都是钉子。
Andbecause the costs associated with military action are so high, you shouldexpect every civilian leader -- and especially your commander in chief -- to beclear about how that awesome power should be used. So let me spend the rest ofmy time describing my vision for how the United States of America, and ourmilitary, should lead in the years to come, for you will be part of thatleadership.
因为军事行动代价极大,所以你们应该期望每个平民领袖——尤其是你们的总司令——清楚如何使用这一令人生畏的力量。所以,让我用剩下的时间来描述一下我的想法:关于美国和美军在未来几年应怎样领导世界,而你们将会成为领导世界力量的一部分。
First, letme repeat a principle I put forward at the outset of my presidency: The UnitedStates will use military force, unilaterally if necessary, when our coreinterests demand it -- when our people are threatened; when our livelihoods areat stake; when the security of our allies is in danger.
首先,让我重申一下我在就任总统时提出的原则:当我们的核心利益需要的时候——我们的人民受到威胁、生计受到威胁、盟友的安全处于危险之中——如果有必要,美国将单方面使用军事力量。
On theother hand, when issues of global concern do not pose a direct threat to theUnited States, when such issues are at stake, when crises arise that stir ourconscience or push the world in a more dangerous direction but do not directlythreaten us, then the threshold for military action must be higher. In suchcircumstances, we should not go it alone. Instead, we must mobilize allies andpartners to take collective action. We have to broaden our tools to includediplomacy and development, sanctions and isolation, appeals to internationallaw, and, if just, necessary and effective, multilateral military  action. Insuch circumstances, we have to work with others because collective action inthese circumstances is more likely to succeed, more likely to be sustained,less likely to lead to costly mistakes.
另一方面,当引起世界关注但没有直接威胁到美国利益的危机产生时,当这些问题亟待解决时,当能触动我们的良心或推动世界向更危险的方向发展但不对美国构成直接威胁的危机出现时,我们更不能轻易采取军事行动。在这种情况下,我们不应该单打独斗。相反,我们必须动员盟友和合作伙伴采取集体行动。我们应该广泛使用各种手段,包括外交和发展、制裁和孤立、诉诸于国际法,甚至在必要情况下采取多边军事行动。在这些情况下,我们必须与其他国家合作,因为集体行动更容易成功,持续性强,还可以减少代价惨痛的错误。”
This leadsto my second point. For the foreseeable future, the most direct threat toAmerica, at home and abroad, remains terrorism, but a strategy that involvesinvading every country that harbors terrorist networks is naive andunsustainable. I believe we must shift our counterterrorism strategy, drawingon the successes and shortcomings of our experience in Iraq and Afghanistan, tomore effectively partner with countries where terrorist networks seek afoothold.
这引出了我的第二个观点。在可预见的未来,不管国内还是国外,对美国最直接的威胁仍是恐怖主义。但是,那种对每个包庇恐怖主义组织的国家都采取进攻手段的战略未免过于天真,也不可能长期进行。我认为,我们必须从伊拉克和阿富汗问题上汲取经验和教训,将美国打击恐怖主义的战略转变为与那些国内有恐怖组织基地的国家进行有效的伙伴合作。
I’d liketo acknowledge the Army’s leadership -- General McHugh -- Secretary McHugh,General Odierno, as well as Senator Jack Reed who is here and a proud graduateof West Point himself. To the class of 2014, I congratulate you on taking yourplace on the Long Gray Line.
我要向陆军领导层表示感谢,包括陆军部长麦克休将军以及参谋长奥迪耶诺将军,同时也要感谢到场的杰克-里德参议员,他是西点军校引以为荣的毕业生之一。2014级的毕业生们,祝贺你们承接了西点军魂的使命。
It is aparticularly useful time for America to reflect on those who’ve sacrificed somuch for our freedom, a few days after Memorial Day. You are the first class tograduate since 9/11 who may not be sent into combat in Iraq or Afghanistan. (Cheers,applause.)
这是继数天前阵亡将士纪念日后的又一个极有意义的时刻,让美国人民得以回想那些为我们的自由作出巨大牺牲的英雄。你们将是自911恐怖袭击以来,第一届不会被派到伊拉克或阿富汗参战的毕业生。(欢呼声、掌声)
Thinkabout it. Our military has no peer. The odds of a direct threat against us byany nation are low, and do not come close to the dangers we faced during theCold War. Meanwhile, our economy remains the most dynamic on Earth, ourbusinesses the most innovative. Each year, we grow more energy independent.From Europe to Asia, we are the hub of alliances unrivaled in the history ofnations.
你们想一想,我们的军队天下无敌,任何国家对我们构成直接威胁的几率极小,而且与我们在冷战时期所面临的危险相差甚远。同时,我们的经济活力仍居世界第一,企业的创新性也名列前茅。我们的能源独立性都在逐年增强。从欧洲到亚洲,我们是各国有史以来无人能敌的联盟轴心。
Americacontinues to attract striving immigrants. The values of our founding inspireleaders in parliaments and new movements in public squares around the globe.And when a typhoon hits the Philippines, or schoolgirls are kidnapped inNigeria, or masked men occupy a building in Ukraine, it is America that theworld looks to for help. (Applause.) So the United States is and remains theone indispensable nation. That has been true for the century past, and it willbe true for the century to come.
美国将继续吸纳奋发图强的外国移民。我们的建国理念激励着各国议会的领导人,也激励着世界各地在公共广场上发起的新运动。当台风袭击菲律宾的时候,当尼日利亚女学生遭到绑架的时候,当蒙面歹徒攻占乌克兰政府大楼的时候,全世界都翘首以待美国的援助之手。(掌声)因此,美国始终是一个无可取代的国家,上个世纪如此,下个世纪亦是如此。
But theworld is changing with accelerating speed. This presents opportunity, but alsonew dangers. We know all too well, after 9/11, just how technology andglobalization has put power once reserved for states in the hands ofindividuals, raising the capacity of terrorists to do harm.
但是,如今的世界瞬息万变。这为我们带来了机遇,也带来了新的危险。911恐怖袭击事件让我们清楚地认识到,科技和全球化发展是如何让原本由国家掌控的权力落入个人之手,令恐怖分子为非作歹的。
It will be your generation’s task to respond to this new world.The question we face, the question each of you will face, is not whetherAmerica will lead but how we will lead, not just to secure our peace andprosperity but also extend peace and prosperity around the globe.
如何能在新形势下有所作为的重担就要落在你们这一代的肩上了。摆在我们面前的问题,不是美国是否处在领导地位,而是她将如何引领各国;不只是美国能否实现繁荣发展,而是她如何能在全球范围内“播撒”和平与繁荣的“种子”,而这也是你们将来要面对的问题。
Today,according to self-described realists, conflicts in Syria or Ukraine or theCentral African Republic are not ours to solve. And not surprisingly, aftercostly wars and continuing challenges here at home, that view is shared by manyAmericans.
现在,那些自诩为现实主义者的人认为,美国无需理会发生在叙利亚、乌克兰,以及中非共和国的冲突。的确,在经受了战争以及来自国内的多重挑战之后,这种观点为许多美国人所认同,这并不意外。
Today, aspart of this effort, I am calling on Congress to support a new counterterrorismpartnerships fund of up to $5 billion, which will allow us to train, buildcapacity and facilitate partner countries on the front lines. And theseresources will give us flexibility to fulfill different missions, includingtraining security forces in Yemen who’ve gone on the offensive againstal-Qaida, supporting a multinational force to keep the peace in Somalia,working with European allies to train a functioning security force and borderpatrol in Libya and facilitating French operations in Mali.
今天,作为我们行动的一部分,我呼吁国会支持通过数额为50亿美元的新反恐合作基金,以帮助我们的同盟伙伴训练军队、提升能力、支援他们的前线。这些资金也让我们又更大的自由度完成各项任务。这些任务包括:为打击基地组织的也门政府训练安全部队以支持多国部队维护索马里地区和平,同欧洲盟友一起在利比亚训练出合格的安全部队和边防军,以及协助法国在马里的行动。
I alsobelieve we must be more transparent about both the basis of ourcounterterrorism actions and the manner in which they are carried out. We haveto be able to explain them publicly, whether it is drone strikes or trainingpartners. I will increasingly turn to our military to take the lead and provideinformation to the public about our efforts. Our intelligence community hasdone outstanding work and we have to continue to protect sources and methods,but when we cannot explain our efforts clearly and publicly, we face terroristpropaganda and international suspicion, we erode legitimacy with our partnersand our people, and we reduce accountability in our own government.
我也相信我们必须在反恐行动的出发点和具体行动方式方面更为公开。不管是无人机打击或是训练盟友的军队,我们必须向公众解释我们的行动。我将会要求美军带头,向公众提供与我们行动相关的信息。我们的情报机构工作出色,我们必须继续保护我们的信息来源和获取途径。但如果我们不能清楚、公开地解释我们的行动,我们就会面对恐怖分子的大肆宣传和国际社会的质疑,就会在我们伙伴国和人民面前失去合法性,就会失去我们政府的信誉。
You see,American influence is always stronger when we lead by example. We cannot exemptourselves from the rules that apply to everyone else. We can’t call on othersto make commitments to combat climate change if a whole lot of our politicalleaders deny that it is taking place. We can’t try to resolve problems in theSouth China Sea when we have refused to make sure that the Law of the SeaConvention is ratified by the United States Senate, despite the fact that ourtop military leaders say the treaty advances our national security. That’s notleadership. That’s retreat. That’s not strength; that’s weakness. It would beutterly foreign to leaders like Roosevelt and Truman, Eisenhower and Kennedy.
大家知道,但凡美国以身说法,实现领导,美国的影响力就会加大。大家都普遍遵循的规则,我们不能不遵守;如果我们多数领导人否认气候变化这一事实,我们也就无法号召大家齐心协力,共对气候变化。虽然我国军方高层领导人都认为《海洋法公约》的通过会提高我国的国家安全,但如果我们无法确保美国参议院通过该公约,我们也就无法解决中国南海问题。这都不是领导,是退缩;不是强大,是软弱。这与罗斯福,杜鲁门,艾森豪威尔,肯尼迪等领导人的风格截然相反。
I believein American exceptionalism with every fiber of my being. But what makes usexceptional is not our ability to flout international norms and the rule oflaw; it is our willingness to affirm them through our actions.(Applause.)
我对美国例外主义深信不疑。但让我们例外的并不是美国通过实际行动重申国际准则与国际法,而是我们愿意通过实际行动彰显这些国际准则。(掌声)
America’ssupport for democracy and human rights goes beyond idealism; it is a matter ofnational security. Democracies are our closest friends and are far less likelyto go to war. Economies based on free and open markets perform better andbecome markets for our goods. Respect for human rights is an antidote toinstability and the grievances that fuel violence and terror.
美国对民主与人权的主张胜过对理想主义的追求;这是关乎国家安全的大计。民主国家是美国最亲密的盟友,民主国家绝不可能走向战争。基于自由开放的经济体发挥着更加积极的作用,也逐渐成为我国产品的目的市场。尊重人权有利于改善动荡局势,缓和不满情绪,遏制暴力及恐怖的滋生。
A newcentury has brought no end to tyranny. In capitals around the globe --including, unfortunately, some of America’s partners -- there has been acrackdown on civil society. The cancer of corruption has enriched too manygovernments and their cronies and enraged citizens from remote villages toiconic squares.
新世纪早已到来,暴政却还未终结。不幸地,在一些国家,包括美国的伙伴国家在内,镇压依然存在于公民社会中。腐败的毒瘤养富了政府官员及其裙带密友,但也激怒了全国各地的普通民众。
Andwatching these trends, or the violent upheavals in parts of the Arab world,it’s easy to be cynical. But remember that because of America’s efforts --because of American diplomacy and foreign assistance, as well as the sacrificesof our military -- more people live under elected governments today than at anytime in human history. Technology is empowering civil society in ways that noiron fist can control. New breakthroughs are lifting hundreds of millions ofpeople out of poverty. And even the upheaval of the Arab world reflects therejection of an authoritarian order that was anything but stable, and nowoffers the long-term prospect of more responsive and effective governance.
想想这些现实潮流,想想阿拉伯世界的暴力动乱,我们很容易变得愤世嫉俗。但要记住,是美国的努力奋斗,美国的外交政策,美国的对外援助,还有美国军人的无私奉献,使得更多人在民选政府的管理之下安居乐业,这在历史上无可比拟。科技赋予公民社会更多权利,这也是铁臂金刚所控制不了的。得益于科技新突破,千百万人摆脱贫困。甚至是阿拉伯世界的动乱也反映了人们对动荡独裁秩序的摒弃,也产生了对一个更为有求必应的更有效率政府管理的长期愿景。
We’re nowsupporting reform and badly needed national reconciliation through assistanceand investment, through coaxing and, at times, public criticism. And progressthere could be reversed, but if Myanmar succeeds we will have gained a newpartner without having fired a shot -- American leadership.
现在,通过投资援助、公开批评与感召劝服,我们支持缅甸改革、支持缅甸人民渴望的民族和解。发展进程可能会倒退逆转,如果不费一兵一卒,如果缅甸取得成功,我们也就多了个合作伙伴,这就是美国的领导力量。
I saw thatthrough a trip to Africa last year, where American assistance has made possiblethe prospect of an AIDS-free generation, while helping Africans care themselvesfor their sick. We’re helping farmers get their products to market to feedpopulations once endangered by famine. We aim to double access to electricityin sub- Saharan Africa so people are connected to the promise of the globaleconomy. And all this creates new partners and shrinks the space for terrorismand conflict.
去年的非洲之行让我看到美国向非洲伸出援手,治病救人,使得一代非洲人远离艾滋的愿景成为可能。我们帮助当地农民销售农产品,令倍受饥荒折磨的人们不再挨饿。我们为撒哈拉以南的非洲地区带去光明,让全球经济的累累硕果惠及当地百姓。如此一来,既催生了新的合作伙伴,也捣毁了恐怖主义与暴力冲突的温床。
Now,tragically, no American security operation can eradicate the threat posed by anextremist group like Boko Haram -- the groupthat kidnapped those girls.
遗憾的是,目前美国安全行动还未能根除由极端组织带来的威胁,例如绑架女童的博科圣地(BokoHaram)。
And that’swe have to focus not just on rescuing those girls right away, but also onsupporting Nigerian efforts to educate its youth. This should be one of thehard-earned lessons of Iraq and Afghanistan, where our military became thestrongest advocate for diplomacy and development. They understood that foreignassistance is not an afterthought -- something nice to do apart from ournational defense, apart from our national security. It is part of what makes usstrong.
我们要做的不仅是解救被困女童,还应支持尼日利亚发展青年教育事业。我们在伊拉克与阿富汗的宝贵经验表明美军已成为外交与发展最强劲的倡导者。战士们都明白对外援助并非事后诸葛亮,而是和国防及国土安全一样不可偏废的崇高事业。我们也因此变得强大。
Now,ultimately, global leadership requires us to see the world as it is, with allits danger and uncertainty. We have to be prepared for the worst, prepared forevery contingency, but American leadership also requires us to see the world asit should be -- a place where the aspirations of individual human beings reallymatters, where hopes and not just fears govern; where the truths written intoour founding documents can steer the currents of history in the direction ofjustice. And we cannot do that without you.
现在,最后我要说引领全球的使命要求我们直视这个充满危险与动荡的世界。除了未雨绸缪,防患于未然,我们别无选择,但这并不妨碍我们勾画未来世界的蓝图——人人心怀希望,凡事不再畏惧,让写入宪章的真理引领我们在通往正义的大道上勇往直前。这一切就看你们的了。
Class of2014, you have taken this time to prepare on the quiet banks of the Hudson. Youleave this place to carry forward a legacy that no other military in humanhistory can claim. You do so as part of a team that extends beyond your unitsor even our Armed Forces, for in the course of your service, you will work as ateam with diplomats and development experts.
各位2014届毕业生,过去的你们是哈德逊河畔(西点军校所在地)的学子,而今后离开象牙塔的你们将承载这份荣耀延续美国军队的辉煌。作为部队的一员,每一位履行职责的你们终将汇聚成美国武装部队,因为在这一过程中,你们实际上是在同外交官与发展专家并肩作战。
You’ll getto know allies and train partners. And you will embody what it means forAmerica to lead the world.
你们将结识盟友,培养搭档,用你们的实际行动告诉世界对美国来说领导世界意味着什么。
We havebeen through a long season of war. We have faced trials that were not foreseenand we’ve seen divisions about how to move forward. But there is something inGavin’s character, there is something in the American character, that willalways triumph.
我们经历了战争的洗礼,经受过突如其来的考验,开辟出前进的道路。但是有一样东西烙在加文的骨子里,镌刻在美国人与生俱来的品质中,使得我们所向披靡。
Leavinghere, you carry with you the respect of your fellow citizens. You willrepresent a nation with history and hope on our side. Your charge now is notonly to protect our country, but to do what is right and just. As yourcommander in chief, I know you will. May God bless you. May God bless our menand women in uniform. And may God bless the United States of America. 
你们心系祖国人民,离开西点。你们代表的是一个历经风雨,踌躇满志的美国。你们的使命不仅是保家卫国,更是伸张正义。身为最高统帅,我对你们充满信心。愿上帝保佑你们,保佑美国公民,保佑美利坚合众国。
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