MR. OBAMA: Thank you. Thank you so much. Vice President Biden, Mr. Chief Justice, Members of the United States Congress, distinguished guests, and fellow citizens:谢谢,非常感谢大家。拜登副总统、首席大法官先生、国会议员们、尊敬的各位嘉宾、亲爱的公民们。Each time we gather to inaugurate(开创; 创始) a president, we bear witness to the enduring strength of our Constitution. We affirm(断言;肯定;证实)the promise of our democracy. We recall that what binds this nation together is not the colors of our skin or the tenets(信条;教义;教条) of our faith or the origins of our names. What makes us exceptional – what makes us American – is our allegiance(忠诚;拥护) to an idea, articulated (清晰阐述)in a declaration made more than two centuries ago:每一次我们集会庆祝总统就职都是在见证美国宪法的持久力量。我们都是在肯定美国民主的承诺。我们重申,将这个国家紧密联系在一起的不是我们的肤色,也不是 我们信仰的教条,更不是我们名字的来源。让我们与众不同,让我们成为美国人的是我们对于一种理念的恪守。200 多年前,这一理念在一篇宣言中被清晰阐述:“We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed(捐赠;使天生具有) by their Creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness.”“我们认为下述真理是不言而喻的,人人生而平等。造物主赋予他们若干不可剥夺的权利,包括生存、自由和追求幸福的权利。”Today we continue a never-ending journey, to bridge the meaning of those words with the realities of our time. For history tells us that while these truths may be self-evident, they have never been self-executing; that while freedom is a gift from God, it must be secured by His people here on Earth. The patriots(爱国者) of 1776 did not fight to replace the tyranny of a king with the privileges...