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奥巴马告别演讲稿英文原稿It’sgoodtobehome.MyfellowAmericans,MichelleandIhavebeensotouchedbyallthewell-wisheswe’vereceivedoverthepastfewweeks.Buttonightit’smyturntosaythanks.Whetherwe’veseeneye-to-eyeorrarelyagreedatall,myconversationswithyou,theAmericanpeople–inlivingroomsandschools;atfarmsandonfactoryfloors;atdinersandondistantoutposts–arewhathavekeptmehonest,keptmeinspired,andkeptmegoing.Everyday,Ilearnedfromyou.YoumademeabetterPresident,andyoumademeabetterman.IfirstcametoChicagowhenIwasinmyearlytwenties,stilltryingtofigureoutwhoIwas;stillsearchingforapurposetomylife.ItwasinneighborhoodsnotfarfromherewhereIbeganworkingwithchurchgroupsintheshadowsofclosedsteelmills.ItwasonthesestreetswhereIwitnessedthepoweroffaith,andthequietdignityofworkingpeopleinthefaceofstruggleandloss.ThisiswhereIlearnedthatchangeonlyhappenswhenordinarypeoplegetinvolved,getengaged,andcometogethertodemandit.AftereightyearsasyourPresident,Istillbelievethat.Andit’snotjustmybelief.It’sthebeatingheartofourAmericanidea–ourboldexperimentinself-government.It’stheconvictionthatweareallcreatedequal,endowedbyourCreatorwithcertainunalienablerights,amongthemlife,liberty,andthepursuitofhappiness.It’stheinsistencethattheserights,whileself-evident,haveneverbeenself-executing;thatWe,thePeople,throughtheinstrumentofourdemocracy,canformamoreperfectunion.ThisisthegreatgiftourFoundersgaveus.Thefreedomtochaseourindividualdreamsthroughoursweat,toil,andimagination–andtheimperativetostrivetogetheraswell,toachieveagreatergood.For240years,ournation’scalltocitizenshiphasgivenworkandpurposetoeachnewgeneration.It’swhatledpatriotstochooserepublicovertyranny,pioneerstotrekwest,slavestobravethatmakeshiftrailroadtofreedom.It’swhatpulledimmigrantsandrefugeesacrossoceansandtheRioGrande,pushedwomentoreachfortheballot,poweredworkerstoorganize.It’swhyGIsgavetheirlivesatOmahaBeachandIwoJima;IraqandAfghanistan–andwhymenandwomenfromSelmatoStonewallwerepreparedtogivetheirsaswell.Sothat’swhatwemeanwhenwesayAmericaisexceptional.Notthatournationhasbeenflawlessfromthestart,butthatwehaveshownthecapacitytochange,andmakelifebetterforthosewhofollow.ForwhiteAmericans,itmeansacknowledgingthattheeffectsofslaveryandJimCrowdidn’tsuddenlyvanishinthe‘60s;thatwhenminoritygroupsvoicediscontent,they’renotjustengaginginreverseracismorpracticingpoliticalcorrectness;thatwhentheywagepeacefulprotest,they’renotdemandingspecialtreatment,buttheequaltreatmentourFounderspromised.Fornative-bornAmericans,itmeansremindingourselvesthatthestereotypesaboutimmigrantstodayweresaid,almostwordforword,abouttheIrish,Italians,andPoles.Americawasn’tweakenedbythepresenceofthesenewcomers;theyembracedthisnation’screed,anditwasstrengthened.Soregardlessofthestationweoccupy;wehavetotryharder;tostartwiththepremisethateachofourfellowcitizenslovesthiscountryjustasmuchaswedo;thattheyvaluehardworkandfamilylikewedo;thattheirchildrenarejustascuriousandhopefulandworthyofloveasourown.Noneofthisiseasy.Fortoomanyofus,it’sbecomesafertoretreatintoourownbubbles,whetherinourneighborhoodsorcollegecampusesorplacesofworshiporoursocialmediafeeds,surroundedbypeoplewholooklikeusandsharethesamepoliticaloutlookandneverchallengeourassumptions.Theriseofnakedpartisanship,increasingeconomicandregionalstratification,thesplinteringofourmediaintoachannelforeverytaste–allthismakesthisgreatsortingseemnatural,eveninevitable.Andincreasingly,webecomesosecureinourbubblesthatweacceptonlyinformation,whethertrueornot,thatfitsouropinions,insteadofbasingouropinionsontheevidencethat’soutthere.Thistrendrepresentsathirdthreattoourdemocracy.Politicsisabattleofideas;inthecourseofahealthydebate,we’llprioritizedifferentgoals,andthedifferentmeansofreachingthem.Butwithoutsomecommonbaselineoffacts;withoutawillingnesstoadmitnewinformation,andconcedethatyouropponentismakingafairpoint,andthatscienceandreasonmatter,we’llkeeptalkingpasteachother,makingcommongroundandcompromiseimpossible.Isn’tthatpartofwhatmakespoliticssodispiriting?Howcanelectedofficialsrageaboutdeficitswhenweproposetospendmoneyonpreschoolforkids,butnotwhenwe’recuttingtaxesforcorporations?Howdoweexcuseethicallapsesinourownparty,butpouncewhentheotherpartydoesthesamething?It’snotjustdishonest,thisselectivesortingofthefacts;it’sself-defeating.Becauseasmymotherusedtotellme,realityhasawayofcatchingupwithyou.Takethechallengeofclimatechange.Injusteightyears,we’vehalvedourdependenceonforeignoil,doubledourrenewableenergy,andledtheworldtoanagreementthathasthepromisetosavethisplanet.Butwithoutbolderaction,ourchildrenwon’thavetimetodebatetheexistenceofclimatechange;they’llbebusydealingwithitseffects:environmentaldisasters,economicdisruptions,andwavesofclimaterefugeesseekingsanctuary.Now,wecanandshouldargueaboutthebestapproachtotheproblem.Buttosimplydenytheproblemnotonlybetraysfuturegenerations;itbetraystheessentialspiritofinnovationandpracticalproblem-solvingthatguidedourFounders.It’sthatspirit,bornoftheEnlightenment,thatmadeusaneconomicpowerhouse–thespiritthattookflightatKittyHawkandCapeCanaveral;thespiritthatthatcuresdiseaseandputacom