背景:贝拉克·侯赛因·奥巴马二世,美国第44任总统,出生于美国夏威夷州火奴鲁鲁,祖籍肯尼亚(The Republic of Kenya)。奥巴马是首位拥有黑人血统,并且童年在亚洲成长的美国总统,与不同地方与不同文化背景的人共同生活过。奥巴马曾在不同场合多次表示,若当选总统,将继续奉行“一个中国政策”,和中国建立建设性的关系,以维系长久的和平与繁荣。下面便是奥巴马在上海时的英文演讲稿。
正文:PRESIDENT OBAMA: Good afternoon. It is a great honor for me to be here in Shanghai, and to have this opportunity to speak with all of you. I'd like to thank Fudan University's President Yang for his hospitality and his gracious welcome. I'd also like to thank our outstanding Ambassador, Jon Huntsman, who exemplifies the deep ties and respect between our nations. I don't know what he said, but I hope it was good. (Laughter.)
What I'd like to do is to make some opening comments, and then what I'm really looking forward to doing is taking questions, not only from students who are in the audience, but also we've received questions online, which will be asked by some of the students who are here in the audience, as well as by Ambassador Huntsman. And I am very sorry that my Chinese is not as good as your English, but I am looking forward to this chance to have a dialogue.
This is my first time traveling to China, and I'm excited to see this majestic country. Here, in Shanghai, we see the growth that has caught the attention of the world -- the soaring skyscrapers, the bustling streets and entrepreneurial activity. And just as I'm impressed by these signs of China's journey to the 21st century, I'm eager to see those ancient places that speak to us from China's distant past. Tomorrow and the next day I hope to have a chance when I'm in Beijing to see the majesty of the Forbidden City and the wonder of the Great Wall. Truly, this is a nation that encompasses both a rich history and a belief in the promise of the future.
The same can be said of the relationship between our two countries. Shanghai, of course, is a city that has great meaning in the history of the relationship between the United States and China. It was here, 37 years ago, that the Shanghai Communique opened the door to a new chapter of engagement between our governments and among our people. However, America's ties to this city -- and to this country -- stretch back further, to the earliest days of America's independence.
In 1784, our founding father, George Washington, commissioned the Empress of China, a ship that set sail for these shores so that it could pursue trade with the Qing Dynasty. Washington wanted to see the ship carry the flag around the globe, and to forge new ties with nations like China. This is a common American
impulse -- the desire to reach for new horizons, and to forge new partnerships that are mutually beneficial.
1784年,我们的建国之父乔治?华盛顿主持了“中国女皇号”(Empress of China)的下水仪式。这条船前往中国海岸,寻求与清朝通商。华盛顿希望看到这条悬挂美国国旗的船前往世界各地,与像中国这样的国家缔结新的纽带。这是通常的美国人的愿望——希望达到新的地平线,建立新的、互利的伙伴关系。
Over the two centuries that have followed, the currents of history have steered the relationship between our countries in many directions. And even in the midst of tumultuous winds, our people had opportunities to forge deep and even dramatic ties. For instance, Americans will never forget the hospitality shown
to our pilots who were shot down over your soil during World War II, and cared for by Chinese civilians who risked all that they had by doing so. And Chinese veterans of that war still warmly greet those American veterans who return to the sites where they fought to help liberate China from occupation.