Weekly Address: Celebrating the Summer Olympics and Paralympics

每周电视讲话：庆祝夏季奥运会和残奥会召开

Hi, everybody.  Today, I want to take a break from the back-and-forth of campaign season, and talk about something that’s brought us all together this week – the Summer Olympics.
 

大家好。今天，我想在来回争夺的竞选时期稍事休息，谈谈这个星期我们都在关注的事情——夏季奥林匹克运动会。

These games remind us that for all our differences, we’re Americans first.  And we could not be prouder of the men and women representing our country in London, in both the Olympics and in the Paralympics.
 

这一盛会告诉我们，尽管我们有着各种各样的不同，但首先我们是美国人。我们为在伦敦代表我们参加奥运会和残奥会的所有男女同胞感到无比自豪。

Last weekend, Michelle led the American delegation to London and reaffirmed the special relationship we share with our strongest ally, Great Britain.  She met with the Queen, and with Prime Minister Cameron’s wife, Samantha.  She spent some time thanking our brave service members and military families.  And, of course, she took in as many events as she could to cheer on our athletes.
 

上周，米歇尔带领美国代表队抵达伦敦，与我们最强大的盟友——大不列颠王国重申了我们特殊的关系。她会见了英国女王以及卡梅伦总理的妻子萨曼塔。她还抽时间去探望了我们英勇的部队指战员和军属家庭。当然，她还尽可能观看了很多比赛，为我们的运动员们加油助威。

I’ve got to admit I was a little jealous she got to go.  But like many of you, I caught as many events as I could, jumping off the couch for a close race, or a perfect vault.  I watched the wonderful young women of our gymnastics team recapture the team gold for America, and I was filled with pride watching Gabby Douglas win the all-around gold with incredible poise and grace.  I watched our swimmers win a haul of medals, and Michael Phelps become the most decorated Olympic athlete of all time.  I saw our women’s soccer team power through the competition.
 

我不得不承认对于她的前往我有点嫉妒了。但与大家一样，我也尽可能多的关注比赛，一有机会就蹦到沙发上，观看激烈的赛跑或是漂亮的撑杆跳高。我观看了我们优秀的年轻女子体操队再次夺得团体金牌的完美表现，看到戈比·道格拉斯以不可思议的稳定发挥和优雅表现获得女子个人全能金牌时我充满了自豪。我观看了游泳队收获一堆奖牌的比赛，迈克尔·菲尔普斯成为奥运会历史上无与伦比的运动员。我还看到了女子足球队在激烈竞争中的强势晋级。

And I’m just as proud of all our athletes in sports that don’t always get as much attention.  The U.S. women’s eight continued its rowing dominance with another gold medal.  Kayla Harrison won America’s first-ever gold medal in Judo, and Marti Malloy won a bronze.  Kim Rhode became the first American to win individual medals in five straight Olympics with her gold in skeet shooting; and her teammate, Army Sergeant Vincent Hancock, won his second skeet gold.
 

我也为那些平时获得关注比较少的项目的运动员们感到自豪。女子八人单桨赛艇中我们优势明显再次获得金牌。凯拉·哈里森获得美国历史上的首枚柔道金牌，马蒂·马洛伊获得一枚铜牌。金·罗德再次获得女子飞碟双向射击金牌，成为美国历史上首个在该项目获得5枚个人奖牌的运动员，她的队友，陆军中士文森特·汉考克获得男子飞碟双向金牌。

I also thought of the truly difficult journeys that many of our athletes have made.  Some have faced personal loss, or beaten cancer.  Some have worked long shifts at multiple jobs to feed their Olympic dream.  And some have done the impossible.  Less than four years ago, Bryshon Nellum was shot three times in his legs.  But this week, he’ll run the 400 meters.  And as a boy, Lopez Lomong fled war and persecution and life as a refugee – one of the “Lost Boys” of Sudan.  Today’s he’s an American – and representing his country at the Olympics for the second time.
 

我也想起了许多运动员所经历的坎坷。有些人曾面对个人损失、与癌症抗争。有些人在多个工作岗位来回奔波长时间工作，为的只是实现他们的奥运梦想。还有些人完成了不可能完成的任务。不到四年以前，布莱森·内拉姆腿部三次中枪，但这个星期他将参加男子400米的比赛。洛佩兹·罗蒙作为一个孩子经历了战乱、迫害和支离破碎的难民人生，是苏丹众多《迷失男孩》的一个。但今天的他是一名美国人，代表着他的国家第二次参加奥运会。

So it’s no surprise America is vying for the top of the medal count.  But it’s not the medal count alone that inspires us – most of our athletes won’t claim a medal at all.  It’s the character of the men and women who compete for those medals.  It’s their hard work and sacrifice – the countless hours in the gym, in the pool, on the track.  It’s their dogged perseverance and unyielding determination, through disappointment and triumph alike.
 

毫无疑问，美国将获得奖牌榜的首位。但激励我们的不仅仅是奖牌数，因为大多数的运动员不会获得奖牌。激励我们的是为了竞争这些奖牌参加比赛的男女运动员的人格品质，是他们努力付出和自我牺牲的经历，在训练房、游泳池、赛道上数不清的分分秒秒，是他们顽强的毅力以及经历失望与荣耀之后永不放弃的决心。

It’s that unconquerable spirit – that American spirit – that says even though we may have very different stories to tell; even though we may not look alike or talk alike or be dealt the same hand in life – if we work hard, we can achieve our dreams.  We can make it if we try.  We are one people, with common values and ideals; we celebrate individual excellence, but recognize that only together can we accomplish great and important things we cannot accomplish alone.
 

正是这一不可征服的精神——美国的精神，证明了即便我们讲述的故事各不相同，即便我们长得不一样、说话方式不一样，面对生活中的同样挑战，只要我们努力付出，我们就能够实现自己的梦想。只要我们努力就一定能成功。我们是一个团结的民族，有着共同的价值观和理想，我们为每个人的成就而欢呼，但同时我们也知道只有团结起来我们才能完成一个人无法完成的伟大而重要的任务。

That’s why we watch.  That’s why we cheer.  That’s why we come together, for two weeks in summer, and swell with pride at the incredible things our fellow citizens can do.
 

在这个夏天的两个星期里，这就是我们观看比赛、欢呼庆祝、走到一起为我们的同胞们完成不可思议的事情而充满骄傲的原因。

So to all our Olympic and Paralympic athletes – whether you’ve already competed or have yet to compete – your country could not be prouder of you.  Thank you for presenting the best of America to the rest of the world.  And, thank you for becoming new role models to our children – mine included – and inspiring them to believe that if they work hard and do their best, they can achieve great things, too.
 

对于我们所有的奥运会和残奥会运动员们，我想说，无论你们已经完成或即将完成比赛，祖国都为你们感到无比自豪。感谢你们代表美国的最高水平与世界上其他国家的运动员同台竞技。同时也感谢你们为我们的孩子们，当然也包括我的孩子，树立起新的榜样，激励他们，让他们认识到只要努力付出，尽自己最大努力，他们也能实现伟大的目标。

Go get ‘em this week, Team USA.  We can’t wait to welcome you home.

God bless you, and God bless America.
 

加油，美国队!我迫切期待着你们的胜利凯旋。

愿上帝保佑你们，愿上帝保佑美国。