‧we gather because we have chosen hope over fear, unity of purpose over conflict and discord. ‧to proclaim an end to the petty grievances and false promises. ‧set aside childish things. ‧reaffirm our enduring spirit ‧it has been the risk-takers, the doers, the makers of things -- some celebrated, but more often men and women obscure in their labor ─ who have carried us up the long, rugged path towards prosperity and freedom. ‧what free men and women can achieve when imagination is joined to common purpose and necessity to courage. ‧the ability to extend opportunity to every willing heart -- not out of charity, but because it is the surest route to our common good. ‧your people will judge you on what you can build, not what you destroy. ‧to the people of poor nations, we pledge to work alongside you to make your farms flourish and let clean waters flow; to nourish starved bodies and feed hungry minds. ‧and to those nations like ours that enjoy relative plenty, we say we can no longer afford indifference to the suffering outside our borders, nor can we consume the world's resources without regard to effect. For the world has changed, and we must change with it. ‧we honor them not only because they are guardians of our liberty, but because they embody the spirit of service: a willingness to find meaning in something greater than themselves. ‧it is the kindness to take in a stranger when the levees break; the selflessness of workers who would rather cut their hours than see a friend lose their job which sees us through our darkest hours. it is the firefighter's courage to storm a stairway filled with smoke, but also a parent's willingness to nurture a child, that finally decides our fate. ‧our challenges may be new, the instruments with which we meet them may be new, but those values upon which our success depends, honesty and hard work, courage and fair play, tolerance and curiosity, loyalty and patriotism -- these things are old. These things are true. They have been the quiet force of progress throughout our history. ‧in the depth of winter, when nothing but hope and virtue could survive. with hope and virtue, let us brave once more the icy currents, and endure what storms may come; let it be said by our children's children that when we were tested we refused to let this journey end, that we did not turn back nor did we falter; and with eyes fixed on the horizon and God's grace upon us, we carried forth that great gift of freedom and delivered it safely to future generations.
1 則留言:
居住在一個健康之地，居住在美好的景物和聲音當中，從一切事物中吸取善；而美，好作品的放射物，將如一陣來自更純潔之地，賜予我們健康的和風，流入眼中和耳中，並且不知不覺地讓靈魂接近理性之美，並且能夠與理性之美發生共鳴。
以上擷自：《美德書》之柏拉圖《共和國》
近日於《經濟日報》讀到一句簡明而寓意深遠的話語：「我比別人更認真」。記得年少在新竹女中歲月裡，資質平庸的我，勢必要比別人更用功，我以「勤勉」度過了青春歲月。靜下心好一段時間，終於，終於專注讀完美國新任總統歐巴馬總統隱含「希望」，並以感性形式呈現的就職演說英文版本，讀進了演講文章中崇高的主題與莊嚴的表達。讀畢，我隨之翻閱文章《約伯的苦難》文章中一段話：完美正直的人經歷的苦難，他承受的折磨、他的耐心和最後的謙卑。最後在上帝看顧下，擁有榮譽和良善。謹謙卑地向「希望」與崇高的「美德」致敬：
‧we gather because we have chosen hope over fear, unity of purpose over conflict and discord.
‧to proclaim an end to the petty grievances and false promises.
‧set aside childish things.
‧reaffirm our enduring spirit
‧it has been the risk-takers, the doers, the makers of things -- some celebrated, but more often men and women obscure in their labor ─ who have carried us up the long, rugged path towards prosperity and freedom.
‧what free men and women can achieve when imagination is joined to common purpose and necessity to courage.
‧the ability to extend opportunity to every willing heart -- not out of charity, but because it is the surest route to our common good.
‧your people will judge you on what you can build, not what you destroy.
‧to the people of poor nations, we pledge to work alongside you to make your farms flourish and let clean waters flow; to nourish starved bodies and feed hungry minds.
‧and to those nations like ours that enjoy relative plenty, we say we can no longer afford indifference to the suffering outside our borders, nor can we consume the world's resources without regard to effect. For the world has changed, and we must change with it.
‧we honor them not only because they are guardians of our liberty, but because they embody the spirit of service: a willingness to find meaning in something greater than themselves.
‧it is the kindness to take in a stranger when the levees break; the selflessness of workers who would rather cut their hours than see a friend lose their job which sees us through our darkest hours. it is the firefighter's courage to storm a stairway filled with smoke, but also a parent's willingness to nurture a child, that finally decides our fate.
‧our challenges may be new, the instruments with which we meet them may be new, but those values upon which our success depends, honesty and hard work, courage and fair play, tolerance and curiosity, loyalty and patriotism -- these things are old. These things are true. They have been the quiet force of progress throughout our history.
‧in the depth of winter, when nothing but hope and virtue could survive. with hope and virtue, let us brave once more the icy currents, and endure what storms may come; let it be said by our children's children that when we were tested we refused to let this journey end, that we did not turn back nor did we falter; and with eyes fixed on the horizon and God's grace upon us, we carried forth that great gift of freedom and delivered it safely to future generations.
誠摯向老師致最敬意：感恩老師一句句的「best wishes」支持著我走過這段英文閱讀辛苦的路。
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