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For almost half a century it has been my pride and privilege to stand beside one of the most extraordinary men of our time. I've known his thoughts, shared his joys and triumphs, and felt his pain. Our path together has taken us to heights neither of us could have imagined, and through difficulties that, alone, neither of us might have endured. Through it all, the journey has been truly grand - for I have had the joy of traveling with my beloved companion - Ronald Reagan.
I've often said that when I married Ronnie, I thought I'd married an actor. Well, I quickly found that I'd married not just an actor but also a dynamic political leader! Before we knew it, we had left our peaceful lives in Hollywood to reside in the governor's mansion in Sacramento, and then, incredibly, in the White House, where Ronnie changed the world for the better and became on the most beloved presidents of our time.
I should not have been so surprised by this turn of events - Ronnie's life has always been extraordinary. And as I flip through the pages of this book, I am overwhelmed by memories of his life and our life together: his humble midwest beginnings; his sportscasting and acting careers; our years in public service as well as our time spent among friends and family, saddled on horses at Rancho del Cielo, and relaxing at home. But mostly, I see Ronnie: the gifted world leader, the loving husband and father, a man of depth, humor, compassion, and love for his country, its people, and life itself.
Not all the memories are good. We faced an assassination attempt, several battles with cancer, the bleak days of Iran-Contra, now a long struggle with Alzheimer's - but Ronnie's unquenchable optimism and courage always saw him through, and buoyed me along as well. Part of his strength - and mine - came from you, the American people, to whom he dedicated his life of public service. Your letters, gifts, and prayers have encouraged and cheered us - and made us proud to live, as Ronnie would say, "in this great land we call America."
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近半個世紀以來，我能始終陪伴在我們時代最偉大的人物之一 —— 里根的左右，這是我的驕傲，也是我的榮幸。我諳熟他的思想主張，與他一起分享快樂和勝利的喜悅，也深切感受了他所經歷的痛苦。我們一起走過的路跌宕起伏，我們所取得的輝煌成就是我們任何一個人單獨所無法實現的，我們所經歷的艱難也是我們任何一個人單獨所無法忍受的。有里根做伴，這一路走來，我的人生旅程充滿了樂趣。
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羅納德(左一)和南希(左二) 在1952年的婚禮上
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我曾多次說過，當我嫁給里根時，我以為自己嫁的就是一個普通演員。很快，我就發現自己錯了：我的丈夫不僅是一個出色的演員，同時也是一個精力充沛的政治領袖！在我們意識到這一點之前，我們就已經離開了好萊塢的演藝世界，搬到了加州首府薩克拉曼多的州長官邸。然后，不可思議地，我們住進了白宮 —— 這是做夢也沒想到的。在白宮的歲月里，里根讓世界變得更加美好，而他自己也成為了我們時代最受愛戴的總統之一。
其實，我不應該對生活的這一巨變感到吃驚 —— 里根的生活一直就不同尋常。瀏覽著這本書，里根的生活以及我們婚后生活中的點點滴滴又浮現在眼前：他卑微的出身、他的運動和演藝生涯、為政府事務操勞的歲月、和家人朋友一起歡度的時光……最令我記憶深刻的是：里根不僅具有天生的領袖才能，更是一個溫情的丈夫和慈愛的父親。他是一個有深度、充滿激情同時又不乏幽默的男人，是一個熱愛自己的祖國和人民，擁抱生活的人。
當然，并不是所有的記憶都充滿了鮮花和歡笑聲。里根曾因仇敵策劃的暗殺與死神擦肩而過，也曾與癌癥作過多次生死搏斗，現在，他又面臨著“老年癡呆癥”的折磨……但與生俱來的樂觀和勇敢，促使里根一次一次度過艱難，同時也鼓勵著我勇敢地面對困難。他的這種力量部分來自你們 —— 美國人民，為了你們，他愿意將全部生命奉獻給公共事業。正像里根所說：“你們的信件、禮物和祝福一直激勵著我們，讓我們為生活在這片我們稱之為美國的偉大國度里而感到自豪。”
（中國日報網站 彭慧）
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Updated: 2001-07-09 01:00
