2016年12月31日，美國現任總統奧巴馬發表了任期內的最后一次新年賀詞。在講話中，奧巴馬大篇幅總結了執政8年的政績，包括讓美國經濟走出衰退、從阿富汗及伊拉克撤軍、推動醫療保險等。奧巴馬表示:“過去8年我們國家得到驚人的進展，要注意的是，沒有什么事是必然的，這是我們所作的艱難選擇，這是你們的辛苦功勞與耐力的成果，要美國繼續向前走是我們的任務。”

奧巴馬: 大篇幅總結8年政績

Happy New Year, everybody. At a time when we turn the page on one year and look ahead to the future, I just want to take a minute to thank you for everything you’ve done to make America stronger these past eight years.
大家新年快樂。我謹借此揮別過去展望未來之際，感謝你們所有人，在過去的八年里為使美國更加強大所做的一切。

Just eight years ago, as I prepared to take office, our economy teetered on the brink of depression. Nearly 800,000 Americans were losing their jobs each month. In some communities, nearly one in five folks were out of work.
就在八年前我準備上任執政的時候，我們國家的經濟瀕臨大蕭條的邊緣。每個月有將近80萬的美國人失業。在一些社區中甚至有1/5的人失業。

Almost 180,000 troops were serving in Iraq and Afghanistan, and Osama bin Laden was still at large.
有18萬美國軍人在伊拉克和阿富汗服役，而奧薩馬本拉登依然逍遙法外。

And on challenges from health care to climate change, we’d been kicking the can* down the road for way too long.
而在關于從醫療保險到氣候變化等挑戰的問題上，我們一直行動遲緩，逃避太久了。

*kick the can 原是一種小孩子游戲,一群孩子在街上,一個孩子把一個罐子盡可能的踢遠,有一個孩子去揀,在揀回來的過程中,其他孩子就躲起來了.這就是我們的“藏貓貓”。它的引申意思就是“緩兵之計”。

Eight years later, you’ve told a different story. We’ve turned recession into recovery.
八年后，情況大有不同了。我們已經從經濟蕭條轉為經濟恢復。

Our businesses have created 15.6 million new jobs since early 2010 – and we’ve put more people back to work than all other major advanced economies combined.
從2010年初起，我們的企業已經創造了1560萬的新工作機會——比其它所有主要發達國家創造的新就業數量的總和還要多。

A resurgent auto industry has added nearly 700,000 jobs, and is producing more cars than ever. Poverty is falling. Incomes are rising.
汽車工業的復蘇帶來了將近70萬的新工作，并比以往任何時候產出的車輛還要多。貧困在減少，收入在增加。

In fact, last year, folks’ typical household income rose by $2,800, that’s the single biggest increase on record, and folks at the bottom and middle saw bigger gains than those at the top.
實際上，去年國民平均家庭收入增長了2800美元，這是有記錄以來最大的上漲幅度，而低收入和中等收入民眾的收入增長要比高等收入的民眾還要多。

Twenty million more Americans know the financial security of health insurance. Our kids’ high school graduation rate is at an all-time high.
超過2000萬美國人了解到了醫療保險的經濟保障。高中畢業率達到了歷史峰值。

We’ve brought 165,000 troops from Iraq and Afghanistan, and took out Osama bin Laden.
我們從伊拉克和阿富汗撤回了16.5萬名軍人，并解決掉了奧薩馬本拉登。

Through diplomacy, we shut down Iran’s nuclear weapons program, opened up a new chapter with the people of Cuba, and brought nearly 200 nations together around a climate agreement that could save this planet for our kids.
在外交方面，我們關掉了伊朗的核武器項目，翻開了與古巴人民交往的新篇章，并團結將近200個國家達成了氣候保護協定，為我們的子孫后代拯救這個星球。

Almost every country on Earth sees America as stronger and more respected today than they did eight years ago. And marriage equality is finally a reality from coast to coast.
今天，幾乎世界上所有的國家見證了美國比八年前更加強大和受尊敬。婚姻平等終于在美國全境范圍內實現。

We’ve made extraordinary progress as a country these past eight years. And here’s the thing: none of it was inevitable.
我們作為一個國家在過去的八年里取得了非凡的成就，而這并不是必然發生的。

It was the result of tough choices we made, and the result of your hard work and resilience. And to keep America moving forward is a task that falls to all of us.
這是我們做出的艱難選擇的結果，是你們辛勤努力和堅韌精神的結果。而讓美國保持向前發展是落在我們每個人肩上的重擔。

Sustaining and building on all we’ve achieved – from helping more young people afford a higher education, to ending discrimination based on preexisting conditions, to tightening rules on Wall Street, to protecting this planet for our kids – that’s going to take all of us working together.
要維護和建設我們已經取得的成就——從幫助更多的年輕人接受更高的教育，到停止歧視先存條件*，到加強對華爾街的管理，到為我們的子孫后代保護地球——這些需要我們所有人齊心協力共同努力。

Because that’s always been our story – the story of ordinary people coming together in the hard, slow, sometimes frustrating, but always vital work of self-government.
因為這一直就是我們的故事——普通民眾一起經過艱苦、漫長、有時令人沮喪但始終保持自制的努力實現共同目標的故事。

Preexisting condition
n.先存情況：投保以前已經存在的情況; 例如以前因車禍而引致的受傷; 一般保險公司不會支付因先存情況而需要接受治療服務的費用; 有的則隔一段時間才開始承認。

It has been the privilege of my life to serve as your President.
能夠擔任你們的總統是我此生最大的榮耀。

And as I prepare to take on the even more important role of citizen, know that I will be there with you every step of the way to ensure that this country forever strives to live up to the incredible promise of our founding – that all of us are created equal, and all of us deserve every chance to live out our dreams.
在我已準備好轉換為更重要的國民角色之際，請放心，我會和你們一起肩并肩共同確保這個國家永遠為實現我們建國的非凡愿景而終生奮斗——那就是我們人人生而平等，我們人人都應賦予實現夢想的權利。

From the Obama family to yours – have a happy and blessed 2017.
來自奧巴馬家庭的祝福——祝大家2017年快樂幸福。

（來源：網絡? 編輯：Julie）