奥巴马的时代彻底画上句号了。
美国东部时间1月10日，奥巴马回到家乡芝加哥，在他8年前开始总统生涯的地方发表自己的告别演讲（farewell speech）。
跛脚鸭总统继续发挥段子手特长，在最后一次官方“脱口秀”中，依旧亮点纷呈，下面和双语君（微信ID：chinadaily_mobile）一起来感受下。
演讲一开始，奥巴马就开启了自嘲模式，说自己是个“跛脚鸭”，说话都没人听了，引得一片笑声，白宫“第一段子手”果然不是浪得虚名。
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Hello Chicago. It's good to be home.
你好，芝加哥。回家真好。
We're on live TV here.
我们正在这儿直播呢。
You can tell that I'm a lame duck, because nobody is following instructions.
你们可以感觉到，我现在是只“跛脚鸭”，因为没有人听我的指示了。
台下观众听得十分起劲儿，齐声高喊“再干四年！再干四年！”奥巴马笑着摆摆手说“不行啊”。
Four more years! Four more years!
再干四年！再干四年！
I can't do that.
我不能这么做啊。
奥巴马在演讲末尾谈到米歇尔和两个女儿时，激动落泪。
来看看奥巴马对妻女的深情告白：
米歇尔·拉沃恩·罗宾逊，我那来自南方的姑娘。
Michelle – for the past twenty-five years, you’ve been not only my wife and mother of my children, but my best friend. You took on a role you didn’t ask for and made it your own with grace and grit and style and good humor. You made the White House a place that belongs to everybody. And a new generation sets its sights higher because it has you as a role model. You’ve made me proud. You’ve made the country proud.
米歇尔，在过去25年中，你不仅仅是我的妻子和孩子们的母亲，还是我的挚友。你扮演了一个自己从未寻求过的角色，尽显自己的优雅、坚强、风格和幽默感。你让白宫属于每一个人。因为有你做榜样，新一代年轻人的眼界更开阔。你让我骄傲，你让整个国家骄傲。
Malia and Sasha, under the strangest of circumstances, you have become two amazing young women, smart and beautiful, but more importantly, kind and thoughtful and full of passion. You wore the burden of years in the spotlight so easily. Of all that I’ve done in my life, I’m most proud to be your dad.
玛丽亚和萨尔，在最奇怪的环境下，你们成长为了两位出色的年轻女性，聪颖而美丽，更重要的是，善良、有思想、充满激情。多年来你们在聚光灯下生活，学会轻松地承受这些重担。回顾我一生中所做的事情，最让我感到自豪的莫过于成为你们的父亲。
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My fellow Americans, Michelle and I have been so touched by all the well-wishes we've received over the past few weeks. But tonight it's my turn to say thanks. Whether we've seen eye-to-eye or rarely agreed at all, my conversations with you, the American people -- in living rooms and schools; at farms and on factory floors; at diners and on distant outposts -- are what have kept me honest, kept me inspired, and kept me going. Every day, I learned from you. You made me a better President, and you made me a better man.
我的美国同胞们，米歇尔和我对过去几周内收到的所有美好祝福非常感动。但今晚，该轮到我说声谢谢了。也许我们未曾见面，也许我们意见不合，但与你们的交谈，我的美国人民——在起居室与学校、在农田与工厂、在餐馆与远方前哨——让我保持诚实，让我备受鼓舞并不断前进。每一天，我都从你们身上学到很多，是你们让我成为一个更好的总统，一个更好的人。
I first came to Chicago when I was in my early twenties, still trying to figure out who I was; still searching for a purpose to my life. It was in neighborhoods not far from here where I began working with church groups in the shadows of closed steel mills. It was on these streets where I witnessed the power of faith, and the quiet dignity of working people in the face of struggle and loss. This is where I learned that change only happens when ordinary people get involved, get engaged, and come together to demand it.
20岁刚出头的时候，我第一次来到芝加哥，那时我还在摸索自己的身份，还在寻找人生的目标。就在离这儿不远的一个社区，我开始和教会一起工作，钢厂倒闭，社区被阴云笼罩。正是在这些街区上，我见证了信仰的力量和劳动人民在困境与贫穷面前沉默的尊严。正是在这里，我学会了，只有当百姓共同参与进来，去要求去争取，改变才可能发生。
奥巴马当然不会忘了自我表扬一番，总结了一下自己任期取得的成绩，包括奥巴马医保法案、干掉本拉登，同性婚姻合法、同古巴建交等等。
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If I had told you eight years ago that America would reverse a great recession, reboot our auto industry, and unleash the longest stretch of job creation in our history...if I had told you that we would open up a new chapter with the Cuban people, shut down Iran's nuclear weapons program without firing a shot, and take out the mastermind of 9/11...if I had told you that we would win marriage equality, and secure the right to health insurance for another 20 million of our fellow citizens -- you might have said our sights were set a little too high.
如果八年前我告诉你们，美国能逆转经济大萧条，能重振汽车业，能创造史上最长的就业增长期……如果我告诉你们，我们跟古巴人民的关系会开启新的篇章，不用一枪一弹就能关闭伊朗的核武器项目，还能干掉911的头目……如果我告诉你们，我们会赢得婚姻平等，能为2000万人获得医保——你们可能会说，我们的目标定得有点太高了。
But that's what we did. That's what you did. You were the change. You answered people's hopes, and because of you, by almost every measure, America is a better, stronger place than it was when we started.
但那就是我们做到的，我们做到了。你们就是改变，你们回应了人民的希望，因为你们，几乎无论从哪方面来说，美国都比之前更好更强大了。
要说奥巴马和特朗普，很可能是美国历史上最互相看不上眼的两位总统，互黑互怼，你挖坑来，我拆台，一片“其乐融融”的景象……
在告别演讲中，奥巴马提到还有10天下一届政府上任时，观众全都不乐意了，大发嘘声。奥巴马安抚群众说，保证会平稳过渡的。
In ten days, the world will witness a hallmark of our democracy: the peaceful transfer of power from one freely-elected president to the next. I committed to President-Elect Trump that my administration would ensure the smoothest possible transition, just as President Bush did for me. Because it's up to all of us to make sure our government can help us meet the many challenges we still face.
还有十天，世界将见证我们民主进程中的一件大事：权力从一届自由选举的总统平稳交棒给下一届自由选举的总统。我曾向当选总统特朗普承诺，我的政府将确保此次换届过程非常平稳，就像当初布什总统把权力交接给我一样。因为，我们每个人首先要保证美国政府未来有能力应对我们现在仍然面临的诸多挑战。
大家都知道，从特朗普选出来那天起，就有很多人不乐意，一言不合就在网上开骂……
奥巴马今天劝大家，不要总是怪被选出来的领导人，应该反思你们为啥选他……
We weaken those ties when we define some of us as more American than others; when we write off the whole system as inevitably corrupt, and blame the leaders we elect without examining our own role in electing them.
当一些美国人标榜自己比别人“更纯正”，当我们把整个民主体制看做是不可避免的腐败而将其摒弃，当我们责备选出来的领导人却不反思自己在其中的角色时，我们之间的纽带就被削弱了。
奥巴马表示，实在对总统不满意，你可以亲自参加竞选，万一赢了呢……
If you’re tired of arguing with strangers on the internet, try to talk with one in real life. If something needs fixing, lace up your shoes and do some organizing. If you’re disappointed by your elected officials, grab a clipboard, get some signatures, and run for office yourself.
如果你厌倦了在互联网上与陌生人争辩，那就试试和现实生活中的人沟通。如果你认为一些问题需要被解决，那就行动起来做些什么。如果你对选举出来的官员不满意，那就做好准备，亲自参加竞选。
美国领导人大概患上了一种奇怪的病——不怼中国就浑身不舒服。奥巴马临走了还不忘黑中国和俄罗斯是“以大欺小”……
Rivals like Russia or China cannot match our influence around the world -- unless we give up what we stand for, and turn ourselves into just another big country that bullies smaller neighbors.
我们在世界范围内的影响力，是像俄罗斯或中国这些对手无法匹敌的——除非我们放弃自己的主张，让自己也变成一个欺负弱邻的大霸主。
不过，说到“霸凌”（bullying），美国才是专业户吧……
在谈论种族问题时，奥巴马引用了《杀死一只知更鸟》中为黑人伸张正义的律师阿蒂克斯·芬奇的一句名言：
"You never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view...until you climb into his skin and walk around in it."
“你永远无法真正了解一个人，除非你爬进他的身体，披上他的肤色，以他的身份行走于这个世界。”
Going forward, we must uphold laws against discrimination -- in hiring, in housing, in education and the criminal justice system. That's what our Constitution and highest ideals require. But laws alone won't be enough. Hearts must change. If our democracy is to work in this increasingly diverse nation, each one of us must try to heed the advice of one of the great characters in American fiction, Atticus Finch, who said "You never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view...until you climb into his skin and walk around in it."
为了继续前行，我们必须在招工、购房、教育和刑事司法系统内坚持用法律抵抗歧视。这是我们的宪法和最高理念所要求的。但光有法律还不够。人心要改变才行。如果要让民主在日益多元的国家行之有效，我们每一个人就应该谨记美国小说中最著名的人物之一，阿蒂克斯·芬奇说过的一句忠告：“你永远无法真正了解一个人，除非你爬进他的身体，披上他的肤色，以他的身份行走于这个世界。”
在演讲的最后，奥巴马用当年竞选时的口号“Yes we can”煽情结尾，现场观众情绪高涨。
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他请求美国人民相信自己，坚定信念：
I am asking you to believe. Not in my ability to bring about change -- but in yours.
我请求你们相信。不是相信我能带来改变，而是相信你们自己能。
I am asking you to hold fast to that faith written into our founding documents; that idea whispered by slaves and abolitionists; that spirit sung by immigrants and homesteaders and those who marched for justice; that creed reaffirmed by those who planted flags from foreign battlefields to the surface of the moon; a creed at the core of every American whose story is not yet written:
我请求你们坚守那些被写入建国文献中的信仰；那些奴隶和废奴主义者低声吟诵的思想；那些移民、西部拓荒者和为正义游行的人所歌颂的精神；那些将胜利旗帜插在异国战场和月球表面的人所践行的信条；这个信条存在于每个尚未书写下自己故事的美国人的内心：
Yes We Can.
是的，我们可以。
Yes We Did.
是的，我们做到了。
Yes We Can.
是的，我们能做到。
亮点就总结这么多。不得不说，奥巴马的演讲套路够深。
想挑战听力，观看演讲完整视频的同学，可以点击下面的图片，演讲共35分钟，视频带中英文字幕：
点击图片观看演讲完整视频
学习英语的朋友们都同意，奥巴马的演讲确实精彩，他承包了大家很多年的听力演讲素材，提供了大量英语学习资料。
《华盛顿邮报》曾评论说，
Few political careers and presidencies have been more defined by speeches than Barack Obama’s.
在美国历史上，少有人像奥巴马那样，让演讲成为定义自己的政治和总统生涯的如此重要的部分。
Obama’s best oratory is beautifully written, meticulously crafted and theatrically delivered.
奥巴马最雄辩的演讲都撰写得极为优美，经过精心推敲，再充满戏剧表现力地表达出来。
很多小伙伴一定都还背过奥巴马2008年胜选时，那一席口号响亮的“Yes we can”的演讲吧！
今天，作为对比，也作为一个完整的终结，我们再回顾一遍奥巴马开启他的时代的这篇慷慨激昂的演讲吧。
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他当年的那些承诺是否都兑现了，我们就不深究了，不过这样优质的演讲，还是且听且珍惜吧。
因为接下来就是特朗普给大家提供美音演讲素材了（也许他提供的推特写作素材会更多一些？），小伙伴们期待吗？
编辑：唐晓敏 左卓 祝兴媛
实习编辑：付砾乐
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