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A civil society demands from each of us good will and respect, fair dealing and forgiveness.
一个文明的社会需要我们每个人品质优良，尊重他人，为人公平和宽宏大量。
Some seem to believe that our politics can afford to be petty because, in a time of peace, the stakes of our debates appear small.
有人认为我们的政治制度是如此的微不足道，因为在和平年代，我们所争论的话题都是无关紧要的。
But the stakes for America are never small.
但是，对我们美国来说，我们所讨论的问题从来都不是什么小事。
If our country does not lead the cause of freedom, it will not be led.
如果我们不领导和平事业，那么和平将无人来领导；
If we do not turn the hearts of children toward knowledge and character, we will lose their gifts and undermine their idealism.
如果我们不引导我们的孩子们真心地热爱知识、发挥个性，他们的天分将得不到发挥，理想将难以实现。
If we permit our economy to drift and decline, the vulnerable will suffer most.
如果我们不采取适当措施，任凭经济衰退，最大的受害者将是平民百姓。
We must live up to the calling we share. Civility is not a tactic or a sentiment.
我们应该时刻听取时代的呼唤。谦逊有礼不是战术也不是感情用事。
It is the determined choice of trust over cynicism, of community over chaos.
这是我们最坚定的选择--在批评声中赢得信任；在混乱中寻求统一。
And this commitment, if we keep it, is a way to shared accomplishment.
如果遵循这样的承诺，我们将会享有共同的成就。
America, at its best, is also courageous.
美国有强大的国力作后盾，将会勇往直前。
Our national courage has been clear in times of depression and war, when defending common dangers defined our common good.
在大萧条和战争时期，我们的人民在困难面前表现得无比英勇，克服我们共同的困难体现了我们共同的优秀品质。
Now we must choose if the example of our fathers and mothers will inspire us or condemn us.
现在，我们正面临着选择，如果我们作出正确的选择，祖辈一定会激励我们；如果我们的选择是错误的，祖辈会谴责我们的。
We must show courage in a time of blessing by confronting problems instead of passing them on to future generations.
上帝正眷顾着这个国家，我们必须显示出我们的勇气，敢于面对问题，而不是将它们遗留给我们的后代。
Together, we will reclaim America's schools, before ignorance and apathy claim more young lives.
我们要共同努力，健全美国的学校教育，不能让无知和冷漠吞噬更多的年轻生命。
We will reform Social Security and Medicare, sparing our children from struggles we have the power to prevent.
我们要改革社会医疗和保险制度，在力所能及的范围内拯救我们的孩子。
And we will reduce taxes, to recover the momentum of our economy and reward the effort and enterprise of working Americans.
我们要减低税收，恢复经济，酬劳辛勤工作的美国人民。
