2009年1月29日 星期四

鄧麗君,生日快樂!

八十年代鄧麗君的歌曲被定性為資產階級“靡靡之音,黃色歌曲”,并被禁,也就是今天所謂的“低俗”吧,官方媒體禁播,但這絲毫沒有影響歌曲的風靡,人們甚至收聽敵臺來聽小鄧的歌,看來老百姓喜聞樂見的怎么能一禁了之啊。

二十多年過去了,還專政著的“無產階級”還是那么笨,這邊互聯網在反“低俗”進行時,其實有了那個GFW就夠勞民傷財的了,錢花在扶貧,教育,醫療各方面都好啊,如果不是不自信,只能說是腦殘,一點也不與時俱進!

鄧麗君代表作有《月亮代表我的心》,《甜蜜蜜》,《小城故事》,《路邊的野花不要采》,《何日君再來》,《我只在乎你》,《忘不了》,這個名單可以很長。

記得2005年在德國出差期間,在公園里見到一些外來勞工模樣的年輕人在燒烤,喝酒,唱歌,他們邀請我加入,聊了一下,他們有東歐前蘇聯加盟共和國先已獨立的烏克蘭人,有波蘭人,還有葡萄牙人。聽他們唱起我也能哼上兩句調的《喀秋莎》,覺得特別親切。他們讓我唱一首中國的歌,我首先想到的就是《月亮代表我的心》,于是就唱了這首歌。

《甜蜜蜜》也是陳可辛的同名電影,那是大陸移民在香港的人生,當兩個人在海外看到鄧麗君去世的消息,耳邊傳來熟悉的歌聲:甜蜜蜜,甜蜜蜜,你笑得甜蜜蜜,好像花兒開在春風里,開在春風里,所有的語言在這里都失效了。鄧麗君的歌成了人生經歷的紐帶,電影也反映了很多人的人生。

小學時在鄉下,記得是三年級,1985年吧,代課的音樂老師教我們唱《小城故事》,這應該是我第一次接觸鄧麗君的歌,當時也并不知道這是誰唱的。小城故事多,充滿喜和樂,這是一首無法用政治來衡量的歌,人生境界真善美,這里都包括。

鄧麗君還唱過不少古典詩詞來作曲的歌,如《虞美人》,聽到她唱:“小樓昨夜又東風,故國不堪回首月明中。”深情的演唱中怎能沒有家國眷念!故國是鄧麗君一個永遠的夢,她的一生因種種原因未踏上故國,可是我們大陸同胞永遠懷念她,何日君再來!

2009年1月28日 星期三

世纪公园与宝宝

今天天气不错,像小阳春,全家去世纪公园玩。

中午时分的阳光有点热烈了,和风吹来,春天也不过如此吧,想想前几天的严寒仿佛隔了一个世纪。世纪公园真不错,离家也近,以后会常来的。

2009年1月27日 星期二

春晚和晚春

    以前过年似乎都要看殃视的春晚,小时候家里还没电视机时我会跑到邻居家看,那时候春晚真的是春节不可分割的一部分,伴随着难忘今宵的歌声我们一年年的长大成人。

    春晚节目里我印象最深刻的是费翔,《冬天里的一把火》烧遍大江南北,那舞蹈和歌声真是给八十年代末的中国大陆带来多大的震撼!这也把春晚推到一个高峰。

    九十年代特别是后期,对于春晚,评价最多的一个词是“众口难调”,春晚也逐渐走下神坛。随着开放的步伐,人们眼界开阔了许多,娱乐活动比以前也丰富了,春晚的魅力越来越淡去了。特别在南方地区,因为春晚语言节目相声小品都是北方的语言,加之南方特别是广东地区可以看到香港电视,春节看春晚的南方观众不是像北方那么多,虽然据调查说收视一直长红。

    对我个人而言,不看春晚久矣,我的看法春晚就是另一种《腥闻联播》,载歌载舞的,说学逗唱的。受不了主持人煽情的腔调,受不了那好像中国已进入盛世的台词,受不了恶心的歌功颂德,受不了弱智的笑料。都改革那个开放30年了,宣传手法咋不能改进一下呢?负责宣传工作的同志失职啊!而且听说宣传这个词在西方是一个负面的词,美国是不会有宣传部的。

    今天做公交车,还是被迫看了春晚,那是CCAV移动电视,传闻移民加拿大做白求恩般国际主义战士赵大山的小品,真是谁看谁知道啊,让人只能说这是什么玩意,劝老赵还是回大城市铁岭好了。

    春晚反过来念是晚春,也就是我们二十年前老说的春夏之交,是韩愈先生的一首我那时候小学课本里的诗:
    草木知春不久归,百般红紫斗芳菲。
    杨花榆荚无才思,惟解漫天作雪飞。 

2009年1月25日 星期日

新春快乐

爆竹声中一岁除,

春风送暖入屠苏。

千门万户瞳瞳日,

总把新桃换旧符。

----宋·王安石《元日》

窗外是此起彼伏的爆竹声,今天据说是上海近年来很寒冷的除夕,不过我觉得还好,感觉还可以接受。

过年在我其实和往常差不多,吃的也没有因为过年有太大的变化,只是今年是第四次不在父母身边过年,一次是因为工作,一次因为伤病,另外就是去年和今年,因为宝宝太小,老家又很冷。虽然知道他们很想我,如同我想他们一样。

小时候过年感觉很有意思,很多情况下家里都会杀猪,对于平时很少吃肉的孩子们都挺盼望过年的,最起码那一阵子都会有肉吃了。

在苏北老家,家家户户过年都会蒸上很多的馒头和年糕,吃的时候锅里下面煮稀饭,上面蒸馒头和年糕,主食就热气腾腾的出锅了。

过年要放鞭炮,这我倒是从来不是很感兴趣的,多是在一旁看人家放,我也实在不是很喜欢那噼噼啪啪的声音,还曾经赞成过大城市禁放的规定,但一想没有鞭炮的年还有年味吗?

印象中的年都是很冷的,甚至和雪连在一起,有雪的年对孩子们而言那是最开心的年了,滚雪球,堆雪人,打雪仗,一片白茫茫的大地,那就是我儿时的故乡啊!

在此新春佳节来临之际,我祝福我亲爱的亲朋好友阖家欢乐,在牛年牛气冲天,希望新年有机会聚聚。祝福我的家人新年健康快乐,我的宝宝健康成长,我自己少发脾气多发财,哈哈。

2009年1月21日 星期三

奥巴马就职演说中英文

咱大不折腾及港澳台联合王国不敢发全文,据说CCAV同声翻译到法西斯和共产主义这里旋即醒悟不对,声音顿时低了下去,主持人楞了五秒钟,没有反应过来画面随即切换,开始播放新闻短片。

各位同胞:

今天我站在这里,为眼前的重责大任感到谦卑,对各位的信任心怀感激,对先贤的牺牲铭记在心。我要谢谢布什总统为这个国家的服务,也感谢他在政权转移期间的宽厚和配合。

四十四位美国人发表过总统就职誓言,这些誓词或是在繁荣富强及和平宁静之际发表,或是在乌云密布,时局动荡之时。在艰困的时候,美国能箕裘相继,不仅因为居高位者有能力或愿景,也因为人民持续对先人的抱负有信心,也忠于创建我国的法统。

因此,美国才能承继下来。因此,这一代美国人必须承继下去。

我们正置身危机核心

现 在大家都知道我们正置身危机核心,我国正处于对抗深远暴力和憎恨的战争。我们的经济元气大伤,是某些人贪婪且不负责任的后果,也是大众未能做出艰难的选 择,为国家进入新时代做准备所致。许多人失去房子,丢了工作,生意垮了。我们的医疗照护太昂贵,学校教育辜负了许多人。每天都有更多证据显示,我们利用能 源的方式壮大我们的对敌,威胁我们的星球。

这些都是得自数据和统计数据的危机指针。比较无法测量但同样深沉的,是举国信心尽失─持续担心美国将无可避免地衰退,也害怕下一代一定会眼界变低。

今天我要告诉各位,我们面临的挑战是真的,挑战非常严重,且不在少数。它们不是可以轻易,或在短时间内解决。但是,美国要了解,这些挑战会被解决。

在这一天,我们聚在一起,因为我们选择希望而非恐惧,有意义的团结而非纷争和不合。

在这一天,我们来此宣示,那些无用的抱怨和虚伪的承诺已终结,那些扭曲我们政治已久的相互指控和陈旧教条已终结。

我们仍是个年轻的国家,但借用圣经的话,摆脱幼稚事物的时刻到来了,重申我们坚忍精神的时刻到来了,选择我们更好的历史,实践那种代代传承的珍贵权利,那种高贵的理念:就是上帝的应许,我们每个人都是平等的,每个人都是自由的,每个人都应该有机会追求全然的幸福。

再 次肯定我们国家的伟大,我们了解伟大绝非赐予而来,必须努力达成。我们的旅程从来就不是抄快捷方式或很容易就满足。这条路一直都不是给不勇敢的人走的,那 些偏好逸乐胜过工作,或者只想追求名利就满足的人。恰恰相反,走这条路的始终是勇于冒险的人,做事的人,成事的人,其中有些人很出名,但更常见的是在各自 岗位上的男男女女无名英雄,在这条漫长崎岖的道路上支撑我们,迈向繁荣与自由。

为了我们,他们携带很少的家当,远渡重洋,追寻新生活。

为了我们,他们胼手胝足,在西部安顿下来;忍受风吹雨打,筚路蓝缕。

为了我们,他们奋斗不懈,在康科德和盖茨堡,诺曼底和溪山等地葬身。

前人不断的奋斗与牺牲,直到双手皮开肉绽,我们才能享有比较好的生活。他们将美国视为大于所有个人企图心总和的整体,超越出身、财富或小圈圈的差异。

这 是我们今天继续前进的旅程。我们仍旧是全球最繁荣强盛的国家。这场危机爆发时,我们的劳工生产力并未减弱。我们的心智一样创新,我们的产品和劳务和上周或 上个月或去年相比,一样是必需品。我们的能力并未减损。但是我们墨守成规、维护狭小利益、推迟引人不悦的决定,这段时期肯定已经过去。从今天起,我们必须 重新出发、再次展开再造美国的工程。

经济情势需迅速行动

我们无论朝何处望去,都有 工作必须完成。经济情势需要大胆、迅速的行动,我们将有所行动,不光是创造新工作,更要奠定成长的新基础。我们将造桥铺路,为企业兴建电力网格与数字线 路,将我们联系在一起。我们将让科学回归合适的用途,运用科技的奇迹来提高医疗质量并降低费用。我们将利用太阳能、风力和土壤作为汽车的燃料和工厂的能 源。我们将让中小学及大专院校转型,因应新时代的需要。这些我们可以作到。我们也将会作到。

现在,有人质疑我们的企图心规模,暗示说我们的体系无法承受太多的大计划。这些人的记性不好。因为他们忘记了这个国家已经完成的成就,当创造力朝同一个目标发展,不受约束的男男女女可以完成何等成就,必要的是勇气。

怀 疑者无法理解的是他们的主张已经站不住脚,长期以来折磨我们的陈腐政治争议已经行不通。我们今天的问题不是政府太大或太小,而是有无功效,是否能帮助家庭 找到薪水不错的工作,支付得起照顾费用,有尊严的退休。哪个方向能够提供肯定的答案,我们就往那里走。答案是否定的地方,计划就会停止。所有我们这些管理 大众金钱的人都将负起责任,花钱要精明,改掉恶习,正大光明作事情,只有这样我们才能重建政府与人民间最重要的信任。

我们眼前的问题也 不是说市场的力量是善或恶。市场创造财富和增加自由的力量无与伦比,但是这场危机提醒我们没有监督时,市场发展将失控,当市场只偏爱有钱人时,国家无法永 续繁荣。我们经济成功的依据,不只是国内生产毛额的规模,还有繁荣可及的范围,以及我们将机会拓展给每个愿意打拚的人,不是因为施舍,而是因为这就是达到 我们共同利益最稳健的途径。

至于我们的共同防卫,我们认为必须在我们的自由和理想之间作一抉择是不确实的,我们拒绝接受。我们建国诸父 在我们难以想象的危难之中。拟具了确保法治和人权的宪章,被一代代以鲜血扩大充实的宪章。这些理想依然照亮这个世界,我们不会为了便宜行事而扬弃它。同样 地,今日在观看此情此景的其它民族和政府,从最宏伟的都城到家父出生的小村庄,我要说:任何一个国家、男、女、和孩童,只要你在追求一个和平且有尊严的未 来,美国就是你的朋友,我们准备再次带领大家。

我们可面对新的威胁

回想先前的世代 力抗法西斯主义和共产主义,靠的除了飞弹和战车之外,还有强固的联盟和持久的信念。他们知道单单力量本身不足以让我们自保,也不能让我们为所欲为。相反 地,他们知道我们的力量因为谨慎使用而增强,我们的安全源自我们理想的正当性,我们所树立楷模的力量,以及谦逊和克制所具有的调和特质。

我 们是这些遗产的保存者。在这些原则的再次指引下,我们可以面对那些新的威胁,这些威胁有赖国与国间更大的合作与谅解方能因应。我们将开始以负责任的方式把 伊拉克还给它的人民,并在阿富汗建立赢来不易的和平。我们会努力不懈地与老朋友和昔日的对手合作,以减轻核子威胁,和地球的暖化。我们不会为我们的生活方 式而道歉,也会毫不动摇地保护它,对那些想要藉由带来恐怖与杀害无辜以遂其目的者,我们现在告诉你,我们的精神强过你们,无法摧折,你们不可能比我们长 久,我们必定打败你们。

因为我们知道,我们拼凑组合而成的遗产是我们的强处,而非弱点。我们是由基督徒和穆斯林,犹太教徒和印度教徒, 以及非信徒组成的国家。我们由取自世界四面八方的各种语文和文化所形塑。而且由于我们曾尝过内战和种族隔离的苦果,并且在走出那黑暗时期之后变得更坚强和 团结,这让我们不得不相信旧日的仇恨终究会过去,部族之间的界线很快就会泯灭。随着世界越来越小,我们共通的人性也会彰显,而美国必须扮演引进新和平时代 的角色。

对穆斯林世界,我们寻求一种新的前进方式,以共同的利益和尊重为基础。那些想播植冲突并把自己社会的问题怪罪于西方的领袖,须 知你的国民藉以判断你的,是你能建立什么,而非你能毁坏什么。那些靠着贪腐欺骗和箝制异己保住权势的人,须知你门站在历史错误的一边,而只要你愿意松手, 我们就会帮忙。

那些穷国的人民,我们保证会和你们合作,让们的农场丰收,让清流涌入,滋补饿坏的身体,喂养饥饿的心灵。而对那些和我们一样比较富裕的国家,我要说,我们不能再对国界以外的苦痛视而不见,也不能再消耗世上的资源而不计后果。因为世界已经变了,我们也要跟着改变。

在 我们思索眼前道路的此际,我们以谦虚感激的心想到,有些勇敢的美国同胞正在遥远的沙漠和山岭上巡逻。今天他们有话要对我们说,就和躺在阿灵顿(公墓)的英 雄们世世代代轻声诉说的一样。我们尊荣他们,不只因为他们捍卫我们的自由,更因为他们代表着服务的精神;愿意在比自己更大的事物上找寻意义。而在此刻,能 够界定一个世代的此刻,必须常驻你我心中的,正是这种精神。

即使政府能做和必须做,这个国家最终仍得靠美国人民的信念与决心。在堤防决 堤时,是人们的善心,让他们招待陌生人。是工作人员的无私,让他们宁可减工时,也不愿看到朋友失业,陪伴我们度过最黑暗时期。是消防员的勇气,让他们冲进 满是浓烟的楼梯间。是父母心甘情愿培育孩子,最终决定我们的命运。

我们的挑战也许是新的,我们迎接挑战的工具也许是新的,但我们赖以成 功的价值观─辛勤工作和诚实、勇气和公平竞争、容忍和好奇心、忠实和爱国心─这些都是固有的。这些价值是真实的,是我们历史上进步的沉默力量。我们有必要 找回这些真实价值。我们现在需要一个勇于负责的新时代,每一个美国人都体认到我们对自己、对国家、对世界负有责任,我们不是不情愿地接受这些责任,而是欣 然接受,坚信没有什么比全力以赴完成艰难的工作,更能得到精神上的满足,更能找到自我。

这是公民的代价和承诺。

这是我们信心的来源,体认上帝召唤我们创造不确定的命运。

这是我们的自由和信条的真谛,为什么不同种族和信仰的男女老幼能在这个大草坪上共同庆祝,为什么一个人的父亲在不到六十年前也许还不能进当地的餐厅用餐,现在却能站在你们面前做最神圣的宣誓。

让我们记住这一天,记住我们是谁、我们走了多远。在美国诞生这一年,在最寒冷的几个月,在结冰的河岸,一群爱国人士抱着垂死的同志。首都弃守,敌人进逼,雪沾了血。在那时,我们革命的成果受到质疑,我们的国父下令向人民宣读这段话:

「让这段话流传后世,在深冬,只剩下希望和美德,这个城市和这个国家,面临共同危险,站起来迎向它。」

美 国,面对我们共同的危险,在这个艰困的冬天,让我们记得这些永恒的话语。怀着希望和美德,让我们再度冲破结冰的逆流,度过接下来可能来临的暴风雪。让我们 孩子的孩子继续流传下去,说我们受到考验时,我们拒绝让旅程结束,我们不回头,也不踌躇;眼睛注视着远方,上帝的恩典降临我们,我们带着自由这个伟大的礼 物,安全送达未来的世世代代。

【2009/01/21 联合报】@ http://udn.com/

My fellow citizens:

I stand here today humbled by the task before us, grateful for the trust you have bestowed, mindful of the sacrifices borne by our ancestors. I thank President Bush for his service to our nation, as well as the generosity and cooperation he has shown throughout this transition.

Forty-four Americans have now taken the presidential oath. The words have been spoken during rising tides of prosperity and the still waters of peace. Yet, every so often the oath is taken amidst gathering clouds and raging storms. At these moments, America has carried on not simply because of the skill or vision of those in high office, but because We the People have remained faithful to the ideals of our forbearers, and true to our founding documents.

So it has been. So it must be with this generation of Americans.

That we are in the midst of crisis is now well understood. Our nation is at war, against a far-reaching network of violence and hatred. Our economy is badly weakened, a consequence of greed and irresponsibility on the part of some, but also our collective failure to make hard choices and prepare the nation for a new age. Homes have been lost; jobs shed; businesses shuttered. Our health care is too costly; our schools fail too many; and each day brings further evidence that the ways we use energy strengthen our adversaries and threaten our planet.

These are the indicators of crisis, subject to data and statistics. Less measurable but no less profound is a sapping of confidence across our land - a nagging fear that America's decline is inevitable, and that the next generation must lower its sights.

Today I say to you that the challenges we face are real. They are serious and they are many. They will not be met easily or in a short span of time. But know this, America - they will be met.

On this day, we gather because we have chosen hope over fear, unity of purpose over conflict and discord.

On this day, we come to proclaim an end to the petty grievances and false promises, the recriminations and worn out dogmas, that for far too long have strangled our politics.

We remain a young nation, but in the words of Scripture, the time has come to set aside childish things. The time has come to reaffirm our enduring spirit; to choose our better history; to carry forward that precious gift, that noble idea, passed on from generation to generation: the God-given promise that all are equal, all are free, and all deserve a chance to pursue their full measure of happiness.

In reaffirming the greatness of our nation, we understand that greatness is never a given. It must be earned. Our journey has never been one of short-cuts or settling for less. It has not been the path for the faint-hearted - for those who prefer leisure over work, or seek only the pleasures of riches and fame. Rather, 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.

For us, they packed up their few worldly possessions and traveled across oceans in search of a new life.

For us, they toiled in sweatshops and settled the West; endured the lash of the whip and plowed the hard earth.

For us, they fought and died, in places like Concord and Gettysburg; Normandy and Khe Sahn.

Time and again these men and women struggled and sacrificed and worked till their hands were raw so that we might live a better life. They saw America as bigger than the sum of our individual ambitions; greater than all the differences of birth or wealth or faction.

This is the journey we continue today. We remain the most prosperous, powerful nation on Earth. Our workers are no less productive than when this crisis began. Our minds are no less inventive, our goods and services no less needed than they were last week or last month or last year. Our capacity remains undiminished. But our time of standing pat, of protecting narrow interests and putting off unpleasant decisions - that time has surely passed. Starting today, we must pick ourselves up, dust ourselves off, and begin again the work of remaking America.

For everywhere we look, there is work to be done. The state of the economy calls for action, bold and swift, and we will act - not only to create new jobs, but to lay a new foundation for growth. We will build the roads and bridges, the electric grids and digital lines that feed our commerce and bind us together. We will restore science to its rightful place, and wield technology's wonders to raise health care's quality and lower its cost. We will harness the sun and the winds and the soil to fuel our cars and run our factories. And we will transform our schools and colleges and universities to meet the demands of a new age. All this we can do. And all this we will do.

Now, there are some who question the scale of our ambitions - who suggest that our system cannot tolerate too many big plans. Their memories are short. For they have forgotten what this country has already done; what free men and women can achieve when imagination is joined to common purpose, and necessity to courage.

What the cynics fail to understand is that the ground has shifted beneath them - that the stale political arguments that have consumed us for so long no longer apply. The question we ask today is not whether our government is too big or too small, but whether it works - whether it helps families find jobs at a decent wage, care they can afford, a retirement that is dignified. Where the answer is yes, we intend to move forward. Where the answer is no, programs will end. And those of us who manage the public's dollars will be held to account - to spend wisely, reform bad habits, and do our business in the light of day - because only then can we restore the vital trust between a people and their government.

Nor is the question before us whether the market is a force for good or ill. Its power to generate wealth and expand freedom is unmatched, but this crisis has reminded us that without a watchful eye, the market can spin out of control - and that a nation cannot prosper long when it favors only the prosperous. The success of our economy has always depended not just on the size of our Gross Domestic Product, but on the reach of our prosperity; on our ability to extend opportunity to every willing heart - not out of charity, but because it is the surest route to our common good.

As for our common defense, we reject as false the choice between our safety and our ideals. Our Founding Fathers, faced with perils we can scarcely imagine, drafted a charter to assure the rule of law and the rights of man, a charter expanded by the blood of generations. Those ideals still light the world, and we will not give them up for expedience's sake. And so to all other peoples and governments who are watching today, from the grandest capitals to the small village where my father was born: know that America is a friend of each nation and every man, woman, and child who seeks a future of peace and dignity, and that we are ready to lead once more.

Recall that earlier generations faced down fascism and communism not just with missiles and tanks, but with sturdy alliances and enduring convictions. They understood that our power alone cannot protect us, nor does it entitle us to do as we please. Instead, they knew that our power grows through its prudent use; our security emanates from the justness of our cause, the force of our example, the tempering qualities of humility and restraint.

We are the keepers of this legacy. Guided by these principles once more, we can meet those new threats that demand even greater effort - even greater cooperation and understanding between nations. We will begin to responsibly leave Iraq to its people, and forge a hard-earned peace in Afghanistan. With old friends and former foes, we will work tirelessly to lessen the nuclear threat, and roll back the specter of a warming planet. We will not apologize for our way of life, nor will we waver in its defense, and for those who seek to advance their aims by inducing terror and slaughtering innocents, we say to you now that our spirit is stronger and cannot be broken; you cannot outlast us, and we will defeat you.

For we know that our patchwork heritage is a strength, not a weakness. We are a nation of Christians and Muslims, Jews and Hindus - and non-believers. We are shaped by every language and culture, drawn from every end of this Earth; and because we have tasted the bitter swill of civil war and segregation, and emerged from that dark chapter stronger and more united, we cannot help but believe that the old hatreds shall someday pass; that the lines of tribe shall soon dissolve; that as the world grows smaller, our common humanity shall reveal itself; and that America must play its role in ushering in a new era of peace.

To the Muslim world, we seek a new way forward, based on mutual interest and mutual respect. To those leaders around the globe who seek to sow conflict, or blame their society's ills on the West - know that your people will judge you on what you can build, not what you destroy. To those who cling to power through corruption and deceit and the silencing of dissent, know that you are on the wrong side of history; but that we will extend a hand if you are willing to unclench your fist.

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 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.

As we consider the road that unfolds before us, we remember with humble gratitude those brave Americans who, at this very hour, patrol far-off deserts and distant mountains. They have something to tell us today, just as the fallen heroes who lie in Arlington whisper through the ages. 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. And yet, at this moment - a moment that will define a generation - it is precisely this spirit that must inhabit us all.

For as much as government can do and must do, it is ultimately the faith and determination of the American people upon which this nation relies. 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 - hard work and honesty, 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. What is demanded then is a return to these truths. What is required of us now is a new era of responsibility - a recognition, on the part of every American, that we have duties to ourselves, our nation, and the world, duties that we do not grudgingly accept but rather seize gladly, firm in the knowledge that there is nothing so satisfying to the spirit, so defining of our character, than giving our all to a difficult task.

This is the price and the promise of citizenship.

This is the source of our confidence - the knowledge that God calls on us to shape an uncertain destiny.

This is the meaning of our liberty and our creed - why men and women and children of every race and every faith can join in celebration across this magnificent mall, and why a man whose father less than sixty years ago might not have been served at a local restaurant can now stand before you to take a most sacred oath.

So let us mark this day with remembrance, of who we are and how far we have traveled. In the year of America's birth, in the coldest of months, a small band of patriots huddled by dying campfires on the shores of an icy river. The capital was abandoned. The enemy was advancing. The snow was stained with blood. At a moment when the outcome of our revolution was most in doubt, the father of our nation ordered these words be read to the people:

"Let it be told to the future world...that in the depth of winter, when nothing but hope and virtue could survive...that the city and the country, alarmed at one common danger, came forth to meet [it]."

America. In the face of our common dangers, in this winter of our hardship, let us remember these timeless words. 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. 

2009年1月19日 星期一

谁是最可爱的人

     在朝鲜的每一天,我都被一些东西感动着;我的思想感情的潮水,在放纵奔流着;我想把一切东西都告诉给我祖国的朋友们。但我最急于告诉你们的,是我思想感情的一段重要经历,这就是:我越来越深刻地感觉到谁是我们最可爱的人!
  谁是我们最可爱的人呢?我们的牛博,我感到他们是最可爱的人。
  也许还有人心里隐隐约约地说:你说的就是那些“博客”吗?他们看来是很平凡、很简单的哩,既看不出他们有什么高深的知识,又看不出他们有什么丰富的感情。可是,我要说,这是由于他跟我们的博客接触太少,还没有了解我们的博客:他们的品质是那样的纯洁和高尚,他们的意志是那样的坚韧和刚强,他们的气质是那样的淳朴和谦逊,他们的胸怀是那样的美丽和宽广!

  朋友们,用不着多举例,上一下牛博网,你们已经可以了解我们的博客是怎样一种人,这种人有一种什么品质,他们的灵魂多么地美丽和宽广。他们是历史上、世界上第一流的博客,第一流的人!他们是世界上一切伟大人民的优秀之花!是我们值得骄傲,我们以我们的祖国有这样的英雄而骄傲,我们以生在这个英雄的国度而自豪!

  亲爱的朋友们,当你坐上早晨第一列电车驰向工厂的时候,当你扛上犁耙走向田野的时候,当你喝完一杯豆浆、提着书包走向学校的时候,当你坐到办公桌前开始这一天工作的时候,当你往孩子口里塞苹果的时候,当你和爱人一起散步的时候……朋友,你是否意识到你是在幸福之中呢?你也许很惊讶地说:“这是很平常的呀!”可是,从朝鲜归来的人,会知道你正生活在幸福中。请你意识到这是一种幸福吧,因为只有你意识到这一点,你才能更深刻了解我们的牛博在中国奋不顾身的原因。朋友!你是这么爱我们的祖国,爱我们的朝鲜族伟大胖子罗永浩,你一定会深深地爱我们的牛博,——他们确实是我们最可爱的人!(魏巍对此文有贡献,难得这么有预见性,嘿嘿)