Why did they do it? They did it for America — they did it for us. Everything that has come since —our giant leaps of science and discovery, our unrivaled progress toward equality and justice — all of it is possible thanks to the blood and tears and courage and vision of the Americans who came before.

他们为什么要这么做？他们这样做是为了美国——他们是为了我们。自那以来发生的一切——我们科学和发现的巨大飞跃，我们在平等和正义方面取得的无可匹敌的进步——所有这些都有可能归功于曾来过这世上的美国人的鲜血、眼泪、勇气和远见。

Think of this capitol — think of this very chamber, where lawmakers before you voted to end slavery, to build the railroads and the highways, to defeat fascism, to secure civil rights, to face down an evil empire.

想想这座国会大厦——想想这个会议厅，在你们投票结束奴隶制、修建铁路和高速公路、击败法西斯主义、保障民权、对抗邪恶帝国之前，议员们就在这里投票。

Here tonight, we have legislators from across this magnificent republic. You have come from the rocky shores of maine and the volcanic peaks of hawaii, from the snowy woods of wisconsin and the red deserts of arizona, from the green farms of kentucky and the golden beaches of california. Together, we represent the most extraordinary nation in all of history.

今晚在这里，我们有来自伟大合众国的立法者。你来自缅因州的岩石海岸和夏威夷的火山峰，来自威斯康星州的雪林和亚利桑那州的红色沙漠，来自肯塔基州的绿色农场和加州的金色海滩。我们共同代表着历史上最非凡的国家。

What will we do with this moment? How will we be remembered? I ask the men and women of this Congress, look at the opportunities before us. Our most thrilling achievements are still ahead. Our most exciting journeys still await. Our biggest victories are still to come. We have not yet begun to dream. 

这一刻我们该怎么办？我们将如何被铭记？我请求本届国会的男女工作人员，看看我们面前的机会。我们最令人激动的成就还在前面。我们最令人兴奋的旅程仍在前方等待。我们最伟大的胜利还在后头。我们还没有开始追梦。

We must choose whether we are defined by our differences — or whether we dare to transcend them. We must choose whether we will squander our inheritance — or whether we will proudly declare that we are Americans.

我们必须选择是否由我们的差异决定——或者我们是否敢于超越它们。我们必须选择是挥霍我们的遗产，还是自豪地宣布我们是美国人。

We do the incredible. We defy the impossible. We conquer the unknown. This is the time to re-ignite the American imagination. This is the time to search for the tallest summit, and set our sights on the brightest star.

我们做不可思议之事。我们藐视不可能之事。我们征服未知。现在是重新点燃美国人想象力的时候了。现在正是时候寻找最高的顶峰，并把我们的目光放在最明亮的恒星之上。

This is the time to rekindle the bonds of love and loyalty and memory that link us together as citizens, as neighbors, as patriots. This is our future — our fate — and our choice to make.

现在是时候重新点燃爱、忠诚和记忆的纽带，把我们作为公民、邻居和爱国者联系在一起。这就是我们的未来、我们的命运、以及我们要做出的选择。

I am asking you to choose greatness. No matter the trials we face, no matter the challenges to come, we must go forward together. We must keep America first in our hearts. We must keep freedom alive in our souls.

我请求你选择伟大。无论我们面临什么样的考验，无论面临什么样的挑战，我们都必须共同前进。我们必须把美国放在第一位。我们必须让自由活在我们的灵魂里。

And we must always keep faith in America’s destiny — that one nation, under God, must be the hope and the promise and the light and the glory among all the nations of the world! Thank you. God bless you, God bless America. Thank you very much.

我们必须永远相信美国的命运——一个国家，在上帝的带领下，必须成为世界上所有国家的希望、诺言、光明和荣耀！谢谢。上帝保佑你们，上帝保佑美国。非常感谢。