佩洛西卸任演讲(中英全文):使今天的梦想成为明天的现实始终是一项未完成的使命。
佩洛西演讲
谢谢议长女士。
议长女士,当我们聚集在这里时,我们站在神圣的土地上:美国众议院,美国民主的心脏。
我永远不会忘记我第一次看到国会大厦的情景。那是我 6 岁那年 1 月一个寒冷的日子。我的父亲小托马斯·德亚历山德罗 (Thomas D’Alesandro Jr.) ,即将代表我们心爱的家乡巴尔的摩在国会宣誓就职,这是他的第五个任期。
我和我的兄弟们坐在车里,他们兴奋得跳上跳下对我说:“南希,看,国会大厦就在那里。”而我一直 - 每次我都会说:“我没有看到任何大写啊。是大写A、大写B还是大写C?”(注:Capitol国会大厦和capital大写发音相同)
最后,我看到了。一座令人惊叹的白色建筑,拥有宏伟的圆顶。
那时的我相信,正如今天的我依然相信,这是世界上最美丽的建筑,因为它所代表的含义。国会大厦是我们的民主、我们的宪法、我们最高理想的殿堂。
在那一天——在那一天,我和我父亲一起站在这个楼层,当他宣誓支持和捍卫美国宪法,反对国内外的所有敌人时。
我们所有在这个众议院任职的人都曾经宣誓就职。正是这份誓言将我们凝聚在了悠久而传奇的传统中。在我们之前任职的也都是我们的同事。
亚伯拉罕·林肯、丹尼尔·韦伯斯特、雪莉·奇泽姆、帕齐·明克和我们敬爱的约翰·刘易斯等。
就个人而言,这份誓言让我成为我父亲的同事,他是一位自豪的“新政”议员,也是最早在国会任职的意大利裔美国人之一。
这是我们都有义务遵守的誓言,它将我们与时代的最高愿望联系在一起。
就在这个房间里,我们历史上的同事废除了奴隶制;授予妇女投票权;建立社会保障和医疗保险;为弱者伸出援助之手,为病人提供关怀,为年轻人提供教育,为更多人带来希望。
也正是在这里,在我们的国父乔治·华盛顿的注视下,我们在这个人民之家完成了人民的工作。
我的同事们,我站在你们面前,作为众议院议长,作为一位妻子、一位母亲、一位祖母、一位虔诚的天主教徒、一位自豪的民主党人和一位爱国的美国人,一位世界历史上最伟大共和国的公民——总统林肯称之为“地球上最后的希望”。
事实上,用我们的另一位同事、传奇人物丹尼尔·韦伯斯特的话来说,他说:“坚持下去,我的朋友们,坚持国家的宪法和根据它建立的政府。奇迹并不常有。 6000 年才发生一次的事情不能指望经常发生。”
的确,美国的民主是威严的。但它也很脆弱。我们在座的许多人亲眼目睹了它的脆弱性——不幸的是,就在这个会议厅里。
因此,必须永远捍卫民主,使其免受希望伤害它的力量的侵害。
上周,美国人民发声了,他们高声捍卫自由、法治和民主本身。通过这些选举,人民站在隘口击退了对民主的攻击。他们坚决拒绝暴力和叛乱,穿过了黑夜,最终证明我们的旗帜仍然屹立。
现在,为了美国人民,我们必须尽全力去实现他们的信仰。永远追求更完美的联合——我们的国父们承诺的光荣前景。
此时此刻摆在本届国会面前的问题是紧迫的。宪法要求本院维护和保护的理想的问题,树立正义,保国安民,,提供共同防御。促进普遍福利,并为我们自己和我们的子孙后代保有自由的祝福。我们的后代,我们的孩子,今天出生的婴儿将活到下个世纪。
我们的决定将左右他们子孙后代的未来。
虽然我们在政策上会有分歧,但我们必须继续全身心致力于我们共同的基本使命,坚持我们最珍视的民主理想,珍惜我们每个人身上的神性火花,并始终把我们的国家放在第一位。
我们的国父们以他们无穷的智慧给了我们他们的指导:e pluribus unum,合众为一。
他们想象不到我们的国家会变得有多大,或者我们彼此会有多么不同。
但他们知道我们必须团结一致。
我们人民。同一个国家。同一个命运。
在众议院工作的 35 年里,我非常自豪地看到这个机构越来越能反映我们伟大的国家,我们美丽的国家。
当我 1987 年进入国会时,有 12 位民主党女性。现在则有 90 多位。我们想要更多位。
我们民主党核心小组的新成员将有大约 75% 的女性、有色人种和 L.G.B.T.Q。我们让更多的声音进入了决策层。当我在 2002 年进入众议院领导层时,我们只有8个人。如今,领导班子共有 17 名成员。
当我 6 岁第一次来到这里时,我从来没有想过有一天我会从家庭主妇变成众议院议长。事实上,我从来没有——事实上,我从来没有打算过竞选公职。
但爸爸妈妈通过他们的榜样告诉我们,公共服务是一种崇高的使命,我们都有责任帮助他人。
在我们家,我的兄弟汤米后来也成为了巴尔的摩的市长。
但能为美国人民的非凡进步做出贡献则是我的荣幸。
我很高兴曾与三位总统共事,与乔治·布什总统一起实现了对清洁能源的历史性投资;
与巴拉克奥巴马总统一起进行变革性的医疗改革;
与乔·拜登总统一起打造从基础设施到医疗保健再到气候行动的未来。
现在,我们必须以推动我们走到今天的原则为基础,大胆地走向未来,并为未来的新可能性敞开大门。
圣经教导我们,凡事都有定期,天下万物都有定时。
我的朋友们,无论你们所有人、我的同事们授予我什么样的头衔——演讲者、领导者、党鞭——对我来说,没有比站在这个楼层并为旧金山人民发言更大的官方荣誉了。
作为众议院议员,我将继续这样做,代表旧金山人民发言,为伟大的加利福尼亚州服务并捍卫我们的宪法。
出于对我们的核心小组的满满信心,我不会在下届国会寻求连任民主党领导人。对我来说,现在是新一代来领导我非常尊重的民主党核心小组的时候了。我很感激有这么多人准备好并愿意承担这一重大责任。
议长女士,今天站在这里,我对生活中的所有祝福、我的民主党同事们无限感激,在你们家人的支持下,你们的勇气和坚定使这许多的成就成为可能。事实上,没有你们是不可能完成这些成就的。
感谢我亲爱的丈夫保罗,他是我生命中挚爱的伙伴和我的支柱。在他继续康复的过程中,我们感谢所有的祈祷和良好祝愿。太感谢了。
感谢我们亲爱的孩子们,南希·科琳、克里斯汀、杰奎琳、保罗、
亚历山德拉还有我们的孙子们,亚历山大、马德琳、利亚姆、肖恩、瑞安,保罗、托马斯,贝拉、奥克塔维奥。
他们是我们生活中的快乐动力——我们为他们感到非常、非常自豪,
在这种时刻对我们来说也是一种安慰。
我优秀、敬业和爱国的工作人员,在特丽·麦卡洛的领导下一起工作,是众议院有史以来最优秀的公务员团队。
非常感谢大家。
再次感谢那些将我送来这里的人,感谢旧金山人民,感谢他们把在国会中为他们代言的崇高荣誉托付给了我。在接下来的工作中,我将努力履行我们城市守护神圣弗朗西斯的召唤:主啊,使我成为你平安的工具。
在众议院里,我们每天都以祈祷和对国旗的誓言开始。
每一天,我都对美国民主这个伟大的奇迹感到敬畏。
当我们参与我们共和国的里程碑——从一届国会和平、有序地过渡到下一届国会时——让我们再次思考林肯总统在美国最黑暗的时刻之一所说的话。他号召我们走到一起,高声齐唱联合,一定会再次被我们本性中更好的天使所感动。
这再一次成为紧迫的任务。
新的一天即将来临,我期待着,永远期待着我们国家正在展开的故事,一个关于光明与爱、爱国主义与进步的故事,以及许多人合而为一的故事。
使今天的梦想成为明天的现实始终是一项未完成的使命。
谢谢你们。愿上帝保佑你们和你们的家人。
愿上帝保佑——继续保佑我们的退伍军人和美利坚合众国。
非常感谢大家。
Thank you, Madam Speaker. Madam Speaker, as we gather here, we stand on sacred ground: the chamber of the United States House of Representatives, the heart of American democracy. I will never forget the first time I saw the Capitol. It was on a cold January day when I was 6 years old. My father, Thomas D’Alesandro Jr., was about to be sworn in for his fifth term in Congress representing our beloved hometown of Baltimore.
I was riding in the car with my brothers, and they were thrilled and jumping up and down and saying to me, “Nancy, look, there’s the Capitol.” And I keep — every time I’d say: “I don’t see any capital. Is it a capital A, a capital B or a capital C?”
And finally, I saw it. A stunning white building with a magnificent dome.
I believed then, as I believe today, this is the most beautiful building in the world because of what it represents. The Capitol is a temple of our democracy, of our Constitution, of our highest ideals.
On that day — on that day, I stood with my father on this floor as he took the sacred oath to support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic. All of us who have served in this House have taken the hallowed oath of office. And it is the oath that stitches us together in a long and storied heritage. Colleagues who served before us are all our colleagues. Colleagues like Abraham Lincoln, Daniel Webster, Shirley Chisholm, Patsy Mink and our beloved John Lewis.
Personally, it binds me as a colleague to my father, a proud New Deal congressman and one of the earliest Italian Americans to serve in the Congress. And this is an oath we are duty bound to keep, and it links us with the highest aspirations of the ages.
In this room, our colleagues across history have abolished slavery; granted women the right to vote; established Social Security and Medicare; offered a hand to the weak, care to the sick, education to the young and hope to the many.
Indeed, it is here, under the gaze of our patriarch, George Washington, in the people’s House, that we have done the people’s work.
My colleagues, I stand before you as speaker of the House, as a wife, a mother, a grandmother, a devout Catholic, a proud Democrat and a patriotic American, a citizen of the greatest republic in the history of the world — which President Lincoln called the last best hope on Earth. Indeed, in the words attributed to another of our colleagues, the legendary Daniel Webster, he said: “Hold on, my friends, to the Constitution of your country and the government established under it. Miracles do not cluster. That which has happened but once in 6,000 years cannot be expected to happen often.”
Indeed, American democracy is majestic. But it is fragile. Many of us here have witnessed its fragility firsthand — tragically, in this chamber. And so democracy must be forever defended from forces that wish it harm.
Last week, the American people spoke, and their voices were raised in defense of liberty, of the rule of law and of democracy itself.
With these elections, the people stood in the breach and repelled the assault on democracy. They resoundingly rejected violence and insurrection, and in doing so gave proof through the night that our flag was still there.
And now we owe to the American people our very best, to deliver on their faith. To forever reach for the more perfect union — the glorious horizon that our founders promised.
The questions before this Congress and at this moment are urgent. Questions about the ideals that this House is charged by the Constitution to preserve and protect. Establish justice. Ensure domestic tranquillity. Provide for the common defense. Promote the general welfare. And secure the blessings of liberty to ourselves and our posterity. Our posterity. Our children. Babies born today will live into the next century. And our decisions will determine their future for generations to come.
While we will have our disagreements on policy, we must remain fully committed to our shared fundamental mission, to hold strong to our most treasured democratic ideals, to cherish the spark of divinity in each and every one of us, and to always put our country first.
In their infinite wisdom, our founders gave us their guidance: e pluribus unum. From the many, one. They could not have imagined how large our country would become or how different we would be from one another. But they knew we had to be united as one. We the people. One country. One destiny.
It’s been with great pride in my 35 years in the House I have seen this body grow more reflective of our great nation, our beautiful nation.
When I came to the Congress in 1987, there were 12 Democratic women. Now there are over 90. And we want more.
The new members of our Democratic caucus will be about 75 percent women, people of color and L.G.B.T.Q. And we have brought more voices to the decision-making table. When I entered leadership in 2002, there were eight of us. Today, there are 17 members of the leadership. When I first came to the floor at 6 years old, never would I have thought that someday I would go from homemaker to House speaker.
In fact, I never — in fact, I never intended to run for public office. Mommy and Daddy taught us through their example that public service is a noble calling and that we all have a responsibility to help others. In our family, my brother Tommy then became mayor of Baltimore also. But it’s been my privilege to play a part in forging extraordinary progress for the American people.
I have enjoyed working with three presidents, achieving historic investments in clean energy with President George Bush; transformative health care reform with President Barack Obama; and forging — and forging the future from infrastructure to health care to climate action with President Joe Biden.
Now we must move boldly into the future, grounded by the principles that have propelled us this far and open to fresh possibilities for the future.
Scripture teaches us that for everything there is a season, a time for every purpose under heaven. My friends, no matter what title you all, my colleagues, have bestowed upon me — speaker, leader, whip — there is no greater official honor for me than to stand on this floor and to speak for the people of San Francisco. This I will continue to do as a member of the House, speaking for the people of San Francisco, serving the great state of California and defending our Constitution.
And with great confidence in our caucus, I will not seek re-election to Democratic leadership in the next Congress. For me, the hour has come for a new generation to lead the Democratic caucus that I so deeply respect. And I am grateful that so many are ready and willing to shoulder this awesome responsibility.
Madam Speaker, standing here today, I’m endlessly grateful for all of life’s blessings, for my Democratic colleagues, whose courage and commitment, with the support of your families, have made many of these accomplishments possible. In fact, could not have been done without you.
For my dear husband, Paul, who has been my beloved partner in life and my pillar of support, thank you. We’re all grateful for all the prayers and well wishes as he continues his recovery. Thank you so much.
For our darling children, Nancy Corinne, Christine, Jacqueline, Paul and Alexandra, and our grandchildren, Alexander and Madeleine; Liam, Sean and Ryan; Paul and Thomas; Bella and Octavio. They are the joys of our lives for whom we — and we are so very, very proud of them and a comfort to us at this time.
And for my brilliant, dedicated and patriotic staff, under the leadership of Terri McCullough, together, working together, the finest group of public servants the House has ever known. Thank you all so much.
And again, for those who sent me here, for the people of San Francisco, for entrusting me with the high honor of being their voice in Congress. In this continued work, I will strive to honor the call of the patron saint of our city, St. Francis. Lord, make me an instrument of thy peace.
In this House, we begin each day with a prayer and a pledge to the flag. And every day I am in awe of the majestic miracle that is American democracy. As we participate in a hallmark of our republic — the peaceful, orderly transition from one Congress to the next — let us consider the words of, again, President Lincoln, spoken during one of America’s darkest hours. He called upon us to come together, to swell the chorus of the union, when once again touched as surely they will be by the better angels of our nature. That again is the task at hand.
A new day is dawning on the horizon, and I look forward, always forward, to the unfolding story of our nation, a story of light and love, of patriotism and progress, of many becoming one. And always an unfinished mission to make the dreams of today the reality of tomorrow.
Thank you all.
May God bless you and your families.
And may God bless — continue to bless our veterans and the United States of America.
Thank you all so much.
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