Jon McNaughton新作——盼望的继承

I have been discouraged by the times in which we live—a battered economy, a confusing pandemic, civil unrest, riots, and the blind rage of those who seek to destroy our country. What’s even more troubling, is that many in the mainstream media have seemingly joined forces with those who are actively (and seditiously) trying to burn America to the ground.我灰心于现今时代——受创的经济，莫名的瘟疫，动荡，暴乱，还有这盲目的仇恨，一心要毁灭我们的国家。更揪心的，是主流媒体里的许多人，好像要与他们合力，竭力将美国焚至灰烬。

While thinking about these things, the White House released a photograph—a photograph that gave me… hope.
想着这些事情，白宫发布的一幅照片——那幅照片给了我……盼望。

The photograph shows a group of black religious and political leaders, surrounding President Trump and praying for him—praying for the nation. To say that this image inspired me would be an understatement. Here stood a group of men and women—Americans—praying for God to help President Trump!
照片上，一群黑人的宗教和政治领袖们，围绕在Trump总统身边，为他祷告——为这个国家祷告。说它给我灵感，是轻看了这幅画面。这里站立的，是一群男人女人——是美国人——在祈求上帝，帮助Trump总统！

It was a photograph of faith and hope for the future.
这是对未来之信心和盼望的照片。

And as I thought about that hope, I couldn’t help but think about our HISTORY—our legacy of hope. Contrary to what some might tell you, the United States didn’t begin in 1619, with the first importation of slaves. The United States has a specific birthdate—it began in 1776. It began when we not only declared our independence from a system that introduced slavery to the New World, but our country also began when we declared that all men and women are created equal.
思考这盼望的时候，就不禁想起我们的*历史*。有些人告诉你，美国的开始，是第一批黑奴进口的1619年，不是这样。合众国有确定的出生日期——她开始于1776。宣告独立，离弃那个将奴隶引入新大陆的制度，这是我们的开始。宣告所有男人女人平等地被造，这才是我们的开始。

From that day forward, great men and women—people like George Washington, Harriet Tubman, Abraham Lincoln, Thomas Jefferson, and Frederick Douglass—have risen up and have fought and died to ensure that this nation lives up to its founding creed. 
自那一日起，伟大的男人女人们——就如George Washington, Harriet Tubman, Abraham Lincoln, Thomas Jefferson, 还有Frederick Douglass——站立过，奋斗过，牺牲过，保证这国家，活出她建国的信条。

As Americans, we share a legacy of hope that should never be forgotten.
作为美国人，我们分担这盼望的继承，永远不可忘记。