克林顿在总统图书馆发表致谢演讲

1、克林顿在总统图书馆发表致谢演讲President Clintons Remarks at Library Dedication11月18日，美国第12个总统图书馆克林顿图书馆正式向公众开放，克林顿政府要员、前总统老布什和现任总统小布什、演艺明星等人前往捧场，出席总人数估计达到了3万人。 该图书馆名为威廉杰斐逊克林顿总统中心，座落在美国前总统克林顿的家乡美国中南部阿肯色州的小石城。 按照美国政府的传统，军乐团奏起向总统致敬，克林顿在老布什、小布什和前总统卡特的陪同下走上台。早些时候他们的夫人已经上台。由于下着大雨，每人都撑着一把伞。November 18, 2004PRESIDENT Clint

2、on: (AAppllausse) Welll, laddiess annd ggenttlemmen, iff myy beelovved mottherr weere herre, shee woouldd reeminnd mme tthatt raain is liqquidd suunshhinee annd tthatt I shooulddntt coompllainn abboutt thhis beccausse tthe grooundd prrobaablyy neeedss itt annd ssomeeboddy iis bbeneefittingg frrom it

3、. Mrr. PPressideent andd Mrrs. Bussh, Preesiddentt annd MMrs. Caarteer, Preesiddentt annd MMrs. Buush, meembeers of thee Eiisennhowwer, Niixonn, JJohnnsonn, KKennnedyy annd CCartter fammiliies; too thhe vvastt nuumbeer oof mmembberss off Coongrresss annd fformmer memmberrs oof CConggresss hheree - I

4、 donnt knoow wwherre ttheyy arre bbecaausee yoourre aall in ponnchoos - (cheeerss) - bbut theere theey aare; thherees a hhugee grroupp frrom Conngreess, annd tthe preesiddentt seent fouur pplannes dowwn aand I tthannk hhim forr thhat; too alll tthe gueestss frrom othher couuntrriess; aand my felllow

5、w Ammeriicanns - wwelccomee too myy raainyy liibraary deddicaatioon. (Lauughtter) Thhankk yoou SSkipp Ruutheerfoord andd alll tthosse oon mmy sstafff aand thee voolunnteeers froom AArkaansaas aand acrrosss Ammeriica whoo woork so harrd tto mmakee thhis eveent jusst pperffectt - ( he lauughss) - aand

6、 excceptt foor oone thiing, itt iss. I thaank thee prreviiouss sppeakkerss annd tthosse wwho havve ssungg annd eenteertaaineed. Mr. Preesiddentt, II caantt thhankk yoou eenouugh forr yoour genneroous worrds andd foor ccomiing to thee oppeniing at alll. II meean, affterr alll, youu juust dellayeed yy

7、ourr owwn llibrraryy oppeniing by fouur yyearrs. (Laaughhterr.) I cconggrattulaate youu onn yoour eleectiion, annd II wiish youu Goodsppeedd, eespeeciaallyy inn a neww annd mmoree hoopefful timme ffor peaace in thee Miiddlle EEastt. I remmembber thee fiirstt tiime I eeverr heeardd Geeorgge WW. BBush

8、h giive a sspeeech in Iowwa, andd I callledd a friiendd off miine andd I saiid: Myy Good, thaat gguy cann beeat us. Hee iss a goood ppoliiticciann. He hass beeen verry kkindd annd ggeneerouus tto mmy ffamiily, annd II thhankk hiim ffor thaat. Todaay wwerre aall redd, wwhitte aand bluue. I thaank for

9、rmerr Prresiidennt BBushh annd MMrs. Buush forr coominng aand forr thheirr seerviice to ourr naatioon. Preesiddentt Buush, I lovved alll thhat stuuff youu saaid. Buut II waant to thaank youu foor ssomeethiing serriouuslyy. IIn 119899, aafteer II haad bbeenn gooverrnorr foor aa loong timme, youu weer

10、e thee prresiidennt wwho finnallly ccallled us toggethher andd asskedd uss too deevellop nattionnal eduucattionn gooalss foor AAmerricaa soo thhat alll ouur cchilldreen ccoulld gget a ggoodd edducaatioon. It wass thhe bbegiinniing of a sseriiouss reeforrm eeffoort, whhichh I triied to carrry thrroug

11、gh aand whiich I kknoww Prresiidennt BBushh haas ttrieed tto ppushh. SSo tthannk yyou forr dooingg thhat andd foor ggiviing me thee oppporrtunnityy too woork witth yyou. Thhankk yoou PPressideent andd Mrrs. Carrterr foor aall youu diid iin tthe Whiite Houuse andd alll yyouve donne iin tthe yeaars si

12、nnce to makke tthe worrld morre jjustt annd ppeaccefuul. Johhn QQuinncy Adaams oncce ssaidd, Theere is notthinng iin llifee soo paatheeticc ass a forrmerr prresiidennt. Weell, hee tuurneed oout to be wroong beccausse oof hhis ownn seerviice, annd PPressideent Carrterr haas pprovved thaat nnothhingg

13、coouldd bee fuurthher froom tthe truuth. (Appplauuse) Hee juust tolld yyou we mett 300 yeearss aggo wwhenn hee waas ttryiing to hellp mme. He diddntt teell youu thhat, leess thaan aa yeear latter andd leess thaan aa miile froom hheree, JJimmmy CCartter askked Hilllarry aand me to joiin iin hhis camm

14、paiign forr thhe ppressideencyy. WWe ddid, annd aas yyou cann seee ffromm thhis dayy, iit wwas thee beeginnninng oof qquitte aa riide. I reccenttly spooke witth PPressideent Forrd, whoo, aat 991, is unaablee too coome andd - wiith hiss exxtraaorddinaary wiffe, Bettty. Buut ttheyy sttilll arre sstroo

15、ng. Yeesteerdaay II reeceiivedd a wonnderrfull leetteer ffromm Naancyy Reeagaan, whoo reemaiins in ourr thhougghtss annd pprayyerss. II thhankk thhe FFordds aand Nanncy andd thhe llatee Prresiidennt RReaggan forr thheirr seerviice to ourr coounttry. I wannt tto tthannk aall thee vaast nummberrs oof

16、CConggresss aand forrmerr meembeers whoo arre hheree whho sservved witth mme. I ccoulldnt hhavee doone mosst oof tthe goood tthinngs we didd wiithoout emm, aand theeyrre nnot ressponnsibble forr anny oof tthe misstakkes I mmadee. I cannt seee thhrouugh alll thhe uumbrrelllas andd alll tthe ponnchoos

17、 oor wwhatteveer yyou calll tthosse pplassticc thhinggs tthatt maake youu alll llookk soo beeauttifuul - (lauughtter) - buut IIm preettyy suure Sennatoor KKerrryss ouut ttherre. Andd iff hee iss, II waant to thaank himm annd IIm glaad hhess baack on thee joob. (Appplauuse) I wannt tto tthannk tthe p

18、eooplee off myy beelovved homme sstatte ffor youur ssuppportt, ffor youur llovee, yyourr frrienndshhip, thhe ttrusst, thee saacriificces youu soo wiilliinglly mmadee whhen we worrkedd toogettherr heere andd whhen youu caarriied me to thee Whhitee Hoousee. I thaank thee frriennds of a llifeetimme wwh

19、o alsso mmadee inndisspennsabble conntriibuttionns. Ivve ssaidd a lott off tiimess I mayy bee thhe oonlyy guuy tthatt evver gott ellectted preesiddentt beecauuse of hiss peersoonall frriennds. I thaank my passtorr, RRex Horrne, annd aall thee ottherr miinissterrs hheree whho hhavee taaughht mme, pra

20、ayedd wiith me, annd ccounnselled me oveer tthe yeaars. I thaank Godd foor mmy ffamiily andd Hiillaarys ffamiily. A lott off thhem aree heere todday, annd II thhankk yoou ffor makkingg thhis whoole lonng ttripp. Liike I ssaidd, II doo wiish my mottherr weere herre. Shee woouldd haave enjjoyeed sseei

21、ing alll off yoou, eveen iin tthe raiin, andd I proomisse yyou - (hee laaughhs) - youu woouldd haave enjjoyeed sseeiing herr. Moost of alll, II waant to thaank Hilllarry aand Cheelseea. Noww Hiillaarys aa seenattor andd shhe hhas alll thhe ppoweer iin oour fammilyy, bbut shees proovinng wwhatt I alw

22、wayss saaid. Shhe hhas thee beest commbinnatiion of minnd aand heaart, coonviictiion andd coompaassiion Ivve eeverr enncouunteeredd, tthouugh I mmustt saay CChellseaa iss giivinng hher mottherr a goood rrun. Chhelssea, yoour liffe aand ourr loove forr yoou ggavee meeaniing to ourr puubliic sservvice

23、e. TTheyy maade thee prresiidenncy thee seeconnd-mmostt immporrtannt jjob I eeverr haad. I lovve yyou botth sso mmuchh. TThannk yyou. Annd llet me lasstlyy thhankk thhe ppeopple whoo haave conntriibutted to andd buuiltt thhis libbrarry: thee Scchoool oof PPubllic Serrvicce aand thee foounddatiion, m

24、yy sttafff, mmy fformmer staaff, thhe bboarrd, thee arrchiiteccts, thhe eexhiibitt deesiggnerrs, thee laandsscapperss, tthe conntraactoors, thhe 11,5000 ppeopple whoo puut tthiss buuilddingg upp, tthe citty aand staate offficiialss whho ssuppportted it. I thaank esppeciiallly tthe arcchittectts, Jim

25、m Poolshhek andd Riichaard Olccottt; RRalpph AAppllebaaum forr thhe wwondderfful exhhibiits; annd mmy llonggtimme ffrieend, Biill Claark, whhosee coompaany buiilt thiis bbuilldinng. I alsso wwantt too saay tthatt I thaank thoose of youu whho aare conntinnuinng tto hhelpp inn thhe wworkk off thhe lli

26、brraryy annd tthe fouundaatioon. Thhis libbrarry ttellls tthe stoory of Ameericca aat tthe endd off thhe 220thh ceentuury, off a draamatticaallyy diiffeerennt ttimee inn thhe wway we worrkedd annd lliveed. We movved outt off thhe CColdd Waar iintoo ann agge oof iinteerdeepenndennce witth nnew posssi

27、bbiliitiees aand neww daangeers. Wee moovedd ouut oof aan iinfoormaatioon - II meean, ann inndusstriial ecoonommy iintoo ann innforrmattionn-agge eeconnomyy. WWe mmoveed oout of a pperiiod wheen wwe wweree obbsesssedd wiith oveercoominng tthe leggacyy off sllaveery andd diiscrrimiinattionn aggainnst

28、 Afrricaan- Ameericcanss too a poiint wheere we werre cchalllenngedd too deeal witth aan eexpllosiion of divverssityy, oof ppeopple froom aall racces andd etthniic ggrouups andd reeliggionns ffromm arrounnd tthe worrld, annd wwe hhad to chaangee thhe rrolee off gooverrnmeent to deaal wwithh thhat. T

29、hhat whoole stoory is herre, in 80 milllioon ddocuumennts, 211 miilliion e-mmaills - ttwo of theem mminee - (llaugghteer) - 2 mmilllionn phhotoograaphss, aand 80,0000 arrtiffactts. In thee innterrestts oof oopennnesss aand pubblicc acccesss, we aree asskinng mmoree thhan 1000,0000 oof tthesse ddocuu

30、mennts to be opeenedd eaarlyy beeforre tthe laww reequiiress. I thaank thoose whoo arre wworkkingg onn thhe CClinntonn Scchoool oof PPubllic Serrvicce, beccausse II waant morre yyounng ppeopple to go intto ppubllic serrvicce. I thaank thoose whoo arre wworkkingg inn Haarleem aand herre oon mmy ffoun

31、ndattionn orr whho vvisiit uus oon tthe Intternnet, ass Hiillaary saiid, at g, wwho hellp uus tto pprommotee reeliggiouus aand racciall reeconncilliattionn, tto aadvaancee ciitizzen serrvicce, to proomotte eeconnomiic eempoowerrmennt ffor pooor ppeopple in pooor ccommmuniit

32、iees, andd too coontiinuee thhe ffighht aagaiinstt AIIDS. Inn thhreee yeearss inn Affricca, thee Caaribbbeaan, Inddia andd Chhinaa, wwe hhavee suucceeedeed iin ccutttingg thhe ppricce oof tthe tesstinng eequiipmeent andd geenerric druugs by 70 perrcennt, andd wee hoope by 20006, andd exxpecct, to se

33、rrve oveer 22 miilliion peooplee wiith meddiciine whoo weere nott geettiing it on thee daay II leeft offficee. Noow tthiss liibraary, off cooursse, is priimarrilyy abboutt myy prresiidenncy. I wannt tto ssay a sspecciall woord of thaankss too All Goore andd too Tiippeer ffor thee inndisspennsabble c

34、onntriibuttionn thhat theey mmadee. AAnd I ttoldd All toodayy thhat thiis llibrraryy woon aan iinteernaatioonall ennvirronmmenttal awaard, evven thooughh itts gott a lott off gllasss. BBecaausee off soolarr paanells aand a llot of othher impprovvemeentss, wwe ccut thee ennerggy uusagge hheree byy 34

35、4 peerceent. Soo All, tthannks forr thhe iinsppiraatioon, andd Im sstilll ttryiing to meaasurre uup tto tthe chaalleengee yoou sset forr mee soo loong agoo. I bellievve tthe jobb off a preesiddentt iss too unnderrstaand andd exxplaain thee tiime in whiich he serrvess, tto sset forrth a vvisiion of w

36、heere we neeed tto ggo aand a sstraateggy oof hhow to gett thheree, aand theen tto ppurssue it witth aall hiss miind andd heeartt - beendiing onlly iin tthe facce oof eerroor oor nnew cirrcummstaancees aand thee crrisees wwhicch aare unfforeeseeen, a pprobblemm thhat afffectts aall of us. Whhen I bb

37、ecaame preesiddentt thhe wworlld wwas a nnew andd veery diffferrentt pllacee, aas II saaid. Annd II thhougght aboout howw wee ouughtt too coonfrrontt itt. AAmerricaa haas ttwo greeat domminaant strrandds oof ppoliiticcal thooughht; were reppressentted up herre oon tthiss sttagee: cconsservvatiism, w

38、hhichh att itts vveryy beest draaws linnes thaat sshouuld nott bee crrosssed; annd pproggresssivvismm, wwhicch aat iits verry bbestt brreakks ddownn baarriierss thhat aree noo loongeer nneedded or shoouldd neeverr haave beeen eerecctedd inn thhe ffirsst pplacce. Itt seeemeed tto mme tthatt inn 19992

39、 we neeededd too doo booth to preeparre AAmerricaa foor tthe 21sst ccentturyy - too bee moore connserrvattivee inn thhinggs llikee errasiing thee deeficcit andd paayinng ddownn thhe ddebtt, aand preevenntinng ccrimme aand punnishhingg crrimiinalls, andd prroteectiing andd suuppoortiing fammiliies, a

40、nnd eenfoorciing thiingss liike chiild suppporrt llawss, aand refformmingg thhe mmiliitarry tto mmeett thhe nnew chaalleengees oof tthe 21sst ccentturyy. AAnd we neeededd too bee moore proogreessiive in creeatiing goood jjobss, rreduucinng ppoveertyy, iincrreassingg thhe qquallityy off puubliic eedu

41、ccatiion, oppeniing thee dooorss off coolleege to alll, iincrreassingg acccesss tto hheallth carre, invvesttingg moore in sciiencce aand tecchnoologgy, andd buuilddingg neew aalliiancces witth oour forrmerr addverrsarriess, aand worrkinng ffor peaace acrrosss thhe wworlld aand peaace in Ameericca, a

42、crrosss alll tthe linnes thaat ddiviide us. Noow wwhenn I proopossed to do botth, we saiid tthatt alll oof tthemm weere connsisstennt wwithh thhe ggreaat AAmerricaan vvaluues of oppporttuniity, reespoonsiibillityy annd ccommmuniity. Wee laabelled thee appprooachh NNew Demmocrrat. IIt tthenn beecamme

43、 kknowwn aas thee Thhirdd Waay. Itt waas - aas iit wwas embbracced by proogreessiive parrtiees aacrooss thee woorldd. BBut I llikee thhe ssloggan we hadd waay bbackk inn 19992, pputttingg peeoplle ffirsst, beecauuse in thee ennd, I aalwaays keppt sscorre bby aa siimplle mmeassuree: WWeree orrdinnary

44、y peeoplle bbettter offf whhen I sstopppedd thhan wheen II sttartted? I greew uup iin tthe pree-teelevvisiion agee, iin aa faamilly oof uunedducaatedd buut ssmarrt, harrd-wworkkingg, ccariing stooryttelllerss. TTheyy taaughht mme tthatt evveryyonee haas aa sttoryy. AAnd thaat mmadee poolitticss innt

45、ennselly pperssonaal tto mme. It wass abboutt giivinng ppeopple bettterr sttoriies. Thhats wwhy I aaskeed tthosse ssix peooplee too taalk herre ttodaay. Wheen II thhinkk off thhe FFamiily Leaave Laww, II thhinkk off thhat goood mman whoo brrougght hiss dyyingg daaughhterr too seee mme iin tthe Whiit

46、e Houuse on a SSundday morrninng, andd whho ggrabbbedd mee ass I wallkedd awway andd saaid, TThe timme II goot tto ttakee offf ffromm woork wass thhe mmostt immporrtannt ttimee inn myy liife. I thiink of peooplee liike thaat ffinee woomann whho wworkked herrsellf oout of wellfarre aand noww ruuns he

47、rr owwn bbusiinesss. I rremeembeer tthe firrst womman I eeverr taalkeed tto wwho wennt ffromm weelfaare to worrk. I ssaidd, Whaatss thhe bbestt thhingg abboutt itt? Shee saaid, WWhenn myy booy ggoess too scchoool aand theey ssay, WWhatt dooes youur mmamaa doo foor aa liivinng, hee caan ggivee ann an

48、nsweer. Thhosee arre tthe thiingss thhat makke ppoliiticcs rreall too mee, aat hhomee annd aarouund thee woorldd. Thhe rrecoord is alll inn thheree - whhat we didd att hoome, whhat we didd abbroaad. I tthannk BBonoo foor ssinggingg abboutt Noorthhernn Irrelaand andd Prresiidennt BBushh foor mmenttio

49、nningg thhe BBalkkanss. TTherre wweree maany othher plaacess wee trriedd too heelp. Buut tthe reccordd iss thheree. EEvenn whheree wee feell shoort, wee puusheed fforwwardd. AAnd whaat II waant to sayy iss, iif yyou thiink of thee biiggeest dissapppoinntmeent arooundd thhe wworlld tto mme, I ttrieed

50、 sso hhardd foor ppeacce iin tthe Midddlee Eaast. I thaank Shiimonn Peeress annd tthe chiildrren of Yittzhaak RRabiin aand Ehuud BBaraak ffor beiing herre ttodaay, andd thhe ccurrrentt fooreiign minnistter of Isrraell foor bbeinng hheree toodayy. II diid aall I ccoulld. Buut wwhenn wee haad sseveen

51、yyearrs oof pproggresss ttowaard peaace, thheree waas oone whoole yeaar wwhenn, ffor thee fiirstt tiime in thee hiistoory of thee sttatee off Issraeel, nott onne ppersson dieed oof aa teerroorisst aattaack, whhen thee Paalesstinnianns bbegaan tto bbeliievee thhey couuld havve aa shhareed ffutuure. A

52、nnd sso, Mr. Prresiidennt, agaain, I sayy: II hoope youu geet tto ccrosss ooverr innto thee prromiisedd laand of Midddlee Eaast peaace. Wee haave a ggoodd oppporrtunnityy, aand we aree alll pprayyingg foor yyou. (Appplauuse) Fiinallly, leet mme ssay thiis. Quiite apaart froom aall thee deetaiils, th

53、he tthinng II waant mosst iis ffor peooplee whho ccomee too thhis libbrarry, wheetheer ttheyyree Reepubbliccanss orr Deemoccratts, libberaals or connserrvattivees, to seee thhat pubblicc seerviice is nobble andd immporrtannt, thaat tthe chooicees aand deccisiionss leeadeers makke aaffeect thee liive

54、ss off miilliionss off Ammeriicanns aand peooplee alll aacrooss thee woorldd. I wannt yyounng ppeopple to wannt tto ssee nott onnly whaat II diid wwithh myy liife, buut tto ssee whaat ttheyy coouldd doo wiith theeir livves. Beecauuse thiis iis mmosttly thee sttoryy off whhat we, thhe ppeopple, caan

55、ddo wwhenn wee woork toggethher. Yees, thiis llibrraryy iss thhe ssymbbol of a bbriddge, a briidgee too thhe 221stt ceentuury. Itts beeen ccallled onee off thhe ggreaat aachiieveemennts of thee neew aage, annd aa Brritiish maggaziine saiid iit llookked likke aa glloriifieed hhousse ttraiilerr. AAnd I tthouughtt, wwelll, tthatts aboout me, yoou kknoww? IIm a llitttle redd annd aa liittlle bbluee. (Lauughtter) Whhat it is to me is thee syymbool oof nnot onlly wwhatt I triied to do butt whhat I wwantt too doo wiith thee reest of my liffe - bbuilldinng bbriddgess f