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WELCOMING REMARKS

JULY 4, 2007 RECEPTION

STEPHEN WICKMAN

07美国独立日招待会欢迎词
总领事魏思文

尊敬的各位来宾：大家中午好！我想感谢各位来参加今年的美国独立日招待会，特别是辽宁省政府李万才副省长，沈阳市政府宋琦副市长，以及东北三省部分城市和外事办公室有关领导，从百忙的工作中抽出时间来专程参加今天的活动。也感谢驻沈阳的友邦同仁，俄罗斯总领事馆穆拉夫斯基总领事，日本总领事馆阿部孝哉总领事，韩国总领事馆朴圣雄总领事，以及法国驻华使馆沈阳代表处翁霭柏首席代表， 谢谢您们的支持。

This day is special for all Americans, as well as for the many people around the world who have been inspired by our example. It is especially important for us to say thank you to our hosts, the governments and people of the three provinces of Northeast China. Look around you at the American corporate sponsors who have generously supported this event; Starbucks, McDonalds, Annhauser-Bush, Yum, Baskin-Robbins and Pepsi Cola. Their brands are now household names here, and they are responsible corporate citizens of Northeast China, providing opportunity for countless local managers, investors, and employees. We are proud of what they and many other for-profit and not-for-profit American institutions are achieving in Northeast China. We welcome their participation in this year’s Independence Day as a sign of even greater prosperity to come for China and all of the countries represented here today.

这一天对所有美国人以及世界上许许多多被美国这个榜样所激励着的人们都有着极其特殊的重要意义。在此我们要特别感谢领馆的驻在地—中国东北三省的政府和人民。看看周围还有慷慨支持此次活动的美国企业赞助商--星巴克，麦当劳，AB公司，百盛集团，美国冰淇淋和百事可乐。他们的品牌现在已是家喻户晓，他们是中国东北地区尽职尽责的企业界成员，为当地无数的经理人、投资家和受雇员工提供了机会。我们为他们以及其他美国营利机构和非营利机构在中国东北所成就的业绩感到骄傲，我们欢迎他们参加今年的独立日活动，他们的到来预示着中国以及今天列席的所有国家将会更加繁荣昌盛。

On July 4, 1776 the founders of the new American nation declared in bold terms a fundamental truth that has guided the U.S. for over 200 years; "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. --That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, --That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it …" These words were revolutionary and published at a time of great danger for the founders of the new American nation. The ultimate success of this great venture in building a new nation on the basis of new ideas was by no means guaranteed.  Its success was won through astonishing determination and sacrifice.  

1776年7月4日，一个新的国家--美国诞生了。她的创始人鲜明地宣布一个十分重要的、已经引导了美国200多年的真理；“我们认为这些真理是不言而喻的：人人生而平等，造物者赋予他们若干不可剥夺的权利，其中包括生命权、自由权和追求幸福的权利。--为了保障这些权利，人类才在他们之间建立政府，而政府的正当权利，则是经被治理者的同意所授予的。--任何形式的政府一旦对这些目标的实现起破坏作用时，人民便有权予以更换或废除…”这些革命性的话语是发表在新美国的国家创始人面临巨大危险的时期，当时他们冒着巨大风险建设一个基于新思想的新国家，最终的成功全无保障。它的成功是用惊人的决心和牺牲换来的。

Through our war of independence and nation building and through the great changes in America brought by rapid industrialization, a civil war, massive immigration and economic crisis and to the present, these self-evident truths have been the ones that unite Americans. Indeed they define what it means to be an American.   These truths also shaped President Bush' Second Inaugural address in 2005 when he reaffirmed America's commitment to these eternal truths, linking them to core U.S. national security interests and our determination to defend these values in all parts of the world. 

经历过独立战争和国家建设并且经历过快速工业化，内战，大量移民和经济危机带给美国的巨大变化，迄今为止，是这些不言而喻的真理团结了美国人，的确，它们说明了成为一个美国人意味着什么。这些真理也影响了了布什总统2005年第二任就职演说，他再次强调美国要持守这些永恒真理，并将其与主要的美国国家安全利益联系在一起，并重申了美国将在世界各地为捍卫这些价值观而战的决心。

So when Americans gather on this hallowed day in homes and parks, with families and friends at parades and public squares around the U.S. and the world, we all reaffirm our continuing commitment to these self-evident truths.  On this day it is a great American tradition to attend a parade, have a picnic with family and friends and then watch fireworks.  While I can't promise you a parade and fireworks, I can offer you samples of American culture, cuisine and some of our finest wines; I hope you will enjoy all of it.

所以当美国人在这神圣的一天，在全美国和世界各地，聚集在家里和公园，同家人和朋友参加游行和在公共广场上聚会的时候，我们都再次确认我们将继续捍卫这些不言而喻的真理。这一天，别具一格的美国传统就是参加游行、同家人和朋友野餐，然后观赏焰火。虽然我不能向你们保证今天会有游行和焰火，但是我能让你们看到美国文化的缩影，请大家品尝美国菜肴和我们最好的葡萄酒；我希望你们会喜欢。

我欢迎大家作为家人和朋友来参加今天的美国式庆祝活动；也来纪念这些不仅丰富了美国历史并将继续影响美国未来的美国式价值观。