| My Lord Chancellor, Mr. Speaker, Mr. Prime Minister, my lords, and members of the House of Commons: |
尊敬的大法官先生、議長先生、首相先生、上議院和下議院各位議員： |
| I have known few greater honors than the opportunity to address the Mother of Parliaments at Westminster Hall. I am told that the last three speakers here have been the Pope, Her Majesty the Queen, and Nelson Mandela -- which is either a very high bar or the beginning of a very funny joke. (Laughter.) |
我知道，能有機會在威斯敏斯特廳向議會之母發表講演是我無尚的榮譽。我聽說此前來這里發表講演的三位是教皇、女王陛下和納爾遜·曼德拉——這說明規格之高非同一般，也可能讓人因此成為笑柄。（笑聲） |
| I come here today to reaffirm one of the oldest, one of the strongest alliances the world has ever known. It's long been said that the United States and the United Kingdom share a special relationship. And since we also share an especially active press corps, that relationship is often analyzed and overanalyzed for the slightest hint of stress or strain. |
我今天來到這里，再次肯定全世界有史以來最古老、最牢固的聯盟關系之一。人們很早就說，美國和英國有著特殊的關系。而且，由于我們都有特別活躍的記者團，這種關系往往被分析來分析去，試圖發現說明關系緊張和異樣的極為微小的蛛絲馬跡。 |
| Of course, all relationships have their ups and downs. Admittedly, ours got off on the wrong foot with a small scrape about tea and taxes. (Laughter.) There may also have been some hurt feelings when the White House was set on fire during the War of 1812. (Laughter.) But fortunately, it's been smooth sailing ever since. |
當然，所有的關系都有起有落。誠然，我們的關系出師不利，為了茶葉和稅務撕破了一點臉皮。（笑聲）當白宮在1812年戰爭期間被大火焚燒的時候，感情也可能受到一些傷害。（笑聲）但幸運的是，從此以后就一帆風順了。 |
| The reason for this close friendship doesn't just have to do with our shared history, our shared heritage; our ties of language and culture; or even the strong partnership between our governments. Our relationship is special because of the values and beliefs that have united our people through the ages. |
建立這種親密的友誼，原因并不僅僅因為我們有共同的歷史、共同的傳統；我們的語言和文化聯系，甚至也包括我們政府之間牢固的伙伴關系。我們的關系是特殊的，因為有將我們世世代代的人民團結在一起的價值觀和信仰。 |
| Centuries ago, when kings, emperors, and warlords reigned over much of the world, it was the English who first spelled out the rights and liberties of man in the Magna Carta. It was here, in this very hall, where the rule of law first developed, courts were established, disputes were settled, and citizens came to petition their leaders. |
幾個世紀前，當國王、皇帝和軍閥主宰世界大部分地區的時候，是英國人在《大憲章》里首先闡明了人的權利和自由。正是在這里，在這個大廳里，法治首建其功，法庭得以建立，糾紛獲得解決，公民前來向他們的領導人請愿。 |
| Over time, the people of this nation waged a long and sometimes bloody struggle to expand and secure their freedom from the crown. Propelled by the ideals of the Enlightenment, they would ultimately forge an English Bill of Rights, and invest the power to govern in an elected parliament that's gathered here today. |
隨著時間的推移，這個國家的人民發動了一場長期、有時血腥的斗爭，以擴大和保證他們與王權抗爭獲得的自由。在啟蒙運動的理想推動下，他們經過千辛萬苦最終制定了英國《權利法案》，把治理的權利交給了延續至今在此舉行會議的民選議會。 |
| What began on this island would inspire millions throughout the continent of Europe and across the world. But perhaps no one drew greater inspiration from these notions of freedom than your rabble-rousing colonists on the other side of the Atlantic. As Winston Churchill said, the "...Magna Carta, the Bill of Rights, Habeas Corpus, trial by jury, and English common law find their most famous expression in the American Declaration of Independence." |
在這個島上開創的事業激勵了整個歐洲大陸乃至全世界的億萬人民。但從這些自由的概念中獲取了最大靈感的或許莫過于大西洋彼岸那些發動民眾的英國殖民地居民。正如溫斯頓·丘吉爾所說，“……大憲章、權利法案、人身保護令、陪審團制度和英國普通法都可以在美國《獨立宣言》中找到了最經典的表述。” |
| For both of our nations, living up to the ideals enshrined in these founding documents has sometimes been difficult, has always been a work in progress. The path has never been perfect. But through the struggles of slaves and immigrants, women and ethnic minorities, former colonies and persecuted religions, we have learned better than most that the longing for freedom and human dignity is not English or American or Western -- it is universal, and it beats in every heart. Perhaps that's why there are few nations that stand firmer, speak louder, and fight harder to defend democratic values around the world than the United States and the United Kingdom. |
對我們兩國來說，要實現莊嚴地載入這些建國文獻中的理想有時是困難的，這歷來是一個不斷進步的過程。道路從來不可能總是平坦的通途。但是通過奴隸和移民、婦女和少數族裔、前殖民地和受迫害的各類宗教的艱苦奮斗，我們比大多數人都更了解，對自由和尊嚴的渴望并不專屬于英國人或美國人或西方——這是舉世皆然的要求，敲擊著每一個人的心靈。也許這就是為什么沒有哪一個國家能像美國和英國那樣能以如此堅定的立場、如此洪亮的聲音、如此艱苦奮斗的精神在全世界各地捍衛民主的價值。 |
![President Obama addresses the British Parliament at Westminster Hall in London. [Photo/Agencies]](http://images.china.cn/attachement/jpg/site1007/20110527/00114320def10f494a7f03.jpg "President Obama addresses the British Parliament at Westminster Hall in London. [Photo/Agencies]")
