為了避免國會因“水門事件”對他的彈勀，尼克松總統(tǒng)向全國發(fā)表電視演講，宣布他將在第二天中午在白宮辭去總統(tǒng)職務(wù)。他成了歷史上唯一一個辭職的美國總統(tǒng)。

第二天的中午，在乘飛機離開之前，尼克松向白宮的工作人員發(fā)表告別演說。這是一篇即興演說，沒有講稿，在整個演講過程中，尼克松的情緒非常激動，以至說了很多破句，句子與句子之間意思也不是很連貫。這樣的離開當(dāng)然是很不體面的事情，但是他用這篇演講為自己做最后的辯解。他要堂堂正正地離開白宮。

因為喜歡其中的一句話，我讀了全文。讀完后，感覺它不失為一篇有一定價值的歷史文獻。網(wǎng)上沒有查到有中譯，好在原文也不長，我就把它翻譯了出來。

我特別喜歡的那句話，我用黑體標(biāo)出來了。

==================

Richard Nixon's Farewell Speech to White House Staff

理查德·尼克松白宮告別演說

1974年8月9日

阮一峰 譯

Members of the Cabinet, Members of the White House Staff, all of our friends here:

各位內(nèi)閣成員，各位白宮的職員，所有在場的朋友：

I think the record should show that this is one of those spontaneous things that we always arrange whenever the President comes in to speak, and it will be so reported in the press, and we don't mind because they have to call it as they see it. But on our part, believe me, it is spontaneous.

我想記錄會表明，這只是一次自發(fā)的聚會。每當(dāng)總統(tǒng)要發(fā)表演說時，都會有這樣的場面。新聞媒體也會這樣報道。我們不必擔(dān)心這個問題，他們只要看到這個現(xiàn)場，自然就會這樣報道。但是我們自己一定要很清楚，這確實是自發(fā)的聚會，相信我。

You are here to say good-bye to us, and we don't have a good word for it in English. The best is au revoir. We will see you again. I just met with the members of the White House staff, you know, those who serve here in the White House day in and day out, and I asked them to do what I ask all of you to do to the extent that you can and, of course, are requested to do so: to serve our next President as you have served me and previous Presidents -- because many of you have been here for many years -- with devotion and dedication, because this office, great as it is, can only be as great as the men and women who work for and with the President.

你們來到這里，同我們說再見。這種儀式在英語里沒有特別好的名稱，最好的說法是法語的au revoir（歡送會）。我們還會再相見的。我剛才已經(jīng)接見過白宮的職員了，你們知道，他們天天都在白宮里提供服務(wù)，已經(jīng)很多年了。我對他們的要求，同對你們的要求是一樣的。我要求你們大家盡力，當(dāng)然這本來就是你們的職責(zé)，為下一任總統(tǒng)服務(wù)，就像你們?yōu)槲液蜑闅v任總統(tǒng)服務(wù)一樣。你們中的很多人已經(jīng)在這里工作多年，無比忠誠和具有奉獻精神。你們要知道，這座樓之所以是一座偉大的樓，完全是因為那些和總統(tǒng)一起工作或者為總統(tǒng)工作的男男女女本身就同這幢樓一樣偉大。

This house, for example, I was thinking of it as we walked down this hall, and I was comparing it to some of the great houses of the world that I have been in. This isn't the biggest house. Many, and most, in even smaller countries are much bigger. This isn't the finest house. Many in Europe, particularly, and in China, Asia, have paintings of great, great value, things that we just don't have here, and probably will never have until we are 1,000 years old or older.

比如說，當(dāng)我走過大廳的時候，我會想到這座樓，我會將它同另一些世界上我到過的偉大的樓做比較。它不是最大的樓，很多小國里有比它大得多的樓。它也不是最漂亮的樓。歐洲的許多樓，中國的許多樓，里面有價值連城的繪畫，有許多我們這里沒有的東西，再過1000年，我們這里也未必會有。

But this is the best house. It is the best house because it has something far more important than numbers of people who serve, far more important than numbers of rooms or how big it is, far more important than numbers of magnificent pieces of art.

但是，它是世界上最好的樓。因為它里面有一些東西，有一些比人員的數(shù)量、比房間的數(shù)目、比空間的大小、比藝術(shù)品的多寡更重要的東西。

This house has a great heart, and that heart comes from those who serve. I was rather sorry they didn't come down. We said good-bye to them upstairs. But they are really great. And I recall after so many times I have made speeches, and some of them pretty tough, yet, I always come back, or after a hard day -- and my days usually have run rather long -- I would always get a lift from them because I might be a little down, but they always smiled.

這座樓有一顆偉大的心。這顆心來自于那些為這座樓工作的人們。我相當(dāng)遺憾，他們沒有下來。我們在樓上同他們道別了。但是，他們的偉大是的的確確的。回想起來，我曾經(jīng)做過很多次演講，有些還是難度很高的演講，當(dāng)演講結(jié)束以后，經(jīng)過勞累的一天，我回到這座樓里，通常我的工作時間是很長的，我也許有些疲憊不堪，但是我總是能從他們身上感到鼓勵，他們總是對我微笑著。

And so it is with you. I look around here, and I see so many on this staff that, you know, I should have been by your offices and shaken hands, and I would love to have talked to you and found out how to run the world -- everybody wants to tell the President what to do, and boy he needs to be told many times -- but I just haven't had the time. But I want you know that each and everyone of you, I know, is indispensable to this Government. I am proud of this Cabinet. I am proud of all the members who have served in our Cabinet. I am proud of our sub-cabinet. I am proud of our White House staff. As I pointed out last night, sure we have done some things wrong in this Administration, and the top man always takes the responsibility, and I have never ducked it. But I want to say one thing: We can be proud of it -- 5 1/2 years. No man or no woman came into this administration and left it with more of this world's goods than when he came in. No man or no woman ever profited at that public expense or the public till. That tells something about you.

現(xiàn)在，輪到在場的各位了，我看看周圍，我看到那么多的工作人員。我本應(yīng)該來到你們的辦公室，同你們一一握手。我非常喜歡同你們交談，同你們討論如何讓世界正常運作。每個人都喜歡告訴總統(tǒng)該做什么，總統(tǒng)就像一個小男孩，要聽好多次人們的指點。但是，現(xiàn)在我沒有這么多時間了。不過，我要你們知道，你們中的每一個人，對這個政府來說，都是不可缺少的。我為這一屆的內(nèi)閣感到自豪。我為所有在這一屆內(nèi)閣中工作過的人們感到自豪。我為我們的顧問委員會感到自豪。我為白宮的工作人員感到自豪。正如我昨天晚上所說的，在政府運作中，我們毫無疑問做錯了一些事情。在這種情況下，負責(zé)人必須承擔(dān)責(zé)任，我絕對不會推卸掉我的責(zé)任。但是，我要說一件事，一件足以讓我們感到自豪的事情：五年半了，在這一屆政府中工作的所有人中，沒有一個人離開的時候比他來的時候多帶走了任何東西。沒有一個人從公共開支中獲得私利或者貪污。這充分表明了你們的品質(zhì)。

Mistakes, yes. But for personal gain, never. You did what you believed in. Sometimes right, sometimes wrong. And I only wish that i were a wealthy man -- at the present time I have got to find a way to pay my taxes -- [laughter] -- and if I were, I would like to recompense you for the sacrifices that all have made to serve in Government.

對，我們確實犯了錯誤，但是沒有個人利益在里面。你們實踐了自己的信仰。有時候，結(jié)果是對的，有時候結(jié)果是錯的。此時此刻，我僅僅希望我要是一個富有的人該多好——可惜我不是，我還必須找到一些辦法去付清我的稅款（聽眾的笑聲）——如果我有錢，我會補償你們，為了你們在這一屆政府里工作時所做出的奉獻。

But you are getting something in Government -- and I want you to tell this to your children, and I hope the nation's children will hear it, too -- something in Government service that is far more important than money. It is a cause bigger than yourself. It is the cause of making this the greatest nation in the world, the leader of the world, because without our leadership the world will know nothing but war, possible starvation, or worse, in the years ahead. With our leadership it will know peace, it will know plenty.

但是，你們也從政府得到了另一些東西。我要你們?nèi)ジ嬖V你們的孩子，我希望這個國家的其他孩子也能聽到——在政府中工作，有一些東西是比金錢遠遠更重要的。那是一個比個人的生命更宏大的事業(yè)。這個事業(yè)就是創(chuàng)造一個世界上最偉大的國家，一個世界的領(lǐng)袖，因為如果我們沒有在世界上的領(lǐng)導(dǎo)地位，這個世界就會發(fā)生戰(zhàn)爭，可能還有饑荒，或者未來的更糟糕的事情。只有在我們的領(lǐng)導(dǎo)下，世界才會有和平，才會有富裕。

We have been generous, and we will be more generous in the future as we are able to. But most important, we must be strong here, strong in our hearts, strong in our souls, strong in our belief, and strong in our willingness to sacrifice, as you have been willing to sacrifice, in a pecuniary way, to serve in Government.

我們一直是慷慨的，在未來我們還將盡我們所能更加慷慨。但是最重要的事情是，我們必須是強大的，我們的心靈必須是強大的，我們的靈魂必須是強大的，我們的信念必須是強大的，我們奉獻的意愿必須是強大的。你們一直以一種特別的方式，在做出犧牲，那就是在政府工作。

There is something else I would like for you to tell your young people. You know, people often come in and say, "What will I tell my kids?" They look at government and say it is sort of a rugged life, and they see the mistakes that are made. They get the impression that everybody is here for the purpose of feathering his nest. That is why I made this earlier point -- not in this Administration, no one single man or woman.

還有另一件事，我也要你們?nèi)ジ嬖V我們的孩子。你們知道，有些人會過來說：“我能跟自己的孩子說什么？”他們看著這一屆政府，說這一屆政府真是有點多災(zāi)多難。他們只看到了我們犯的錯誤。他們得到了一種印象，好像每個在這里的人都是為了私利而來政府工作的。這就是我為什么會說前面那段說話，我們這一屆政府中沒有這樣的人，一個都沒有。

And I say to them, "There are many fine careers. This country needs good farmers, good businessmen, good plumbers, good carpenters." I remembered my old man. I think that they would have called him sort of a little man, common man. He didn't consider himself that way. You know what he was? he was a streetcar motorman first, and the he was a farmer, and then he had a lemon ranch. It was the poorest lemon ranch in California, I can assure you. He sold it before they found oil on it. [Laughter] And then he was a grocer. But he was a great man because he did his job, and every job counts up to the hilt, regardless of what happens.

我要這些人說，“世界上有很多好的職業(yè)。這個國家需要好的農(nóng)民，好的商人，好的管子工，好的木匠?！蔽蚁肫鹆宋腋赣H。人們總是管他叫小老百姓。他自己并不這么想。你們知道他干過什么？一開始，他是一個電車司機，后來他是個農(nóng)民，然后他自己有了一個種檸檬的大農(nóng)場。那個農(nóng)場是加州最差的種檸檬的農(nóng)場。我向你們保證，他賣掉農(nóng)場的時候，里面還沒有被發(fā)現(xiàn)藏有石油。（聽眾的笑聲）在那以后，他又開了一個雜貨店。但是，他是一個偉大的人，因為他做好了自己的工作，不管發(fā)生什么，他干過的每一項職業(yè)無不精益求精。

Nobody will ever write a book, probably, about my mother. Well, I guess all of you would say this about your mother -- my mother was a saint. And I think of her, two boys dying to tuberculosis, nursing four others in order that she could take care of my older brother for 3 years in Arizona, and seeing each of them die, and when they died, it was like one of her own. Yes, she will have no books written about her. But she was a saint.

關(guān)于我母親，可能將來也不會有人為她寫本書。不錯，我想你們所有人都會用同樣一句話，形容你們的母親）——我的媽媽是個神圣的人。我回想她的一生，她有兩個兒子死于肺結(jié)核，養(yǎng)大了其他四個。她在亞利桑那州照顧我的兩個哥哥三年，看著他們接連死去。當(dāng)他們死的時候，就像她自己死了一次一樣。就是這樣，沒有一本書會寫到她。但是，她是一個神圣的人。

Now, however, we look to the future. I had a little quote in the speech last night from T.R. As you know, I kind of like to read books. I am not educated, but I do read books -- [laughter] -- and the T.R. quote was a pretty good one. Here is another one I found as I was reading, my last night in the White House, and this quote is about a young man. He was a young lawyer in New York. He had married a beautiful girl, and they had a lovely daughter, and then suddenly she died, and this is what he wrote. This was in his diary.

好了，現(xiàn)在我們要看看未來了。昨天晚上的演講中，我引用了西奧多?羅斯福的一句話。正如你們所知的，我還是很喜歡讀書的。我沒有受過良好的教育，但我確實讀了不少書。（聽眾的笑聲）西奧多?羅斯福的那句話說得很不錯。下面是另外一句話，是我昨天晚上在白宮里讀書的時候發(fā)現(xiàn)的，那句話說的是一個年輕人。他是一個紐約的年輕的律師。他娶了一個漂亮的姑娘，他們有一個可愛的女兒。突然之間，妻子死了。下面就是他寫的一段話。他寫在日記里。

He said: "She was beautiful in face and from and lovelier still in spirit. As a flower she grew and as a fair young flower she died. her life had been always in the sunshine. There had never come to her a single great sorrow. None ever knew her who did not love and revere her for her bright and sunny temper and her saintly unselfishness. Fair, pure and joyous as a maiden, loving, tender and happy as a young wife. When she had just become a mother, when her life seemed to be just begun and when the years seemed so bright before her, then by a strange and terrible fare death came to her. And when my heart's dearest died, the light went from my life forever."

他寫道：“她的臉和身體是那么美麗，她的靈魂更加美麗。她像一朵花那樣來到人間，又像一朵花那樣死去。她的生活總是處在陽光之中。她從來不會遇到巨大的悲傷。認(rèn)識她的每一個人，沒有不愛她的。她聰明，天性快樂，樂于助人，人人都喜歡她。作為少女，她端莊、純潔又快樂；作為妻子，她深情、溫和又幸福。當(dāng)她剛成為母親的時候，她的生活看上去才剛剛開始，未來還有無數(shù)美好的日子等待著她。但是突如其來，可怕的死亡就降臨在她身上。我最親愛的人死了，我生命中的光永久地熄滅了。”

That was T.R. in his twenties. He thought the light had gone from his life forever -- but he went on. and he not only became President but, as an ex-President, he served his country always in the arena, tempestuous, strong, sometimes wrong, sometimes right, but he was a man.

這個年輕人就是西奧多?羅斯福。在他二十多歲的時候，他認(rèn)為他的生活將永遠地黑暗無光。但是，他沒有消沉，繼續(xù)向前走，后來成為了美國的總統(tǒng)。作為一個總統(tǒng)，他為他的國家服務(wù)，永遠就像在競技場上戰(zhàn)斗，風(fēng)云變幻，對手強大，有時他做了正確的事，有時他做了錯誤的事，但是他是一個真正的人。

And as I leave, let me say, that is an example I think all of us should remember. We think sometimes when things happen that don't go the right way; we think that when you don't pass the bar exam the first time -- I happened to, but I was just lucky; I mean my writing was so poor that bar examiner said, "We have just got to let the guy through." [Laughter] We think that when someone dear to us dies, we think that when we lose an election, we think that when we suffer defeat, that all is ended. We think, as T.R. said, that the light had left his life forever.

現(xiàn)在，我即將離開，我想這是一個很好的例子，我們所有人都應(yīng)該記住。有時，我們會覺得事情糟透了，比如你第一次的時候沒有通過律師資格考試。我就是這樣，但是我很幸運，我的意思是我的寫作差極了，但是考官說：“我們讓這個家伙通過算了?！保牨姷男β暎┊?dāng)我們親愛的人死去，我們會這樣想，當(dāng)我們輸?shù)粢淮芜x舉的時候，我們會這樣想，當(dāng)我們被擊敗的時候，我們會這樣想。我們會想所有一切都完了。這正如西奧多?羅斯福所說的：“生命中的光永遠地熄滅了。”

Not true. It is only a beginning always. The young must know it; the old must know it. It must always sustain us because the greatness comes not when things go always good for you, but the greatness comes when you are really tested, when you take some knocks, some disappointments, when sadness comes, because only if you have been in the deepest valley can you ever know how magnificent it is to be at the highest mountain.

但是，這不是真的。它永遠只是一個開始。年輕人一定要知道這一點，老年人也一定要知道這一點。我們必須永遠都記得這一點，生命中的偉大時刻并不僅僅是那些成功的時刻，也包括那些考驗?zāi)愕臅r刻，打擊你的時刻，你感到失望的時刻，你悲傷的時刻。因為只有當(dāng)你身處最深的山谷，你才會知道在最高的山峰之上將是何等壯美。

And so I say to you on this occasion, as we leave, we leave proud of the people who have stood by us and worked for us and served this country. We want you to be proud of what you have done. We want you to continue to serve in Government, if that is your wish. Always give your best, never get discouraged, never be petty; always remember other may hate you, but those who hate you don't win unless you hate them, and then you destroy yourself.

所以，我要對你們這些在場的人說，我們就要走了，我們是帶著驕傲離開的。我們?yōu)槟切┡c我們站在一起的人們感到驕傲，他們?yōu)槲覀児ぷ鳎瑸檫@個國家服務(wù)。我們要你們?yōu)樽约核鲞^的事情感到驕傲。我們要你們繼續(xù)在政府中服務(wù)，如果你們愿意的話。永遠竭盡全力，永遠不要失去勇氣，永遠不要成為心胸狹窄的人，永遠要記得，可能有人會恨你，但是那些恨你的人不會贏，除非你也恨他們，那樣的話，你就將毀了你自己。

And so, we leave with high hopes, in good spirit and with deep humility, and with very much gratefulness in our hearts. I can only say to each and every one of you, we come from many faiths, we pray perhaps to different gods, but really the same God in a sense, but I want to say for each and every one of you, not only will we always remember you, not only will we always be grateful to you but always you will be in our hearts and you will be in our prayers.

我們走了，帶著巨大的希望，我們的精神是高昂的，我們的態(tài)度是非常謙卑的，我們的心中是滿懷感激的。我對你們每一個人所能說的就是，我們也許有不同的信仰，我們也許向不同的神靈祈禱，但是在某種意義上，我們的神是一樣的。我要對你們每一個人說，我們不僅會永遠地記得你們，永遠地感激你們，我們還會將你們放到我們的心上，每一次祈禱的時候，我們都將想到你們。

（2007年8月19日譯）