【希拉里退职演说】

一般很少看到竞选失败的演说,然而看到希拉里的演说以后,你觉得她从竞选台上走下来的姿态很优雅,优雅得让所有人觉得她虽败尤荣.而且还谈到对竞选对手奥巴马的赞美与支持,又不得不令人佩服她的胸襟.虽然如果不帮助奥巴马,她将面临巨大的债务.转发此精彩演说,与众博友共享!

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我们未能走到最后,对于为此失望的人,特别是为这一竞选如此投入的年轻人,如果因为我没有达成目标,使你们丧失了追求自己目标的勇气,我感到万分难过.

永远力争上游,勤奋工作,执着信念.跌下去,要坚持信仰,被击倒,要马上起来,决不要听任何说你不能或不该走下去.

我们今天聚集在这座有历史意义的宏伟建筑里,第50位离开地球的女性正在我们的头顶上绕轨道飞行.如果我们能把50个女人送上太空，我们有朝一日也将把一位女性送入白宫。

这一次，我们没能打碎那块最高最硬的玻璃天花板，但因为你们，它有了大约1800万道裂缝。阳光从来没有像现在这样照进来，让我们充满希望，坚信这条路下次会好走一点儿。

美国的发展进步向来如此。想想那些1848年聚集在塞尼卡福尔斯的妇女参政主义者和那些坚持战斗直到妇女获得投票权的人。

想想那些为结束奴隶制而战斗牺牲的废奴主义者。想想为结束种族隔离和种族歧视制度游行、示威、抗议、冒生命危险的民权英雄和无名战士。

因为他们，我从小大到就认为女性当然有投票权，因为他们，我的女儿从小到大都认为各种肤色的孩子当然可以一起去学校。因为他们，贝拉克.奥巴马和我才能为赢得民主党总统侯选人提名艰苦地战战斗。因为他们，也因为你们，今天的孩子从小到大也会认为非裔美国人或女性可以当选美国总统。

因此，我想对我的支持者说：“当你们听到有人说或者自己琢磨：真希望如何如何，或者如果怎样就会怎样，我劝你千万不要往那边去回顾过去而浪费的每个时刻都妨碍我们向前。

生命太短暂，时间太宝贵，沉湎于过去代价太高。我们必须面对现实，共同努力。正因为如此，我鞠躬尽瘁确保奥巴马参议员成为下届总统。

既然是人，我们就不完美，所以我们需要彼此，在站不稳的时侯相互扶助，在失意的时侯相互鼓励。有些人可有在前面领路，有些人可能在后面跟随，但没有能单干。

我们要实现的变革只有大家共同努力才能实现。生命、自由和对幸福的追求是属于每一个人的权利。但只有齐心协力，我们的生命，我们的自由，我们的幸福才能得到最好的享有，保护和发展。

今天，放眼过去，我从未像现在这样欣慰，和无数美国人在日常生活中面对的挑战相比，我在这场竞选中面对的挑战不算什么。

现在我该做的是尽已尽能，确保在这场选举中给40年那个短短的民主党总统名单增加一位，确保夺回我们的国家，再次以进步和承诺走向未来。

谢谢大家。上帝保佑你们，上帝保佑美国。

Hillary Clinton's concession speech

by James Oliphant

Here is the full text of the speech Hillary Clinton gave in Washington today, in which she ended her presidential campaign and endorsed Barack Obama:

"Thank you so much. Thank you all.

Well, this isn't exactly the party I'd planned, but I sure like the company.

I want to start today by saying how grateful I am to all of you - to everyone who poured your hearts and your hopes into this campaign, who drove for miles and lined the streets waving homemade signs, who scrimped and saved to raise money, who knocked on doors and made calls, who talked and sometimes argued with your friends and neighbors, who emailed and contributed online, who invested so much in our common enterprise, to the moms and dads who came to our events, who lifted their little girls and little boys on their shoulders and whispered in their ears, "See, you can be anything you want to be."

"To the young people like 13 year-old Ann Riddle from Mayfield, Ohio who had been saving for two years to go to Disney World, and decided to use her savings instead to travel to Pennsylvania with her Mom and volunteer there as well. To the veterans and the childhood friends, to New Yorkers and Arkansans who traveled across the country and telling anyone who would listen why you supported me.

To all those women in their 80s and their 90s born before women could vote who cast their votes for our campaign. I've told you before about Florence Steen of South Dakota, who was 88 years old, and insisted that her daughter bring an absentee ballot to her hospice bedside. Her daughter and a friend put an American flag behind her bed and helped her fill out the ballot. She passed away soon after, and under state law, her ballot didn't count. But her daughter later told a reporter, "My dad's an ornery old cowboy, and he didn't like it when he heard mom's vote wouldn't be counted. I don't think he had voted in 20 years. But he voted in place of my mom."

To all those who voted for me, and to whom I pledged my utmost, my commitment to you and to the progress we seek is unyielding. You have inspired and touched me with the stories of the joys and sorrows that make up the fabric of our lives and you have humbled me with your commitment to our country.

18 million of you from all walks of life - women and men, young and old, Latino and Asian, African-American and Caucasian, rich, poor and middle class, gay and straight - you have stood strong with me. And I will continue to stand strong with you, every time, every place, and every way that I can. The dreams we share are worth fighting for.

Remember - we fought for the single mom with a young daughter, juggling work and school, who told me, "I'm doing it all to better myself for her." We fought for the woman who grabbed my hand, and asked me, "What are you going to do to make sure I have health care?" and began to cry because even though she works three jobs, she can't afford insurance. We fought for the young man in the Marine Corps t-shirt who waited months for medical care and said, "Take care of my buddies over there and then, will you please help take care of me?" We fought for all those who've lost jobs and health care, who can't afford gas or groceries or college, who have felt invisible to their president these last seven years.

I entered this race because I have an old-fashioned conviction: that public service is about helping people solve their problems and live their dreams. I've had every opportunity and blessing in my own life - and I want the same for all Americans. Until that day comes, you will always find me on the front lines of democracy - fighting for the future.

The way to continue our fight now - to accomplish the goals for which we stand - is to take our energy, our passion, our strength and do all we can to help elect Barack Obama the next President of the United States.

Today, as I suspend my campaign, I congratulate him on the victory he has won and the extraordinary race he has run. I endorse him, and throw my full support behind him. And I ask all of you to join me in working as hard for Barack Obama as you have for me.

I have served in the Senate with him for four years. I have been in this campaign with him for 16 months. I have stood on the stage and gone toe-to-toe with him in 22 debates. I have had a front row seat to his candidacy, and I have seen his strength and determination, his grace and his grit.

In his own life, Barack Obama has lived the American Dream. As a community organizer, in the state senate, as a United States Senator - he has dedicated himself to ensuring the dream is realized. And in this campaign, he has inspired so many to become involved in the democratic process and invested in our common future.

Now when I started this race, I intended to win back the White House, and make sure we have a president who puts our country back on the path to peace, prosperity, and progress. And that's exactly what we're going to do by ensuring that Barack Obama walks through the doors of the Oval Office on January 20, 2009.

I understand that we all know this has been a tough fight. The Democratic Party is a family, and it's now time to restore the ties that bind us together and to come together around the ideals we share, the values we cherish, and the country we love.

We may have started on separate journeys - but today, our paths have merged. And we are all heading toward the same destination, united and more ready than ever to win in November and to turn our country around because so much is at stake.

We all want an economy that sustains the American Dream, the opportunity to work hard and have that work rewarded, to save for college, a home and retirement, to afford that gas and those groceries and still have a little left over at the end of the month. An economy that lifts all of our people and ensures that our prosperity is broadly distributed and shared.

We all want a health care system that is universal, high quality, and affordable so that parents no longer have to choose between care for themselves or their children or be stuck in dead end jobs simply to keep their insurance. This isn't just an issue for me - it is a passion and a cause - and it is a fight I will continue until every single American is insured - no exceptions, no excuses.

We all want an America defined by deep and meaningful equality - from civil rights to labor rights, from women's rights to gay rights, from ending discrimination to promoting unionization to providing help for the most important job there is: caring for our families.

We all want to restore America's standing in the world, to end the war in Iraq and once again lead by the power of our values, and to join with our allies to confront our shared challenges from poverty and genocide to terrorism and global warming.

You know, I've been involved in politics and public life in one way or another for four decades. During those forty years, our country has voted ten times for President. Democrats won only three of those times. And the man who won two of those elections is with us today.

We made tremendous progress during the 90s under a Democratic President, with a flourishing economy, and our leadership for peace and security respected around the world. Just think how much more progress we could have made over the past 40 years if we had a Democratic president. Think about the lost opportunities of these past seven years - on the environment and the economy, on health care and civil rights, on education, foreign policy and the Supreme Court. Imagine how far we could've come, how much we could've achieved if we had just had a Democrat in the White House.

We cannot let this moment slip away. We have come too far and accomplished too much.

Now the journey ahead will not be easy. Some will say we can't do it. That it's too hard. That we're just not up to the task. But for as long as America has existed, it has been the American way to reject "can't do" claims, and to choose instead to stretch the boundaries of the possible through hard work, determination, and a pioneering spirit.

It is this belief, this optimism, that Senator Obama and I share, and that has inspired so many millions of our supporters to make their voices heard.

So today, I am standing with Senator Obama to say: Yes we can.

Together we will work. We'll have to work hard to get universal health care. But on the day we live in an America where no child, no man, and no woman is without health insurance, we will live in a stronger America. That's why we need to help elect Barack Obama our President.

We'll have to work hard to get back to fiscal responsibility and a strong middle class. But on the day we live in an America whose middle class is thriving and growing again, where all Americans, no matter where they live or where their ancestors came from, can earn a decent living, we will live in a stronger America and that is why we must elect Barack Obama our President.

We'll have to work hard to foster the innovation that makes us energy independent and lift the threat of global warming from our children's future. But on the day we live in an America fueled by renewable energy, we will live in a stronger America. That's why we have to help elect Barack Obama our President.

We'll have to work hard to bring our troops home from Iraq, and get them the support they've earned by their service. But on the day we live in an America that's as loyal to our troops as they have been to us, we will live in a stronger America and that is why we must help elect Barack Obama our President.

This election is a turning point election and it is critical that we all understand what our choice really is. Will we go forward together or will we stall and slip backwards. Think how much progress we have already made. When we first started, people everywhere asked the same questions:

Could a woman really serve as Commander-in-Chief? Well, I think we answered that one.

And could an African American really be our President? Senator Obama has answered that one.

Together Senator Obama and I achieved milestones essential to our progress as a nation, part of our perpetual duty to form a more perfect union.

Now, on a personal note - when I was asked what it means to be a woman running for President, I always gave the same answer: that I was proud to be running as a woman but I was running because I thought I'd be the best President. But I am a woman, and like millions of women, I know there are still barriers and biases out there, often unconscious.

I want to build an America that respects and embraces the potential of every last one of us.

I ran as a daughter who benefited from opportunities my mother never dreamed of. I ran as a mother who worries about my daughter's future and a mother who wants to lead all children to brighter tomorrows. To build that future I see, we must make sure that women and men alike understand the struggles of their grandmothers and mothers, and that women enjoy equal opportunities, equal pay, and equal respect. Let us resolve and work toward achieving some very simple propositions: There are no acceptable limits and there are no acceptable prejudices in the twenty-first century.

You can be so proud that, from now on, it will be unremarkable for a woman to win primary state victories, unremarkable to have a woman in a close race to be our nominee, unremarkable to think that a woman can be the President of the United States. And that is truly remarkable.

To those who are disappointed that we couldn't go all the way - especially the young people who put so much into this campaign - it would break my heart if, in falling short of my goal, I in any way discouraged any of you from pursuing yours. Always aim high, work hard, and care deeply about what you believe in. When you stumble, keep faith. When you're knocked down, get right back up. And never listen to anyone who says you can't or shouldn't go on.

As we gather here today in this historic magnificent building, the 50th woman to leave this Earth is orbiting overhead. If we can blast 50 women into space, we will someday launch a woman into the White House.

Although we weren't able to shatter that highest, hardest glass ceiling this time, thanks to you, it's got about 18 million cracks in it. And the light is shining through like never before, filling us all with the hope and the sure knowledge that the path will be a little easier next time. That has always been the history of progress in America.

Think of the suffragists who gathered at Seneca Falls in 1848 and those who kept fighting until women could cast their votes. Think of the abolitionists who struggled and died to see the end of slavery. Think of the civil rights heroes and foot-soldiers who marched, protested and risked their lives to bring about the end to segregation and Jim Crow.

Because of them, I grew up taking for granted that women could vote. Because of them, my daughter grew up taking for granted that children of all colors could go to school together. Because of them, Barack Obama and I could wage a hard fought campaign for the Democratic nomination. Because of them, and because of you, children today will grow up taking for granted that an African American or a woman can yes, become President of the United States.

When that day arrives and a woman takes the oath of office as our President, we will all stand taller, proud of the values of our nation, proud that every little girl can dream and that her dreams can come true in America. And all of you will know that because of your passion and hard work you helped pave the way for that day.

So I want to say to my supporters, when you hear people saying - or think to yourself - "if only" or "what if," I say, "please don't go there." Every moment wasted looking back keeps us from moving forward.

Life is too short, time is too precious, and the stakes are too high to dwell on what might have been. We have to work together for what still can be. And that is why I will work my heart out to make sure that Senator Obama is our next President and I hope and pray that all of you will join me in that effort.

To my supporters and colleagues in Congress, to the governors and mayors, elected officials who stood with me, in good times and in bad, thank you for your strength and leadership. To my friends in our labor unions who stood strong every step of the way - I thank you and pledge my support to you. To my friends, from every stage of my life - your love and ongoing commitments sustain me every single day. To my family - especially Bill and Chelsea and my mother, you mean the world to me and I thank you for all you have done. And to my extraordinary staff, volunteers and supporters, thank you for working those long, hard hours. Thank you for dropping everything - leaving work or school - traveling to places you'd never been, sometimes for months on end. And thanks to your families as well because your sacrifice was theirs too.

All of you were there for me every step of the way. Being human, we are imperfect. That's why we need each other. To catch each other when we falter. To encourage each other when we lose heart. Some may lead; others may follow; but none of us can go it alone. The changes we're working for are changes that we can only accomplish together. Life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness are rights that belong to each of us as individuals. But our lives, our freedom, our happiness, are best enjoyed, best protected, and best advanced when we do work together.

That is what we will do now as we join forces with Senator Obama and his campaign. We will make history together as we write the next chapter in America's story. We will stand united for the values we hold dear, for the vision of progress we share, and for the country we love. There is nothing more American than that.

And looking out at you today, I have never felt so blessed. The challenges that I have faced in this campaign are nothing compared to those that millions of Americans face every day in their own lives. So today, I'm going to count my blessings and keep on going. I'm going to keep doing what I was doing long before the cameras ever showed up and what I'll be doing long after they're gone: Working to give every American the same opportunities I had, and working to ensure that every child has the chance to grow up and achieve his or her God-given potential.

I will do it with a heart filled with gratitude, with a deep and abiding love for our country- and with nothing but optimism and confidence for the days ahead. This is now our time to do all that we can to make sure that in this election we add another Democratic president to that very small list of the last 40 years and that we take back our country and once again move with progress and commitment to the future.

Thank you all and God bless you and God bless America."

希拉里宣布结束竞选活动并背书支持 奥巴马 演讲

译/李代桃

译者按：2008年6月7日，竞逐美国民主党总统候选人提名的初选活动以巴拉克·奥巴马以微弱的优势胜出而落幕。参议员希拉里·克林顿发表演讲，宣布结束竞选活动，并背书支持奥巴马。本文系根据 《纽约时报》所刊版本翻译。倘有谬误，欢迎批评。

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谢谢，非常感谢各位。嗯，这场聚会正是我所期望的超出了我的期望，很感谢你们的到来。（鼓掌）

演讲前，我先要表达我对在场各位的感激。

这种感激是给你们的：每一位全心投入，为这场竞选满怀希望的人，每一位不远千里驱车前来，沿着街道聚集，用手摇摆出你们自制手势的人，每一位精打细算，节俭筹款的人，那些到各户敲门，给他人打电话的人，每一位和你的朋友和邻居讨论甚至争论起来的人。（鼓掌）那些发电子邮件的人，在网络上制造言论声势的人，每一位为我们共同的计划付出过的人，还有，每一位把父母带到现场的人，还有每一位带上年幼的儿女，你让孩子们坐在你的肩膀上，并在他们耳边轻声说：“看吧，你能成为你想成为的人。”（鼓掌）

还有年轻人…（鼓掌），例如来自俄亥俄州梅菲尔德的安妮·瑞德尔，她才十三岁，和她的妈妈到宾夕法尼亚州把准备去迪士尼世界积蓄了两年的零花钱，花在做志愿者的用途上。

还有那些退伍老兵，还有童年好友，还有来自纽约和阿肯色州的各位…（鼓掌）横穿了整个国度，对那些愿意倾听的人们解释，你为何选择支持我。

还有那些年至八旬、九旬的女性们（鼓掌）。她们诞生之时，妇女还没有投票的权利。她们选择了我们这个阵营。还有我之前已经跟你们讲过，来自达科他州南部的翡翠冷·斯黛恩，今年八十八岁的她坚持要她的女儿带上一张缺席选举人票到她的病床前。她的女儿和一位朋友把国旗挂在她的床头，并帮助她把选票投入票箱内。没多久，她离开了人世。根据国家法律，她的选票不能生效。后来她的女儿对记者说：“我爸是个脾气不大好的老牛仔，听到我妈的选票失效时他很失落。我想他有二十多年没有投过票了，但他这次代替我妈投上了一票。”（鼓掌）

所以，谢谢你们，曾经为我投上过一票，对那些我发誓过要尽我所能的人们，谢谢你们，还有我们努力过、不屈的过程。在你们的身上，各种欢乐的，或者令人伤感的故事，都让我振奋并触动了我的心弦。这些故事能编织成我们的人生。你们为这个国家所承担的一切让我变得谦逊。

你们这一千八百万，不论何种职业，（鼓掌）不论男女，不论老少，不论拉丁裔还是亚裔，非洲裔或者白人…（鼓掌），不论贫富，或者中产阶级，同性恋者或者直男们，你们一直与我站在一起。（鼓掌）无论何时何地，我将尽我所能，坚定地和你们站在一起。我们共同的梦想，是值得为之奋斗的。

请记住，我们为她们而奋斗。

那位有个小女儿的单亲母亲，她在工作和学校之间来回奔波，她对我说：“我要在她的面前做出一个更好的自我。”还有那位女士，她拉住过我的手并问我：“你会做些什么，才能确保我能有医疗服务？”然后她开始哭泣，因为虽然同时有三份工作，还是没有能力承担保险支出。

还有那位穿着海军陆战队T恤的女生，她连续几个月都没有得到医疗护理，她说：“请关照我的那些好友，还有，你何时才能帮得上我？”（鼓掌）

我们为那些没有医疗服务的失业者、无法支付煤气费、生活费用和上不起学的人而奋斗。我们为那些在过去这七年内被这任总统视而不见的人们而奋斗。

我参加这次竞选，心中坚守着一个老土的信念：公务人员就是为民众解决问题，达成理想。在我的人生中，我得到了许多机会，无比荣幸。但我想让所有的美利坚民众都能有这种待遇。

只要那天还没有出现，你就还能看到我为实现这个未来而奋斗在民主前线的身影。（鼓掌）

现在，要去继续这场斗争，要实现这个目标，我们必须把精力、热情和力量都凝聚起来，尽我们所能，去帮助巴拉克· 奥巴马成为美利坚合众国的下一任总统。（鼓掌）

今天，我的竞选活动都己停止。我对他所得到的胜利表示祝贺，还有他杰出的表现。我决定背书力挺奥巴马，并表示对他全力的支持。（鼓掌）我恳求你们和我一道，和你们曾经支持我那样地去为 奥巴马而奋斗。（鼓掌）

他和我一起做了四年的参议员。我和他进行了十六个月的竞选比赛。在这个舞台上，我和他进行过二十二次的辩论。我在这场比赛中一度领先，也见识了他的力量与决心，他的风度与毅力。

作为个人来说，巴拉克· 奥巴马为实现美国之梦，做过社区干事，干过州参议员，担任过联邦参议员。他把自身都奉献出去，为实现这个梦想。在这场竞选活动中，他激励了无数的民众去参与这个民主历程，并专注于我们共同的梦想。

当这场竞争开始之际，我已