Change has come to America

改变已经降临到美国了。

Past President Obama’s speeches are mostly inspiring and well worth taking lessons from. The victory speech made when he knew that he had won the election to be the next President of the United States of America in 2008 is one example that we can all learn from. One of the first lessons to take in, in this speech, is the prolific use of personal pronouns, especially the use of the words “we” and “our” and “us”. If we care to count the number of pronouns used in total and match the number of times these three words of “we”, “our” and “us” were used we would find “we” was used 40 times out of 131, “our” was used 22 times and “us”, 11 times. Together, these three personal pronoun words were used 56% of all personal pronouns. Such a heavy reliance on personal pronouns has an effect of creating an intimate dialogue style and shortens the distance between him and his listeners. Every listener to his speech felt that Obama was treating him or her with respect and with dignity. It was the ‘victory’ not only of Obama’s but of the entire nation, whether Black or White, whether rich or poor, whether Democrats or Republicans.

过去奥巴马总统的演讲大多鼓舞人心，值得借鉴。当他知道自己赢得了2008年美利坚合众国下一任总统的选举时，他的胜利演讲就是一个值得我们学习的例子。在这次演讲中，首先要吸取的教训之一是人称代词的大量使用，尤其是“我们(we)”、“我们的(our)”和“我们(us)”等词的使用。如果我们仔细计算总共使用的代词数量并匹配“我们(we)”、“我们的(our)”和“我们(us)”这三个词的使用次数，我们会发现在 131 次中使用了 40 次“我们(we)”，“我们的(our)”被使用了 22 次，“我们(us)”被使用了 11 次。
这三个人称代词加在一起占所有人称代词的 56%。如此严重地依赖人称代词，创造了一种亲密的对话风格，并缩短了他与听众之间的距离。他演讲的每一位听众都觉得奥巴马是在以尊重和尊严的方式对待他或她。这不仅是奥巴马的胜利，也是整个国家的“胜利”，无论是黑人还是白人，无论贫富，无论是民主党人还是共和党人。

Now let is read the entire speech in full below with analysis where necessary to illustrate the brilliance of the use of the English language.

现在让我们在下面完整阅读整个演讲，并在必要时进行分析以说明英语使用的辉煌。

SOURCE: https://www.sfgate.com/news/article/Obama-speech-text-Change-has-come-to-America-3186672.php. Victory Speech by past President Obama on 6th November 2008, after winning the American Presidential Election.

Hear the first part of the speech from YouTube: https://youtu.be/bN5YMz8yuKI

NOTE # 1: The paragraphs in the speech are short and when Obama said them, he made it a point to be deliberately slow, with appropriate pauses for effect with the crowd, his listeners.

“If there is anyone out there who still doubts that America is a place where all things are possible, who still wonders if the dream of our founders is alive in our time, who still questions the power of our democracy, tonight is your answer.”

“如果有人仍然怀疑美国是一个一切皆有可能的地方，仍然怀疑我们创始人的梦想在我们这个时代是否还活着，仍然质疑我们民主的力量，今晚就是你的答案。 ”

NOTE # 2: This opening paragraph has only one sentence and the use of three adjective clauses illustrates to us as his emphasis regarding the theme of his speech which is “Tonight is Your Answer” … to the three classes of people in the audience - those who doubts, those who wonders, and those who questions.

“It’s the answer told by lines that stretched around schools and churches in numbers this nation has never seen, by people who waited three hours and four hours, many for the first time in their lives, because they believed that this time must be different, that their voices could be that difference.”

“这是这个国家从未见过的在学校和教堂周围排起长队的人，等待三个小时和四个小时的人，其中许多人是他们一生中的第一次，因为他们相信这次必须有所不同，现在可以听到他们的声音了。”

“It’s the answer spoken by young and old, rich and poor, Democrat and Republican, black, white, Hispanic, Asian, Native American, gay, straight, disabled and not disabled. Americans who sent a message to the world that we have never been just a collection of individuals or a collection of red states and blue states.”

“这是年轻人和老年人、富人和穷人、民主党人和共和党人、黑人、白人、西班牙裔、亚洲人、美洲原住民、同性恋、异性恋、残疾人和非残疾人说出的答案。美国人向世界发出了我们从未有过的信息只是个人的集合，或者红州和蓝州的集合。”

NOTE # 3: Paragraphs 2 and 3 are again one sentence paragraphs. All the three paragraphs, taken together, consolidated President Obama’s point that America was strong and the election was fair and that the people should now be bound together as one voice, regardless of differences in race, in religious beliefs and in political preferences.

President Obama sings “Amazing Grace” - https://youtu.be/IN05jVNBs64

“It’s the answer that led those who’ve been told for so long by so many to be cynical and fearful and doubtful about what we can achieve to put their hands on the arc of history and bend it once more toward the hope of a better day.”

“正是这个答案让那些长期以来被如害怕和怀疑的人对我们能够取得的成就感到愤世嫉俗。”

“It’s been a long time coming, but tonight, because of what we did on this date in this election at this defining moment, change has come to America.”

“已经等了很长时间了，但今晚，由于我们在这次选举中在这个决定性时刻所做的事情，美国即将发生重大变化。”

NOTE # 4: President Obama then acknowledged all people that had assisted in his victory, including his opponent Senator McCain whom he described as a brave and selfless person.

“A little bit earlier this evening, I received an extraordinarily gracious call from Senator McCain.”

“今晚早些时候，我接到了麦凯恩参议员非常亲切的电话。”

“Sen. McCain fought long and hard in this campaign. And he’s fought even longer and harder for the country that he loves. He has endured sacrifices for America that most of us cannot begin to imagine. We are better off for the service rendered by this brave and selfless leader.”

“参议员麦凯恩在这场竞选中长期而艰苦地战斗。他为他所爱的国家而奋斗得更久、更努力。他为美国忍受了我们大多数人无法想象的牺牲。我们因这提供的服务而过得更好勇敢无私的领导者。”

“I congratulate him; I congratulate Gov. Palin for all that they’ve achieved. And I look forward to working with them to renew this nation’s promise in the months ahead.”

NOTE # 5: He acknowledged the support of Vice-President elect, Joe Bidden, and all of his family members.

“I want to thank my partner in this journey, a man who campaigned from his heart, and spoke for the men and women he grew up with on the streets of Scranton, and rode with on the train home to Delaware, the vice president-elect of the United States, Joe Biden.”

“And I would not be standing here tonight without the unyielding support of my best friend for the last 16 years, the rock of our family, the love of my life, the nation’s next first lady, Michelle Obama.”

“我祝贺他；我祝贺佩林州长取得的一切成就。我期待着与他们合作，在未来几个月内重申这个国家的承诺。我要感谢我在这段旅程中的伙伴，一个发自内心的竞选，并在斯克兰顿的街道上为与他一起长大的男人和女人说话，并与副总统一起乘坐火车回特拉华州的美国副总统乔拜登. 如果没有我过去 16 年来最好的朋友的坚定支持、我们家庭的磐石、我一生的挚爱、国家的下一任第一夫人米歇尔奥巴马，我今晚就不会站在这里。”

“Sasha 和 Malia：我比你想象的更爱你们。而且你们赢得了和我们一起来到白宫的新小狗。”

“Sasha and Malia: I love you both more than you can imagine. And you have earned the new puppy that’s coming with us to the White House.”

“虽然她不再和我们在一起，但我知道我的祖母在看着我，还有让我成为现在这个样子的家人。我今晚很想念他们。我知道我欠他们的债是无法估量的。我的姐姐玛雅，我的妹妹阿尔玛，我所有的其他兄弟姐妹，非常感谢你们给予我的所有支持。我很感激他们。还有我的竞选经理大卫普洛夫，他是这场竞选的无名英雄，他建立了最好的——我认为是美利坚合众国历史上最好的政治竞选。”

“And while she’s no longer with us, I know my grandmother’s watching, along with the family that made me who I am. I miss them tonight. I know that my debt to them is beyond measure.”

“To my sister Maya, my sister Alma, all my other brothers and sisters, thank you so much for all the support that you’ve given me. I am grateful to them.”

“And to my campaign manager, David Plouffe, the unsung hero of this campaign, who built the best - the best political campaign, I think, in the history of the United States of America.”

“To my chief strategist, David Axeirod, who’s been a partner with me every step of the way.”

“To the best campaign team ever assembled in the history of politics - you made this happen, and I am forever grateful for what you’ve sacrificed to get it done.”

NOTE # 6: See how he used the personal pronouns “you” and “yours” so effectively to involve his listeners. He also used other personal pronouns like “we”, “us”, and “our” to shorten the distance between him and his audience and to maintain an equal and reliant relationship between them. This helped to persuade his audience to share his idea of going through coming difficulties together.

“But above all, I will never forget who this victory truly belongs to. It belongs to you. It belongs to you.”

“致我的首席战略师 David Axeirod，他在每一步都是我的合作伙伴。致政治史上有史以来最好的竞选团队——你们让这一切发生了，我永远感激你们为完成它所做的牺牲。但最重要的是，我永远不会忘记这场胜利真正属于谁。它属于你。它属于你们的。”

“I was never the likeliest candidate for this office. We didn’t start with much money or many endorsements. Our campaign was not hatched in the halls of Washington. It began in the backyards of Des Moines and the living rooms of Concord and the front porches of Charleston. It was built by working men and women who dug into what little savings they had to give $5 and $10 and $20 to the cause.”

“我从来都不是这个办公室最有可能的候选人。我们开始时没有多少钱或很多代言。我们的竞选活动不是在华盛顿的大厅里孵化的。它开始于得梅因的后院和康科德的客厅和查尔斯顿的前廊。它是由工薪阶层建造的，他们挖掘了他们不得不为这项事业捐出5美元、10美元和20美元的微薄积蓄。”

“It drew strength from the not-so-young people who braved the bitter cold and scorching heat to knock on doors of perfect strangers, and from the millions of Americans who volunteered and organised and proved that more than two centuries later, a government of the people, by the people and for the people has not perished from the Earth.”

“它从不那么年轻的人那里汲取了力量，他们冒着严寒和酷暑去敲完全陌生的门人民，由人民和为人民并没有从地球上消失。”

“This is your victory. And I know you didn’t do this just to win an election. And I know you didn’t do it for me. You did it because you understand the enormity of the task that lies ahead. For even as we celebrate tonight, we know the challenges that tomorrow will bring are the greatest of our lifetime - two wars, a planet in peril, the worst financial crisis in a century.”

NOTE # 7: Obama’s victory speech successfully created a dialogue style that was significant for him to win widespread support for his new government.

“这是你的胜利。我知道你不是为我做的。您这样做是因为您了解摆在面前的任务的艰巨性。
因为即使我们今晚庆祝，我们也知道明天将带来的挑战是我们一生中最大的挑战——两场战争，一个处于危险之中的星球，一个世纪以来最严重的金融危机。”

“Even as we stand here tonight, we know there are brave Americans waking up in the deserts of Iraq and the mountains of Afghanistan to risk their lives for us. There are mothers and fathers who will lie awake after the children fall asleep and wonder how they’ll make the mortgage or pay their doctors’ bills or save enough for their child’s college education.”

“There’s new energy to harness, new jobs to be created, new schools to build, and threats to meet, alliances to repair.”

“即使我们今晚站在这里，我们也知道有勇敢的美国人在伊拉克的沙漠和阿富汗的山区醒来，为我们冒着生命危险。有些父母在孩子们睡着后会醒来，想知道如何他们将支付抵押贷款或支付医生账单或为孩子的大学教育存足够的钱。有新的能量需要利用，新的就业机会需要创造，新的学校需要建设，威胁需要应对，联盟需要修复。”

“The road ahead will be long. Our climb will be steep. We may not get there in one year or even one term. But, America, I have never been more hopeful than I am tonight that we will get there. I promise you: We as a people will get there.”

“There will be setbacks and false starts. There are many who won’t agree with every decision or policy I make as president. And we know the government can’t solve every problem.”

“But I will always be honest with you about the challenges we face. I will listen to you, especially when we disagree. And, above all, I will ask you to join in the work of remaking this nation, the only way it’s been done in America for 221 years - block by block, brick by brick, hand by hand.”

“前面的路会很长。我们的攀登会很陡峭。我们可能在一年甚至一个学期内都无法到达那里。但是，美国，我从来没有像今晚那样对我们能够到达那里充满希望。我向你保证：我们作为一个民族会到达那里。 会有挫折和错误的开始。有很多人不会同意我作为总统做出的每一个决定或政策。我们知道政府无法解决所有问题。”
“但对于我们面临的挑战，我将永远诚实地告诉你。我会倾听你的意见，尤其是在我们意见不同的时候。而且，最重要的是，我会请你加入重建这个国家的工作，这是它一直以来的唯一方式在美国做了 221 年 - 一个街区，一砖一瓦，一手一手。”

“What began 21 months ago in the depths of winter cannot end on this autumn night. This victory alone is not the change we seek. It is only the chance for us to make that change. And that cannot happen if we go back to the way things were. It can’t happen without you, without a new spirit of service, a new spirit of sacrifice.”

“So let us summon a new spirit of patriotism, of responsibility, where each of us resolves to pitch in and work harder and look after not only ourselves but each other.”

“Let us remember that, if this financial crisis taught us anything, it’s that we cannot have a thriving Wall Street while Main Street suffers.”

“In this country, we rise or fall as one nation, as one people. Let’s resist the temptation to fall back on the same partisanship and pettiness and immaturity that have poisoned our politics for so long.”

“21个月前在深冬开始的事情不能在这个秋夜结束。单靠这场胜利不是我们寻求的改变。这只是我们做出改变的机会。如果我们回到过去，那不会发生。事情本来就是这样。没有你，没有新的服务精神，新的牺牲精神，这一切都不会发生。因此，让我们唤起一种新的爱国主义和责任感，我们每个人都决心投入工作，更加努力地工作，不仅要照顾好自己，还要照顾好彼此。”
“让我们记住，如果这场金融危机教会了我们什么，那就是当大街受苦时，我们不能拥有繁荣的华尔街。在这个国家，我们作为一个国家，作为一个民族兴盛或衰落。让我们抵制诱惑，回到长期以来毒害我们政治的党派偏见、小气和不成熟。”

NOTE # 8: Obama’s speech was eloquent, humble, and concise. His speech presented his audience with information needed to carry the audience with him in his major task of government ahead.

“Let’s remember that it was a man from this state who first carried the banner of the Republican Party to the White House, a party founded on the values of self-reliance and individual liberty and national unity. Those are values that we all share. And while the Democratic Party has won a great victory tonight, we do so with a measure of humility and determination to heal the divides that have held back our progress.”

“让我们记住，是这个州的一个人首先将共和党的旗帜带到了白宫，这个党建立在自力更生、个人自由和民族团结的价值观之上。这些是我们所有人共有的价值观。虽然民主党今晚赢得了伟大的胜利，但我们以一定的谦逊和决心来弥合阻碍我们进步的分歧。”

“As Lincoln said to a nation far more divided than ours, we are not enemies but friends. Though passion may have strained, it must not break our bonds of affection. And to those Americans whose support I have yet to earn, I may not have won your vote tonight, but I hear your voices. I need your help. And I will be your president, too. And to all those watching tonight from beyond our shores, from parliaments and palaces, to those who are huddled around radios in the forgotten corners of the world, our stories are singular, but our destiny is shared, and a new dawn of American leadership is at hand.”

“正如林肯对一个比我们分裂的国家更加分裂的国家所说的那样，我们不是敌人而是朋友。虽然激情可能已经紧张，但它不能打破我们的感情纽带。对于那些我还没有获得支持的美国人，我可能不会今晚赢得了你的选票，但我听到了你的声音。我需要你的帮助。我也将成为你的总统。还有所有今晚在我们海岸之外、议会和宫殿里观看的人，以及那些挤在收音机旁的人世界上被遗忘的角落，我们的故事是独一无二的，但我们的命运是共同的，美国领导力的新曙光就在眼前。”

NOTE # 9: The purpose of the speech was to express his viewpoint on things in the world, to change the audience’s attitudes and to arouse the audience’s passion to share the same proposals with him.

“To those - to those who would tear the world down: We will defeat you. To those who seek peace and security: We support you. And to all those who have wondered if America’s beacon still burns as bright: Tonight we proved once more that the true strength of our nation comes not from the might of our arms or the scale of our wealth, but from the enduring power of our ideals: democracy, liberty, opportunity and unyielding hope.”

"致那些想要摧毁世界的人：我们会打败你。致那些寻求和平与安全的人：我们支持你们。对于那些想知道美国的灯塔是否仍然如此明亮的人来说：今晚我们再次证明，我们国家的真正力量不是来自我们武器的力量或财富的规模，而是来自我们理想的持久力量：民主、自由、机会和不屈不挠的希望。”

“That’s the true genius of America: that America can change. Our union can be perfected. What we’ve already achieved gives us hope for what we can and must achieve tomorrow.”

“This election had many firsts and many stories that will be told for generations. But one that’s on my mind tonight’s about a woman who cast her ballot in Atlanta. She’s a lot like the millions of others who stood in line to make their voice heard in this election except for one thing - Ann Nixon Cooper is 106 years old. She was born just a generation past slavery; a time when there were no cars on the road or planes in the sky; when someone like her couldn’t vote for two reasons - because she was a woman and because of the color of her skin. And tonight, I think about all that she’s seen throughout her century in America - the heartache and the hope; the struggle and the progress; the times we were told that we can’t, and the people who pressed on with that American creed: Yes we can.”

“这就是美国真正的天才之处：美国可以改变。我们的联盟可以得到完善。我们已经取得的成就让我们对明天能够而且必须取得的成就抱有希望。这次选举有许多第一次和许多故事，将传给几代人。但今晚让我想起的一个是关于一位在亚特兰大投票的女性。她很像其他数百万排队等待表达自己声音的人在这次选举中，除了一件事——安·尼克松·库珀 (Ann Nixon Cooper) 已经 106 岁了。她出生就过了奴隶制的一代；当时路上没有汽车或天空中没有飞机；当像她这样的人无法投票时两个原因——因为她是女人，因为她的肤色。今晚，我想起了她在美国这个世纪以来所看到的一切——心痛和希望；奋斗和进步；我们被告知的时代我们不能，以及那些坚持美国信条的人：是的，我们可以。”

“At a time when women’s voices were silenced and their hopes dismissed, she lived to see them stand up and speak out and reach for the ballot. Yes we can. When there was despair in the dust bowl and depression across the land, she saw a nation conquer fear itself with a New Deal, new jobs, a new sense of common purpose. Yes we can.”

“When the bombs fell on our harbor and tyranny threatened the world, she was there to witness a generation rise to greatness, and a democracy was saved. Yes we can. She was there for the buses in Montgomery, the hoses in Birmingham, a bridge in Selma and a preacher from Atlanta who told a people that We Shall Overcome. Yes we can.”

“在女性的声音被压制、她们的希望破灭的时候，她活着看到她们站起来说话并伸手去拿选票。是的，我们可以。当尘土飞扬的绝望和整个土地的萧条时，她看到了一个国家通过新政、新工作和新的共同目标感战胜恐惧。是的，我们可以。当炸弹落在我们的港口，暴政威胁到世界时，她在那里见证了一代人的崛起，民主得以拯救。我们可以。她在蒙哥马利的公共汽车、伯明翰的水管、塞尔玛的桥梁和亚特兰大的传教士那里，他告诉人们我们将克服。我们可以。”

“A man touched down on the moon, a wall came down in Berlin, a world was connected by our own science and imagination. And this year, in this election, she touched her finger to a screen and cast her vote, because after 106 years in America, through the best of times and the darkest of hours, she knows how America can change. Yes we can.”

America, we have come so far. We have seen so much. But there is so much more to do. So tonight, let us ask ourselves - if our children should live to see the next century; if my daughters should be so lucky to live as long as Ann Nixon Cooper, what change will they see? What progress will we have made?

“一个人降落在月球上，柏林的一堵墙倒塌，一个世界由我们自己的科学和想象力连接起来。今年，在这次选举中，她用手指触摸屏幕并投票，因为在 106在美国度过了最好的时光和最黑暗的岁月，她知道美国可以如何改变。是的，我们可以。美国，我们已经走了这么远。我们已经看到了这么多。但是还有很多事情要做。所以今晚，让我们问问自己——我们的孩子是否应该活着看到下个世纪；如果我的女儿们幸运地活得像安尼克松库珀一样长寿，她们会看到什么变化？我们将取得哪些进展？

“This is our chance to answer that call. This is our moment.”

“This is our time, to put our people back to work and open doors of opportunity for our kids; to restore prosperity and promote the cause of peace; to reclaim the American dream and reaffirm that fundamental truth, that, out of many, we are one; that while we breathe, we hope. And where we are met with cynicism and doubts and those who tell us that we can’t, we will respond with that timeless creed that sums up the spirit of a people: Yes, we can.”

NOTE # 10: Imperial clauses play important roles in a speech. They can appeal to audience to follow the addresser’s instructions, in that they can help to build up the authority of the addresser. This speech by Obama is such a speech with the use of many such imperial clauses.

“Thank you. God bless you. And may God bless the United States of America.”

“这是我们接听电话的机会。这是我们的时刻。”
“现在是我们的时代，让我们的人民重返工作岗位，为我们的孩子打开机会之门；恢复繁荣并促进和平事业；重拾美国梦并重申这一基本真理，在许多人中，我们是一；当我们呼吸时，我们希望。当我们遇到愤世嫉俗和怀疑以及那些告诉我们不能的人时，我们将用总结一个民族精神的永恒信条来回应：是的，我们能够。”
“谢谢你。上帝保佑你。愿上帝保佑美国。”