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 a live in our time; who still questions the power of our democracy, tonight is your answer.

　　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 very first time in their lives, because they believed that this time must be different; that their voice could be that difference.

　　It’s the answer spoken by young and old, rich and poor, Democrat and Republican, black, white, Latino, Asian, Native American, gay, straight, disabled and not disabled – Americans who sent a message to the world that we have never been a collection of Red States and Blue States: we are, and always will be, the United States of America.

　　It’s the answer that led those who have been told for so long by so many to be cynical, and fearful, and doubtful of 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.

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

　　I just received a very gracious call from Senator McCain. He fought long and hard in this campaign, and he’s fought even longer and harder for the country he loves. He has endured sacrifices for America that most of us cannot begin to imagine, and we are better off for the service rendered by this brave and selfless leader. I congratulate him and Governor Palin for all they have achieved, and I look forward to working with them to renew this nation’s promise in the months ahead.

　　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 that train home to Delaware, the Vice President-elect of the United States, Joe Biden.

　　I would not be standing here tonight without the unyielding support of my best friend for the last sixteen years, the rock of our family and the love of my life, our nation’s next First Lady, Michelle Obama. Sasha and Malia, I love you both so much, and you have earned the new puppy that’s coming with us to the White House. And while she’s no longer with us, I know my grandm other is watching, along with the family that made me who I am. I miss them tonight, and know that my debt to them is beyond measure.

　　To my campaign manager David Plouffe, my chief strategist David Axelrod, and 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.

　　But above all, I will never forget who this victory truly belongs to – it belongs to you.

　　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 five dollars and ten dollars and twenty dollars to this cause. It grew strength from the young people who rejected the myth of their generation’s apathy; who left their homes and their families for jobs that offered little pay and less sleep; from the not-so-young people who braved the bitter cold and scorching heat to knock on the doors of perfect strangers; from the millions of Americans who volunteered, and organized, and proved that more than two centuries later, a government of the people, by the people and for the people has not perished from this Earth. This is your victory.

　　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. 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 their children fall asleep and wonder how they’ll make the mortgage, or pay their doctor’s bills, or save enough for college. There is new energy to harness and new jobs to be created; new schools to build and threats to meet and alliances to repair.

　　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,(點(diǎn)擊此處閱讀下一頁(yè))

　　 and we know that 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 join in the work of remaking this nation the only way it’s been done in America for two-hundred and twenty-one years – block by block, brick by brick, calloused hand by calloused hand.

　　What began twenty-one months ago in the depths of winter must not 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 cannot happen without you.

　　So let us summon a new spirit of patriotism; of service and responsibility where each of us resolves to pitch in and work harder and look after not onlyourselves, 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 us resist the temptation to fall back on the same partisanship and pettiness and immaturity that has poisoned our politics for so long. Let us 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, individual liberty, and national unity. Those are values 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. 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 supportI have yet to earn – I may not have won your vote, 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 our world – our stories are singular, but our destiny is shared, and a new dawn of American leadership is at hand. To those who would tear this 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 our 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.

　　For that is the true genius of America – that America can change. Our union can be perfected. And what we have 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 is 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.

　　At a time when women’s voices were silenced and theirhopes dismissed, she lived to see them stand up and speak out and reach forthe 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 and 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.

　　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?

　　This is our chance to answer that call.(點(diǎn)擊此處閱讀下一頁(yè))

　　 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 doubt, 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. Thank you, God bless you, and may God Bless the United States of America.

　　中文版：

　　美國(guó)是一個(gè)任何事情都有可能發(fā)生的國(guó)家，對(duì)于這一點(diǎn)如果還有任何人心存懷疑，對(duì)民主的力量還表示疑慮的話，今晚就是對(duì)這一問題的最好回答。

　　這個(gè)答案早已經(jīng)印在了到處懸掛在學(xué)校和教堂的競(jìng)選條幅上，人們隨處可見；
這些人們已經(jīng)等待了三四個(gè)小時(shí)，對(duì)于他們當(dāng)中的大多數(shù)，這是有生以來第一次經(jīng)歷這樣的過程，因?yàn)樗麄儓?jiān)信這一時(shí)刻注定與眾不同，而這種不同便有可能源自他們所發(fā)出的聲音。

　　這個(gè)答案出自這些人之口，無(wú)論是青年還是老年，窮人還是富人，民主黨還是共和黨，黑人還是白人，拉丁裔、亞裔還是美國(guó)本土人，同性戀者還是異性戀者，殘疾人還是非殘疾人——他們向世界發(fā)出了這樣的信息——我們從來不分紅色之州和藍(lán)色之州，我們永遠(yuǎn)都是美利堅(jiān)合眾國(guó)。

　　這個(gè)答案告訴了那些一直以來充滿焦慮、恐懼和懷疑的人們，我們可以將雙手放在歷史的轉(zhuǎn)折點(diǎn)上，將它再次帶向充滿希望的美好明天。

　　這一刻我們已經(jīng)等待了太久，但是今晚，由于我們?cè)谶@一決定性的時(shí)刻所作出的選擇，美國(guó)便迎來了它嶄新的一刻。

　　我剛剛接到了來自麥凱恩議員的電話。他在這場(chǎng)漫長(zhǎng)而艱難的選舉中一直努力著，而他為他所熱愛的國(guó)家所付出的努力甚至更加艱辛而久遠(yuǎn)�？赡芪覀儺�(dāng)中的很多人甚至都無(wú)法想象，麥凱恩議員從何時(shí)便開始為我們的國(guó)家奉獻(xiàn)自己，而我們卻早已享受到了這位勇敢無(wú)私的領(lǐng)導(dǎo)者為國(guó)家所做出的貢獻(xiàn)。對(duì)于他和佩林所付出的努力，我表示衷心的感謝，同時(shí)我也期待著，能夠和他們一同努力，共同實(shí)現(xiàn)我們這幾個(gè)月來所做出的承諾。

　　我要感謝我的競(jìng)選伙伴，新當(dāng)選的美國(guó)副總統(tǒng)喬·拜登，這一路走來，他始終遵循著自己內(nèi)心深處的那個(gè)聲音，他始終代表著那些和他一起在斯克蘭頓街邊長(zhǎng)大，一起坐著火車回到故鄉(xiāng)特拉華州的人們的聲音。

　　如果沒有過去這16年來?yè)从训闹С�，沒有穩(wěn)定的家庭和對(duì)生活的愛，沒有我們國(guó)家的下一位第一夫人，米歇爾·奧巴馬，今晚我將不可能站在這里。薩莎和瑪麗亞，我愛你們，你們已經(jīng)得到了一只新的小狗，它將和我們一起入住白宮。還有我的祖母，雖然她已經(jīng)不能和我們一起分享這一刻，但是我知道，她正和我的家人一起，注視著我，陪我經(jīng)歷著這一刻。我不會(huì)忘記，是他們養(yǎng)育我成人，今晚我是如此的想念他們，我知道，我所虧欠他們的，是永遠(yuǎn)無(wú)法報(bào)答的恩情。

　　對(duì)我的競(jìng)選負(fù)責(zé)人大衛(wèi)·普羅菲，我的首席戰(zhàn)略家大衛(wèi)·亞克瑟羅德以及有史以來最優(yōu)秀的競(jìng)選團(tuán)隊(duì)，我想對(duì)你們說的是——是你們成就了今天的一切，我將永遠(yuǎn)感激你們所付出的這一切。

　　但是，最重要的是，我將永遠(yuǎn)不會(huì)忘記，這個(gè)勝利是真正屬于你們的！

　　我一直都不是最有希望的那個(gè)候選人，一開始的時(shí)候我們便沒有那么多的資金或支持。我們的競(jìng)選之路并不是從華盛頓的高樓禮堂中開始的，它從德梅因的后院、協(xié)和酒店的客廳以及查爾斯頓的門廊中邁出了第一步。

　　它由那些需要從自己有限的存款中拿出5美元、10美元和20美元的工人們建立起來；
那些摒棄了他們那一代人冷漠神話的年輕人，那些遠(yuǎn)離家鄉(xiāng)親人在外打拼卻只能賺得微薄工資的人們，那些抵抗著刺骨的寒冷和灼人的炎熱敲響了陌生人家大門的人們，是你們給了它成長(zhǎng)的力量；
數(shù)以百萬(wàn)計(jì)的美國(guó)人民自愿組織起來，他們想要去證明兩個(gè)多世紀(jì)之后，一個(gè)由人民組成的政府，一個(gè)屬于人民的政府，一個(gè)為了人民的政府是不會(huì)從地球上消亡的，這就是屬于你們的勝利！

　　我知道，你們這樣做并不只是想贏得一場(chǎng)選舉，我也知道，你們這樣做并不是為我一個(gè)人。你們這樣做，是因?yàn)槟銈兞私馇胺降娜蝿?wù)是如何的艱巨。甚至就在我們慶祝的同時(shí)，我們也清楚地明白，明天將要面臨的挑戰(zhàn)是多么巨大——兩大戰(zhàn)爭(zhēng)，一個(gè)處于危險(xiǎn)中的星球，本世紀(jì)最嚴(yán)重的經(jīng)濟(jì)危機(jī)。就在我們站在這里的同時(shí)，我們清楚地知道，還有許多勇敢的美國(guó)人正在伊拉克的沙漠和阿富汗的群山中醒來，為了我們而冒著生命的危險(xiǎn)。還有許許多多的父母?jìng)儯�只有在自己的孩子入睡后才能躺下，他們�(yōu)榉孔拥馁J款和醫(yī)院的賬單還有孩子們的學(xué)費(fèi)而發(fā)愁。放心，我們會(huì)注入新的能量，創(chuàng)造新的就業(yè)機(jī)會(huì)，建設(shè)新的學(xué)校，面對(duì)威脅與挑戰(zhàn)，修復(fù)我們的聯(lián)盟。

　　前方的道路還很漫長(zhǎng)。我們所面臨的山峰是險(xiǎn)峻的�；蛟S一年甚至很長(zhǎng)一段時(shí)間我們都無(wú)法攀上峰頂，但是美國(guó)——我從來沒有像今晚這樣堅(jiān)信，我們最終一定會(huì)到達(dá)。我向你保證——我們的民族最終會(huì)到達(dá)山頂?shù)摹?/p>

　　也許會(huì)有挫折坎坷，作為總統(tǒng)我所做出的決定和政策必定會(huì)遭到一些人的反對(duì)，而我們也知道政府不能夠解決所有問題。但是我將會(huì)誠(chéng)實(shí)地告訴你們我們所面對(duì)的挑戰(zhàn)。我會(huì)耐心傾聽你們的心聲，尤其是在遇到分歧的時(shí)候。而最重要的是，我將會(huì)讓你們加入到重建我們國(guó)家的隊(duì)伍當(dāng)中來，沿著美國(guó)這221年來一直所走的那條道路——一塊塊磚瓦，一雙雙手，一點(diǎn)點(diǎn)堆砌出我們的家園。

　　21個(gè)月之前的那個(gè)冬天所開始的，不會(huì)在這個(gè)秋天的夜晚結(jié)束。這個(gè)勝利本身并不是我們所要找尋的改變——這只是一個(gè)改變的機(jī)會(huì)。如果我們回到老路上，那么一切都不會(huì)得到改變。沒有你們，這一切也不會(huì)得到改變。

　　那么，就讓我們重新召喚起愛國(guó)主義、公仆之心以及國(guó)家責(zé)任的精神來，每個(gè)人都參與其中，一起努力，不單只是關(guān)心自身，而是互相照顧。讓我們記住這場(chǎng)經(jīng)濟(jì)危機(jī)所教會(huì)我們的一點(diǎn)，如果主街道遭受了打擊，那么華爾街也不可能幸免——在這個(gè)國(guó)家，我們作為一個(gè)民族，一個(gè)整體，同存亡共榮辱。

　　讓我們摒棄掉那些長(zhǎng)久以來一直危害我們的政治生活的那些幼稚瑣碎的黨派之爭(zhēng)。讓我們記住，是這個(gè)國(guó)家的人第一次將共和黨的橫幅掛在了白宮之上，而共和黨的建立便是基于對(duì)自力更生、獨(dú)立自由和國(guó)家統(tǒng)一價(jià)值的肯定。這一價(jià)值是我們所共享的，即便民主黨今晚贏得了大選，我們也會(huì)懷著謙虛的心態(tài)，去消除這一分歧和隔膜。在面臨著比今天更嚴(yán)重的國(guó)家分裂時(shí)，林肯說過，“我們不是敵人，而是朋友…我們友情的紐帶，或會(huì)因情緒激動(dòng)而繃緊，但決不可折斷�！倍鴮�(duì)于那些我還沒有贏得支持的選民們——也許我還沒有贏得你們的選票，但是我聽到了你們聲音，我需要你們的幫助，而我也同樣是你們的總統(tǒng)。

　　對(duì)于那些遠(yuǎn)在大洋彼岸的，在國(guó)會(huì)和皇宮中，在我們這個(gè)世界被遺忘的角落中圍在收音機(jī)旁關(guān)注著大選之夜的人們——我們的故事是不同的，但是我們的命運(yùn)卻是緊緊連在一起的，美國(guó)領(lǐng)袖新的一天的黎明即將到來。對(duì)于那些會(huì)將世界四分五裂的人們，我們將打敗你們，對(duì)于那些渴求和平和安全的人們，我們將支持你們。而對(duì)于所有那些想知道，自由女神像手中的火炬是否還會(huì)依舊閃耀光芒的人們，今晚我們?cè)俅巫C明了，我們民族的真正實(shí)力并不只是來自于武力和財(cái)富，而是來自于我們理想的力量:民主，自由，機(jī)遇以及永不屈服的希望。

　　美國(guó)真正的天賦在于，它懂得改變。我們的聯(lián)盟會(huì)不斷完善自己。而我們已經(jīng)取得的成就給了我們希望，讓我們堅(jiān)信我們能夠并且即將取得成功。

　　這次選舉擁有許多故事和數(shù)不清的第一次，它們將被世世代代流傳。但是今晚在我腦海中一直浮現(xiàn)的，是亞特蘭大一位女性選民。她就像成千上萬(wàn)的其他選民一樣，排在隊(duì)伍中喊出自己的心聲，唯一不同的是——安·尼克松·庫(kù)伯已經(jīng)106歲了。

　　她出生的時(shí)候正是奴隸制度解除之后；
那時(shí)候還沒有汽車和飛機(jī)；
像她一樣的人那個(gè)時(shí)候是沒有選舉權(quán)的，因?yàn)樗�是女人，還因?yàn)樗�皮膚的顏色。

　　但是今晚，我思考著她所經(jīng)歷的這一個(gè)世紀(jì)的美國(guó)——心痛和希望；
斗爭(zhēng)與進(jìn)步；
我們被告知我們不能做什么的時(shí)代，以及美國(guó)人的信條:是的，我們可以！

　　在那個(gè)女性不能發(fā)出聲音的時(shí)代，在那個(gè)女性的希望被剝奪的時(shí)代，她看著她們站了起來，大聲說出自己的想法，投出了自己的選票。是的，我們可以！

　　當(dāng)絕望和大蕭條襲來的時(shí)候，她看到了一個(gè)民族通過新政、新的工作和新的共同目的感戰(zhàn)勝了恐懼。是的，我們可以！

　　當(dāng)炸彈在珍珠港爆炸，當(dāng)暴政威脅這個(gè)世界的時(shí)候，她見證了一代人的強(qiáng)大，見證了民主得到了捍衛(wèi)。是的，我們可以！

　　她見證了蒙哥馬利汽車暴動(dòng)，見證了塞爾瑪大橋事件，遇到了那位來自亞特蘭大的牧師，他告訴人們“我們終將會(huì)克服一切�！笔堑模�我們可以！

　　人類登上了月球，柏林墻倒塌了，世界由于我們自身的科學(xué)和想象力被連接到了一起。而在這一年，在這次選舉中，她的手指觸摸到了屏幕，她投出了自己的一票，因?yàn)樵诿绹?guó)經(jīng)歷了106年的變遷，經(jīng)歷了最好的與最壞的時(shí)代后，她了解美國(guó)是如何變化的。是的，我們可以！

　　美國(guó)，我們已經(jīng)走了這么遠(yuǎn)，我們已經(jīng)看到了這么多，但是仍然有許多事情等待著我們?nèi)プ觥Ｄ敲唇裢�，讓我們捫心自問——如果我們的孩子看到了下一個(gè)世紀(jì)；
如果我的女兒也能夠和安·尼克松·庫(kù)伯一樣幸運(yùn)地活到了106歲，那么他們將會(huì)看到怎樣的變化？我們又將會(huì)取得什么樣的進(jìn)步？

　　對(duì)于我們來說，這正是一個(gè)對(duì)這一疑問給出回答的機(jī)會(huì)。這是我們的時(shí)刻，這是我們的時(shí)代——讓我們的人民重新回去工作，為我們的孩子打開機(jī)會(huì)的大門；
積累財(cái)富，促進(jìn)和平；
重拾美國(guó)夢(mèng)，重申基本的真象——相對(duì)于大多數(shù)而言，我們是獨(dú)一無(wú)二的；
當(dāng)我們呼吸時(shí)，我們希望，在我們面對(duì)譏笑、懷疑以及別人對(duì)我們說我們不能的時(shí)候，我們將會(huì)用凝聚了人類精神的永恒信條作出回應(yīng):

　　是的，我們可以！

　　謝謝你們，愿上帝保佑你們，愿上帝保佑美利堅(jiān)合眾國(guó)。

　　(青云/編譯)

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