克林顿总统第二次就职演说
名人演讲稿
Myfellowcitize:
Atthislastpresidentialinaugurationofthe20thcentury,letusliftoureyestowardthechallengesthatawaitusinthenextcentury.Itisourgreatgoodfortunethattimeandchancehaveputusnotonlyattheedgeofanewcentury,inanewmilleium,butontheedgeofabrightnewproectinhumanaffairs--amomentthatwilldefineourcourse,andourcharacter,fordecadestocome.Wemustkeepourolddemocracyforeveryoung.Guidedbytheancientvisionofapromisedland,letuetoursightsuponalandofnewpromise.
ThepromiseofAmericawasborninthe18thcenturyoutoftheboldconvictionthatweareallcreatedequal.Itwasextendedandpreservedinthe19thcentury,whenournationreadacrothecontinent,savedtheunion,andabolishedtheawfulscourgeofslavery.
Then,inturmoilandtriumph,thatpromiseexplodedontotheworldstagetomakethistheAmericanCentury.Andwhatacenturyithasbeen.Americabecametheworld\'smightiestindustrialpower;savedtheworldfromtyrayintwoworldwarsandalongcoldwar;andtimeandagain,reachedoutacrotheglobetomilliowho,likeus,longedforthebleingsofliberty.
Alongtheway,Americaproducedagreatmiddleclaandsecurityinoldage;builtunrivaledcentersoflearningandopenedpublicschoolstoall;littheatomandexploredtheheaveinventedthecomputerandthemicrochianddeepenedthewellringofjusticebymakingarevolutionincivilrightsforAfricanAmericaandallminorities,andextendingthecircleofcitizehip,oortunityanddignitytowomen.
Now,forthethirdtime,anewcenturyisuponus,andanothertimetochoose.Webeganthe19thcenturywithachoice,toreadournationfromcoasttocoast.Webeganthe20thcenturywithachoice,toharnetheIndustrialRevolutiontoourvaluesoffreeenterprise,coervation,andhumandecency.Thosechoicesmadeallthedifference.Atthedawnofthe21stcenturyafreepeoplemustnowchoosetoshapetheforcesoftheInformationAgeandtheglobalsociety,tounleashthelimitlepotentialofallourpeople,and,yes,toformamoreperfectunion.
Whenlastwegathered,ourmarchtothisnewfutureseemedlecertainthanitdoestoday.Wevowedthentosetaclearcoursetorenewournation.
Inthesefouryears,wehavebeentouchedbyt
