众议员约翰路易斯在2012年民主党全国代表大会上的演说词（试译） ... ... ...

I first came to this city in 1961, the year Barack Obama was born. I was one of the 13 original "Freedom Riders." We were on a bus ride from Washington to New Orleans trying to test a recent Supreme Court ruling that banned racial discrimination on buses crossing state lines and in the stations that served them. Here in Charlotte, a young African-American rider got off the bus and tried to get a shoe shine in a so-called white waiting room. He was arrested and taken to jail.

我是1961年第一次来到这个城市，那一年巴拉克奥巴马出生了。我是最早乘坐公共汽车进行反种族隔离的13个示威者中的其中一个。我们从华盛顿坐车到新奥尔良，想要测试一下当时最高法院判决禁止在跨州公共汽车上及汽车站里的种族歧视的情况。就在夏洛特市，一个年轻的非洲裔美国人下了车，试图在一个所谓的白人候车室得到一个擦鞋服务。他因此被捕并遭到拘押。

On that same day, we continued on to Rock Hill, South Carolina, about 25 miles. From here, when my seatmate, Albert Bigelow, and I tried to enter a white waiting room, we were met by an angry mob that beat us and left us lying in a pool of blood. Some police officers came up and asked us whether we wanted to press charges. We said, "No, we come in peace, love and nonviolence." We said our struggle was not against individuals, but against unjust laws and customs. Our goal was true freedom for every American.

同一天，我们继续前往大约25英里外的南卡罗莱纳州的石山市。在那里，我和我的旅伴阿尔伯特 毕格罗试图进入一个白人候车室。一群愤怒的暴徒殴打了我们，我们倒在了血泊之中。有几个警察来问我们是否要提出控告。我们说“不，我们是带着和平，爱和非暴力而来”我们说我们的斗争并非针对个人，而是针对那些不公正的法律和习俗。我们的目标是为每一个美国人争取真正的自由。

Since then, America has made a lot of progress. We are a different society than we were in 1961. And in 2008, we showed the world the true promise of America when we elected President Barack Obama. A few years ago, a man from Rock Hill, inspired by President Obama's election, decided to come forward. He came to my office in Washington and said, "I am one of the people who beat you. I want to apologize. Will you forgive me?" I said, "I accept your apology." He started crying. He gave me a hug. I hugged him back, and we both started crying. This man and I don't want to go back; we want to move forward.

自那以后，美国取得了巨大的进步。和1961年相比，我们现在是一个完全不同的社会。2008年，我们选出了巴拉克奥巴马总统，由此我们向全世界展示了真正的美国式的承诺。几年以前，受到奥巴马总统当选的启示，一个来自石山的人决定站出来。他来到我在华盛顿的办公室。他对我说“我是当时殴打你的人之一。我想向你道歉。你会原谅我吗？”我说“我接受你的道歉”他哭了。他拥抱我，我也拥抱他。我们都哭了。这个人和我都不想回到那个年代；我们要向前进。

Brothers and sisters, do you want to go back? Or do you want to keep America moving forward? My dear friends, your vote is precious, almost sacred. It is the most powerful, nonviolent tool we have to create a more perfect union. Not too long ago, people stood in unmovable lines. They had to pass a so-called literacy test, pay a poll tax. On one occasion, a man was asked to count the number of bubbles in a bar of soap. On another occasion, one was asked to count the jelly beans in a jar—all to keep them from casting their ballots.

兄弟们，姊妹们，你们想倒回到过去吗？还是想让美国大踏步向前走？我亲爱的朋友们，你的选票是珍贵的，是近于神圣的。它是我们创造的最有力量的，非暴力的工具，它让我们这个国家更加完美。在不久前，人们站在一条不可逾越的线后。他们必须通过所谓的文盲测试，缴纳人头税。在一个地方，一个人被要求去数清楚肥皂上的泡泡的数量。在另一个地方，有人被要求数清楚罐子里糖豆-所有这些手段都是想阻止他们去投票。

Today it is unbelievable that there are Republican officials still trying to stop some people from voting. They are changing the rules, cutting polling hours and imposing requirements intended to suppress the vote. The Republican leader in the Pennsylvania House even bragged that his state's new voter ID law is "gonna allow Governor Romney to win the state." That's not right. That's not fair. That's not just.

令人不可思议的是，在今天，有些共和党官员仍然在想方设法的阻挠一些人去投票。他们变更规则，缩短投票时间，并通过实施一些措施来压制投票。宾夕法尼亚州的一个共和党领袖甚至夸耀说他的州的新选民身份法“可以让罗姆尼州长在该州取得胜利”。这是错误的。这是不公平的。这是不公正的。

And similar efforts have been made in Texas, Ohio, Florida, Wisconsin, Arizona, Georgia and South Carolina. I've seen this before. I've lived this before. Too many people struggled, suffered and died to make it possible for every American to exercise their right to vote.

而在得克萨斯州，威斯康星州，亚利桑那州，佐治亚州和南卡罗莱纳州，他们都制定了类似的法令。我曾目睹过这些，我曾经经历过这些。为了让每一个美国人能够行使他们投票的权力，已经有太多的人为此奋斗，受难和牺牲。

And we have come too far together to ever turn back. So we must not be silent. We must stand up, speak up and speak out. We must march to the polls like never before. We must come together and exercise our sacred right. And together, on November 6, we will re-elect the man who will lead America forward: President Barack Obama.

我们前进的征途已经太过漫长，我们不能走回头路。所以我们不能沉默。我们必须站起来，发出我们的吼声。我们必须以前所未有的步伐向投票站挺进。我们必须团结一致来行使我们神圣的权力。在11月6日，我们要一道让带领美国人民奋勇向前的人再次当选：他就是巴拉克奥巴马总统。