布什夫妇出席08年圣诞树灯光启动仪式(2008-12-4)
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President and Mrs. Bush Attend 2008 Lighting of the National Christmas Tree Ceremony
THE PRESIDENT: Thank you. Mr. Secretary, thank you for the introduction and thank you for the warm welcome. Laura and I are pleased to welcome all of you here for one of Washington’s great traditions, the lighting of the National Christmas Tree.
Santa, thank you for finally showing up. (Laughter.) I know you’ve come a long way. After all, you do live in the North Pole. You may have heard that Laura and I are going to have plenty of time next year. (Laughter.) So we look forward to returning the favor. The problem is we’re going to be short on an airplane. (Laughter.) Have you got an extra sleigh? (Laughter.)
I welcome the members of my Cabinet; the administration and their families; members of Congress and their families; Vin Cipolla; Mary Bomar, the Director of the National Park Service — (applause) — Peggy O’Dell, Regional Director, National Capital Region of the National Park Service. (Applause.) And all the National Park Service employees, we thank you for your dedication and work. (Applause.)
Laura and I are thrilled to be here with our dear friend, Reverend Luis León. All the entertainers — thank you for being here. You were fabulous tonight. We appreciate your performance. (Applause.) We especially welcome the folks from Enterprise, Alabama. (Applause.) And we thank the School Choir for showing the determination and grit of some really fine people.
We want to thank all the volunteers who designed and created the ornaments for our state trees.
Today we celebrate the 85th anniversary of the National Christmas Tree lighting. In times of calm, and in times of challenge, Americans have gathered for this ceremony. The simple story we remember during the season speaks to every generation. It is the story of a humble birth in a quiet town, and the story of one life that changed millions more. For two millennia, the story of Christmas has brought joy to families, comfort to communities, and hope to hearts around the world.
During Christmas we celebrate the blessings of the season, and the blessings that surround us every day. And the greatest of these blessings is freedom — the Almighty’s gift to every man, woman, and child on the face of the Earth. (Applause.)
And today, we give thanks to the brave men and women who protect the American people by defending freedom around the world. (Applause.) Over the past eight years, my greatest honor as President has been serving as Commander-in-Chief of the finest military ever known. (Applause.)
Our men and women in uniform have stepped forward to defend our nation during a time of war. They serve with courage and with honor, and they’ve made incredible sacrifices. Many of them will spend this Christmas stationed in distant lands, far from the families they love. Yet they’re never far from our thoughts, and they are always in our prayers. America honors their service, and we are grateful to the sacrifice of the families who stand by their side. (Applause.)
Some of those families are with us tonight, and Laura and I are pleased to be joined by Kayleigh Kepler and Lindsey Van Horn. Lindsey’s dad is in Baghdad. Kayleigh’s dad will deploy to Iraq next year. Kayleigh and Lindsey, America is safer because of your dads, and moms and dads across America who have stepped forward to defend our country.
And now I’m going to ask Kayleigh and Lindsey to get up here with Laura — to please come up with Laura — (laughter) — and help us light this beautiful tree.
Everybody join — five, four, three, two, one! (Applause.)
参考中文翻译：
布什总统：谢谢。感谢部长的介绍和你们热情的接待。劳拉和我非常高兴，欢迎所有人参加这个美国盛大的传统，圣诞树灯光启动。
也非常感谢圣诞老人的出席。我知道你千里迢迢的赶到这里，毕竟你住在北极。你一定听说了劳拉和我明年时间充裕，所以你期待明年我们能亲临北极。问题是，到时候我们没有直升机了。你有没有多余的雪橇呢？
欢迎我的内阁成员，欢迎管理人员和他们的家人，欢迎国会成员和他们的家人……感谢国家公园服务的员工，感谢他们的奉献和工作。
能够和我们亲爱的朋友Reverend Luis León在一起，我们非常激动。所有的演艺人员——非常感谢你们来到这里。今夜你们的表演时非常精彩的。感谢你们的演出。我们还要特别欢迎来自阿拉巴马的Enterprise。我们感谢School唱诗班，他们向我们展现了一些好心人的决心。
感谢那些为我们的圣诞树设计和创造了装饰品的志愿者们。
今天我们庆祝国家圣诞树灯光启动仪式85周年。这这个平静的时代，在这个充满挑战的时代，美国人齐聚一堂，欢庆审单数灯光移动仪式。关于圣诞节的这个简单的故事世代相传。这个故事讲的是，在一个宁静的小城镇，一个卑微的生命降生，一个人的生命改变了数百万人的生命。两千年来，圣诞节的故事给家庭带来欢乐，给社区带来和谐，给世界带来希望。
在圣诞节期间，我们庆祝节日的祝福，也庆祝每天环绕着我们的祝福。其中最伟大的就是自由——万能的上帝赐给地球上的每一个人的礼物，不论男女老幼。
今天，我们感谢那些在世界各地保护美国人民，捍卫自由的勇敢的人。在过去的八年里，我作为总统最大的荣耀就是任职最伟大的军队的总司令。
我们的军队在战争时期前赴后继，他拥有无比巨大的勇气和荣誉，他们也做出了难以置信的牺牲。其中许多人要在远离家人的异国他乡度过圣诞节。但是，我们永远都想念他们，每天都为他们祈祷。美国以他们为荣，也感谢那些支持他们的家人的家人所做的牺牲。
其中有一些军属今晚也和我们在一起，劳拉和我很高兴Kayleigh Kepler和Lindsey Van Horn能够来到现场。Lindsey的爸爸现在远在巴格达，Kayleigh的爸爸明年将要被派往伊拉克。Kayleigh和Lindsey，由于你们的父亲，由于全国各地的父母们前赴后继保卫国家，美国更加安全。现在我邀请Kayleigh和Lindsey上来，和劳拉一起——请和劳拉一起——帮助我们点亮漂亮的圣诞树。
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