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Full Transcript of President George W. Bush's Eulogy for His Father George HW Bush
小布什写给父亲老布什的悼文全文
Distinguished Guests, including our Presidents and First Ladies, government officials, foreign dignitaries, and friends: Jeb, Neil, Marvin, Doro, and I, and our families, thank you all for being here.
尊敬的来宾，前任和现任总统们及总统夫人们，政府官员，外国贵宾，朋友们：杰布，尼尔，马文，多罗和我，我们几兄妹以及我们的家人感谢大家的到来。
I once heard it said of man that "The idea is to die young as late as possible." (Laughter.)
我曾经听人说过，人最好趁身心尚年轻时死去，但时间却要越晚越好。
At age 85, a favorite pastime of George H. W. Bush was firing up his boat, the Fidelity, and opening up the three-300 horsepower engines to fly - joyfully fly - across the Atlantic, with Secret Service boats straining to keep up.
在我父亲85岁高龄的时候，他最喜欢的消遣就是将他的“忠诚号”船的三个300马力的发动机都启动，然后开得像象飞一般在大西洋上驰骋，其后是特勤局的船在后面拼命追赶。
At 90, George H. W. Bush parachuted out of an aircraft and landed on the grounds of St. Ann's by the Sea in Kennebunkport, Maine - the church where his mom was married and where he'd worshipped often. Mother liked to say he chose the location just in case the chute didn't open. (Laughter.)
在我父亲90岁的时候，还依然从一架飞机上跳伞，降落点是缅因州肯纳邦克波特镇海边的圣安妮教堂前的空地上，我祖母就在这个地方举行的婚礼，这也是我父亲经常去礼拜的地方。母亲喜欢说父亲特意选择了这个地方降落，就是以防发生降落伞打不开的情况，正好葬身于此地。
In his 90's, he took great delight when his closest pal, James A. Baker, smuggled a bottle of Grey Goose vodka into his hospital room. Apparently, it paired well with the steak Baker had delivered from Morton's. (Laughter.)
在他90多岁的时候，有天父亲正在住院，他的老朋友、前国务卿詹姆斯·贝克偷偷给他带进来一瓶灰雁伏特加，他高兴坏了。这酒显然与贝克从默顿牛排店买来的外卖很配。
To his very last days, Dad's life was instructive. As he aged, he taught us how to grow old with dignity, humor, and kindness - and, when the Good Lord finally called, how to meet Him with courage and with joy in the promise of what lies ahead.
哪怕是在他生命的最后阶段，父亲的生活也在启发着我们。随着他一天天老去，他教会我们如何带着尊严、幽默感以及善良老去。当亲爱的上帝最终召唤我们时，我们如何才能鼓足勇气、带着对天国的期盼和喜乐，迎接死神的来临。
One reason Dad knew how to die young is that he almost did it - twice. When he was a teenager, a staph infection nearly took his life. A few years later he was alone in the Pacific on a life raft, praying that his rescuers would find him before the enemy did. God answered those prayers. It turned out He had other plans for George H.W. Bush.
我父亲知道如何怀着一颗年轻的心死去的原因是，他已经“演习”过两次了。他十几岁的时候，葡萄球菌感染差点要了他的命。几年后，他又独自一人躺在救生筏上在太平洋上飘荡，祈求己方救援人员能先于敌人找到他。上帝回应了他的祈祷，并对我父亲的命运做出了其它安排。
For Dad's part, I think those brushes with death made him cherish the gift of life. And he vowed to live every day to the fullest.
我认为对父亲来说，这些濒死的经历让他更加珍惜生命的可贵，他发誓要充实地过好每一天。
Dad was always busy - a man in constant motion - but never too busy to share his love of life with those around him. He taught us to love the outdoors. He loved watching dogs flush a covey. He loved landing the elusive striper. And once confined to a wheelchair, he seemed happiest sitting in his favorite perch on the back porch at Walker's Point contemplating the majesty of the Atlantic. The horizons he saw were bright and hopeful.
爸爸总是很忙，总在不停奔波，但他再忙也不曾忘记与周围地人分享他对生活的热爱。他教会我们热爱户外运动，他喜欢看爱犬追鸟，也喜欢钓狡猾的鲈鱼。即使后来被困在轮椅上行动不便，他就算坐在沃克角家中廊下他最喜欢的位置上注视着大西洋的波澜壮阔也特别快乐。他看到的地平线明亮又充满希望。
He was a genuinely optimistic man. And that optimism guided his children and made each of us believe that anything was possible.
父亲是一个由衷乐观的人，这种乐观也影响着他的后代，让我们每个人都坚信一切皆有可能。
He continually broadened his horizons with daring decisions. He was a patriot. After high school, he put college on hold and became a Navy fighter pilot as World War II broke out. Like many of his generation, he never talked about his service until his time as a public figure forced his hand. We learned of the attack on Chichi Jima, the mission completed, the shoot-down. We learned of the death of his crewmates, whom he thought about throughout his entire life. And we learned of his rescue.
一直以来，他不断用大胆的决定来开阔他的眼界。他很爱国，高中毕业后，二战爆发，他暂停大学学业成为海军战斗机飞行员。父亲和那一代的很多人一样，他从不宣扬他对祖国的贡献，直到他成为公众人物，一切过往都不得不暴露于人前。我们都知道他的飞机在集集硫磺岛被攻击，任务虽然完成了，但他的飞机也被击落了。我们都知道，他的机组人员全牺牲了，也知道他一生都很怀念他们。我们还知道他最终获救了。
And then, another audacious decision; he moved his young family from the comforts of the East Coast to Odessa, Texas. He and mom adjusted to their arid surroundings quickly. He was a tolerant man. After all, he was kind and neighborly to the women with whom he, mom and I shared a bathroom in our small duplex - even after he learned their profession - ladies of the night. (Laughter.)
然后，另一个大胆的决定是，他把自己的小家庭从舒适的东海岸搬到了德州奥德赛。他和母亲很快就习惯了周边荒凉的环境。他是一个很大度的人，毕竟，在他了解到与我们一家三口合共用双层公寓浴室的女士从事的“特殊服务业”后，还能与她们和善相处、保持邻里关系和睦呢。
Dad could relate to people from all walks of life. He was an empathetic man. He valued character over pedigree. And he was no cynic. He looked for the good in each person - and usually found it.
父亲能够与各行各业形形色色的人交往，他十分体恤别人。他注重一个人的品格而不是背景，他也不愤世嫉俗，他在每个人身上寻找闪光点，且往往都能找到。
Dad taught us that public service is noble and necessary; that one can serve with integrity and hold true to the important values, like faith and family. He strongly believed that it was important to give back to the community and country in which one lived. He recognized that serving others enriched the giver's soul. To us, his was the brightest of a thousand points of light.
父亲教导我们，为公众服务是崇高的，也是必要的，当“官”也可以当得正直，同时还能对信仰和家庭这样重要的价值观问心无愧。他坚信回报国家和社会很重要。他认识到，服务他人能丰富给予者的灵魂。对我们来说，父亲是繁星中最闪耀的那一颗。（Thousand points of light是老布什成立的非营利机构）
In victory, he shared credit. When he lost, he shouldered the blame. He accepted that failure is part of living a full life, but taught us never to be defined by failure. He showed us how setbacks can strengthen.
当他胜利时，他与队友分享荣耀；当天失败时，他承担起责任。他认为失败是人生的一部分，并且教导我们永远不要让失败来定义你的人生。他用亲身经历告诉我们，挫折如何让我们变更加强大。
None of his disappointments could compare with one of life's greatest tragedies, the loss of a young child. Jeb and I were too young to remember the pain and agony he and mom felt when our three-year-old sister died. We only learned later that Dad, a man of quiet faith, prayed for her daily. He was sustained by the love of the Almighty and the real and enduring love of our mom. Dad always believed that one day he would hug his precious Robin again.
对他来说，任何失望都无法与他一生中最大的悲剧---痛失年幼的爱女相比。杰布和我当时都还很小，已经不记得我们当时才3岁的姐姐去世所带给我们父母的悲痛和绝望。我们后来才知道，默默将信仰藏在心中的父亲，每天都为她祷告。只有依靠神的爱以及母亲真切而持久的爱与支持，他才能坚持下去。父亲总有一个信念，那就是终有一天他能够再次拥抱他珍贵的女儿罗宾。
He loved to laugh, especially at himself. He could tease and needle, but never out of malice. He placed great value on a good joke. That's why he chose Simpson to speak. (Laughter.) On email, he had a circle of friends with whom he shared or received the latest jokes. His grading system for the quality of the joke was classic George Bush. The rare 7s and 8s were considered huge winners - most of them off-color. (Laughter.)
他喜欢开怀大笑，尤其喜欢自嘲。他喜欢开别人玩笑，但绝非出于恶意。他特别重视精彩的笑话，这也正是他选择辛普森参议员致悼词的原因。他有一个电子邮件群，专门用于朋友之间分享最新的笑话。他对笑话有一个很典型的乔治·布什笑话质量评分系统：能被他评为7分或8分的笑话很少，不过那算是他心里最棒的笑话了，不过其中大部分笑话都是“有颜色”的。
George Bush knew how to be a true and loyal friend. He honored and nurtured his many friendships with his generous and giving soul. There exist thousands of handwritten notes encouraging, or sympathizing, or thanking his friends and acquaintances.
父亲知道如何成为一个真诚且忠诚的朋友。他慷慨且乐意付出的待人方式，让他与许多人成为至交好友。他还给我们留下成千上万封给亲友或熟人的亲笔鼓励信、安慰信或者感谢信。
He had an enormous capacity to give of himself. Many a person would tell you that dad became a mentor and a father figure in their life. He listened and he consoled. He was their friend. I think of Don Rhodes, Taylor Blanton, Jim Nantz, Arnold Schwarzenegger, and perhaps the unlikeliest of all, the man who defeated him, Bill Clinton. My siblings and I refer to the guys in this group as "brothers from other mothers." (Laughter.)
他充满了能感染他人的巨大能量。很多人会跟你说，父亲在她们的生活中充当了导师和父亲般的角色。他乐于轻听、善于安慰他人，他是他们的朋友，比如唐·罗德斯、泰勒·布兰顿、吉姆·南茨、阿诺德·施瓦辛格，最不可思议的还有那位在竞选中击败他的比尔·克林顿。我们兄妹几个把他的这些朋友当作“同父异母”的兄弟对待。
He taught us that a day was not meant to be wasted. He played golf at a legendary pace. I always wondered why he insisted on speed golf. He was a good golfer.
他教会我们，生命中的每一天都别浪费。他打完一场高尔夫的速度也是个传奇，我总是想知道他为何喜欢玩闪电高尔夫，毕竟他高尔夫打得很好。
Well, here's my conclusion: he played fast so that he could move on to the next event, to enjoy the rest of the day, to expend his enormous energy, to live it all. He was born with just two settings: full throttle, then sleep. (Laughter)
我得出的结论是：他想快速打完，这样就有时间去参加下一场活动，有时间去享受一天剩余的时间，也有时间去发泄他旺盛的精力，尽量让每一天都充实。他出生自带两种模式：火力全开，然后睡觉。
He taught us what it means to be a wonderful father, grandfather, and great grand-father. He was firm in his principles and supportive as we began to seek our own ways. He encouraged and comforted, but never steered. We tested his patience - I know I did (laughter) - but he always responded with the great gift of unconditional love.
他教会了我们如何做一个好父亲、好祖父、号曾祖父。他原则非常坚定，但当我们开始寻求自己的处理方式时，他又会无条件的支持我们、鼓励和安慰我们，但从不试图操纵我们。我们都挑战过他的耐心，反正我知道我挑战过，但他每次都用无条件的爱来回应我们。
Last Friday, when I was told he had minutes to live, I called him. The guy who answered the phone said, "I think he can hear you, but hasn't say anything most of the day. I said, "Dad, I love you, and you've been a wonderful father." And the last words he would ever say on earth were, "I love you, too."
上周五，当我得知他已处于弥留之际时，我给他打了电话。接电话的人说：“我觉得他能听到你说的话，但他已经一整天没说过话了。”我说：“爸爸，我爱你，你一直是位很棒的父亲”。他在人世间说的最后一句话是“我也爱你”。
To us, he was close to perfect. But, not totally perfect. His short game was lousy. (Laughter.) He wasn't exactly Fred Astaire on the dance floor. (Laughter.) The man couldn't stomach vegetables, especially broccoli. (Laughter.) And by the way, he passed these genetic defects along to us. (Laughter.)
对我们来说，他近乎完美，但并非没有缺点。他打高尔夫短杆就打得很糟糕；他在舞池里舞技也绝对不如弗雷德·阿斯泰尔；他还不爱吃蔬菜，尤其讨厌西兰花。顺便说一句，他把这些缺陷也遗传给了我们。
Finally, every day of his 73 years of marriage, Dad taught us all what it means to be a great husband. He married his sweetheart. He adored her. He laughed and cried with her. He was dedicated to her totally.
最后，父亲用他73年婚姻生活的每一天，以身示范教导我们如何当一个好丈夫。他娶了他的心上人，他极其爱她，在她快乐时陪她大笑，在她伤心时陪她痛哭，他一生都全心全意地爱着她。
In his old age, dad enjoyed watching police show reruns, volume on high (laughter), all the while holding mom's hand. After mom died, Dad was strong, but all he really wanted to do was to hold mom's hand, again.
在父亲上了年纪的时候，他喜欢把电视机音量开得老大，不厌其烦地看警察节目重播，其间一直握着妈妈的手不放。母亲去世后，父亲看起来很坚强，但我们都知道，他真正想做的事是再次握住妈妈的手。
Of course, Dad taught me another special lesson. He showed me what it means to be a President who serves with integrity, leads with courage, and acts with love in his heart for the citizens of our country. When the history books are written, they will say that George H.W. Bush was a great President of the United States - a diplomat of unmatched skill, a Commander in Chief of formidable accomplishment, and a gentleman who executed the duties of his office with dignity and honor.
当然，父亲还交给我另外一堂特别的课，他以身作则向我展示了当一个心怀正直为民服务，以勇气、行动以及爱来领导国家的领导的意义何在。史书上会记载，乔治·H·W·布什是一位伟大的美国总统、一位有着无与伦比外交手腕的外交官、一个有着巨大成就的总司令、以及一位以尊严和荣誉捍卫起职责的绅士。
In his Inaugural Address, the 41st President of the United States said this: "We cannot hope only to leave our children a bigger car, a bigger bank account. We must hope to give them a sense of what it means to be a loyal friend, a loving parent, a citizen who leaves his home, his neighborhood and town better than he found it. What do we want the men and women who work with us to say when we are no longer there? That we were more driven to succeed than anyone around us? Or that we stopped to ask if a sick child had gotten better, and stayed a moment there to trade a word of friendship?"
在美国第41任总统就职典礼上发表的就职演说中他说过这样的话：“我们不能只想着要给孩子留下更大的汽车、更多的钱财，我们必须要让他们知道如何成为一个忠诚的朋友、慈爱的父母，以及教他们成为一个将自己的家园、所在社区和城市变得更好的公民。在我们离开岗位（人世）时，我们希望曾经的同事如何评价我们？是希望他们评价我们比身边任何人都执着于成功？还是评价我们是一个会停下来关心生病孩子是否好转、或者停下来说句安慰的话语的人？”
Well, Dad - we're going remember you for exactly that and so much more.
好吧，爸爸，我们将会铭记你属于后者，但你做得比后者做的事还要多得多。
And we're going to miss you. Your decency, sincerity, and kind soul will stay with us forever. So, through our tears, let us know the blessings of knowing and loving you - a great and noble man, and the best father a son or daughter could have.
我们会一直想你念你。你那正派、真诚和善良的灵魂将永藏在我们心中。泪水让我们明白，人生有你并有幸爱戴你是我们的幸运，你是一个伟大而高尚的人，你是作为儿女所能拥有的最好的父亲。
And in our grief, let us smile knowing that Dad is hugging Robin and holding mom's hand again.
在这个悲痛时刻，让我们微笑着道别，因为我们知道父亲终于可以再次拥抱罗宾，可以再次牵着母亲的手了。
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发表于 2018-12-11 09:54:32
