Doris Kearns Goodwin: What we can learn from past presidents

翻译人员: 文娟 å • 校对人员: tian zeng

So, indeed, I have spent my life

嗯，实际上，我用了毕生的精力

looking into the lives of presidents who are no longer alive.

来研究那些已经离我们远去的总统们的生活

Waking up with Abraham Lincoln in the morning,

早晨起来，我会想到亚伯拉罕·林肯

thinking of Franklin Roosevelt when I went to bed at night.

晚上睡觉还会想到富兰克林·罗斯福

But when I try and think about what I've learned

但每当我尽力去思考生命的意义时

about the meaning in life, my mind keeps wandering back

我的思绪又总会回到

to a seminar that I took when I was a graduate student at Harvard

曾经在哈弗大学做本科生时参加的一次研讨会

with the great psychologist Erik Erikson.

那时我还和著名的心理学家埃里克·埃里克森一起

He taught us that the richest and fullest lives

他教育我们说最丰富而又充实的生命

attempt to achieve an inner balance between three realms:

在于达到3个方面的平衡

work, love and play.

工作，爱情和娱乐

And that to pursue one realm to the disregard of the other,

若只追求一方面而无视其它

is to open oneself to ultimate sadness in older age.

会让人们年老时感到无比的悲伤

Whereas to pursue all three with equal dedication,

然而，若能达到三者间的平衡

is to make possible a life filled not only with achievement,

就会让生命充实，而你得到的将不仅仅是成就

but with serenity.

还有内心祥和、安宁

So since I tell stories, let me look back

既然是讲故事，我们先来回顾一下

on the lives of two of the presidents I've studied to illustrate this point --

两位总统的生命历程，来证明我的观点

Abraham Lincoln and Lyndon Johnson.

他们是亚伯拉罕·林肯和林登·约翰逊

As for that first sphere of work,

那么第一方面--工作

I think what Abraham Lincoln's life suggests

林肯的生活告诉我们

is that fierce ambition is a good thing.

人要有大志向

He had a huge ambition.

林肯志向远大

But it wasn't simply for office or power or celebrity or fame --

但并不仅仅为了获取权力、地位或名誉

what it was for was to accomplish something worthy enough in life

他追求的是给生命带来意义的东西

so that he could make the world a little better place for his having lived in it.

使周围的世界更加美好

Even as a child, it seemed, Lincoln dreamed heroic dreams.

甚至在林肯还是个孩子的时候，就梦想成为英雄

He somehow had to escape that hard-scrabble farm

他必须从那乱糟糟的农场里逃脱出来

from which he was born.

在那个地方

No schooling was possible for him,

上学是不可能的

except a few weeks here, a few weeks there.

读书也就是断断续续的旁听而已

But he read books in every spare moment he could find.

但是他一有时间就会读书

It was said when he got a copy of the King James Bible

据说，有次他拿到一本詹姆斯王圣经

or "Aesop's Fables," he was so excited he couldn't sleep.

也就是人们说的“伊索寓言”的时候

He couldn't eat.

兴奋的废寝忘食

The great poet Emily Dickinson once said,

伟大的诗人埃米莉·狄金森曾经说过，

"There is no frigate like a book to take us lands away."

没有什么能像书一样让我们爱不释手

How true for Lincoln.

林肯就是这样的

Though he never would travel to Europe,

尽管他没有去过欧洲

he went with Shakespeare's kings to merry England,

但是他可以和莎士比亚一起游历英伦

he went with Lord Byron's poetry to Spain and Portugal.

还在拜伦的诗歌长河里穿越西班牙和葡萄牙

Literature allowed him to transcend his surroundings.

文学作品让他超越了环境的束缚

But there were so many losses in his early life

林肯在早年经历了许多挫折

that he was haunted by death.

周围的亲人相继死去

His mother died when he was only nine years old;

在他只有九岁的时候，母亲去世了。

his only sister, Sarah, in childbirth a few years later;

他唯一的姐姐莎拉几年后因难产死亡

and his first love, Ann Rutledge, at the age of 22.

还有他的初恋爱人安·拉特利奇22岁也死了

Moreover, when his mother lay dying,

还有，他母亲在垂死之时

she did not hold out for him the hope

她并没有拥抱林肯说

that they would meet in an afterworld.

希望他们来世可以再见面

She simply said to him,

她只是对他说

"Abraham, I'm going away from you now, and I shall never return."

“亚伯拉罕，现在我要离你远去，再也不会回来了。”

As a result he became obsessed with the thought

从那时起，他开始执迷地认为

that when we die our life is swept away -- dust to dust.

人们死后，生命就此消逝，无影无踪

But only as he grew older did he develop

后来随着慢慢长大，他才

a certain consolation from an ancient Greek notion --

在古希腊思想的影响下得到一些慰藉

but followed by other cultures as well --

当然还受到其它文化影响

that if you could accomplish something worthy in your life,

他意识到如果人们能够追求到令生命意义的东西

you could live on in the memory of others.

你就可以被后人铭记

Your honor and your reputation would outlive your earthly existence.

荣耀和名誉就也会比人的躯体更长久的留存

And that worthy ambition became his lodestar.

这一志向变成了林肯的座右铭

It carried him through the one significant depression that he suffered

伴随着他度过了生命中最艰难的时期

when he was in his early 30s.

那是在他30出头的时候

Three things had combined to lay him low.

三件事让他情绪低落

He had broken his engagement with Mary Todd,

他和玛莉·托德解除了婚约

not certain he was ready to marry her,

因为不确定自己要娶她

but knowing how devastating it was to her that he did that.

但他明白他的行为对于她来说是多么的残酷

His one intimate friend, Joshua Speed, was leaving Illinois

还有就是他一个最好的朋友约书亚·斯皮得要离开伊利诺伊州

to go back to Kentucky because Speed's father had died.

回到肯塔基州，因为斯皮得的父亲去世了。

And his political career in the state legislature

还有他在州议会的政治前途

was on a downward slide.

越走越黯淡

He was so depressed that friends worried he was suicidal.

朋友们担心他会自杀

They took all knives and razors and scissors from his room.

把他房里所有的小刀，刮胡刀还有剪刀都拿走

And his great friend Speed went to his side and said,

后来他的好朋友斯皮得来到身边对他说

"Lincoln, you must rally or you will die."

"林肯，你要振作，不然你就是死路一条。”

He said that, "I would just as soon die right now,

他反说，“其实我现在就可以死

but I've not yet done anything to make any human being

但是我还没有做过什么事能让人们

remember that I have lived."

记得我存在过。”

So fueled by that ambition, he returned to the state legislature.

他的壮志让他重燃激情，他回到了州议会

He eventually won a seat in Congress.

最终在国会赢得一张席位

He then ran twice for the Senate, lost twice.

后来他两次竞选议员，两次都以失败告终

"Everyone is broken by life," Ernest Hemingway once said,

海明威曾经说过：“每个人都会经历生活磨练。

"but some people are stronger in the broken places."

有些人即使被折磨得体无完肤，也仍然坚强。”

So then he surprised the nation with an upset victory

他竞选总统的成功震惊了整个国家

for the presidency over three far more experienced,

也战胜了比他更有经验，

far more educated, far more celebrated rivals.

更有教育背景和名望的对手

And then when he won the general election,

然而在他真正成为总统的时候

he stunned the nation even more

又给民众更大的震惊

by appointing each of these three rivals into his Cabinet.

他分别任命了3位竞选对手成为他的内阁成员

It was an unprecedented act at the time because everybody thought,

在当时这种做法是前无古人的，因为人人都认为

"He'll look like a figurehead compared to these people."

“和其他人相比，林肯不过是有名无实之辈。”

They said, "Why are you doing this, Lincoln?"

他们说，“林肯，你为什么要这么做？”

He said, "Look, these are the strongest

他回答说，“这些人都是这个国家最强悍

and most able men in the country.

最有能力的人。

The country is in peril. I need them by my side."

我们的国家处在危急之中，我需要他们在我身边。”

But perhaps my old friend Lyndon Johnson

但是，也许我的老朋友林登·约翰逊

might have put it in less noble fashion:

用了一个更为通俗的方式来表达这个意思

"Better to have your enemies inside the tent pissing out,

让敌人在你的帐篷里对外撒尿

than outside the tent pissing in."

总比他们站在帐篷外往里面尿好

(Laughter)

（笑声）

But it soon became clear that Abraham Lincoln

但是事情很快变得明朗，林肯

would emerge as the undisputed captain of this unruly team.

不容置疑地出任了这个放纵不羁的团队的首领

For each of them soon came to understand

因为每个人很快就意识到了

that he possessed an unparalleled array of

林肯身上很多无与伦比的

emotional strengths and political skills

情感影响力和政治技巧

that proved far more important than the thinness of his external résumé.

这些与他那薄薄的履历相比更为重要

For one thing, he possessed an uncanny ability

首先，他有一种不寻常的能力

to empathize with and to think about other peoples' point of view.

设身处地的为他人考虑

He repaired injured feelings that might have escalated

他修复那些受伤的心灵。以防那些心灵发展成

into permanent hostility.

永久的敌对心理。

He shared credit with ease,

他把功劳与人分享，

assumed responsibility for the failure of his subordinates,

对下属的错误勇于承担责任，

constantly acknowledged his errors and learned from his mistakes.

他总能承认自己的错误并总结经验教训

These are the qualities we should be looking for in our candidates in 2008.

这些都是我们希望在2008年的候选人身上找到的品质。

(Applause)

（鼓掌）

He refused to be provoked by petty grievances.

他从不因为微不足道的事情发怒。

He never submitted to jealousy or brooded over perceived slights.

他从不嫉妒别人或者因小事计较。

And he expressed his unshakeable convictions

然而他那不可动摇的信仰

in everyday language, in metaphors, in stories.

渗透在日常的言谈，举止和经历中。

And with a beauty of language -- almost as if

语言的魅力，让他的表达几乎如同

the Shakespeare and the poetry he had so loved as a child

孩提时他钟爱的莎士比亚的诗歌

had worked their way into his very soul.

一样完美

In 1863, when the Emancipation Proclamation was signed,

1863年，解放黑人奴隶宣言颁布，

he brought his old friend, Joshua Speed, back to the White House,

他让老朋友约书亚·斯皮得重回白宫。

and remembered that conversation of decades before, when he was so sad.

他想起了几十年前最艰难时候他们之间的对话

And he, pointing to the Proclamation, said,

林肯指着那个宣言说，

"I believe, in this measure, my fondest hopes will be realized."

“我通过它，我最热切的希望就可以实现了。”

But as he was about to put his signature on the Proclamation

但是，当他正要在宣言上签字的时候，

his own hand was numb and shaking

他的手麻木了，不停地颤抖

because he had shaken a thousand hands that morning at a New Year's reception.

因为在那天早上的招待会上他已经握了一千次手。

So he put the pen down.

于是他把笔放下。说：

He said, "If ever my soul were in an act, it is in this act.

“如果说我的灵魂存在于某个法案中，那就是这个法案。

But if I sign with a shaking hand,

但是如果我用颤抖的手在上面签字的话，

posterity will say, 'He hesitated.'"

我们的后代会说：‘我犹豫了。’”

So he waited until he could take up the pen

所以，他一直等到手不再颤抖才拿起笔

and sign with a bold and clear hand.

签上了坚定而清晰地一笔。

But even in his wildest dreams,

但是即使是在他最大胆的梦想里，

Lincoln could never have imagined

林肯也没有想到过

how far his reputation would reach.

他声名远扬的程度。

I was so thrilled to find an interview with the great Russian writer,

我很惊讶地发现了一份20世纪早期，伟大的俄国作家

Leo Tolstoy, in a New York newspaper in the early 1900s.

列夫托尔斯泰被纽约一份报纸采访时的记录。

And in it, Tolstoy told of a trip that he'd recently made

在采访中，托尔斯泰提到了他最近一次

to a very remote area of the Caucasus,

去高加索的一个非常偏远的地区的旅行

where there were only wild barbarians,

那里都全是些落后的村民，

who had never left this part of Russia.

他们从来没有离开过俄罗斯的这一地区。

Knowing that Tolstoy was in their midst,

当他们知道托尔斯泰来到那里后，

they asked him to tell stories of the great men of history.

就请他讲述历史上伟人的故事。

So he said, "I told them about Napoleon

托尔斯泰说：“我给他们讲拿破仑，

and Alexander the Great and Frederick the Great

亚历山大大帝和腓特烈大帝

and Julius Caesar, and they loved it.

还有凯撒的故事，他们非常喜欢。

But before I finished, the chief of the barbarians stood up and said,

但是在我将要结束之前，村民的首领站起来说：

'But wait, you haven't told us about the greatest ruler of them all.

“且慢，你还没有给我们讲最伟大的统治者。

We want to hear about that man who spoke with a voice of thunder,

我们想听那个人的故事，他讲话声音震耳欲聋；

who laughed like the sunrise,

笑起来如旭日东升；

who came from that place called America, which is so far from here,

他来自一个遥远的地方叫做美国。

that if a young man should travel there,

如果一个年轻人想要到达那里，

he would be an old man when he arrived.

要用一辈子的时间才能走到。

Tell us of that man. Tell us of Abraham Lincoln.'"

给我们讲这个人的故事。给我们讲亚伯拉罕·林肯的故事。’”

He was stunned.

托尔斯泰震惊了

He told them everything he could about Lincoln.

他把所有他知道的关于林肯的事都告诉了他们。

And then in the interview he said, "What made Lincoln so great?

之后在这次采访中他说：“是什么让林肯如此伟大？

Not as great a general as Napoleon,

（他的伟大）既不是拿破仑大将的军式伟大，

not as great a statesman as Frederick the Great."

也不是政治家腓特烈大帝式的伟大。

But his greatness consisted, and historians would roundly agree,

然而，所有的历史学家都会肯定这一说法，他的伟大存在于

in the integrity of his character

他性格中的真诚、正直

and the moral fiber of his being.

和他与生俱来的道德情操。

So in the end that powerful ambition

所以最后他的雄心壮志

that had carried Lincoln through his bleak childhood had been realized.

那些曾经激励他走过悲惨童年的梦想终于实现了。

That ambition that had allowed him to laboriously educate himself by himself,

这一梦想让他发奋图强

to go through that string of political failures

并且鼓励他在一连串的政治失败

and the darkest days of the war.

和战争的黑暗中振作起来。

His story would be told.

他的故事应该被传颂。

So as for that second sphere, not of work, but of love --

现在我们来讲第二方面，感情生活

encompassing family, friends and colleagues --

人们围绕着家人，朋友和同事，

it, too, takes work and commitment.

也需要经营和承诺

The Lyndon Johnson that I saw in the last years of his life,

我看到晚年的林登·约翰逊，

when I helped him on his memoirs,

那时候我帮他写回忆录。

was a man who had spent so many years in the pursuit of

他是多年来一直追求

work, power and individual success,

工作，权力和个人成功的人。

that he had absolutely no psychic or emotional resources left

他几乎没有留下任何心灵或者感情上的财富

to get him through the days

来帮他度过

once the presidency was gone.

那段不再是总统的时光。

My relationship with him began on a rather curious level.

我和他的关系开始于一段不寻常的经历。

I was selected as a White House Fellow when I was 24 years old.

我24岁时被选为白宫学者。

We had a big dance at the White House.

我们在白宫里举行了一个大型舞会。

President Johnson did dance with me that night.

约翰逊总统那天晚上的确和我跳舞了

Not that peculiar --

其实没有我想象的那么不寻常，

there were only three women out of the 16 White House Fellows.

那时白宫的16位学者中只有3位女士。

But he did whisper in my ear that he wanted me

但是他也的确在我的耳边低语说，

to work directly for him in the White House.

他希望我在白宫里直接为他工作。

But it was not to be that simple.

但是事情没有那么简单。

For in the months leading up to my selection,

因为在往后的选举岁月里，

like many young people, I'd been active

我就像众多的年轻人一样，

in the anti-Vietnam War movement,

积极参与到了反对越南战争的运动中，

and had written an article against Lyndon Johnson,

并且还写了一篇反对林登·约翰逊的文章，

which unfortunately came out in The New Republic

不幸的是，这篇文章出版在了《新共和》上，

two days after the dance in the White House.

而这仅仅发生在白宫舞会的2天之后。

(Laugher)

（笑）

And the theme of the article was how to remove Lyndon Johnson from power.

那篇文章的主题是讲如何让林登·约翰逊下台。

(Laughter)

（笑）

So I was certain he would kick me out of the program.

所以当时我坚信他会把我从白宫赶出来。

But instead, surprisingly, he said,

但出乎意料的是，他说：“

"Oh, bring her down here for a year,

哦，让她在这里工作一年，

and if I can't win her over, no one can."

如果我不能令她信服，别人也不能。”

So I did end up working for him in the White House.

所以最后我还是在白宫里为他效力。

Eventually accompanied him to his ranch to help him on those memoirs,

最后我们一起去了他的农场写回忆录

never fully understanding why he'd chosen me to spend so many hours with.

最终也没能弄明白为什么他会选择与我共度那么多的时光。

I like to believe it was because I was a good listener.

我倒是愿意相信那是因为我善于倾听。

He was a great storyteller.

他是个讲故事的高手。

Fabulous, colorful, anecdotal stories.

他会讲很多非常有意思的奇闻轶事。

There was a problem with these stories, however,

当然这些故事也存在一些瑕疵，

which I later discovered, which is that half of them weren't true.

我后来才发现，那些故事有一半的情节是虚构的。

But they were great, nonetheless.

但是不管怎么说，讲的时候感觉很好。

(Laughter)

（笑）

So I think that part of his attraction for me was that I loved listening to his tall tales.

因此我觉得他之所以能吸引我，部分原因是我喜欢听他讲故事。

But I also worried that part of it was that I was then a young woman.

但是我也担心另外的原因--那时候我还是一个女孩子。

And he had somewhat of a minor league womanizing reputation.

而且他似乎还有些沾花惹草的名声。

So I constantly chatted to him about boyfriends,

所以，我经常跟他聊男朋友的事情，

even when I didn't have any at all.

尽管那时候我还没有男朋友。

Everything was working perfectly,

我的工作进展得很顺利，

until one day he said he wanted to discuss our relationship.

直到有一天，他说他想跟我聊聊我们之间的关系。

Sounded very ominous when he took me nearby to the lake,

他带我去了湖边，我感觉有些不妙，

conveniently called Lake Lyndon Baines Johnson.

那个湖叫做林登·贝恩斯·约翰逊湖。

And there was wine and cheese and a red-checked tablecloth --

还有红酒，奶酪和红格子桌布，

all the romantic trappings.

都是些很有浪漫情调饰品。

And he started out,

他开始对我说

"Doris, more than any other woman I have ever known ... "

“多丽丝，你比我所认识的所有女人都......”

And my heart sank.

我的心沉了下来。

And then he said,

然后他接着说：

"You remind me of my mother."

“你让我想起了我的妈妈。”

(Laughter)

（笑）

It was pretty embarrassing, given what was going on in my mind.

想到当时我脑子里想的东西，是在是太难为情了。

But I must say, the older I've gotten,

但是我要说，随着年龄的增长，

the more I realize what an incredible privilege it was

我更加识到这是一个怎样的荣幸，

to have spent so many hours with this aging lion of a man.

我有幸和这个男人中的王者共度了那么多时光。

A victor in a thousand contests,

他在上千次的竞争中取胜，

three great civil rights laws, Medicare, aid to education.

成功颁布三个伟大的民权法案，保健医疗法案，教育支援法案。

And yet, roundly defeated in the end by the war in Vietnam.

最后却因越南战争被打得一派涂地。

And because he was so sad and so vulnerable,

他为此非常悲伤并变得脆弱，

he opened up to me in ways he never would have

他以从来不曾有过的方式向我倾诉

had I known him at the height of his power --

一个如此官高权重的人

sharing his fears, his sorrows and his worries.

和我分享他的恐惧、悲伤和忧虑

And I'd like to believe that the privilege fired within me

我相信是这份荣幸让我欲罢不能。

the drive to understand the inner person behind the public figure,

促使我去了解公众人物背后的内心世界，

that I've tried to bring to each of my books since then.

把我的感受写进书里。

But it also brought home to me the lessons

它也让我清楚地明白

which Erik Erikson had tried to instill in all of us

艾瑞克·埃克森曾试图向我们讲述的道理，

about the importance of finding balance in life.

--在生命中寻找平衡的重要性。

For on the surface, Lyndon Johnson should have had

因为，在表面上，林登·约翰逊本应该

everything in the world to feel good about in those last years,

在他最后几年里拥有世间一切可以让他感觉良好的东西。

in the sense that he had been elected to the presidency;

他曾经被选举为总统。

he had all the money he needed to pursue

他有足够的金钱去挥霍

any leisure activity he wanted;

他想要的任何东西。

he owned a spacious ranch in the countryside, a penthouse in the city,

他在乡村拥有一块广阔的农场，在城市还有一栋阁楼，

sailboats, speedboats.

有很多帆船及快艇。

He had servants to answer any whim,

有侍者对他言听计从，

and he had a family who loved him deeply.

还有非常爱他的家人。

And yet, years of concentration solely on work and individual success

但是，几多年的专心于工作和追求个人成功

meant that in his retirement he could find no solace

意味着当他退休之后，他就不能在

in family, in recreation, in sports or in hobbies.

家庭，娱乐，体育和兴趣方面找到安慰。

It was almost as if the hole in his heart was so large

就像在他的心里有个很大的洞

that even the love of a family, without work, could not fill it.

以至于没有了工作的充实，即使家人的爱也不能将它填满。

As his spirits sagged, his body deteriorated

他的精神变得无比空虚，身体状况也每况愈下

until, I believe, he slowly brought about his own death.

直到后来慢慢死去

In those last years, he said he was so sad

在后来的这些年里，他说他很悲伤

watching the American people look toward a new president and forgetting him.

因为看到那么多的美国人满心期待新总统的出现而将他遗忘。

He spoke with immense sadness in his voice,

他说话时声音里满是悲伤，

saying maybe he should have spent more time with his children,

说也许他本应该花更多的时间跟孩子们一起，

and their children in turn.

和孩子的孩子们在一起。

But it was too late.

但这一切都已经晚了。

Despite all that power, all that wealth,

尽管他获得了那么大的权力，那么多的财富，

he was alone when he finally died --

到最后还是孤独地死去

his ultimate terror realized.

他最害怕的事情还是出现了。

So as for that third sphere of play,

我要讲的第三个方面就是娱乐

which he never had learned to enjoy,

这一点约翰逊从来没有学着去享用过。

I've learned over the years

在这些年里我懂得了

that even this sphere requires a commitment of time and energy --

即使是娱乐也是需要投入时间和精力的。

enough so that a hobby, a sport, a love of music,

时间和精力都具备了，你的爱好、体育、对音乐的喜好、

or art, or literature, or any form of recreation,

对艺术或者文学的喜爱或者其它的任何一种娱乐方式

can provide true pleasure, relaxation and replenishment.

才能真正创造乐趣和轻松的感觉，也才可以提供精神的补给。

So deep, for instance, was Abraham Lincoln's love of Shakespeare,

爱之深应该如同亚伯拉罕·林肯对莎士比亚的爱

that he made time to spend more than a hundred nights in the theater,

他曾抽出一百多个夜晚去剧院，

even during those dark days of the war.

即使是在战争的黑暗时期。

He said, when the lights went down and a Shakespeare play came on,

他说，只要灯一灭，莎士比亚的剧目一开演，

for a few precious hours he could imagine himself

他就会在这宝贵的几个小时里想象自己

back in Prince Hal's time.

回到了哈尔王子的时代。

But an even more important form of relaxation for him,

林登-约翰逊却从来没能享受过

that Lyndon Johnson never could enjoy,

的一种非常重要的放松方式就是

was a love of -- somehow -- humor,

幽默

and feeling out what hilarious parts of life can produce

他不能感知出生命的欢乐

as a sidelight to the sadness.

无法点亮悲伤。

He once said that he laughed so he did not cry,

林肯曾经说过因为他笑所以他不会哭，

that a good story, for him, was better than a drop of whiskey.

说对他来说一则好故事胜过一瓶威士忌酒。

His storytelling powers had first been recognized

他讲故事的本领

when he was on the circuit in Illinois.

是在伊利诺伊州的马戏团的时候被发现的。

The lawyers and the judges would travel

律师和法官会

from one county courthouse to the other,

从一个国家的法庭行到另一个法庭，

and when anyone was knowing Lincoln was in town,

那时只要有一个人知道林肯就在镇上，

they would come from miles around to listen to him tell stories.

他们会从几英里外的地方赶过来听他讲故事。

He would stand with his back against a fire

他会站在那里背靠着火堆，

and entertain the crowd for hours with his winding tales.

讲着情节曲折的故事娱乐群众。

And all these stories became part of his memory bank,

所有的这些故事都成了他记忆库的一部分，

so he could call on them whenever he needed to.

所以每当有机会的时候，他会信手拈来

And they're not quite what you might expect from our marble monument.

这些都不是你能够从大理石纪念碑上找到的。

One of his favorite stories, for example,

例如，他最喜欢的故事之一，

had to do with the Revolutionary War hero, Ethan Allen.

就与革命战争英雄伊桑·艾伦有关。

And as Lincoln told the story,

林肯讲这个故事的时候，

Mr. Allen went to Britain after the war.

艾伦先生在战后就去了英国。

And the British people were still upset

那时候英国人民还为

about losing the Revolution,

输掉了革命而忿忿不平，

so they decided to embarrass him a little bit

所以它们决定给他点难看

by putting a huge picture of General Washington

于是就把华盛顿将军的巨幅照片

in the only outhouse, where he'd have to encounter it.

挂在了唯一的外间，他每天的必经之所。

They figured he'd be upset about the indignity

他们认为他一定会生气

of George Washington being in an outhouse.

看到华盛顿将军的被放在了外屋。

But he came out of the outhouse not upset at all.

但是他出了外屋却一点都不生气，

And so they said, "Well, did you see George Washington in there?"

他们就问；“您没有在那里看到华盛顿将军吗？”

"Oh, yes," he said, "perfectly appropriate place for him."

“哦，看到了啊。”他说，“那个位置再适合他不过了。”

"What do you mean?" they said.

“您什么意思？”他们说。

"Well," he said, "there's nothing to make an Englishman shit

“好吧，”他说，“看看华盛顿大将军，

faster than the sight of General George Washington."

最能让英国佬屁滚尿流了。”

(Laughter)

（笑）

(Applause)

（鼓掌）

So you can imagine, if you are in the middle of a tense cabinet meeting --

所以，你可以想象得到，如果在一场紧张的内阁会议里你也参与其中-

and he had hundreds of these stories --

听他讲成百上千的这样的趣事

you would have to relax.

你一定会感到轻松。

So between his nightly treks to the theater,

在他晚间去剧院的周折中，

his story telling, and his extraordinary sense of humor

在他的故事以及绝妙的幽默感

and his love of quoting Shakespeare and poetry,

还有他对莎士比亚和诗歌的热爱中，

he found that form of play which carried him through his days.

他找到了那种可以陪伴他一生的娱乐方式。

In my own life, I shall always be grateful

在我的一生中，我总是

for having found a form of play in my irrational love of baseball.

为我对棒球的热爱心存感激

Which allows me, from the beginning of spring training

这个爱好让我从春天训练一开始

to the end of the fall,

到秋天结束，

to have something to occupy my mind and heart

都有可以充实思想和心灵的

other than my work.

东西在工作之外。

It all began when I was only six years old,

那是在我六岁的时候，

and my father taught me that mysterious art of keeping score

爸爸一边教我计分的技巧

while listening to baseball games --

一边收听棒球比赛。

so that when he went to work in New York during the day,

所以当他白天去纽约工作时

I could record for him the history of that afternoon's

我可以帮他记录那天下午

Brooklyn Dodgers game.

布鲁克林道奇队的比赛。

Now, when you're only six years old,

现在，试想你也仅仅是个六岁的孩子，

and your father comes home every single night

你爸爸每天晚上回家

and listens to you -- as I now realize that I, in excruciating detail,

都会听你讲---我现在意识到当时我有多么细致地

recounted every single play of every inning

记录每一场比赛的细节

of the game that had just taken place that afternoon.

甚至每一个围垒重新计分。

But he made me feel I was telling him a fabulous story.

爸爸让我感觉我在给他讲一个非常不错的故事。

It makes you think there's something magic about history

我当时感觉必然有什么奇妙的东西可以

to keep your father's attention.

得到父亲的关注。

In fact, I'm convinced I learned the narrative art

事实上，我相信我学会了一种讲故事的技巧

from those nightly sessions with my father.

而这些技巧就是在和我父亲晚上谈话中学来的。

Because at first, I'd be so excited I would blurt out,

因为刚开始，我会很激动地脱口而出：

"The Dodgers won!" or, "The Dodgers lost!"

“道奇队赢了！”或者，“道奇队输掉了！”

Which took much of the drama of this two-hour telling away.

这一说就让本可以讲两个小时的精彩比赛变得毫无悬念。

(Laughter)

（笑）

So I finally learned you had to tell a story

所以我最终明白讲故事

from beginning to middle to end.

就要从开始到中间再到最后。

I must say, so fervent was my love

我想说，在那些日子里我对

of the old Brooklyn Dodgers in those days

布鲁克林道奇队的爱是如此的真挚，

that I had to confess in my first confession

所以在我第一次做忏悔的时候我就必须坦白

two sins that related to baseball.

关于棒球我有两个罪过。

The first occurred because the Dodgers' catcher, Roy Campanella,

第一件是因为道奇队的捕手罗伊内拉

came to my hometown of Rockville Centre, Long Island,

去了我的家乡洛克维尔中心，长岛

just as I was in preparation for my first Holy Communion.

那时候我正在准备我的第一次圣餐。

And I was so excited --

那时的我太激动了

first person I'd ever see outside of Ebbets Field.

他是我在Ebbets球场之外见到的第一个明星。

But it so happened he was speaking in a Protestant Church.

当他在清教徒的教堂里说话的时候。

When you are brought up as a Catholic, you think

你可以想象一下，你身为天主教徒

that if you ever set foot in a Protestant Church,

却要去清教徒教堂听演讲，

you'll be struck dead at the threshold.

你会在门槛旁就被打死的。

So I went to my father in tears, "What are we going to do?"

所以我抹着眼泪去找爸爸：“我该怎么办呀？”

He said, "Don't worry. He's speaking in a parish hall.

他说：“别担心。他现在在教区大厅里演讲，

We're sitting in folding chairs. He's talking about sportsmanship.

我们就坐在折叠椅上。听他讲运动精神。

It's not a sin."

这算不得罪过。”

But as I left that night, I was certain that somehow

但是那天晚上离开后，我就确信

I'd traded the life of my everlasting soul

我已经用我永恒的灵魂生命

for this one night with Roy Campanella.

在那一晚上与罗伊内拉进行了交换。

(Laughter)

（笑）

And there were no indulgences around that I could buy.

那时候我不能在家附近买到赎罪券。

So I had this sin on my soul when I went to my first confession.

所以就带着这个罪恶去做了我的第一次忏悔。

I told the priest right away.

我讲了这件事给牧师。

He said, "No problem. It wasn't a religious service."

牧师说：“没关系。那并不是宗教仪式。”

But then, unfortunately, he said, "And what else, my child?"

讲完之后他说：“孩子，还有别的吗？”

And then came my second sin.

于是我开始讲我的第二宗罪。

I tried to sandwich it in between talking too much in church,

我试着在教堂里尽量说的简明扼要

wishing harm to others, being mean to my sisters.

我试图伤害别人，对我姐姐严厉刻薄

And he said, "To whom did you wish harm?"

牧师说：“你想伤害谁？”

And I had to say that I wished that various New York Yankees players

我说，我想要纽约扬基队的球员

would break arms, legs and ankles --

摔断胳膊，腿还有脚踝--

(Laughter)

（笑）

-- so that the Brooklyn Dodgers could win their first World Series.

-这样布鲁克林道奇队就可以赢得第一次世界联赛了。

He said, "How often do you make these horrible wishes?"

他说：“你多久会有一次这样可怕的愿望？”

And I had to say, every night when I said my prayers.

我不得不承认，在我每天晚上做祷告的时候都有。

(Laughter)

（笑）

So he said, "Look, I'll tell you something.

他说：“恩，我要告诉你一些事情。

I love the Brooklyn Dodgers, as you do,

我和你一样喜爱布鲁克林道奇队，

but I promise you some day they will win fairly and squarely.

但我向你保证终有一天他们会通过公平竞争的方式赢得胜利。

You do not need to wish harm on others to make it happen."

我们不能期待别人受伤而赢得比赛

"Oh yes," I said.

”恩，好吧。”我说。

But luckily, my first confession -- to a baseball-loving priest!

真的很幸运，我的第一次忏悔是向一位喜爱棒球的牧师！

(Laughter)

（笑）

Well, though my father died of a sudden heart attack

尽管我的父亲死于一场突发的心脏病，

when I was still in my 20s,

那时候我还只有20多岁，

before I had gotten married and had my three sons,

我还没有结婚也还没有我现在的三个儿子。

I have passed his memory -- as well as his love of baseball -- on to my boys.

我把对父亲的怀念和他对棒球的喜爱都讲给了我的儿子们听。

Though when the Dodgers abandoned us to come to L.A.,

尽管道奇队离开我们去了洛杉矶，

I lost faith in baseball until I moved to Boston

我也在搬到波士顿之前对棒球失去了信仰

and became an irrational Red Sox fan.

从而默默地变成了一个“红袜子”的粉丝。

And I must say, even now, when I sit with my sons

我要说，即使是现在，每当我和儿子们

with our season tickets,

坐在一起手握季度球票的时候，

I can sometimes close my eyes against the sun

我会闭上眼睛面朝太阳

and imagine myself, a young girl once more, in the presence of my father,

设想我自己，又变成一个小姑娘，和父亲一起

watching the players of my youth on the grassy fields below:

看着我年轻时的队员们在下面的绿茵场上比赛，

Jackie Robinson, Roy Campanella, Pee Wee Reese, and Duke Snider.

杰基·罗宾逊，罗伊·内拉，佩厄·凌晨·里斯，杜克·施奈德。

I must say there is magic in these moments.

那是一段多么美妙的时光

When I open my eyes and I see my sons

当我睁开眼睛看到我的孩子们

in the place where my father once sat,

他们坐在父亲曾经坐过的地方。

I feel an invisible loyalty and love

我能感受到一种由衷的感动和情感。

linking my sons to the grandfather whose face they never had a chance to see,

这种情感联系着我的儿子和他们未曾谋面的祖父，

but whose heart and soul they have come to know

我相信他们之间早已心意相通

through all the stories I have told.

因为我给孩子们讲过的故事。

Which is why, in the end, I shall always be grateful for this curious love of history,

这也是为什么我总心存感激，感激我对历史的好奇和热爱

allowing me to spend a lifetime looking back into the past.

它让我可以在一生都能看到过去的事情，

Allowing me to learn from these large figures

也是它让我能够从过去的伟大人物身上学习

about the struggle for meaning for life.

他们努力追求人生的意义。

Allowing me to believe that the private people

也让我能够相信

we have loved and lost in our families,

那些曾经爱过的后来又离开的我们的亲人，

and the public figures we have respected in our history,

还有那些值得我们尊敬的历史人物

just as Abraham Lincoln wanted to believe,

例如亚伯拉罕·林肯，

really can live on, so long as we pledge

得以永垂不朽

to tell and to retell the stories of their lives.

我们反复讲述他们的生命的故事。

Thank you for letting me be that storyteller today.

谢谢你们今天听我讲的这些故事。

(Applause)

（鼓掌）

Thank you.

谢谢。