Remarks in an Exchange of Toasts at State Dinner

by Barack Obama, President of the United States of America

State Dining Room, White House, Washington

January 19, 2011

在欢迎胡锦涛主席国宴上的致辞

美利坚合众国总统 巴拉克·奥巴马

美国华盛顿 白宫 国宴厅

2011年1月19日

Good evening, everybody.  Please have a seat.  On behalf of Michelle and myself, welcome to the White House.  And thank you for joining us as we host President Hu and the Chinese delegation, and as we pay tribute to the bonds between two great nations and two proud peoples.

大家晚上好。请坐。米歇尔和我欢迎大家光临白宫。感谢各位与我们一道欢迎胡锦涛主席和中国代表团，对中美两国和人民的紧密关系致意。

There are too many distinguished guests to mention all of you tonight.  But I do want to acknowledge a few who have championed relations between our nations:  First of all, President Jimmy Carter and his wonderful wife Rosalynn Carter are here. As well as President Bill Clinton and my outstanding Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton.

今晚在座的有非常多的贵宾，我想特别介绍一下对我们两国关系起到关键作用的人：吉米·卡特总统和他的夫人罗萨琳·卡特，还有比尔·克林顿总统及我们出色的国务卿希拉里·克林顿。

President Hu, we have met today in a spirit of mutual respect:  the United States -- the oldest democracy in the world, and China -- one of the oldest civilizations in the world.  And while it’s easy to focus on our differences of culture and perspective, let us never forget the values that our people share:  A reverence for family; the belief that, with education and hard work and with sacrifice, the future is what we make it; and most of all, the desire to give our children a better life.

胡主席，今天的聚会体现了我们相互尊重的精神，美国是世界上最悠久的民主制度国家，中国是世界上最古老的文明之一。我们很容易将注意力放在文化与观点的差别之上，但我们也不应该忘记两国人民共有的价值观——对家庭的重视，对通过教育、勤奋和牺牲创造未来的信念，更重要的，对子女提供更好生活的愿望。

Let’s also never forget that throughout our history our people have worked together for mutual progress.  We’ve traded together for more than 200 years.  We stood together in the Second World War.  Chinese immigrants and Chinese Americans have helped to build America, including many who join us here tonight.

我们也不应该忘记历史上我们两国人民为了共同的进步而共同努力。我们有二百多年的贸易历史，在二战中我们并肩作战，中国的移民和华裔美国人对美国的建设做出了贡献，其中包括许多今晚在座的嘉宾。

The Chinese and American people work together and create new opportunities together every single day.  Mr. President, today we’ve shown that our governments can work together as well, for our mutual benefit.  And that includes this bit of news -— under a new agreement, our National Zoo will continue to dazzle children and visitors with the beloved giant pandas.

中美两国人民每天都在共同努力创造新的机会。主席先生，今天我们也表明了两国政府可以同样为了共同的利益一起努力，其中也包括这条消息——根据一项新的协议，我们的国家动物园将可以继续保留吸引孩子和游客们的中国大熊猫。

I'm told that there is a Chinese proverb that says:  If you want one year of prosperity, then grow grain.  If you want 10 years of prosperity, then grow trees.  But if you want 100 years of prosperity, then you grow people.  

我知道一句中国的谚语：一年树谷，十年树木，百年树人。

And so I propose a toast -- to our people, the citizens of the People’s Republic of China and the United States of America. May they grow together in friendship.  May they prosper together in peace.  And may they realize their dream of the future for themselves, for their children, and for their grandchildren.  

所以我提议让我们一起举杯——为我们的人民，中华人民共和国和美利坚合众国的公民。愿两国人民加深友谊，和平繁荣，实现自己及子孙的未来的梦想！

Ganbei. 

干杯！