Mitt Romney's Speech at the Al Smith Dinner

New York City, New York
October 18, 2012

罗姆尼在阿尔·史密斯慈善晚宴的讲话

纽约市 纽约州
2012年10月18日

Thank you, thank you. Thank you so much. Your Eminence, Cardinal Dolan, Mr. President, Governor Cuomo, Mayor Bloomberg, Senator Schumer, Al and Ann Smith. Thank you for your invitation. Thank you for your extraordinary warm welcome. Ann and I appreciate your friendship very, very much. Thank you.
谢谢,谢谢,非常感谢。主教阁下,总统先生,科莫州长,布隆伯格市长,舒默参议员,史密斯夫妇,感谢你们的邀请和盛情款待,我和安非常感激你们的友情,谢谢!

Now, Al, you are right, a campaign can require a lot of wardrobe changes. We -- blue jeans in the morning perhaps, a suit for a lunch fundraiser, sport coat for dinner, but it's nice to finally relax and to wear what Ann and I wear around the house.
阿尔,你说对了,竞选的确需要常常换行头,我们早上起来穿牛仔裤,筹款午餐会穿上西服,晚饭又改为运动服,现在终于可以轻松一点,穿成我和安平时在家里穿的衣服了。

I'm glad to be able to join in this venerable tradition. Of course, I'm pleased that the president is here. We were chatting pleasantly this evening as if Tuesday night never happened.
我很高兴参加这一珍贵的传统,当然,我很高兴总统也在这儿,我们今晚聊得很愉快,就好像周二晚上的事没发生一样。

And I credit that, of course, to the cardinal. He has -- it's taken New York's highest spiritual authority to get us back on our best behavior. I was actually hoping the president would bring Joe Biden along this evening because he'll laugh at anything.
我当然还要感谢主教,他以纽约最高的精神权威迫使我们保持最佳的风度。实际上我希望总统今晚能把拜登副总统请来,因为他面对任何事都保持大笑。

Of course, this isn't a night for serious politics. And it was especially nice to see President Obama and Cardinal Dolan sharing the dais despite their differences. I'm sure the cardinal has no hard feelings and we might get an indication of that during dinner to see if the president's wine turns into water. Or for that matter, whether my water turns into wine.
当然,今晚并不适合严肃的政治话题。很高兴看到奥巴马总统和多兰主教共坐一桌,尽管他们有一些分歧。我确信主教不会见怪,咱们看看晚宴上到底是总统的酒变成了水,还是我的水变成了酒。

I'm pleased to once again have the chance to see Governor Cuomo, who is already being talked about for a higher office. A very impressive fellow but he may be getting a little ahead of himself. I mean, let me get this straight. The man has put in one term as a governor, he has a father who happened to be a governor, and he thinks that's enough to run for president.
我很高兴能够再次有机会见到科莫州长,他已经开始有寻求更高职位的计划了,但我想他有点操之过急了,让我直说吧,他做过一任州长,也有个曾当过州长的父亲,他认为这些资历足以竞选总统了。

Of course, we're down to the final months of the president's term. As presidents -- As President Obama surveys the Waldorf banquet room with everyone in white tie and finery, you have to wonder what he is thinking. So little time, so much to redistribute.
当然,总统的任期马上就要结束了。当奥巴马总统环视沃尔多夫宴会厅时,你们大概要好奇他会想些什么:时间快不够用了,还有很多家产没分完呐。

And don't be surprised if the president mentions this evening the monthly jobs report where there was a slight improvement in the numbers. He knows how to seize the moment, this president. He already has a compelling new campaign slogan. You are better off now than you were four weeks ago.
大家也不要奇怪,如果总统今晚提到每月的就业报告,因为总有点数字上的小进步要分享,他知道抓住机会,他已经有了一个新的竞选口号:你们现在的生活比四周前要好多了!

You know, with or without all the dignitaries that are here, the Al Smith Dinner surely lives up to its billing. Usually when I get invited to gatherings like this, it's just to be the designated driver.
不管今晚有没有一些达官贵人出席,史密斯晚宴都绝对值这个价钱,通常我被邀请参加这种聚会的时候,都是来当代驾司机的。

Your kind hospitality here tonight gives me a chance to convey my deep and long-held respect for the Catholic Church, have special admiration for the Apostle St. Peter, to whom it is said, upon this rock, I will build my church. The story is all the more inspiring when you consider that he had so many skeptics and scoffers at the time who were heard to say, if you've got a church, you didn't build that.
你们今晚的盛情款待让我有机会能够向天主教教堂致以长久以来深深的敬意,我尤其敬仰使徒圣彼得,耶稣对他说,在这块石头上,我将要建成教堂。这个故事尤其更加令人振奋鼓舞,当你考虑到有人充满怀疑和讥讽的说,你即使有个教堂,也不是你自己建的。

Of course, only 19 days to go until the finish line. Campaign full of surprises. The debates are very exciting. Just the other night, we had a very fun debate. Candy Crowley was there and was happy to welcome us. But people seemed to be very curious as to how we prepare for the debates.
当然,还有19天就要到终点线了。竞选充满了惊喜,辩论令人兴奋,几天前我们进行一场很有趣的辩论,主持人克劳利很高兴欢迎我们,但大家好像很好奇我们是怎么准备我们的辩论的。

Let me tell you what I do. First, refrain from alcohol for 65 years before the debate.
我跟你们说说我是怎么做的,首先,你要在辩论前戒酒65年。

Second, find the biggest available straw man and then just mercilessly attack it. Big Bird didn't even see it coming.
第二点,找一个最大的稻草人,然后向他无情的攻击,大鸟甚至都看不到它在来。

And by the way, in the spirit of "Sesame Street," the president's remarks tonight are brought to you by the letter O and the number 16 trillion.
顺便说一下,本着“芝麻街”的精神,总统今晚的讲话将会包含字母O和数字16万亿。

Campaigns can be grueling, exhausting, President Obama and I are each very lucky to have one person who is always in our corner, someone who we can lean on and someone who is a comforting presence without whom we wouldn't be able to go another day.
竞选可以把人折磨得疲惫不堪,我和奥巴马总统很幸运各自都有一个人在我们的周围,让我们有所依靠,作为一个安慰存在,没有他们,我们将无法面对下一天。

I have my beautiful wife, Ann. He has Bill Clinton.
我身边的是我美丽的妻子,安。他那位是比尔克林顿。

We got a big dose of the Biden charm last week, I'll tell you that, in his debate with Paul Ryan. I'm not sure that all that carrying on had quite the effect that Joe intended. Because afterwards I heard from the Federal Election Commission. From now on, whenever he appears on TV there is a recording of me afterwards that says, I'm Mitt Romney and I approve this message.
我们上周都见识到了拜登的魅力,在他与莱恩的辩论中,我不太肯定拜登是否达到了目的,因为之后我听联邦选举委员会说,从现在起,每当他出现在电视上的时候,都会在最后加上一条我的录音:“我是米特·罗姆尼,我认可这条信息。”

Of course rules of fairness have to be enforced. Because what are the safeguards do we have besides the press? And --
当然我们必须坚守公平原则,因为除了新闻媒体,我们还能有其他的防线吗?

Now I never suggest that the press is biased. I recognize they have their job to do and I have my job to do. My job is to lay out a positive vision for the future of the country. And their job is to make sure no one else finds out about it.
我从不认为新闻界是有偏见的,我明白他们有他们要做的事,我也有我要做的事。我的工作就是为国家设计一个积极的愿景,他们的工作则是确保不让别人知道这点。

Let's just say that some in the media have a certain way of looking at things. When suddenly I pulled ahead in some of the major polls, what was the headline? Polls show Obama leading from behind.
这么说吧,部分媒体人看问题总是有一种独特的角度。当突然在我一些主流民意调查中领先的时候,头条是什么呢?“民调显示奥巴马迎头赶上。”

And I have already seen early reports from tonight's dinner. Headline, Obama embraced by Catholics. Romney dines with rich people.
我已经看到了早些时候关于这场晚宴的报道,头条新闻:“奥巴马跟天主教徒拥抱”、“罗姆尼和富豪共餐”。

Of course, the president has put his own stamp on relations with the church. There have been some awkward moments, like when the president pulled Pope Benedict aside to share some advice on how to deal with his critics. He said, look, Holy Father, whatever the problem is, just blame it on Pope John Paul II.
当然,总统已经把自己的想法印在了与教堂的关系上,有些令人尴尬的时刻,例如总统曾把本笃教皇拉到一边和他分享一些对付批评者的高招,他说,听着,神父,无论出了什么问题,只要把它推倒保罗二世教皇身上就好了。

Of course, the president has found a way to take the sting out of the Obamacare mandates for the church. From now on, they are going to be in Latin.
当然,总统也找到了一个让“奥巴马医改方案”讨好教会的方法,从现在起它将用拉丁语写。

We have very fundamental and sound principles that guide both the president and me. He and I, of course, feel the pressures and tensions of a -- of a close contest. It'd be easy to let a healthy competition give way to the personal and the petty but fortunately, we don't carry the burden of disliking one another. Our president has had some very fine and gracious moments. Don't tell anyone I said so but our 44th president has many gifts and a beautiful family that would make any man proud.
有一些基本合理的原则在引导着我和总统,我和他都为这个势均力敌的局面深感不安,良性的竞争很容易演变成私人恩怨和琐碎小事,不过还好我跟总统并没有仇视对方。我们的总统有过一些非常光辉的时刻,悄悄告诉你们,我们的第44任总统有许多天赋,以及足以让任何男人骄傲的美好家庭。

You can oppose -- In our country, you can oppose someone in politics and make a confident case against their policies without any ill-will. And that's how it is for me. There is more to life than politics.
你可以反对——在我们国家,你可以反对某人的政见,可以在不含任何恶意的情况下针锋相对,这对我来说便是如此,生活比政治重要得多。

At the Al Smith Foundation and the Archdiocese in New York, you show this in the work you do. In causes that run deeper than allegiance to a party or to any contests of the moment. No matter which way the political winds are blowing, what work goes on, day in, day out by this organization, and you, you answer with calm and willing hearts, in service to the poor, care for the sick, in defense in the rights of conscience, and in solidarity with the innocent child waiting to be born. You strive to bring God's love into every -- in every life.
史密斯基金会和纽约大教区之下,你们的所作所为无一不证明了这一点,此时此地超越了党政之争,无论政治之风刮向哪边,这个组织依然日复一日完成所作的工作,你们用平静和无私去回应他人,帮助穷人,关心病人,守护良知,保持纯真。你们致力于将上帝的爱传播到每一个人的生命中。

I don't presume to have all your support. And on a night like this, I'm certainly not going to ask for it. But you can be certain that in the great causes of compassion that you come together to embrace, that I stand proudly with you as an ally and friend.
我并奢求得到你们全部的支持,在今天这样的夜晚,我当然也不会提出这样的请求,但你们应该相信,在你们共同守护的仁爱之路上,有我一直与你们自豪地站在一起,我是你们永远的盟友和伙伴。

God bless you all. And God bless the United States of America. Thank you.
上帝保佑大家,上帝保佑美利坚合众国,谢谢!