crisis began. Our minds are no less inventive, our goods and services no less needed than they were last week or last month or last year. Our capacity remains undiminished. But our time of standing pat, of protecting narrow interests and putting off unpleasant decisions — that time has surely passed. Starting today, we must pick ourselves up, dust ourselves off, and begin again the work of remaking America.
17 For everywhere we look, there is work to be done. The state of the economy calls for action, bold and swift, and we will act — not only to create new jobs, but to lay a new foundation for growth. We will build the roads and bridges, the electric grids and digital lines that feed our commerce and bind us together. We will restore science to its rightful place, and wield technology’s wonders to raise health care’s quality and lower its cost. We will harness the sun and the winds and the soil to fuel our cars and run our factories. And we will transform our schools and colleges and universities to meet the demands of a new age. All this we can do. And all this we will do. 18 Now, there are some who question the scale of our ambitions — who suggest that our system cannot tolerate too many big plans. Their memories are short. They have forgotten what this country has already done; what free men and women can achieve when imagination is joined to common purpose, and necessity to courage.
19 Our challenges may be new. The instruments with which we meet them may be new. But those values upon which our success depends — hard work and honesty, courage and fair play, tolerance and curiosity, loyalty and patriotism — these things are old. These things are true. They have been the quiet force of progress throughout our history. What is demanded then is a
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return to these truths. What is required of us now is a new era of responsibility — a recognition, on the part of every American, that we have duties to ourselves, our nation and the world; duties that we do not grudgingly accept but rather seize gladly, firm in the knowledge that there is nothing so satisfying to the spirit, so defining of our character, than giving our all to a difficult task.
20 This is the price and the promise of citizenship.
21 This is the source of our confidence — the knowledge that God calls on us to shape an uncertain destiny.
22 This is the meaning of our liberty and our creed — why men and women and children of every race and every faith can join in celebration across this magnificent Mall, and why a man whose father less than 60 years ago might not have been served at a local restaurant can now stand before you to take a most sacred oath.
23 So let us mark this day with remembrance, of who we are and how far we have traveled. In the year of America’s birth, in the coldest of months, a small band of patriots huddled by dying campfires on the shores of an icy river. The capital was abandoned. The enemy was advancing. The snow was stained with blood. At a moment when the outcome of our revolution was most in doubt, the father of our nation ordered these words be read to the people:
24 ―Let it be told to the future world ... that in the depth of winter, when nothing but hope and virtue could survive ... that the city and the country, alarmed at one common danger, came forth to meet it.‖
25 America. In the face of our common dangers, in this winter of our
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hardship, let us remember these timeless words. With hope and virtue, let us brave once more the icy currents, and endure what storms may come. Let it be said by our children’s children that when we were tested, we refused to let this journey end, that we did not turn back, nor did we falter; and with eyes fixed on the horizon and God’s grace upon us, we carried forth that great gift of freedom and delivered it safely to future generations.
(1355 words)
New Words
inaugural▲ /???????????/ a. of or for an inauguration 就职的；开幕的 humble /??????/ vt. make somebody feel that they are not as good or important as they thought they were 贬低；使感到卑微 bestow▲ /???????/ vt. (fml.) give 给予，赠给；授予
mindful /????????/ a. giving thought (to) 想着的
cooperation /?????????????/ n. [U] 1 willingness to work together or help 协助；配合 2 act of working together for a shared purpose 合作
presidential /????????????/ a. relating to a president 总统的
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violence /?????????/ n. [U] 1 violent behaviour 暴力行为 2 physical or emotional force and energy 狂热；激情；激烈的行动 badly /??????/ ad. 1 severely 严重地，厉害地 2 in a bad manner 坏，差；拙劣地 3 very much 很，非常
weaken /???????/ v. 1 make or become less strong or powerful （使）虚弱，衰弱；减弱；削弱 2 make or become less determined or less certain （使）动摇；（使）犹豫不决 greed▲/?????/ n. [U] excessive desire, esp. for wealth 贪心，贪婪
shutter/?????/ vt. close a business, office, etc. for a short time or permanently 关（店）；关闭（办事处）；（暂时或永久性地）停止（营业）
strengthen /???????????/ v. make or become stronger 加强；增强
adversary▲/???????????/ n. [C] (fml.) enemy, opponent 敌人，对手
indicator /???????????/ n. [C] something that can be regarded as a sign of something else 指示物；指标
measurable/???????????/ a. large or important enough to have a definite effect 重大的；重要的；明显的
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prosperity /???????????/ n. [U] prosperous state 繁荣，富足
amidst /???????/ prep. (fml.) in the middle of, among; amid 在?之中，在?中间 gathering /????????/ a. gradually increasing 逐渐增加的
rage /?????/ vi. (of wind, battle, etc.) be violent（风）狂吹
raging /????????/ a. happening with a lot of force or violence 狂暴的；猛烈的
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sap /???/ vt. weaken 使虚弱；削弱
nagging /??????/ a. making you worry or feel pain all the time 无法摆脱的；烦人的；让人头痛的
span /????/ n. [C] 1 amount of time that something lasts 持续的时间 2 width of something 宽度 vt. 1 last all through a period of time or cover the whole of it 持续；贯穿 2 cover or cross an area completely 覆盖；遍布；贯穿 3 stretch from side to side of 跨越
unity /????????/ n. [U] situation in which people, groups, or countries join together or agree about something 联合；统一；团结；一致
discord▲/????????/ n. [U] (fml.) disagreement; quarrelling 不一致；不和；纷争
proclaim /?????????/ vt. 1 announce or declare publicly or officially 宣告；宣布；声明 2 be a clear sign of something 清楚表明；显示
grievance /????????/ n. [C/U] real or fancied cause for complaint 不满；委屈；怨恨 recrimination /??????????????/ n. [U] act of quarrelling and blaming one another 相互指责
worn-out /?????????/ a. too old or damaged to use any longer 破旧的
Scripture /?????????/ n. [U] the Bible 《圣经》 childish /?????????/ a. 1 immature, silly 幼稚的；愚蠢的 2 of, like, or proper to a child 孩子的；孩子般的；适合于孩子的 reaffirm /??????????/ vt. formally and officially state something again 重申；再次声明
given /?????/ n. [C] basic fact that you accept as the truth 基本事实；不争的事实 shortcut /?????????/ n. [C] quick method 便捷方法，捷径
faint-hearted /?????????????/ a. cowardly, timid 怯懦的，胆小的
riches /???????/ n. (pl.) valuable possessions 财富，财宝
risk-taker /???????????/ n. [C] someone who takes risks to achieve a benefit 冒险者 doer /?????/ n. [C] person who acts rather than theorizing 实干家
obscure/????????/ a. 1 (of a person) undistinguished, hardly known （人）默默无闻的，无名的 2 difficult to understand 费解的，难以理解的 vt. make it difficult to see, hear or understand something 使模糊；使隐晦；使费解
possession /???????/ n. 1 [C] piece of personal property 个人财产，私人财物 2 [U] (fml.) state of having or owning something 具有，拥有
sweatshop /?????????/ n. [C] place where people work for low wages in poor conditions 血汗工厂（工资低、工作环境恶劣的地方） lash/???/ n. [C] sharp blow made by a whip etc. 鞭打 vt. beat with a whip etc. 鞭打 plow /????/ AmE v. turn over the soil before putting seeds into it 犁（地），耕（地） vi. force a way or make a track, sometimes violently 奋力前进 n. [C] piece of farm equipment used for turning over the soil before putting seeds into it 犁
faction▲ /??????/ n. [U] (fml.) disagreement or fighting between small groups within a larger group 内讧；派系斗争
prosperous /????????????/ a. successful; rich; thriving 成功的；富足的；繁荣的 inventive /?????????/ a. able to invent; imaginative 有发明才能的；富于想象力的 remake /????????/ vt. make again or differently 再制；翻新
swift /?????/ a. 1 prompt 敏捷的；迅疾的 2 quick, rapid 快速的；迅速的
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grid/????/ n. [C] 1 set of wires that carries the electricity supply 输电网；电力网 2 pattern of straight lines that cross each other to form squares 格子；方格；网格
rightful /???????/ a. (fml.) officially or legally accepted as right or correct 合法的；正当的 wield▲/?????/ vt. command, exert (a weapon, tool, power, etc.) 掌握（武器、工具）；行使（权力等）
tolerate /??????????/ vt. 1 find or treat as endurable 容许；宽恕 2 endure (suffering etc.) 经受，忍受（痛苦等） 3 be able to be affected by a drug, difficult conditions, etc. without being harmed （对药物）有耐受性；能经受（困难条件）
honesty /???????/ n. [U] quality of being honest 诚实，坦率
patriotism/???????????????/ n. [U] strong feelings of love, respect, and duty towards your country 爱国主义
grudgingly /??????????/ ad. in an unwilling way 不情愿地，勉强地
uncertain /????????/ a. 1 changeable, not predictable 易变的，无常的；无法预知的 2 not certainly knowing or known 不确定的；不确知的；不能断定的
creed▲/?????/ n. [C] (fml.) set of principles or beliefs 信条，信念
celebration /????????????/ n. [U] act of celebrating 庆祝
sacred/????????/ a. 1 very important and treated with great respect 受尊重的；受崇敬的 2 connected with God or a god; considered to be holy 上帝的；神的；神圣的
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remembrance /???????????/ n. [U] act of
remembering 记忆，回忆
patriot/????????/ n. [C] person devoted to and ready to defend his or her country 爱国者，爱国主义者
huddle/?????/ v. crowd together; nestle closely 聚在一起；挤成一堆
campfire /??????????/ n. [C] fire built outside by people who are camping 营火，篝火
icy /?????/ a. covered with or abounding in ice 被冰覆盖的；结满冰的
stain /?????/ v. leave marks that are difficult to remove 沾污，污染 vt. spoil, damage (a reputation, character, etc.) 玷污，败坏（名誉、品格等）n. [C] dirty mark that is difficult to remove 污点；污渍
depth /????/ n. 1 [C] (usu. pl.) deepest, most extreme or serious part of something 最深处；深渊；极限 2 [C/U] deepness 深度 3 [U] wisdom 明智，智慧
virtue /????????/ n. 1 [U] moral excellence; goodness 高尚的品德；德性 2 [C] particular form of this 美德，德行 3 [C] good quality 优点，长处
alarm /??????/ vt. frighten or disturb 使惊恐；使焦虑 n. 1 [U] sudden fear and anxiety 惊恐，惊慌 2 [C] warning of danger etc. （危险等的）警报 3 [C] warning device报警器 hardship /????????/ n. [C/U] (example of) difficult conditions of life 困苦，苦难；贫困 timeless /????????/ a. not affected by the passage of time 不受时间影响的 falter▲/???????/ vi. lose courage 丧失勇气
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Phrases and Expressions
every so often at war
on the part of
occasionally 偶尔，有时
engaged in a war 处于交战状态 made or done by 就?而言
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