Obama Oath of Office and Full Inaugural Address

My fellow citizens:

I stand here today humbled by the task before us, grateful for the trust you have bestowed, mindful of the sacrifices borne by our ancestors. I thank President Bush for his service to our nation, as well as the generosity and co-operation he has shown throughout this transition.

Forty-four Americans have now taken the presidential oath. The words have been spoken during rising tides of prosperity and the still waters of peace. Yet, every so often the oath is taken amidst gathering clouds and raging storms.

At these moments, America has carried on not simply because of the skill or vision of those in high office, but because we, the people, have remained faithful to the ideals of our forbears, and true to our founding documents.

So it has been. So it must be with this generation of Americans.

Serious challenges

That we are in the midst of crisis is now well understood. Our nation is at war, against a far-reaching network of violence and hatred. Our economy is badly weakened, a consequence of greed and irresponsibility on the part of some, but also our collective failure to make hard choices and prepare the nation for a new age. Homes have been lost; jobs shed; businesses shuttered. Our healthcare is too costly; our schools fail too many; and each day brings further evidence that the ways we use energy strengthen our adversaries and threaten our planet.

These are the indicators of crisis, subject to data and statistics. Less measurable but no less profound is a sapping of confidence across our land - a nagging fear that America's decline is inevitable, that the next generation must lower its sights.

Today I say to you that the challenges we face are real. They are serious and they are many. They will not be met easily or in a short span of time. But know this, America - they will be met.

On this day, we gather because we have chosen hope over fear, unity of purpose over conflict and discord.

On this day, we come to proclaim an end to the petty grievances and false promises, the recriminations and worn-out dogmas, that for far too long have strangled our politics.

Nation of 'risk-takers'

We remain a young nation, but in the words of scripture, the time has come to set aside childish things. The time has come to reaffirm our enduring spirit; to choose our better history; to carry forward that precious gift, that noble idea, passed on from generation to generation: the God-given promise that all are equal, all are free, and all deserve a chance to pursue their full measure of happiness.

In reaffirming the greatness of our nation, we understand that greatness is never a given. It must be earned. Our journey has never been one of short-cuts or settling for less. It has not been the path for the faint-hearted - for those who prefer leisure over work, or seek only the pleasures of riches and fame. Rather, it has been the risk-takers, the doers, the makers of things - some celebrated but more often men and women obscure in their labour, who have carried us up the long, rugged path towards prosperity and freedom.

For us, they packed up their few worldly possessions and travelled across oceans in search of a new life.

For us, they toiled in sweatshops and settled the West; endured the lash of the whip and ploughed the hard earth.

For us, they fought and died, in places like Concord and Gettysburg; Normandy and Khe Sahn.

'Remaking America'

Time and again these men and women struggled and sacrificed and worked till their hands were raw so that we might live a better life. They saw America as bigger than the sum of our individual ambitions; greater than all the differences of birth or wealth or faction.

This is the journey we continue today. We remain the most prosperous, powerful nation on Earth. Our workers are no less productive than when this 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.

For everywhere we look, there is work to be done. The state of our 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 healthcare'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. All this we will do.

Restoring trust

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. For 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.

What the cynics fail to understand is that the ground has shifted beneath them - that the stale political arguments that have consumed us for so long no longer apply.

The question we ask today is not whether our government is too big or too small, but whether it works - whether it helps families find jobs at a decent wage, care they can afford, a retirement that is dignified. Where the answer is yes, we intend to move forward. Where the answer is no, programmes will end. And those of us who manage the public's dollars will be held to account - to spend wisely, reform bad habits, and do our business in the light of day - because only then can we restore the vital trust between a people and their government.

Nor is the question before us whether the market is a force for good or ill. Its power to generate wealth and expand freedom is unmatched, but this crisis has reminded us that without a watchful eye, the market can spin out of control - that a nation cannot prosper long when it favours only the prosperous. The success of our economy has always depended not just on the size of our gross domestic product, but on the reach of our prosperity; on the ability to extend opportunity to every willing heart - not out of charity, but because it is the surest route to our common good.

'Ready to lead'

As for our common defence, we reject as false the choice between our safety and our ideals. Our founding fathers, faced with perils that we can scarcely imagine, drafted a charter to assure the rule of law and the rights of man, a charter expanded by the blood of generations. Those ideals still light the world, and we will not give them up for expedience's sake. And so to all the other peoples and governments who are watching today, from the grandest capitals to the small village where my father was born: know that America is a friend of each nation and every man, woman, and child who seeks a future of peace and dignity, and we are ready to lead once more.

Recall that earlier generations faced down fascism and communism not just with missiles and tanks, but with the sturdy alliances and enduring convictions. They understood that our power alone cannot protect us, nor does it entitle us to do as we please. Instead, they knew that our power grows through its prudent use; our security emanates from the justness of our cause, the force of our example, the tempering qualities of humility and restraint.

We are the keepers of this legacy. Guided by these principles once more, we can meet those new threats that demand even greater effort - even greater co-operation and understanding between nations. We will begin to responsibly leave Iraq to its people, and forge a hard-earned peace in Afghanistan. With old friends and former foes, we will work tirelessly to lessen the nuclear threat, and roll back the spectre of a warming planet. We will not apologise for our way of life, nor will we waver in its defence, and for those who seek to advance their aims by inducing terror and slaughtering innocents, we say to you now that our spirit is stronger and cannot be broken; you cannot outlast us, and we will defeat you.

'Era of peace'

For we know that our patchwork heritage is a strength, not a weakness. We are a nation of Christians and Muslims, Jews and Hindus - and non-believers. We are shaped by every language and culture, drawn from every end of this earth; and because we have tasted the bitter swill of civil war and segregation, and emerged from that dark chapter stronger and more united, we cannot help but believe that the old hatreds shall someday pass; that the lines of tribe shall soon dissolve; that as the world grows smaller, our common humanity shall reveal itself; and that America must play its role in ushering in a new era of peace.

To the Muslim world, we seek a new way forward, based on mutual interest and mutual respect. To those leaders around the globe who seek to sow conflict, or blame their society's ills on the West - know that your people will judge you on what you can build, not what you destroy. To those who cling to power through corruption and deceit and the silencing of dissent, know that you are on the wrong side of history; but that we will extend a hand if you are willing to unclench your fist.

To the people of poor nations, we pledge to work alongside you to make your farms flourish and let clean waters flow; to nourish starved bodies and feed hungry minds. And to those nations like ours that enjoy relative plenty, we say we can no longer afford indifference to the suffering outside our borders; nor can we consume the world's resources without regard to effect. For the world has changed, and we must change with it.

'Duties'

As we consider the road that unfolds before us, we remember with humble gratitude those brave Americans who, at this very hour, patrol far-off deserts and distant mountains. They have something to tell us, just as the fallen heroes who lie in Arlington whisper through the ages. We honour them not only because they are the guardians of our liberty, but because they embody the spirit of service; a willingness to find meaning in something greater than themselves. And yet, at this moment - a moment that will define a generation - it is precisely this spirit that must inhabit us all.

For as much as government can do and must do, it is ultimately the faith and determination of the American people upon which this nation relies. It is the kindness to take in a stranger when the levees break, the selflessness of workers who would rather cut their hours than see a friend lose their job which sees us through our darkest hours. It is the firefighter's courage to storm a stairway filled with smoke, but also a parent's willingness to nurture a child, that finally decides our fate.

Our challenges may be new. The instruments with which we meet them may be new. But those values upon which our success depends - honesty and hard work, 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 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.

'Gift of freedom'

This is the price and the promise of citizenship.

This is the source of our confidence - the knowledge that God calls on us to shape an uncertain destiny.

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.

So let us mark this day with remembrance, of who we are and how far we have travelled. 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:

"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]."

America. In the face of our common dangers, in this winter of our 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.

Thank you. God bless you. And God bless the United States of America.

Time Tested Beauty Tips

Time Tested Beauty Tips
原詩：Time Tested Beauty Tips
by Sam Levenson
奧黛麗•赫本的美容秘方
For attractive lips, speak words of kindness.
譯文：迷人的雙唇，在於親切友善的語言。
For lovely eyes, seek out the good in people.
譯文：可愛的眼睛，善於尋覓別人的優點。
For a slim figure, share your food with the hungry.
譯文：苗條的身影，請與飢餓的人分享你食物。
For beautiful hair, let a child run his fingers through it once a day.
譯文：要有亮麗的秀髮，請讓小孩每日觸摸它。
For poise, walk with the knowledge you'll never walk alone ...
譯文：1.優美的姿態，在於與知識同行而不是獨行......
2.要有自信的態度，請學習你不曾學過的知識。
People, even more than things, have to be restored, renewed, revived, reclaimed, and redeemed; never throw out anyone.
譯文：人之所以為人，是必須充滿精力、自我悔改、自我反省、自我成長；並非向他人抱怨。
Remember, if you ever need a helping hand, you'll find one at the end of your arm.
譯文：請記住，如果你需要幫助，你永遠有自己的手，當你成長後，你會發覺你有兩雙手，一雙幫助自己，一雙幫助他人。
As you grow older, you will discover that you have two hands; one for helping yourself, and the other for helping others. The beauty of a woman is not in the clothes she wears, the figure that she carries, or the way she combs her hair. The beauty of a woman must be seen from in her eyes, because that is the doorway to her heart, the place where love resides.
譯文：女人的美麗不在於她的穿著，她的身材，或者她的髮型；女人的美麗一定從她的眼睛中找到，因為那是通往她的心靈深處的窗口，“愛”居住的地方。
The beauty of a woman is not in a facial mole, but true beauty in a woman is reflected in her soul. It is the caring that she lovingly gives, the passion that she shows, and the beauty of a woman with passing years only grows!
譯文：女人的美麗不在於外表，真正的美麗折射於一個女人的靈魂深處，在於親切的給予和熱情並且女人的美麗是跟著年齡成長的。

這是赫本最喜愛的詩(由猶太裔美國作家Sam Levenson寫給剛出生的孫女)。 在世的最後一個聖誕節,赫本將這首詩分享給她的愛子Sean和Luca。

珍惜卻不要固執

「談戀愛要懂得，到了某個程度必須分手。愛情兩個字，最好的狀態是有點安全感卻又不能太過，要不斷在安全和膽戰心驚之間遊移。」「其實，天底下並沒有值得一生一世記得的風景，所以我們對愛情要珍惜卻不要固執。不給我的我不要，不愛我的我不愛。」

－－林夕

紙上得來終覺淺，絕知此事要躬行。

紙上得來終覺淺，絕知此事要躬行。

——陸游《冬夜讀書示子聿》

從書本上得來的知識，終究體會不深；要透徹地了解某件事，非親身實踐不可。全詩為：『古人學問無遺力，少壯工夫老始成，紙上得來終覺淺，絕知此事要躬行。』現在有些人以為讀幾本優秀作文選就能寫好文章，這是不對的。要能寫出好文章，必須靠自己多觀察生活，多動筆練習寫。絕：徹底。躬行：親自實踐。

believe in nothing

The greatest threat to children in modern liberal societies is not that they will believe in something too deeply, but that they will believe in nothing very deeply at all.
－－Willian Galso

陽光海岸《葉珊》

陽光海岸 葉珊 (楊牧)

我悄悄地離開那海岸。那是一片美麗，光輝的海岸。我走的時候已是深夜，但我走得很慢。我記得一路上我都想著：「我要重來的。」我惦記著你；不只是你，我惦記著你坐在領事館短垣時背後慢慢湧起的夕照，我真希望那時就有一顆星。你髮絲飄搖間是一片草原，但那不是牧羊的。「南方沒有牧場，」我心裏想，「但為什麼一定要有牧場呢？」我真喜歡那兒，看到那一幢幢西歐式的紅房子，我忽然想：「荷蘭人也是值得感謝的。」然後我上了車站，我回頭沒看到你，你大概在暗處，我真後悔沒有好好找你。

那真是一片美麗的海岸。我們第二次去時，渡船已經收班了，泊在小碼頭裏左右擺著。那時正在漲潮，你說，「潮退時，我們可以一直走到當中那個沙灘。」那時正在漲潮，我們坐在纜索上，有一條小划舟點著燈在河口盪著。假如我們向它招手，你說，它就會為我們擺渡。但我不想渡，我喜歡此岸。為甚麼要渡呢？那山腳下一片朦朧，我寧喜歡此岸。

南方的海岸不是光輝的，南方的海岸多雨，我曾去落雨的海岸坐過，有時候一路上抬頭還看得見昏朦的月亮。落雨的時候，碼頭上的人都穿著雨衣，水手都到冰店裏喝啤酒。那時也許有船要出港，但岸上太潮了，不會有人來送行的。更可能的是水手們根本沒有親人，沒有人來送行。他們大概都躲在艙下，吸外國菸，玩橋牌，那是一種很淒涼的事。我這樣想著。雨很大，月亮不見了。潮已經漲夠了，海水淹去了港邊的石階，就在我腳下。我想：為甚麼沒有人來送行呢？他們水手都沒有親人嗎？他們是流浪人嗎？或者因為他們飄泊慣了，別離慣了，親人已經不關心他們了。我真怕港邊的雨，我站在港務大樓下，把手插在雨衣裏，我還要走一段夜路，路上很黑，但我要回去。

假如我也有一片海岸光輝如你的就好了。我又想，那是陽光海岸，在一片山麓下，那是不寂寞的海岸，那兒的路燈小而美，散步的人都吸著菸，有時牽著洋狗，「我們看晚霞去。」在你的小鎮裏，人們沒有憂愁，人們散步不為解悶，而是為了看晚霞。那是陽光海岸，那兒不常下雨。好了，有時下雨吧。但那是渡船收班以後的事，人們躲在家裏，每個人都有一個客廳，有沙發椅，有花瓶的客廳。他們就坐在雨廊下，他們喝茶，而且也吸菸，聽柴可夫斯基的音樂；有時他們很累，那時雨就小了，他們惺忪地站起來，正好看到一個人打傘走過紅牆外，那人也吸著菸，菸頭像夏天的星光，在樹葉間一明一滅。

因為這是陽光海岸，沙灘是白色的，如帶的。人們去沙灘也是為了散步，而且也都吸著菸，有時且牽著洋狗。那兒的貝殼不如我們南方多──你不承認嗎？──因為那兒是陽光海岸。那一次我來到你這小鎮，我來時，陽光正在路當中，照在我臉上。整個小鎮像一個銅火盆，像冬天的末尾。我輕輕地走在石板路上，地上沒有幾片落葉，只有紅紅的鳳凰花。我看到你笑著來，你當戴著草帽，因為這是陽光海岸，這不是南方。若在南方，你當打著傘，或者穿著雨衣，那時你不會笑，你只會遠遠地站在榆樹下，幽怨地看著我，也許你是說，「抱歉，這兒是南方，南方多雨。」但我還是喜歡這些陽光，他們照在石板路上，像花朵，紅紅的，亮亮的，照在你笑著站著的石板路上。

後來我就想到荔枝了，我問你們有沒有一片甜甜的荔枝園，像我們多雨的南方似的，紅牆繞著的荔枝園（當然也有幾個小缺口，好讓兒童們爬進去摘取），你說沒有，因為你住的小鎮正在陽光海岸的當中。所以我說：「讓我們去海岸上吧。」唉，我真喜歡那海岸，我們在領事館上可以清清楚楚地看到整片海，也可以看到草原，看到草原上那一列西洋風景畫似的樹。草原外是高爾夫球場，假如是牧場就好了。那時開始，不只我們多雨的南方沒有牧場，你們陽光海岸也沒有牧場。但沒有牧場也罷，為甚麼我不喜歡高爾夫球場呢？我就坐下來想，假如這裏下雨，海灘上的陽傘都收起來了，散步的人一個一個把菸蒂扔掉；躲在渡船裏，或在走廊下等別人帶傘去接，你會怎麼樣呢？你大概就回家去，回家去讀蕭伯納。為甚麼不讀易卜生呢？我喜歡易卜生。

「但你一定是一個南方人，」我對自己說，南方人喜歡易卜生。或著你更應該喜歡海明威，你應該冒雨跑回家，自書架上抽一本書出來看，也許正好抽中了The Sun Also Rises你就會迷迷糊糊去到了西班牙，西班牙是多陽光的國度，這個令人發狂的國度。但我還是喜歡易卜生，你不相信就算了。從前我喜歡過契可夫，但我沒讀過「櫻桃園」，也許我會讀它，看它像不像南方多雨的荔枝園。

然後我就要離開這片陽光海岸了。臨走我不斷回頭，因為我不願離開你，我喜歡這片海岸，我更喜歡看你坐在領事館的短垣上，我喜歡看星星從你的髮絲間升起，我喜歡看你坐在碼頭上。我說我要回去了，這海岸到底不屬於我。你說，但我屬於你，我說我要回去寫詩了，我是屬於寫詩的人，我要寫一首七節的抒情詩。臨走時我們在路上話別，這一次離開你，便不再離開你了。

◎《葉珊散文集》‧洪範出版

生命是個創造，而非一個發現。

一個人怎樣才能認識自己呢？絕不是通過思考，而是通過實踐。盡力去履行你的職責，那你就會立刻知道你的價值。－－歌德

生命是個創造，而非一個發現。