Ronald Reagan: The Space Shuttle "Challenger" Tragedy Address
罗纳德·里根：关于“挑战者号”航天飞机悲剧的演讲
Ladies and Gentlemen, I‘d planned to speak to you tonight to report on the state of the Union, but the events of earlier today have led me to change those plans. Today is a day for mourning and remembering. Nancy and I are pained to the core by the tragedy of the shuttle Challenger. We know we share this pain with all of the people of our country. This is truly a national loss.
女士们先生们：本来，我打算今天晚上向你们宣读国情咨文，但今天早些时候发生的事件让我改变了计划。今天是哀悼和怀念的日子。南希和我为“挑战者号”航天飞机的悲剧感到至为痛心。我们知道全体国人人同此心。这真正是全国人的损失。
Nineteen years ago, almost to the day, we lost three astronauts in a terrible accident on the ground. But, we‘ve never lost an astronaut in flight. We‘ve never had a tragedy like this. And perhaps we‘ve forgotten the courage it took for the crew of the shuttle. But they, the Challenger Seven, were aware of the dangers, but overcame them and did their jobs brilliantly. We mourn seven heroes: Michael Smith, Dick Scobee, Judith Resnik, Ronald McNair, Ellison Onizuka, Gregory Jarvis, and Christa McAuliffe. We mourn their loss as a nation together.
十九年前，几乎就在今天，在一次可怕的地面事故中，我们丧失了三名宇航员。然而我们从未在飞行中丧失过宇航员，从未经历过这样的灾难。也许我们已经忘记，航天飞机机组人员需要多么大的勇气；但是挑战者七壮士深知其中的危险，他们坚忍不拔，出色地履行了自己的职责。我们悼念七位英雄：迈克尔·史密斯、迪克·斯科比、朱迪恩·伦斯尼克、罗纳德·卖克奈尔、埃利森·奥尼祖卡、格雷戈里·贾维斯、克丽斯塔·麦考利夫。我们举国哀悼失去的英雄。
For the families of the seven, we cannot bear, as you do, the full impact of this tragedy. But we feel the loss, and we‘re thinking about you so very much. Your loved ones were daring and brave, and they had that special grace, that special spirit that says, "Give me a challenge, and I‘ll meet it with joy." They had a hunger to explore the universe and discover its truths. They wished to serve, and they did. They served all of us.
对于这七个人的家人，我们不能百分之百地像你们那样的感受这场灾难的打击。但是我们感受到了损失，我们认为你们一定也是这样。你们的亲人勇敢无畏，他们的特殊姿态和特殊精神告诉我们：“把挑战给我，我要满怀喜悦的去迎接。“他们渴望探索宇宙，渴望揭开宇宙的奥秘。他们希望尽职，他们做到了。他们为我们所有的人尽了职。
We‘ve grown used to wonders in this century. It‘s hard to dazzle us. But for twenty-five years the United States space program has been doing just that. We‘ve grown used to the idea of space, and, perhaps we forget that we‘ve only just begun. We‘re still pioneers. They, the members of the Challenger crew, were pioneers.
这个世纪，我们对奇迹已习以为常。很难有什么会使我们赞叹不已。但是美国航天计划二十五年来做的正是如此。我们对太空计划已经习以为常，也许已经忘了我们不过刚刚起步。我们仍然是开拓者。他们——挑战者号全体机组人员是开拓者。
And I want to say something to the schoolchildren of America who were watching the live coverage of the shuttle‘s take-off. I know it‘s hard to understand, but sometimes painful things like this happen. It‘s all part of the process of exploration and discovery. It‘s all part of taking a chance and expanding man‘s horizons. The future doesn‘t belong to the fainthearted; it belongs to the brave. The Challenger crew w as pulling us into the future, and we‘ll continue to follow them.
我要对观看航天飞机发射直播的美国学童说几句话。我知道后者难以理解，但有时像这样令人痛苦的
