托福课外阅读：奥巴马在《美国残疾人法》周年日纪念演讲
Anniversary of Americans with Disabilities Act
2012年《美国残疾人法》周年日纪念
By the President of the United State of America
美利坚合众国总统
A Proclamation
公告
July 26, 2012
2012年7月26日
Since our earliest days, America has measured its progress not only by the growth of our borders and the breadth of our economy, but also by how far we reach toward fully realizing the fundamental rights, protections, and freedoms afforded to each of us by our Nation's founding documents. For generations, many Americans with disabilities lived as second-class citizens who were denied those most basic opportunities. Not content to accept the world as it was, they marched and organized and testified, coupling quiet acts of persistence and perseverance with vocal acts of advocacy. And step by step, progress was won. Protections were put into law. And a wave of change swept across our country, tearing down the barriers that kept persons with disabilities from securing their fullest measure of happiness.
从建国以来，在衡量自己取得的进步时，美国不仅依据边界的开拓和经济的广度，还审视我们在何种程度上实现了立国文件赋予我们每个人的基本权利以及各项保护与自由。在很长时间里，一代接一代的美国残疾人过着二等公民的日子，被剥夺了这些最基本的机会。由于不愿接受这个世界的现状，他们走上街头、组织起来、公开作证;他们有时默默努力，锲而不舍，有时大声疾呼，争取权利。他们渐渐地赢得了进步。各项保护内容被纳入法律之中。改革的浪潮席卷美国，摧毁了各种使残疾人无法充分享受幸福的障碍。
Today, we mark the 22nd anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) -- a historic piece of civil rights legislation that affirmed Americans with disabilities are Americans first. When many wrongfully doubted that people with disabilities could participate in our society, contribute to our economy, or support their families, the ADA asserted that they could. Under this landmark law, America became the first Nation to comprehensively declare equality for its citizens with disabilities -- an accomplishment that continues to guide our country toward fulfilling its most essential promises not just for some, but for all.
今天，我们纪念《美国残疾人法》通过22周年——这是一部具有历史意义的民权法律，它明确宣告有残疾的美国人首先是美国人。当许多人错误地怀疑残疾人能否参与我们的社会、对我们的经济作出贡献或养活自己的家庭时，《美国残疾人法》断言他们能够这样做。根据这个具有里程碑意义的法律，美国成为世界上第一个全面宣告残疾人公民享有平等权利的国家——这项成就继续引导我国去履行最基本的承诺，不仅是为了某些人，而且是为了所有的人。
Yet, despite the gains we have made, independence and freedom from discrimination remain out of reach for too many individuals with disabilities. That is why my Administration continues to build on the legacy set forth by the ADA. Thanks to the Affordable Care Act, insurance companies can no longer deny coverage to children with disabilities because of pre-existing conditions, medical history, or genetic information -- a provision that will be extended to all Americans in 2014. We have fought to protect and strengthen Medicare and Medicaid by improving benefits and opposing proposals that would shift costs to seniors and persons with disabilities. And earlier this year, we established the Administration for Community Living at the Department of Health and Human Services to help ensure people with disabilities have the support they need to live with respect and dignity in their communities, and to be fully included in our national life.
然而，尽管我们取得了上述成就，对于许多残疾人来说，独立和不遭受歧视仍然遥不可及。这就是为什么本届政府继续要在《美国残疾人法》给我们打下的基础上发扬光大。由于《合理医疗费用法》的缘故，保险公司不能再因为原有病症、病史或遗传信息拒绝给残疾儿童入保——这项条款将在2014年扩大至所有的美国人。我们一直为保护和加强联邦老年医保计划和医疗补助计划而斗争，改善了服务，并反对那些把费用转嫁给老年人和残疾人的种种建议。今年早些时候，我们在卫生与人类服务部设立了社区生活局，以确保残疾人能够获得他们在生活中所需要的支持，在自己的社区内受到尊敬并有尊严地生活。
Because every American deserves access to a world-class education, we have worked to make learning environments safer and more inclusive. Last September, the Department of Education implemented new standards for the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act that will help measure and improve outcomes for infants and toddlers with disabilities. Moving forward, we will continue to take action to help all children learn, develop, and participate in instructional programs that equip them with the tools for success in school and beyond.
鉴于每个美国人都有权获得世界一流的教育，我们致力于使学习环境更加安全和更具包容性。去年9月，教育部实施了《残疾人教育法》新标准，这些标准将有助于测验并提高残疾婴儿与幼童的各项能力。未来，我们将继续采取行动帮助所有儿童学习和成长，并开设必要课程，使他们能够掌握各种工具，在学校内外都取得成功。
As we mark this milestone and reflect on the barriers that remain, we also pay tribute to the courageous individuals and communities who have made progress possible. Because so many advocates understood injustice from the depths of their own experience, they also knew that by allowing injustice to stand, we were depriving our Nation and our economy of the full talents and contributions of tens of millions of Americans with disabilities. Today, those Americans are leaders not only in every field and throughout every part of our national life, but also in the journey to bring the American dream within reach for our next generation. On this anniversary of the ADA, we celebrate the contributions Americans with disabilities have made to our Nation, and we rededicate ourselves to empowering every individual with those most American principles of equal access and equal opportunity.
当我们纪念这个里程碑法案及反思依然存在的障碍之际，我们同时要表彰那些促成进步的勇敢人士和社区。许多维权者通过自己的切身体验对不公正状况有所理解，他们也知道，如果让不公正状况存在下去，我们就会在我们的国家和我们的经济中剥夺千百万美国残疾人充分发挥其才能并做出贡献的机会。今天，这些美国人不仅是各个领域和国家生活各方面的领导人，而且带头走在为我们的下一代争取让“美国梦”触手可及的征途上。值此《美国残疾人法》周年纪念日，我们庆祝美国残疾人对我们国家作出的贡献，同时我们再度承诺要赋予每个人那些最具美国特征的平等参与和机会均等的原则。
NOW, THEREFORE, I, BARACK OBAMA, President of the United States of America, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and the laws of the United States, do hereby proclaim July 26, 2012, the Anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act. I encourage Americans across our Nation to celebrate the 22nd anniversary of this civil rights law and the many contributions of individuals with disabilities.
为此，我，美利坚合众国总统巴拉克•欧巴马，谨以宪法和法律赋予我的权力，特此宣布2012年7月26日为《美国残疾人法》周年纪念日。我吁请全美国人民庆祝这项民权法通过22周年及残疾人作出的诸多贡献。
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this twenty-sixth day of July, in the year of our Lord two thousand twelve, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and thirty-seventh.
我谨于公元2012年，即美利坚合众国独立第237年之7月26日，亲笔在此签名为证。
BARACK OBAMA
巴拉克•欧巴马
