老布什葬禮 小布什笑中帶淚懷念父親

當?shù)貢r間5日，美國在華盛頓國家大教堂(Washington National Cathedral)為11月30日去世的前總統(tǒng)老布什舉行國葬。

包括奧巴馬、克林頓、小布什和卡特在內(nèi)的所有美國在世前總統(tǒng)，以及現(xiàn)任總統(tǒng)特朗普均出席了葬禮。

在葬禮現(xiàn)場，小布什獻上了一篇感人的悼詞(eulogy)，講到動情處，更是哽咽落淚。

小布什的悼詞中充滿了他對于父親的各種可愛回憶(anecdote)，比如八九十歲了還喜歡開快船、跳傘，生病時讓老友偷偷把伏特加帶進病房……

全場在歡笑中抹著眼淚，氣氛溫馨感人。

小布什幽默地說：

“To us, he was close to perfect. But not totally perfect. His short game was lousy. He wasn’t exactly Fred Astaire on the dance floor. The man couldn’t stomach vegetables, especially broccoli. And by the way, he passed these genetic defects on to us.”

對我們來說，他近乎完美，但也不完全完美。他的短桿打得糟糕透了，在舞池里也比弗雷德·阿斯泰爾差遠了。他受不了蔬菜，尤其討厭西蘭花。 順便說一句，他把這些缺陷也遺傳給了我們。

小布什在演講最后，說到老布什是“一個兒子或女兒所能擁有的最好的父親(the best father a son or daughter could have)”時，哽咽落淚。

他同時欣慰地說，父親現(xiàn)在終于能和母親，還有三歲時夭折的女兒在一起了。

“And in our grief, let us smile knowing that Dad is hugging Robin and holding Mom’s hand again.”

讓我們在悲痛中微笑，因為爸爸又可以抱緊羅賓，握住媽媽的手了。

演講完畢下臺時，小布什輕輕地拍了拍父親的靈柩，與他道別。

以下是演講雙語全文：

Distinguished guests, including our Presidents and First Ladies, government officials, foreign dignitaries, and friends; Jeb, Neil, Marvin, Doro, and I and our families thank you all for being here.

尊敬的來賓，各位總統(tǒng)和第一夫人、政府官員、外國政要、朋友們; 杰布、尼爾、馬文、多羅、我，以及我的家人，感謝各位的到來。

I once heard it said of man that the idea is to die young as late as possible.

我曾聽人說，人最好去世時依然年輕，當然，這天來得越晚越好。

At age 85, a favorite pastime of George H.W. Bush was firing up his boat, the Fidelity, and opening up the three 300 horsepower engines to fly, joyfully fly across the Atlantic with the Secret Service boats straining to keep up.

85歲時，喬治·H·W·布什最愛的消遣活動就是開著他的船“忠心號”飛馳。他開足3個300馬力的引擎，在大西洋上快樂馳騁，而特勤局的船在后面拼了命追趕。

At age 90, George H.W. Bush parachuted out of an aircraft and landed on the grounds of St. Anne's by the Sea in Kennebunkport, Maine, the church where his mom was married and where he worshipped often. Mother liked to say he chose the location just in case the chute didn't open.

90歲時，喬治·H·W·布什從飛機上跳傘，降落在緬因州肯納邦克波特的海邊圣安妮教堂的庭院里。這是我祖母結(jié)婚的地方，他也常來這里做禮拜。母親總說，他選這個地點，是怕降落傘萬一打不開，落在那正好省事了。

In his 90s, he took great delight when his closest pal, James A. Baker, smuggled a bottle of Grey Goose vodka into his hospital room. Apparently it paired well with the steak Baker had delivered from Morton's.

90多歲時，讓他特別高興的一件事，就是他的老朋友、(美國前國務(wù)卿)詹姆斯·貝克將一瓶灰鵝牌伏特加偷帶進他的病房。顯然，這酒與貝克之前從默頓訂來的牛排是絕配。

To his very last days, dad's life was instructive. As he aged he taught us how to grow with dignity, humor and kindness. When the good lord finally called, how to meet him with courage and with the joy of the promise of what lies ahead.

在最后的日子里，父親的人生充滿了啟迪意義。他在老去的同時，教導我們?nèi)绾螏е饑馈⒂哪蜕埔獾爻砷L。而當上帝最終將他召喚而去時，他又教會了我們?nèi)绾螏е職夂拖矏側(cè)ビ铀劳龅膩砼R。

One reason dad knew how to die young is that he almost did it, twice. When he was a teenager, a staph infection nearly took his life. A few years later he was alone in the Pacific on a life raft, praying that his rescuers would find him before the enemy did. God answered those prayers. It turned out he had other plans for George H.W. Bush.

父親深知如何“年輕”地死去，因為他幾乎英年早逝，而且是兩次。十幾歲時，一次葡萄球菌感染差點要了他的命。幾年后，他獨自一人困在救生筏上，在太平洋里飄蕩，祈禱救援部隊能先于敵人找到他。上帝聽到了他的禱告。原來，對于喬治·H·W·布什的命運，上帝另有安排。

For dad's part, I think those brushes with death made him cherish the gift of life, and he vowed to live every day to the fullest.

對于父親來說，我想這幾次與死亡的擦肩而過讓他更加珍惜生命的饋贈，他發(fā)誓要把每一天活到極致。

Dad was always busy, a man in constant motion, but never too busy to share his love of life with those around him. He taught us to love the outdoors. He loved watching dogs flush a covey. He loved landing the illusive striper. And once confined to a wheelchair, he seemed happiest sitting in his favorite perch on the back porch at Walker's Point contemplating the majesty of the Atlantic.

父親是個大忙人，從來都閑不住，但他再忙也不會忘了和身邊的人分享他對生活的熱愛。他教會我們熱愛戶外運動，他愛看狗狗追逐驚飛的鳥群，他愛釣狡猾的銀條鱸魚。即便是在離不開輪椅的日子里，他也會自得其樂地坐在沃克角的門廊里，看著壯闊的大西洋沉吟不已。

The horizons he saw were bright and hopeful. He was a genuinely optimistic man, and that optimism guided his children and made each of us believe that anything was possible. He continually broadened his horizons with daring decisions.

那地平線在他的眼中充滿了光明與希望。他真的是一個非常樂觀的人，這種樂觀精神也引導著他的孩子們，讓我們每個人都相信，一切皆有可能。他總是果敢地做著決定，不斷地拓展他的視野。

He was a patriot. After high school he put college on hold and became a navy fighter pilot as World War II broke out. Like many of his generation, he never talked about his service until his time as a public figure forced his hand. We learned of the attack, the mission completed, the shootdown. We learned of the death of his crewmates whom he thought about throughout his entire life. And we learned of the rescue.

他是個愛國者。高中畢業(yè)后，二戰(zhàn)爆發(fā)，他暫停大學計劃，去當了海軍飛行員。和他那一代中的很多人一樣，他從不夸耀自己報效國家的經(jīng)歷。直到成為公眾人物后，他才不得不開口。我們于是知道了那次襲擊、他們完成的任務(wù)和被擊落的飛機。我們知道了他犧牲的戰(zhàn)友們，而他把他們記了一輩子。我們也知道了他獲救的故事。

And then another audacious decision; he moved his young family from the comforts of the East coast to Odessa, Texas. He and Mom adjusted to their arid surroundings quickly. He was a tolerant man. After all, he was kind and neighborly to the women with whom he, Mom and I shared a bathroom in our small duplex. Even after he learned their profession, ladies of the night.

另一個大膽的決定，是他把自己的小家庭從舒適的東海岸搬到了陌生的德州奧德賽。他和母親很快就適應(yīng)了那里干旱的環(huán)境。父親是個寬容大度的人。我家當年和幾位女士同住一棟狹小的聯(lián)式房屋，與她們共用衛(wèi)生間。即使后來得知這些女士從事“特殊”職業(yè)，父親依然善良和藹地對待她們。

Dad could relate to people from all walks of life. He was an empathetic man. He valued character over pedigree, and he was no cynic. He looked for the good in each person and he usually found it.

父親能夠理解各行各業(yè)的人們。對于他人的經(jīng)歷，他總能感同身受。他看重品格而非背景，他從不憤世嫉俗。他從每個人身上尋找優(yōu)點，而且總能找到。

Dad taught us that public service is noble and necessary, that one can serve with integrity and hold true to the important values like faith and family. He strongly believed that it was important to give back to the community and country in which one lived. He recognized that serving others enriched the giver's soul. To us, his was the brightest of a thousand points of light.

父親教會我們，為公眾服務(wù)是崇高且必要的。他告訴我們，任公職是可以廉潔正直的，也可以堅持重要的價值觀，如家庭和信仰。他堅信回饋我們生活的社群和國家是很重要的事。他認為，為他人服務(wù)，能夠豐富自己的靈魂。對我們而言，父親是“萬千光點”中最亮的那一個。(注：“萬千光點”是老布什成立的非盈利機構(gòu)，旨在提倡志愿者服務(wù))

In victory, he shared credit. When he lost, he shouldered the blame. He accepted that failure is part of living a full life, but taught us never to be defined by failure. He showed us how setbacks can strengthen.

勝利時，他分享榮耀;失敗時，他承擔責任。他接受失敗，因為那是完整人生的一部分。但他也告訴我們，永遠不要讓失敗來定義你的人生。他讓我們知道，人可以越挫越勇。

None of his disappointments could compare with one of life's greatest tragedies, the loss of a young child.

在他所有的不幸中，最傷心莫過于遭遇人生最大的悲劇之一，痛失幼女。

Jeb and I were too young to remember the pain and agony he and Mom felt when our 3-year-old sister died. We only learned later that Dad, a man of quiet faith, prayed for her daily. He was sustained by the love of the Almighty and the real and enduring love of her Mom. Dad always believed that one day he would hug his precious Robin again.

我和杰布那時都太小，記不得3歲的姐姐去世時父母經(jīng)歷的哀慟與悲傷。我們后來才知道，父親這個把信仰深藏內(nèi)心的人，天天都在為她禱告。是神的愛和母親真摯持久的愛，支撐他堅持了下去。父親總是相信，有一天他能夠再次擁抱他的寶貝女兒羅賓。

He loved to laugh, especially at himself. He could tease and needle but never out of malice. He placed great value on a good joke. That's why he chose Simpson to speak.

他愛笑，尤其愛嘲笑自己。他會調(diào)侃諷刺，但絕非出于惡意。他特別欣賞機智的笑話。 這也是他選擇辛普森參議員致悼詞的原因。

On e-mail he had a circle of friends with whom he shared or received the latest jokes. His grading system for the quality of the joke was classic George Bush. The rare 7s and 8s were considered huge winners, most of them off-color.

他有一個電子郵件群，專門用于朋友間分享最新的笑話。他對笑話質(zhì)量的評分系統(tǒng)是典型的喬治·布什式的。能得到7分和8分已經(jīng)是罕見的贏家——這些笑話大多數(shù)都是帶顏色的。

George Bush knew how to be a true and loyal friend. He nurtured and honored his many friendships with a generous and giving soul. There exists thousands of handwritten notes encouraging or sympathizing or thanking his friends and acquaintances.

喬治·布什知道如何做一個真正忠誠的朋友。他用一顆慷慨和愿意付出的心，經(jīng)營著朋友間的友情。他曾經(jīng)給朋友和熟人寫了成千上萬的信件，表達鼓勵、同情或者感謝之情。

He had an enormous capacity to give of himself. Many a person would tell you that Dad became a mentor and a father figure in their life. He listened and he consoled. He was their friend. I think of Don Rhodes, Taylor Blanton, Jim Nantz, Arnold Schwarzenegger, and perhaps the unlikeliest of all, the man who defeated him, Bill Clinton. My siblings and I refer to the guys in this group as brothers from other mothers.

他極盡所能奉獻自己。很多人會說，父親已成為了他們生命中的導師和父親。他樂于傾聽，善于安慰。他成為了他們的朋友。我能想到的，包括唐·羅德斯、泰勒·布蘭頓、吉姆·南茨、阿諾德·施瓦辛格，最不可思議的，還有后來在總統(tǒng)競選中打敗他的比爾·克林頓。對我和我的兄弟姐妹們來說，這些人都親如兄弟。

He taught us that a day was not meant to be wasted. He played golf at a legendary pace. I always wonder why he insisted on speed golf; he's a good golfer. Here's my conclusion. He played fast so he could move on to the next event, to enjoy the rest of the day, to expend his enormous energy, to live it all. He was born with just two settings, full throttle, then sleep.

他告訴我們，日子不是用來浪費的。他打高爾夫球快得驚人。我總是想知道他為什么打那么快，他是個不錯的高爾夫球手。所以我的結(jié)論是，他打得很快，是為了盡快進行下一項活動，享受一天中剩余的時間，消耗他旺盛的精力，不讓一日虛度。他出生時似乎只有兩種設(shè)置：全力以赴，倒頭大睡。

He taught us what it means to be a wonderful father, grandfather and great grandfather. He was firm in his principles and supportive as we began to seek our own ways. He encouraged and comforted but never steered. We tested his patience. I know I did. But he always responded with the great gift of unconditional love.

他告訴我們?nèi)绾巫鲆粋€好父親、好祖父和好曾祖父。當我們開始走自己的人生路時，他堅持自己的原則，同時也非常支持我們。他鼓勵、安慰，但從不操縱。我們挑戰(zhàn)過他的耐心——我知道我曾經(jīng)這么做過——但他總是用無條件的愛來回應(yīng)。

Last Friday when I was told he had minutes to live, I called him. The guy answered the phone, said "I think he can hear you but he hasn't said anything for most of the day." I said, "Dad, I love you and you've been a wonderful father," and the last words he would ever say on Earth were, "I love you too."

上周五，當我被告知他將不久于人世時，我趕緊打電話給他。接電話的人說：“我覺得他能聽見你，但他己經(jīng)一整天沒說話了。” 我說，“爸，我愛你，你是一個很棒的父親。”他留在世上的最后一句話是，“我也愛你。”

To us he was close to perfect. but not totally. His short game was lousy. He wasn't exactly Fred Astaire on the dance floor. The man couldn't stomach vegetables, especially broccoli. And by the way, he passed these genetic defects along to us.

對我們來說，他近乎完美，但也不完全完美。他的短桿打得糟糕透了，在舞池里也比弗雷德·阿斯泰爾差遠了。他受不了蔬菜，尤其討厭西蘭花。 順便說一句，他把這些缺陷也遺傳給了我們。

Finally, every day of his 73 years of marriage, Dad taught us all what it means to be a great husband. He married his sweetheart. He adored her. He laughed and cried with her. He was dedicated to her totally.

在73載婚姻中的每一天，父親教會我們?nèi)绾纬蔀橐幻麅?yōu)秀的丈夫。他娶了自己的心頭摯愛，愛慕著她，與她同歡笑同悲傷。他全身心地鐘情于她。

In his old age, Dad enjoyed watching police show reruns, the volume on high, all the while holding Mom's hand. After Mom died, Dad was strong, but all he really wanted to do was hold Mom's hand again.

在晚年的時候，父親喜歡看警察節(jié)目重播，聲音開得老大，一直握著母親的手。母親去世后，父親很堅強，但他真正想要的就是再次握住母親的手。

Of course Dad taught me another special lesson. He showed me what it means to be a President who serves with integrity, leads with courage and acts with love in his heart for the citizens of our country.

當然，父親還給我上了另一堂特別的課。他向我展示了如何成為一位廉潔執(zhí)政、勇敢領(lǐng)導、滿懷對民眾的愛去行動的總統(tǒng)。

When the history books are written, they will say that George H.W. Bush was a great President of the United States, a diplomat of unmatched skill, a Commander in Chief of formidable accomplishment, and a gentleman who executed the duties of his office with dignity and honor.

歷史書將會如是記載，喬治·H·W·布什是一位偉大的美國總統(tǒng)，是一名才干卓著的外交官，是一位成就斐然的總司令，也是一位帶著尊嚴和榮譽履職的紳士。

In his inaugural address the 41st President of the United States said this: "We cannot hope only to leave our children a bigger car, a bigger bank account, we must hope to give them a sense of what it means to be a loyal friend, a loving parent, a citizen who leaves his home, his neighborhood and town better than he found it. What do we want the men and women who work with us to say when we are no longer there? That we were more driven to succeed than anyone around us or that we stopped to ask if a sick child had gotten better and stayed a moment there to trade a word of friendship?"

在就職演說中，這位美國第41任總統(tǒng)曾說：“我們可不能只想著給孩子們留下更好的汽車、更多的錢，我們必須讓他們知道如何成為忠誠的朋友、慈愛的父母和一名讓社區(qū)和家鄉(xiāng)變得更好的公民。當我們離去時，希望曾并肩工作的人如何評說?是說我們比身邊任何人都渴望成功，還是說我們會停下來詢問生病的孩子有沒有好轉(zhuǎn)，并送上友愛的慰問?”

Well, Dad, we're going to remember you for exactly that and much more, and we're going to miss you.

爸爸，我們會因此，但絕不僅僅因此而銘記你，我們會一直思念著你。

Your decency, sincerity, and kind soul will stay with us forever. So through our tears, let us know the blessings of knowing and loving you, a great and noble man. The best father a son or daughter could have.

你的正直、真誠還有善良的靈魂將永遠與我們同在。在淚水中，我們明白了，能認識和愛著你這樣一位偉大而高尚的人，是何其幸運。你是一個孩子可以擁有的最好的父親。

And in our grief, let us smile knowing that Dad is hugging Robin and holding Mom's hand again.

讓我們在悲痛中微笑，因為爸爸又可以抱緊羅賓，握住媽媽的手了。