老布什葬礼 小布什笑中带泪怀念父亲

当地时间5日，美国在华盛顿国家大教堂（Washington National Cathedral）为11月30日去世的前总统老布什举行国葬。

包括奥巴马、克林顿、小布什和卡特在内的所有美国在世前总统，以及现任总统特朗普均出席了葬礼。

在葬礼现场，小布什献上了一篇感人的悼词（eulogy），讲到动情处，更是哽咽落泪。

小布什的悼词中充满了他对于父亲的各种可爱回忆（anecdote），比如八九十岁了还喜欢开快船、跳伞，生病时让老友偷偷把伏特加带进病房……

全场在欢笑中抹着眼泪，气氛温馨感人。

小布什幽默地说：

“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.”

对我们来说，他近乎完美，但也不完全完美。他的短杆打得糟糕透了，在舞池里也比弗雷德·阿斯泰尔差远了。他受不了蔬菜，尤其讨厌西兰花。 顺便说一句，他把这些缺陷也遗传给了我们。

小布什在演讲最后，说到老布什是“一个儿子或女儿所能拥有的最好的父亲（the best father a son or daughter could have）”时，哽咽落泪。

他同时欣慰地说，父亲现在终于能和母亲，还有三岁时夭折的女儿在一起了。

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

让我们在悲痛中微笑，因为爸爸又可以抱紧罗宾，握住妈妈的手了。

演讲完毕下台时，小布什轻轻地拍了拍父亲的灵柩，与他道别。

以下是演讲双语全文：

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.

尊敬的来宾，各位总统和第一夫人、政府官员、外国政要、朋友们； 杰布、尼尔、马文、多罗、我，以及我的家人，感谢各位的到来。

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

我曾听人说，人最好去世时依然年轻，当然，这天来得越晚越好。

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岁时，乔治·H·W·布什最爱的消遣活动就是开着他的船“忠心号”飞驰。他开足3个300马力的引擎，在大西洋上快乐驰骋，而特勤局的船在后面拼了命追赶。

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岁时，乔治·H·W·布什从飞机上跳伞，降落在缅因州肯纳邦克波特的海边圣安妮教堂的庭院里。这是我祖母结婚的地方，他也常来这里做礼拜。母亲总说，他选这个地点，是怕降落伞万一打不开，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多岁时，让他特别高兴的一件事，就是他的老朋友、（美国前国务卿）詹姆斯·贝克将一瓶灰鹅牌伏特加偷带进他的病房。显然，这酒与贝克之前从默顿订来的牛排是绝配。

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，父亲的人生充满了启迪意义。他在老去的同时，教导我们如何带着尊严、幽默和善意地成长。而当上帝最终将他召唤而去时，他又教会了我们如何带着勇气和喜悦去迎接死亡的来临。

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.

父亲深知如何“年轻”地死去，因为他几乎英年早逝，而且是两次。十几岁时，一次葡萄球菌感染差点要了他的命。几年后，他独自一人困在救生筏上，在太平洋里飘荡，祈祷救援部队能先于敌人找到他。上帝听到了他的祷告。原来，对于乔治·H·W·布什的命运，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.

对于父亲来说，我想这几次与死亡的擦肩而过让他更加珍惜生命的馈赠，他发誓要把每一天活到极致。

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.

父亲是个大忙人，从来都闲不住，但他再忙也不会忘了和身边的人分享他对生活的热爱。他教会我们热爱户外运动，他爱看狗狗追逐惊飞的鸟群，他爱钓狡猾的银条鲈鱼。即便是在离不开轮椅的日子里，他也会自得其乐地坐在沃克角的门廊里，看着壮阔的大西洋沉吟不已。

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.

那地平线在他的眼中充满了光明与希望。他真的是一个非常乐观的人，这种乐观精神也引导着他的孩子们，让我们每个人都相信，一切皆有可能。他总是果敢地做着决定，不断地拓展他的视野。

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.

他是个爱国者。高中毕业后，二战爆发，他暂停大学计划，去当了海军飞行员。和他那一代中的很多人一样，他从不夸耀自己报效国家的经历。直到成为公众人物后，他才不得不开口。我们于是知道了那次袭击、他们完成的任务和被击落的飞机。我们知道了他牺牲的战友们，而他把他们记了一辈子。我们也知道了他获救的故事。

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.

另一个大胆的决定，是他把自己的小家庭从舒适的东海岸搬到了陌生的德州奥德赛。他和母亲很快就适应了那里干旱的环境。父亲是个宽容大度的人。我家当年和几位女士同住一栋狭小的联式房屋，与她们共用卫生间。即使后来得知这些女士从事“特殊”职业，父亲依然善良和蔼地对待她们。

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.

父亲能够理解各行各业的人们。对于他人的经历，他总能感同身受。他看重品格而非背景，他从不愤世嫉俗。他从每个人身上寻找优点，而且总能找到。

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.

父亲教会我们，为公众服务是崇高且必要的。他告诉我们，任公职是可以廉洁正直的，也可以坚持重要的价值观，如家庭和信仰。他坚信回馈我们生活的社群和国家是很重要的事。他认为，为他人服务，能够丰富自己的灵魂。对我们而言，父亲是“万千光点”中最亮的那一个。（注：“万千光点”是老布什成立的非盈利机构，旨在提倡志愿者服务）

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.

胜利时，他分享荣耀；失败时，他承担责任。他接受失败，因为那是完整人生的一部分。但他也告诉我们，永远不要让失败来定义你的人生。他让我们知道，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，最伤心莫过于遭遇人生最大的悲剧之一，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.

我和杰布那时都太小，记不得3岁的姐姐去世时父母经历的哀恸与悲伤。我们后来才知道，父亲这个把信仰深藏内心的人，天天都在为她祷告。是神的爱和母亲真挚持久的爱，支撑他坚持了下去。父亲总是相信，有一天他能够再次拥抱他的宝贝女儿罗宾。

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.

他爱笑，尤其爱嘲笑自己。他会调侃讽刺，但绝非出于恶意。他特别欣赏机智的笑话。 这也是他选择辛普森参议员致悼词的原因。

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.

他有一个电子邮件群，专门用于朋友间分享最新的笑话。他对笑话质量的评分系统是典型的乔治·布什式的。能得到7分和8分已经是罕见的赢家——这些笑话大多数都是带颜色的。

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.

乔治·布什知道如何做一个真正忠诚的朋友。他用一颗慷慨和愿意付出的心，经营着朋友间的友情。他曾经给朋友和熟人写了成千上万的信件，表达鼓励、同情或者感谢之情。

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.

他极尽所能奉献自己。很多人会说，父亲已成为了他们生命中的导师和父亲。他乐于倾听，善于安慰。他成为了他们的朋友。我能想到的，包括唐·罗德斯、泰勒·布兰顿、吉姆·南茨、阿诺德·施瓦辛格，最不可思议的，还有后来在总统竞选中打败他的比尔·克林顿。对我和我的兄弟姐妹们来说，这些人都亲如兄弟。

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.

他告诉我们，日子不是用来浪费的。他打高尔夫球快得惊人。我总是想知道他为什么打那么快，他是个不错的高尔夫球手。所以我的结论是，他打得很快，是为了尽快进行下一项活动，享受一天中剩余的时间，消耗他旺盛的精力，不让一日虚度。他出生时似乎只有两种设置：全力以赴，倒头大睡。

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.

他告诉我们如何做一个好父亲、好祖父和好曾祖父。当我们开始走自己的人生路时，他坚持自己的原则，同时也非常支持我们。他鼓励、安慰，但从不操纵。我们挑战过他的耐心——我知道我曾经这么做过——但他总是用无条件的爱来回应。

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，当我被告知他将不久于人世时，我赶紧打电话给他。接电话的人说：“我觉得他能听见你，但他己经一整天没说话了。” 我说，“爸，我爱你，你是一个很棒的父亲。”他留在世上的最后一句话是，“我也爱你。”

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.

对我们来说，他近乎完美，但也不完全完美。他的短杆打得糟糕透了，在舞池里也比弗雷德·阿斯泰尔差远了。他受不了蔬菜，尤其讨厌西兰花。 顺便说一句，他把这些缺陷也遗传给了我们。

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载婚姻中的每一天，父亲教会我们如何成为一名优秀的丈夫。他娶了自己的心头挚爱，爱慕着她，与她同欢笑同悲伤。他全身心地钟情于她。

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.

在晚年的时候，父亲喜欢看警察节目重播，声音开得老大，一直握着母亲的手。母亲去世后，父亲很坚强，但他真正想要的就是再次握住母亲的手。

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.

当然，父亲还给我上了另一堂特别的课。他向我展示了如何成为一位廉洁执政、勇敢领导、满怀对民众的爱去行动的总统。

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.

历史书将会如是记载，乔治·H·W·布什是一位伟大的美国总统，是一名才干卓著的外交官，是一位成就斐然的总司令，也是一位带着尊严和荣誉履职的绅士。

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?"

在就职演说中，这位美国第41任总统曾说：“我们可不能只想着给孩子们留下更好的汽车、更多的钱，我们必须让他们知道如何成为忠诚的朋友、慈爱的父母和一名让社区和家乡变得更好的公民。当我们离去时，希望曾并肩工作的人如何评说？是说我们比身边任何人都渴望成功，还是说我们会停下来询问生病的孩子有没有好转，并送上友爱的慰问？”

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

爸爸，我们会因此，但绝不仅仅因此而铭记你，我们会一直思念着你。

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、真诚还有善良的灵魂将永远与我们同在。在泪水中，我们明白了，能认识和爱着你这样一位伟大而高尚的人，是何其幸运。你是一个孩子可以拥有的最好的父亲。

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

让我们在悲痛中微笑，因为爸爸又可以抱紧罗宾，握住妈妈的手了。

编辑：左卓 唐晓敏

实习编辑：陈月华

翻译参考：项西行 七彩美国 中国新闻网