Like Eisenhower, this generation of men and womenin uniform know all too well the wages of war and that includes those of you here at West Point

同艾森豪威尔一样 这一代身着军装的年轻人 也都非常清楚战争的代价 你们西点人肯定知道这一点

Four of the servicemembers who stood in theaudience when I announced the surge of our forcesin Afghanistan gave their lives in that effort

在我宣布阿富汗增兵计划时 站在台下的听众中 有四名军人 为这一计划献出了生命

A lot more were wounded I believe America's security demanded those deployments

受伤的人数就更多了 我相信 美国安全需要这些布署

But I am haunted by those deaths

但我对这些逝去的生命无法释怀

I am haunted by those wounds

我对这么多人的负伤无法释怀

And I would betray my duty to you and to the country we love if I ever sent you into harm'sway simply because I saw a problem somewhere in the world that needed to be fixed

我将背离自己的职责和对祖国的热爱 如果我将你们置于险境 仅仅因为我认为世界某地有问题需要解决

or because I was worried about critics who think military intervention is the only way forAmerica to avoid looking weak

仅仅因为我害怕军事干涉主义者的批评 仅仅因为我害怕美国示弱 助长敌人的嚣张气焰

Here's my bottom line: America must always lead on the world stage

总而言之 美国必须在世界舞台上扮演领导角色

If we don't, no one else will

如果美国不站出来领导 谁都不会站出来

The military that you have joined is and always will be the backbone of that leadership

你们加入的军队无论现在还是将来 都将一直是美国领导权的支柱

But U.S. military action cannot be the only or even primary component of our leadership inevery instance

不过军事行动 不能成为美国实现领导权的唯一手段 军事行动甚至连主要手段都不应当是

Just because we have the best hammer does not mean that every problem is a nail

不能因为我们手中拥有最好的铁锤 就把每个问题都当成钉子

And because the costs associated with military action are so high

原因在于 军事行动的代价太过高昂

you should expect every civilian leader and especially your Commander-in-Chief to be clearabout how that awesome power should be used

每一位文职领导人 特别是三军统帅 应当清楚该如何使用强大的军事力量

So let me spend the rest of my time describing my vision for how the United States of Americaand our military should lead in the years to come

下面请允许我将剩下的时间 用来描述我所理解的美利坚合众国应当如何在未来使用军事力量