瘋小貓的華麗冒險

讓我們拒絕模糊焦點，正視我們該關注的議題。

45	For we have a choice in this country. We can accept a politics that breeds division, and conflict, and cynicism. We can tackle (對付、處理) race only as spectacle (表演作秀、奇觀) -- as we did in the OJ trial (辛普森殺妻案) -- or in the wake of (= as a result of, after. 此處 wake 是名詞，意指『船隻行過之水痕』) tragedy, as we did in the aftermath of Katrina (卡翠娜颶風) -- or as fodder (牛飼料，引申為『滿足觀眾胃口的沒營養話題』) for the nightly news. We can play Reverend Wright's sermons on every channel, every day and talk about them from now until the election, and make the only question in this campaign whether or not the American people think that I somehow believe or sympathize with his most offensive words. We can pounce on (抓住、逮住) some gaffe ([gæf] 失禮、失態) by a Hillary supporter as evidence that she's playing the race card, or we can speculate on whether white men will all flock (群聚) to John McCain in the general election (美國總統大選) regardless of his policies.
46	We can do that.
47	But if we do, I can tell you that in the next election, we'll be talking about some other distraction. And then another one. And then another one. And nothing will change.
48	That is one option. Or, at this moment, in this election, we can come together and say, "Not this time." This time we want to talk about the crumbling (破碎崩壞) schools that are stealing the future of black children and white children and Asian children and Hispanic children and Native American children. This time we want to reject the cynicism that tells us that these kids can't learn; that those kids who don't look like us are somebody else's problem. The children of America are not those kids, they are our kids, and we will not let them fall behind in a 21st century economy. Not this time.
49	This time we want to talk about how the lines in the Emergency Room are filled with whites and blacks and Hispanics who do not have health care; who don't have the power on their own to overcome the special interests in Washington, but who can take them on (to take...on = to fight against, to challenge 挑戰) if we do it together.
50	This time we want to talk about the shuttered (倒店、停止營業) mills (工廠) that once provided a decent life for men and women of every race, and the homes for sale that once belonged to Americans from every religion, every region, every walk of life (行業). This time we want to talk about the fact that the real problem is not that someone who doesn't look like you might take your job; it's that the corporation you work for will ship it overseas for nothing more than a profit.
51	This time we want to talk about the men and women of every color and creed who serve together, and fight together, and bleed together under the same proud flag. We want to talk about how to bring them home from a war that never should've been authorized and never should've been waged (開展、進行，只用於戰爭), and we want to talk about how we'll show our patriotism by caring for them, and their families, and giving them the benefits they have earned.
52	I would not be running for President if I didn't believe with all my heart that this is what the vast majority of Americans want for this country. This union may never be perfect, but generation after generation has shown that it can always be perfected. And today, whenever I find myself feeling doubtful or cynical about this possibility, what gives me the most hope is the next generation - the young people whose attitudes and beliefs and openness to change have already made history in this election.

第 45 ~ 47 段，我真的希望所有的台灣人仔細看看。台灣選民就是這樣一次又一次地陷入政客的操弄中。因為一次有效、兩次有效，政客們就變本加厲，樂此不疲地操作著族群對立、對手醜聞、誰比較愛台灣...等等這些沒營養的令人作噁的話題。這樣無窮反覆，國家當然無法進步。

歐巴馬舉出許多卑劣醜惡的選舉手段，告訴大家：『我們可以那樣做。不過一旦如此，我們的選舉將會失焦。下一次選舉，大家會炒作另一個無聊話題；然後下一次也是；然後再下一次也是；然後我們永遠不會改變！』

『不過，我們有另一個選項。』歐巴馬說，『我們可以拿出理性，大聲地對這些無聊話題說不！Not this time. This time we want to talk about....』

我們需要討論更實際的教育問題、醫療保險體系問題、經濟衰退問題、還有那個根本不該開打的伊拉克戰爭。這些才是總統大選應該關心的議題。

歐巴馬說：『若非衷心相信這些就是絕大部分美國人對這國家的期望，我不會來參選總統。』還說：『這個聯邦也許永遠不能完美，但是一代又一代已經顯示了，它永遠可以更完美。』

Peggy 曾在課堂上表示，她支持歐巴馬是因為這個人從不口出惡言。他永遠對人保持尊重的態度，永遠對事情抱持正面的態度。他不會一直攻擊對手，或者傳教似地叫選民投票給他，他總是保持理性，也希望選民保持理性。他對自己非常有信心，也對其他人有信心。這是何等令人感動的風度！（如果不是對自己信心不足，怎麼會一直攻擊對手？想要強調自己的好，不一定要貶抑別人。）

台灣的政治人物也會在敗選感言叫選民保持理性、彌補傷痕。但他們難道忘了是誰在選舉中激烈地指責對手、挑起分裂嗎？是他們自己！為什麼他們會覺得選舉後喊喊大和解的口號就可以修補選舉時造成的對立呢？敗選感言中的「請大家保持理性」是說給誰聽的呢？等到下一次選舉，又見到同一個人開始聲嘶力竭地攻擊對手、撕裂族群、投給我才是愛台灣、投給他的就不是台灣人.....真是夠了。

有人說，歐巴馬演說的樣子好像 14 年前的陳水扁啊。
「快樂．希望．陳水扁」vs.「Hope. Action. Change. Obama.」
像嗎？
陳水扁何曾有過這樣大器度的演說嗎？
他曾經表達過一點點尊重競選對手的想法嗎？
有嗎？