President and Mrs. Bush Attend 2008 Lighting of the National Christmas Tree Ceremony
THE PRESIDENT: Thank you. Mr. Secretary, thank you for the introduction and thank you for the warm welcome. Laura and I are pleased to welcome all of you here for one of Washington's great traditions, the lighting of the National Christmas Tree.
Santa, thank you for finally showing up. (Laughter.) I know you've come a long way. After all, you do live in the North Pole. You may have heard that Laura and I are going to have plenty of time next year. (Laughter.) So we look forward to returning the favor. The problem is we're going to be short on an airplane. (Laughter.) Have you got an extra sleigh? (Laughter.)
I welcome the members of my Cabinet; the administration and their families; members of Congress and their families; Vin Cipolla; Mary Bomar, the Director of the National Park Service -- (applause) -- Peggy O'Dell, Regional Director, National Capital Region of the National Park Service. (Applause.) And all the National Park Service employees, we thank you for your dedication and work. (Applause.)
Laura and I are thrilled to be here with our dear friend, Reverend Luis León. All the entertainers -- thank you for being here. You were fabulous tonight. We appreciate your performance. (Applause.) We especially welcome the folks from Enterprise, Alabama. (Applause.) And we thank the School Choir for showing the determination and grit of some really fine people.
We want to thank all the volunteers who designed and created the ornaments for our state trees.
Today we celebrate the 85th anniversary of the National Christmas Tree lighting. In times of calm, and in times of challenge, Americans have gathered for this ceremony. The simple story we remember during the season speaks to every generation. It is the story of a humble birth in a quiet town, and the story of one life that changed millions more. For two millennia, the story of Christmas has brought joy to families, comfort to communities, and hope to hearts around the world.
During Christmas we celebrate the blessings of the season, and the blessings that surround us every day. And the greatest of these blessings is freedom -- the Almighty's gift to every man, woman, and child on the face of the Earth. (Applause.)
And today, we give thanks to the brave men and women who protect the American people by defending freedom around the world. (Applause.) Over the past eight years, my greatest honor as President has been serving as Commander-in-Chief of the finest military ever known. (Applause.)
Our men and women in uniform have stepped forward to defend our nation during a time of war. They serve with courage and with honor, and they've made incredible sacrifices. Many of them will spend this Christmas stationed in distant lands, far from the families they love. Yet they're never far from our thoughts, and they are always in our prayers. America honors their service, and we are grateful to the sacrifice of the families who stand by their side. (Applause.)
Some of those families are with us tonight, and Laura and I are pleased to be joined by Kayleigh Kepler and Lindsey Van Horn. Lindsey's dad is in Baghdad. Kayleigh's dad will deploy to Iraq next year. Kayleigh and Lindsey, America is safer because of your dads, and moms and dads across America who have stepped forward to defend our country.
And now I'm going to ask Kayleigh and Lindsey to get up here with Laura -- to please come up with Laura -- (laughter) -- and help us light this beautiful tree.
Everybody join -- five, four, three, two, one! (Applause.)
參考中文翻譯：
布什總統(tǒng)：謝謝。感謝部長的介紹和你們熱情的接待。勞拉和我非常高興，歡迎所有人參加這個(gè)美國盛大的傳統(tǒng)，圣誕樹燈光啟動(dòng)。
也非常感謝圣誕老人的出席。我知道你千里迢迢的趕到這里，畢竟你住在北極。你一定聽說了勞拉和我明年時(shí)間充裕，所以你期待明年我們能親臨北極。問題是，到時(shí)候我們沒有直升機(jī)了。你有沒有多余的雪橇呢？
歡迎我的內(nèi)閣成員，歡迎管理人員和他們的家人，歡迎國會(huì)成員和他們的家人……感謝國家公園服務(wù)的員工，感謝他們的奉獻(xiàn)和工作。
能夠和我們親愛的朋友Reverend Luis León在一起，我們非常激動(dòng)。所有的演藝人員——非常感謝你們來到這里。今夜你們的表演時(shí)非常精彩的。感謝你們的演出。我們還要特別歡迎來自阿拉巴馬的Enterprise。我們感謝School唱詩班，他們向我們展現(xiàn)了一些好心人的決心。
感謝那些為我們的圣誕樹設(shè)計(jì)和創(chuàng)造了裝飾品的志愿者們。
今天我們慶祝國家圣誕樹燈光啟動(dòng)儀式85周年。這這個(gè)平靜的時(shí)代，在這個(gè)充滿挑戰(zhàn)的時(shí)代，美國人齊聚一堂，歡慶審單數(shù)燈光移動(dòng)儀式。關(guān)于圣誕節(jié)的這個(gè)簡單的故事世代相傳。這個(gè)故事講的是，在一個(gè)寧靜的小城鎮(zhèn)，一個(gè)卑微的生命降生，一個(gè)人的生命改變了數(shù)百萬人的生命。兩千年來，圣誕節(jié)的故事給家庭帶來歡樂，給社區(qū)帶來和諧，給世界帶來希望。
在圣誕節(jié)期間，我們慶祝節(jié)日的祝福，也慶祝每天環(huán)繞著我們的祝福。其中最偉大的就是自由——萬能的上帝賜給地球上的每一個(gè)人的禮物，不論男女老幼。
今天，我們感謝那些在世界各地保護(hù)美國人民，捍衛(wèi)自由的勇敢的人。在過去的八年里，我作為總統(tǒng)的榮耀就是任職最偉大的軍隊(duì)的總司令。
我們的軍隊(duì)在戰(zhàn)爭時(shí)期前赴后繼，他擁有無比巨大的勇氣和榮譽(yù)，他們也做出了難以置信的犧牲。其中許多人要在遠(yuǎn)離家人的異國他鄉(xiāng)度過圣誕節(jié)。但是，我們永遠(yuǎn)都想念他們，每天都為他們祈禱。美國以他們?yōu)闃s，也感謝那些支持他們的家人的家人所做的犧牲。
其中有一些軍屬今晚也和我們在一起，勞拉和我很高興Kayleigh Kepler和Lindsey Van Horn能夠來到現(xiàn)場。Lindsey的爸爸現(xiàn)在遠(yuǎn)在巴格達(dá)，Kayleigh的爸爸明年將要被派往伊拉克。Kayleigh和Lindsey，由于你們的父親，由于全國各地的父母們前赴后繼保衛(wèi)國家，美國更加安全?，F(xiàn)在我邀請(qǐng)Kayleigh和Lindsey上來，和勞拉一起——請(qǐng)和勞拉一起——幫助我們點(diǎn)亮漂亮的圣誕樹。
THE PRESIDENT: Thank you. Mr. Secretary, thank you for the introduction and thank you for the warm welcome. Laura and I are pleased to welcome all of you here for one of Washington's great traditions, the lighting of the National Christmas Tree.
Santa, thank you for finally showing up. (Laughter.) I know you've come a long way. After all, you do live in the North Pole. You may have heard that Laura and I are going to have plenty of time next year. (Laughter.) So we look forward to returning the favor. The problem is we're going to be short on an airplane. (Laughter.) Have you got an extra sleigh? (Laughter.)
I welcome the members of my Cabinet; the administration and their families; members of Congress and their families; Vin Cipolla; Mary Bomar, the Director of the National Park Service -- (applause) -- Peggy O'Dell, Regional Director, National Capital Region of the National Park Service. (Applause.) And all the National Park Service employees, we thank you for your dedication and work. (Applause.)
Laura and I are thrilled to be here with our dear friend, Reverend Luis León. All the entertainers -- thank you for being here. You were fabulous tonight. We appreciate your performance. (Applause.) We especially welcome the folks from Enterprise, Alabama. (Applause.) And we thank the School Choir for showing the determination and grit of some really fine people.
We want to thank all the volunteers who designed and created the ornaments for our state trees.
Today we celebrate the 85th anniversary of the National Christmas Tree lighting. In times of calm, and in times of challenge, Americans have gathered for this ceremony. The simple story we remember during the season speaks to every generation. It is the story of a humble birth in a quiet town, and the story of one life that changed millions more. For two millennia, the story of Christmas has brought joy to families, comfort to communities, and hope to hearts around the world.
During Christmas we celebrate the blessings of the season, and the blessings that surround us every day. And the greatest of these blessings is freedom -- the Almighty's gift to every man, woman, and child on the face of the Earth. (Applause.)
And today, we give thanks to the brave men and women who protect the American people by defending freedom around the world. (Applause.) Over the past eight years, my greatest honor as President has been serving as Commander-in-Chief of the finest military ever known. (Applause.)
Our men and women in uniform have stepped forward to defend our nation during a time of war. They serve with courage and with honor, and they've made incredible sacrifices. Many of them will spend this Christmas stationed in distant lands, far from the families they love. Yet they're never far from our thoughts, and they are always in our prayers. America honors their service, and we are grateful to the sacrifice of the families who stand by their side. (Applause.)
Some of those families are with us tonight, and Laura and I are pleased to be joined by Kayleigh Kepler and Lindsey Van Horn. Lindsey's dad is in Baghdad. Kayleigh's dad will deploy to Iraq next year. Kayleigh and Lindsey, America is safer because of your dads, and moms and dads across America who have stepped forward to defend our country.
And now I'm going to ask Kayleigh and Lindsey to get up here with Laura -- to please come up with Laura -- (laughter) -- and help us light this beautiful tree.
Everybody join -- five, four, three, two, one! (Applause.)
參考中文翻譯：
布什總統(tǒng)：謝謝。感謝部長的介紹和你們熱情的接待。勞拉和我非常高興，歡迎所有人參加這個(gè)美國盛大的傳統(tǒng)，圣誕樹燈光啟動(dòng)。
也非常感謝圣誕老人的出席。我知道你千里迢迢的趕到這里，畢竟你住在北極。你一定聽說了勞拉和我明年時(shí)間充裕，所以你期待明年我們能親臨北極。問題是，到時(shí)候我們沒有直升機(jī)了。你有沒有多余的雪橇呢？
歡迎我的內(nèi)閣成員，歡迎管理人員和他們的家人，歡迎國會(huì)成員和他們的家人……感謝國家公園服務(wù)的員工，感謝他們的奉獻(xiàn)和工作。
能夠和我們親愛的朋友Reverend Luis León在一起，我們非常激動(dòng)。所有的演藝人員——非常感謝你們來到這里。今夜你們的表演時(shí)非常精彩的。感謝你們的演出。我們還要特別歡迎來自阿拉巴馬的Enterprise。我們感謝School唱詩班，他們向我們展現(xiàn)了一些好心人的決心。
感謝那些為我們的圣誕樹設(shè)計(jì)和創(chuàng)造了裝飾品的志愿者們。
今天我們慶祝國家圣誕樹燈光啟動(dòng)儀式85周年。這這個(gè)平靜的時(shí)代，在這個(gè)充滿挑戰(zhàn)的時(shí)代，美國人齊聚一堂，歡慶審單數(shù)燈光移動(dòng)儀式。關(guān)于圣誕節(jié)的這個(gè)簡單的故事世代相傳。這個(gè)故事講的是，在一個(gè)寧靜的小城鎮(zhèn)，一個(gè)卑微的生命降生，一個(gè)人的生命改變了數(shù)百萬人的生命。兩千年來，圣誕節(jié)的故事給家庭帶來歡樂，給社區(qū)帶來和諧，給世界帶來希望。
在圣誕節(jié)期間，我們慶祝節(jié)日的祝福，也慶祝每天環(huán)繞著我們的祝福。其中最偉大的就是自由——萬能的上帝賜給地球上的每一個(gè)人的禮物，不論男女老幼。
今天，我們感謝那些在世界各地保護(hù)美國人民，捍衛(wèi)自由的勇敢的人。在過去的八年里，我作為總統(tǒng)的榮耀就是任職最偉大的軍隊(duì)的總司令。
我們的軍隊(duì)在戰(zhàn)爭時(shí)期前赴后繼，他擁有無比巨大的勇氣和榮譽(yù)，他們也做出了難以置信的犧牲。其中許多人要在遠(yuǎn)離家人的異國他鄉(xiāng)度過圣誕節(jié)。但是，我們永遠(yuǎn)都想念他們，每天都為他們祈禱。美國以他們?yōu)闃s，也感謝那些支持他們的家人的家人所做的犧牲。
其中有一些軍屬今晚也和我們在一起，勞拉和我很高興Kayleigh Kepler和Lindsey Van Horn能夠來到現(xiàn)場。Lindsey的爸爸現(xiàn)在遠(yuǎn)在巴格達(dá)，Kayleigh的爸爸明年將要被派往伊拉克。Kayleigh和Lindsey，由于你們的父親，由于全國各地的父母們前赴后繼保衛(wèi)國家，美國更加安全?，F(xiàn)在我邀請(qǐng)Kayleigh和Lindsey上來，和勞拉一起——請(qǐng)和勞拉一起——幫助我們點(diǎn)亮漂亮的圣誕樹。