1893年3月4日，星期六
My Fellow－Citizens：
同胞们：
In obedience of the mandate of my countrymen I am about to dedicate myself to their service under the sanction of a solemn oath．Deeply moved by the expression of confidence and personal attachment which has called me to this service，I am sure my gratitude can make no better return than the pledge I now give before God and these witnesses of unreserved and complete devotion to the interests and welfare of those who have honored me．
遵照全国人民的嘱托，我庄严宣誓，准备献身为人民效力。由于你们对我所表示的信任与爱戴使我得以就任，为此我深受感动。我相信，表达我感激之情的最好报答，只能是像现在这样，站在上帝与人民面前宣誓，要毫无保留地、全心全意地为给予我如此荣誉的人民谋福利。
I deem it fitting on this occasion，while indicating the opinion I hold concerning public questions of present importance，to also briefly refer to the existence of certain conditions and tendencies among our people which seem to menace the integrity and usefulness of their Government．
我觉得在这一场合，除了阐述我对目前一些重大公共事务的观点以外，略为说明存在于民众之间的某些状况和倾向是适当的，这些现象看来已威胁到政府的完整与效能。
While every American citizen must contemplate with the utmost pride and enthusiasm the growth and expansion of our country，the sufficiency of our institutions to stand against the rudest shocks of violence，the wonderful thrift and enterprise of our people，and the demonstrated superiority of our free government，it behooves us to constantly watch for every symptom of insidious infirmity that threatens our national vigor．
当每一位美国公民怀着极大的自豪感与热情注视着国家的成长与发展，政府各个机构足够抵御暴力的力量，我国人民所具有的美好的节俭与进取精神，我们的自由政府所具有的优越性时，我们有义务时刻注意那些有害于我们国家实力的隐患的每一个症状。
The strong man who in the confidence of sturdy health courts the sternest activities of life and rejoices in the hardihood of constant labor may still have lurking near his vitals the unheeded disease that dooms him to sudden collapse．
再强壮的人，无论自信体质如何强健，精力如何充沛，虽终日辛劳而乐在其中，仍不免有潜伏的、并为他听忽视的疾病，危及他的生命，使他骤然死亡。
It can not be doubted that，our stupendous achievements as a people and our countrys robust strength have given rise to heedlessness of those laws governing our national health which we can no more evade than human life can escape the laws of God and nature．
毫无疑问，我们民族的巨大成就和国家的雄厚力量，已经使我们开始忽视那些影响我们民族健康的法则了。我们无法逃避那些法则，就像人类的生命无法抗拒上帝和自然的法则一样。
Manifestly nothing is more vital to our supremacy as a nation and to the beneficent purposes of our Government than a sound and stable currency．Its exposure to degradation should at once arouse to activity the most enlightened statesmanship，and the danger of depreciation in the purchasing power of the wages paid to toil should furnish the strongest incentive to prompt and conservative precaution．
十分明显，一个健全而稳定的货币制度，对于我们国家的强盛和政府的良好目标是最为重要的。货币的贬值，应该唤起我们立即采取最有见识的政治行动；劳动工资购买力的降低，则应激起我们采取果断而又稳妥的措施。
In dealing with our present embarrassing situation as related to this subject we will be wise if we temper our confidence and faith in our national strength and resources with the frank concession that even these will not permit us to defy with impunity the inexorable laws of finance and trade．At the same time，in our efforts to adjust differences of opinion we should be free from intolerance or passion，and our judgments should be unmoved by alluring phrases and unsexed by selfish interests．
今天，在处理与上述问题有关的困难局面时，如果我们能抑制对于国家力量和资源的过分自信，坦率承认即使拥有这些优势，也不能无视那不可抗拒的金融与贸易法则而不受惩罚，才是明智之举，同时，在我们努力协调意见的分歧时，应当抛弃偏执与意气用事；我们的判断不应当被花言巧语蒙骗，也不应被个人私利扰乱。
I am confident that such an approach to the subject will result in prudent and effective remedial legislation．In the meantime，so far as the executive branch of the Government can intervene，none of the powers with which it is invested will be withheld when their exercise is deemed necessary to maintain our national credit or avert financial disaster．
我深信按这一方法处理问题，将会导致谨慎而有效的补救性立法。同时，就政府行政部门所能干预的范围来说，只要是维护我国的信誉或避免金融危机所必需，就决不可拒绝行使法律所授予它的权力。
Closely related to the exaggerated confidence in our countrys greatness which tends to a disregard of the rules of national safety，another danger confronts us not less serious．I refer to the prevalence of a popular disposition to expect from the operation of the Government especial and direct individual advantages．
我们面临着的另一危险是忽视国家安全的法则，它与夸大国家强盛的盲目自信密切相关而且同样严重。我指的是公众的一种普遍心理，期望从政府的行动中得到特殊的、直接的利益。
The verdict of our voters which condemned the injustice of maintaining protection for protections sake enjoins upon the peoples servants the duty of exposing and destroying the brood of kindred evils which are the unwholesome progeny of paternalism．This is the bane of republican institutions and the constant peril of our government by the people．It degrades to the purposes of wily craft the plan of rule our fathers established and bequeathed to us as an object of our love and veneration．It perverts the patriotic sentiments of our countrymen and tempts them to pitiful calculation of the sordid gain to be derived from their Governments maintenance．It undermines the self－reliance of our people and substitutes in its place dependence upon governmental favoritism．It stifles the spirit of true Americanism and stupefies every ennobling trait of American citizenship．
选民们谴责政府奉行为保护而保护的不公正行为，他们要求人民的公仆承担起揭露与铲除一系列互有关连的恶劣行径的责任，它们都是腐朽的家长式管理的产物，这是共和制度中的毒瘤，也是民治政府常有的危险，它把我们先辈所创立的法规设想，我们视作挚爱与荣誉的遗产，贬低成手段狡诈的图谋。它歪曲同胞们的爱国情感，引诱他们斤斤计较于可向政府索取的蝇头小利；它削弱人民的自立精神，而使之依赖政府的不公正照顾；它抑制真正的美国精神，使公民的一切高尚品性归于湮灭。……
人物小传：美国第22位和第24位总统（1885—1889，1893—1897）
姓名：格罗弗·克利夫兰
出生：1837年3月18日，考德威尔里，新泽西州
卒于：1908年6月24日，普林斯顿，新泽西州
所属政党：民主党
格罗弗·克利夫兰是美国第22任和第24任总统，出生于新泽西州，是查理·法利·克利夫兰和安·尼尔·克利夫兰九个孩子中的第五个。父亲是律师。16岁时，克利夫兰丧父，故此不能上学深造。他先在律师事务所做办事员，自学法律，1859年操律师业并开始参加政治活动。1881年任布法罗市长，次年任纽约州州长。1884年被民主党提名为总统候选人并在竞选中获胜。就任总统后，坚决推行文官制，反对实行保护关税。1888年谋求连任未果，去纽约市当了律师。四年后再次参加竞选并获胜。重新上台后，正遇美国金融大恐慌，工人频频罢工，克利夫兰采取了诸多强硬措施，包括对罢工工人进行镇压。对外，克利夫兰采取孤立主义政策，反对领土扩张。
第二次任满后，克利夫兰返回新泽西。此时，他拥有30－35万美元的财产，他本人还在一家人寿保险公司供职。他先后两次出任总统，但任期不相连接。由于政绩平平，被历史学家称为“虎头蛇尾”的总统。
First Inaugural Address ofWilliam McKinley（1897）
Thursday，March 4，1897