John F. Kennedy — Inaugural Address
约翰·菲茨杰拉德·肯尼迪：就职演说
The inauguration of John F. Kennedy as the 35th President of the United States was held on Friday, 20 January, 1961 at the eastern portico of the United States Capitol in Washington, D.C.. Kennedy won by a narrow margin in the November 1960 election, and became the youngest man and the first Roman Catholic elected and inaugurated as President of the United States. His inaugural address encompassed the major themes of his campaign and would define his eventual presidency during a time of economic prosperity, emerging social changes, and diplomatic challenges.
1961年1月20日周五，以微弱优势赢得上一年11月总统大选的约翰·菲茨杰拉德·肯尼迪，在美国华盛顿特区国会大厦东边的门廊下发表当选美国第35任总统的就职演说，成为美国历史上最年轻、也是第一位信奉天主教的总统。这次演说涵盖了肯尼迪竞选过程中的重大议题，也体现了他在未来这段经济繁荣发展、社会问题层出、外交面临挑战的执政岁月里的总体方针。
Heavy snow fell the night before the inauguration, but thoughts about cancelling the plans were overruled. His inaugural address, the first delivered to a televised audience in color, is considered among the best presidential inaugural speeches in American history.
尽管前一天晚上天降大雪，就职典礼还是在一番衡量后照常进行。此次总统演讲首次用彩色电视播映，是美国历史上最优秀的总统就职演说之一。
As a president coming into power at the height of the Cold War, John F. Kennedy's duty of both representing the United States as a force to be reckoned with while maintaining peaceful international relations was daunting, at the very least. One of the most famous quotes from his speech is, “My fellow Americans, ask not what your country can do for you; ask what you can do for your country. My fellow citizens of the world, ask not what America will do for you, but what together we can do for the freedom of man.”
肯尼迪执政期正值冷战高峰，一方面要展示美国仍然是世界舞台的主要力量，一方面又要维持和平局势，肯尼迪面临的挑战可想而知。“同胞们：不要问你们的国家能为你们做些什么，而要问你们能为国家做些什么。全世界的公民：不要问美国愿为你们做些什么，而应问我们在一起能为人类的自由做些什么。”这句话已经成为肯尼迪演说中最著名的宣言之一。
