George Washington — Farewell Address
乔治·华盛顿：告别演说

George Washington's Farewell Address is a letter written by the first American President, George Washington, to “The People of the United States of America”. The work was named a “Farewell Address” as it was Washington's valedictory after twenty years of service to the new nation. It is a classic statement of republicanism, warning Americans of the political dangers they must avoid if they are to remain true to their values. The first draft was originally prepared in 1792 as Washington prepared to retire following a single term in office. Four years later, as his second term came to a close, Washington revisited the letter and prepared a revision of the original draft to announce his intention to decline a third term.
《乔治·华盛顿的告别演说》是美国第一任总统乔治·华盛顿写给“美利坚合众国民众”的一封信。之所以命名为“告别演说”，是因为它是华盛顿20年以来为这个新成立国家效劳后的告别词。演说中，华盛顿阐述了共和政体的制度，警告美国必须要忠实于其价值观，避免政治险祸。1792年，华盛顿在其第一任期结束准备卸任时便已撰写了此稿，直到四年以后，第二个任期结束的华盛顿才重拾此信，并做了修改，在信中表明了自己拒绝再任总统的决心。

At the time, the thought of the United States without George Washington as its president caused concerns among many Americans. Understanding these concerns, Washington sought to convince the American people that his service was no longer necessary by telling them that he truly believed he was never qualified to be president and, if he accomplished anything during his presidency, it was as a result of their support and efforts to help the country survive and prosper. Despite his confidence that the country would survive without his leadership, Washington used the majority of the letter to offer advice as a “parting friend” on what he believed were the greatest threats to the destruction of the nation.
当时，美国人民十分担忧没有乔治·华盛顿担任总统的局面。华盛顿深知这些忧虑，因此试图劝服美国民众认识到，他的效力已经可有可无，因为他深信自己担任总统并不称职。若论任期内取得的政绩，那也与美国人民的支持和努力分不开，是他们成就了美国的存在和繁荣。华盛顿相信没有他的领导，美国也可以继续存在下去，但是在这篇演说词中，华盛顿还是用大量篇幅，道出了他心目中关乎美国存亡的威胁因素，并以“临别朋友”的身份给出了建议。