다른異 색깔彩을 지켜낼 자유.

촛불집회 때, G20 때, 그리고 각종 크고 작은 집회시위 현장에서, 지금은 핵안보정상회의장 주변을 그의 차벽이 감쌌다.

평소라면 현대백화점 근방을 들고 나는 차들로 붐비고 있을 코엑스 인근 6차선도로가 한개 차선만 남기고 모두 비었다.

우리 나라 국격을 높이려면 이 공간은 '핵무기'와 '강대국만의 밀실 국제정치'를 반대하는 시위대가 배치되었어야 했다.

더 평화롭고 안전한 세계를 만들겠다는 그들의 노력. 정확하게는, '핵 독점'에 근거한 강대국 중심의 세계질서 유지.

지방에서까지 수만명이 동원되었다는 짭새들. 안쓰럽기도 하지만, 존재만으로도 위압적이고 명령조인 그들은 불편하다.

웃는 얼굴 탈을 뒤집어쓰고 있는 포도리 나부랭이 인형이라도 출동시켰다면 조금 나았으려나.

횡단보도 신호등이고 교통신호 시스템은 모조리 무용지물, 파란불로 깜빡이며 보행자를 인도하는 신호등이 무색하다.

G20때처럼 블럭 전체를 차벽으로 감싸고는 몇개 되지도 않는 출입문을 만들고. 금속탐지기와 엑스레이 탐색기를

지나도록 하는 경호처와 경찰 인력들. '완장'질에 대한 무조건반사적인 혐오일지도 모르지만 그들이 떽떽거리는 건 팩트.

대체 이런 회의가 한국에 도움이 되는 건 뭘까. G20때처럼 측정도 불가능한 국가브랜드 제고효과니 뭐니, 그딴 거

말고 당장 이 동네에서 출퇴근하거나 먹고 사는 사람들, 그리고 자율의 허울을 쓴 차량이부제 나부랭이의 부작용을

따져보란 말이다. 삼성역에 전철이 서지도 않고 버스도 내리지 않으며 셔틀버스 따위 제대로 챙겨주지도 않고,

코엑스몰이니 인근 음식점은 대부분 문을 닫아 밥한끼 챙겨먹기도 힘든데 '니가 누구냐'며 '가방엔 뭐냐'며

으르렁거리는 짭새들을 참아내주는 사람들의 피해 말이다.

소방차에 닭장차에, 이중 차벽으로 둘러쳐진 코엑스 인근을 다시금 한겹 커다란 차들이 둘러싸고 있다.

M본부니 K본부니 S본부 이외에도 온갖 종편 방송국들 차량까지 차곡차곡 주차되어 있다.

▲이명박 대통령이 29일 오전 청와대에서 국무위원들이 배석한 가운데 한미FTA 부수법안 서명식을 하고 있다. ⓒ뉴시스

/송기호 변호사

Remarks of President Barack Obama
A Complete and Competitive American Education
US Hispanic Chamber of Commerce

March 10, 2009
Washington, DC

Every so often, throughout our history, a generation of Americans bears the responsibility of seeing this country through difficult times and protecting the dream of its founding for posterity. This is a responsibility that has fallen to our generation. Meeting it will require steering our nation’s economy through a crisis unlike any we have seen in our time. In the short-term, that means jumpstarting job creation, re-starting lending, and restoring confidence in our markets and our financial system. But it also means taking steps that not only advance our recovery, but lay the foundation for lasting, shared prosperity.

I know there are some who believe we can only handle one challenge at a time. They forget that Lincoln helped lay down the transcontinental railroad, passed the Homestead Act, and created the National Academy of Sciences in the midst of Civil War. Likewise, President Roosevelt didn’t have the luxury of choosing between ending a depression and fighting a war. President Kennedy didn’t have the luxury of choosing between civil rights and sending us to the moon. And we don’t have the luxury of choosing between getting our economy moving now and rebuilding it over the long term.

America will not remain true to its highest ideals -and America’s place as a global economic leader will be put at risk- unless we not only bring down the crushing cost of health care and transform the way we use energy, but also do a far better job than we have been doing of educating our sons and daughters; unless we give them the knowledge and skills they need in this new and changing world.

For we know that economic progress and educational achievement have always gone hand in hand in America. Land-grant colleges and public high schools transformed the economy of an industrializing nation. The GI Bill generated a middle class that made America’s economy unrivaled in the 20th century. And investments in math and science under President Eisenhower made it possible for Sergei Brin to attend graduate school and found an upstart company called Google that would forever change our world.

The source of America’s prosperity, then, has never been merely how ably we accumulate wealth, but how well we educate our people. This has never been more true than it is today. In a 21st century world where jobs can be shipped wherever there’s an internet connection; where a child born in Dallas is competing with children in Delhi; where your best job qualification is not what you do, but what you know - education is no longer just a pathway to opportunity and success, it is a prerequisite.

That is why workers without a four-year degree have borne the brunt of recent layoffs, Latinos most of all. And that is why, of the thirty fastest growing occupations in America, half require a Bachelor’s degree or more. By 2016, four out of every ten new jobs will require at least some advanced education or training.

So let there be no doubt: the future belongs to the nation that best educates its citizens - and my fellow Americans, we have everything we need to be that nation. We have the best universities and the most renowned scholars. We have innovative principals, passionate teachers, gifted students, and parents whose only priority is their child’s education. We have a legacy of excellence, and an unwavering belief that our children should climb higher than we did.

And yet, despite resources that are unmatched anywhere in the world, we have let our grades slip, our schools crumble, our teacher quality fall short, and other nations outpace us. In 8th grade math, we’ve fallen to 9th place. Singapore’s middle-schoolers outperform ours three to one. Just a third of our thirteen and fourteen-year olds can read as well as they should. And year after year, a stubborn gap persists between how well white students are doing compared to their African American and Latino classmates. The relative decline of American education is untenable for our economy, unsustainable for our democracy, and unacceptable for our children - and we cannot afford to let it continue.

What is at stake is nothing less than the American dream. It is what drew my father and so many of your fathers and mothers to our shores in pursuit of an education. It’s what led Linda Brown and Gonzalo and Felicitas Mendez to bear the standard of all who were attending separate and unequal schools. It is what has led generations of Americans to take on that extra job, to sacrifice the small pleasures, to scrimp and save wherever they can, in the hopes of putting away enough, just enough, to give their child the education that they never had. It’s that most American of ideas, that with the right education, a child of any race, faith, or station, can overcome whatever barriers stand in their way and fulfill their God-given potential.

Of course, we have heard all this year after year after year - and far too little has changed. Not because we are lacking sound ideas or sensible plans - in pockets of excellence across this country, we are seeing what children from all walks of life can and will achieve when we do a good job of preparing them. Rather, it is because politics and ideology have too often trumped our progress.

For decades, Washington has been trapped in the same stale debates that have paralyzed progress and perpetuated our educational decline. Too many supporters of my party have resisted the idea of rewarding excellence in teaching with extra pay, even though we know it can make a difference in the classroom. Too many in the Republican Party have opposed new investments in early education, despite compelling evidence of its importance. It’s more money versus more reform, vouchers versus the status quo. There has been partisanship and petty bickering, but little recognition that we need to move beyond the worn fights of the 20th century if we are going to succeed in the 21st Century.

Well, the time for finger-pointing is over. The time for holding ourselves accountable is here. What’s required is not simply new investments, but new reforms. It is time to expect more from our students. It is time to start rewarding good teachers and stop making excuses for bad ones. It is time to demand results from government at every level. It is time to prepare every child, everywhere in America, to out-compete any worker, anywhere in the world. It is time to give all Americans a complete and competitive education from the cradle up through a career. We have accepted failure for too long. Enough. America’s entire education system must once more be the envy of the world.

And that is exactly what the budget I am submitting to Congress has begun to achieve. At a time when we’ve inherited a trillion-dollar deficit, we will start by doing a little housekeeping, going through our books, and cutting wasteful education programs. My outstanding Secretary of Education Arne Duncan will use only one test when deciding what ideas to support with your precious tax dollars. It’s not whether an idea is liberal or conservative, but whether it works. This will help free up resources for the first pillar in reforming our schools - investing in early childhood initiatives. This isn’t just about keeping an eye on our children, it’s about educating them. Studies show that children in these programs are more likely to score higher in reading and math, more likely to graduate from high school and attend college, more likely to hold a job, and more likely to earn more in that job. For every dollar we invest in these programs, we get nearly ten dollars back in reduced welfare rolls, fewer health costs, and less crime. That is why the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act I signed into law invests $5 billion in growing Early Head Start and Head Start, expanding access to quality child care for 150,000 more children from working families, and doing more for children with special needs. And it is why we are going to offer 55,000 first-time parents regular visits from trained nurses to help make sure their children are healthy and prepare them for school and life.

Even as we invest in early childhood education, let’s raise the bar for early learning programs that are falling short. Today, some children are enrolled in excellent programs. Some are enrolled in mediocre ones. And some are wasting away their most formative years. That includes the one fourth of all kindergartners who are Hispanic, and who will drive America’s workforce of tomorrow, but who are less likely to have been enrolled in early education programs than anyone else.

That is why I am issuing a challenge to our states. Develop a cutting-edge plan to raise the quality of your early learning programs. Show us how you’ll work to ensure that children are better prepared for success by the time they enter kindergarten. If you do, we will support you with an Early Learning Challenge Grant that I call on Congress to enact. That is how we will reward quality, incentivize excellence, and make a down payment on the success of the next generation.

Second, we will end what has become a race to the bottom in our schools and instead, spur a race to the top by encouraging better standards and assessments. This is an area where we are being outpaced by other nations. It’s not that their kids are any smarter than ours - it’s that they are being smarter about how to educate their kids. They are spending less time teaching things that don’t matter, and more time teaching things that do. They are preparing their students not only for high school or college, but for a career. We are not. Our curriculum for eighth graders is two full years behind top performing countries. That is a prescription for economic decline. I refuse to accept that America’s children cannot rise to this challenge. They can, they must, and they will meet higher standards in our time.

Let’s challenge our states to adopt world-class standards that will bring our curriculums into the 21st century. Today’s system of fifty different sets of benchmarks for academic success means 4th grade readers in Mississippi are scoring nearly 70 points lower than students in Wyoming - and getting the same grade. Eight of our states are setting their standards so low that their students may end up on par with roughly the bottom 40% of the world.

That is inexcusable, and that is why I am calling on states that are setting their standards far below where they ought to be to stop low-balling expectations for our kids. The solution to low test scores is not lower standards - it’s tougher, clearer standards. Standards like those in Massachusetts, where 8th graders are now tying for first - first - in the world in science. Other forward-thinking states are moving in the same direction by coming together as part of a consortium. More states need to do the same. And I am calling on our nation’s Governors and state education chiefs to develop standards and assessments that don’t simply measure whether students can fill in a bubble on a test, but whether they possess 21st century skills like problem-solving and critical thinking, entrepreneurship and creativity. That is what we will help them do later this year when we finally make No Child Left Behind live up to its name by ensuring not only that teachers and principals get the funding they need, but that the money is tied to results. And Secretary Duncan will also back up this commitment to higher standards with a fund to invest in innovation in our school districts.

Of course, raising standards alone will not make much of a difference unless we provide teachers and principals with the information they need to make sure students are prepared to meet those standards. Far too few states have data systems like the one in Florida that keep track of a student’s education from childhood through college. And far too few districts are emulating the example of Houston and Long Beach, and using data to track how much progress a student is making and where that student is struggling - a resource that can help us improve student achievement, and tell us which students had which teachers so we can assess what’s working and what’s not. That is why we are making a major investment in this area that we will cultivate a new culture of accountability in America’s schools.

To complete our race to the top requires the third pillar of reform -- recruiting, preparing, and rewarding outstanding teachers. From the moment students enter a school, the most important factor in their success is not the color of their skin or the income of their parents, it’s the person standing at the front of the classroom. That is why our Recovery Act will ensure that hundreds of thousands of teachers and school personnel are not laid off - because those Americans are not only doing jobs they cannot afford to lose they are rendering a service our nation cannot be denied.

America’s future depends on its teachers. And so today, I am calling on a new generation of Americans to step forward and serve our country in our classrooms. If you want to make a difference in the life of our nation; if you want to make the most of your talents and dedication; if you want to make your mark with a legacy that will endure - join the teaching profession. America needs you. We need you in our suburbs. We need you in our small towns. We need you in our inner cities. We need you in classrooms all across our country.

And if you do your part, we’ll do ours. That is why we are taking steps to prepare teachers for their difficult responsibilities and encourage them to stay in the profession. That is why we are creating new pathways to teaching and new incentives to bring teachers to schools where they are needed most. It is why we support offering extra pay to Americans who teach math and science to end a teacher shortage in those subjects. And it is why we are building on the promising work being done in South Carolina’s Teacher Advancement Program, and making an unprecedented commitment to ensure that anyone entrusted with educating our children is doing the job as well as it can be done.

Here is what that commitment means: It means treating teachers like the professionals they are while also holding them more accountable - in up to 150 more school districts. New teachers will be mentored by experienced ones. Good teachers will be rewarded with more money for improved student achievement, and asked to accept more responsibilities for lifting up their schools. Teachers throughout a school will benefit from guidance and support to help them improve.

And just as we have to give our teachers all the support they need to be successful, we need to make sure our students have the teacher they need to be successful. That means states and school districts taking steps to move bad teachers out of the classroom. Let me be clear: if a teacher is given a chance but still does not improve, there is no excuse for that person to continue teaching. I reject a system that rewards failure and protects a person from its consequences. The stakes are too high. We can afford nothing but the best when it comes to our children’s teachers and to the schools where they teach.

That leads me to the fourth part of America’s education strategy - promoting innovation and excellence in America’s schools. One of the places where much of that innovation occurs is in our most effective charter schools. These are public schools founded by parents, teachers, and civic or community organizations with broad leeway to innovate - schools I supported as a state legislator and United States Senator.

Right now, there are caps on how many charter schools are allowed in some states, no matter how well they are preparing our students. That isn’t good for our children, our economy, or our country. Of course, any expansion of charter schools must not result in the spread of mediocrity, but in the advancement of excellence. That will require states adopting both a rigorous selection and review process to ensure that a charter school’s autonomy is coupled with greater accountability - as well as a strategy, like the one in Chicago, to close charter schools that are not working. Provided this greater accountability, I call on states to reform their charter rules, and lift caps on the number of allowable charter schools, wherever such caps are in place.

Even as we foster innovation in where our children are learning, let’s also foster innovation in when our children are learning. We can no longer afford an academic calendar designed when America was a nation of farmers who needed their children at home plowing the land at the end of each day. That calendar may have once made sense, but today, it puts us at a competitive disadvantage. Our children spend over a month less in school than children in South Korea. That is no way to prepare them for a 21st century economy. That is why I’m calling for us not only to expand effective after-school programs, but to rethink the school day to incorporate more time - whether during the summer or through expanded-day programs for children who need it. I know longer school days and school years are not wildly popular ideas. Not in my family, and probably not in yours. But the challenges of a new century demand more time in the classroom. If they can do that in South Korea, we can do it right here in the United States of America.

Of course, no matter how innovative our schools or how effective our teachers, America cannot succeed unless our students take responsibility for their own education. That means showing up for school on time, paying attention in class, seeking out extra tutoring if it’s needed, and staying out of trouble. And to any student who’s watching, I say this: don’t even think about dropping out of school. As I said a couple of weeks ago, dropping out is quitting on yourself, it’s quitting on your country, and it is not an option - not anymore. Not when our high school dropout rate has tripled in the past thirty years. Not when high school dropouts earn about half as much as college graduates. And not when Latino students are dropping out faster than just about anyone else. It is time for all of us, no matter what our backgrounds, to come together and solve this epidemic.

Stemming the tide of dropouts will require turning around our low-performing schools. Just 2,000 high schools in cities like Detroit, Los Angeles, and Philadelphia produce over 50% of America’s dropouts. And yet, there are too few proven strategies to transform these schools. And there are too few partners to get the job done. So today, I am issuing a challenge to educators and lawmakers, parents and teachers alike - let us all make turning around our schools our collective responsibility as Americans. That will require new investments in innovative ideas. That is why my budget invests in developing new strategies to make sure at-risk students don’t give up on their education; new efforts to give dropouts who want to return to school the help they need to graduate; and new ways to put those young men and women who have left school back on a pathway to graduation.

The fifth part of America’s education strategy is providing every American with a quality higher education - whether it’s college or technical training. Never has a college degree been more important. And never has it been more expensive. At a time when so many of our families are bearing enormous economic burdens, the rising cost of tuition threatens to shatter dreams. That is why will simplify federal college assistance forms so it doesn’t take a PhD to apply for financial aid. And that is why we are already taking steps to make college or technical training affordable.

For the first time ever, Pell Grants will not be subject to the politics of the moment or the whims of the market - they will be a commitment that Congress is required to uphold each and every year. Further, because rising costs mean Pell Grants cover less than half as much tuition as they did thirty years ago, we are raising the maximum Pell Grant to $5,550 a year and indexing it above inflation. We are also providing a $2,500 a year tuition tax credit for students from working families. And we are modernizing and expanding the Perkins Loan Program to make sure schools like UNLV don’t get a tenth as many Perkins Loans as schools like Harvard. To help pay for all of this, we are putting students ahead of lenders by eliminating wasteful student loan subsidies that cost taxpayers billions each year. All in all, we are making college affordable for seven million more students with a sweeping investment in our children’s futures and America’s success. And I call on Congress to join me - and the American people - by helping make these investments possible.

This is how we will help meet our responsibility as a nation to open the doors of college to every American. But it will also be the responsibility of colleges and universities to control spiraling costs. And it is the responsibility of our students to walk through those doors of opportunity. In just a single generation, America has fallen from second place to eleventh place in the portion of students completing college. That is unfortunate but it is by no means irreversible. With resolve and the right investments, we can retake the lead once more. That is why, in my address to the nation the other week, I called on Americans to commit to at least one year or more of higher education or career training, with the goal of having the highest proportion of college graduates in the world by the year 2020. To meet that goal, we are investing $2.5 billion to identify and support innovative initiatives across the country that achieve results in helping students persist and graduate.

And let’s not stop our education with college. Let’s recognize a 21st century reality: learning does not end in our early 20s. Adults of all ages need opportunities to earn new degrees and skills. That means working with all our universities and schools, including community colleges, a great and undervalued asset, to prepare workers for good jobs in high-growth industries; and to improve access to job training not only for young people who are just starting their careers, but for older workers who need new skills to change careers.

It is through initiatives like these that we will see more Americans earn a college degree, or receive advanced training, and pursue a successful career. That is why I am calling on Congress to work with me to enact these essential reforms, and to reauthorize the Workforce Investment Act. That is how we will round out a complete and competitive education in the United States of America.

So, yes, we need more money. Yes, we need more reform. Yes, we need to hold ourselves more accountable for every dollar we spend. But there is one more ingredient I want to talk about. The bottom line is that no government policies will make any difference unless we also hold ourselves more accountable as parents. Because government, no matter how wise or efficient, cannot turn off the TV or put away the video games. Teachers, no matter how dedicated or effective, cannot make sure your children leave for school on time and do their homework when they get back at night. These are things only a parent can do. These are things that our parents must do.

I say this not only as a father, but as a son. When I was a child, living in Indonesia with my mother, she didn’t have the money to send me where all the American kids went to school so she supplemented my schooling with lessons from a correspondence course. I can still picture her, waking me up at 4:30 in the morning five days a week to go over some lessons before I left for school. And whenever I’d complain or find some excuse for getting more sleep, she’d patiently repeat her most powerful defense - "This is no picnic for me either, buster." And it is because she did this day after day, week after week, and because of all the other opportunities and breaks I had along the way, that I can stand here today as President of the United States. And I want every child in this country to have the same chance that my mother gave me, that my teachers gave me, that my college professors gave me, that America gave me.

I want children like Yvonne Bojorquez to have that chance. Yvonne is a student at Village Academy High School in California. Village Academy is a 21st century school, where cutting edge technologies are used in the classroom, where college prep and career training are offered to all who seek it, and where the motto is - "respect, responsibility, and results." A couple of months ago, Yvonne and her class made a video talking about the impact that our struggling economy was having on their lives. Some of them spoke about their parents being laid off, or their homes facing foreclosure, or their inability to focus on school with everything that was happening at home. When it was her turn to speak, Yvonne said:

"We’ve all been affected by this economic crisis. [We] are all college bound students…We’re all businessmen, and doctors and lawyers and all this great stuff. And we have all this potential," she said, "but the way things are going, we’re not going to be able to [fulfill it]."

It was heartbreaking that a girl so full of promise was so full of worry that she and her class titled their video, "Is anybody listening?" And so, today, there’s something I want to say to Yvonne and her class at Village Academy. I am listening. We are listening. America is listening. And we are not going to rest until your parents can keep their jobs, your families can keep their homes, and you can focus on what you should be focusing on - your own education. Until you can become the businessmen, doctors, and lawyers of tomorrow, until you can reach out and grasp your dreams for the future.

For in the end, your dream is a dream shared by all Americans. It is the founding promise of our nation. That we can make of our lives what we will; that all things are possible for all people; and that here in America, our best days lie ahead. And I truly believe that if I do my part and you, the American people, do yours - then we will emerge from this crisis a stronger nation and pass the dream of our founding on to posterity, ever safer than before. Thank you. God bless you. And may God bless the United States of America.

*                                                *                                                *

 "Our children spend over a month less in school than children in South Korea. That is no way to prepare them for a 21st century economy. That is why I’m calling for us not only to expand effective after-school programs, but to rethink the school day to incorporate more time - whether during the summer or through expanded-day programs for children who need it. I know longer school days and school years are not wildly popular ideas. Not in my family, and probably not in yours. But the challenges of a new century demand more time in the classroom. If they can do that in South Korea, we can do it right here in the United States of America."

오바마 대통령은 한국의 아이들이 21세기를 맞이할 준비를 아주 잘 하고 있다고 생각하는 모양이다. 그가 보는

한국의 교육 시스템이 어떤 그림일지 모르겠으나, 어쨌든 그는 경제위기를 핑계로 교육 투자를 게을리 하거나

각자도생의 길로 내모는 것이 아니라, 교육격차 해소를 위해 대규모의 공교육 부문 투자를 강조하고 있다.


안타깝게도 오바마가 말하고 경계하는 '한국'이란 나라는 그의 머릿 속에만 있는 나라인 듯 싶다.

*주 : 생각보다 당선연설문 전문을 한글로 소개한 내용은 많이 보였으나 영문으로 함께 띄운
곳은 찾기 힘든 거 같아, 이러저러한 도움이 될까 싶어 사적인 경로로 얻은 자료를 올립니다.

If there is anyone out there who still doubts that America is a place where all things are possible; who still wonders if the dream of our founders is alive in our time; who still questions the power of our democracy, tonight is your answer.

아직도 미국이 무한한 가능성의 나라라는 것을 의심하는 사람이 있다면, 아직도 이 나라의 선조들이 꾸었던 꿈들이 살아있는가에 대한 의문을 품은 사람이 있다면, 그리고 민주주의의 힘을 믿지 못하는 사람들이 있다면, 오늘이 그 모든 의문에 관한 답입니다.
 

It’s the answer told by lines that stretched around schools and churches in numbers this nation has never seen; by people who waited three hours and four hours, many for the very first time in their lives, because they believed that this time must be different; that their voice could be that difference.

투표소였던 학교와 교회들을 휘감았던 긴 줄들, 역사상 유례 없던 최다 투표율, 세 시간이고 네 시간이고 투표하기 위해 기다렸던 사람들; 바로 지금이 변화의 시기이며 자신의 목소리가 바로 그 변화라는 굳은 믿음 하에 인생 처음으로 투표했던 사람들, 이 모두가 사람들이 품었던 의문들에 대한 답입니다.

It’s the answer spoken by young and old, rich and poor, Democrat and Republican, black, white, Latino, Asian, Native American, gay, straight, disabled and not disabled ? Americans who sent a message to the world that we have never been a collection of Red States and Blue States: we are, and always will be, the United States of America.

젊은이, 늙은이, 빈자, 부자, 민주당, 공화당, 흑인, 백인, 라틴계 미국인, 동양인, 아메리카 인디언, 동성애자, 이성애자, 장애를 가진 자들, 장애가 없는 자들 - 우리 모두가 사람들이 품었던 의문들에 답했습니다. 오늘은 세계에 미국은 단순한 붉은 주(공화당)와 푸른 주(민주당)의 집합이 아닌 통일된 (번역자 주: 여기서 United States의 United를 강조했습니다) 미국이라는 것을 알리는 전보와도 같았습니다.

It’s the answer that led those who have been told for so long by so many to be cynical, and fearful, and doubtful of what we can achieve to put their hands on the arc of history and bend it once more toward the hope of a better day.

오늘은 우리가 이룰 수 있는 일들에 대해 조금 더 냉소적이 되어야 한다고, 걱정해야 한다고, 그리고 우리가 가진 것에 대해 의심을 품어야 한다고 계속하여 세뇌 당했던 평범한 자들마저 역사의 기다란 호에 손을 얹어 미래에 대한 희망을 향해 그 길을 꺾은 날입니다. 이것이 우리의 답입니다. 

It’s been a long time coming, but tonight, because of what we did on this day, in this election, at this defining moment, change has come to America.

이 길에 오기까지는 오랜 시간이 걸렸지만, 우리가 이 중요한 시기에 오늘 밤 선거에서 내린 결정 때문에 미국은 변화 할 것입니다.

I just received a very gracious call from Senator McCain. He fought long and hard in this campaign, and he’s fought even longer and harder for the country he loves. He has endured sacrifices for America that most of us cannot begin to imagine, and we are better off for the service rendered by this brave and selfless leader. I congratulate him and Governor Palin for all they have achieved, and I look forward to working with them to renew this nation’s promise in the months ahead.

저는 방금 맥케인 의원님께 굉장히 기품 있는 전화를 받았습니다. 그는 이 캠페인에서 오랫동안 열심히 싸워 주셨으며, 그가 사랑하는 이 국가를 위해서는 더욱이나 오랫동안 열심히 싸워 주셨습니다. 그는 국가를 위해 우리가 상상도 할 수 없는 희생을 하셨으며, 우리는 맥케인 의원님 같은 분들의 용기와 사심 없는 지도력 때문에 훨씬 살기 좋은 국가가 되었습니다. 저는 그와 페일린 부지사가 이루었던 모든 업적을 축하하고 싶습니다. 그들과 앞으로 이어질 몇 달 동안 국가의 앞날을 위해 일할 생각을 하면 기대가 됩니다.

I want to thank my partner in this journey, a man who campaigned from his heart and spoke for the men and women he grew up with on the streets of Scranton and rode with on that train home to Delaware, the Vice President-elect of the United States, Joe Biden.

저는 이 긴 여행동안 함께 해 주었던 동료이자, 가슴으로부터 이 캠페인을 이끌며, 그가 자랐단 스크랜턴 (번역자 주: 펜실베니아의 도시) 거리의 모든 분들을 대표해 서슴없이 자신의 주장을 펼쳤던, 미합중국의 부통령 조 바이든에게 감사를 표하고 싶습니다. 그는 자신이 대표하는 이들을 위해 델러웨어로 기차를 타고 떠났습니다.

I would not be standing here tonight without the unyielding support of my best friend for the last sixteen years, the rock of our family and the love of my life, our nation’s next First Lady, Michelle Obama. Sasha and Malia, I love you both so much, and you have earned the new puppy that’s coming with us to the White House. And while she’s no longer with us, I know my grandmother is watching, along with the family that made me who I am. I miss them tonight, and know that my debt to them is beyond measure.

지난 16년 저의 가장 친한 친구이자 우리 가족의 든든한 기반, 제 인생의 모든 것을 바쳐도 좋을 사랑, 그리고 우리 국가의 퍼스트 레이디, 미셸 오바마가 아니었다면 저는 이 자리에 서지 못했을 것입니다. 사샤와 말리아 (번역자 주: 두 딸들), 정말 사랑한다. 그리고 백악관으로 이사 가는 날 강아지를 선물 할 것을 약속한다.

더 이상 우리와 함께 있지는 않지만 (번역자 주: 11/2 세상을 떠나심), 저의 할머니께서 우리를 지켜보고 있음에 한치의 의심도 없습니다. 저를 이 자리에 서게 해 준 가족들도 말입니다. 오늘 밤 제 가족들이 이 자리에 함께하지 못한 것이 무척 아쉬우며, 제가 그들에게 진 빚이 헤아릴 수 없을 만큼 크다는 것을 알고 있습니다.

To my campaign manager David Plouffe, my chief strategist David Axelrod, and the best campaign team ever assembled in the history of politics ? you made this happen, and I am forever grateful for what you’ve sacrificed to get it done.

제 캠페인 매니저 데이빗 플러프와 제 전략가 데이빗 액슬로드에게 감사 드리고 싶습니다. 그들이 함께 했기에 제 팀은 정치 역사상 최고의 캠페인 팀이었다고 해도 과언이 아닙니다. 당신들이 현재 제가 이 자리에 서게 해 주었으며, 이 모든 것이 이루어질 때까지 당신들이 희생했던 바들을 생각한다면 한없이 감사합니다.

But above all, I will never forget who this victory truly belongs to ? it belongs to you.

하지만 모든 것을 제치고, 저는 이 승리가 국민 여러분의 것이라는 강조하고 싶습니다.

I was never the likeliest candidate for this office. We didn’t start with much money or many endorsements. Our campaign was not hatched in the halls of Washington ? it began in the backyards of Des Moines and the living rooms of Concord and the front porches of Charleston.

저는 단 한 번도 이 자리에 서기에 가장 유력한 후보로 꼽혔던 적이 없습니다. 저희가 시작할 때에는 돈도, 자원금도 충분치 못했습니다. 저희 캠페인은 워싱턴의 회의장에서 탄생하지 않았습니다. 이 캠페인은 데스 모인즈의 평범한 가정의 뒷마당, 콩코드의 거실, 그리고 찰스턴의 앞뜰에서 탄생했습니다.

It was built by working men and women who dug into what little savings they had to give five dollars and ten dollars and twenty dollars to this cause. It grew strength from the young people who rejected the myth of their generation’s apathy; who left their homes and their families for jobs that offered little pay and less sleep; from the not-so-young people who braved the bitter cold and scorching heat to knock on the doors of perfect strangers; from the millions of Americans who volunteered, and organized, and proved that more than two centuries later, a government of the people, by the people and for the people has not perished from this Earth. This is your victory.

제 캠페인은 열심히 일하는 국민 여러분이 근근이 모아 두었던 돈 5불, 10불, 그리고 20불씩 기부하며 시작되었습니다. 제 캠페인은 모두가 정치에는 무관심하다고 여겼던 우리의 젊은이들이 힘을 모아 무럭무럭 자라게 되었습니다. 이 분들은 자신의 가정과 가족을 떠나, 월급도 적고 잠도 제대로 잘 수 없는 환경에서 열심히 일해주었습니다. 그다지 젊지 않은 자들도 뼈에 사무치게 추운 날씨도, 타 들어갈 것 같이 더운 날에도 전혀 알지 못하는 사람들의 문을 두드리며 제 캠페인을 키워 주었습니다. 제 캠페인을 위해 봉사하고, 체계적으로 행사들을 조직한 수백만 명의 미국인들. 그들은 링컨 이후 이백 년이나 지났어도 국민의, 국민에 의한, 국민을 위한 정부는 사라지지 않았음을 입증하는 산 증인들입니다. 이것은 당신들의 승리입니다.

I know you didn’t do this just to win an election and I know you didn’t do it for me. You did it because you understand the enormity of the task that lies ahead. For even as we celebrate tonight, we know the challenges that tomorrow will bring are the greatest of our lifetime ? two wars, a planet in peril, the worst financial crisis in a century. Even as we stand here tonight, we know there are brave Americans waking up in the deserts of Iraq and the mountains of Afghanistan to risk their lives for us. There are mothers and fathers who will lie awake after their children fall asleep and wonder how they’ll make the mortgage, or pay their doctor’s bills, or save enough for college. There is new energy to harness and new jobs to be created; new schools to build and threats to meet and alliances to repair.

저는 국민 여러분이 단지 선거에 승리하기 위해, 그리고 단지 저를 위해 이 모든 희생을 하지 않았음을 알고 있습니다. 당신들은 앞으로 우리에게 주어진 과제들이 얼마나 엄청난지를 알고 있기 때문에 이 모든 일들을 해냈습니다. 오늘은 우리의 승리를 축하하지만, 내일이 가져올 시련이 우리 평생에서 가장 크다는 것을 알고 있습니다. 현재 미국은 두 개의 전쟁, 위기에 처한 환경, 그리고 현 세기 이래 가장 큰 금융 위기를 앞에 두고 있습니다. 오늘 밤 우리는 이 자리에 서 있지만, 지금 이 시각에도 우리 모두의 안전을 위해 아프가니스탄의 험한 산지와 이라크의 사막에서 깨어나 목숨을 걸고 싸우고 있는 용감한 미국인들이 있다는 것을 잊어서는 안됩니다. 아이들이 잠든 후에도 담보 대출 때문에, 혹은 의료 보험 때문에, 혹은 교육비 때문에 뜬눈으로 밤을 지새는 부모들이 있다는 것을 잊어서는 안됩니다. 우리는 앞으로 새로운 에너지원을 개발하고, 새로운 직업을 창출하고, 새로운 학교들을 짓고, 우리를 협박하는 자들과 싸우며 우리의 동맹 국가들과의 결맹을 더욱 강화해야 할 것입니다.

The road ahead will be long. Our climb will be steep. We may not get there in one year or even one term, but America ? I have never been more hopeful than I am tonight that we will get there. I promise you ? we as a people will get there.

앞으로의 우리가 나아가야 할 길은 길고도 험난합니다. 우리가 그 곳에 일년, 이년, 혹은 제 임기가 끝날 때까지도 달성할 수 있을지는 모르겠습니다. 하지만 미국인 여러분, 저는 오늘만큼 틀림없이 우리가 그 길의 끝에 무사히 도착할 수 있을 것이라는 희망에 찼던 적이 없습니다. 저는 여러분에게 우리 모두 함께 그 곳에 도착할 것이라고 약속합니다.

There will be setbacks and false starts. There are many who won’t agree with every decision or policy I make as President, and we know that government can’t solve every problem. But I will always be honest with you about the challenges we face. I will listen to you, especially when we disagree. And above all, I will ask you join in the work of remaking this nation the only way it’s been done in America for two-hundred and twenty-one years ? block by block, brick by brick, calloused hand by calloused hand.

분명히 좌절도 있을 것이며 실패도 있을 것입니다. 제가 대통령으로써 내리는 결정에 반대하는 자들도 있을 것이며, 우리 정부가 모든 문제를 해결할 수 있을 것이라고 생각하지 않습니다. 하지만 저는 우리에게 닥친 난제들에 관한 한은 여러분에게 항상 솔직할 것을 약속합니다. 여러분의 의견에 귀를 기울일 것이며, 특히나 저희의 의견이 충돌할 때에 더더욱 귀 기울여 들을 것을 약속합니다. 모든 것에 앞서서, 저는 국민 여러분이 저와 함께 지난 221년 동안 미국이 그래왔던 것처럼 판자 하나 하나, 벽돌 하나 하나, 그리고 여러분의 거친 손 하나 하나로부터 미국을 재건하는 작업에 참여할 것을 부탁 드리고 싶습니다.

What began twenty-one months ago in the depths of winter must not end on this autumn night. This victory alone is not the change we seek ? it is only the chance for us to make that change. And that cannot happen if we go back to the way things were. It cannot happen without you.

21개월 전 한겨울 추위에 시작되었던 것들이 오늘 이 가을 밤에 끝나서는 안 됩니다. 이 승리가 우리가 원하는 변화의 전부가 아닙니다. 이것은 우리가 앞으로의 변화를 이룰 기회일 뿐입니다. 우리는 예전의 안주했던 자세로 돌아가서는 안됩니다. 앞으로의 변화는 국민 여러분 없이 이루어질 수 없는 것입니다.  

So let us summon a new spirit of patriotism; of service and responsibility where each of us resolves to pitch in and work harder and look after not only ourselves, but each other. Let us remember that if this financial crisis taught us anything, it’s that we cannot have a thriving Wall Street while Main Street suffers ? in this country, we rise or fall as one nation; as one people.

그렇기 때문에 국민 여러분, 새롭게 불타는 애국심을 다지고, 봉사 정신과 책임감을 새롭게 해, 스스로 뿐만이 아니라 타인을 위하는 마음을 가질 것을 약속합시다. 이 금융 위기가 우리에게 가르쳐준 것이 있다면, 그것은 국민 여러분이 고생하는 한 월 스트릿 또한 잘 될 수 없다는 것입니다. 이 국가에서 우리는 모두 같이 하나의 국민으로, 하나의 연합으로 성장하거나 추락하게 될 운명입니다.

Let us resist the temptation to fall back on the same partisanship and pettiness and immaturity that has poisoned our politics for so long. Let us remember that it was a man from this state who first carried the banner of the Republican Party to the White House ? a party founded on the values of self-reliance, individual liberty, and national unity. Those are values we all share, and while the Democratic Party has won a great victory tonight, we do so with a measure of humility and determination to heal the divides that have held back our progress. As Lincoln said to a nation far more divided than ours, “We are not enemies, but friends…though passion may have strained it must not break our bonds of affection.” And to those Americans whose support I have yet to earn ? I may not have won your vote, but I hear your voices, I need your help, and I will be your President too.

우리의 정치계를 병들게 했던 당파성, 소소한 것을 가지고 싸우는 하찮음, 그리고 미숙함으로 돌아가고자 하는 유혹을 이겨내야 합니다. 우리는 이 주의 출신이었던 분께서 (일리노이) 처음으로 공화당을 설립하고 백악관에 들어섰다는 것을 잊어서는 안 됩니다 (번역자 주: 링컨). 우리는 공화당의 설립 이념인 자주, 개인의 자유, 그리고 국가 단합을 기억해야 합니다. 이 가치들은 우리 모두가 공감하며 함께 할 수 있는 가치들입니다. 오늘 민주당이 승리했지만 우리는 이 승리를 더욱 겸손 하라는 국민의 채찍질로 받아들이며, 미국을 양 극단으로 갈랐던 대립된 가치들을 모두 회복하고 앞으로의 발전을 향해 함께 나아가려 합니다. 링컨이 현재의 미국보다도 갈라졌던 국가를 앞에 두고 말했듯이, “우리는 적이 아니라 친구입니다. 열정이 우리의 우정을 시험할지라도 우리는 서로에 대한 애정을 잊어서는 안됩니다.” 아직 저를 지지하지 않는 사람들을 위해 저는 열심히 일할 것입니다. 오늘 저는 여러분의 표를 얻지 못했을지도 모릅니다. 하지만 저는 당신들의 목소리를 듣고 있으며, 당신들의 도움을 필요로 합니다. 저는 당신들의 대통령입니다.

And to all those watching tonight from beyond our shores, from parliaments and palaces to those who are huddled around radios in the forgotten corners of our world ? our stories are singular, but our destiny is shared, and a new dawn of American leadership is at hand. To those who would tear this world down ? we will defeat you. To those who seek peace and security ? we support you. And to all those who have wondered if America’s beacon still burns as bright ? tonight we proved once more that the true strength of our nation comes not from our the might of our arms or the scale of our wealth, but from the enduring power of our ideals: democracy, liberty, opportunity, and unyielding hope.

바다 너머 국회 의사당에서, 성에서, 혹은 잊혀졌던 지구의 구석구석에서 라디오 앞에 옹기종기 모여 저희를 지켜보고 있던 모든 분들께 드리고 싶은 말이 있습니다. 우리 모두는 각자 다른 이야기를 지니고 있지만 같은 운명을 가지고 있습니다. 앞으로 미국의 지도력에는 새로운 날이 밝을 것입니다. 이 세계에 분열을 가져오려는 자들이여, 우리는 당신들을 격파할 것입니다. 평화와 안녕을 바라는 자들이여, 우리는 당신들에게 원조를 보낼 것입니다. 오늘 우리는 미국의 등불이 꺼지지 않았나 우려했던 자들 모두에게 미국의 힘을 또 다시 입증했습니다. 미국의 참된 힘은 미국의 무기나 부에서 오는 것이 아니라 꺼지지 않는 미국의 이념들, 민주주의, 자유, 기회, 그리고 굽히지 않는 희망에서 오는 것입니다.

For that is the true genius of America ? that America can change. Our union can be perfected. And what we have already achieved gives us hope for what we can and must achieve tomorrow.

이것이 바로 미국의 참된 자질입니다. 미국은 계속 변화할 수 있습니다. 우리의 결합은 더욱 더 완전해질 수 있습니다. 그리고 우리가 이미 이룬 것들을 뒤 돌아 보았을 때, 앞으로 이룰, 그리고 이루어야 할 것들에 대한 희망이 가득합니다.

This election had many firsts and many stories that will be told for generations. But one that’s on my mind tonight is about a woman who cast her ballot in Atlanta. She’s a lot like the millions of others who stood in line to make their voice heard in this election except for one thing ? Ann Nixon Cooper is 106 years old.

이번 선거에서 역사상 처음으로 행해진 일들도 많으며, 앞으로 대대로 전해질 이야기들도 많았습니다. 하지만 오늘 밤 특히 제 마음 속 깊이 새겨진 이야기는 아틀랜타에서 투표를 한 여성의 이야기입니다. 그녀는 오늘 줄을 서 투표를 하여 자신의 권리를 행사한 수 많은 국민들과 같은 한 국민입니다. 단 하나 다른 점이 있다면 앤 닉슨 쿠퍼 씨는 106세라는 점입니다.

She was born just a generation past slavery; a time when there were no cars on the road or planes in the sky; when someone like her couldn’t vote for two reasons ? because she was a woman and because of the color of her skin.

그녀의 조상은 노예였습니다. 그녀가 태어난 시기에는 길에 차도 없었으며, 하늘에는 비행기도 없었습니다. 그녀가 태어난 시기에 그녀는 두 가지 이유 때문에 투표를 할 수가 없었습니다. 첫째는 그녀가 여성이었기 때문에, 그리고 둘째는 그녀가 백인이 아니었기 때문이었습니다.

And tonight, I think about all that she’s seen throughout her century in America ? the heartache and the hope; the struggle and the progress; the times we were told that we can’t, and the people who pressed on with that American creed: Yes we can.

그리고 오늘 밤, 저는 그녀가 미국에서 살았던 한 세기 동안 겪었던 모든 변화들을 생각합니다. 그녀가 겪었던 가슴앓이와 희망들, 좌절과 발전, 그리고 안 된다고, 할 수 없다고 말하는 모든 사람들을 제치고 앞으로 나아갔던 미국의 모습을 말입니다. 우리는 할 수 있습니다.

At a time when women’s voices were silenced and their hopes dismissed, she lived to see them stand up and speak out and reach for the ballot. Yes we can.

여성분들의 목소리가 묵살되고 그녀들의 희망들이 무시되던 시기가 있었습니다. 쿠퍼씨는 살아서 여성들이 일어나 큰 목소리로 외치고 투표 용지를 향해 손을 뻗는 것을 보았습니다. 우리는 할 수 있습니다.

When there was despair in the dust bowl and depression across the land, she saw a nation conquer fear itself with a New Deal, new jobs and a new sense of common purpose. Yes we can.

더스트 볼 (30년대 미국의 대초원에 휘몰아쳤던 모래 바람)의 절망이 만연하고 전국 각지에 퍼진 공황이 있던 시기에, 그녀는 뉴딜로 모든 공포를 극복하고 새로운 직장을 창출하여 모두가 하나된 목적으로 일어서는 미국을 보았습니다. 우리는 할 수 있습니다.

When the bombs fell on our harbor and tyranny threatened the world, she was there to witness a generation rise to greatness and a democracy was saved. Yes we can.

진주만에 폭탄이 떨어지고 독재의 공포가 세계 각지를 위협할 때, 그녀는 한 세대가 위대한 업적들을 이루며 민주주의를 구하는 것을 보았습니다. 우리는 할 수 있습니다.

She was there for the buses in Montgomery, the hoses in Birmingham, a bridge in Selma, and a preacher from Atlanta who told a people that “We Shall Overcome.” Yes we can.

그녀는 몽고메리의 버스들(번역자 주: Rosa Parks로사 파크가 버스에서 유색인종의 차별을 거부했던 사건), 버밍햄의 호스질(번역자 주: 유색인종의 평등권 운동 중 당했던 치욕), 그리고 아틀랜타의 한 목사(번역자 주: 마틴 루터 킹)가 “우리는 모두를 극복할 것입니다,” 라고 말하는 것을 보았습니다. 우리는 할 수 있습니다.

우리는 할 수 있습니다. 감사합니다. 부디 신의 가호가 당신의 가정과 미합중국에 있기를.