We’re here to memorialize 29 Americans: Carl Acord. Jason Atkins. Christopher Bell. Gregory Steven Brock. Kenneth Allan Chapman. Robert Clark. Charles Timothy Davis. Cory Davis. Michael Lee Elswick. William I. Griffith. Steven Harrah. Edward Dean Jones. Richard K. Lane. William Roosevelt Lynch. Nicholas Darrell McCroskey. Joe Marcum. Ronald Lee Maynor. James E. Mooney. Adam Keith Morgan. Rex L. Mullins. Joshua S. Napper. Howard D. Payne. Dillard Earl Persinger. Joel R. Price. Deward Scott. Gary Quarles. Grover Dale Skeens. Benny Willingham. And Ricky Workman.
“我們在這裏，懷念29位美國人：
卡爾·阿克德、傑森·阿金斯、克裏斯多佛·貝爾、格利高裏·史蒂夫·布洛克、
肯尼斯·艾倫·查普曼、羅伯特·克拉克、查爾斯·蒂莫西·戴維斯、克裏·戴維斯、
邁克爾·李·埃爾斯維克、威廉·I.格裏菲斯、史蒂芬·哈拉、愛德華·迪恩·瓊斯、
理查德.K.雷恩、威廉姆.羅斯威爾特.林奇、尼古拉斯.達利爾.麥考斯基、喬.馬克姆、
羅納德.李.梅爾、詹姆斯.E.姆尼、亞當.基斯.摩根、雷克斯.L.姆林斯、喬什.S.納皮爾、
霍華德.D.佩恩、迪拉德.厄爾.波辛格、喬爾.R.普萊斯、迪華德.斯科特、加裏.考拉斯、
格羅佛.戴爾.斯金斯、本尼.威靈漢姆以及裏奇·沃克曼。”
Nothing I, or the Vice President, or the Governor, none of the speakers here today, nothing we say can fill the hole they leave in your hearts, or the absence that they leave in your lives. If any comfort can be found, it can, perhaps, be found by seeking the face of God -- (applause) -- who quiets our troubled minds, a God who mends our broken hearts, a God who eases our mourning souls.
無論我、副總統、州長，或是今天致悼詞的任何一個人，都不能說出任何話語，可以填補你們因痛失親人心中的創傷。如果有任何可以找得到的安慰，也許隻能從上帝那裏尋找得到，上帝安慰我們痛苦的頭腦，修複破碎的心，減輕我們哀痛的內心。
Even as we mourn 29 lives lost, we also remember 29 lives lived. Up at 4:30 a.m., 5:00 in the morning at the latest, they began their day, as they worked, in darkness. In coveralls and hard-toe boots, a hardhat over their heads, they would sit quietly for their hour-long journey, five miles into a mountain, the only light the lamp on their caps, or the glow from the mantrip they rode in.
Day after day, they would burrow into the coal, the fruits of their labor, what so often we take for granted: the electricity that lights up a convention center; that lights up our church or our home, our school, our office; the energy that powers our country; the energy that powers the world. (Applause.)
盡管我們在哀悼這29條逝去的生命，我們同樣也要紀念這29條曾活在世間的生命。淩晨4點半起床，最遲5點，他們就開始一天的生活，他們在黑暗中工作。穿著工作服和硬頭靴，頭戴安全帽，靜坐著開始一小時的征程，去到五英裏遠的礦井，唯一的燈光是從他們頭戴的安全帽上發出的，或是進入時礦山沿途的光線。
日以繼夜，他們挖掘煤炭，這也是他們勞動的果實，我們對此卻不以為然：這照亮一個會議中心的電能；點亮我們教堂或家園、學校、辦公室的燈光；讓我們國家運轉的能源；讓世界維持的能源。
And most days they’d emerge from the dark mine, squinting at the light. Most days, they’d emerge, sweaty and dirty and dusted from coal. Most days, they’d come home. But not that day.
These men -– these hu*****ands, fathers, grandfathers, brothers sons, uncles, nephews -– they did not take on their job unaware of the perils. Some of them had already been injured; some of them had seen a friend get hurt. So they understood there were risks. And their families did, too. They knew their kids would say a prayer at night before they left. They knew their wives would wait for a call when their shift ended saying everything was okay. They knew their parents felt a pang of fear every time a breaking news alert came on, or the radio cut in.
But they left for the mines anyway -– some, having waited all their lives to be miners; having longed to follow in the footsteps of their fathers and their grandfathers. And yet, none of them did it for themselves alone.
大多時候，他們從黑暗的礦裏探出頭，眯眼盯著光亮。大多時候，他們從礦裏探出身，滿是汗水和塵垢。大多時候，他們能夠回家。但不是那天。
這些人，這些丈夫、父親、祖父、弟兄、兒子、叔父、侄子，他們從事這份工作時，並沒有忽視其中的風險。他們中的一些已經負傷，一些人眼見朋友受傷。所以，他們知道有風險。他們的家人也知道。他們知道，在自己去礦上之前，孩子會在夜晚祈禱。他們知道妻子在焦急等待自己的電話，通報今天的任務完成，一切安好。他們知道，每有緊急新聞播出，或是廣播被突然切斷，他們的父母會感到莫大的恐懼。
但他們還是離開家園，來到礦裏。一些人畢生期盼成為礦工；他們期待步入父輩走過的道路。然而，他們並不是為自己做出的選擇。
All that hard work, all that hardship, all the time spent underground, it was all for the families. It was all for you. For a car in the driveway, a roof overhead. For a chance to give their kids opportunities that they would never know, and enjoy retirement with their spouses. It was all in the hopes of something better. And so these miners lived -– as they died -– in pursuit of the American Dream.
這艱險的工作，其中巨大的艱辛，在地下度過的時光，都為了家人。都是為了你們；也為了在路上行進中的汽車，為了頭頂上天花板的燈光；為了能給孩子的未來一個機會，日後享受與伴侶的退休生活。這都是期冀能有更好的生活。所以，這些礦工的生活就是追尋美國夢，他們也因此喪命。
There, in the mines, for their families, they became a family themselves -– sharing birthdays, relaxing together, watching Mountaineers football or basketball together, spending days off together, hunting or fishing. They may not have always loved what they did, said a sister, but they loved doing it together. They loved doing it as a family. They loved doing it as a community.
That’s a spirit that’s reflected in a song that almost every American knows. But it’s a song most people, I think, would be surprised was actually written by a coal miner’s son about this town, Beckley, about the people of West Virginia. It’s the song, Lean on Me -– an anthem of friendship, but also an anthem of community, of coming together.
在礦裏，為了他們的家人，他們自己組成了家庭：慶祝彼此的生日，一同休憩，一同看橄欖球或籃球，一同消磨時間，打獵或是釣魚。他們可能不總是喜歡這些事情，但他們喜歡一起去完成。他們喜歡像一個家庭那樣去做這些事。他們喜歡像一個社區一樣去做這些事。
這也是美國人熟知的一首歌裏表達的精神。我想，讓大多數人驚訝的是這首歌實際是一名礦工的兒子所寫，關於貝克利這個小鎮的，關於西弗吉尼亞人民的。這首歌曲，“靠著我”（Lean on Me）是關於友誼的讚歌，但也是關於社區關於一同相聚的讚歌。
That community was revealed for all to see in the minutes, and hours, and days after the tragedy. Rescuers, risking their own safety, scouring narrow tunnels saturated with methane and carbon monoxide, hoping against hope they might find a survivor. Friends keeping porch lights on in a nightly vigil; hanging up homemade signs that read, “Pray for our miners, and their families.” Neighbors consoling each other, and supporting each other and leaning on one another.
I’ve seen it, the strength of that community. In the days that followed the disaster, emails and letters poured into the White House. Postmarked from different places across the country, they often began the same way: “I am proud to be from a family of miners.” “I am the son of a coal miner.” “I am proud to be a coal miner’s daughter.” (Applause.) They were always proud, and they asked me to keep our miners in my thoughts, in my prayers. Never forget, they say, miners keep America’s lights on. (Applause.) And then in these letters, they make a simple plea: Don’t let this happen again. (Applause.) Don't let this happen again.
How can we fail them? How can a nation that relies on its miners not do everything in its power to protect them? How can we let anyone in this country put their lives at risk by simply showing up to work; by simply pursuing the American Dream?
We cannot bring back the 29 men we lost. They are with the Lord now. Our task, here on Earth, is to save lives from being lost in another such tragedy; to do what must do, individually and collectively, to assure safe conditions underground -- (applause) -- to treat our miners like they treat each other -- like a family. (Applause.) Because we are all family and we are all Americans. (Applause.) And we have to lean on one another, and look out for one another, and love one another, and pray for one another.
There’s a psalm that comes to mind today -– a psalm that comes to mind, a psalm we often turn to in times of heartache.
“Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for You are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.”
God bless our miners. (Applause.) God bless their families. God bless West Virginia. (Applause.) And God bless the United States of America. (Applause.)
災難發生的幾分鍾，幾小時，幾日之後，這個社區終被外界關注。搜救者，冒著風險在充滿沼氣和一氧化碳的狹窄地道裏搜尋，抱著一線希望去發現一位幸存者。朋友們打開門廊的燈守夜；懸掛自製的標語上寫著，“為我們的礦工和他們的家人祈禱。”鄰居們彼此安慰，相扶相依。
我看到了，這就是社區的力量。在災難隨後的幾天，電子郵件和信件湧入白宮。郵戳來自全國各地，人們通常都是同一開頭：“我很驕傲來自一個礦工的家庭。”“我是一名礦工的兒子。”“我很自豪能成為一名礦工的女人。”……他們都感到自豪，他們讓我關護我們的礦工，為他們祈禱。他們說，不要忘了，礦工維持著美國的光亮。在這些信件裏，他們提出一個很小的要求：不要讓這樣的事再發生。不要讓這事情再發生。
我們怎忍讓他們失望？一個依賴礦工的國家怎能不盡全力履行職責保護他們？我們的國家怎能容忍人們僅因工作就付出生命；難道僅僅是因為他們追求美國夢嗎？
我們不能讓29條逝去的生命回來。他們此刻與主同在。我們在這裏的任務，就是防止有生命再在這樣的悲劇中逝去。去做我們必須做的，無論個人或是集體，去確保礦下的安全，向他們對待彼此那樣對待我們的礦工，如同一家人。因為我們是一家人，我們都是美國人。我們必須要彼此依靠，守望彼此，愛護彼此，為彼此祈福祈禱。
今天，我想起一首聖歌，在我們心痛時會想起這首歌。“我雖行過死蔭的幽穀，但心無所懼，因你與我同在。你的杖，你的竿，都在安慰我。”
上帝保佑我們的礦工！上帝保佑他們的家人！上帝保佑西弗吉尼亞！上帝保佑美國！
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