911後的第九天，9月20號，布什總統在國會聯席會議上發表了對國會和美國人民的講話。在一大段開場白後，他第一個感謝的是國會: 我感謝國會在這個如此重要時刻的領導力。(I thank the Congress for its leadership at such an important time.)
整個美國都被在災難發生後的當晚看到共和黨和民主黨聯合一起站在國會大廈的台階上高唱"上帝保佑美國"的場景所感動了。(All of America was touched on the evening of the tragedy to see Republicans and Democrats joined together on the steps of this Capitol singing "God Bless America.")
並且你們做的比唱的多。你們的行動是拿出了四百個億來重建我們的社區和滿足我們軍隊的需要。國會發言人Hastert, 少數黨領袖Gephardt, 多數黨領袖Daschle和參議員Lott, 我謝謝你們的友誼，你們的領導力和你們為我們國家的服務。(And you did more than sing. You acted, by delivering $40 billion to rebuild our communities and meet the needs of our military. Speaker Hastert, Minority Leader Gephardt, Majority Leader Daschle and Senator Lott, I thank you for your friendship, for your leadership and for your service to our country.)
掌聲(APPLAUSE)
我還要代表美國人民感謝世界的傾力支持。(And on behalf of the American people, I thank the world for its outpouring of support.)
美國絕不會忘記我們的國歌響徹在白金漢宮，在巴黎的街頭，和在柏林勃蘭登堡門。(America will never forget the sounds of our national anthem playing at Buckingham Palace, on the streets of Paris and at Berlin's Brandenburg Gate.)
我們將不會忘記韓國的小朋友們聚集在首爾我們大使館外麵祈禱，也不會忘記開羅的一個清真寺裏提供的同情的祈禱。(We will not forget South Korean children gathering to pray outside our embassy in Seoul, or the prayers of sympathy offered at a mosque in Cairo.)
我們將不會忘記在澳大利亞，非洲和拉丁美洲進行的默哀和幾天的哀悼。(We will not forget moments of silence and days of mourning in Australia and Africa and Latin America.)
我們更不會忘記那些來自其他80個國家跟我們的同胞一起犧牲的公民們。數十個巴基斯坦人，130多個以色列人，250多個印度公民，來自薩爾瓦多，伊朗，墨西哥和日本的男人們和女人們，還有好幾百英國公民。(Nor will we forget the citizens of 80 other nations who died with our own. Dozens of Pakistanis, more than 130 Israelis, more than 250 citizens of India, men and women from El Salvador, Iran, Mexico and Japan, and hundreds of British citizens.)
美國沒有比像英國這樣更真誠的朋友。(America has no truer friend than Great Britain.)
鼓掌 (APPLAUSE)
我們再一次為了一個偉大的事業聯合在一起，我很榮幸英國首相飛越海峽來顯示他與美國的團結一致。謝謝你的光臨，朋友。(Once again, we are joined together in a great cause. I'm so honored the British prime minister had crossed an ocean to show his unity with America. Thank you for coming, friend.)
鼓掌(APPLAUSE)
隨後，布什總統開始說911恐怖襲擊，說到美國人都在問:"誰襲擊了我們的國家" (Americans are asking, "Who attacked our country?") 然後說到基地組織，本拉登，塔利班。在詳細說完這些之後，布什總統接著說:
今天晚上我也想直接對遍及世界的穆斯林說。我們尊重你們的信仰。它被數百萬美國人和數百萬被美國稱為朋友的國家裏的人所信奉。它的教義是好的和和平的，而那些犯下惡行的是以真主的名義褻瀆真主之名。(I also want to speak tonight directly to Muslims throughout the world. We respect your faith. It's practiced freely by many millions of Americans and by millions more in countries that America counts as friends. Its teachings are good and peaceful, and those who commit evil in the name of Allah blaspheme the name of Allah.)
回顧19年前布什總統911後在國會的講話，我們依然能感受到他帶給美國人民的感謝，團結，包容，和自信。而他通篇的講話裏完全沒提及自己在這9天裏做了那些了不起的事。重溫19年前布什總統的講話，就很好理解上周末他發布的一個呼籲團結，應對新冠的短視頻。視頻的最後，他說: 我們不是黨派的鬥士。我們是人類，在上帝的眼裏，我們同樣脆弱，同樣精彩。我們興衰與共。我們決心崛起。上帝保佑你們。(we are not partisan combatants. We're human beings, equally vulnerable and equally wonderful in the sight of God. We rise or fall together. And we're determined to rise. God bless you all.) 視頻中還有幾個中國青少年舞龍的畫麵，耐人尋味。請看下麵的視頻。
