Ronald Reagan’s Address on the Space Shuttle “Challenger” Tragedy
里根就“挑战者”号惨剧的悼词
Ladies and Gentlemen,
I’d planned to speak to you tonight to report on the state of the Union, but the events of earlier today have led me to change those plans. Today is a day for mourning and remembering. Nancy and I are pained to the core by the tragedy of the shuttle Challenger. We know we share this pain with all of the people of our country. This is truly a national loss.
Nineteen years ago, almost to the day, we lost three astronauts in a terrible accident on the ground. But, we’ve never lost an astronaut in flight. We’ve never had a tragedy like this. And perhaps we’ve forgotten the courage it took for the crew of the shuttle. But they, the Challenger Seven, were aware of the dangers, but overcame them and did their jobs brilliantly. We mourn seven heroes: Michael Smith, Dick Scobee, Judith Resnik, Ronald McNair, Ellison Onizuka, Gregory Jarvis, and Christa McAuliffe. We mourn their loss as a nation together.
For the families of the seven, we cannot bear, as you do, the full impact of this tragedy. But we feel the loss, and we’re thinking about you so very much. Your loved ones were daring and brave, and they had that special grace, that special spirit that says, “Give me a challenge, and I’ll meet it with joy.” They had a hunger to explore the universe and discover its truths. They wished to serve, and they did. They served all of us.
We’ve grown used to wonders in this century. It’s hard to dazzle us. But for twenty-five years the United States space program has been doing just that. We’ve grown used to the idea of space, and, perhaps we forget that we’ve only just begun. We’re still pioneers. They, the members of the Challenger crew, were pioneers.
And I want to say something to the schoolchildren of America who were watching the live coverage of the shuttle’s take-off. I know it’s hard to understand, but sometimes painful things like this happen. It’s all part of the process of exploration and discovery. It’s all part of taking a chance and expanding man’s horizons. The future doesn’t belong to the fainthearted; it belongs to the brave. The Challenger crew was pulling us into the future, and we’ll continue to follow them.
I’ve always had great faith in and respect for our space program. And what happened today does nothing to diminish it. We don’t hide our space program. We don’t keep secrets and cover things up. We do it all up front and in public. That’s the way freedom is, and we wouldn’t change it for a minute.
We’ll continue our quest in space. There will be more shuttle flights and more shuttle crews and, yes, more volunteers, more civilians, more teachers in space. Nothing ends here; our hopes and our journeys continue.
I want to add that I wish I could talk to every man and woman who works for NASA, or who worked on this mission and tell them: “Your dedication and professionalism have moved and impressed us for decades. And we know of your anguish. We share it.”
There’s a coincidence today. On this day 390 years ago, the great explorer Sir Francis Drake died aboard ship off the coast of Panama. In his lifetime the great frontiers were the oceans, and a historian later said, “He lived by the sea, died on it, and was buried in it.” Well, today, we can say of the Challenger crew: Their dedication was, like Drake’s, complete.
The crew of the space shuttle Challenger honored us by the manner in which they lived their lives. We will never forget them, nor the last time we saw them, this morning, as they prepared for
their journey and waved goodbye and “slipped the surly bonds of earth” to “touch the face of God.”
Thank you.
女士们、先生们，
我原本打算在今晚向你们就联邦的近况作一个汇报，但今天早些时候发生的事件使我改变了计划。今天是一个值得哀悼和铭记的日子。南希和我为挑战者号航天飞机的惨剧感到十分痛心。我们知道全国人民和我们一样承受着同样的伤痛。这实在是国家的一大损失。 19年前的几乎同一天，在一场可怕的意外中，我们在地面发射时失去了三名宇航员。但历史上却从没有发生宇航员在飞行当中牺牲的情况。这是我们从没有经历过的悲剧。也许我们已经忘记了一个宇航员执行航天任务时所需要的勇气，但这七位伟大的宇航员却都是实实在在地意识到其中的危险，可他们都一一克服，并出色地完成任务。让我们为这七位英雄默哀：迈克尔·史密斯，迪克·斯科比，祖迪夫·万斯尼克，罗纳德·迈克莱尔，埃利森·安尼苏卡，格雷戈里·查维斯和克里斯塔·麦克奥利弗。我们全国人民一同对他们表示哀悼。 无论对七位挑战者的家庭来说，还是对我们大家来说，这都会是一个难以承受的悲剧和灾难性的损失。你们的亲人都是英勇的、无畏的。他们具备那样特别的高雅品质，那样与众不同的人格魅力，以至于他们会说：“无论给我什么挑战，我都会欣然接受！”他们对探索宇宙和发现真理充满了渴望。他们愿意奉献，并如此实践了，他们为我们所有人作出了奉献。 对本世纪的我们来说，奇迹的发生早已不是什么新鲜事了。奇迹已经难以让我们感到惊奇。但过去的25年以来美国太空计划却一直在这样做，一直让我们发出一声又一声的惊叹。我们对太空这个概念相当熟悉。也许熟悉到让我们忘记了我们的太空探索才刚刚起步。我们依旧是太空探索的先锋，而挑战者号的成员正是这样的先锋。
我想对那些观看了这次航天飞机起飞直播的学生说：伤心的事情总是难以理解和接受的，可这样的事情又总会不时地发生。可我们得清楚这一切都是探索开拓过程的必然组成部分，也是不畏艰险，开拓人类视野的必然组成部分。未来从不属于那些缩头缩脑的人，未来只属于勇敢者。挑战者号的成员们过去一直勇敢地带领着我们走向未来，今后我们将传承他们的精神继续勇敢地向未来迈进。
我一直都对我们的太空计划充满了信心和敬意。尽管今天发生了这样的惨剧，可我的信心和敬意却没有一丝的减退。我们不掩藏秘密，我们不怕公开我们所做的一切，这就是我们践行自由的方式。我们永远不会改变这样的办事方式和风格。
我们会继续我们的太空探求。以后会有更多的航天飞机，更多的宇航员，更多的志愿者，更多的公民，更多的教师（其中一位丧生人员是教师）参与到我们的太空计划当中。不会有什么会因此而终结。我们将会满怀希望地继续我们的征程。
我想补充的是：我希望能够跟每一个美国太空总署的工作人员以及从事这一项航天任务的工作人员谈一下，并告诉他们：“几十年来，我们为你们的奉献和敬业精神所感动，你们给我们留下了深刻的印象。我们感受到你们的痛苦，我们也愿意和你们一起承担。”
今天发生了一个巧合。390年前的这一天，伟大的探险家法兰西斯·德雷克爵士死于远离巴拿马海岸的一艘船上。他的一生都在探索海洋这片未知的疆域。后来的历史学家说：“他生活在海边，死于海上，葬入海里。”今天，我们可以把挑战者号成员和德雷克爵士相比拟。他们的奉献都是毫无保留的。
挑战者号航天飞机的成员对待生命的方式让我们倍感荣耀。我们永远不会忘记他们，更不会忘记今天早上见他们的最后一面：他们正为征程准备着，然后向我们道别。那一刻他们向俗世凡尘告别，走向上帝的怀抱。
谢谢。
Ronald Reagan’s Address on the Space Shuttle “Challenger” Tragedy
里根就“挑战者”号惨剧的悼词
Ladies and Gentlemen,
I’d planned to speak to you tonight to report on the state of the Union, but the events of earlier today have led me to change those plans. Today is a day for mourning and remembering. Nancy and I are pained to the core by the tragedy of the shuttle Challenger. We know we share this pain with all of the people of our country. This is truly a national loss.
Nineteen years ago, almost to the day, we lost three astronauts in a terrible accident on the ground. But, we’ve never lost an astronaut in flight. We’ve never had a tragedy like this. And perhaps we’ve forgotten the courage it took for the crew of the shuttle. But they, the Challenger Seven, were aware of the dangers, but overcame them and did their jobs brilliantly. We mourn seven heroes: Michael Smith, Dick Scobee, Judith Resnik, Ronald McNair, Ellison Onizuka, Gregory Jarvis, and Christa McAuliffe. We mourn their loss as a nation together.
For the families of the seven, we cannot bear, as you do, the full impact of this tragedy. But we feel the loss, and we’re thinking about you so very much. Your loved ones were daring and brave, and they had that special grace, that special spirit that says, “Give me a challenge, and I’ll meet it with joy.” They had a hunger to explore the universe and discover its truths. They wished to serve, and they did. They served all of us.
We’ve grown used to wonders in this century. It’s hard to dazzle us. But for twenty-five years the United States space program has been doing just that. We’ve grown used to the idea of space, and, perhaps we forget that we’ve only just begun. We’re still pioneers. They, the members of the Challenger crew, were pioneers.
And I want to say something to the schoolchildren of America who were watching the live coverage of the shuttle’s take-off. I know it’s hard to understand, but sometimes painful things like this happen. It’s all part of the process of exploration and discovery. It’s all part of taking a chance and expanding man’s horizons. The future doesn’t belong to the fainthearted; it belongs to the brave. The Challenger crew was pulling us into the future, and we’ll continue to follow them.
I’ve always had great faith in and respect for our space program. And what happened today does nothing to diminish it. We don’t hide our space program. We don’t keep secrets and cover things up. We do it all up front and in public. That’s the way freedom is, and we wouldn’t change it for a minute.
We’ll continue our quest in space. There will be more shuttle flights and more shuttle crews and, yes, more volunteers, more civilians, more teachers in space. Nothing ends here; our hopes and our journeys continue.
I want to add that I wish I could talk to every man and woman who works for NASA, or who worked on this mission and tell them: “Your dedication and professionalism have moved and impressed us for decades. And we know of your anguish. We share it.”
There’s a coincidence today. On this day 390 years ago, the great explorer Sir Francis Drake died aboard ship off the coast of Panama. In his lifetime the great frontiers were the oceans, and a historian later said, “He lived by the sea, died on it, and was buried in it.” Well, today, we can say of the Challenger crew: Their dedication was, like Drake’s, complete.
The crew of the space shuttle Challenger honored us by the manner in which they lived their lives. We will never forget them, nor the last time we saw them, this morning, as they prepared for
their journey and waved goodbye and “slipped the surly bonds of earth” to “touch the face of God.”
Thank you.
女士们、先生们，
我原本打算在今晚向你们就联邦的近况作一个汇报，但今天早些时候发生的事件使我改变了计划。今天是一个值得哀悼和铭记的日子。南希和我为挑战者号航天飞机的惨剧感到十分痛心。我们知道全国人民和我们一样承受着同样的伤痛。这实在是国家的一大损失。 19年前的几乎同一天，在一场可怕的意外中，我们在地面发射时失去了三名宇航员。但历史上却从没有发生宇航员在飞行当中牺牲的情况。这是我们从没有经历过的悲剧。也许我们已经忘记了一个宇航员执行航天任务时所需要的勇气，但这七位伟大的宇航员却都是实实在在地意识到其中的危险，可他们都一一克服，并出色地完成任务。让我们为这七位英雄默哀：迈克尔·史密斯，迪克·斯科比，祖迪夫·万斯尼克，罗纳德·迈克莱尔，埃利森·安尼苏卡，格雷戈里·查维斯和克里斯塔·麦克奥利弗。我们全国人民一同对他们表示哀悼。 无论对七位挑战者的家庭来说，还是对我们大家来说，这都会是一个难以承受的悲剧和灾难性的损失。你们的亲人都是英勇的、无畏的。他们具备那样特别的高雅品质，那样与众不同的人格魅力，以至于他们会说：“无论给我什么挑战，我都会欣然接受！”他们对探索宇宙和发现真理充满了渴望。他们愿意奉献，并如此实践了，他们为我们所有人作出了奉献。 对本世纪的我们来说，奇迹的发生早已不是什么新鲜事了。奇迹已经难以让我们感到惊奇。但过去的25年以来美国太空计划却一直在这样做，一直让我们发出一声又一声的惊叹。我们对太空这个概念相当熟悉。也许熟悉到让我们忘记了我们的太空探索才刚刚起步。我们依旧是太空探索的先锋，而挑战者号的成员正是这样的先锋。
我想对那些观看了这次航天飞机起飞直播的学生说：伤心的事情总是难以理解和接受的，可这样的事情又总会不时地发生。可我们得清楚这一切都是探索开拓过程的必然组成部分，也是不畏艰险，开拓人类视野的必然组成部分。未来从不属于那些缩头缩脑的人，未来只属于勇敢者。挑战者号的成员们过去一直勇敢地带领着我们走向未来，今后我们将传承他们的精神继续勇敢地向未来迈进。
我一直都对我们的太空计划充满了信心和敬意。尽管今天发生了这样的惨剧，可我的信心和敬意却没有一丝的减退。我们不掩藏秘密，我们不怕公开我们所做的一切，这就是我们践行自由的方式。我们永远不会改变这样的办事方式和风格。
我们会继续我们的太空探求。以后会有更多的航天飞机，更多的宇航员，更多的志愿者，更多的公民，更多的教师（其中一位丧生人员是教师）参与到我们的太空计划当中。不会有什么会因此而终结。我们将会满怀希望地继续我们的征程。
我想补充的是：我希望能够跟每一个美国太空总署的工作人员以及从事这一项航天任务的工作人员谈一下，并告诉他们：“几十年来，我们为你们的奉献和敬业精神所感动，你们给我们留下了深刻的印象。我们感受到你们的痛苦，我们也愿意和你们一起承担。”
今天发生了一个巧合。390年前的这一天，伟大的探险家法兰西斯·德雷克爵士死于远离巴拿马海岸的一艘船上。他的一生都在探索海洋这片未知的疆域。后来的历史学家说：“他生活在海边，死于海上，葬入海里。”今天，我们可以把挑战者号成员和德雷克爵士相比拟。他们的奉献都是毫无保留的。
挑战者号航天飞机的成员对待生命的方式让我们倍感荣耀。我们永远不会忘记他们，更不会忘记今天早上见他们的最后一面：他们正为征程准备着，然后向我们道别。那一刻他们向俗世凡尘告别，走向上帝的怀抱。
谢谢。