同其他數(shù)位畢業(yè)生一樣 詹姆斯是一位戰(zhàn)場老兵
And I would ask all of us here today to stand and pay tribute not only to the veterans among us
我要求今天在場的所有人站起來 向我們中間的老兵
but to the more than 2.5 million Americans who haveserved in Iraq and Afghanistan as well as theirfamilies
以及在伊拉克和阿富汗服役過的250多萬美國軍人 以及他們的家人致敬
This is a particularly useful time for America to reflect on those who have sacrificed so much forour freedom, a few days after Memorial Day
陣亡將士紀(jì)念日就在幾天前 在今天 美國理應(yīng)感謝所有軍人為自由所作出的貢獻
You are the first class to graduate since 9/11 who may not be sent into combat in Iraq or Afghanistan
你們是911襲擊后第一屆不用被送上伊拉克或阿富汗作戰(zhàn)的畢業(yè)生
When I first spoke at West Point in 2009 we still had more than 100,000 troops in Iraq
2009年 我第一次來西點演講時我們還有超過10萬駐軍位于伊拉克
We were preparing to surge in Afghanistan
我們還打算在阿富汗增兵
Our counterterrorism efforts were focused on al Qaeda's core leadership those who had carriedout the 9/11 attacks
我們的反恐精力主要集中在打擊基地組織的領(lǐng)導(dǎo)核心正是這些人實施了911襲擊
And our nation was just beginning a long climb out of the worst economic crisis since the Great Depression
而我們的國家正在經(jīng)歷大蕭條后最嚴(yán)重的經(jīng)濟危機
Four and a half years later, as you graduate the landscape has changed
四年半后 在你們畢業(yè)的今天情況發(fā)生了重大變化
We have removed our troops from Iraq
我們已從伊拉克撤軍
We are winding down our war in Afghanistan
我們在阿富汗的戰(zhàn)爭也逐漸緩和
Al Qaeda's leadership on the border region between Pakistan and Afghanistan has been decimated, and Osama bin Laden is no more
基地組織在巴基斯坦和阿富汗交界區(qū)域的領(lǐng)導(dǎo)已經(jīng)被摧毀 奧薩馬·本·拉登也已被抹殺