英语翻译梅姨演说：人要学会妥协与中庸!（中英双语）
梅姨演说：“人要学会妥协与中庸！”
This will most likely be the last time that I will speak at length as Prime Minister, and I would like today to share some personal reflections on the state of politics in our country and around the world.
这应该是，我最后一次以首相身份发表长篇演说。今天我想谈谈，对英国政治现状，以及世界政治状况的一些个人看法。
Now I've lived politics for half a century. From stuffing envelopes for my local party in my school years to serving as a local councillor, fighting a by-election, winning a seat, serving for 12 years on the opposition front bench and for 9 years in the Cabinet as Home Secretary and Prime Minister.
我从政已逾半个世纪。高中时代，我便帮助地方保守党分装信封、派发传单。后来担任地方议员参加补选，最终赢得席位。之后，任反对党前排议员12年有余，此后加入内阁，任
内政大臣和首相整整9年。
Throughout that time, in every job I have done. I've been inspired by the enormous potential that working in politics and taking part in public life holds. The potential to serve your country, to improve peoples' lives and –in however big or small a way –to make the world a better place.
纵观我的政治生涯,我做过的每份工作,我都一直深受鼓舞。参加政治工作、参与社会公共生活拥有着极大的潜能，让我们能够服务于国家、改善人民生活。无论力量强大或微小，都有机会让整个世界变得更美好。
Both domestically and internationally, in substance and in tone. I'm worried about the state of politics. That worry stems from a conviction that the values on which all of our successes have been founded cannot be taken for granted. They may look to us as old as the hills, we might think that they will always be there, but establishing
the superiority of those values over the alternatives was the hard work of centuries of sacr
ifice. And to ensure that liberal inheritance can endure for generations to come, we today have a responsibility to be active in conserving it, if we do not, we will all pay the price: rich and poor, strong and weak, powerful and powerless.
但如今，无论英国国内、还是整个世界。无论实际行动、还是语言表达。我对当前的政治现状感到忧心忡忡。这种担忧，源于这样一种信念：绝不可将为我们带来成功的基本价值观视作理所应当。我们或许认为，这些价值观落伍陈旧；我们或许认为，这些价值观自始至终一直都在。但实际上，确立这些价值观之于其他观念的优势地位，是用几个世纪来，奉献牺牲的艰苦工作换得的。为确保自由民主的价值遗产能够延续传承几代人，我们现在必须肩负责任、积极保护这些价值观。若不这么做，我们必将付出代价：贫富悬殊、强弱分化、尊卑两极。
As a politician, my decisions and actions have always been guided by that conviction. It used to be asked of applicants at Conservative candidates election meetings 'are you a conviction politician or are you a pragmatist'?
作为一名政客，我的一切决定和行动，自始至终都以这一信念为指导。以前，在保守党员
的甄选会议上，候选人会被问到一个问题："你是一位有执着信念的政治家、还是一位实用主义者？"
I've never accepted the distinction. Politics is the business of turning your convictions into reality to improve the lives of the people you serve. As a Conservative——I have never had any doubt about what I believe in: security, freedom and opportunity, decency, moderation, patriotism. Conserving what is of value but never shying away from change. Indeed, recognising that often change is the way to conserve. Believing in business but holding businesses to account if they break the rules. Backing ambition, aspiration and hard work. Protecting our Union of nations –and being prepared to act in its interest.
我从不认为这二者有别。所谓政治，就是将你的信念变成现实，以改善你所服务的人民的生活。作为保守党人，我从未怀疑过自己的信仰：安全、自由、机遇、正派、中庸、爱国。保存有价值的事物。但绝不规避改变，实际上要认识到，很多时候，改变也是保存的一种方式。对商业有信念，但若企业违反规则，就必须承担责任。支持雄心壮志抱负宏愿和勤勉努力，保护我们的联合王国，并时刻准备好，以其利益行事。
Even if that means steering a difficult political course. And remaining always firmly rooted in the common ground of politics where all great political parties should be. I didn't write about those convictions in pamphlets or make many theoretical speeches about them. I have sought to put them into action.
And actually getting things done rather than simply getting them said requires some qualities that have become unfashionable of late. One of them is a willingness to compromise.
即使这意味着，要走上一条艰难的政治道路，并始终牢牢扎根于共同的政治基础。所有伟大的政党都应如此，我倒没有将这些信念写在小册子里，也没有就这些信念发表过理论性演说。我试图做的是，将这些信念付诸行动，要真正把事情做好，而不是简单地空口承诺。这就要求，我们拥有一些，如今看来有点过时的品质，其中之一便是愿意妥协。
That does not mean compromising your values. It does not mean accepting the lowest common denominator or clinging to outmoded ideas out of apathy or fear. It means being driven by, and when necessary standing up for your values and convictions. But doing so
in the real world –in the arena of public life where others are making their own case, pursuing their own interests. And where persuasion, teamwork and a willingness to make mutual concessions are needed to achieve an optimal outcome. That is politics at its best.
这并不意味着要违背你的价值观，也不意味着要刻意迎合大众口味，或是因冷漠或恐惧而抱住落后的想法不撒手。这意味着，要被你
自己的价值观和信念所驱使；并在必要时，坚决捍卫它们。但在现实世界中，在公共生活的舞台上，其他人都在自我展现、追名逐利。在这样的舞台上，只有说服劝说、团队合作、并愿意做出相互让步，才能实现最佳结果，这才是政治的最佳状态。
The alternative is a politics of winners and losers of absolutes and of perpetual strife and that threatens us all. Today an inability to combine principles with pragmatism and make a compromise when required seems to have driven our whole political discourse down the wrong path. It has led to what is in effect a form of "absolutism", one which believes that if you simply assert your view loud enough and long enough, you will get your way in the end. Or that mobilising your own faction is more important than bringing others with you.
This is coarsening our public debate. Some are losing the ability to disagree without demeaning the views of others.