【文章內(nèi)容簡介】 the worlds wealth and a thousand armies are no match for the strength and decency of the human spirit. (Applause.)Thirtyfour years ago, the man whose life we celebrate today spoke to us down there, at the other end of this Mall, in words that moved the conscience of a nation. Like a prophet of old, he told of his dream that one day America would rise up and treat all its citizens as equals before the law and in the heart. Martin Luther Kings dream was the American Dream. His quest is our quest: the ceaseless striving to live out our true creed. Our history has been built on such dreams and labors. And by our dreams and laborswe will redeem the promise of America in the 21st century.To that effort I pledge all my strength and every power of my office. I ask the members of Congress here to join in that pledge. The American people returned to office a President of one party and a Congress of another. Surely, they did not do this to advance the politics of petty bickering and extreme partisanship they plainly deplore. (Applause.) No, they call on us instead to be repairers of the breach, and to move on with Americas mission.America demands and deserves big things from us and nothing big ever came from being small. (Applause.) Let us remember the timeless wisdom of Cardinal Bernardin, when facing the end of his own life. He said: It is wrong to waste the precious gift of time, on acrimony and division.Fellow citizens, we must not waste the precious gift of this time. For all of us are on that same journey of our lives, and our journey, too, will e to an end. But the journey of our America must go on.And so, my fellow Americans, we must be strong, for there is much to dare. The demands of our time are great and they are different. Let us meet them with faith and courage, with patience and a grateful and happy heart. Let us shape the hope of this day into the noblest chapter in our history. Yes, let us build our bridge. (Applause.) A bridge wide enough and strong enough for every American to cross over to a blessed land of new promise.May those generations whose faces we cannot yet see, whose names we may never know, say of us here that we led our beloved land into a new century with the American Dream alive for all her children。 with the American promise of a more perfect union a reality for all her people。 with Americas bright flame of freedom spreading throughout all the world.From the height of this place and the summit of this century, let us go forth. May God strengthen our hands for the good work ahead and always, always bless our America. (Applause.)January 20, 1993My fellow citizens :　　Today we celebrate the mystery of American renewal.　　This ceremony is held in the depth of winter. But, by the words we speak and the faces we show the world, we force the spring. A spring reborn in the world39。s oldest democracy, that brings forth the vision and courage to reinvent America.　　When our founders boldly declared America39。s independence to the world and our purposes to the Almighty, they knew that America, to endure, would have to change. Not change for change39。s sake, but change to preserve America39。s ideals。 life, liberty, the pursuit of happiness. Though we march to the music of our time, our mission is timeless. Each generation of Americans must define what it means to be an American.　　On behalf of our nation, I salute my predecessor, President Bush, for his halfcentury of service to America. And I thank the millions of men and women whose steadfastness and sacrifice triumphed over Depression, fascism and Communism.　　Today, a generation raised in the shadows of the Cold War assumes new responsibilities in a world warmed by the sunshine of freedom but threatened still by ancient hatreds and new plagues.　　Raised in unrivaled prosperity, we inherit an economy that is still the world39。s strongest, but is weakened by business failures, stagnant wages, increasing inequality, and deep divisions among our people.　　When George Washington first took the oath I have just sworn to uphold, news traveled slowly across the land by horseback and across the ocean by boat. Now, the sights and sounds of this ceremony are broadcast instantaneously to billions around the world.　　Communications and merce are global。 investment is mobile。 technology is almost magical。 and ambition for a better life is now universal. We earn our livelihood in peaceful petition with people all across the earth.　　Profound and powerful forces are shaking and remaking our world, and the urgent question of our time is whether we can make change our friend and not our enemy.　　This new world has already enriched the lives of millions of Americans who are able to pete and win in it. But when most people are working harder for less。 when others cannot work at all。 when the cost of health care devastates families