2015年新加坡总理李显龙新加坡国庆50周年演讲中英文全文

8 August 2015

2015年8月8日

 

My Fellow Singaporeans,

 

各位同胞：

 

50 years ago, on this very night, Singapore was on the eve of a momentous change. The Cabinet had already signed the Separation Agreement. The Government Printers were busy printing the Separation Agreement and the Proclamation of Independence in a special Government Gazette. The Commissioner of Police and the Commander of the army units had been told by the Malaysian Government to take orders from the new government the next day. But all this happened in strict secrecy. Our forefathers went to bed oblivious of what was about to happen, still for the time being citizens of Malaysia.

 

50年前，在8月8号这天晚上，新加坡正面临着一个重大的改变。内阁已经签署了新马分家协议；政府印刷局的工人，赶着印制特别宪报，以刊登新马分家协议和《独立宣言》；警察总长和军队司令也已经接到马来西亚中央政府的指示，隔天就必须接受新政府的指挥。这一切都在绝对保密的情况下进行，当天晚上，我们的先辈进入梦乡前，都还是马来西亚公民。他们根本无法想象即将发生的事情。

 

Then morning came. The 9th of August 1965. Our world changed. At 10 a.m., a radio announcer read the Proclamation. Singapore had left Malaysia and would “forever be a sovereign, democratic and independent nation”. The Republic of Singapore was born.

 

8月9号早上，大家的世界起了翻天覆地的变化。上午10点钟，广播员宣读了《新加坡独立宣言》。这时，大家才知道，新加坡已经脱离马来西亚，并且“永远是一个自主、独立与民主的国家”。新加坡共和国就这样诞生了。

 

People were apprehensive. No one knew if we could make it on our own. Our economy was not yet viable, much less vibrant. We had practically no resources, and no independent armed forces. Around noon on that first day, Mr Lee Kuan Yew gave a press conference on TV. He broke down halfway, unable to contain his emotions. It was, he said, “a moment of anguish”.

 

很多人都感到惶恐不安，担心我们能不能生存下来。当时我国的经济还没有走上正轨，更谈不上蓬勃发展。我们几乎没有任何资源，也没有属于自己的军队。当天中午，建国总理李光耀先生在电视台举行记者会。在访谈中途，李先生悲从中来，情不自禁痛哭起来。他说，这是他一个极度痛苦的时刻。

 

But that moment of anguish turned into a lifetime of determination to forge a path for this island nation. At the end of the press conference, Mr Lee made a promise to Singaporeans. He said: “We are going to be a multi-racial nation in Singapore. We will set an example. This is not a Malay nation; this is not a Chinese nation; this is not an Indian nation. Everyone will have his place, equal: language, culture, religion.”

 

但是，那极度痛苦的时刻后来成了一辈子的决心，推动着李先生为这个小岛国开辟一条生路。总结访谈时，李先生向人民承诺：“新加坡将成为一个多元种族的国家。我们会树立榜样；这不是马来人的国家，不是华人的国家，也不是印度人的国家，而是属于每个人的家园，不论语言、文化、宗教，一个人人平等的地方。”

 

From that break, we began building a nation. And what a journey it has been. It started with the first generation of leaders convincing our pioneer generation that Singapore could succeed as a sovereign country. Together, leaders and the people – the lions and the lion-hearted – fought with unwavering determination to secure our foundations. After them, younger generations picked up the baton and took Singapore further.

 

从那个重要转捩点之后，我们开始建设国家。这一路走来，并不容易。早年，建国元勋带领着人民，他们怀着雄心壮志，不畏艰辛，以无比的毅力，为我国打下厚实的基础。在建国领袖和前辈退下之后，年轻一代就接手，继续推动新加坡前进。

 

Year after year, Singapore progressed. Along the way we overcame many problems – the British withdrawal in 1971, the Oil Crisis in 1973, SARS, the Asian Financial Crisis, and then the Global Financial Crisis. We grew our economy and created jobs, built homes, schools, hospitals and parks. We built a nation.

 

年复一年，新加坡不断地发展和进步。在建国路上，我们遇上了许多困难，例如1971年英军撤退、1973年的石油危机。此外，我们过去十多年来也经历了沙斯疫情，亚洲金融风暴和世界金融危机，所幸的是我们都一一克服了这些挑战。我们发展了经济，为国人创造了就业机会、提供了良好的教育、建造了医疗和休闲设施、为人民打造了温馨的家园。

 

Year after year, we have kept the promises that Mr Lee Kuan Yew made on the 9th of August 1965: that we will be “one united people, regardless of race, language or religion”; that we will always have a bright future ahead of us.

 

我们实现了独立那一天李光耀先生的承诺，“不分种族、言语、宗教，团结一致”，让大家都有更美好的生活。

 

Therefore, on our 50th birthday, we have ample reason to celebrate.

 

所以，在新加坡建国金禧年，我们有充分的理由庆祝这个里程碑。

 

Let us celebrate 50 years of peace and security, underwritten by the blood and sweat of generations of NSmen.

 

50年来，我们享有和平与稳定，这是一代代国民服役人员用血汗换回来的。

 

Let us celebrate how we turned vulnerabilities into strengths. How a struggling economy with no domestic market made the world our market and created jobs for our people. How without any domestic hinterland, we made PSA and Changi Airport the best in the world. How from being utterly dependent on Johor for water, we turned the whole island into one catchment area, and developed NEWater. How while we had no natural resources, we educated every Singaporean and created opportunities for their talents to thrive. We have proven that together, we are greater than the sum of our parts.

 

我们把弱点转化为优势。当初，我们没有国内市场，所以就把全球做为市场，为人民制造了就业机会；我们没有腹地，但我们成功地打造了世界数一数二的新加坡海港和樟宜机场；虽然当年水源只靠柔佛供应，但我们把全岛转化成一个大型集水区，同时研发新生水，在水供方面取得了突破；虽然没有天然资源，我们让所有国人受教育，并制造机会，做到了人尽其才。我们证明了，团结就是力量！

 

Most of all, let us celebrate how we journeyed from Third World to First, as one united people, leaving no one behind. Every citizen has benefitted from Singapore’s progress. Life has improved for all – for Chinese, Malays, Indians and Eurasians; for blue collar as well as white collar workers; for HDB as well as condominium dwellers. We are a nation of home owners. Everyone has opportunities to improve themselves. Everyone can look forward to a brighter future.

 

全国上下一起努力，使新加坡从第三世界国家跻身第一世界。所有人民都从新加坡的繁荣进步中受惠，无论是华人、马来人、印度人，还是欧亚裔同胞，蓝领或是白领人士，住组屋还是住公寓的国人，大家的日子都过得更好。我们实现居者有其屋的梦想。大家都有机会提升自己。大家都能够憧憬更美好的未来，也能够期待我们的子女的前途更加光明。

 

At 50 years, as we stand at a high base camp, we look back and marvel how far we have come. We are grateful to those who made it happen.

 

在新加坡庆祝独立50年的时刻，我们站在更高的起点，回首着这段艰辛的建国历程，我们要感激那些付出毕生心血，造就辉煌新加坡的建国前辈们。

 

From this base camp, we can also look forward to new peaks ahead. The journey ahead is uncharted. But we must press on, because we aspire to do better for ourselves and our children.

 

同时，我们要放眼未来，准备攀越新的高峰。我们不知道前方的路会带来什么挑战，可是我们必须勇往直前，为自己，也为我们的孩子争取更美好的未来。

 

We know that we will get there, because we will always be there for one another. We are stronger as one people. For example, we instinctively gather to lift a truck to save someone trapped underneath. Even if the music fails, we go on singing the National Anthem with gusto. We are proud of our past and confident of our future. Together we believe in Singapore; together we belong to Singapore; together, we are Singapore.

 

我们相信，我们一定能成功，因为大家会互相扶持，同心协力克服挑战。众人同心，其利断金。看到有人受困在大卡车底下，我们会合力把卡车抬起来，救出伤者；即使音乐突然中断，我们还是能满怀激情，一起高声把国歌唱完。我们为过去感到自豪，对将来充满信心。我们相信新加坡能办到！我们都是新加坡的一分子，新加坡是由大家共同打造的！

 

I am speaking to you from Victoria Concert Hall, a place that holds special significance in Singapore’s history. In 1954, this was called the Victoria Memorial Hall. It was here that Mr Lee Kuan Yew launched the People’s Action Party, and inaugurated the long struggle for a fair and just society. It was here in 1958 that “Majulah Singapura” was first performed. It was at the Padang nearby, after independence, that we held our National Day Parades, and sang “Majulah Singapura” together as a nation.

 

我现在就在维多利亚音乐厅，这是新加坡历史上一个意义非凡的地方。在1954年，这座楼的名称是维多利亚纪念堂，当年，李光耀先生就是在这里创建了人民行动党，展开了建设一个公正平等社会的长期斗争。1958年，“Majulah Singapura”第一次在这里奏响。独立后，我们经常在政府大厦前大草场举行国庆庆典，庆祝国家的繁荣进步，一起唱国歌“Majulah Singapura”。

 

50 years on, on our Golden Jubilee, we will gather again at the Padang. We will sing “Majulah Singapura” proudly, and recite the National Pledge. We will rejoice in the success of our last five decades, and commit ourselves anew to work together as one united people, regardless of race, language or religion, to build Singapore, so as to achieve happiness, prosperity, and progress for our nation.

 

50年过去了，今年我们再次来到这里，庆祝50周年国庆；高唱国歌，宣读信约。我们将欢庆这50年的卓越成就，并再次誓愿：不分种族、言语、宗教，团结一致，为实现国家之幸福、繁荣与进步，共同努力。

 

Happy 50th National Day!

 

祝大家国庆日快乐！