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新东方网英语讯：美国总统奥巴马20日宣誓就职，正式连任美国总统，不过因20日恰逢星期日，21日他还要再宣一次誓。当日中午前后，奥巴马携夫人米歇尔、女儿萨莎和玛利亚来到白宫蓝厅，在最高法院首席大法官约翰·罗伯茨的主持下宣誓就职。在罗伯茨的领诵下，奥巴马手抚一本米歇尔父母的《圣经》，诵读了美国《宪法》规定的总统就职誓词，中译文为：“我谨庄严宣誓，我一定忠实执行合众国总统职务，竭尽全力，恪守、维护和捍卫合众国宪法。”
WHITE HOUSE — President Barack Obama has been formally sworn in for a second four-year term. Vice President Joe Biden also took the oath of office Sunday before Monday's public inauguration ceremony, to be witnessed by hundreds of thousands of people on the National Mall.
Obama took the oath just before noon in a ceremony lasting about half a minute in the oval-shaped White House Blue Room, with views of the executive mansion's South Lawn sweeping down to the Washington Monument.
With First Lady Michelle Obama, daughters Malia and Sasha, and a small group of reporters looking on, Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts administered the oath.
Obama shook Roberts hand, kissed his wife and children, and said to his family, "I did it."
This was the seventh time in U.S. history a president has taken the oath on Sunday, before a public ceremony the following day. The U.S. Constitution requires a president's term to begin on January 20.
Obama used a Bible that belonged to his wife's grandmother, LaVaughn Delores Robinson.
In his public inauguration Monday at the U.S. Capitol, he will again lay his hand on the bible used by President Abraham Lincoln at his inauguration in 1861.
Obama will also use a second bible, once owned by the late civil rights leader Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. The ceremony occurs on the national holiday established to honor Dr. King.
This year also marks the 50th anniversary of the 1963 March on Washington for equal rights for African-Americans, and the 150th anniversary of President Lincoln's Emancipation Proclamation that initiated the process of freeing slaves in America.
President Obama and his family also attended a Sunday service at the Metropolitan African Methodist Episcopal Church, which has an important place in history for African-Americans.
Earlier, Vice President Biden took the oath at his official residence at the Naval Observatory in Washington, using a Biden family bible.
It was administered by Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor, and was the first time a Hispanic-American has done so.
The president and Biden also laid a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknowns at Arlington National Cemetery to honor fallen members of the military.
Obama begins his second term amid a mix of public optimism and pessimism about the economy, and the ability of leaders to put aside partisan bickering to prioritize progress on job creation and fixing fiscal problems.
The president's personal approval and likability ratings are high. Polls show a majority of Americans more optimistic about his second term. But fewer than half believe Obama and Republicans will be able to work together.
John Hudak is an expert in governance at the Brookings Institution. "The best solution right now is whatever he can get through Congress and is willing to sign, and the more he works with Congress under that heading, under that concept of executive - legislative relations, the more beneficial it will be in terms of addressing the real problems that we face," he said.
The official theme of Obama's second inaugural is "our people, our future". Specifics of his address on Monday are not known. Aides said he continued to make changes to the speech.
While he may make reference to political gridlock in Washington, a White House video released last week appeared to provide a hint of part of his overall message.
"This country has gone through some very tough times before, but we always come out on the other side," said the president. "This task of constantly perfecting our union, making it more fair and making sure that everybody in this country has a fair shot that if you work hard you can make it regardless of the circumstances of your birth, or what you look like, or where you come from, what God you pray to."
About three weeks will separate Obama's inaugural address on Monday, and his State of the Union Address on February 12.
He will use that speech to lay out specific policy objectives for his second term, with the economy, immigration reform, new gun control legislation and continuing the drawdown of U.S. combat troops from Afghanistan topping the agenda.
词汇点拨：
1、take the oath vi. 宣誓(发誓)
2、inauguration n.开幕仪式;就职典礼
3、oval-shaped 椭圆形的
4、belong to 属于
5、optimism n.乐观，乐观主义
6、pessimism n.悲观;悲观主义
7、in terms of 用…的话;按照，从…方面来说
8、regardless of 不顾，不惜
9、lay out 摆出，铺开，展开;安排，布置，设计
新闻链接：
据在场媒体报道，奥巴马念完誓词后与罗伯茨相视一笑，后来还对大女儿萨莎说“我做到了”，萨莎则回以“你没出错”。4年前首次就任总统时，由于罗伯茨在领诵时颠倒了一些单词的顺序，并念错一个词，奥巴马第二天迫不得已又宣了一次誓。
20日宣誓虽未出错，但奥巴马21日仍需再宣一次誓。美国宪法规定，前一任总统任期于1月20日中午正式结束，新总统此时需宣誓就职，但如果当天恰逢星期日，根据传统在国会举行的就职仪式可推迟到当周的另一天举行。
此次连任总统，奥巴马选定20日在白宫宣誓就职，21日在国会宣誓就职。据介绍，届时奥巴马将使用另外两本《圣经》，其中一本是其“偶像”林肯 使用过的《圣经》，另一本是黑人民权运动先驱马丁·路德·金使用过的《圣经》，以此纪念林肯发表《解放黑人奴隶宣言》150周年及纪念“向华盛顿进军”集会50周年。正是在这次集会，马丁·路德·金发表了他最著名的演讲《我有一个梦想》。
20日早些时候，美国副总统拜登也在位于华盛顿海军天文台的副总统官邸宣誓就职。据在场媒体报道，主持仪式的是最高法院拉美裔大法官索尼娅·索托马约尔，拜登家族约120名亲友到场观礼。仪式结束后，拜登直奔阿灵顿国家公墓，与奥巴马一道为无名战士墓敬献了花圈。
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发表于 2016-7-12 22:03:37