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1、Myfellowcitizens:Atthislastpresidentialinaugurationofthe20thcentury,letusliftoureyestowardthechallengesthatawaitusinthenextcentury.Itisouratgoodfortunethattimeandchancehaveputusnotonlyattheedgeofanewcentury,inanewmillennium,butontheedgeofabrightnewprospectinhumanaffairs--amomentthatwilldefin
2、eourcourse,andourcharacter,fordecadestocome.Wemustkeepourolddemocracyforeveryoung.Guidedbytheancientvisionofapromisedland,letussetoursightsuponalandofnewpromise.ThepromiseofAmericawasborninthe18thcenturyoutoftheboldconvictionthatweareallcreatedequal.Itwasextendedandpreservedinthe19thcentury,
3、whenournationspreadacrossthecontinent,savedtheunion,andabolishedtheawfulscourgeofslavery.Then,inturmoilandtriumph,thatpromiseexplodedontotheworldstagetomakethistheAmericanCentury.Andwhatacenturyithasbeen.Americaametheworld'smightiestindustrialpower;savedtheworldfromtyrannyintwoworldwarsandal
4、ongcoldwar;andtimeandagain,reachedoutacrosstheglobetomillionswho,likeus,longedfortheblessingsofliberty.Alongtheway,Americansproducedaatmiddleclassandsecurityinoldage;builtunrivaledcentersoflearningandopenedpublicschoolstoall;splittheatomandexploredtheheavens;inventedthecomputerandthemicrochi
5、p;anddeepenedthewellspringofjusticebymakingarevolutionincivilrightsforAfricanAmericansandallminorities,andextendingthecircleofcitizenship,opportunityanddignitytowomen.Now,forthethirdtime,anewcenturyisuponus,andanothertimetochoose.Webeganthe19thcenturywithachoice,tospreadournationfromcoasttoc
6、oast.Webeganthe20thcenturywithachoice,toharnesstheIndustrialRevolutiontoourvaluesoffreeenterprise,conservation,andhumandecency.Thosechoicesmadeallthedifference.Atthedawnofthe21stcenturyafreepeoplemustnowchoosetoshapetheforcesoftheInformationAgeandtheglobalsociety,tounleashthelimitlesspotenti
7、alofallourpeople,and,yes,toformamoreperfectunion.Whenlastwegathered,ourmarchtothisnewfutureseemedlesscertainthanitdoestoday.Wevowedthentosetaclearcoursetorenewournation.Inthesefouryears,wehavebeentouchedbytragedy,exhilaratedbychallenge,strengthened
