Year of the Monkey: President Obama Sends Best Wishes for the Lunar New Year

白宫网站8日发表了奥巴马夫妇的猴年贺词。

Summary: 

President Obama and the First Lady wish everyone happiness, prosperity, fortune, and good health as we celebrate the Lunar New Year and welcome the Year of the Monkey.

Michelle and I send our warmest wishes to everyone celebrating the Lunar New Year across America and around the world....

Posted by President Obama

on Monday, February 8, 2016

Echoing the President’s message, the White House Initiative on Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders[亞裔美國人太平洋島嶼居民] (AAPIs) and the President’s Advisory Commission on AAPIs send our best wishes to all those celebrating the Lunar New Year.

We mark the start of the Lunar New Year with festivals, parades, and lion dances[舞狮] from coast to coast[全国各地]. We share our cultures and traditions with one another not just in celebration of the new year, but also in celebration of the strength of the AAPI community. Our AAPI heritage spans from native people to immigrants to refugees. From our ancestors through our future generations, AAPIs have contributed and continue to contribute to our nation as business owners, students, laborers[工人], educators, and entrepreneurs[企业家]. As a nation of immigrants, America draws its strength from the many cultures that collectively[共同地,全体地] make up our melting pot[大熔炉] and the shared hope in building a nation of opportunities and success for everyone.

2016 is the Year of the Monkey. The monkey is often seen as a symbol of versatility and movement. We wish for a year of positive movement – moving forward on immigration reform[移民政策改革], healthcare access, educational opportunities, and much more to help all Americans prosper and succeed.

We wish you and your loved ones happiness, prosperity, fortune, and good health.

Below is the transcript of the President’s message, also translated in Chinese, Korean, and Vietnamese:

Michelle and I send our warmest wishes to everyone celebrating the Lunar New Year across America and around the world. This is a time filled with family, get-togethers, and anticipation for the New Year – a tradition I remember fondly[天真地;怜爱地;温柔地] from growing up in Hawaii.

我和米歇爾謹向亞裔美國人，太平洋島嶼居民，以及美洲和世界各地所有慶祝農歷新年的人們，致於最美好的祝願。新年是家人團聚，親友聚會，期待新的一年的時刻 – 這一傳統是我在夏威夷長大時的美好記憶。

It’s a time that also gives us the opportunity to honor the many contributions of the Americans who celebrate this holiday. Whether they’ve been here for generations or they’re newly arrived, Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders have helped build our country and make us a beacon[灯塔] to the world. Their stories are woven into[融入;交织] our larger story – the patchwork quilt[拼布床单;用小块布缝缀的被罩] that is America – and they remind us that our strength comes from giving everyone a chance to contribute and welcoming each other into our communities. That’s why Congress needs to reform our broken immigration system. In the meantime, we’ll do what we can to make the system work better for families, workers, students, and entrepreneurs.  And we’ll keep fighting to give everyone a fair shot[公平的机会;相当大的希望] in the year ahead.

借此新年到來之際，我們向眾多做出過貢獻， 正在慶祝這一節日的美國人致於敬意。無論他們在這裡已經幾代人，或者剛剛到達這裡，亞裔美國人，太平洋島嶼居民都致力於幫助我們的國家成為世界的燈塔。他們的故事和我們更大的故事交織在一起，成為我們美國象拼湊而成的一張大被的一部分—他們的故事使我們不忘這樣一個道理，我們的力量來自給每個人一個做出貢獻的機會，歡迎對方加入我們的社會和集體。這也是為什麼國會需要改革我們令人失望的移民制度。與此同時，我們將盡最大的努力使現行制度能更好地為家庭，工人，學生和創業者服務。並且，我們將在新的一年裡為給每個人一個公平的機會而堅持斗爭。

The Year of the Monkey emphasizes shared values like leadership, innovation, and progress. It’s an opportunity to cherish the rich heritage[丰富文化遗产] that connects children with their past, and the traditions they’ll carry into the future. So to everyone celebrating, from my family to yours, I wish you happiness, prosperity, and good health and fortune during the New Year!

猴年注重的共同理念是領袖品質，創新精神和進步。這也是一個機會讓我們能夠保護我們豐富的文化遺產，使孩子們與過去聯系起來，並將這些傳統帶到未來。所有慶祝新年的人們，我和家人祝願你和家人，在新的一年裡，幸福，健康，諸事順利和好運！