Today we celebrate a special New Year with a momentous number: the Year Two Thousand.

今天,我们庆祝一个特殊的新年,它的年号不同凡响,是2000年。

As we move into a new Millennium, many of us have much to be thankful for. Most of the world is at peace. Most of us are better educated than our parents or grandparents, and can expect to live longer lives, with greater freedom and a wider range of choices.

走进新千年之际,有许多事是我们许多人都应该感恩的。世界大部分地区平安无事。我们大多数人比自己的父母和祖父母受的教育多,预期寿命长,享有更大的自由和更广泛的选择。

A new century brings new hope, but can also bring new dangers - or old ones in a new and alarming form.

新世纪带来新的希望,但也可能带来新的危险,或者是老危险换上了可怕的新形式。

Some of us fear seeing our jobs and our way of life destroyed by economic change. Others fear the spread of bigotry, violence or disease. Others still are more worried that human activities may be ruining the global environment on which our life depends.

有些人担心,经济变化会毁掉我们的就业机会和生活方式。又有些人担心偏见、暴力或疾病会蔓延。还有一些人担心,人类活动可能毁掉生命赖以存在的全球环境。

No one knows for sure how serious each of these dangers will be. But one thing they have in common: they do not respect state frontiers.

谁也不能确实知道,这每一种危险到底有多么严重。但是我们知道,这些危险有一个共同点:它们都是不尊重国界的。

Even the strongest state, acting alone, may not be able to protect its citizens against them.

即便是最强大的国家,如果单独行动,或许也无法保护其公民免受这些危险之害。

More than ever before in human history, we all share a common destiny. We can master it only if we face it together.

在人类历史上,我们从未像现在这样休戚与共。只有共同面对,我们才能掌握自己的命运。

And that, my friends, is why we have the United Nations.

朋友们,这就是成立联合国的原因。

Through the United Nations, we are working together to preserve peace; to outlaw weapons that kill and maim indiscriminately; to bring mass murderers and war criminals to justice.

通过联合国,我们共同努力维护和平,禁止滥杀滥伤的武器,把大屠杀的凶手和战争罪犯绳之以法。

Through the United Nations, we are working together to defeat AIDS and other epidemics; to control climate change; to make clean air and water available to everyone.

通过联合国,我们共同努力战胜艾滋病和其他流行病,控制气候变化,让每个人都能享受到洁净的空气和饮水。

Through the United Nations, we are working together to ensure that the global market benefits all of us, freeing the poor to lift themselves out of poverty.

通过联合国,我们共同努力确保全球市场让人人获益,使穷人摆脱贫困。

Through the United Nations, we are working together to make human rights a reality for everyone – to give all human beings real choices in life, and a real say in decisions that affect their lives.

通过联合国,我们共同努力让每个人都能切实享受人权,使人人都能真正作出生活的选择,对影响其生活的决定获得真正的发言权。

In all these areas and more, the United Nations is working for you. But it can do little without you. After all, it belongs to you –you the peoples of the world. And therefore it can work much better with your help and your ideas.

在所有这些领域以及其他领域,联合国正在为大家工作。要是没有大家,联合国便难以有所作为。毕竟,联合国是大家的联合国,是全世界人民的联合国。所以,有大家的帮助,有大家的智慧,联合国才能发挥更大的作用。

My friends, the new millennium need not be a time of fear or anxiety. If we work together and have faith in our own abilities, it can be a time of hope and opportunity. It’s up to us to make it so.

朋友们,新的千年不必是恐惧或担忧的时代。如果我们共同努力,相信自己的能力,新千年可以成为希望和机遇的时代。一切全靠我们自己。

Happy New Year!

祝大家新年快乐!