两封信件

奥巴马给女儿的公开信
美国新当选总统巴拉克·奥巴马在即将上任之际，写了封感性十足的公开信给两个尚未成年的女儿，为这2年来多半时间没能陪在她们身旁致上歉意，并为自己为何选择迈向白宫之路做了番解释。

这封信发表在《大观》杂志（Parade）周末彩版增刊上。全文翻译如下：

亲爱的玛丽亚和莎莎：

我知道这2年你们俩随我一路竞选都有过不少乐子，野餐、游行、逛州博览会，吃了各种或许我和你妈不该让你们吃的垃圾食物。然而我也知道，你们俩和你妈的日子，有时候并不惬意。新来的小狗虽然令你们兴奋，却无法弥补我们不在一起的所有时光。我明白这2年我错过的太多了，今天我要再向你们说说为何我决定带领我们一家走上这趟旅程。

当我还年轻的时候，我认为生活就该绕着我转：我如何在这世上得心应手，成功立业，得到我想要的。后来，你们俩进入了我的世界，带来的种种好奇、淘气和微笑，总能填满我的心，照亮我的日子。突然之间，我为自己谱写的伟大计画显得不再那么重要了。我很快便发现，我在你们生命中看到的快乐，就是我自己生命中最大的快乐。而我也同时体认到，如果我不能确保你们此生能够拥有追求幸福和自我实现的一切机会，我自己的生命也没多大价值。总而言之，我的女儿，这就是我竞选总统的原因：我要让你们俩和这个国家的每一个孩子，都能拥有我想要给他们的东西。

我要让所有儿童都在能够发掘他们潜能的学校就读；这些学校要能挑战他们，激励他们，并灌输他们对身处的这个世界的好奇心。我要他们有机会上大学，那怕他们的父母并不富有。而且，我要他们能找到好的工作：薪酬高还附带健康保险的工作，让他们有时间陪孩子、并且能带着尊严退休的工作。

我要大家向发现的极限挑战，让你在有生之年能够看见改善我们生活、使这个行星更干净、更安全的新科技和发明。我也要大家向自己的人际界限挑战，跨越使我们看不到对方长处的种族、地域、性别和宗教樊篱。

有时候为了保护我们的国家，我们不得不把青年男女派到战场或其他危险的地方，然而当我们这么做的时候，我要确保师出有名，我们尽了全力以和平方式化解与他人的争执，也想尽了一切办法保障男女官兵的安全。我要每个孩子都明白，这些勇敢的美国人在战场上捍卫的福祉是无法平白得到的：在享有作为这个国家公民的伟大特权之际，重责大任也随之而来。

这正是我在你们这年纪时，外婆想要教我的功课，她把独立宣言开头几行念给我听，告诉我有一些男女为了争取平等挺身而出游行抗议，因为他们认为2个世纪前白纸黑字写下来的这些句子，不应只是空话。

她让我了解到，美国所以伟大，不是因为它完美，而是因为我们可以不断让它变得更好，而让它更好的未竟工作，就落在我们每个人的身上。这是我们交给孩子们的责任，每过一代，美国就更接近我们的理想。

我希望你们俩都愿接下这个工作，看到不对的事要想办法改正，努力帮助别人获得你们有过的机会。这并非只因国家给了我们一家这么多，你们也当有所回馈，虽然你们的确有这个义务，而是因为你们对自己负有义务。因为，唯有在把你的马车套在更大的东西上时，你才会明白自己真正的潜能有多大。

这些是我想要让你们得到的东西：在一个梦想不受限制、无事不能成就的世界中长大，长成具慈悲心、坚持理想，能帮忙打造这样一个世界的女性。我要每个孩子都有和你们一样的机会，去学习、梦想、成长、发展。这就是我带领我们一家展开这趟大冒险的原因。

我深以你俩为荣，你们永远不会明白我有多爱你们，在我们准备一同在白宫开始新生活之际，我没有一天不为你们的忍耐、沉稳、明理和幽默而心存感激。

爱你们的爸爸

‘What I Want for You — and Every Child in America'
By President-elect Barack Obama
Publication Date: 01/14/2009

Next Tuesday, Barack Obama will be sworn in as our 44th President. On this historic occasion, PARADE asked the President-elect, who is also a devoted family man, to get personal and tell us what he wants for his children. Here, he shares his letter to them.

Dear Malia and Sasha,

I know that you've both had a lot of fun these last two years on the campaign trail, going to picnics and parades and state fairs, eating all sorts of junk food your mother and I probably shouldn't have let you have. But I also know that it hasn't always been easy for you and Mom, and that as excited as you both are about that new puppy, it doesn't make up for all the time we've been apart. I know how much I've missed these past two years, and today I want to tell you a little more about why I decided to take our family on this journey.

When I was a young man, I thought life was all about me-about how I'd make my way in the world, become successful, and get the things I want. But then the two of you came into my world with all your curiosity and mischief and those smiles that never fail to fill my heart and light up my day. And suddenly, all my big plans for myself didn't seem so important anymore. I soon found that the greatest joy in my life was the joy I saw in yours. And I realized that my own life wouldn't count for much unless I was able to ensure that you had every opportunity for happiness and fulfillment in yours. In the end, girls, that's why I ran for President: because of what I want for you and for every child in this nation.

I want all our children to go to schools worthy of their potential-schools that challenge them, inspire them, and instill in them a sense of wonder about the world around them. I want them to have the chance to go to college-even if their parents aren't rich. And I want them to get good jobs: jobs that pay well and give them benefits like health care, jobs that let them spend time with their own kids and retire with dignity.

I want us to push the boundaries of discovery so that you'll live to see new technologies and inventions that improve our lives and make our planet cleaner and safer. And I want us to push our own human boundaries to reach beyond the divides of race and region, gender and religion that keep us from seeing the best in each other.

Sometimes we have to send our young men and women into war and other dangerous situations to protect our country-but when we do, I want to make sure that it is only for a very good reason, that we try our best to settle our differences with others peacefully, and that we do everything possible to keep our servicemen and women safe. And I want every child to understand that the blessings these brave Americans fight for are not free-that with the great privilege of being a citizen of this nation comes great responsibility.

That was the lesson your grandmother tried to teach me when I was your age, reading me the opening lines of the Declaration of Independence and telling me about the men and women who marched for equality because they believed those words put to paper two centuries ago should mean something.

She helped me understand that America is great not because it is perfect but because it can always be made better-and that the unfinished work of perfecting our union falls to each of us. It's a charge we pass on to our children, coming closer with each new generation to what we know America should be.

I hope both of you will take up that work, righting the wrongs that you see and working to give others the chances you've had. Not just because you have an obligation to give something back to this country that has given our family so much-although you do have that obligation. But because you have an obligation to yourself. Because it is only when you hitch your wagon to something larger than yourself that you will realize your true potential.

These are the things I want for you-to grow up in a world with no limits on your dreams and no achievements beyond your reach, and to grow into compassionate, committed women who will help build that world. And I want every child to have the same chances to learn and dream and grow and thrive that you girls have. That's why I've taken our family on this great adventure.

I am so proud of both of you. I love you more than you can ever know. And I am grateful every day for your patience, poise, grace, and humor as we prepare to start our new life together in the White House.

Love, Dad
贪官徐其耀给儿子的信
2000年10月8日，江苏省建设厅厅长徐其耀因贪污受贿2千余万元，被当地检察机关批捕。在侦查中，发现了徐与146名二奶的“日记”等证据，其中写给儿子的一封信，畅述做官心得，总结为官原则，具有较高的理论价值和应用价值，实为官场“金科玉律”，符合“付诸史馆”的标准；该信境界高超，观点鲜明，论述坦率朴实，语言精炼，警句迭出，振聋发愦，足可编入教科书当范文，聊以纠正当今假话空话套话充斥的文风。当然，该信有感而发，属即兴之作，逻辑上欠推敲，然白玉微瑕，瑕不掩瑜也！

下为该信全文:

“孩子：
你的来信我已收到，对你在大学里的表现，我很欣慰，你要再接再厉。

既然你选择了一定要走仕途这条路，你就一定要把我下面的劝告铭记在心：

1、不要追求真理，不要探询事物的本来面目。
把探索真理这这类事情让知识分子去做吧，这是他们的事情。要牢牢记住这样的信条：对自己有利的，就是正确的。实在把握不了，可简化为：上级领导提倡的就是正确的。

2、不但要学会说假话，更要善于说假话。
要把说假话当成一个习惯，不，当成事业，说到自己也相信的程度。妓女和做官是最相似的职业，只不过做官出卖的是嘴。记住，做官以后你的嘴不仅仅属于你自己的，说什么要根据需要。

3、要有文凭，但不要真有知识，真有知识会害了你。
有了知识你就会独立思考，而独立思考是从政的大忌。别看现在的领导都是硕士博士，那都是假的。有的人博士毕业就去应招公务员走向仕途，那是他从读书的那天起就没想研究学问，肯定不学无术。记住，真博士是永远做不了官的。

4、做官的目的是什么？是利益。
要不知疲倦地攫取各种利益。有人现在把这叫腐败。你不但要明确的把攫取各种利益作为当官的目的，而且要作为唯一的目的。你的领导提拔你，是因为你能给他带来利益；你的下属服从你，是因为你能给他带来利益；你周围的同僚朋友关照你，是因为你能给他带来利益。你自己可以不要，但别人的你必须给。记住，攫取利益这个目的一模糊，你就离失败不远了。

5、必须把会做人放在首位，然后才是会做事。
这里的做人做事你可别理解为德才兼备的意思。这里说的做人，就是处关系。做事是实际工作，这点会不会都无所谓。做人就是把自己作为一个点编织到上下左右的网中，成为这个网的一部分。记住，现在说谁工作能力强，一点都不是说他做事能力强，而是指做人能力强。呵呵，你看那些把能力理解为做事的人，有好日子过才怪。

6、我们的社会无论外表怎样变化，其实质都是农民社会。
谁迎合了农民谁就会成功。我们周围的人无论外表是什么，骨子里都是农民。农民的特点是目光短浅，注重眼前利益。所以你做事的方式方法必须具有农民特点，要搞短期效益，要鼠目寸光。一旦你把眼光放远，你就不属于这个群体了，后果可想而知。要多学习封建的那一套，比如拜个把兄弟什么的，这都不过分。

7、要相信拍马是一种高级艺术。
千万不要以为拍马只要豁出脸皮就行，豁得出去的女人多了，可傍上大款的或把自己卖个好价钱的是极少数，大部分还是做了低层的三陪小姐。这和拍马是一样的道理。拍马就是为了得到上级的赏识。在人治的社会里，上级的赏识是升官的唯一途径，别的都是形式，这一点不可不察。

8、所有的法律法规、政策制度都不是必须严格遵守的，确切地说，执行起来都是可以变通的。

法律法规、政策制度的制订者从没想到要用这些来约束自己，而是想约束他人。但你要知道，这些不是人人都可以违反的。什么时候坚决遵守，什么时候偷偷违反，让谁违反，要审势而定，否则宽严皆误。

以上这些都是做官的原则。现在要仔细想想，如果你真能逐条做到，你就能一帆风顺，如果感觉力不从心，就马上另外选择职业吧。”