Learning Englisch

with

Barack Obama

 

 

presented by

Benjamin Fischer

 

 

 

1.

Inaugural Address

By President Barack Hussein Obama

 

Inauguration		Amtseinführung
adress		Ansprache

 

2.

My fellow citizens:  I stand here today humbled by the task before us, grateful for the trust you've bestowed, mindful of the sacrifices borne by our ancestors.

fellow citizen		Mitbürger
to humble		bescheiden
grateful		dankbar
to trust		vertrauen
to bestowe		gewähren, Aufmerksahmkeit
mindful		achtsam, aufmersam
sacrifices		Opfer
ancestors		Vorfahren

 

 

3.

I thank President Bush for his service to our nation -- (applause) -- as well as the generosity and cooperation he has shown throughout this transition.

generosity		Großzügigkeit
throughout		überall
transition		Übergabe, Übergang

 

 

4.

Forty-four Americans have now taken the presidential oath.  The words have been spoken during rising tides of prosperity and the still waters of peace.  Yet, every so often, the oath is taken amidst gathering clouds and raging storms.  At these moments, America has carried on not simply because of the skill or vision of those in high office, but because we, the people, have remained faithful to the ideals of our forebears and true to our founding documents.

presidential		präsidentiell
oath		Eid
tide		Verlauf
prosperity		Aufblühen, Wirtschaftswachstum
yet		bis jetzt
admidst		inmitten
to gather		einsammeln, eintreiben
to rage		Zorn
to carry on		weitermanchen
skill		Geschicklichkeit, Fähigkeit
vision		Vision
high office		hohes Amt
faithful		treu
forebears		Vorfahren
true		richtig
founding		gründen
documents		Dokumente

 

 

5.

So it has been; so it must be with this generation of Americans. That we are in the midst of crisis is now well understood.  Our nation is at war against a far-reaching network of violence and hatred.  Our economy is badly weakened, a consequence of greed and irresponsibility on the part of some, but also our collective failure to make hard choices and prepare the nation for a new age.  Homes have been lost, jobs shed, businesses shuttered.  Our health care is too costly, our schools fail too many -- and each day brings further evidence that the ways we use energy strengthen our adversaries and threaten our planet.

midst		mitten drin
crisis		Krise
far reaching		weitreichend
network		Netzwerk
violence		Heftigkeit
hatred		Hass
weakened		geschwächt
consequence		konsequenz
greed		Gier
responsibility		Verantwortung
irresponsibility		Verantwortungslosigkeit
collective		Gemeinschaftlich
failure		Misserfolg
hard choice		schwere Wahl
to prepare		vorbereiten
new age		neues Zeitalter
to shed		loswerden
shuttered		Verschluss
health		Gesundheit
care		vorausgesetzt / hier
costly		teuer
schools fail		Schulen versagen
evidence		Beweis
to strengthen		erstarken
adversary		Gegner
to threaten		drohen, gefährden

 

 

6.

These are the indicators of crisis, subject to data and statistics.  Less measurable, but no less profound, is a sapping of confidence across our land; a nagging fear that America's decline is inevitable, that the next generation must lower its sights.

indicators		Anzeichen
subject		Gegenstand
mesurable		messbar
profound		tiefsinnig, grundlegend
sapper		Pioneer
confidence		Vertrauen
to nagg		nörgeln
fear		Furcht
decline		ablehnen
inevitable		zwangsläufig
to lower		verfinstern, niedriger werden
sight		Sicht

 

 

7.

Today I say to you that the challenges we face are real.  They are serious and they are many.  They will not be met easily or in a short span of time.  But know this America:  They will be met.  (Applause.)

challenge		Herausforderung
to meet easily		eifach erreichen
span of time		Zeitspanne

 

 

8.

On this day, we gather because we have chosen hope over fear, unity of purpose over conflict and discord.  On this day, we come to proclaim an end to the petty grievances and false promises, the recriminations and worn-out dogmas that for far too long have strangled our politics.  We remain a young nation.  But in the words of Scripture, the time has come to set aside childish things.  The time has come to reaffirm our enduring spirit; to choose our better history; to carry forward that precious gift, that noble idea passed on from generation to generation:  the God-given promise that all are equal, all are free, and all deserve a chance to pursue their full measure of happiness.  (Applause.)

gather		sammeln zusammenbringen
hope		Hoffnung
over		über
fear		Furcht
unity		Einheit
purpose		Absicht Zweck
conflict		Konflikt
discord		NICHT einverstanden sein
proclaim		ausrufem, ernennen
petty		unbedeutend
grievances		Beschwerdegrund
false		unrichtig
true		richtig
promise		versprechen
recrimination		Gegenbeschuldigung
worn-out		ausgelatscht
dogma		Ansicht von irg.
far too long		viel zu weit
to strangle		abwürgen, zuschnüren
politics		Politik
scripture		heilige schrift
to set aside		beiseite stellen
childish		kindisch
to affirm		bestätigen
to reaffirm		erneut bestätigen
enduring		andauern
spirit		Geist, Sinn
to choose		auswählen
history		Geschichte
to carry		tragen
forward		vorwärts
precious		wertvoll
gift		Geschenk
noble		edel adelig
idea		Idee
passed on		überleitet
from generation		von Generation
to generation		Generation
God-given		von Gott gegegebn
equal		gleich
to deserve		verdienen (strafe)
pursue		folgen verfolgen
measure		messen
happiness		Glück

 

 

9.

In reaffirming the greatness of our nation we understand that greatness is never a given.  It must be earned.  Our journey has never been one of short-cuts or settling for less.  It has not been the path for the faint-hearted, for those that prefer leisure over work, or seek only the pleasures of riches and fame.  Rather, it has been the risk-takers, the doers, the makers of things -- some celebrated, but more often men and women obscure in their labor -- who have carried us up the long rugged path towards prosperity and freedom.

greatness		Bedeutung
never a given		es wird nichts geschenkt
it must be earned		es muß verdient werden
short-cuts		Abkürzung Schnellverfahren
settling		siedeln
path		Weg
faint-hearted		zaghaft
to prefer		bevorzugen
leisure over work		Muße vor arbeit
to seek		suchen
pleasure		Vergnügen
fame		Ruhm
risk-takers		Risiko auf sich nehmen
doers		die Macher
the makers		die Macher
to celebrate		feiern
in labour		in Arbeit
to carry		tragen
rugged		stabil zerklüftet
prosperity		Aufblühen, Wirtschaftswachstum
freedom		Freiheit

 

 

10.

For us, they packed up their few worldly possessions and traveled across oceans in search of a new life.  For us, they toiled in sweatshops, and settled the West, endured the lash of the whip, and plowed the hard earth.  For us, they fought and died in places like Concord and Gettysburg, Normandy and Khe Sahn.

wordly		wörtlich, wenige
possessions		Besitztümer
to toile		sich plagen, abmühen
sweatshops		Ausbeuterbetrieb
to settle		siedeln, niederlassen
to endure		andauern
lash		Peitschenhieb
whip		Peitsche
to plowe		pflügen
to fight		kämpfen

 

 

11.

Time and again these men and women struggled and sacrificed and worked till their hands were raw so that we might live a better life.  They saw America as bigger than the sum of our individual ambitions, greater than all the differences of birth or wealth or faction.

to struggle		anstrengen, kämpfen
to sacrifice		Opfer bringen
till until		bis
individual		einzelne Persion
ambition		Absichten
faction		Partei
wealth		Macht, Reichtum

 

 

12.

This is the journey we continue today.  We remain the most prosperous, powerful nation on Earth.  Our workers are no less productive than when this crisis began.  Our minds are no less inventive, our goods and services no less needed than they were last week, or last month, or last year.  Our capacity remains undiminished.  But our time of standing pat, of protecting narrow interests and putting off unpleasant decisions -- that time has surely passed.  Starting today, we must pick ourselves up, dust ourselves off, and begin again the work of remaking America.  (Applause.)

 

journey		Reise
prosperous		blühend
productive		produktiv
inventive		erfinderisch
capacity		Kapazität
diminished		vermindern
pat		aus dem FF
to protect		beschützen
narrow		eng
interest		Interesse Wichtigkeit
putting off		verschieben hinhalten
unpleasant		unerfreulch, ärgerlich
decisions		Entscheidungen
surely		sicherlich
passed		vorbeigegangen
to pick up		aufnehmen
to dust off		entstauben
to remake		erneuern

 

13.

For everywhere we look, there is work to be done.  The state of our economy calls for action, bold and swift.  And we will act, not only to create new jobs, but to lay a new foundation for growth.  We will build the roads and bridges, the electric grids and digital lines that feed our commerce and bind us together.  We'll restore science to its rightful place, and wield technology's wonders to raise health care's quality and lower its cost.  We will harness the sun and the winds and the soil to fuel our cars and run our factories.  And we will transform our schools and colleges and universities to meet the demands of a new age.  All this we can do.  All this we will do.

to call for action		es muss etwas geschechen
bold		mutig, kühn
swift		prompt, schnell
to lay		legen
foundation for		Grundlage für
growth		Wachstum
electric grids		Elektroleitungen
to feed together		sich ernähren, versorgen
to restore		wieder aufbauen
science		Wissenschaft
rightful		rechtmäßig
wield		führen, Macht ausüben
to lower		verfinstern, niedriger werden
to harness		aufzäumen, hier nutzen
soil		beschmutzen
transform		übertragen, umsetzten
demand		nachfrage
new age		neues Zeitalter, neue Zeit

 

 

14.

Now, there are some who question the scale of our ambitions, who suggest that our system cannot tolerate too many big plans.  Their memories are short, for they have forgotten what this country has already done, what free men and women can achieve when imagination is joined to common purpose, and necessity to courage.  What the cynics fail to understand is that the ground has shifted beneath them, that the stale political arguments that have consumed us for so long no longer apply.

scale		Skala
memories		Erinnerungen
to achieve		erreichen schaffen
imagination		Vorstelung
to join		hinzukommen, zusammentun
purpose		Absicht Zweck
necessity		Notwendigkeit
courage		mutig, kühn
cynics		Zyniker
to fail to understand		nicht verstehen
to shift		schieben
beneath		darunter
stale		muffig
to consume		verbrauchen
to apply		anwenden, Gültigkeit besitzen

 

 

15.

The question we ask today is not whether our government is too big or too small, but whether it works -- whether it helps families find jobs at a decent wage, care they can afford, a retirement that is dignified.  Where the answer is yes, we intend to move forward.  Where the answer is no, programs will end.  And those of us who manage the public's dollars will be held to account, to spend wisely, reform bad habits, and do our business in the light of day, because only then can we restore the vital trust between a people and their government.

government		Regierung (im Internet: .gov)
decent		herabgesetzt, niedriger
wage		Lohn
to afford		sich leisten können
retirement		Rentenalter
dignified		gewürdigt
to be		sein
held do account		Rechenschaft ablegen
to manage		organisieren
public dollars		öffentliche Gelder
to spend wisely		vernünftig ausgeben
to reform		erneuern, verbessern
habit		Angewohnheit
to do business		Geschäfte machen
the light of a day		bei Tageslicht, offen und ehrlich
to restore		wieder aufbauen
vital		lebendig
trust		Vertrauen

 

 

16.

Nor is the question before us whether the market is a force for good or ill.  Its power to generate wealth and expand freedom is unmatched.  But this crisis has reminded us that without a watchful eye, the market can spin out of control.  The nation cannot prosper long when it favors only the prosperous.  The success of our economy has always depended not just on the size of our gross domestic product, but on the reach of our prosperity, on the ability to extend opportunity to every willing heart -- not out of charity, but because it is the surest route to our common good.  (Applause.)

to generate		erzeugen
wealth		Reichtum
freedom		Freiheit
unmatched		unerrreicht
to remind		erinnern
watchful eye		wachsames Auge
to spin out		aus dem Ruder laufen
control		kontrollieren
to prosper		wachsen, gedeien
to favour		bevorzugen
prosperous		die Wohlhabenden
success of		Erfolg von
economy		Die Wirtschaft
to depend on		abhängen
GDP gross domestic product		Bruttosozialprodukt
prosperity		Aufblühen, Wirtschaftswachstum
ability		Fähigkeit
to extend		ausdehnen
opportunity		Gelegenheit
every willing heart		Jeder der es möchte
charity		Spenden
sure		sicher
route		Strecke, Weg
common		gemeinsam
good		Besitztümer

 

 

17.

As for our common defense, we reject as false the choice between our safety and our ideals.  Our Founding Fathers -- (applause) -- our Founding Fathers, faced with perils that we can scarcely imagine, drafted a charter to assure the rule of law and the rights of man -- a charter expanded by the blood of generations.  Those ideals still light the world, and we will not give them up for expedience sake.  (Applause.)

defense		Verteidigung
to reject		ablehnen
choice		ausswählen, aussuchen
safety		Sicherheit
Founding Fathers		Gründerväter
to face		gegenüber treten
perils		Gefahr
scare		Angst
to imagine		vorstellung
to draft		eingezogen, Entwurf
charter		Kapitel
to assure		zusichern
the rule		Regel
law		Recht Gesetz
rights of man		Menschenrechte
expanded		vergrößern ausweiten
to light		anzünden, erhellen
expedience sake		der Nützlichkeit willen

 

 

18.

And so, to all the other peoples and governments who are watching today, from the grandest capitals to the small village where my father was born, know that America is a friend of each nation, and every man, woman and child who seeks a future of peace and dignity.  And we are ready to lead once more.  (Applause.)

capital		Haptstadt
small village		kleine Stadt
dignity		Würde

 

 

19.

Recall that earlier generations faced down fascism and communism not just with missiles and tanks, but with the sturdy alliances and enduring convictions.  They understood that our power alone cannot protect us, nor does it entitle us to do as we please.  Instead they knew that our power grows through its prudent use; our security emanates from the justness of our cause, the force of our example, the tempering qualities of humility and restraint.

to recall		erinnern,, zurückrufen
to face down		niederdrücken, besiegen
facism		Faschismus
communism		Kommunismus
sturdy alliance		standhaft
enduring		andauern
convictions		Urteil, überzeugung
to entitle		berechtigen, betiteln
as we please		wie es gefällt
prudent use		umsichtig handeln
to emanate		ausströmen
justness		Gerechtigkeit
our cause		unsere Sache
force		Kraft
tempering		Laune, mäßigen
humility		Demütigung
restraint		Beherrschung Einschränkung

 

 

20.

We are the keepers of this legacy.  Guided by these principles once more we can meet those new threats that demand even greater effort, even greater cooperation and understanding between nations.  We will begin to responsibly leave Iraq to its people and forge a hard-earned peace in Afghanistan.  With old friends and former foes, we'll work tirelessly to lessen the nuclear threat, and roll back the specter of a warming planet.

legacy		Vermächtnis
to guide		führen
to meet		treffen
threat		Drohung, Bedrohung
effort		Anstrengungen
responsible		verabtwortlich
to forge		schmieden
former foes		frühere Feinde
tireless		unermüdlich
to lessen		verringern, vermindern
specter		Gespenst

 

 

21.

We will not apologize for our way of life, nor will we waver in its defense.  And for those who seek to advance their aims by inducing terror and slaughtering innocents, we say to you now that our spirit is stronger and cannot be broken -- you cannot outlast us, and we will defeat you.  (Applause.)

to apologize		entschuldigen
way of life		Lebensstil
to wave		winken, wegwischen
to seek		suchen
to advance		voraus
aim		Ziel
inducing		anreizen
slaughtering		schlachten, töten
innocents		Unschuldige
spirit		Geist, Sinn
to outlast		überleben, durchhalten
to defeat		besiegen

 

 

22.

For we know that our patchwork heritage is a strength, not a weakness.  We are a nation of Christians and Muslims, Jews and Hindus, and non-believers.  We are shaped by every language and culture, drawn from every end of this Earth; and because we have tasted the bitter swill of civil war and segregation, and emerged from that dark chapter stronger and more united, we cannot help but believe that the old hatreds shall someday pass; that the lines of tribe shall soon dissolve; that as the world grows smaller, our common humanity shall reveal itself; and that America must play its role in ushering in a new era of peace.

patchwork		Flickwerk
heritage		Erbe
strength		Stärke
weakness		Schwäche
to believe		glauben
shaped		geformt
to draw		zeichnen, ziehen, hergezogen
to taste		schmecken, probieren
swill		schwenken, spülen
civil war		Bürgerkrieg
segregation		Rassen- Geschlechtertrennung
scrutinity		genaue Untersuchung
to emerge		herausstellen, auftauchen
chapter		kapitel
united		vereinigt
hatred		Hass
to pass		vorbeigehen, fahren
tribe		trieb, Stamm
dissolve		sich auflösen
humanity		Menschlichkeit
to reveal		zum Vorschein bringen
to usher		führen, geleiten

 

 

23.

To the Muslim world, we seek a new way forward, based on mutual interest and mutual respect.  To those leaders around the globe who seek to sow conflict, or blame their society's ills on the West, know that your people will judge you on what you can build, not what you destroy.  (Applause.)

mutual		Respect
to sow		säen
to blame		beschuldigen
ill		krank
to judge		beurteilen
to destroy		zerstören

 

 

24.

To those who cling to power through corruption and deceit and the silencing of dissent, know that you are on the wrong side of history, but that we will extend a hand if you are willing to unclench your fist.  (Applause.)

to cling		klammern
deceit		Entscheidung
to silence		die Meinung verbieten
dissent		anderer Meinung sein
to extend a hand		ausstrecken
unclench		öffnen
fist		Faust

 

 

25.

To the people of poor nations, we pledge to work alongside you to make your farms flourish and let clean waters flow; to nourish starved bodies and feed hungry minds.  And to those nations like ours that enjoy relative plenty, we say we can no longer afford indifference to the suffering outside our borders, nor can we consume the world's resources without regard to effect.  For the world has changed, and we must change with it.

pledge		Pfand, Versprechen
flourish		Florierend
to nourish		ernähren
to starve		aushungern, hungern lassen
mind		Gedanken Gefühle
plenty		viel, genug
to afford		sich leisten können
indifference		Gleichgültigkeit
to suffer		leiden
to consume		verbrauchen
resources		Bodenschätze Vorrate
to regard to effect		den Effekt berücksichtigen

 

 

26.

As we consider the role that unfolds before us, we remember withhumble gratitude those brave Americans who at this very hour patrol far-off deserts and distant mountains.  They have something to tell us, just as the fallen heroes who lie in Arlington whisper through the ages.

consider		in Anbetracht
to unfold		aufklappen, darstellen, enthüllen
to humble		unterwürfig, bescheiden
stance		Haltung, Meinung
gratitude		Dankbarkeit
brave		tapfer
at this very hour		in dieser Stunde
patrol		Patroullie
far-off		weit draussen
deserts		Wüste
distant		Distanz, entfernung
fallen heroes		gefallende helden
whisper		Geflüster, Gerücht

 

 

27.

We honor them not only because they are the guardians of our liberty, but because they embody the spirit of service -- a willingness to find meaning in something greater than themselves.

guardian		Beschützer, Wächter
liberty		Freiheit
to embody		verkörpern
spirit of service		Dienstbarkeit
willingness		Bereitschaft, Wille
meaning		Bedeutung

 

 

28.

And yet at this moment, a moment that will define a generation, it is precisely this spirit that must inhabit us all.  For as much as government can do, and must do, it is ultimately the faith and determination of the American people upon which this nation relies.  It is the kindness to take in a stranger when the levees break, the selflessness of workers who would rather cut their hours than see a friend lose their job which sees us through our darkest hours.  It is the firefighter's courage to storm a stairway filled with smoke, but also a parent's willingness to nurture a child that finally decides our fate.

to define		festlegen bestimmen
inhabit		bewohnen
faith		Vertrauen Glaube
determination		Bestimmung
upon		auf
kindness		Freundlichkeit
leeves
rather		ziemlich
firefighters courage		Feuerwehrmanns Mut
stairway		Treppe
to nurture		aufziehen
to decide		entscheiden
fate		Schicksal

 

 

29.

Our challenges may be new.  The instruments with which we meet them may be new.  But those values upon which our success depends -- honesty and hard work, courage and fair play, tolerance and curiosity, loyalty and patriotism -- these things are old.  These things are true.  They have been the quiet force of progress throughout our history.

challenge		Herausforderung
depend		von etw. abhängen
curiosity		Neugier
loyalty		Treue
patriotism		Patriotismus
progress		Fortschritt

 

 

30.

What is demanded, then, is a return to these truths.  What is required of us now is a new era of responsibility -- a recognition on the part of every American that we have duties to ourselves, our nation and the world; duties that we do not grudgingly accept, but rather seize gladly, firm in the knowledge that there is nothing so satisfying to the spirit, so defining of our character than giving our all to a difficult task.

demand		nachfrage
truth		Wahrheit
require		benötigen
era		Epoche
responsibility		Verantwortung
recognition		Anerkennung
duty		Pflicht
grudingly		widerwillig
to accept		akzeptieren
seize		ergreifen
glad		glücklich
knowledge		Wissen
satisfy		zufriedenstellen
difficult		Schwer
task		Aufgabe

 

 

31.

This is the price and the promise of citizenship.  This is the source of our confidence -- the knowledge that God calls on us to shape an uncertain destiny.  This is the meaning of our liberty and our creed, why men and women and children of every race and every faith can join in celebration across this magnificent mall; and why a man whose father less than 60 years ago might not have been served in a local restaurant can now stand before you to take a most sacred oath.  (Applause.)

promise		versprechen
citizenship		Bürgerschaft
source		Quelle
confidence		Vertrauen
to shape		formen
uncertain		ungewiss
destiny		Schicksal
creed		Glaubensbekenntnis, Credo
join in celebration		gemeinsam feiern
magnificient		grossartig
mall		(Einkaufs)-Zentrum
to take a sacred oath		heiligen Eid nehmen, (ablegen)

 

 

32.

So let us mark this day with remembrance of who we are and how far we have traveled.  In the year of America's birth, in the coldest of months, a small band of patriots huddled by dying campfires on the shores of an icy river.  The capital was abandoned.  The enemy was advancing.  The snow was stained with blood.  At the moment when the outcome of our revolution was most in doubt, the father of our nation ordered these words to be read to the people:

remembrance		Erinnerung
band		Gruppe
patriots		Patrioten
to huddle		kauern
dying campfire		ausgehende Lagerfeuer
shore		Ufer
capital		Hauptstadt
abandoned		verlassen
enemy		Feind
advance		voraus
stained		befleckt
outcome		Auskommen
revolution		Revolution
most in doubt		sehr in Zweifel
Fathers of the Nation		Gründerväter

 

 

33.

"Let it be told to the future world...that in the depth of winter, when nothing but hope and virtue could survive... that the city and the country, alarmed at one common danger, came forth to meet [it]."

virtue		Tugen
survive		überleben
common danger		gemeinsame Gefahr
came fourth to meet		aushalten und durchstehen

 

 

34.

America:  In the face of our common dangers, in this winter of our hardship, let us remember these timeless words.  With hope and virtue, let us brave once more the icy currents, and endure what storms may come.  Let it be said by our children's children that when we were tested we refused to let this journey end, that we did not turn back nor did we falter; and with eyes fixed on the horizon and God's grace upon us, we carried forth that great gift of freedom and delivered it safely to future generations.

in face		angesichts
hardship		schwere Zeiten
timless		zeitlos, immer gültig
brave		tapfer
endure		andauern, aushalten
currents		fliessend
refuse		ablehnen
falter		zögern schwanken
grace		Gnade
carry fourth		überbringen
deliver		liefern, machen

 

 

35.

Thank you.  God bless you.  And God bless the United States of America. (Applause.)

 

God bless you		Gott segne Euch
God bless the USA		Gott segne die USA