1. I must confess I really did not want to be here tonight. But I knew I had to come. That’s one more problem that I inherited from George W. Bush.
譯文：我必須承認，今晚我其實不怎麼想來這裏。但是我知道我不得不來，這是我從喬治•W•布希那裏繼承下來的麻煩之一。

(話外音：說到搞笑，奧巴馬知道自己比不上前任小布希，所以他首先聲明。)
重點分析：
(1) 我們對not 與all, both, every等連用表示部分否定比較熟悉。但not 與really連用也可表示部分否定。

另外，not與always, quite, wholly, entirely, altogether, completely等副詞連用也可表示相同的用法。如：
What he did was not quite proper. 他做得不是十分妥當。
The businessman is never to be entirely trusted. 不可以完全信任商人。
(2) 句中one more problem=one problem more
—What about one more cake?
—I am full. Thanks.
——再來一個蛋糕怎麼樣？
——我吃飽了。謝謝!

2. Sasha and Malia aren’t here tonight because they’re grounded. You can’t just take Air Force One on a joy ride to Manhattan. I don’t care whose kids you are.
譯文：沙沙和瑪麗亞今晚沒有來，因為她們已經被就地停飛了。誰都不能把“空軍一號”當成飛車遊戲在曼哈頓來玩，我可不管他們是誰家的孩子。

(話外音：最近美國總統專機“空軍一號”和一架護航戰機在紐約市曼哈頓區低飛拍照引起市民恐慌，奧巴馬就此開玩笑，把飛機低飛歸咎於他的兩個女兒調皮搗蛋。)
重點分析：
(1) ground在此處意思是“使停飛……;阻止…… 起飛”。如：
The balloon was grounded by strong winds.熱氣球因強風而停飛。
(2) a joy ride 此處意為“兜風”。如：
 Let’s go for a joy ride. 讓我們去兜兜風吧。
(3) care(常用於無禮貌表示)“管它呢”“誰管呢”，在這裏它是調侃的說法。我們在平時應少用。如：
Who cares what she thinks? 誰管她怎麼想呢！

3. The second she got back from Mexico, she pulled me into a hug and gave me a big kiss and told me I better get down there myself.
譯文：她剛剛從墨西哥回來，就給我一個擁抱和一個吻，還告訴我說最好親自去那裏一趟。

(話外音：奧巴馬提起的她是希拉蕊•克林頓，她剛從墨西哥訪問歸來，拿豬流感[現為甲型H1N1流感]開玩笑。)
重點分析：
(1) “the second/minute/moment”+句子，相當於as soon as 引導的狀語從句,意為“一……就……”。如：
The second his head touched the pillow, he would fall asleep. 頭一碰到枕頭，他就睡著了。
(2) I better get down ...= I ‘d better get down ...如：
Since you don’t seem quite yourself, you’d better go to see a doctor. 既然你看上去不太舒服，你最好去看醫生。

4. Dick Cheney was supposed to be here, but he is very busy working on his memoirs, tentatively titled, “How to Shoot Friends and Interrogate People.”
譯文：迪克•切尼本該來這裏，可是正忙著寫他的回憶錄呢。而這本書的名子打算取名為“如何槍擊朋友和審問他人”。

(話外音：調侃的對象是美國前副總統切尼，曾在2006年一次打獵中開槍誤傷朋友。此外，在副總統任內，切尼還提倡在審問恐怖嫌疑人時對犯人用刑。)
重點分析：
(1) be supposed to do ...“應該做某事”。如：
I thought we were supposed to be paid today. 我原以為我們今天應該領到薪水的。
(2) tentatively titled ...(=which is tentatively titled ...)過去分詞作定語。如：
The computer center, opened last year, is very popular among the students in this school. 去年開放的電腦中心很受這個學校學生的歡迎。
 

5. We have a lot in common: He is a person of color, although not a color that appears in the natural world.
譯文：我們有許多共同點：他是一個有色人，但是他的顏色不是自然世界中的一種。

(話外音：奧巴馬提到的他是眾議院少數黨領袖John Boehner，他膚色黝黑，但其實不是非洲裔。)
重點分析：
(1) have a lot/nothing in common “有許多/沒有相同之處”。如：
The twins have a lot in common.這對雙胞胎有許多相同之處。
(2) although引導讓步狀語，不與but連用。
Although Xiaoshenyang is famous all over the country, he is still quite modest. 儘管小瀋陽在全國出了名，但他還是相當謙虛的。
 

6. This is a tough holiday for Rahm. He’s not used to saying the word ‘day’ after ‘mother’.
譯文：對Raham來說，這是一個艱難的日子。他不習慣在“母親”這個詞後面加一個“節”字。

(話外音：奧巴馬沒有忘記第二天是母親節，他拿白宮辦公廳主任Rahm Emanuel打趣。)
重點分析：
be used to doing sth. “習慣做某事”，不同與used to do sth.“過去常常做某事”。如：He used to get up later, but now he is used to getting up early. 他過去常常起的較遲，但現在他已習慣早起了。

7. During the second 100 days, we will design, build and open a library dedicated to my first 100 days. I believe my next hundred days will be so successful that I will be able to complete them in 72 days, And on my 73rd day, I will rest.
譯文：在第二個百日內,我們將設計、修建一座專門用來紀念入主白宮100天的圖書館。我相信，我的第二個百日也會異常出色，以至於我在72天內就可完事。因此,從第73天起，我就可以退休了。

(話外音：就職百日乏善可陳的奧巴馬也要自嘲一番，談起未來百日的宏圖大計。)
重點分析：
(1) dedicate 意思為“以……奉獻,以……供奉[(+to)]”;“獻(身)；把(時間、精力等)用於[(+to)]”。如：
The monument was dedicated to the memory of the national hero. 這座碑是為紀念那位民族英雄而建造的。
He dedicated his life to science. 他獻身科學。
(2) so+adj./adv.+ that引導結果狀語從句;而such [+a(n)+adj.]+noun that 也可引導結果狀語從句。如：
Jay Chou is so popular among young people that he has many fans.(=Jay Chou is such a popular singer that he has many fans.)周傑倫在年輕人中如此受歡迎以至於他擁有許多“粉絲”。
 

8. A government without newspapers, a government without a tough and vibrant media of all sorts is not an option for the United States of America ...We look to you for truth even if it is always approximation
譯文：一個沒有報紙的政府，一個沒有嚴厲、富有活力的各種媒體的政府不是美利堅合眾國的選擇……我們期待你們實事求是的報導，即便是事實的近似值也罷。

(話外音：他最後轉向記者所說的一番嚴肅的結束語讓人們聽起來都不知道是真還是假了。)

重點分析：
(1) without/with引導的介詞短語常作定語或狀語。如：
A little boy with two of his front teeth missing ran into the house. (with短語作定語)
一個缺了兩顆門牙的小男孩跑進了那房子。
He walked past me without saying a word. (without短語作狀語)
他一句話沒說就從我身邊走了過去。
(2) option“選擇；選擇權”，sth. is an option for sb.”某事對某人來說是個選擇”，這是歐美人常說的句式。如：
To depend on others is not an option for our young people. 依賴他人可不是我們年輕人的選擇。
(3) look to sb. for sth.=expect sb. to provide sth., “期待，指望(某人提供某物)”。如：
We are looking to you for help. 我們指望得到您的幫助。
(4) even if=even though “即便，即使”，引導讓步狀語從句。如：
I like her even if she is annoying. 儘管她很惱人，但我還是喜歡她。
 

文章來源於：外語愛好者網站