文档介绍：奥巴马在曼德拉***奥巴马悼念曼德拉逝世中英文演讲稿
at his trial in 1964, nelson mandela closed his statement from the dock saying, "i have fought against white domination, and i have fought against black domination. i have cherished the ideal of a democratic and free society in which all persons live together in harmony and with equal opportunities. it is an ideal which i hope to live for and to achieve. but if needs be, it is an ideal for which i am prepared to die."
and nelson mandela lived for that ideal, and he made it real. he achieved more than could be expected of any man. today, he has gone home. and we have lost one of the most influential, courageous, and profoundly good human beings that any of us will share time with on this earth. he no longer belongs to us -- he belongs to the ages.
through his fierce dignity and unbending will to sacrifice his own freedom for the freedom of others, madiba transformed south africa -- and moved all of us. his journey from a prisoner to a president embodied the promise that human beings -- and countries -- can change for the better. his commitment to transfer power and reconcile with those who jailed him set an example that all humanity should aspire to, whether in the lives of nations or our own personal lives. and the fact that he did it all with grace and good humor, and an ability to acknowledge his own imperfections, only makes the man that