Each moment in history is a fleeting time, precious and unique. But some stand out as moments of be-ginning, in which courses are set that shape decades or centuries. This can be such a moment.

    Forces now are converging that make possible, for the first time, the hope that many of man's deepest as-pirations can at last be realized.
　
    As the Apollo astronauts flew over the moon's gray surface on Christmas Eve, they spoke to us of the beauty of earth—and in that voice so clear across the lunar distance, we heard them invoke God's blessing on its goodness.

    In that moment, their view from the moon moved poet Archibald MacLeish to write:

    "To see the earth as it truly is, small and blue and beautiful in that eternal silence where it floats, is to see ourselves as riders on the earth together, brothers on that bright loveliness in the eternal cold—brothers who know now they are truly brothers."

    Our destiny offers, not the cup of despair, but the chalice of opportunity. So let us seize it, not in fear, but in gladness—and, "riders on the earth together," let us go forward, firm in our faith, steadfast in our purpose, cautious of the dangers; but sustained by ourconfidence in the will of God and the promise of man.

    历史上的每一刻都是飞逝的时光，珍贵而独特。但是，某些时刻作为起点而不同寻常，在那些时刻里，决定数十年或几个世纪的方向得以确定。现在就可能是这样一个时刻。

    目前各种力量正汇聚在一起，使我们第一次可能期望人类的许多夙愿最终得以实现。

    “阿波罗”号的宇航员在圣诞夜飞跃月球灰色的表面时，向我们说起地球的美丽——在那穿越了月球的距离还如此清晰的声音中，我们听到他们祈求上帝赐福人间。

    那一刻，他们从月球上表达的心愿促使诗人阿奇博尔德·麦克利什写下：“要真实地看清地球，那小小的、蓝色的、美丽的、漂浮在永恒寂静中的地球，就得把我们自己都看作是地球的乘客，是在永远寒冷的宇宙中，依靠光明的挚爱的兄弟——这群兄弟如今懂得他们是真正的兄弟。”

    命运赐予我们的不是绝望的苦酒,而是机会的美餐。所以让我们抓住它，不是害怕地，而是高兴地——“地球的乘客们”，让我们前进吧，坚定信念、坚定目标、提防危险，以我们对上帝意志和人类希望的信念为支柱。