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.

    歷史上的每一刻都是飛逝的時光，珍貴而獨特。但是，某些時刻作為起點而不同尋常，在那些時刻里，決定數十年或幾個世紀的方向得以確定。現在就可能是這樣一個時刻。

    目前各種力量正匯聚在一起，使我們第一次可能期望人類的許多夙愿最終得以實現。

    “阿波羅”號的宇航員在圣誕夜飛躍月球灰色的表面時，向我們說起地球的美麗——在那穿越了月球的距離還如此清晰的聲音中，我們聽到他們祈求上帝賜福人間。

    那一刻，他們從月球上表達的心愿促使詩人阿奇博爾德·麥克利什寫下：“要真實地看清地球，那小小的、藍色的、美麗的、漂浮在永恒寂靜中的地球，就得把我們自己都看作是地球的乘客，是在永遠寒冷的宇宙中，依靠光明的摯愛的兄弟——這群兄弟如今懂得他們是真正的兄弟。”

    命運賜予我們的不是絕望的苦酒,而是機會的美餐。所以讓我們抓住它，不是害怕地，而是高興地——“地球的乘客們”，讓我們前進吧，堅定信念、堅定目標、提防危險，以我們對上帝意志和人類希望的信念為支柱。