"For the pain, suffering and hurt of these stolen generations, their descendants and for their families left behind, we say sorry. To the mothers and the fathers, the brothers and the sisters, for the breaking up of families and communities, we say sorry. And for the indignity and degradation thus inflicted on a proud people and a proud culture, we say sorry."

　　——Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd apologises for the past mistreatment of Aborigines.

　　

　　“对那些‘被偷走的一代’所遭受的痛苦、苦难和伤害，向他们的后代、家庭，我们说声对不起。对那些母亲、父亲、兄弟姐妹们，对那些被拆散的家庭和社区，我们说声对不起。对于给一个自豪的民族和自豪的文化带来的侮辱和贬低，我们要说对不起。”

　　——澳大利亚总理陆克文对过去虐待土著人致歉。

　　

　　“We as black people now have hope that we never, ever had. I have new goals for my litter girl. She can’t give me any excuses she’s black.”

　　——Kwabena Sam-Brew, a bus driver living in Minnesota, on news that Barack Obama is the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee.                    

　　“身为黑人，现在我们有了从未有过的希望。我为我的小女儿确定了一些新目标。她不能再用自己是黑人做借口了。”

　　——明尼苏达州的公交车司机瓦比纳·山姆·布鲁听到贝拉克·奥巴马成为民主党总统候选人之一时说。

　　

　　“We will not allow Iraq to become a platform for harming the security of Iran and neighbors.”

　　——Nouri Al-Maliki. Iraq’s prime minister, assuring Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad that American bases in Iraq will not be used to attack his country.

　　

　　“我们不会允许伊拉克成为危害伊朗和邻国安全的平台。”

　　——伊拉克总理努里·马利基向伊朗总统马哈茂德·艾哈迈迪－内贾德保证，美国在伊拉克的基地不会用来进攻伊朗。

　　

　　“In other countries they look for the marijuana in the cigarette. Here they look for the cigarette in the marijuana.”

　　——Jason Den Enting, manager of a coffee shop in the Netherlands, on a new public smoking ban that only prohibits tobacco.

　　

　　“其他国家从香烟里寻找大麻，而这里是从大麻里找香烟。”

　　——荷兰一家咖啡店老板杰森·艾廷就公共场所新禁烟令只禁烟草的做法这样说。

　　

　　“You might be able to grow asparagus in it really well.”

　　—NASA scientist Sam Kounaves, the Mars mission's lead chemist, on the planet's soil, which is now believed to contain the nutrients to support life.

　　

　　“你也许能在火星上把芦笋种得很好。”

　　——NASA科学家、火星探测的首席化学家山姆·库纳维斯就火星土壤这样说。火星土壤被认为具有支持生命的营养成分。

　　

　　“It is not easy for Israel to release prisoners. ... But we understand the importance of the prisoner issue for Palestinian society.”

　　

　　——Mark Regev, Israeli government spokesman, referring to the release of nearly 200 Palestinian prisoners

　　“释放囚犯对以色列来说不是件容易的事。但是我们理解囚犯问题对巴勒斯坦的重要性。”

　　——以色列政府发言人马克·莱杰夫就释放约200名巴勒斯坦囚犯问题时这样说。         西非译