Obama Accepts Nobel Peace Prize, Discusses Wars

    President Barack Obama accepted the Nobel Peace Prize on Thursday, defending his ability to seek peace while fighting two wars abroad.

    'We must begin by acknowledging the hard truth that we will not eradicate violent conflict in our lifetimes. There will be times when nations--acting individually or in concert--will find the use of force not only necessary but morally justified,' he said.

    While espousing the moral standard of non-violence as practiced by 1964 Nobel laureate Martin Luther King Jr., Obama described its limits.

    'But as a head of state sworn to protect and defend my nation, I cannot be guided by their examples alone,' he said, speaking in the cavernous marble Oslo city Hall.

    'I face the world as it is, and cannot stand idle in the face of threats to the American people. For make no mistake: Evil does exist in the world.

    A non-violent movement could not have halted Hitler's armies. Negotiations cannot convince al Qaeda's leaders to lay down their arms. To say that force is sometimes necessary is not a call to cynicism it is a recognition of history; the imperfections of man and the limits of reason.'

    In presenting the prize, Nobel Committee Chair Thorbjorn Jagland justified the selection of Obama, saying that over its centurylong history, the prize has gone not only to those who have spent their lives struggling for peace, but to those who display world leadership toward that goal.

    'Who has done most for peace in the past year? If the question is put in Nobel's terms…it had to be U.S. President Barack Obama.

    'Political leaders must be able to think beyond the confines of realpolitick. Only in this way can we move the world in the right direction.'

    In awarding Obama the prize in October, the committee praised his expressed commitment to nuclear disarmament. The committee recognized what it said was Obama's advocacy for 'a global response to global challenges' and efforts to enhance communication with other nations and the Muslim world.

    美国总统奥巴马周四接受了诺贝尔和平奖，并为他在海外进行两场战争的同时寻求和平的能力进行了辩护。

    他说，我们必须承认艰难的事实：我们在有生之年将难以根除暴力冲突。有时，各国将会发现──不管是单独行动还是联合行动──不仅使用武力是必须的，而且在道义上也是正确的。

    奥巴马总统领诺贝尔奖后，诺贝尔委员会主席亚格兰鼓掌祝贺。尽管对1964年诺贝尔和平奖得主马丁？路德？金（Martin Luther King Jr.）践行的非暴力道德标准表示赞成，奥巴马也指出了其中的局限性。

    他在奥斯陆市政厅说，但作为誓言保卫我的国家的元首，我不能只按照他们的榜样行事。

    我面对着这样的一个世界，不能在美国人民面临威胁时无动于衷。不可辩驳的是：这个世界上确实存在着邪恶。

    非暴力运动无以阻止希特勒的铁骑，谈判不能让基地组织的头目们放下武器。我们说武力有时是必需的，这不是在狡辩而是在以史为鉴，承认人类的不完美和理性的局限。

    诺贝尔委员会主席亚格兰（Thorbjorn Jagland）在颁奖时阐述了选择奥巴马的合理性。他说，在100多年的历史中，诺贝尔和平奖不仅授予了那些为了和平奋斗毕生的人，也颁发给了对实现这一目标展现出世界领导力的人。

    他说，过去一年里谁为和平所做的时期最多？如果这个问题按照诺贝尔的标准衡量，绝对应该是美国总统奥巴马。

    亚格兰说，政治领导人必须能够超越权力政治的限制进行思考。只有这样我们才能让世界朝着正确的方向前进。

    在10月份将和平奖授予奥巴马时，该委员会赞扬了他表达了对核裁军的承诺。该委员会指的是奥巴马宣称的"对全球挑战做出全球反应"和加强与其它国家和穆斯林世界沟通的努力。