美国历届总统首次踏入白宫椭圆形办公室，都会阅读前任总统放在橡木办公桌上的一封亲笔信，这是象征总统权力和平转移的一个传统。美国前总统奥巴马离开白宫时，给特朗普留下一封275字的信，这几乎比其他所有前总统留给新任总统的信都要长，那么奥巴马究竟说了些什么？
According to a letter posted by CNN, Obama encouraged Trump to "build more ladders of success for every child and family that's willing to work hard" and "sustain the international order."
据CNN公布的信件称，奥巴马鼓励特朗普“要为每个愿意付出努力的儿童和家庭创造更多通往成功的机会”、并“维护国际秩序”。
他在信中向特朗普提了四点忠告：
关于社会公平：
"Not everyone is so lucky. It's up to us to do everything we can (to) build more ladders of success for every child and family that's willing to work hard."
“不是每个人都如此幸运。我们的责任是竭尽所能，为每个愿意付出努力的儿童和家庭创造更多通往成功的机会。”
关于国际关系：
Turning to international relations, Obama told Trump, who had embraced isolationism throughout his campaign: "American leadership in this world really is indispensable."
谈到国际关系，奥巴马对竞选期间始终信奉孤立主义的特朗普说：“美国在这世界上的领导地位真的是不可或缺的。”
"It's up to us, through action and example, to sustain the international order that's expanded steadily since the end of the Cold War, and upon which our own wealth and safety depend."
“我们的职责是通过自身行动树立榜样，维持自冷战结束以来稳定发展的国际秩序，我们的财富和安全也仰仗于此。”
关于民主：
Obama urged his successor to protect "those democratic institutions and traditions – like rule of law, separation of powers, equal protection and civil liberties – that our forebears fought and bled for".
奥巴马敦促特朗普守护“前辈流血奋斗争取而来的法治、分权、平等保护和公民自由等民主制度和民主传统”。
"Regardless of the push and pull of daily politics, it's up to us to leave those instruments of our democracy at least as strong as we found them."
“尽管日常政务纷扰不断，但我们的职责是让我们的民主制度保持强大，至少和我们建立它时一样强大。”
奥巴马最后叮嘱特朗普：
"And finally, take time, in the rush of events and responsibilities, for friends and family. They’ll get you through the inevitable rough patches. "
“最后，在繁重的事务和职责中，留点时间陪伴亲友。他们能助你度过难以避免的艰苦时刻。”
In January, Trump called the letter "beautiful" and said he would cherish it, adding: "We won't even tell the press what's in that letter."
今年1月，特朗普称这是一封“美好”的信件，并表示会珍惜它，还称：“我们甚至不会告诉媒体信的内容”。
The relationship between the two presidents has grown increasingly fractious after an initial attempt to build bridges on both sides quickly collapsed.
两位总统起初试图建立联系，双方的尝试很快以失败告终，关系变得越来越紧张。
Obama invited his successor to the White House a few days after the election, telling Trump: "We now are going to do everything we can to help you succeed, because if you succeed, then the country succeeds."
大选结束几天后，奥巴马邀请特朗普前往白宫，他说：“我们现在将尽一切可能帮助你取得成功，因为你的成功，就是美国的成功。”
Trump said he had "great respect" for the president he had excoriated on the campaign trail, and called Obama a "very good man".
特朗普称，他“非常敬重”这位他曾在竞选时痛斥的总统，并称奥巴马“人很好”。
US President Barack Obama meets with President-elect Donald Trump in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington November 10, 2016. [Photo/Agencies]
"The conversations have been cordial," Obama said in January, following news the two had had a handful of phone calls. "He has been open to suggestions, and the main thing that I've tried to transmit is that there's a difference between governing and campaigning."
媒体报道两人曾有过几次通话后，奥巴马1月表示，“我们的谈话很愉快，他一直乐于接受建议，我主要向他传递的意思是，执政和竞选之间存在差异。”
When the New Yorker's David Remnick asked Obama how that White House meeting with Trump had gone, however, the former president "smiled thinly, and said, 'I think I can't characterize it without...' Then he stopped himself and said that he would tell me 'at some point over a beer – off the record'."
当《纽约客》主编大卫•瑞姆尼克访问奥巴马两人的白宫会谈如何时，奥巴马却“勉强一笑，称‘提到这个我就不能不……’，然后他停下来说，‘如果来杯啤酒，关掉录音，他才可能’告诉我。”
Within days of Trump's inauguration, Obama had broken his silence to criticize his successor for the first time, with a spokesman responding to Trump's first attempt at a travel ban by saying: "The president (Obama) fundamentally disagrees with the notion of discriminating against individuals because of their faith or religion."
特朗普就职几天后，奥巴马打破沉默，第一次抨击特朗普。特朗普初次提出旅行禁令时，一位发言人对此回应称：“总统（奥巴马）从根本上不认同歧视个人宗教信仰的观念。”
Their relationship was strained further when Trump claimed in March that Obama had been tapping his phones during the election campaign. This week his own Justice Department stated in a court filing that its national security division and the FBI "confirm that they have no records related to wiretaps as described by the March 4, 2017 tweets".
今年3月，特朗普称奥巴马在大选期间一直窃听他的电话，两人此时的关系更加紧张。本周特朗普政府司法部在一份法庭文件中声称，国家安全部门和联邦调查局证实，“他们没有和今年3月4日的推文所述窃听事件相关的记载。”
More recently, Obama responded to Trump's heavily criticized remarks equating neo-Nazis with the protesters opposing them in Charlottesville, Virginia, with a series of tweets quoting Nelson Mandela. "No one is born hating another person because of the color of his skin or his background or his religion," the former president posted.
最近，特朗普将新纳粹分子与弗吉尼亚州夏洛茨维尔市反对新纳粹主义的抗议者相提并论，此番言论备受诟病。对此，奥巴马发了几条推特，引用尼尔森•曼德拉的名言回应道：“没有人天生就因为别人的肤色、背景和宗教信仰而仇视他人。”
By contrast, Trump continues to use social media to needle his predecessor, last month retweeting an allegedly antisemitic supporter's set of images entitled "The best eclipse ever!" which showed Trump's face gradually obscuring that of Obama.
相比之下，特朗普继续用社交媒体讽刺奥巴马，上个月，他转发了一位据称是反犹太主义支持者的图片。这组图片中，特朗普的脸正在逐渐遮盖奥巴马的脸，而图片的名字叫做“有史以来最棒的日食！”
以下是奥巴马给特朗普信件的全文 Dear Mr President
亲爱的总统先生
Congratulations on a remarkable run. Millions have placed their hopes in you, and all of us, regardless of party, should hope for expanded prosperity and security during your tenure.
祝贺你，在竞选中表现如此出色。数百万人已将他们的希望寄托于你，而我们所有人，不论隶属哪个党派，都希望在你的任内，美国能够更加繁荣与安全。
This is a unique office, without a clear blueprint for success, so I don’t know that any advice from me will be particularly helpful. Still, let me offer a few reflections from the past 8 years.
这是间独一无二的办公室，里面没有清晰的成功蓝图，所以我无法确定我的建议是否对你特别有用，但我还是希望和你分享，过去8年我的一些思考。
First, we’ve both been blessed, in different ways, with great good fortune. Not everyone is so lucky. It’s up to us to do everything we can (to) build more ladders of success for every child and family that’s willing to work hard.
首先，我们都是幸运的人，尽管方式不同，但运气都很好。并非所有人都能这样幸运。我们的职责是竭尽所能，去为每一个愿意付出努力的儿童和家庭，创造更多通往成功的机会。
Second, American leadership in this world really is indispensable. It’s up to us, through action and example, to sustain the international order that’s expanded steadily since the end of the Cold War, and upon which our own wealth and safety depend.
其次，美国在这世界上的领导地位真的是不可或缺的。我们的职责是通过自身行动树立榜样，维持自冷战结束以来稳定发展的国际秩序，我们的财富和安全也仰仗于此。
Third, we are just temporary occupants of this office. That makes us guardians of those democratic institutions and traditions -- like rule of law, separation of powers, equal protection and civil liberties -- that our forebears fought and bled for. Regardless of the push and pull of daily politics, it’s up to us to leave those instruments of our democracy at least as strong as we found them.
第三，我们都只是这间办公室的过客。它让我们成为民主制度和民主传统的守护者，我们的前辈们曾为法治、分权、平等保护和公民自由等流血奋斗。因此，尽管日常政务纷扰不断，但我们的职责是让我们的民主制度保持强大，至少和我们建立它时一样强大。
And finally, take time, in the rush of events and responsibilities, for friends and family. They’ll get you through the inevitable rough patches.
最后，在繁忙的诸事和职责之余，给自己的朋友和家人留些时间。他们将帮你度过那些躲无可躲的难关。
Michelle and I wish you and Melania the very best as you embark on this great adventure, and know that we stand ready to help in any ways which we can.
米歇尔和我祝福你和梅拉尼娅开始这段伟大的征程，并希望你知道，我们随时准备为你们提供任何形式的力所能及的帮助。
Good luck and Godspeed,
BO
愿诸事顺遂
贝拉克•奥巴马