美國總統歐巴馬(（Barack Obama）如是說

to our honorees, like most creative and brainy people
我們的得獎者 像最有創意和最聰明的人一樣
you did not cultivate your song for accolades or applause
你們並非為了稱讚和掌聲耕耘自己的詩歌
if there were no medal for your work
即使你們的作品沒有獎章
I expect you would still be out there designing buildings
我想你們還是會在那裡設計建築物
and making movies and digging through archives and asking tough questions in interviews
拍電影 挖掘文獻和訪談時問很嗆的問題
but we do honor you today because your accomplishments have enriched our lives
但我們授予榮譽 因為你們的成就豐富我們的生活
and revealed something about ourselves and about our country
展現關於我們和我們國家的某些東西

美國總統歐巴馬(（Barack Obama）前天在白宮頒發2013國家文藝獎。