目前華盛頓政客們要考慮的事情很多：各種簡報、輿論向導者及那些極為自負的人都在極力引起他們的關注，使他們忘記了那些同樣緊迫的政治斗爭。

The present crowds the mind in Washington: briefing papers, spin-doctors and big-egos clamour for attention, blotting out memories of political battles that seemed equally pressing in their time.

然而，歷史在星期二重現。

On Tuesday, however, the past reasserted itself.

從某種意義上說，這個演講提醒議員們，他們現在所討論的問題早在過去就有人談過，他的話足以羞辱那些議員，不過他們通常也需要羞辱。

In one sense, the speech served to humble the senators (a group that could generally do with humbling), by reminding them that the issues on which they pontificate once animated others, too.