The following evening, Nelson Mandela, who had also attended the U.N. session, visited us at the White House with his wife, Graça Machel. At a reception for African American religious leaders in the East Room, Mandela spoke about his genuine love and respect for Bill. After praising the relationship Bill had forged with South Africa and the rest of the continent, Mandela noted gently, "We have often said that our morality does not allow us to desert our friends." He turned to Bill and addressed him directly. "And we have got to say tonight, we are thinking of you in this difficult and uncertain time in your life, if our expectations, if our fondest prayers and dreams are not realized," he said, "then we should all bear in mind that the greatest glory of living lies not in never falling, but in rising every time you fall."

第二天晚上，同样出席了联合国大会的尼尔森·曼德拉和他的妻子格拉萨·马谢尔到白宫拜访了我们。在东厅招待非裔美国宗教领袖们的时候，曼德拉表达了他对比尔真诚的欣赏和敬意。在比尔赞扬了和南非以及南非以外其他大陆的外交关系之后，曼德拉友好地表示，“我们常说，我们的道德观要求我们不能离弃朋友。”他转向比尔，直接对比尔强调，“我今晚必须说，我知道你现在正处于你人生最艰难，最不确定的时候，如果我们的期待，如果我们最渴望的祈祷和梦想没有实现，那么我们应该一直记住，生命最大的荣耀不在于你从未跌倒过，而在于你每次跌倒却能够再次站起。”

I was still trying to rise. By seeing each hour through to the end, and starting over every morning, I was rebuilding my life imperceptibly, one day at a time. It was a challenge to forgive Bill; the prospect of forgiving the hired guns of the right wing seemed beyond me. If Mandela could forgive, I would try. But it was hard, even with the help of many friends.

我仍然想要努力站起来。看着每天的时间一点点流逝，第二天早晨又重新开始，每天我都不自觉得试着想要重建我的生活。原谅比尔对我来说是一个挑战。原谅右翼势力的雇佣兵对我来说似乎不可能的事，如果曼德拉能够做到，我也会愿意去尝试着原谅比尔，但是对我来说，即使有很多朋友的帮忙，这仍是一件很难的事。