每年的7月4日是美國的獨立紀念日，1776年7月4日，大陸會議在費城正式通過托馬斯·杰佛遜起草的《獨立宣言》 。

　　Secretary Kerry’s Fourth of July Message

　　國務卿獨立紀念日獻詞

　　03 July 2013

　　2013年7月3日

　　Hello, everybody. I wanted to take a moment to welcome you to our embassies, consulates and residences, and wish you a very Happy American Independence Day. My colleagues from our embassies and consulates are constantly learning from all of you about your cultures and traditions, and, frankly, we really couldn’t be happier that you’re here to share our traditions and celebrate the birthday of the United States. While the Fourth of July is an occasion to enjoy great food and the company of friends and family, it’s also a time for Americans to reflect on the founding of our country 237 years ago. And while our Declaration of Independence is the most American of documents, and while we proudly associate ourselves with the promises of equality, life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness, in truth, those ideals are not uniquely American. These rights actually belong to everyone on earth. These are values that we all share, and they represent the aspirations of people the world over. So we look forward to working with all of you to find the common ground on which we can work to build a safer, healthier and more prosperous world. Thanks so much for joining us today, and Happy Independence Day to all of you.

　　大家好。我希望趁此機會歡迎各位光臨我國駐外各使館、領事館和駐地，祝大家很愉快地度過美國獨立紀念日!我國駐外使領館全體人員經常向諸位學習你們的文化和傳統，坦率地說，我們的確很高興看到各位在這里與我們分享我們的傳統并慶祝美國的生日。7月4日不僅僅是一個享受美食，與朋友、家人歡聚的日子，這一天也是美國人民回顧237年前我國建國歷史的時刻。雖然我國的獨立宣言是最能體現美國精神的文件;雖然我們自豪地將我們自己與平等、生命、自由和追求對幸福的希望聯系在一起，但實際上，這些理想并非為美國所獨有。這些權利真正屬于地球上的每一個人。這些都是我們大家共同的價值觀，體現了普天下人民的愿望。因此，我們期望與大家共同努力，找到共同點，在此基礎上構建一個更加安全、更加健康和更加繁榮的世界。多謝各位今天光臨，祝大家獨立紀念日快樂。