As a diplomat in the Middle East and Russia, and as a senior official and administrations of both parties, I developed enormous respect for my CIA colleagues.

作為中東和俄羅斯的外交官，作為兩黨的高級官員和行政部門，我對中情局的同事們產生了極大的敬意。

I served alongside them in hard places around the world.

我和他們一起在世界各地的艱苦地方服務。

It was their skill at collection and analysis that often gave me an edge as a negotiator.

正是他們善於收集和分析的技巧，常常讓我在談判中佔據優勢。

Their partnership that helped make me an effective ambassador, and their insights that helped me make thoughtful choices are the most difficult policy issues.

他們的夥伴關係幫助我成為一名有效的大使，他們的見解幫助我做出深思熟慮的選擇，這些都是最困難的政策問題。

I learned that good intelligence delivered with honesty and integrity is America's first line of defense.

我瞭解到，誠實和正直的好情報是美國的第一道防線。

I learned that intelligence professionals have to tell policy makers what they need to hear, even if they don't want to hear it.

我瞭解到，情報專業人員必須告訴政策制定者他們需要聽到的東西，即使他們不想聽。

And I learned that politics must stop where intelligence work begins.

而且我瞭解到，政治必須在情報工作開始的地方停止。

That is exactly what President Biden expects of CIA.

這正是拜登總統對中情局的期望。

It was the first thing he told me when he asked me to take on this role.

這是他讓我接下這個角色時告訴我的第一件事。