美国总统乔·拜登周二在白宫的一个仪式上庆祝美国传奇人物布鲁斯·斯普林斯汀、格蕾蒂丝·奈特、朱莉娅·路易斯·德雷福斯等，并调侃2024年的竞选。
拜登向近24个个人和团体颁发了奖章，他说，他们的工作加深了美国“对人文学科的理解，拓宽了美国公民对历史、文学、哲学和其他许多学科的参与。”
“最重要的是，你们是自己手艺的主人，”拜登对获奖者说。
拜登在介绍作家科尔森·怀特黑德时提到了潜在的2024年竞选，并指出他因其连续小说《地下铁道》和《镍币男孩》获得了两次普利策奖
“你到底是怎么做到的?相当不错的人。我自己也在寻找背靠背，”拜登说，赢得了热烈的掌声。
拜登一再表示他打算竞选连任，尽管他还没有做出任何正式宣布。
拜登在称赞摇滚偶像布鲁斯·斯普林斯汀时，还调侃说“有些人天生就是跑步的料”。
拜登说:“布鲁斯·斯普林斯汀是一位吟游诗人，美国生活、韧性、希望和梦想的记录者，总统自由勋章获得者，以及20项格莱美奖、一项奥斯卡奖、一项托尼奖和几代人以来数百万粉丝的坚定不移的爱。”
2023年3月21日，国家艺术奖章获得者、音乐家和歌手布鲁斯·斯普林斯汀在华盛顿特区白宫东厅举行的仪式上向斯普林斯汀颁发奖章后，与总统乔·拜登握手。
凯文·拉马克/路透社
拜登介绍德雷福斯为“总统朱莉娅·路易斯·德雷福斯”，她在HBO热播情景喜剧《副总统》中扮演塞琳娜·迈耶。
“我稍后会和朱莉娅谈谈，她更喜欢做副总裁还是总裁，”他开玩笑说。“我得想办法解决这个问题。”
拜登表彰了每一位获奖的个人，详细描述了他们在各自领域取得的成就。
当谈到奈特时，拜登形容她是“灵魂皇后”，并说她“真的是音乐史上最棒的事情之一。”
其他获奖者包括喜剧演员敏迪·卡灵、设计师维拉王、活动家布莱恩·斯蒂文森、艺术家朱迪思·弗朗西斯卡·巴卡和安东尼奥·马托雷尔·卡多纳，以及作家安·帕切特、谭恩美、沃尔特·伊萨克森和塔拉·威斯多佛。
“你知道敏迪·卡灵来自马萨诸塞州，但我们都知道，宾夕法尼亚州的斯克兰顿造就了她，”拜登开玩笑说，这是对凯琳在《办公室》中的工作的认可
在新冠肺炎疫情暂停颁奖仪式后，这是拜登上任以来首次颁发艺术奖章。
拜登曾在去年秋天的白宫音乐会上授予埃尔顿·约翰国家人文奖章，当时约翰正在进行他的告别巡演——约翰说他对获得这一荣誉“既惊讶又谦卑”。
“你确实让这个国家变得更好，让它成为一个更好的地方，”拜登在活动结束时对2021年的获奖者说。
Biden teases 2024 bid, tells Bruce Springsteen 'some people are born to run'
President Joe Biden on Tuesday teased a 2024 run as he celebrated American legends Bruce Springsteen, Gladys Knight, Julia Louis Dreyfus and more in a White House ceremony.
Biden bestowed medals to nearly two dozen individuals and groups whose work, he said, deepened the country's "understanding of the humanities and broadened our citizen's engagement with history, literature, philosophy and so many other subjects."
"Above all, you're masters of your craft," Biden told the recipients.
Biden made a reference to a potential 2024 campaign while introducing author Colson Whitehead, noting he won two Pulitzer prizes for his consecutive novels "The Underground Railroad" and "The Nickel Boys."
"How in the hell did you do that? Pretty good man. I'm kinda looking for back-to-back myself," Biden said, prompting a loud applause.
Biden has repeatedly saidhis intention is to run for reelection, though he's yet to make any formal announcement.
Biden also quipped about how "some people are born to run" while he praising rock music icon Bruce Springsteen.
"Bruce Springsteen, a poet troubadour, chronicler of American life and resilience and hope and dreams, recipient of the Presidential Medal of Freedom, along with 20 Grammys, an Oscar, a Tony, and an unyielding love from millions of fans across generations," Biden said.
Biden introduced Dreyfus as "President Julia Louis Dreyfus" for her role as Selina Meyer in the hit HBO sitcom "Veep."
"I'm gonna talk to Julia later whether she liked being VP or president better," he joked. "I got to figure that one out."
Biden recognized each individual who was honored, describing in detail their achievements in their respective areas.
When it came to Knight, Biden described her as the "Empress of Soul" and said she's "truly one of the best things ever to happen in terms of music."
Other recipients included comedian Mindy Kaling, designer Vera Wang, activist Bryan Stevenson, artists Judith Francisca Baca and Antonio Martorell-Cardona, and writers Ann Patchet, Amy Tan, Walter Isaacson and Tara Westover.
"Mindy Kaling you know from Massachusetts, but as we all know, Scranton, Pennsylvania made her who she is," Biden joked, in a nod to Kaling's work on "The Office."
It was the first time Biden awarded the arts medals since taking office after the COVID-19 pandemic put the ceremony on pause.
Biden previously bestowed Elton John with a National Humanities Medal during a White House concert last fall as John was embarking on his farewell tour -- an honor John said he was "flabbergasted and humbled" to receive.
"You do make the country better, make it a better place," Biden said to the 2021 awardees as the event came to a close.
