有人说他是新西兰历史上最受民众认同的国家总理。
12月5日当地时间下午1点，约翰 基 （John Key）突然召开新闻发布会，宣布将要在下周一辞去总理一职。
他的辞职演讲让很多人热泪盈眶。
Just a few days ago I marked the anniversary of my eighth year as Prime Minister and my tenth as leader of the National Party.
Such an occasion seems a fitting time to not only take stock of the past 10 years, but to look forward.
Being leader of both the party and the country has been an incredible experience.
Along with my Cabinet and caucus colleagues, we steered the country through the global financial crisis which was arguably the worst recession since the Great Depression.
We have stood with Christchurch in the wake of the earthquakes - the greatest natural disaster to hit our country since 1931, and we have mourned the victims of the Pike River Mine disaster; one of the saddest days our small nation has endured in recent times.
During my time as Prime Minister the Government has positioned New Zealand so that our economy could harness the opportunities offered by a burgeoning Asia and a more connected world.
Reforms have been far reaching, including substantial changes to our tax, welfare, planning and labour laws, not to mention the successful partial sell-down of state companies, the considerable overhaul of our Justice, Security and Corrections agencies and, of course, trade liberalisation.
Ten years since I first became leader of the National Party, I believe we can look back on advanced race relations and real momentum in the Treaty settlement programme.
We also have a more confident, outward-looking and multi-cultural New Zealand that competes and succeeds on the world stage.
Throughout these years I have given everything I could to this job that I cherish, and this country that I love. All of this has come at quite some sacrifice for the people who are dearest to me - my family.
For my wife Bronagh, there have been many nights and weekends spent alone, many occasions that were important to her that I simply could not attend.
My daughter Stephie and my son Max have transitioned from teenagers to young adults while coping with an extraordinary level of intrusion and pressure because of their father's job.
I thank them for their tolerance. Bronagh and I are immensely proud of them.
My family has also had remarkable opportunities and experiences as we have met people and visited places from one end of our country to the other.
We have celebrated alongside fellow Kiwis in their happiest times, and wept with them in their saddest.
Simply put, it has, for me, been the most remarkable, satisfying and exciting time of my life.
But despite the amazing career I have had in politics, I have never seen myself as a career politician. I have certainly never wanted my success in politics to be measured by how long I spent in Parliament.
The National Party is in great shape. Bill English has told me that in all his years here, ours is the most cohesive Cabinet he has seen. And I personally am humbled and gratified that after eight years as Prime Minister, my personal support from the public remains high.
I absolutely believe we can win the next election.
But I do not believe that, if you asked me if I was committed to serving out a fourth term, that I could look the public in the eye and say yes.
And more than anything else in my time here, I have tried to be straight and true with New Zealanders.
I also believe that leadership change, for the right reasons and handled well, is good for a political party.
For all these reasons, I today told my Cabinet and caucus colleagues of my decision to step down as Leader of the National Party and as Prime Minister.
It is my expectation that on Monday 12 December National MPs will hold a special caucus meeting to select a new leader and later that day I will tender my resignation to the Governor-General.
This has been the hardest decision I have ever made and I do not know what I will do next.
But for me this feels the right time to go.
It gives the Cabinet and caucus plenty of time to settle in with a new leader before heading into the next election with a proud record of strong economic management, a commitment to the most vulnerable in our society and lots of ideas to keep lifting New Zealanders up in the world.
It would be easy to say I have made this decision solely to rediscover the personal and family life I once had, and that is a factor, but it is one among many.
Over the years I have observed many leaders who, in a similar position, fail to take this step.
I can understand why. It is a hard job to leave.
But, for me and the National Party, this is a good time to go. Party membership is high and the party is well-funded. The caucus is talented and eager to serve, and one of the achievements of which I am proud is having built with my colleagues a Cabinet team that is capable, committed and cohesive.
That is a great legacy for National's next leader.
Just as I grasped the challenge of leadership so will a new leader.
Inevitably they will bring their own personality, emphasis and priorities to the role.
This is part of the process that allows a long-serving government to keep delivering.
For my part I am confident the caucus has a number of individuals who would make a fine future PM.
It is inevitable I will be asked who I will vote for at the caucus meeting on December 12.
Whoever the caucus elects will have my unwavering support, but if Bill English puts his name forward then I will vote for him.
For 10 years now Bill and I have worked as a team. I have witnessed first-hand his leadership style, his capacity for work, his grasp of the economy, his commitment to change and, most of all, his decency as a husband, as a father, as a friend, a colleague and as a politician.
Bill has, I believe, grown a great deal since he was last Party leader.
Fifteen years on he has more experience and the party and political cycles are quite different.
I believe that National, under Bill's leadership, would win the election in 2017.
This is not the time to thank all of those who have made the past 10 years possible for me.
But nor can I stand here without acknowledging Bronagh, Stephie and Max who have sacrificed a lot for me to have been able to do what the job demands.
No person in this role can succeed without the support of an enormous number of talented and dedicated individuals.
I thank my deputy Bill English, the Cabinet and caucus for their loyalty and energy and, of course, my wonderful staff, so well led by Wayne Eagleson, who have done more than I ever could have hoped or expected.
I also wish to thank and acknowledge our support partners ACT, United Future and the Maori Party without whom the strong and stable Government we have delivered would not have been possible.
I have no doubt my successor will look to build upon these relationships.
Last but not least, I wish to put on record my everlasting gratitude to the people of Helensville for electing me, and to the New Zealand public for their support, faith and encouragement. It has been my privilege to serve you all.
I have always believed that the test of a good Prime Minister is that he or she leaves the country in better shape than they found it. Over time, others will judge whether I have done that.
All I can say is that I gave it everything I had.
I have left nothing in the tank.
Finally, while I intend to stay in Parliament long enough to avoid the cost and inconvenience a by-election would cause the good people of Helensville, I will at an appropriate time prior to the next election step down as an MP.
On that day, I shall walk from these buildings for the last time, a richer person for the experience and privilege of being here, and hoping and believing that New Zealand has been well served by the Government I led.
中文译文：
几天前是我当选新西兰总理的八周年，也是我作为国家党党魁的十周年。这一刻不仅是对我前10年工作做出评价的一刻，也是我展望未来的一刻。作为国家总理和国家党党魁，这十年是我永生难忘的十年。
我和我的政党同僚们一起领导这个国家度过了重重困难，我们在“大萧条”以来最严重的08年全球金融危机中坚持了下来，在2011年的毁灭性的基督城大地震中屹立不倒，我们也为我们PIKERIVER矿难中遇难的同胞们深深哀悼，那一天是我们最伤心的一天。
当选总理以来，我们抓住亚洲和世界提供给我们的机会，我们的经济得到了发展。我们也对这个国家做了很大的改革，包括税收，福利，规划，劳工法，而且还对司法，安全部门，还有商业贸易自由做了巨大改良。十年了，我们有了一个更加自信的，更加开放、更加多元文化的新西兰站立在世界舞台上。
这些年里，对于总理这份工作和这个我深爱的国家，我付出了所有，但在这背后隐藏着巨大的牺牲，那就是深爱着我的家人。对于我的妻子Bronagh，有多少个夜晚和周末她独自一个度过，有多少个重要的场合她需要我，而我却不在；对我的女儿Stephie和我儿子Max，他们在活泼的小孩子成长为青春年少的同时，他们时刻面临着巨大的侵扰和压力，这仅仅是因为他们父亲特殊的工作。我感谢他们对我们的宽容，我和我妻子对我的孩子无比的骄傲。
其实，简简单单和家人在一起是我一生中最最满足最最开心的事情。尽管在政坛中我有一个令人向往的职业生涯，但我从来没有把我自己当做是一个职业政客，我当然也从来没有想过我的成功是可以用我在政坛中的时间来衡量的。
国家党是伟大的，Bill English（新西兰副总理，财务部长）告诉我，在我们执政下的国家党是他见过最团结的，我也非常感激在当选总理八年之后我的民意支持率依然保持很高。我坚信在下次的选举中我们国家党依然能够胜出。
如果你问我我是否要继续参选第四届总理，我会真诚和直接地告诉你，不会。我也相信，如果理由充分，处理的好的话，领导的更迭是对整个政坛有利的。基于以上事实，我今天告诉我的同事我将辞去我新西兰总理和国家党党魁的职务。预期在12月12日国家党举行特别会议从中选取新的领导人，那天我也会递上我的辞呈。
这是我人生中做过最艰难地决定。我现在也不知道我将来有什么打算，我只知道现在正是我离开的时候。这给我们国家党在下次大选之前有足够的时间去选出一个有经济头脑，对社会最底层有奉献精神的，有足够能力让新西兰人走在世界前列的新国家党领导人。
我可以很简单地说做这个决定仅仅是因为我个人和家庭，但不全是，这只是其中一个原因。在这么多年里，我看到过很多和我在类似岗位上的领导人难以做出同样的选择，我知道为什么不能，因为这是一个让人难舍的工作。
但是，对于我和国家党，这都是一个我离开的好时候。国家党人才济济而且有很多支持，我的同事有足够的能力和意愿去服务社会。我很自豪我把国家党建设成为一个有能力，有奉献精神和团结的国家党，这对国家党下一任领导人无疑是一笔丰厚的遗产。
我接受了这个总理的挑战，下一任总理也会。不可避免地，他们会有自己的个性，重点和优先级别，他们也会把这些用在自己执政的时候，但这都是一个过程可以使一个长期当政的政府来保持敏捷。对于我来说，我很自信我们培养了大批领导人可以胜任总理这个职位。
如果被问及我在12日时会选谁，我会回答，谁当选我都会支持，但如果BillEnglish参选，我将选他。十年了，Bill和我一直一起共事，我见证了他的领导才华，他的工作能力，他对经济形势的把握，对变化的迅速应对，最重要的是，他是一个好丈夫，好父亲，好朋友，好同事还是一位好政客。我相信从担任国家党领导人之后的Bill已经快速成长，我相信国家党在Bill的带领下能够赢得2017年大选的胜利。
现在不是时候感谢那些在这十年中帮助过我的人，但我要深深感谢我的妻子，女儿和儿子，他们为了我的工作牺牲太多。另外，如果没有一些有智慧和奉献精神的人帮助，我想没有人能在这个位置上取得成功，我想感谢Bill，还有我身边同事他们的忠诚和正能量，当然，还有由Wayne领导的工作人员，他们给我做的已经大大超过了我的希望和预期。我要感谢ACT，UnitedFuture和Maori党的支持和帮助，没有他们，也就没有这个稳定的政府，我坚信我的继承者也将会把这层关系建立好。最后，我诚挚地感谢支持我的Helensville的人民和新西兰大众，感谢你们的信任和鼓励，我很荣幸在这几年里服务你们。
我认为检验一个总理是否成功那就可以看他离开的时候国家的样子是否比他就职的时候好，对于我作为总理对新西兰做的事情，我想历史会给出一个公正的评价。但就像我说的，我奉献了我的全部，我毫无保留。
最后，为了避免不必要的不方便，我暂时不会离开国会大楼，我将在下次选举前找一个合适的时间辞职。在那一天，我应该是最后一次从这个大楼走过，我很荣幸能在这里享有经历，我希望我也相信在我领导下的新西兰是令人满意的。
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我是槭树街艾林。资料和图片来自网络。
