全文翻譯：
Throughout my professional life, I've tried to maintain a basic level of
privacy.
在我的職業生涯中，我一直試著保有基本的隱私。
I come from humble roots, and I don't seek to draw attention to myself.
我出身低微，不怎麼喜歡受到關注。
Apple is already one of the most closely watched companies in the world, and I
like keeping the focus on our products and the incredible things our customers
achieve with them.
蘋果已經是全世界最受矚目的企業之一了，我希望外界的焦點能集中在我們的產品，還有
我們的客戶透過這些產品達到的美妙成果。
At the same time, I believe deeply in the words of Dr. Martin Luther King, who
said:
同時，我深深相信 馬丁‧路德‧金恩 博士曾說過的話：
「Life's most persistent and urgent question is, 『What are you doing for
others?』
「人生最長久而迫切的問題，是『你為他人做了什麼？』」
I often challenge myself with that question, and I've come to realize that my
desire for personal privacy has been holding me back from doing something more
important.
我經常這樣問自己，然後想通了我想保有個人隱私的意願，阻擋了我去做某些更為重要的
事。
That's what has led me to today.
這就是今天我這麼做的原因。
For years, I've been open with many people about my sexual orientation.
多年來，我曾對許多人坦白我的性向。
Plenty of colleagues at Apple know I'm gay, and it doesn't seem to make a
difference in the way they treat me.
在蘋果很多同事都知道我是同志，他們對待我的方式仍一如既往。
Of course, I've had the good fortune to work at a company that loves creativity
and innovation and knows it can only flourish when you embrace people's
differences.
當然，我很幸運能夠在一家熱愛創意與創新的公司工作，並且明白只有懂得擁抱人們身上
的差異，才能使這樣的精神發光發熱。
Not everyone is so lucky.
並非所有人都這麼幸運。
While I have never denied my sexuality, I haven't publicly acknowledged it
either, until now.
我從未否認過自己的性向，但也不曾公開承認這點，直到現在。
So let me be clear:I'm proud to be gay, and I consider being gay among the
greatest gifts God has given me.
讓我明明白白地坦承：我很驕傲是個同志，我覺得身為同志是上帝賜予我最棒的禮物之一
。
Being gay has given me a deeper understanding of what it means to be in the
minority and provided a window into the challenges that people in other
minority groups deal with every day.
身為同志讓我對於少數群體的感受有了更深的理解，也讓我有機會去瞭解身處其他少數群
體中的人們，在日常生活中所遭遇的挑戰。
It's made me more empathetic, which has led to a richer life.
這令我更能夠感同身受，加深了我人生的厚度。
It's been tough and uncomfortable at times, but it has given me the confidence
to be myself, to follow my own path, and to rise above adversity and bigotry.
雖然有時也會感到辛苦與難過，但這給予我自信去做我自己、走自己的路，克服逆境並無
懼社會的眼光。
It's also given me the skin of a rhinoceros, which comes in handy when you're
the CEO of Apple.
這也讓我不害怕被批評，成為蘋果執行長後這點就派上用場了。
The world has changed so much since I was a kid.
與我童年時相比，世界的變化很大。
America is moving toward marriage equality, and the public figures who have
bravely come out have helped change perceptions and made our culture more
tolerant.
美國開始走向婚姻平權，公眾人物勇敢出櫃協助改變了人們的觀念，使我們的文化變得更
加寬容。
Still, there are laws on the books in a majority of states that allow employers
to fire people based solely on their sexual orientation.
但是大多數州的法律，依然允許企業僅憑性向就能作為開除員工的理由。
There are many places where landlords can evict tenants for being gay, or where
we can be barred from visiting sick partners and sharing in their legacies.
在許多地方，身為同志可能會遭房東驅趕，或被禁止探望生病的夥伴與分享他們的遺產。
Countless people, particularly kids, face fear and abuse every day because of
their sexual orientation.
有無數的人，特別是孩子，只因為他們的性向而每一天都飽受恐懼與欺凌。
I don't consider myself an activist, but I realize how much I've benefited
from the sacrifice of others.
我沒將自己視為一名運動者，但我知道其他人的犧牲換來了我的幸運。
So if hearing that the CEO of Apple is gay can help someone struggling to come
to terms with who he or she is, or bring comfort to anyone who feels alone, or
inspire people to insist on their equality, then it's worth the trade-off with
my own privacy.
所以，如果蘋果的執行長是個同志能有助於任何正苦苦掙扎的人接納他或她自己，能帶給
感到孤單的人安慰，或是能鼓舞堅信他們應享有平等權利的人，那麼這值得用我自身的隱
私來交換。
I'll admit that this wasn't an easy choice.
我得承認，這不是個輕易的選擇。
Privacy remains important to me, and I'd like to hold on to a small amount of
it.
保有隱私對我來說依舊重要，我希望能有小小的保留。
I've made Apple my life's work, and I will continue to spend virtually all of
my waking time focused on being the best CEO I can be.
我已把蘋果當作一生努力的目標，我將繼續把幾乎所有醒著的時間，都專注在盡我所能當
個最好的執行長這件事上。
That's what our employees deserve — and our customers, developers,
shareholders, and supplier partners deserve it, too.
這是我們的員工應得的─還有我們的客戶、開發商、股東與供應夥伴也是。
Part of social progress is understanding that a person is not defined only by
one's sexuality, race, or gender.
明白一個人不能只因為他的性向、種族或性別而被定義，是社會進步的一部分。
I'm an engineer, an uncle, a nature lover, a fitness nut, a son of the South,
a sports fanatic, and many other things.
我是個工程師、叔叔、大自然愛好者、健身狂、南方人、運動迷以及其他種種。
I hope that people will respect my desire to focus on the things I'm best
suited for and the work that brings me joy.
我希望人們尊重我的意願，把注意力放在我最適合並能帶給我快樂的工作上。
The company I am so fortunate to lead has long advocated for human rights and
equality for all.
我有幸帶領的這家公司，長期提倡人權與所有人都享有平等。
We've taken a strong stand in support of a workplace equality bill before
Congress, just as we stood for marriage equality in our home state of
California.
我們在國會面前強烈支持工作場所平等法案，就像我們公司所在的加州支持婚姻平權一
樣。
And we spoke up in Arizona when that state's legislature passed a
discriminatory bill targeting the gay community.
在亞利桑那州通過針對同志社群的歧視性法案時，我也提出抗議。
We'll continue to fight for our values, and I believe that any CEO of this
incredible company, regardless of race, gender, or sexual orientation, would
do the same.
我們將繼續為我們所抱持的價值觀奮鬥，我相信任何擔任這家不可思議公司執行長的人，
無論種族、性別或性向，都會這麼做。
And I will personally continue to advocate for equality for all people until
my toes point up.
我個人也將繼續倡議所有人皆平等，直到身死的那天
When I arrive in my office each morning, I'm greeted by framed photos of Dr.
King and Robert F. Kennedy.
每天早上當我走進我的辦公室，都會看著相框中金恩博士與羅伯特‧甘迺迪的照片。
I don't pretend that writing this puts me in their league.
我不會假裝寫了這篇文章就能讓我足以與他們並列。
All it does is allow me to look at those pictures and know that I'm doing my
part, however small, to help others.
這一切只是讓我能夠看著他們的照片，知道我正在盡自己所能做的努力，無論多微小，去
幫助他人。
We pave the sunlit path toward justice together, brick by brick.
我們一磚一瓦合力築起一條受陽光照耀的道路，通向公理正義。
This is my brick.
這塊磚屬於我。
Tim Cook is the CEO of Apple
※ 引述《Reedred (Reedred)》之銘言：
: 新聞來源: http://goo.gl/5DlGu9
: 因為文章略長，我大概貼一下重點段落，附上一點弱弱的個人中文翻譯。
: Throughout my professional life, I’ve tried to maintain a basic level of privacy. I come from humble roots, and I don’t seek to draw attention to myself. Apple is already one of the most closely watched companies in the world, and I like keeping the focus on our products and the incredible things our customers achieve with them.
: While I have never denied my sexuality, I haven’t publicly acknowledged it either, until now. So let me be clear: I’m proud to be gay, and I consider being gay among the greatest gifts God has given me.
: 我從未否認我的性向，我也從未公開承認，直到現在。讓我現在來說明白：我很驕傲我是Gay，而我相信我是Gay這件事情是上帝賜給我最好的禮物之一。
: So if hearing that the CEO of Apple is gay can help someone struggling to come to terms with who he or she is, or bring comfort to anyone who feels alone, or inspire people to insist on their equality, then it’s worth the trade-off with my own privacy.
: 所以，如果有人聽到，Apple的執行長是Gay，可以幫助他們了解他們是誰，或者讓那些感到寂寞的人感到安心，或能激發人們去堅持種族平等及性別平等，那麼犧牲我個人的隱私就值得了。
: I’ll admit that this wasn’t an easy choice. Privacy remains important to me, and I’d like to hold on to a small amount of it. I’ve made Apple my life’s work, and I will continue to spend virtually all of my waking time focused on being the best CEO I can be.
: 我承認這不是件簡單的決定。我仍十分重視隱私，並希望能繼續保有少部分的隱私權。蘋果是我的人生事業，而我也會盡我所有的時間，及我的能力，做最好的CEO。