第一篇：美國總統(tǒng)奧巴馬對(duì)全美中小學(xué)生的講話

美國總統(tǒng)奧巴馬對(duì)全美中小學(xué)生的講話

Hello, everybody!Thank you.Thank you.Thank you, everybody.All right, everybody go ahead and have a seat.How is everybody doing today?(Applause.)How about Tim Spicer?(Applause.)I am here with students at Wakefield High School in Arlington, Virginia.And we’ve got students tuning in from all across America, from kindergarten through 12th grade.And I am just so glad that all could join us today.And I want to thank Wakefield for being such an outstanding host.Give yourselves a big round of applause.(Applause.)大家好！謝謝你們。謝謝你們。謝謝你們大家。好，大家請(qǐng)就坐。你們今天都好嗎？（掌聲）蒂姆.斯派塞（Tim Spicer）好嗎？（掌聲）我現(xiàn)在與弗吉尼亞州阿靈頓郡韋克菲爾德高中的學(xué)生們?cè)谝黄?。美國各地從小學(xué)預(yù)備班到中學(xué)12年級(jí)的學(xué)生正在收聽收看。我很高興大家今天都能參與。我還要感謝韋克菲爾德高中出色的組織安排。請(qǐng)為你們自己熱烈鼓掌。（掌聲）I know that for many of you, today is the first day of school.And for those of you in kindergarten, or starting middle or high school, it’s your first day in a new school, so it’s understandable if you’re a little nervous.I imagine there are some seniors out there who are feeling pretty good right now--(applause)--with just one more year to go.And no matter what grade you’re in, some of you are probably wishing it were still summer and you could’ve stayed in bed just a little bit longer this morning.我知道，今天是你們很多人開學(xué)的日子。對(duì)于進(jìn)入小學(xué)預(yù)備班、初中或高中的學(xué)生，今天是你們來到新學(xué)校的第一天，心里可能有點(diǎn)緊張，這是可以理解的。我能想象 有些畢業(yè)班學(xué)生現(xiàn)在感覺很不錯(cuò)——（掌聲）——還有一年就畢業(yè)了。不論在哪個(gè)年級(jí)，你們有些人可能希望暑假更長(zhǎng)一點(diǎn)，今天早上還能多睡一小會(huì)兒。

I know that feeling.When I was young, my family lived overseas.I lived in Indonesia for a few years.And my mother, she didn’t have the money to send me where all the American kids went to school, but she thought it was important for me to keep up with an American education.So she decided to teach me extra lessons herself, Monday through Friday.But because she had to go to work, the only time she could do it was at 4:30 in the morning.我了解這種感覺。我小時(shí)候，我們家生活在海外。我在印度尼西亞住了幾年。我媽媽沒有錢送我上其他美國孩子上的學(xué)校，但她認(rèn)為必須讓我接受美式教育。因此，她決定從周一到周五自己給我補(bǔ)課。不過她還要上班，所以只能在清晨四點(diǎn)半給我上課。

Now, as you might imagine, I wasn’t too happy about getting up that early.And a lot of times, I’d fall asleep right there at the kitchen table.But whenever I’d complain, my mother would just give me one of those looks and she’d say, “This is no picnic for me either, buster.”(Laughter.)

你們可以想見，我不太情愿那么早起床。有很多次，我趴在餐桌上就睡著了。但每當(dāng)我抱怨的時(shí)候，我媽媽都會(huì)那樣地看我一眼，然后說：“小子，這對(duì)我也并不輕松?！保ㄐβ暎?/p>

So I know that some of you are still adjusting to being back at school.But I’m here today because I have something important to discuss with you.I’m here because I want to talk with you about your education and what’s expected of all of you in this new school year.我知道你們有些人還在適應(yīng)開學(xué)后的生活。但我今天來到這里是因?yàn)橛兄匾氖虑橐湍銈冋f。我來這里是要和你們談?wù)勀銈兊慕逃龁栴}，以及在這個(gè)新學(xué)年對(duì)你們所有人的期望。Now, I’ve given a lot of speeches about education.And I’ve talked about responsibility a lot.我做過很多次有關(guān)教育問題的演講。我多次談到過責(zé)任問題。

I’ve talked about teachers’ responsibility for inspiring students and pushing you to learn.我談到過教師激勵(lì)學(xué)生并督促他們學(xué)習(xí)的責(zé)任。

I’ve talked about your parents’ responsibility for making sure you stay on track, and you get your homework done, and don’t spend every waking hour in front of the TV or with the Xbox.我談到過家長(zhǎng)的責(zé)任，要確保你們走正路，完成家庭作業(yè)，不要整天坐在電視前或玩Xbox游戲。I’ve talked a lot about your government’s responsibility for setting high standards, and supporting teachers and principals, and turning around schools that aren’t working, where students aren’t getting the opportunities that they deserve.我多次談到過政府的責(zé)任，要制定高標(biāo)準(zhǔn)，支持教師和校長(zhǎng)的工作，徹底改善不能為學(xué)生提供應(yīng)有機(jī)會(huì)的、教育質(zhì)量差的學(xué)校。

But at the end of the day, we can have the most dedicated teachers, the most supportive parents, the best schools in the world--and none of it will make a difference, none of it will matter unless all of you fulfill your responsibilities, unless you show up to those schools, unless you pay attention to those teachers, unless you listen to your parents and grandparents and other adults and put in the hard work it takes to succeed.That’s what I want to focus on today: the responsibility each of you has for your education.然而，即使我們擁有最敬業(yè)的教師，最盡力的家長(zhǎng)和全世界最好的學(xué)?！绻銈兇蠹也宦男心銈兊呢?zé)任，不到校上課，不專心聽講，不聽家長(zhǎng)、祖父祖母和其他大 人的話，不付出取得成功所必須的勤奮努力，那么這一切都毫無用處，都無關(guān)緊要。這就是我今天講話的重點(diǎn)：你們每個(gè)人對(duì)自己的教育應(yīng)盡的責(zé)任。

I want to start with the responsibility you have to yourself.Every single one of you has something that you’re good at.Every single one of you has something to offer.And you have a responsibility to yourself to discover what that is.That’s the opportunity an education can provide.我首先要講講你們對(duì)自己應(yīng)盡的責(zé)任。你們每個(gè)人都有自己的長(zhǎng)處。你們每個(gè)人都能做出自己的貢獻(xiàn)。你們對(duì)自己應(yīng)盡的責(zé)任是發(fā)現(xiàn)自己的能力所在。而教育能夠提供這樣的機(jī)會(huì)。

Maybe you could be a great writer--maybe even good enough to write a book or articles in a newspaper--but you might not know it until you write that English paper--that English class paper that’s assigned to you.Maybe you could be an innovator or an inventor--maybe even good enough to come up with the next iPhone or the new medicine or vaccine--but you might not know it until you do your project for your science class.Maybe you could be a mayor or a senator or a Supreme Court justice--but you might not know that until you join student government or the debate team.你或許能成為一名出色的作家——甚至可能寫書或在報(bào)紙上發(fā)表文章——但你可能要在完成那篇英文課的作文后才會(huì)發(fā)現(xiàn)自己的才華。你或許能成為一名創(chuàng)新者或發(fā)明家——甚至可能設(shè)計(jì)出新一代iPhone或研制出新型藥物或疫苗——但你可能要在完成科學(xué)課的實(shí)驗(yàn)后才會(huì)發(fā)現(xiàn)自己的才華。你或許能成為一名市長(zhǎng)或參議員或最高法院的大法官——但你可能要在參加學(xué)生會(huì)的工作或辯論隊(duì)后才會(huì)發(fā)現(xiàn)自己的才華。

And no matter what you want to do with your life, I guarantee that you’ll need an education to do it.You want to be a doctor, or a teacher, or a police officer? You want to be a nurse or an architect, a lawyer or a member of our military? You’re going to need a good education for every single one of those careers.You cannot drop out of school and just drop into a good job.You’ve got to train for it and work for it and learn for it.不論你的生活志向是什么，我敢肯定你必須上學(xué)讀書才能實(shí)現(xiàn)它。你想當(dāng)醫(yī)生、教師或警官嗎？你想當(dāng)護(hù)士、建筑師、律師或軍人嗎？你必須接受良好的教育，才能從事上述任何一種職業(yè)。你不能指望輟學(xué)后能碰上個(gè)好工作。你必須接受培訓(xùn)，為之努力，為之學(xué)習(xí)。

And this isn’t just important for your own life and your own future.What you make of your education will decide nothing less than the future of this country.The future of America depends on you.What you’re learning in school today will determine whether we as a nation can meet our greatest challenges in the future.這并非只對(duì)你個(gè)人的人生和未來意義重大?？梢院敛豢浯蟮卣f，教育給你帶來的益處將決定這個(gè)國家的未來。美國的未來取決于你們。你們今日在校學(xué)習(xí)的知識(shí)將決定我們作為一個(gè)國家是否能夠迎接我們未來所面臨的最嚴(yán)峻挑戰(zhàn)。

第二篇：美國總統(tǒng)奧巴馬對(duì)全美中小學(xué)生的講話

Hello, everybody!Thank you.Thank you.Thank you, everybody.All right, everybody go ahead and have a seat.How is everybody doing today?(Applause.)How about Tim Spicer?(Applause.)I am here with students at Wakefield High School in Arlington, Virginia.And we've got students tuning in from all across America, from kindergarten through 12th grade.And I am just so glad that all could join us today.And I want to thank Wakefield for being such an outstanding host.Give yourselves a big round of applause.(Applause.)

大家好！謝謝你們。謝謝你們。謝謝你們大家。好，大家請(qǐng)就坐。你們今天都好嗎？（掌聲）蒂姆.斯派塞（Tim Spicer）好嗎？（掌聲）我現(xiàn)在與弗吉尼亞州阿靈頓郡韋克菲爾德高中的學(xué)生們?cè)谝黄?。美國各地從小學(xué)預(yù)備班到中學(xué)12年級(jí)的學(xué)生正在收聽收看。我很高興大家今天都能參與。我還要感謝韋克菲爾德高中出色的組織安排。請(qǐng)為你們自己熱烈鼓掌。（掌聲）

I know that for many of you, today is the first day of school.And for those of you in kindergarten, or starting middle or high school, it's your first day in a new school, so it's understandable if you're a little nervous.I imagine there are some seniors out there who are feeling pretty good right now--(applause)--with just one more year to go.And no matter what grade you're in, some of you are probably wishing it were still summer and you could've stayed in bed just a little bit longer this morning.1 / 36

我知道，今天是你們很多人開學(xué)的日子。對(duì)于進(jìn)入小學(xué)預(yù)備班、初中或高中的學(xué)生，今天是你們來到新學(xué)校的第一天，心里可能有點(diǎn)緊張，這是可以理解的。我能想象 有些畢業(yè)班學(xué)生現(xiàn)在感覺很不錯(cuò)——（掌聲）——還有一年就畢業(yè)了。不論在哪個(gè)年級(jí)，你們有些人可能希望暑假更長(zhǎng)一點(diǎn)，今天早上還能多睡一小會(huì)兒。

I know that feeling.When I was young, my family lived overseas.I lived in Indonesia for a few years.And my mother, she didn't have the money to send me where all the American kids went to school, but she thought it was important for me to keep up with an American education.So she decided to teach me extra lessons herself, Monday through Friday.But because she had to go to work, the only time she could do it was at 4:30 in the morning.我了解這種感覺。我小時(shí)候，我們家生活在海外。我在印度尼西亞住了幾年。我媽媽沒有錢送我上其他美國孩子上的學(xué)校，但她認(rèn)為必須讓我接受美式教育。因此，她決定從周一到周五自己給我補(bǔ)課。不過她還要上班，所以只能在清晨四點(diǎn)半給我上課。

Now, as you might imagine, I wasn't too happy about getting up that early.And a lot of times, I'd fall asleep right there at the kitchen table.But whenever I'd complain, my mother would just give me one of those looks and she'd say, “This is no picnic for me either, buster.”(Laughter.)

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你們可以想見，我不太情愿那么早起床。有很多次，我趴在餐桌上就睡著了。但每當(dāng)我抱怨的時(shí)候，我媽媽都會(huì)那樣地看我一眼，然后說：“小子，這對(duì)我也并不輕松?！保ㄐβ暎?/p>

So I know that some of you are still adjusting to being back at school.But I'm here today because I have something important to discuss with you.I'm here because I want to talk with you about your education and what's expected of all of you in this new school year.我知道你們有些人還在適應(yīng)開學(xué)后的生活。但我今天來到這里是因?yàn)橛兄匾氖虑橐湍銈冋f。我來這里是要和你們談?wù)勀銈兊慕逃龁栴}，以及在這個(gè)新學(xué)年對(duì)你們所有人的期望。

Now, I've given a lot of speeches about education.And I've talked about responsibility a lot.我做過很多次有關(guān)教育問題的演講。我多次談到過責(zé)任問題。

I've talked about teachers' responsibility for inspiring students and pushing you to learn.3 / 36

我談到過教師激勵(lì)學(xué)生并督促他們學(xué)習(xí)的責(zé)任。

I've talked about your parents' responsibility for making sure you stay on track, and you get your homework done, and don't spend every waking hour in front of the TV or with the Xbox.我談到過家長(zhǎng)的責(zé)任，要確保你們走正路，完成家庭作業(yè)，不要整天坐在電視前或玩Xbox游戲。

I've talked a lot about your government's responsibility for setting high standards, and supporting teachers and principals, and turning around schools that aren't working, where students aren't getting the opportunities that they deserve.我多次談到過政府的責(zé)任，要制定高標(biāo)準(zhǔn)，支持教師和校長(zhǎng)的工作，徹底改善不能為學(xué)生提供應(yīng)有機(jī)會(huì)的、教育質(zhì)量差的學(xué)校。

But at the end of the day, we can have the most dedicated teachers, the most supportive parents, the best schools in the world--and none of it will make a difference, none of it will matter unless all of you fulfill your responsibilities, unless you show up to those schools, unless you pay attention to those teachers, unless you listen to your parents and grandparents and other adults and put in the hard work it takes to succeed.That's what I want to focus on today: the

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responsibility each of you has for your education.然而，即使我們擁有最敬業(yè)的教師，最盡力的家長(zhǎng)和全世界最好的學(xué)?！绻銈兇蠹也宦男心銈兊呢?zé)任，不到校上課，不專心聽講，不聽家長(zhǎng)、祖父祖母和其他大 人的話，不付出取得成功所必須的勤奮努力，那么這一切都毫無用處，都無關(guān)緊要。這就是我今天講話的重點(diǎn)：你們每個(gè)人對(duì)自己的教育應(yīng)盡的責(zé)任。

I want to start with the responsibility you have to yourself.Every single one of you has something that you're good at.Every single one of you has something to offer.And you have a responsibility to yourself to discover what that is.That's the opportunity an education can provide.我首先要講講你們對(duì)自己應(yīng)盡的責(zé)任。你們每個(gè)人都有自己的長(zhǎng)處。你們每個(gè)人都能做出自己的貢獻(xiàn)。你們對(duì)自己應(yīng)盡的責(zé)任是發(fā)現(xiàn)自己的能力所在。而教育能夠提供這樣的機(jī)會(huì)。

Maybe you could be a great writer--maybe even good enough to write a book or articles in a newspaper--but you might not know it until you write that English paper--that English class paper that's assigned to you.Maybe you could be an innovator or an inventor--maybe even good enough to come up with the next iPhone or the new medicine or vaccine--but you might not know it until you

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do your project for your science class.Maybe you could be a mayor or a senator or a Supreme Court justice--but you might not know that until you join student government or the debate team.你或許能成為一名出色的作家——甚至可能寫書或在報(bào)紙上發(fā)表文章——但你可能要在完成那篇英文課的作文后才會(huì)發(fā)現(xiàn)自己的才華。你或許能成為一名創(chuàng)新者或發(fā)明家——甚至可能設(shè)計(jì)出新一代iPhone或研制出新型藥物或疫苗——但你可能要在完成科學(xué)課的實(shí)驗(yàn)后才會(huì)發(fā)現(xiàn)自己的才華。你或許能成為一名市長(zhǎng)或參議員或最高法院的大法官——但你可能要在參加學(xué)生會(huì)的工作或辯論隊(duì)后才會(huì)發(fā)現(xiàn)自己的才華。

And no matter what you want to do with your life, I guarantee that you'll need an education to do it.You want to be a doctor, or a teacher, or a police officer? You want to be a nurse or an architect, a lawyer or a member of our military? You're going to need a good education for every single one of those careers.You cannot drop out of school and just drop into a good job.You've got to train for it and work for it and learn for it.不論你的生活志向是什么，我敢肯定你必須上學(xué)讀書才能實(shí)現(xiàn)它。你想當(dāng)醫(yī)生、教師或警官嗎？你想當(dāng)護(hù)士、建筑師、律師或軍人嗎？你必須接受良好的教育，才能從事上述任何一種職業(yè)。你不能指望輟學(xué)后能碰上個(gè)好工作。你必須接受培訓(xùn)，為之努力，為之學(xué)習(xí)。

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And this isn't just important for your own life and your own future.What you make of your education will decide nothing less than the future of this country.The future of America depends on you.What you're learning in school today will determine whether we as a nation can meet our greatest challenges in the future.這并非只對(duì)你個(gè)人的人生和未來意義重大?？梢院敛豢浯蟮卣f，教育給你帶來的益處將決定這個(gè)國家的未來。美國的未來取決于你們。你們今日在校學(xué)習(xí)的知識(shí)將決定我們作為一個(gè)國家是否能夠迎接我們未來所面臨的最嚴(yán)峻挑戰(zhàn)。

You'll need the knowledge and problem-solving skills you learn in science and math to cure diseases like cancer and AIDS, and to develop new energy technologies and protect our environment.You'll need the insights and critical-thinking skills you gain in history and social studies to fight poverty and homelessness, crime and discrimination, and make our nation more fair and more free.You'll need the creativity and ingenuity you develop in all your classes to build new companies that will create new jobs and boost our economy.你們將需要利用你們通過自然科學(xué)和數(shù)學(xué)課程所學(xué)到的知識(shí)和解決問題的能力來治愈癌癥、艾滋病及其他疾病，開發(fā)新的能源技術(shù)和保護(hù)我們的環(huán)境。你們將需要利用 你們?cè)跉v史學(xué)和社會(huì)學(xué)課堂上所獲得的知識(shí)和獨(dú)立思考能力來抗擊貧困和解決無家可歸問題，打擊犯罪和消除歧視，使我們的國家

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更公平、更自由。你們將需要利用 你們?cè)谒姓n堂上培養(yǎng)的創(chuàng)造力和智慧來創(chuàng)辦新公司，增加就業(yè)機(jī)會(huì)，振興我們的經(jīng)濟(jì)。

We need every single one of you to develop your talents and your skills and your intellect so you can help us old folks solve our most difficult problems.If you don't do that--if you quit on school--you're not just quitting on yourself, you're quitting on your country.我們需要你們每個(gè)人發(fā)揮你們的聰明才智和技能，以便幫助老一輩人解決我們面臨的最棘手問題。如果你們不這樣做，如果你們輟學(xué)，你們不僅僅是自暴自棄，也是拋棄自己的國家。

Now, I know it's not always easy to do well in school.I know a lot of you have challenges in your lives right now that can make it hard to focus on your schoolwork.我自然知道要做到學(xué)業(yè)優(yōu)秀并非總是易事。我知道你們?cè)S多人在生活中面臨挑戰(zhàn)，難以集中精力從事學(xué)業(yè)。

I get it.I know what it's like.My father left my family when I was two years old, and I was raised by a single mom who had to work and who struggled at times to pay the bills and wasn't always able to give us the things that other kids had.8 / 36

There were times when I missed having a father in my life.There were times when I was lonely and I felt like I didn't fit in.我明白這一點(diǎn)。我有親身感受。兩歲時(shí)，我父親離家而去，我是由一位單親母親撫養(yǎng)成人的，母親不得不工作，并時(shí)常為支付生活費(fèi)用而苦苦掙扎，但有時(shí)仍無法為我們提供其他孩子享有的東西。有時(shí)，我渴望生活中能有一位父親。有時(shí)我感到孤獨(dú)，感到自己不適應(yīng)社會(huì)。

So I wasn't always as focused as I should have been on school, and I did some things I'm not proud of, and I got in more trouble than I should have.And my life could have easily taken a turn for the worse.我并非總是像我應(yīng)該做到的那樣專心學(xué)習(xí)，我也曾做過我如今不能引以為豪的一些事情，我曾惹過不應(yīng)該惹的麻煩。我的人生原本會(huì)輕易陷入更糟糕的境地。

But I was--I was lucky.I got a lot of second chances, and I had the opportunity to go to college and law school and follow my dreams.My wife, our First Lady Michelle Obama, she has a similar story.Neither of her parents had gone to college, and they didn't have a lot of money.But they worked hard, and she worked hard, so that she could go to the best schools in this country.9 / 36

但是，我當(dāng)年際遇不錯(cuò)。我有過許多第二次機(jī)會(huì)，我有幸能上大學(xué)，上法學(xué)院，追求自己的理想。我的妻子，我們的第一夫人米歇爾.奧巴馬，也有著類似的經(jīng)歷。她的父母都未曾上過大學(xué)，家里很窮。但他們非常勤奮，她也是如此，因此她得以進(jìn)入一些美國最好的學(xué)校。

Some of you might not have those advantages.Maybe you don't have adults in your life who give you the support that you need.Maybe someone in your family has lost their job and there's not enough money to go around.Maybe you live in a neighborhood where you don't feel safe, or have friends who are pressuring you to do things you know aren't right.你們中有一些人可能沒有那些有利條件?；蛟S你們生活中沒有成年人為你們提供你們所需要的支持?；蛟S你們家中有人失業(yè)，經(jīng)濟(jì)非常拮據(jù)。或許你們生活在使你們感覺不安全的社區(qū)，或有朋友逼迫你們?nèi)プ瞿銈冎啦粚?duì)的事情。

But at the end of the day, the circumstances of your life--what you look like, where you come from, how much money you have, what you've got going on at home--none of that is an excuse for neglecting your homework or having a bad attitude in school.That's no excuse for talking back to your teacher, or cutting class, or dropping out of school.There is no excuse for not trying.10 / 36

然而說到底，你們生活的環(huán)境、你們的膚色、你們的原籍、你們的經(jīng)濟(jì)收入、你們家中的境況等等，這一切都不能成為你們不用功或不努力的理由。你們沒有理由不服從你們的老師、逃學(xué)、或輟學(xué)。沒有理由不付出努力。

Where you are right now doesn't have to determine where you'll end up.No one's written your destiny for you, because here in America, you write your own destiny.You make your own future.你們目前的狀況并不決定著你們的未來。沒有人決定你們的命運(yùn)，在美國，你們決定自己的命運(yùn)。你們掌握自己的未來。

That's what young people like you are doing every day, all across America.這就是像你們這樣的年輕人每天都在做的事情，全美各地都是如此。

Young people like Jazmin Perez, from Roma, Texas.Jazmin didn't speak English when she first started school.Neither of her parents had gone to college.But she worked hard, earned good grades, and got a scholarship to Brown University--is now in graduate school, studying public health, on her way to becoming Dr.Jazmin Perez.來自得州羅馬城的賈茲敏.佩雷斯（Jazmin Perez）就是一個(gè)例證，她剛開

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始上學(xué)時(shí)并不會(huì)說英文。她的父母都沒有上過大學(xué)。然而，她非常勤奮，成績(jī)優(yōu)秀，獲得了布朗大學(xué)的獎(jiǎng)學(xué)金，她如今正在讀研究生，攻讀公共衛(wèi)生專業(yè)，不久將成為賈茲敏.佩雷斯博士。

I'm thinking about Andoni Schultz, from Los Altos, California, who's fought brain cancer since he was three.He's had to endure all sorts of treatments and surgeries, one of which affected his memory, so it took him much longer--hundreds of extra hours--to do his schoolwork.But he never fell behind.He's headed to college this fall.我想起了加州洛斯阿爾托斯城的安多尼.舒爾茨（Andoni Schultz），他從三歲開始就一直與腦癌進(jìn)行抗?fàn)?，他不得不忍受各類治療和手術(shù)帶來的痛苦，其中一項(xiàng)手術(shù)曾影響了他的記憶，因此他花在功課上的時(shí)間比一般人長(zhǎng)得多，要多出數(shù)百個(gè)小時(shí)。然而，他從未落后。他今年秋季將邁進(jìn)大學(xué)。

And then there's Shantell Steve, from my hometown of Chicago, Illinois.Even when bouncing from foster home to foster home in the toughest neighborhoods in the city, she managed to get a job at a local health care center, start a program to keep young people out of gangs, and she's on track to graduate high school with honors and go on to college.我還想起家鄉(xiāng)伊利諾伊州芝加哥市的尚特爾.史蒂夫（Shantell Steve）。她

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曾在芝加哥最困難的社區(qū)生活，寄養(yǎng)于多個(gè)不同的家庭，但她最終在一家地方醫(yī)療中心找到工作，并開始了一項(xiàng)幫助年輕人遠(yuǎn)離流氓團(tuán)伙的計(jì)劃，她即將以優(yōu)異成績(jī)從中學(xué)畢業(yè)，緊接著將上大學(xué)。

And Jazmin, Andoni, and Shantell aren't any different from any of you.They face challenges in their lives just like you do.In some cases they've got it a lot worse off than many of you.But they refused to give up.They chose to take responsibility for their lives, for their education, and set goals for themselves.And I expect all of you to do the same.賈茲敏、安多尼和尚特爾與你們中間的每個(gè)人沒什么兩樣。跟你們一樣，他們?cè)谏钪忻媾R種種挑戰(zhàn)。在某些情況下，他們的處境比起你們?cè)S多人更差。但他們拒絕放棄。他們決定要為自己的一生、自己的教育負(fù)起責(zé)任，為自己設(shè)定各項(xiàng)奮斗目標(biāo)。我期待你們大家都會(huì)這樣做。

That's why today I'm calling on each of you to set your own goals for your education--and do everything you can to meet them.Your goal can be something as simple as doing all your homework, paying attention in class, or spending some time each day reading a book.Maybe you'll decide to get involved in an extracurricular activity, or volunteer in your community.Maybe you'll decide to stand up for kids who are being teased or bullied because of who they are or how they look, because you believe, like I do, that all young people deserve a safe

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environment to study and learn.Maybe you'll decide to take better care of yourself so you can be more ready to learn.And along those lines, by the way, I hope all of you are washing your hands a lot, and that you stay home from school when you don't feel well, so we can keep people from getting the flu this fall and winter.因此，我今天呼吁你們每一個(gè)人為自己的教育設(shè)定目標(biāo)，并盡自己的最大努力來實(shí)現(xiàn)這些目標(biāo)。你的目標(biāo)可以是一件十分簡(jiǎn)單的事情，例如完成家庭作業(yè)、上課專心聽 講、或每天花一點(diǎn)時(shí)間讀一本書。也許你會(huì)決定要參加課外活動(dòng)或在你的社區(qū)提供志愿服務(wù)。也許你會(huì)決定挺身而出保護(hù)那些因?yàn)樯矸莼蜷L(zhǎng)相而受人戲弄或欺負(fù)的孩子，原因是你和我一樣認(rèn)為所有的年輕人都應(yīng)該享有一個(gè)適合讀書和學(xué)習(xí)的安全環(huán)境。也許你會(huì)決定更好地照料自己，以便有更充沛的精力來學(xué)習(xí)。順便提一下，除 了這些事情外，我希望大家要勤洗手，身體感到不舒服的時(shí)候要呆在家里不去上學(xué)，這樣我們能防止人們?cè)诮衲昵锒竟?jié)染上流感。

But whatever you resolve to do, I want you to commit to it.I want you to really work at it.但無論你決定做什么，我希望你保證去做。我希望你腳踏實(shí)地地去做。I know that sometimes you get that sense from TV that you can be rich and successful without any hard work--that your ticket to success is through rapping or basketball or being a reality TV star.Chances are you're not going to be any of

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those things.我知道有時(shí)候你會(huì)從電視上得到這樣的印象：你不用做任何艱苦的工作就能發(fā)財(cái)致富并取得成功，唱小調(diào)、打籃球或成為真人秀明星是走向成功的途徑。但實(shí)際情況是：你可能不會(huì)成為其中的一員。

The truth is, being successful is hard.You won't love every subject that you study.You won't click with every teacher that you have.Not every homework assignment will seem completely relevant to your life right at this minute.And you won't necessarily succeed at everything the first time you try.事實(shí)上，取得成功不是輕而易舉的事情。你不會(huì)喜歡你學(xué)習(xí)的每一門課目。你不會(huì)與你的每一位老師都很投契。不是所有的家庭作業(yè)似乎都與你眼前的生活完全有關(guān)。你第一次嘗試做每件事的時(shí)候，不一定成功。

That's okay.Some of the most successful people in the world are the ones who've had the most failures.J.K.Rowling's--who wrote Harry Potter--her first Harry Potter book was rejected 12 times before it was finally published.Michael Jordan was cut from his high school basketball team.He lost hundreds of games and missed thousands of shots during his career.But he once said, “I have failed over and over and over again in my life.And that's why I succeed.”

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這些都沒關(guān)系。世界上最成功的人士中有一些是遭遇失敗最多的人。作者J.K.羅琳（J.K.Rowling）所寫的系列小說《哈利.波特》（Harry Potter）第一部在獲得出版之前被退稿12次。邁克爾.喬丹（Michael Jordan）曾被他的高中籃球隊(duì)除名。在喬丹的籃球生涯中，他輸過數(shù)百場(chǎng)比賽，有成千上萬個(gè)球沒有投中。但他曾說過：“在我的一生中，我失敗了一次又一次、一次又一次。這就是我成功的原因。”

These people succeeded because they understood that you can't let your failures define you--you have to let your failures teach you.You have to let them show you what to do differently the next time.So if you get into trouble, that doesn't mean you're a troublemaker, it means you need to try harder to act right.If you get a bad grade, that doesn't mean you're stupid, it just means you need to spend more time studying.這些人士獲得成功，因?yàn)樗麄兌茫耗悴荒茏屖硐拗颇?，而必須讓失敗來開導(dǎo)你。你必須讓失敗向你展示下次如何以不同的方式去做這件事情。因此，如果你遇到 麻煩，那并不表示你是麻煩的制造者，而意味著你需要更加努力去把它做對(duì)。如果你有一門課分?jǐn)?shù)低，那不表示你比別人笨，而只表示你需要花更多的時(shí)間學(xué)習(xí)。

No one's born being good at all things.You become good at things through hard work.You're not a varsity athlete the first time you play a new sport.You

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don't hit every note the first time you sing a song.You've got to practice.The same principle applies to your schoolwork.You might have to do a math problem a few times before you get it right.You might have to read something a few times before you understand it.You definitely have to do a few drafts of a paper before it's good enough to hand in.沒有一個(gè)人天生擅長(zhǎng)做各種事情。你通過勤奮而變得擅長(zhǎng)于各種事情。第一次從事新的體育項(xiàng)目時(shí)，你不可能是一位主力隊(duì)員。第一次唱一首歌曲時(shí)，你不可能唱準(zhǔn)每 個(gè)音。你必須練習(xí)。同樣的道理適用于你的學(xué)業(yè)。你可能要把一道數(shù)學(xué)題做幾次才把它做對(duì)。你可能要把一些材料閱讀幾遍才能理解。在交出一篇優(yōu)美的作文之前，你肯定需要打幾遍草稿。

Don't be afraid to ask questions.Don't be afraid to ask for help when you need it.I do that every day.Asking for help isn't a sign of weakness, it's a sign of strength because it shows you have the courage to admit when you don't know something, and that then allows you to learn something new.So find an adult that you trust--a parent, a grandparent or teacher, a coach or a counselor--and ask them to help you stay on track to meet your goals.不要害怕提問。不要在需要幫助時(shí)害怕請(qǐng)求別人幫助。我天天請(qǐng)求別人的幫助。請(qǐng)求幫助不是軟弱的表現(xiàn)，它是力量的標(biāo)志，因?yàn)樗砻髂阌杏職獬姓J(rèn)自己對(duì)某些事情 不懂，這樣做會(huì)使你學(xué)到新的東西。因此，請(qǐng)確定一位

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你信任的成年人，例如家長(zhǎng)、祖父母或老師、教練或輔導(dǎo)員，請(qǐng)他們幫助你遵循既定計(jì)劃實(shí)現(xiàn)你的目標(biāo)。

And even when you're struggling, even when you're discouraged, and you feel like other people have given up on you, don't ever give up on yourself, because when you give up on yourself, you give up on your country.即使當(dāng)你苦苦掙扎、灰心喪氣、感到其他人對(duì)你不抱希望時(shí)，也不要對(duì)你自己?jiǎn)适判?，因?yàn)楫?dāng)你自暴自棄時(shí)，你也拋棄了自己的國家。

The story of America isn't about people who quit when things got tough.It's about people who kept going, who tried harder, who loved their country too much to do anything less than their best.書寫美國歷史的不是在困難時(shí)刻退縮的人，而是堅(jiān)持不懈、加倍努力的人，他們對(duì)國家的愛促使他們?nèi)σ愿啊?/p>

It's the story of students who sat where you sit 250 years ago, and went on to wage a revolution and they founded this nation.Young people.Students who sat where you sit 75 years ago who overcame a Depression and won a world war;who fought for civil rights and put a man on the moon.Students who sat where you sit 20 years ago who founded Google and Twitter and Facebook and changed the way

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we communicate with each other.書寫美國歷史的是250年前坐在你們的位置上的學(xué)生，他們后來進(jìn)行了獨(dú)立戰(zhàn)爭(zhēng)并創(chuàng)建了這個(gè)國家。還有75年前坐在你們的位置上的年輕人和學(xué)生，他們走出了大蕭條并打贏了一場(chǎng)世界大戰(zhàn)；他們?yōu)槊駲?quán)而奮斗并把宇航員送上了月球。至于20年前坐在你們的位置上的學(xué)生，他們創(chuàng)辦了谷歌（Google）、嘰喳網(wǎng)（Twitter）和臉譜網(wǎng)（Facebook），改變了我們交流溝通的方式。

So today, I want to ask all of you, what's your contribution going to be? What problems are you going to solve? What discoveries will you make? What will a President who comes here in 20 or 50 or 100 years say about what all of you did for this country?

而今天，我要問問你們大家，你們將做出什么貢獻(xiàn)？你們將解決什么問題？你們將有什么發(fā)現(xiàn)？20年、50年或100年后來到這里講話的總統(tǒng)將會(huì)怎樣評(píng)價(jià)你們大家為這個(gè)國家所做的一切？

Now, your families, your teachers, and I are doing everything we can to make sure you have the education you need to answer these questions.I'm working hard to fix up your classrooms and get you the books and the equipment and the computers you need to learn.But you've got to do your part, too.So I expect all of you to get serious this year.I expect you to put your best effort into everything you

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do.I expect great things from each of you.So don't let us down.Don't let your family down or your country down.Most of all, don't let yourself down.Make us all proud.你們的家人、你們的老師和我正在竭盡全力保證你們接受必要的教育，以便回答上述問題。我正在努力工作，以便你們的教室得到修繕，你們能夠得到學(xué)習(xí)所需的課 本、設(shè)備和電腦。但你們也必須盡自己的努力。因此，我希望你們大家從今年起認(rèn)真對(duì)待這個(gè)問題。我希望你們盡最大努力做好每一件事。我希望你們每個(gè)人都有出 色的表現(xiàn)。不要讓我們失望。不要讓你們的家人或你們的國家失望。而最重要的是，不要辜負(fù)你們自己，而要讓我們都能[為你們]感到驕傲。

Thank you very much, everybody.God bless you.God bless America.Thank you.(Applause.)

非常感謝你們大家。愿主保佑你們。愿主保佑美國。謝謝你們。（掌聲）

But at the end of the day, we can have the most dedicated teachers, the most supportive parents, the best schools in the world--and none of it will make a difference, none of it will matter unless all of you fulfill your responsibilities, unless you show up to those schools, unless you pay attention to those teachers, unless you listen to your parents and grandparents and other adults and put in the

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hard work it takes to succeed.That's what I want to focus on today: the responsibility each of you has for your education.然而，即使我們擁有最敬業(yè)的教師，最盡力的家長(zhǎng)和全世界最好的學(xué)?！绻銈兇蠹也宦男心銈兊呢?zé)任，不到校上課，不專心聽講，不聽家長(zhǎng)、祖父祖母和其他大 人的話，不付出取得成功所必須的勤奮努力，那么這一切都毫無用處，都無關(guān)緊要。這就是我今天講話的重點(diǎn)：你們每個(gè)人對(duì)自己的教育應(yīng)盡的責(zé)任。

I want to start with the responsibility you have to yourself.Every single one of you has something that you're good at.Every single one of you has something to offer.And you have a responsibility to yourself to discover what that is.That's the opportunity an education can provide.我首先要講講你們對(duì)自己應(yīng)盡的責(zé)任。你們每個(gè)人都有自己的長(zhǎng)處。你們每個(gè)人都能做出自己的貢獻(xiàn)。你們對(duì)自己應(yīng)盡的責(zé)任是發(fā)現(xiàn)自己的能力所在。而教育能夠提供這樣的機(jī)會(huì)。

Maybe you could be a great writer--maybe even good enough to write a book or articles in a newspaper--but you might not know it until you write that English paper--that English class paper that's assigned to you.Maybe you could be an innovator or an inventor--maybe even good enough to come up with the

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next iPhone or the new medicine or vaccine--but you might not know it until you do your project for your science class.Maybe you could be a mayor or a senator or a Supreme Court justice--but you might not know that until you join student government or the debate team.你或許能成為一名出色的作家——甚至可能寫書或在報(bào)紙上發(fā)表文章——但你可能要在完成那篇英文課的作文后才會(huì)發(fā)現(xiàn)自己的才華。你或許能成為一名創(chuàng)新者或發(fā)明家——甚至可能設(shè)計(jì)出新一代iPhone或研制出新型藥物或疫苗——但你可能要在完成科學(xué)課的實(shí)驗(yàn)后才會(huì)發(fā)現(xiàn)自己的才華。你或許能成為一名市長(zhǎng)或參議員或最高法院的大法官——但你可能要在參加學(xué)生會(huì)的工作或辯論隊(duì)后才會(huì)發(fā)現(xiàn)自己的才華。

And no matter what you want to do with your life, I guarantee that you'll need an education to do it.You want to be a doctor, or a teacher, or a police officer? You want to be a nurse or an architect, a lawyer or a member of our military? You're going to need a good education for every single one of those careers.You cannot drop out of school and just drop into a good job.You've got to train for it and work for it and learn for it.不論你的生活志向是什么，我敢肯定你必須上學(xué)讀書才能實(shí)現(xiàn)它。你想當(dāng)醫(yī)生、教師或警官嗎？你想當(dāng)護(hù)士、建筑師、律師或軍人嗎？你必須接受良好的教育，才能從事上述任何一種職業(yè)。你不能指望輟學(xué)后能碰上個(gè)好工

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作。你必須接受培訓(xùn)，為之努力，為之學(xué)習(xí)。

And this isn't just important for your own life and your own future.What you make of your education will decide nothing less than the future of this country.The future of America depends on you.What you're learning in school today will determine whether we as a nation can meet our greatest challenges in the future.這并非只對(duì)你個(gè)人的人生和未來意義重大。可以毫不夸大地說，教育給你帶來的益處將決定這個(gè)國家的未來。美國的未來取決于你們。你們今日在校學(xué)習(xí)的知識(shí)將決定我們作為一個(gè)國家是否能夠迎接我們未來所面臨的最嚴(yán)峻挑戰(zhàn)。

You'll need the knowledge and problem-solving skills you learn in science and math to cure diseases like cancer and AIDS, and to develop new energy technologies and protect our environment.You'll need the insights and critical-thinking skills you gain in history and social studies to fight poverty and homelessness, crime and discrimination, and make our nation more fair and more free.You'll need the creativity and ingenuity you develop in all your classes to build new companies that will create new jobs and boost our economy.你們將需要利用你們通過自然科學(xué)和數(shù)學(xué)課程所學(xué)到的知識(shí)和解決問題的能力來治愈癌癥、艾滋病及其他疾病，開發(fā)新的能源技術(shù)和保護(hù)我們的環(huán)境。你們將需要利用 你們?cè)跉v史學(xué)和社會(huì)學(xué)課堂上所獲得的知識(shí)和獨(dú)立思考

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能力來抗擊貧困和解決無家可歸問題，打擊犯罪和消除歧視，使我們的國家更公平、更自由。你們將需要利用 你們?cè)谒姓n堂上培養(yǎng)的創(chuàng)造力和智慧來創(chuàng)辦新公司，增加就業(yè)機(jī)會(huì)，振興我們的經(jīng)濟(jì)。

We need every single one of you to develop your talents and your skills and your intellect so you can help us old folks solve our most difficult problems.If you don't do that--if you quit on school--you're not just quitting on yourself, you're quitting on your country.我們需要你們每個(gè)人發(fā)揮你們的聰明才智和技能，以便幫助老一輩人解決我們面臨的最棘手問題。如果你們不這樣做，如果你們輟學(xué)，你們不僅僅是自暴自棄，也是拋棄自己的國家。

Now, I know it's not always easy to do well in school.I know a lot of you have challenges in your lives right now that can make it hard to focus on your schoolwork.我自然知道要做到學(xué)業(yè)優(yōu)秀并非總是易事。我知道你們?cè)S多人在生活中面臨挑戰(zhàn)，難以集中精力從事學(xué)業(yè)。

I get it.I know what it's like.My father left my family when I was two years old, and I was raised by a single mom who had to work and who struggled at times

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to pay the bills and wasn't always able to give us the things that other kids had.There were times when I missed having a father in my life.There were times when I was lonely and I felt like I didn't fit in.我明白這一點(diǎn)。我有親身感受。兩歲時(shí)，我父親離家而去，我是由一位單親母親撫養(yǎng)成人的，母親不得不工作，并時(shí)常為支付生活費(fèi)用而苦苦掙扎，但有時(shí)仍無法為我們提供其他孩子享有的東西。有時(shí)，我渴望生活中能有一位父親。有時(shí)我感到孤獨(dú)，感到自己不適應(yīng)社會(huì)。

So I wasn't always as focused as I should have been on school, and I did some things I'm not proud of, and I got in more trouble than I should have.And my life could have easily taken a turn for the worse.我并非總是像我應(yīng)該做到的那樣專心學(xué)習(xí)，我也曾做過我如今不能引以為豪的一些事情，我曾惹過不應(yīng)該惹的麻煩。我的人生原本會(huì)輕易陷入更糟糕的境地。

But I was--I was lucky.I got a lot of second chances, and I had the opportunity to go to college and law school and follow my dreams.My wife, our First Lady Michelle Obama, she has a similar story.Neither of her parents had gone to college, and they didn't have a lot of money.But they worked hard, and she worked hard, so that she could go to the best schools in this country.25 / 36

但是，我當(dāng)年際遇不錯(cuò)。我有過許多第二次機(jī)會(huì)，我有幸能上大學(xué)，上法學(xué)院，追求自己的理想。我的妻子，我們的第一夫人米歇爾.奧巴馬，也有著類似的經(jīng)歷。她的父母都未曾上過大學(xué)，家里很窮。但他們非常勤奮，她也是如此，因此她得以進(jìn)入一些美國最好的學(xué)校。

Some of you might not have those advantages.Maybe you don't have adults in your life who give you the support that you need.Maybe someone in your family has lost their job and there's not enough money to go around.Maybe you live in a neighborhood where you don't feel safe, or have friends who are pressuring you to do things you know aren't right.你們中有一些人可能沒有那些有利條件?；蛟S你們生活中沒有成年人為你們提供你們所需要的支持?；蛟S你們家中有人失業(yè)，經(jīng)濟(jì)非常拮據(jù)。或許你們生活在使你們感覺不安全的社區(qū)，或有朋友逼迫你們?nèi)プ瞿銈冎啦粚?duì)的事情。

But at the end of the day, the circumstances of your life--what you look like, where you come from, how much money you have, what you've got going on at home--none of that is an excuse for neglecting your homework or having a bad attitude in school.That's no excuse for talking back to your teacher, or cutting class, or dropping out of school.There is no excuse for not trying.26 / 36

然而說到底，你們生活的環(huán)境、你們的膚色、你們的原籍、你們的經(jīng)濟(jì)收入、你們家中的境況等等，這一切都不能成為你們不用功或不努力的理由。你們沒有理由不服從你們的老師、逃學(xué)、或輟學(xué)。沒有理由不付出努力。

Where you are right now doesn't have to determine where you'll end up.No one's written your destiny for you, because here in America, you write your own destiny.You make your own future.你們目前的狀況并不決定著你們的未來。沒有人決定你們的命運(yùn)，在美國，你們決定自己的命運(yùn)。你們掌握自己的未來。

That's what young people like you are doing every day, all across America.這就是像你們這樣的年輕人每天都在做的事情，全美各地都是如此。

Young people like Jazmin Perez, from Roma, Texas.Jazmin didn't speak English when she first started school.Neither of her parents had gone to college.But she worked hard, earned good grades, and got a scholarship to Brown University--is now in graduate school, studying public health, on her way to becoming Dr.Jazmin Perez.27 / 36

來自得州羅馬城的賈茲敏.佩雷斯（Jazmin Perez）就是一個(gè)例證，她剛開始上學(xué)時(shí)并不會(huì)說英文。她的父母都沒有上過大學(xué)。然而，她非常勤奮，成績(jī)優(yōu)秀，獲得了布朗大學(xué)的獎(jiǎng)學(xué)金，她如今正在讀研究生，攻讀公共衛(wèi)生專業(yè)，不久將成為賈茲敏.佩雷斯博士。

I'm thinking about Andoni Schultz, from Los Altos, California, who's fought brain cancer since he was three.He's had to endure all sorts of treatments and surgeries, one of which affected his memory, so it took him much longer--hundreds of extra hours--to do his schoolwork.But he never fell behind.He's headed to college this fall.我想起了加州洛斯阿爾托斯城的安多尼.舒爾茨（Andoni Schultz），他從三歲開始就一直與腦癌進(jìn)行抗?fàn)?，他不得不忍受各類治療和手術(shù)帶來的痛苦，其中一項(xiàng)手術(shù)曾影響了他的記憶，因此他花在功課上的時(shí)間比一般人長(zhǎng)得多，要多出數(shù)百個(gè)小時(shí)。然而，他從未落后。他今年秋季將邁進(jìn)大學(xué)。

And then there's Shantell Steve, from my hometown of Chicago, Illinois.Even when bouncing from foster home to foster home in the toughest neighborhoods in the city, she managed to get a job at a local health care center, start a program to keep young people out of gangs, and she's on track to graduate high school with honors and go on to college.28 / 36

我還想起家鄉(xiāng)伊利諾伊州芝加哥市的尚特爾.史蒂夫（Shantell Steve）。她曾在芝加哥最困難的社區(qū)生活，寄養(yǎng)于多個(gè)不同的家庭，但她最終在一家地方醫(yī)療中心找到工作，并開始了一項(xiàng)幫助年輕人遠(yuǎn)離流氓團(tuán)伙的計(jì)劃，她即將以優(yōu)異成績(jī)從中學(xué)畢業(yè)，緊接著將上大學(xué)。

And Jazmin, Andoni, and Shantell aren't any different from any of you.They face challenges in their lives just like you do.In some cases they've got it a lot worse off than many of you.But they refused to give up.They chose to take responsibility for their lives, for their education, and set goals for themselves.And I expect all of you to do the same.賈茲敏、安多尼和尚特爾與你們中間的每個(gè)人沒什么兩樣。跟你們一樣，他們?cè)谏钪忻媾R種種挑戰(zhàn)。在某些情況下，他們的處境比起你們?cè)S多人更差。但他們拒絕放棄。他們決定要為自己的一生、自己的教育負(fù)起責(zé)任，為自己設(shè)定各項(xiàng)奮斗目標(biāo)。我期待你們大家都會(huì)這樣做。

That's why today I'm calling on each of you to set your own goals for your education--and do everything you can to meet them.Your goal can be something as simple as doing all your homework, paying attention in class, or spending some time each day reading a book.Maybe you'll decide to get involved in an extracurricular activity, or volunteer in your community.Maybe you'll decide to stand up for kids who are being teased or bullied because of who they are or how

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they look, because you believe, like I do, that all young people deserve a safe environment to study and learn.Maybe you'll decide to take better care of yourself so you can be more ready to learn.And along those lines, by the way, I hope all of you are washing your hands a lot, and that you stay home from school when you don't feel well, so we can keep people from getting the flu this fall and winter.因此，我今天呼吁你們每一個(gè)人為自己的教育設(shè)定目標(biāo)，并盡自己的最大努力來實(shí)現(xiàn)這些目標(biāo)。你的目標(biāo)可以是一件十分簡(jiǎn)單的事情，例如完成家庭作業(yè)、上課專心聽 講、或每天花一點(diǎn)時(shí)間讀一本書。也許你會(huì)決定要參加課外活動(dòng)或在你的社區(qū)提供志愿服務(wù)。也許你會(huì)決定挺身而出保護(hù)那些因?yàn)樯矸莼蜷L(zhǎng)相而受人戲弄或欺負(fù)的孩 子，原因是你和我一樣認(rèn)為所有的年輕人都應(yīng)該享有一個(gè)適合讀書和學(xué)習(xí)的安全環(huán)境。也許你會(huì)決定更好地照料自己，以便有更充沛的精力來學(xué)習(xí)。順便提一下，除 了這些事情外，我希望大家要勤洗手，身體感到不舒服的時(shí)候要呆在家里不去上學(xué)，這樣我們能防止人們?cè)诮衲昵锒竟?jié)染上流感。

But whatever you resolve to do, I want you to commit to it.I want you to really work at it.但無論你決定做什么，我希望你保證去做。我希望你腳踏實(shí)地地去做。

I know that sometimes you get that sense from TV that you can be rich and successful without any hard work--that your ticket to success is through rapping

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or basketball or being a reality TV star.Chances are you're not going to be any of those things.我知道有時(shí)候你會(huì)從電視上得到這樣的印象：你不用做任何艱苦的工作就能發(fā)財(cái)致富并取得成功，唱小調(diào)、打籃球或成為真人秀明星是走向成功的途徑。但實(shí)際情況是：你可能不會(huì)成為其中的一員。

The truth is, being successful is hard.You won't love every subject that you study.You won't click with every teacher that you have.Not every homework assignment will seem completely relevant to your life right at this minute.And you won't necessarily succeed at everything the first time you try.事實(shí)上，取得成功不是輕而易舉的事情。你不會(huì)喜歡你學(xué)習(xí)的每一門課目。你不會(huì)與你的每一位老師都很投契。不是所有的家庭作業(yè)似乎都與你眼前的生活完全有關(guān)。你第一次嘗試做每件事的時(shí)候，不一定成功。

That's okay.Some of the most successful people in the world are the ones who've had the most failures.J.K.Rowling's--who wrote Harry Potter--her first Harry Potter book was rejected 12 times before it was finally published.Michael Jordan was cut from his high school basketball team.He lost hundreds of games and missed thousands of shots during his career.But he once said, “I have failed over and over and over again in my life.And that's why I succeed.”

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這些都沒關(guān)系。世界上最成功的人士中有一些是遭遇失敗最多的人。作者J.K.羅琳（J.K.Rowling）所寫的系列小說《哈利.波特》（Harry Potter）第一部在獲得出版之前被退稿12次。邁克爾.喬丹（Michael Jordan）曾被他的高中籃球隊(duì)除名。在喬丹的籃球生涯中，他輸過數(shù)百場(chǎng)比賽，有成千上萬個(gè)球沒有投中。但他曾說過：“在我的一生中，我失敗了一次又一次、一次又一次。這就是我成功的原因。”

These people succeeded because they understood that you can't let your failures define you--you have to let your failures teach you.You have to let them show you what to do differently the next time.So if you get into trouble, that doesn't mean you're a troublemaker, it means you need to try harder to act right.If you get a bad grade, that doesn't mean you're stupid, it just means you need to spend more time studying.這些人士獲得成功，因?yàn)樗麄兌茫耗悴荒茏屖硐拗颇?，而必須讓失敗來開導(dǎo)你。你必須讓失敗向你展示下次如何以不同的方式去做這件事情。因此，如果你遇到 麻煩，那并不表示你是麻煩的制造者，而意味著你需要更加努力去把它做對(duì)。如果你有一門課分?jǐn)?shù)低，那不表示你比別人笨，而只表示你需要花更多的時(shí)間學(xué)習(xí)。

No one's born being good at all things.You become good at things through

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hard work.You're not a varsity athlete the first time you play a new sport.You don't hit every note the first time you sing a song.You've got to practice.The same principle applies to your schoolwork.You might have to do a math problem a few times before you get it right.You might have to read something a few times before you understand it.You definitely have to do a few drafts of a paper before it's good enough to hand in.沒有一個(gè)人天生擅長(zhǎng)做各種事情。你通過勤奮而變得擅長(zhǎng)于各種事情。第一次從事新的體育項(xiàng)目時(shí)，你不可能是一位主力隊(duì)員。第一次唱一首歌曲時(shí)，你不可能唱準(zhǔn)每 個(gè)音。你必須練習(xí)。同樣的道理適用于你的學(xué)業(yè)。你可能要把一道數(shù)學(xué)題做幾次才把它做對(duì)。你可能要把一些材料閱讀幾遍才能理解。在交出一篇優(yōu)美的作文之前，你肯定需要打幾遍草稿。

Don't be afraid to ask questions.Don't be afraid to ask for help when you need it.I do that every day.Asking for help isn't a sign of weakness, it's a sign of strength because it shows you have the courage to admit when you don't know something, and that then allows you to learn something new.So find an adult that you trust--a parent, a grandparent or teacher, a coach or a counselor--and ask them to help you stay on track to meet your goals.不要害怕提問。不要在需要幫助時(shí)害怕請(qǐng)求別人幫助。我天天請(qǐng)求別人的幫助。請(qǐng)求幫助不是軟弱的表現(xiàn)，它是力量的標(biāo)志，因?yàn)樗砻髂阌杏職?/p>

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承認(rèn)自己對(duì)某些事情 不懂，這樣做會(huì)使你學(xué)到新的東西。因此，請(qǐng)確定一位你信任的成年人，例如家長(zhǎng)、祖父母或老師、教練或輔導(dǎo)員，請(qǐng)他們幫助你遵循既定計(jì)劃實(shí)現(xiàn)你的目標(biāo)。

And even when you're struggling, even when you're discouraged, and you feel like other people have given up on you, don't ever give up on yourself, because when you give up on yourself, you give up on your country.即使當(dāng)你苦苦掙扎、灰心喪氣、感到其他人對(duì)你不抱希望時(shí)，也不要對(duì)你自己?jiǎn)适判模驗(yàn)楫?dāng)你自暴自棄時(shí)，你也拋棄了自己的國家。

The story of America isn't about people who quit when things got tough.It's about people who kept going, who tried harder, who loved their country too much to do anything less than their best.書寫美國歷史的不是在困難時(shí)刻退縮的人，而是堅(jiān)持不懈、加倍努力的人，他們對(duì)國家的愛促使他們?nèi)σ愿啊?/p>

It's the story of students who sat where you sit 250 years ago, and went on to wage a revolution and they founded this nation.Young people.Students who sat where you sit 75 years ago who overcame a Depression and won a world war;who fought for civil rights and put a man on the moon.Students who sat where you sit

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years ago who founded Google and Twitter and Facebook and changed the way we communicate with each other.書寫美國歷史的是250年前坐在你們的位置上的學(xué)生，他們后來進(jìn)行了獨(dú)立戰(zhàn)爭(zhēng)并創(chuàng)建了這個(gè)國家。還有75年前坐在你們的位置上的年輕人和學(xué)生，他們走出了大蕭條并打贏了一場(chǎng)世界大戰(zhàn)；他們?yōu)槊駲?quán)而奮斗并把宇航員送上了月球。至于20年前坐在你們的位置上的學(xué)生，他們創(chuàng)辦了谷歌（Google）、嘰喳網(wǎng)（Twitter）和臉譜網(wǎng)（Facebook），改變了我們交流溝通的方式。

So today, I want to ask all of you, what's your contribution going to be? What problems are you going to solve? What discoveries will you make? What will a President who comes here in 20 or 50 or 100 years say about what all of you did for this country?

而今天，我要問問你們大家，你們將做出什么貢獻(xiàn)？你們將解決什么問題？你們將有什么發(fā)現(xiàn)？20年、50年或100年后來到這里講話的總統(tǒng)將會(huì)怎樣評(píng)價(jià)你們大家為這個(gè)國家所做的一切？

Now, your families, your teachers, and I are doing everything we can to make sure you have the education you need to answer these questions.I'm working hard to fix up your classrooms and get you the books and the equipment and the computers you need to learn.But you've got to do your part, too.So I expect all of

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you to get serious this year.I expect you to put your best effort into everything you do.I expect great things from each of you.So don't let us down.Don't let your family down or your country down.Most of all, don't let yourself down.Make us all proud.你們的家人、你們的老師和我正在竭盡全力保證你們接受必要的教育，以便回答上述問題。我正在努力工作，以便你們的教室得到修繕，你們能夠得到學(xué)習(xí)所需的課 本、設(shè)備和電腦。但你們也必須盡自己的努力。因此，我希望你們大家從今年起認(rèn)真對(duì)待這個(gè)問題。我希望你們盡最大努力做好每一件事。我希望你們每個(gè)人都有出 色的表現(xiàn)。不要讓我們失望。不要讓你們的家人或你們的國家失望。而最重要的是，不要辜負(fù)你們自己，而要讓我們都能[為你們]感到驕傲。

Thank you very much, everybody.God bless you.God bless America.Thank you.(Applause.)

非常感謝你們大家。愿主保佑你們。愿主保佑美國。謝謝你們。（36 / 36

第三篇：美國總統(tǒng)奧巴馬對(duì)全美中小學(xué)生的講話

美國總統(tǒng)奧巴馬對(duì)全美中小學(xué)生的講話

2009年9月8日，奧巴馬總統(tǒng)在弗吉尼亞州阿靈頓郡（Arlington, Virginia）韋克菲爾德高中（Wakefield High School）對(duì)全美中小學(xué)生發(fā)表講話，強(qiáng)調(diào)上學(xué)讀書的重要性，激勵(lì)學(xué)生努力學(xué)習(xí)。以下是講話全文：

REMARKS BY THE PRESIDENT IN A NATIONAL ADDRESS TO AMERICA’S

SCHOOLCHILDREN Wakefield High School, Arlington, Virginia

September 8, 2009

美國總統(tǒng)奧巴馬對(duì)全美中小學(xué)生的講話 弗吉尼亞州阿靈頓郡韋克菲爾德高中

2009年9月8日

Hello, everybody!Thank you.Thank you.Thank you, everybody.All right, everybody go ahead and have a seat.How is everybody doing today?(Applause.)How about Tim Spicer?(Applause.)I am here with students at Wakefield High School in Arlington, Virginia.And we’ve got students tuning in from all across America, from kindergarten through 12th grade.And I am just so glad that all could join us today.And I want to thank Wakefield for being such an outstanding host.Give yourselves a big round of applause.(Applause.)大家好！謝謝你們。謝謝你們。謝謝你們大家。好，大家請(qǐng)就坐。你們今天都好嗎？（掌聲）蒂姆·斯派塞（Tim Spicer）好嗎？（掌聲）我現(xiàn)在與弗吉尼亞州阿靈頓郡韋克菲爾德高中的學(xué)生們?cè)谝黄?。美國各地從小學(xué)預(yù)備班到中學(xué)12年級(jí)的學(xué)生正在收聽收看。我很高興大家今天都能參與。我還要感謝韋克菲爾德高中出色的組織安排。請(qǐng)為你們自己熱烈鼓掌。（掌聲）

I know that for many of you, today is the first day of school.And for those of you in kindergarten, or starting middle or high school, it’s your first day in a new school, so it’s understandable if you’re a little nervous.I imagine there are some seniors out there who are feeling pretty good right now--(applause)--with just one more year to go.And no matter what grade you’re in, some of you are probably wishing it were still summer and you could’ve stayed in bed just a little bit longer this morning.我知道，今天是你們很多人開學(xué)的日子。對(duì)于進(jìn)入小學(xué)預(yù)備班、初中或高中的學(xué)生，今天是你們來到新學(xué)校的第一天，心里可能有點(diǎn)緊張，這是可以理解的。我能想象有些畢業(yè)班學(xué)生現(xiàn)在感覺很不錯(cuò)——（掌聲）——還有一年就畢業(yè)了。不論在哪個(gè)年級(jí)，你們有些人可能希望暑假更長(zhǎng)一點(diǎn)，今天早上還能多睡一小會(huì)兒。

I know that feeling.When I was young, my family lived overseas.I lived in Indonesia for a few years.And my mother, she didn’t have the money to send me where all the American kids went to school, but she thought it was important for me to keep up with an American education.So she decided to teach me extra lessons herself, Monday through Friday.But because she had to go to work, the only time she could do it was at 4:30 in the morning.我了解這種感覺。我小時(shí)候，我們家生活在海外。我在印度尼西亞住了幾年。我媽媽沒有錢送我上其他美國孩子上的學(xué)校，但她認(rèn)為必須讓我接受美式教育。因此，她決定從周一到周五自己給我補(bǔ)課。不過她還要上班，所以只能在清晨四點(diǎn)半給我上課。

Now, as you might imagine, I wasn’t too happy about getting up that early.And a lot of times, I’d fall asleep right there at the kitchen table.But whenever I’d complain, my mother would just give me one of those looks and she’d say, “This is no picnic for me either, buster.”(Laughter.)你們可以想見，我不太情愿那么早起床。有很多次，我趴在餐桌上就睡著了。但每當(dāng)我抱怨的時(shí)候，我媽媽都會(huì)那樣地看我一眼，然后說：“小子，這對(duì)我也并不輕松?！保ㄐβ暎?/p>

So I know that some of you are still adjusting to being back at school.But I’m here today because I have something important to discuss with you.I’m here because I want to talk with you about your education and what’s expected of all of you in this new school year.我知道你們有些人還在適應(yīng)開學(xué)后的生活。但我今天來到這里是因?yàn)橛兄匾氖虑橐湍銈冋f。我來這里是要和你們談?wù)勀銈兊慕逃龁栴}，以及在這個(gè)新學(xué)年對(duì)你們所有人的期望。Now, I’ve given a lot of speeches about education.And I’ve talked about responsibility a lot.我做過很多次有關(guān)教育問題的演講。我多次談到過責(zé)任問題。

I’ve talked about teachers’ responsibility for inspiring students and pushing you to learn.我談到過教師激勵(lì)學(xué)生并督促他們學(xué)習(xí)的責(zé)任。

I’ve talked about your parents’ responsibility for making sure you stay on track, and you get your homework done, and don’t spend every waking hour in front of the TV or with the Xbox.我談到過家長(zhǎng)的責(zé)任，要確保你們走正路，完成家庭作業(yè)，不要整天坐在電視前或玩Xbox游戲。

I’ve talked a lot about your government’s responsibility for setting high standards, and supporting teachers and principals, and turning around schools that aren’t working, where students aren’t getting the opportunities that they deserve.我多次談到過政府的責(zé)任，要制定高標(biāo)準(zhǔn)，支持教師和校長(zhǎng)的工作，徹底改善不能為學(xué)生提供應(yīng)有機(jī)會(huì)的、教育質(zhì)量差的學(xué)校。

But at the end of the day, we can have the most dedicated teachers, the most supportive parents, the best schools in the world--and none of it will make a difference, none of it will matter unless all of you fulfill your responsibilities, unless you show up to those schools, unless you pay attention to those teachers, unless you listen to your parents and grandparents and other adults and put in the hard work it takes to succeed.That’s what I want to focus on today: the responsibility each of you has for your education.然而，即使我們擁有最敬業(yè)的教師，最盡力的家長(zhǎng)和全世界最好的學(xué)?！绻銈兇蠹也宦男心銈兊呢?zé)任，不到校上課，不專心聽講，不聽家長(zhǎng)、祖父祖母和其他大人的話，不付出取得成功所必須的勤奮努力，那么這一切都毫無用處，都無關(guān)緊要。這就是我今天講話的重點(diǎn)：你們每個(gè)人對(duì)自己的教育應(yīng)盡的責(zé)任。

I want to start with the responsibility you have to yourself.Every single one of you has something that you’re good at.Every single one of you has something to offer.And you have a responsibility to yourself to discover what that is.That’s the opportunity an education can provide.我首先要講講你們對(duì)自己應(yīng)盡的責(zé)任。你們每個(gè)人都有自己的長(zhǎng)處。你們每個(gè)人都能做出自己的貢獻(xiàn)。你們對(duì)自己應(yīng)盡的責(zé)任是發(fā)現(xiàn)自己的能力所在。而教育能夠提供這樣的機(jī)會(huì)。

Maybe you could be a great writer--maybe even good enough to write a book or articles in a newspaper--but you might not know it until you write that English paper--that English class paper that’s assigned to you.Maybe you could be an innovator or an inventor--maybe even good enough to come up with the next iPhone or the new medicine or vaccine--but you might not know it until you do your project for your science class.Maybe you could be a mayor or a senator or a Supreme Court justice--but you might not know that until you join student government or the debate team.你或許能成為一名出色的作家——甚至可能寫書或在報(bào)紙上發(fā)表文章——但你可能要在完成那篇英文課的作文后才會(huì)發(fā)現(xiàn)自己的才華。你或許能成為一名創(chuàng)新者或發(fā)明家——甚至可能設(shè)計(jì)出新一代iPhone或研制出新型藥物或疫苗——但你可能要在完成科學(xué)課的實(shí)驗(yàn)后才會(huì)發(fā)現(xiàn)自己的才華。你或許能成為一名市長(zhǎng)或參議員或最高法院的大法官——但你可能要在參加學(xué)生會(huì)的工作或辯論隊(duì)后才會(huì)發(fā)現(xiàn)自己的才華。

And no matter what you want to do with your life, I guarantee that you’ll need an education to do it.You want to be a doctor, or a teacher, or a police officer? You want to be a nurse or an architect, a lawyer or a member of our military? You’re going to need a good education for every single one of those careers.You cannot drop out of school and just drop into a good job.You’ve got to train for it and work for it and learn for it.不論你的生活志向是什么，我敢肯定你必須上學(xué)讀書才能實(shí)現(xiàn)它。你想當(dāng)醫(yī)生、教師或警官嗎？你想當(dāng)護(hù)士、建筑師、律師或軍人嗎？你必須接受良好的教育，才能從事上述任何一種職業(yè)。你不能指望輟學(xué)后能碰上個(gè)好工作。你必須接受培訓(xùn)，為之努力，為之學(xué)習(xí)。

And this isn’t just important for your own life and your own future.What you make of your education will decide nothing less than the future of this country.The future of America depends on you.What you’re learning in school today will determine whether we as a nation can meet our greatest challenges in the future.這并非只對(duì)你個(gè)人的人生和未來意義重大。可以毫不夸大地說，教育給你帶來的益處將決定這個(gè)國家的未來。美國的未來取決于你們。你們今日在校學(xué)習(xí)的知識(shí)將決定我們作為一個(gè)國家是否能夠迎接我們未來所面臨的最嚴(yán)峻挑戰(zhàn)。

You’ll need the knowledge and problem-solving skills you learn in science and math to cure diseases like cancer and AIDS, and to develop new energy technologies and protect our environment.You’ll need the insights and critical-thinking skills you gain in history and social studies to fight poverty and homelessness, crime and discrimination, and make our nation more fair and more free.You’ll need the creativity and ingenuity you develop in all your classes to build new companies that will create new jobs and boost our economy.你們將需要利用你們通過自然科學(xué)和數(shù)學(xué)課程所學(xué)到的知識(shí)和解決問題的能力來治愈癌癥、艾滋病及其他疾病，開發(fā)新的能源技術(shù)和保護(hù)我們的環(huán)境。你們將需要利用你們?cè)跉v史學(xué)和社會(huì)學(xué)課堂上所獲得的知識(shí)和獨(dú)立思考能力來抗擊貧困和解決無家可歸問題，打擊犯罪和消除歧視，使我們的國家更公平、更自由。你們將需要利用你們?cè)谒姓n堂上培養(yǎng)的創(chuàng)造力和智慧來創(chuàng)辦新公司，增加就業(yè)機(jī)會(huì)，振興我們的經(jīng)濟(jì)。

第四篇：讀《美國總統(tǒng)奧巴馬對(duì)中小學(xué)生開學(xué)講話》有感1

讀《美國總統(tǒng)奧巴馬在開學(xué)日的講話》有感

2010年7月20日，我非常有幸成為樹德實(shí)驗(yàn)中學(xué)的一名學(xué)生。到學(xué)校報(bào)到之時(shí)，我看見學(xué)校整潔優(yōu)美的環(huán)境，感受著老師和藹可親的目光，讓我由衷地期待初中生活。這次學(xué)校安排我們小升初新生，閱讀《美國總統(tǒng)奧巴馬在開學(xué)日的講話》這篇文章，也讓我對(duì)未來的學(xué)習(xí)有了新的認(rèn)識(shí)和啟發(fā)。

讀完這篇文章后，給我感受最深的是 “責(zé)任”二字。作為一名即將踏上初中生涯的新生，我認(rèn)識(shí)到我們的責(zé)任之一就是好好地學(xué)習(xí)——通過學(xué)習(xí)發(fā)現(xiàn)和培養(yǎng)自己的才智，掌握服務(wù)社會(huì)的各種本領(lǐng)，成為一名對(duì)個(gè)人、對(duì)家庭、對(duì)國家負(fù)責(zé)任的有用人才。

完成好學(xué)習(xí)這項(xiàng)任務(wù)，需要我們有明確的目標(biāo)，樹立堅(jiān)持不懈，持之以恒的學(xué)習(xí)精神，付出我們艱苦的努力。

每個(gè)人都有自已的目標(biāo)和夢(mèng)想。我的目標(biāo)就是按照學(xué)校和老師的要求，學(xué)習(xí)和掌握好初中這三年所學(xué)的各科知識(shí)；在這個(gè)大家庭中，協(xié)助好老師做好我們學(xué)校的各項(xiàng)工作。

我在制定目標(biāo)時(shí)，有大目標(biāo)和小目標(biāo)，然后我會(huì)一步一步地去完成它。

有一次我和爸爸去火車北站送完客人后，決定徒步回在寬窄巷子的家。在途中我們朝著家的方向，我和爸爸先給自

1己訂了許多小目標(biāo)，如：我們這一段路的目標(biāo)是一家餐廳門口，下一段路目標(biāo)是一個(gè)路燈處等等。我們一步一步實(shí)現(xiàn)著小的目標(biāo)，盡管那時(shí)腿腳酸痛，但我們還是一步一步地堅(jiān)持下來回到了家。這次經(jīng)歷告訴了我：學(xué)習(xí)不也是這樣嗎？我們只有目標(biāo)明確，通過一次一次的積累知識(shí)，通過一點(diǎn)一點(diǎn)的提高能力，我們的目標(biāo)就能實(shí)現(xiàn)。完成好這三年的學(xué)業(yè)，就讓我們從每一節(jié)課，每一天的作業(yè)做起。

完成好學(xué)習(xí)這項(xiàng)任務(wù)，需要我們有積極向上的健康心態(tài)，克服生活中遇到的各種困難。

美國總統(tǒng)奧巴馬小得時(shí)候?qū)W習(xí)條件也不好，媽媽沒錢送他去讀書，他那時(shí)需要每天凌晨4點(diǎn)半起床，由他媽媽親自給他上課。凌晨4點(diǎn)半?yún)龋∥覀兌喟脒€在睡夢(mèng)中呢。奧巴馬總統(tǒng)當(dāng)時(shí)雖然也有些抱怨，但他并沒有因此而放棄，之后他通過自身的努力，去了當(dāng)時(shí)美國最優(yōu)秀的法學(xué)院讀書，2009年1月20日成為美國總統(tǒng)。

還有美國19世紀(jì)的海倫〃凱樂，她自幼患病，導(dǎo)致兩耳失聰，雙目失明。然而在家庭教師的幫助下，她竟然學(xué)會(huì)了說話，并以優(yōu)異的成績(jī)畢業(yè)于美國名?！袄驴死颉睂W(xué)院，成為一個(gè)學(xué)識(shí)淵博，掌握英、法、德、拉丁、希臘五種文字的著名作家和教育家。

這些事例告訴大家，我們的學(xué)習(xí)、生活條件并不一定是完美的，我們的天賦也是因人而異的，但我們絕不能輕易放

棄。學(xué)習(xí)它即難也不難，真正難的是把學(xué)習(xí)當(dāng)作一種自己的責(zé)任去完成，去堅(jiān)持。

在學(xué)習(xí)過程中，我們可能還會(huì)遇到各種各樣的失敗和困惑。需要我們正確地對(duì)待?！笆∧顺晒χ浮保谝淮未蔚氖≈?，一次次地收獲經(jīng)驗(yàn)，學(xué)到知識(shí)，改善自我現(xiàn)狀，查找不足，才是我們積極向上的健康心態(tài)。

“見賢思齊焉，見不賢而內(nèi)自省也”。我們要向勇于承擔(dān)學(xué)習(xí)責(zé)任的人學(xué)習(xí)，我們要向克服學(xué)習(xí)和生活中種種困難而不輕言放棄的人學(xué)習(xí)，我們要向掌握服務(wù)社會(huì)本領(lǐng)，對(duì)國家做出貢獻(xiàn)的人學(xué)習(xí)，今天我作為樹德實(shí)驗(yàn)中學(xué)的學(xué)生，決心在未來的三年學(xué)習(xí)中，以生活作白紙，自己作筆墨，行動(dòng)作色彩，繪畫出美好地圖畫，實(shí)踐“樹德〃廣才”的校訓(xùn)。

相信，我一定盡到我的學(xué)習(xí)責(zé)任；希望，我今天我以樹德為榮，明天樹德以我為榮！

加油！大家加油！

2013級(jí)新生安歆儀

2010年8月22日

第五篇：奧巴馬對(duì)全美學(xué)童演講全文

奧巴馬對(duì)全美學(xué)童演講全文(轉(zhuǎn))

8日中午，在弗吉尼亞州韋克菲爾德高中，奧巴馬向全美從幼兒園到12年級(jí)學(xué)生發(fā)表了16分鐘電視演講。這場(chǎng)演講尚未發(fā)表就引發(fā)一場(chǎng)持續(xù)多日的軒然大波。盡管白宮為使學(xué)校和家長(zhǎng)放心，24小時(shí)之前就在網(wǎng)上公布了演講稿全文。但演講當(dāng)日，仍有學(xué)校和個(gè)人選擇抵制、甚至抗議。據(jù)昨日南方都市報(bào)和其他相關(guān)報(bào)道：一些學(xué)區(qū)以內(nèi)容可能涉及政治為由，未向?qū)W生播放；一些學(xué)區(qū)允許教師自行決定是否收看；另一些學(xué)區(qū)規(guī)定，如果家長(zhǎng)反對(duì)，孩子可自行選擇是否收看。一些抗議者還在校外聚集，打出“總統(tǒng)先生，離我們孩子遠(yuǎn)點(diǎn)”等標(biāo)語。

而佛羅里達(dá)州共和黨委員會(huì)主席格里爾說，雖然奧巴馬不應(yīng)該對(duì)學(xué)童發(fā)表演講，但這場(chǎng)演講基調(diào)并非政治，他的孩子可以收看。前總統(tǒng)布什的妻子勞拉則之稱奧巴馬這個(gè)演講，說：“美國總統(tǒng)有理由與學(xué)童交談、鼓勵(lì)他們?！?/p>

那么，奧巴馬究竟講了些什么？下面是奧巴馬演說全文。

來源：http://.cn/bbs/viewthread.php?tid=10511830

嗨，各位好，大家今天過得好嗎？我現(xiàn)在正和弗吉尼亞州阿靈頓市的Wakefield 高中的學(xué)生們?cè)谝黄稹，F(xiàn)在全國的學(xué)生都在收聽這個(gè)談話，從幼兒園到十二年級(jí)。很高興你們今天能和我們?cè)谝黄稹?/p>

我知道你們當(dāng)中很多人，今天是第一天上學(xué)。對(duì)那些剛上幼兒園、初中或高中的學(xué)生來說，今天是你們第一天到新學(xué)校。所以，可以理解如果你們感到有點(diǎn)緊張。我猜想一些十二年級(jí)的學(xué)生因?yàn)橹挥幸荒昃涂梢援厴I(yè)了，而感到愉快；無論你們是幾年級(jí)，一些人可能還很盼望此刻還是暑假，那么你們今天早上就可以多睡一會(huì)兒。

我理解這種心情。當(dāng)我還是一個(gè)孩子的時(shí)候，我們家曾經(jīng)在印度尼西亞呆過幾年。我媽媽沒有錢送我到當(dāng)?shù)氐拿绹『⒌膶W(xué)校。所以她決定親自多教我?guī)坠?jié)課，從星期一到星期五，每天早上四點(diǎn)半開始。

早上要起來這么早，我不太高興。許多次，我都坐在廚房的桌子旁睡著了。但是，每當(dāng)我抱怨的時(shí)候，我的媽媽總是很嚴(yán)肅的看著我說：“伙計(jì)，我也沒有野餐吃啊。”（在此，他的媽媽非常幽默，意思是奧巴馬想吃野餐而不喜歡桌上的食物——譯者注）

所以我明白你們中的一些人還在調(diào)整自己開學(xué)后的狀態(tài)。但我今天在這里是因?yàn)槲液苤匾氖虑橐湍阌懻?。我要和你談關(guān)于你的教育，以及我對(duì)你們?cè)谶@新學(xué)年的期待。

關(guān)于教育和責(zé)任的問題我已經(jīng)講了很多。

我也講過你們的老師的責(zé)任去激勵(lì)你們激發(fā)和催促你們?nèi)W(xué)習(xí)。

我也講過談過作為父母的責(zé)任：保證你們?cè)谡５能壍郎铣砷L(zhǎng)，督促你們完成家庭作業(yè)，以及不要讓你們把醒來的時(shí)間都消磨在電視機(jī)前或者Xbox游戲機(jī)前。

我也講過作為**的責(zé)任：設(shè)立高標(biāo)準(zhǔn)，支持老師和校長(zhǎng)的工作，以及改變那些不能讓學(xué)生們得到應(yīng)有的機(jī)會(huì)的學(xué)校。

但是，既是我們?cè)谧詈笥辛俗钣蟹瞰I(xiàn)精神的老師，全力支持的家長(zhǎng)以及世界上最好的學(xué)校，如果你們沒有表現(xiàn)出你們應(yīng)負(fù)的責(zé)任，這一切都會(huì)變得無足輕重。除非你出現(xiàn)在學(xué)校，對(duì)老師的講課集中注意力，聽從父母，祖父母的教誨。以及努力去實(shí)現(xiàn)成功。

這就是我們今天的主題：你們每一個(gè)人對(duì)自己的教育應(yīng)負(fù)的責(zé)任。我想從你對(duì)自己的責(zé)任開始講起。

你們每一個(gè)人都有自己擅長(zhǎng)的事情，你們每一個(gè)人都有能夠拿出手的一些本領(lǐng)。所以你對(duì)自己有責(zé)任去發(fā)現(xiàn)那是什么。教育可以提供讓你發(fā)現(xiàn)自己特長(zhǎng)的機(jī)會(huì)。

也許你是一個(gè)很好的作者，也許好到了可以寫一本書或文章發(fā)表在報(bào)紙上，但是你如果不完成一篇英語課的寫作你就無法知道自己有這項(xiàng)特長(zhǎng)；也許你是一個(gè)善于創(chuàng)新者或者一個(gè)發(fā)明家，也許好的足夠發(fā)明下一代iPhone(蘋果公司的超酷時(shí)髦手機(jī)，譯者注）或者新的藥物或疫苗，但是你如果不完成一個(gè)科學(xué)課（包括物理，化學(xué)，生物，等）的課題你就無法知道自己有這樣的天賦；或許你能夠成為一個(gè)市長(zhǎng)，參議員，或者最高法院的法官，但是你只有參加學(xué)生組織或辯論隊(duì)才能夠發(fā)現(xiàn)自己的這種潛能。

不論你這一生想做什么，我敢說你將需要接受一定的教育才能完成它。你想成為一個(gè)醫(yī)生，一個(gè)老師，一個(gè)警官嗎？你想成為一個(gè)護(hù)士，一個(gè)建筑家，一個(gè)律師，或成為我們武裝力量的一員嗎？每一項(xiàng)事業(yè)都需要你去接受一個(gè)好的教育去實(shí)現(xiàn)。你不可能在退學(xué)后就有一個(gè)好的工作在等你。你需要為一個(gè)好的工作付出勞動(dòng)，訓(xùn)練，并學(xué)習(xí)。

這不僅僅關(guān)系到你自己的生活和前途，你的教育怎么樣決定了這個(gè)國家的未來。你今天在學(xué)校里學(xué)習(xí)的將要決定這個(gè)國家能否適應(yīng)我們未來要面臨的最大挑戰(zhàn)。

你需要從科學(xué)和數(shù)學(xué)課里學(xué)來的知識(shí)和解決問題的能力來治療像癌癥和艾滋病這樣的疾病，發(fā)展出新的能源技術(shù)并保護(hù)我們的環(huán)境。有需要從歷史和社會(huì)研究課程里學(xué)來的洞察力和辯證分析能力來戰(zhàn)勝貧困現(xiàn)象和減少無家可歸的人，罪犯和歧視的發(fā)生。讓我們的國家更公平更自由。你需要從你所有的課程里學(xué)來的創(chuàng)新和創(chuàng)造力去創(chuàng)造新的工作機(jī)會(huì)，以刺激經(jīng)濟(jì)的發(fā)展。

國家需要你們?cè)鲞M(jìn)你們的才藝、技術(shù)與智慧，往后能幫助我們解決最困難的問題。如果你們不能做到─如果你們輟學(xué)－你不只是在放棄你自己－你也放棄了對(duì)國家應(yīng)盡的責(zé)任。

我知道要想一直在學(xué)校表現(xiàn)優(yōu)異并不是件容易的事。我知道你們很多人也許正在面臨很多人生中的困難，使你們無法專注在課業(yè)上。我能理解，我知道那種感受。我的父親在我兩歲的時(shí)候就離開了我，我是由我母親一人撫養(yǎng)長(zhǎng)大的，有時(shí)候家里連一些賬單都無法支付，我們無法時(shí)時(shí)得到一般孩子所擁有的東西。在那個(gè)時(shí)候，我曾想念有父親在的日子，有的時(shí)候會(huì)感到寂寞，無法適應(yīng)。

所以當(dāng)我在學(xué)校時(shí)，我沒有盡到我的本份。也做了些令自己遺憾的事情，也惹了些不該惹的麻煩，當(dāng)時(shí)在我的人生道路上，一不小心就可能會(huì)誤入歧途。

但我很幸運(yùn)。我有許多次改過自新的機(jī)會(huì)，而且能有機(jī)會(huì)上大學(xué)、法學(xué)院，能追尋我的夢(mèng)想。我的太太，第一夫人米雪兒?歐巴馬跟我有著相似的遭遇。她的父母都沒讀大學(xué)，經(jīng)濟(jì)也不寬裕，但是他們認(rèn)真工作，米雪兒也是，所以最后她能有機(jī)會(huì)去一流的學(xué)校。

你們有些人也許沒有這么好的條件，也許在生命中沒有能給予你支持的長(zhǎng)輩。家里的人可能丟了工作，沒辦法在經(jīng)濟(jì)上支持你。或者你可能身在一個(gè)讓你感到不安全的小區(qū)，也有來自朋友的壓力，促使你去做你知道不對(duì)的事情。

但是不管怎樣，你的生活環(huán)境、你從哪來、你家庭的經(jīng)濟(jì)狀況和你家庭所發(fā)生的大小事，都不能拿來作為你不寫作業(yè)和表現(xiàn)差的借口。這都不能作為你頂老師的嘴、曠課或逃學(xué)的借口，你不能給自己的不努力找任何的理由。

你現(xiàn)在的位置并不能代表你未來的去向。沒有人定了你的命運(yùn)。在美國，你自己掌握你的命運(yùn)，你自己創(chuàng)造你的未來。

在美國，跟你們一樣年紀(jì)的年輕人每天都在這樣努力著。

年輕的朋友，像是來自德州的潔絲敏?佩雷斯（Jazmin Perez），潔絲敏剛?cè)ド蠈W(xué)時(shí)連英文都不會(huì)說。在她的家鄉(xiāng)包括她的父母很少有人能上大學(xué)。但她很努力，取得了好成績(jī)，最后獲得了布朗大學(xué)(Brown University)的獎(jiǎng)學(xué)金，現(xiàn)在在研究所念公共衛(wèi)生學(xué)，即將要成為一名醫(yī)生。

我還想到了來自加州落斯拉圖斯(Los Altos)的安東尼?舒爾茲(Andoni Schulz)，他從三歲就在跟腦癌奮斗。他經(jīng)歷了各種治療方法與手術(shù)，甚至影響到他的記憶能力，所以他必須花更長(zhǎng)的時(shí)間，比別人多好幾百個(gè)小時(shí)的努力來完成他學(xué)校的功課。但是他從來沒有跟不上，今年秋季他將順利上大學(xué)。

還有來自我的家鄉(xiāng)芝加哥伊利諾伊州(Illinois)的香泰兒?史提夫(Shantell Steve)。雖然身在環(huán)境較差的小區(qū)中，又不斷的更換寄養(yǎng)家庭，她還是想辦法在當(dāng)?shù)氐慕】抵行恼业搅艘环莨ぷ鳎㈤_展了一項(xiàng)幫助年輕人遠(yuǎn)離幫派的輔導(dǎo)課程。她將以優(yōu)異的成績(jī)從高中畢業(yè)后上大學(xué)。

潔斯敏、安東尼和香泰兒和在座的各位沒有任何不同。他們?cè)谌松泻湍銈円粯右才龅搅嗽S多考驗(yàn)。但是他們并沒有放棄，他們選擇取得更高的學(xué)歷，并為自己設(shè)定一些目標(biāo)。我期望你們每個(gè)人也能和他們一樣。

這也是今天我為什么在這里呼吁大家，在自己未來學(xué)習(xí)的路上設(shè)定一些目標(biāo)─ 并盡全力達(dá)到目標(biāo)。這些階段性的目標(biāo)可以很簡(jiǎn)單，比如完成你所有的作業(yè)、專心上課、一天花時(shí)間讀一本書。也許你想選擇參加一些課外活動(dòng)、或是做小區(qū)的義工。也許你會(huì)站出來幫助因?yàn)橥庠谂c個(gè)性因素而被欺負(fù)的學(xué)生，因?yàn)槟愫臀乙粯訄?jiān)信，所有的孩子都應(yīng)該有一個(gè)安全的讀書與學(xué)習(xí)的環(huán)境?；蛑悄氵x擇把自己照顧好、調(diào)整好自己的狀態(tài)更好的學(xué)習(xí)。除此之外，我希望你們都能勤洗手，如果身體感到不舒服要在家休息，在今年的秋季與冬季，一同避免更多的人得到感冒。

不管你決定做什么，我希望你都能努力，在那個(gè)領(lǐng)域真正的下一番功夫。

我知道有的時(shí)候，你會(huì)在電視上看到能輕松賺大錢或是功成名就的管道 ─繞舌、打籃球或是做電視明星，但很可能你無法從事以上任何一種事業(yè)。

實(shí)際上，要想成功是很艱難的。你不會(huì)喜歡所有的科目，你不會(huì)跟每個(gè)老師都合得來。現(xiàn)在不會(huì)每樣功課都與你的生活有關(guān)。你也不一定能在第一次做什么事情就能成功。

那沒關(guān)系。在世界上有很多有成就的人經(jīng)歷了很多挫折。J.K 羅琳的第一本哈利波特曾遭到出版社拒絕了十二次。麥可?喬丹在高中時(shí)曾被籃球隊(duì)退出，在他的職業(yè)生涯當(dāng)中曾輸了幾百場(chǎng)比賽，沒投進(jìn)上千球。但他說過：「在我人生當(dāng)中我失敗、失敗不斷的失敗。這就是為什么我現(xiàn)在能成功。」

這些人之所以能成功，就是因?yàn)樗麄冎啦荒茏屵@些挫折框住了自己 ─ 你要能從中學(xué)習(xí)。你要能在下一次做的更好。如果你犯了錯(cuò)，這不代表你是個(gè)問題制造者。這只是說你要更努力而表現(xiàn)的更好。如果你成績(jī)不好，這不代表你笨，只是需要多花點(diǎn)時(shí)間讀書。

沒有人一生下來就什么都會(huì)，你能做好是因?yàn)榻?jīng)過了努力。你不會(huì)在第一次進(jìn)行哪項(xiàng)運(yùn)動(dòng)就成為高手。你不會(huì)在第一次唱歌時(shí)就每個(gè)音都唱的準(zhǔn)。你必須不斷的練習(xí)。這跟你學(xué)校的功課是一樣的。一個(gè)數(shù)學(xué)題你可能要做幾次才能做對(duì)，一個(gè)問題你可能要讀幾遍才能理解，或是你可能要打上幾份草稿后才能把作業(yè)交出去。

不要害怕問問題。不要害怕尋求幫助，我每天都會(huì)有問題要請(qǐng)別人幫助。尋求幫助不是懦弱的表現(xiàn)，那是堅(jiān)強(qiáng)的表現(xiàn)。那代表你有承認(rèn)你不知道某些事情的勇氣。所以，找一個(gè)你信賴的長(zhǎng)輩 ─ 父母、祖父母或老師；教練或輔導(dǎo)老師 ─ 向他們尋求幫助，確保你在達(dá)成你目標(biāo)的道路上。

就算你面臨困境、就算你感到挫折，你覺得其他人已經(jīng)放棄了你 ─ 但你可千萬別放棄你自己，你放棄了你自己，等于你放棄了你的國家。

美國成功的故事不是在講那些碰到困難就逃避的人。是在講那些堅(jiān)持走下去、努力不懈的人，那些熱愛國家而絕不會(huì)不盡自己全力的人。

那個(gè)故事是，250年前，坐在你們現(xiàn)在坐的位置上的學(xué)生，發(fā)動(dòng)了一場(chǎng)革命，建立了美國。75年前坐在你們位置上的學(xué)生，克服了經(jīng)濟(jì)大蕭條又在世界大戰(zhàn)中取得了勝利；并為公民權(quán)奮斗，和成功將人類送上月球。20年前在這個(gè)位置上的學(xué)生創(chuàng)立了Google、Twitter和Facebook，改變了人與人聯(lián)系的方式。

所以今天，我想要問你們，你們未來的成就將會(huì)是什么？你會(huì)解決什么問題？你會(huì)有什么新發(fā)明？在20、30或百年后，那時(shí)的總統(tǒng)會(huì)表揚(yáng)你對(duì)國家做了什么樣的貢獻(xiàn)？

你的家庭、老師還有我，在盡我們的全力確保你能接受所需的教育來回答這些問題。我在為你們教室的修補(bǔ)、書籍、設(shè)備以及計(jì)算機(jī)的購置做努力。但你們也需要盡自己的本份。所以我期望你們今年能認(rèn)真起來。我期望你們不管做什么能全力以赴。我期望你們每個(gè)人都能有所成就。所以不要讓我們失望了 ─ 不要讓你的家庭和你的國家，還有你自己失望了。讓我們感到驕傲。我相信你們能做的到。

謝謝你們，上帝保佑你們，上帝保佑美國。