第一篇：奧巴馬對(duì)學(xué)生的演講

奧巴馬校園開學(xué)演講

綜合媒體9月14日?qǐng)?bào)道，根據(jù)白宮發(fā)布的發(fā)布的演講摘要透露，奧巴馬總統(tǒng)14日的演講將譴責(zé)校園暴力，告訴學(xué)生們其自身在高中校園中所進(jìn)行的種族身份斗爭(zhēng)。奧巴馬將表示，作為一名青少年并不容易，正是一個(gè)需要處理很多事情的時(shí)期。當(dāng)他還是學(xué)生時(shí)，他當(dāng)時(shí)質(zhì)疑他是誰(shuí)？一個(gè)白人母親和一個(gè)黑人父親的兒子意味著什么？你們中的一些人可能目前也在經(jīng)歷著自己的問(wèn)題，尋求是什么因素導(dǎo)致你與眾不同。

此次奧巴馬在費(fèi)城朱莉婭馬斯特曼實(shí)驗(yàn)室與示范學(xué)校（Julia R.Masterman Laboratory and Demonstration School）的演講，據(jù)其第一次在學(xué)校演講約一年多的時(shí)間。當(dāng)時(shí)，奧巴馬的演講引起了共和黨和保守派的爭(zhēng)議，擔(dān)心其利用這一機(jī)會(huì)宣傳自己的政治議程。奧巴馬在當(dāng)時(shí)演講的結(jié)尾，也呼吁學(xué)生們要努力學(xué)習(xí)，這與14日的演講頗為相似。

奧巴馬總統(tǒng)將宣布，一所高性能的學(xué)校在競(jìng)爭(zhēng)中贏得勝利，他將在這所學(xué)校的開學(xué)典禮上進(jìn)行發(fā)言。奧巴馬表示，如果你的學(xué)校是勝者，如果你向大家展示，老師、學(xué)生和家長(zhǎng)正在齊心協(xié)力為孩子的職業(yè)生涯作出規(guī)劃，如果你能展示將如何回饋社區(qū)和國(guó)家，他將以個(gè)人身份對(duì)其表示祝賀，并在其開學(xué)典禮上進(jìn)行演講。

奧巴馬也將在演講中承認(rèn)，美國(guó)目前面臨的嚴(yán)峻的經(jīng)濟(jì)和安全挑戰(zhàn)，許多學(xué)生應(yīng)該能夠從其父母的表情和聲音中感覺到。他將稱，許多學(xué)生將不得不表現(xiàn)的比真實(shí)年齡成熟，當(dāng)其兄弟姐妹在海外服役時(shí)，必須變得強(qiáng)大起來(lái)；當(dāng)其母親外出工作時(shí)，必須幫助照看年幼的弟妹；當(dāng)其父親失業(yè)后，必須利用課余時(shí)間找一份兼職。

奧巴馬還將向?qū)W生表示，沒有人能夠撰寫你們的生命，除了你們自己。未來(lái)在自己的手中，生活由自己創(chuàng)造，沒有任何事情是超越自己的控制的。

美國(guó)總統(tǒng)奧巴馬開學(xué)演講英語(yǔ)演講稿。這是奧巴馬第二次發(fā)表開學(xué)演講。奧巴馬2009年的演講招來(lái)了許多批評(píng)和抵制。一些反對(duì)者指責(zé)稱，奧巴馬試圖通過(guò)演講向?qū)W生灌輸政治理念。部分媒體還批評(píng)奧巴馬試圖建立個(gè)人崇拜。在美國(guó)各地，也有許多家長(zhǎng)向當(dāng)?shù)亟逃賳T表示抗議，一些家長(zhǎng)甚至威脅在奧巴馬演講時(shí)把孩子離教室。有了去年的“教訓(xùn)”，今年的總統(tǒng)開學(xué)演講，白宮意強(qiáng)調(diào)這是一次“非政治活動(dòng)”，而奧巴馬本人也在演講中回避政治話題。

Thank you!Hello!(Applause.)Thank you.Thank you.Well, hello, Philadelphia!(Applause.)And hello, Masterman.It is wonderful to see all of you.What a terrific introduction by Kelly.Give Kelly a big round of

applause.(Applause.)I was saying backstage that when I was in high school, I could not have done that.(Laughter.)I would have muffed it up somehow.So we are so proud of you and everything that you’ve done.And to all the students here, I’m thrilled to

謝謝！你們好！（掌聲。）謝謝。謝謝。你好，費(fèi)城！（掌聲。）你好，馬斯特曼。見到你們真是太好了。Kelly的介紹真是太棒了。讓我們對(duì)Kelly報(bào)以熱烈的掌聲。在后臺(tái)的時(shí)候我說(shuō)，我上高中的時(shí)候我就做不這么好，我可能會(huì)弄的一團(tuán)糟。所以讓我們?yōu)槟愫湍阕龅囊磺凶院腊伞Ｕ驹谶@里我很激動(dòng)。be here.kelly 在奧巴馬總統(tǒng)演講前，一名叫Kelly的學(xué)生做了演講。backstage n.后臺(tái)

muff v.笨拙地處理，將事情弄糟 thrilled a.激動(dòng)的

We’ve got a couple introductions I want to make.First of all, you’ve got the outstanding governor of Pennsylvania, Ed Rendell, in the house.(Applause.)The mayor of Philadelphia, Michael Nutter, is here.(Applause.)Congressman Chaka Fattah is here.(Applause.)Congresswoman Allyson Schwartz is here.(Applause.)Your own principal, Marge Neff, is here.(Applause.)The school superintendent, Arlene Ackerman, is here and doing a great job.(Applause.)And the Secretary of Education, Arne Duncan, is here.(Applause.)

outstanding a.杰出的 Congressman n.國(guó)會(huì)議員 principal n.校長(zhǎng) superintendent n.院長(zhǎng)

我想介紹幾個(gè)人。首先，來(lái)到這兒的有，杰出的賓夕法尼亞州州長(zhǎng)，Ed Rendell。（掌聲。）費(fèi)城市長(zhǎng)，Michael Nutter。國(guó)會(huì)議員Fattah和Allyson Schwartz（掌聲）。你們的校長(zhǎng)Marge Neff（掌聲）。學(xué)校管理人Arlene Ackerman是這個(gè)學(xué)校的，并且為學(xué)校做了很大的貢獻(xiàn)。（掌聲）。還有教育部秘書長(zhǎng)Arne Duncan。（掌聲）

And I am here.(Applause.)And I am thrilled to be here.I am just so excited.I’ve heard such great things

about what all of you are doing, both the students and the teachers and the staff here.Today is about welcoming all of you, and all of America’s students, back to school, even though I know you’ve been in school for a little bit now.And I can’t think of a better place to do it than at Masterman.(Applause.)Because you

還有我。（掌聲），我感到非常的激動(dòng)。我耳聞了你們做的那些偉大的事，這里面有在校的學(xué)生，老師和工作人員。

今天歡迎你們，歡迎每一個(gè)美國(guó)學(xué)生回校上課，當(dāng)然你們?cè)趯W(xué)校已經(jīng)呆了一段時(shí)間了。我想不出除了在Masterman外，還有哪個(gè)地方更適合做這件事。（掌聲）因?yàn)槟銈兪琴M(fèi)城最好的學(xué)校之一。你們?cè)诮逃矫媸穷I(lǐng)are one of the best schools in Philadelphia.You are a leader in helping students succeed in the classroom.Just last week, you were recognized by a National Blue Ribbon--as a National Blue Ribbon School because of your record of achievement.And that is a testament to everybody here –-to the students, to the parents, to the teachers, to the school leaders.It’s an example of excellence that I hope communities across America can embrace.embrace vt.擁抱；接受

頭軍。就在上周，由于你們的卓越貢獻(xiàn)，被授為國(guó)家藍(lán)絲帶勛章。這是對(duì)每個(gè)人的見證，對(duì)學(xué)生，家長(zhǎng)，老師還有學(xué)校領(lǐng)導(dǎo)人。我希望全美的社會(huì)團(tuán)體都能欣然接受這個(gè)杰出代表的例子。

Over the past few weeks, Michelle and I have been getting Sasha and Malia ready for school.And they’re excited about it.I’ll bet they had the same feelings that you do--you’re a little sad to see the summer go, but you’re also excited about the possibilities of a new

year.The possibilities of building new friendships and strengthening old ones, of joining a school club, or trying out for a team.The possibilities of growing into a better student and a better person and making not just your family proud but making yourself proud.build friendships 結(jié)交新朋友

幾周前，我和Michelle為Sasha和Malia上學(xué)的事做準(zhǔn)備。她們兩個(gè)對(duì)這非常的期待。我敢打賭她們和你們一樣，有著相同的感覺。你們?yōu)橄奶斓氖湃ザ駛悄銈兏鼞?yīng)該期待新的一年。如你們可以結(jié)交新的朋友，加深同老朋友的感情，加入學(xué)校俱樂部，參加各種團(tuán)隊(duì)的選拔賽。成長(zhǎng)為一個(gè)更優(yōu)秀的學(xué)生和個(gè)人，不僅僅讓你的家人自豪，同樣讓你們自己也很有成就感。

But I know some of you may also be a little nervous about starting a new school year.Maybe you’re making the jump from elementary to middle school, or from middle school to high school, and you’re worried about what that’s going to be like.Maybe you’re starting a new

school.You’re not sure how you’ll like it, trying to figure out how you’re going to fit in.Or maybe you’re a senior, and you’re anxious about the whole college process;about where to apply and whether you can afford to go to college.elementary school n.小學(xué) figure out 想明白，弄清楚

我知道，你們中有些人在新學(xué)年會(huì)有些緊張。或許你剛從小學(xué)升到初中，從初中升到高中，會(huì)擔(dān)心，新的學(xué)年將會(huì)是什么樣的呢。也許你進(jìn)入一所新的學(xué)校，不知道是否會(huì)喜歡這個(gè)學(xué)校，想著怎么來(lái)融入這個(gè)學(xué)校。或許你到了高三年級(jí)，對(duì)整個(gè)的大學(xué)入學(xué)程序感到不安，比如申請(qǐng)那里的學(xué)校，能不能支付上大學(xué)的費(fèi)用等等。fit in 融入，適應(yīng) afford to do 承擔(dān)得起

And beyond all those concerns, I know a lot of you are also feeling the strain of some difficult times.You know what’s going on in the news and you also know what’s going on in some of your own families.You’ve read about the war in Afghanistan.You hear about the recession that we’ve been through.And sometimes maybe you’re seeing the worries in your parents’ faces or sense it in their voice.strain n.壓力

除此之外，我知道你們還有來(lái)自困難時(shí)期的壓力。你們知道新聞內(nèi)容，知道你們一些家庭中發(fā)發(fā)生的事情。你們讀過(guò)有關(guān)阿富汗戰(zhàn)爭(zhēng)的信息，聽說(shuō)過(guò)我們經(jīng)歷過(guò)的經(jīng)濟(jì)不景氣。有時(shí)你們還看到了雙親臉上掛著的憂慮，或從他們的聲音中感受到了這些。

So a lot of you as a consequence, because we’re going through a tough time a country, are having to act a lot older than you are.You got to be strong for your family while your brother or sister is serving overseas, or you’ve got to look after younger siblings while your mom is working that second shift.Or maybe some of you who are little bit older, you’re taking on a part-time job while your dad’s out of work.as a consequence 結(jié)果，所以

tough time 困難時(shí)期【tough a.艱難的】 sibling n.兄弟姐妹，同胞 shift n.輪班

所以，因?yàn)槲覀儑?guó)家面臨困難時(shí)期，你們?cè)S多人的行為看上去比實(shí)際年齡要大。姐姐哥哥在海外工作，你們會(huì)表現(xiàn)得堅(jiān)強(qiáng)，或許媽媽去值第二班，你們就要照顧年幼的弟弟妹妹。或許你們有些人年長(zhǎng)一點(diǎn)的，父親失了業(yè)，你們還要做兼職。

And that’s a lot to handle.It’s more than you should have to handle.And it may make you wonder at times what your own future will look like, whether

you’re going to be able to succeed in school, whether you should maybe set your sights a little lower, scale back your dreams.handle v.處理，應(yīng)對(duì) scale back 縮減

有太多事情要做了，很多是你們不應(yīng)該做的。這讓你們迷茫，不知道自己的未來(lái)會(huì)是什么樣，在學(xué)校能不能取得好成績(jī)，是不是應(yīng)該把目光降低些，把理想放低些。

But I came to Masterman to tell all of you what I think you’re hearing

from your principal and your superintendent, and from your parents and 但是，我來(lái)到馬斯特曼，告訴你們一句話。我想這句話你們的校長(zhǎng)、院長(zhǎng)、父母以及老師都曾告訴過(guò)你們，那就是，沒有your teachers: Nobody gets to write your destiny but you.Your future is in your hands.Your life is what you make of it.And nothing--absolutely nothing--is beyond your reach, so long as you’re willing to dream big, so long as you’re willing to work hard.So long as you’re willing to stay focused on your education, there is not a single thing that any of you cannot accomplish, not a single thing.I believe that.destiny n.命運(yùn) accomplish v.完成

人，只有你才能書寫你自己的命運(yùn)。未來(lái)在你自己手中，生活由自己締造。只要志向遠(yuǎn)大，并努力為之奮斗，沒有什么是不能得到的。只要你專注于學(xué)業(yè)，沒有什么事不能實(shí)現(xiàn)的。我確信。

And that last part is absolutely essential, that part about really working hard in school, because an education has never been more important than it is today.I’m sure there are going to be times in the months ahead when you’re staying up late doing your homework or cramming for a test, or you’re dragging yourself out of bed on a rainy morning and you’re thinking, oh, boy, I wish maybe it was a snow day.(Laughter.)absolutely ad.絕對(duì)地

cram v.臨時(shí)抱佛腳；吃得過(guò)飽

最后這一點(diǎn)，在學(xué)校努力奮斗是必要的。因?yàn)榻逃龔奈聪瘳F(xiàn)在這樣重要。我確信，幾個(gè)月后會(huì)有一段時(shí)間，你們會(huì)完善熬夜寫作業(yè)，為考試臨時(shí)抱佛腳，或者在一個(gè)雨天的早晨把自己從被窩里拖出來(lái)，想，哦天，怎么不是下雪天？！（笑）

But let me tell you, what you’re doing is worth it.There is nothing more important than what you’re doing right

now.Nothing is going to have as great an impact on your success in life as your education, how you’re doing in school.More and more, the kinds of opportunities that are open to you are going to be determined by how far you go in school.The farther you go in school, the farther you’re going to go in life.And at a time when other countries are competing with us like never before, when students around the world in Beijing, China, or Bangalore, India, are working harder than ever, and doing better than ever, your success in school

但是讓我告訴你，你所做的一切都是值得的。你們現(xiàn)在要做的事情無(wú)比重要。沒有什么比你的受教育程度以及你在學(xué)校的所做之事更能決定你的成功。

能否能抓住機(jī)遇，越來(lái)越取決于你們?cè)趯W(xué)校的努力。你們?cè)趯W(xué)校的表現(xiàn)越好，生活中就能走得越遠(yuǎn)。當(dāng)今，其他國(guó)家正與我們競(jìng)爭(zhēng)，而且比以往任何時(shí)候都激烈。在中國(guó)北京或者印度邦加羅爾的學(xué)生比以前更加努力，而且比以前表現(xiàn)更好。你們?cè)趯W(xué)校的成功并不只決定了自己一人的成功，還決定了美國(guó)在21世界是否能夠成功。is not just going to determine your success, it’s going to determine America’s success in the 21st century.So you’ve got an obligation to yourselves, and America has an obligation to you, to make sure you’re getting the best education possible.And making sure you get that kind of education is going to take all of us working hard and all of us working hand in hand.obligation n.責(zé)任，義務(wù)

所以，你們要承擔(dān)起這樣的責(zé)任和義務(wù)。同時(shí)國(guó)家也向你們承擔(dān)責(zé)任和義務(wù)，那就是為你們提供最好的教育，為此我們要努力，共同奮斗。

It takes all of us in government--from the governor to the mayor to the superintendent to the President--all of us doing our part to prepare our students, all of them, for success in the classroom and in college and in a career.It’s going to take an outstanding principal，like Principal Neff, and outstanding teachers like the ones you have here at Masterman--teachers who are going above and beyond the call of duty for their students.And it’s going to take parents who are committed to your education.佳句欣賞

所有政府工作人員，從州長(zhǎng)到市長(zhǎng)，到院長(zhǎng)，到總統(tǒng)，所有人都要履行職責(zé)為我們的學(xué)生做好準(zhǔn)備，幫助他們?cè)诮淌摇⒃诖髮W(xué)、在事業(yè)上取得成功。這就需要我們有一個(gè)杰出的校長(zhǎng)，像校長(zhǎng)Neff，和優(yōu)秀的老師，正如你們的馬斯特曼的老師們。老師們要履行好對(duì)學(xué)生所應(yīng)擔(dān)負(fù)起的責(zé)任。我也希望家長(zhǎng)負(fù)起責(zé)任。

Nobody gets to write your destiny but you.Your future is in your hands.Your life is what you make of it.沒有人，只有你才能書寫你自己的命運(yùn)。未來(lái)在你自己手中，生活由自己締造。

背景知識(shí)

這是奧巴馬第二次發(fā)表開學(xué)演講。奧巴馬2009年的演講招來(lái)了許多批評(píng)和抵制。一些反對(duì)者指責(zé)稱，奧巴馬試圖通過(guò)演講向?qū)W生灌輸政治理念。部分媒體還批評(píng)奧巴馬試圖建立個(gè)人崇拜。在美國(guó)各地，也有許多家長(zhǎng)向當(dāng)?shù)亟逃賳T表示抗議，一些家長(zhǎng)甚至威脅在奧巴馬演講時(shí)把孩子離教室。有了去年的“教訓(xùn)”，今年的總統(tǒng)開學(xué)演講，白宮意強(qiáng)調(diào)這是一次“非政治活動(dòng)”，而奧巴馬本人也在演講中回避政治話題。

THE WHITE HOUSE

Office of the Press Secretary _____________________________________________________________________

______ For Immediate Release Septe

mber 8, 2009

REMARKS BY THE PRESIDENT IN A NATIONAL ADDRESS TO AMERICA'S SCHOOLCHILDREN

Wakefield High School Arlington, Virginia

12:06 P.M.EDT THE PRESIDENT: 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.)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.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.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.)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.Now, I've given a lot of speeches about education.And I've talked about responsibility a lot.I've talked about teachers' responsibility for inspiring students and pushing you to learn.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.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.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.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.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.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.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.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.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.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.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.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.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.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.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.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.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.That's what young people like you are doing every day, all across America.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.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.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.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.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 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.But whatever you resolve to do, I want you to commit to it.I want you to really work at it.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 those things.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.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.” 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.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 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.

第二篇：奧巴馬對(duì)全國(guó)學(xué)生的演講

弗吉尼亞州，阿林頓市，2009年9月8日

嗨，大家好！你們今天過(guò)得怎么樣？我現(xiàn)在和弗吉尼亞州阿林頓郡韋克菲爾德高中的學(xué)生們?cè)谝黄穑珖?guó)各地也有從幼兒園到高三的眾多學(xué)生們通過(guò)電視關(guān)注這里，我很高興你們能共同分享這一時(shí)刻。

我知道，對(duì)你們中的許多人來(lái)說(shuō)，今天是開學(xué)的第一天，你們中的有一些剛剛進(jìn)入幼兒園或升上初高中，對(duì)你們來(lái)說(shuō)，這是在新學(xué)校的第一天，因此，假如你們感到有些緊張，那也是很正常的。我想也會(huì)有許多畢業(yè)班的學(xué)生們正自信滿滿地準(zhǔn)備最后一年的沖刺。不過(guò)，我想無(wú)論你有多大、在讀哪個(gè)年級(jí)，許多人都打心底里希望現(xiàn)在還在放暑假，以及今天不用那么早起床。

我可以理解這份心情。小時(shí)候，我們家在印度尼西亞住過(guò)幾年，而我媽媽沒錢送我去其他美國(guó)孩子們上學(xué)的地方去讀書，因此她決定自己給我上課——時(shí)間是每周一到周五的凌晨4點(diǎn)半。

顯然，我不怎么喜歡那么早就爬起來(lái)，很多時(shí)候，我就這么在廚房的桌子前睡著了。每當(dāng)我埋怨的時(shí)候，我媽總會(huì)用同一副表情看著我說(shuō)：“小鬼，你以為教你我就很輕松？”

所以，我可以理解你們中的許多人對(duì)于開學(xué)還需要時(shí)間來(lái)調(diào)整和適應(yīng)，但今天我站在這里，是為了和你們談一些重要的事情。我要和你們談一談你們每個(gè)人的教育，以及在新的學(xué)年里，你們應(yīng)當(dāng)做些什么。

我做過(guò)許多關(guān)于教育的講話，也常常用到“責(zé)任”這個(gè)詞。

我談到過(guò)教師們有責(zé)任激勵(lì)和啟迪你們，督促你們學(xué)習(xí)。

我談到過(guò)家長(zhǎng)們有責(zé)任看管你們認(rèn)真學(xué)習(xí)、完成作業(yè)，不要成天只會(huì)看電視或打游戲機(jī)。我也很多次談到過(guò)政府有責(zé)任設(shè)定高標(biāo)準(zhǔn)嚴(yán)要求、協(xié)助老師和校長(zhǎng)們的工作，改變?cè)谟行W(xué)校里學(xué)生得不到應(yīng)有的學(xué)習(xí)機(jī)會(huì)的現(xiàn)狀。

但哪怕這一切都達(dá)到最好，哪怕我們有最盡職的教師、最好的家長(zhǎng)、和最優(yōu)秀的學(xué)校，假如你們不去履行自己的責(zé)任的話，那么這一切努力都會(huì)白費(fèi)。——除非你每天準(zhǔn)時(shí)去上學(xué)、除非你認(rèn)真地聽老師講課、除非你把父母、長(zhǎng)輩和其他大人們說(shuō)的話放在心上、除非你肯付出成功所必需的努力，否則這一切都會(huì)失去意義。

而這就是我今天講話的主題：對(duì)于自己的教育，你們中每一個(gè)人的責(zé)任。首先，我想談?wù)勀銈儗?duì)于自己有什么責(zé)任。

你們中的每一個(gè)人都會(huì)有自己擅長(zhǎng)的東西，每一個(gè)人都是有用之材，而發(fā)現(xiàn)自己的才能是什么，就是你們要對(duì)自己擔(dān)起的責(zé)任。教育給你們提供了發(fā)現(xiàn)自己才能的機(jī)會(huì)。

或許你能寫出優(yōu)美的文字——甚至有一天能讓那些文字出現(xiàn)在書籍和報(bào)刊上——但假如不在英語(yǔ)課上經(jīng)常練習(xí)寫作，你不會(huì)發(fā)現(xiàn)自己有這樣的天賦；或許你能成為一個(gè)發(fā)明家、創(chuàng)造家——甚至設(shè)計(jì)出像今天的iPhone一樣流行的產(chǎn)品，或研制出新的藥物與疫苗——但假如不在自然科學(xué)課程上做上幾次實(shí)驗(yàn)，你不會(huì)知道自己有這樣的天賦；或許你能成為一名議員或最高法院法官，但假如你不去加入什么學(xué)生會(huì)或參加幾次辯論賽，你也不會(huì)發(fā)現(xiàn)自己的才能。

而且，我可以向你保證，不管你將來(lái)想要做什么，你都需要相應(yīng)的教育。——你想當(dāng)名醫(yī)生、當(dāng)名教師或當(dāng)名警官？你想成為護(hù)士、成為建筑設(shè)計(jì)師、律師或軍人？無(wú)論你選擇哪一種職業(yè)，良好的教育都必不可少，這世上不存在不把書念完就能拿到好工作的美夢(mèng)，任何工作，都需要你的汗水、訓(xùn)練與學(xué)習(xí)。

不僅僅對(duì)于你們個(gè)人的未來(lái)有重要意義，你們的教育如何也會(huì)對(duì)這個(gè)國(guó)家、乃至世界的未來(lái)產(chǎn)生重要影響。今天你們?cè)趯W(xué)校中學(xué)習(xí)的內(nèi)容，將會(huì)決定我們整個(gè)國(guó)家在未來(lái)迎接重大挑戰(zhàn)

時(shí)的表現(xiàn)。

你們需要在數(shù)理科學(xué)課程上學(xué)習(xí)的知識(shí)和技能，去治療癌癥、艾滋那樣的疾病，和解決我們面臨的能源問(wèn)題與環(huán)境問(wèn)題；你們需要在歷史社科課程上培養(yǎng)出的觀察力與判斷力，來(lái)減輕和消除無(wú)家可歸與貧困、犯罪問(wèn)題和各種歧視，讓這個(gè)國(guó)家變得更加公平和自由；你們需要在各類課程中逐漸累積和發(fā)展出來(lái)的創(chuàng)新意識(shí)和思維，去創(chuàng)業(yè)和建立新的公司與企業(yè)，來(lái)制造就業(yè)機(jī)會(huì)和推動(dòng)經(jīng)濟(jì)的增長(zhǎng)。

我們需要你們中的每一個(gè)人都培養(yǎng)和發(fā)展自己的天賦、技能和才智，來(lái)解決我們所面對(duì)的最困難的問(wèn)題。假如你不這么做——假如你放棄學(xué)習(xí)——那么你不僅是放棄了自己，也是放棄了你的國(guó)家。

當(dāng)然，我明白，讀好書并不總是件容易的事。我知道你們中的許多人在生活中面臨著各種各樣的問(wèn)題，很難把精力集中在專心讀書之上。

我知道你們的感受。我父親在我兩歲時(shí)就離開了家庭，是母親一人將我們拉扯大，有時(shí)她付不起帳單，有時(shí)我們得不到其他孩子們都有的東西，有時(shí)我會(huì)想，假如父親在該多好，有時(shí)我會(huì)感到孤獨(dú)無(wú)助，與周圍的環(huán)境格格不入。

因此我并不總是能專心學(xué)習(xí)，我做過(guò)許多自己覺得丟臉的事情，也惹出過(guò)許多不該惹的麻煩，我的生活岌岌可危，隨時(shí)可能急轉(zhuǎn)直下。

但我很幸運(yùn)。我在許多事上都得到了重來(lái)的機(jī)會(huì)，我得到了去大學(xué)讀法學(xué)院、實(shí)現(xiàn)自己夢(mèng)想的機(jī)會(huì)。我的妻子——現(xiàn)在得叫她第一夫人米歇爾·奧巴馬了——也有著相似的人生故事，她的父母都沒讀過(guò)大學(xué)，也沒有什么財(cái)產(chǎn)，但他們和她都辛勤工作，好讓她[本_文_來(lái)_源_于_我_的_學(xué)_習(xí)_網(wǎng) http://www.tmdps.cn ]有機(jī)會(huì)去這個(gè)國(guó)家最優(yōu)秀的學(xué)校讀書。你們中有些人可能沒有這些有利條件，或許你的生活中沒有能為你提供幫助和支持的長(zhǎng)輩，或許你的某個(gè)家長(zhǎng)沒有工作、經(jīng)濟(jì)拮據(jù)，或許你住的社區(qū)不那么安全，或許你認(rèn)識(shí)一些會(huì)對(duì)你產(chǎn)生不良影響的朋友，等等。

但歸根結(jié)底，你的生活狀況——你的長(zhǎng)相、出身、經(jīng)濟(jì)條件、家庭氛圍——都不是疏忽學(xué)業(yè)和態(tài)度惡劣的借口，這些不是你去跟老師頂嘴、逃課、或是輟學(xué)的借口，這些不是你不好好讀書的借口。

你的未來(lái)，并不取決于你現(xiàn)在的生活有多好或多壞。沒有人為你編排好你的命運(yùn)，在美國(guó)，你的命運(yùn)由你自己書寫，你的未來(lái)由你自己掌握。

而在這片土地上的每個(gè)地方，千千萬(wàn)萬(wàn)和你一樣的年輕人正是這樣在書寫著自己的命運(yùn)。例如德克薩斯州羅馬市的賈斯敏·佩雷茲（Jazmin Perez）。剛進(jìn)學(xué)校時(shí)，她根本不會(huì)說(shuō)英語(yǔ)，她住的地方幾乎沒人上過(guò)大學(xué)，她的父母也沒有受過(guò)高等教育，但她努力學(xué)習(xí)，取得了優(yōu)異的成績(jī)，靠獎(jiǎng)學(xué)金進(jìn)入了布朗大學(xué)，如今正在攻讀公共衛(wèi)生專業(yè)的博士學(xué)位。

我還想起了加利福尼亞州洛斯拉圖斯市的安多尼·舒爾茲（Andoni Schultz），他從三歲起就開始與腦癌病魔做斗爭(zhēng)，他熬過(guò)了一次次治療與手術(shù)——其中一次影響了他的記憶，因此他得花出比常人多幾百個(gè)小時(shí)的時(shí)間來(lái)完成學(xué)業(yè)，但他從不曾落下自己的功課。這個(gè)秋天，他要開始在大學(xué)讀書了。

又比如在我的家鄉(xiāng)，伊利諾斯州芝加哥市，身為孤兒的香特爾·史蒂夫（Shantell Steve）換過(guò)多次收養(yǎng)家庭，從小在治安很差的地區(qū)長(zhǎng)大，但她努力爭(zhēng)取到了在當(dāng)?shù)乇＝≌竟ぷ鞯臋C(jī)會(huì)、發(fā)起了一個(gè)讓青少年遠(yuǎn)離犯罪團(tuán)伙的項(xiàng)目，很快，她也將以優(yōu)異的成績(jī)從中學(xué)畢業(yè)，去大學(xué)深造。

賈斯敏、安多尼和香特爾與你們并沒有什么不同。和你們一樣，他們也在生活中遭遇各種各樣的困難與問(wèn)題，但他們拒絕放棄，他們選擇為自己的教育擔(dān)起責(zé)任、給自己定下奮斗的目

標(biāo)。我希望你們中的每一個(gè)人，都能做得到這些。

因此，在今天，我號(hào)召你們每一個(gè)人都為自己的教育定下一個(gè)目標(biāo)——并在之后，盡自己的一切努力去實(shí)現(xiàn)它。你的目標(biāo)可以很簡(jiǎn)單，像是完成作業(yè)、認(rèn)真聽講或每天閱讀——或許你打算參加一些課外活動(dòng)，或在社區(qū)做些志愿工作；或許你決定為那些因?yàn)殚L(zhǎng)相或出身等等原因而受嘲弄或欺負(fù)的孩子做主、維護(hù)他們的權(quán)益，因?yàn)槟愫臀乙粯樱J(rèn)為每個(gè)孩子都應(yīng)該能有一個(gè)安全的學(xué)習(xí)環(huán)境；或許你認(rèn)為該學(xué)著更好的照顧自己，來(lái)為將來(lái)的學(xué)習(xí)做準(zhǔn)備……當(dāng)然，除此之外，我希望你們都多多洗手、感到身體不舒服的時(shí)候要多在家休息，免得大家在秋冬感冒高發(fā)季節(jié)都得流感。

不管你決定做什么，我都希望你能堅(jiān)持到底，希望你能真的下定決心。

我知道有些時(shí)候，電視上播放的節(jié)目會(huì)讓你產(chǎn)生這樣那樣的錯(cuò)覺，似乎你不需要付出多大的努力就能腰纏萬(wàn)貫、功成名就——你會(huì)認(rèn)為只要會(huì)唱rap、會(huì)打籃球或參加個(gè)什么真人秀節(jié)目就能坐享其成，但現(xiàn)實(shí)是，你幾乎沒有可能走上其中任何一條道路。

因?yàn)椋晒κ羌y事。你不可能對(duì)要讀的每門課程都興趣盎然，你不可能和每名帶課教師都相處順利，你也不可能每次都遇上看起來(lái)和現(xiàn)實(shí)生活有關(guān)的作業(yè)。而且，并不是每件事，你都能在頭一次嘗試時(shí)獲得成功。

但那沒有關(guān)系。因?yàn)樵谶@個(gè)世界上，最最成功的人們往往也經(jīng)歷過(guò)最多的失敗。J.K.羅琳的第一本《哈利·波特》被出版商拒絕了十二次才最終出版；邁克爾·喬丹上高中時(shí)被學(xué)校的籃球隊(duì)刷了下來(lái)，在他的職業(yè)生涯里，他輸了幾百場(chǎng)比賽、投失過(guò)幾千次射籃，知道他是怎么說(shuō)的嗎？“我一生不停地失敗、失敗再失敗，這就是我現(xiàn)在成功的原因。”

他們的成功，源于他們明白人不能讓失敗左右自己——而是要從中吸取經(jīng)驗(yàn)。從失敗中，你可以明白下一次自己可以做出怎樣的改變；假如你惹了什么麻煩，那并不說(shuō)明你就是個(gè)搗蛋貴，而是在提醒你，在將來(lái)要對(duì)自己有更嚴(yán)格的要求；假如你考了個(gè)低分，那并不說(shuō)明你就比別人笨，而是在告訴你，自己得在學(xué)習(xí)上花更多的時(shí)間。

沒有哪一個(gè)人一生出來(lái)就擅長(zhǎng)做什么事情的，只有努力才能培養(yǎng)出技能。任何人都不是在第一次接觸一項(xiàng)體育運(yùn)動(dòng)時(shí)就成為校隊(duì)的代表，任何人都不是在第一次唱一首歌時(shí)就找準(zhǔn)每一個(gè)音，一切都需要熟能生巧。對(duì)于學(xué)業(yè)也是一樣，你或許要反復(fù)運(yùn)算才能解出一道數(shù)學(xué)題的正確答案，你或許需要讀一段文字好幾遍才能理解它的意思，你或許得把論文改上好幾次才能符合提交的標(biāo)準(zhǔn)。這都是很正常的。

不要害怕提問(wèn)。不要不敢向他人求助。——我每天都在這么做。求助并不是軟弱的表現(xiàn)，恰恰相反，它說(shuō)明你有勇氣承認(rèn)自己的不足、并愿意去學(xué)習(xí)新的知識(shí)。所以，有不懂時(shí)，就向大人們求助吧——找個(gè)你信得過(guò)的對(duì)象，例如父母、長(zhǎng)輩、老師、教練或輔導(dǎo)員——讓他們幫助你向目標(biāo)前進(jìn)。

你要記住，哪怕你表現(xiàn)不好、哪怕你失去信心、哪怕你覺得身邊的人都已經(jīng)放棄了你——永遠(yuǎn)不要自己放棄自己。因?yàn)楫?dāng)你放棄自己的時(shí)候，你也放棄了自己的國(guó)家。

美國(guó)不是一個(gè)人們?cè)庥隼щy就輕易放棄的國(guó)度，在這個(gè)國(guó)家，人們堅(jiān)持到底、人們加倍努力，為了他們所熱愛的國(guó)度，每一個(gè)人都盡著自己最大的努力，不會(huì)給自己留任何余地。

250年前，有一群和你們一樣的學(xué)生，他們之后奮起努力、用一場(chǎng)革命最終造就了這個(gè)國(guó)家；75年前，有一群和你們一樣的學(xué)生，他們之后戰(zhàn)勝了大蕭條、贏得了二戰(zhàn)；就在20年前，和你們一樣的學(xué)生們，他們后來(lái)創(chuàng)立了Google、Twitter和Facebook，改變了我們?nèi)伺c人之間溝通的方式。

因此，今天我想要問(wèn)你們，你們會(huì)做出什么樣的貢獻(xiàn)？你們將解決什么樣的難題？你們能發(fā)現(xiàn)什么樣的事物？

二十、五十或百年之后，假如那時(shí)的美國(guó)總統(tǒng)也來(lái)做一次開學(xué)演講的話，他會(huì)怎樣描述你們對(duì)這個(gè)國(guó)家所做的一切？

你們的家長(zhǎng)、你們的老師和我，每一個(gè)人都在盡最大的努力，確保你們都能得到應(yīng)有的教育來(lái)回答這些問(wèn)題。例如我正在努力為你們提供更安全的教室、更多的書籍、更先進(jìn)的設(shè)施與計(jì)算機(jī)。但你們也要擔(dān)起自己的責(zé)任。因此我要求你們?cè)诮衲昴軌蛘J(rèn)真起來(lái)，我要求你們盡心地去做自己著手的每一件事，我要求你們每一個(gè)人都有所成就。請(qǐng)不要讓我們失望——不要讓你的家人、你的國(guó)家和你自己失望。你們要成為我們驕傲，我知道，你們一定可以做到。謝謝大家，上帝保佑你們，上帝保佑美國(guó)。

中國(guó)古代文化是中華民族的先人在改造自然、發(fā)展自己的過(guò)程中創(chuàng)造的物質(zhì)財(cái)富和精神財(cái)富。體現(xiàn)了他們對(duì)人生、對(duì)社會(huì)、對(duì)自然的認(rèn)識(shí)及感悟，充滿了智慧；體現(xiàn)了中華民族的心理特征、文化傳統(tǒng)、精神風(fēng)貌、價(jià)值取向。集中體現(xiàn)在中華民族五千年的文明史中，蘊(yùn)藏在古代文化的典籍中，體現(xiàn)在古代仁人志士的思想和行動(dòng)里。在學(xué)習(xí)古代文化時(shí)，要注意挖掘蘊(yùn)藏的民族精神；以人為本的人道主義精神；團(tuán)結(jié)統(tǒng)一、愛好和平的和諧意識(shí)；憂患意識(shí)和愛國(guó)主義思想：與時(shí)俱進(jìn)、自強(qiáng)不息、變革的思想；浩然正氣的正道之行和道德情操；有容乃大的開放意識(shí)和博大的胸懷；天下為公、大同小康的社會(huì)理想；天人合一、自然與社會(huì)統(tǒng)一性、整體性的思想；仁愛寬恕、厚德載物的精神；崇尚氣節(jié)的人格修養(yǎng)；敦厚守信、忠于職守的誠(chéng)實(shí)態(tài)度；國(guó)家利益至上的價(jià)值觀念；舍生取義，勇于犧牲的英雄精神；尊老愛幼，孝敬父母的孝道傳統(tǒng)；勤儉節(jié)約等。

儒家思想、墨家思想、道家思想和法家思想

孔子的“仁”、“有教無(wú)類”、辦私學(xué)，晚年勤奮編典籍；孟子的“仁政”、“民貴君輕、性善論；荀子的“制天命而用之”；墨子的“兼愛”、“非攻”、“尚賢”；老子的“道”和“無(wú)為”；莊子的唯心哲學(xué)；韓非的以法為本。這些思想對(duì)中國(guó)古代文化的發(fā)展，起到了至關(guān)重要的作用。中華文化是中華民族對(duì)于人類的偉大貢獻(xiàn)：獨(dú)具特色的語(yǔ)言文字，浩如煙海的文化典籍，嘉惠世界的科技工藝，精彩紛呈的文學(xué)藝術(shù)，充滿智慧的哲學(xué)宗教，完備深刻的道德倫理，共同構(gòu)成中國(guó)文化的基本內(nèi)容。在博大精深的中國(guó)古代文化中，書法、繪畫、唐詩(shī)、宋詞無(wú)疑是突出的代表。僅以書法為例進(jìn)行分析。

第三篇：奧巴馬對(duì)大學(xué)生演講

OBAMA:I'm here with students at Wakefield High School in Arlington, Virginia.And we've got students tuning in from all across America, kindergarten through 12th grade.I'm glad you all could join us today.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, 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 longer this morning.I know that feeling.When I was young, my family lived in Indonesia for a few years, and my mother didn't have the money to send me where all the American kids went to school.So she decided to teach me extra lessons herself, Monday through Friday--at 4:30 in the morning.Now I wasn't too happy about getting up that early.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 say, “This is no picnic for me either，buster.”

So I know 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.Now I've given a lot of speeches about education.And I've talked a lot about responsibility.I've talked about your teachers' responsibility for inspiring you, and pushing you to learn.I've talked about your parents' responsibility for making sure you stay on track, and get your homework done, and don't spend every waking hour in front of the TV or with

that Xbox.I've talked a lot about your government's responsibility for setting high standards, supporting teachers and principals, and turning around schools that aren't working where students aren't getting the opportunities they deserve.But at the end of the day, we can have the most dedicated teachers, the most supportive parents, and the best schools in the world and none of it will matter unless all of you fulfill your responsibilities.Unless you show up to those schools;pay attention to those teachers;listen to your parents, grandparents and other adults;and put in the hard work it takes to succeed.And that's what I want to focus on today: the responsibility each of you has for your education.I want to start with the responsibility you have to yourself.Every single one of you has something 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.Maybe you could be a good writer--maybe even good enough to write a book or articles in a newspaper--but you might not know it until you write a paper for your English class.Maybe you could be an innovator or an inventor--maybe even good enough to come up with the next iPhone or a new medicine or vaccine--but you might not know it until you do a 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.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 can't drop out of school and just drop into a good job.You've got to work for it and

train for it and learn for it.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.What you're learning in school today will determine whether we as a nation can meet our greatest challenges in the future.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.We need every single one of you to develop your talents, skills and intellect so you can help 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.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.I get it.I know what that's like.My father left my family when I was two years old, and I was raised by a single mother who struggled at times to pay the bills and wasn't always able to give us things the other kids had.There were times when I missed having a father in my life.There were times when I was lonely and felt like I didn't fit in.So I wasn't always as focused as I should have been.I did some things I'm not proud of, and got in more trouble than I should have.And my life could have easily taken a turn for

the worse.But I was fortunate.I got a lot of second chances and had the opportunity to go to college, and law school, and follow my dreams.My wife, our first lady Michelle Obama, has a similar story.Neither of her parents had gone to college, and they didn't have much.But they worked hard, and she worked hard, so that she could go to the best schools in

this country.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.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--that's no excuse for neglecting your homework or having a bad attitude.That's no excuse for talking back to your teacher, or cutting class, or dropping out of school.That's

no excuse for not trying.Where you are right now doesn't have to determine where you'll end up.No one's written your destiny for you.Here in America, you write your own destiny.You make your own

future.That's what young people like you are doing every day, all

across America.Young people like Jazmin Perez, from Roma, Texas.Jazmin didn't speak English when she first started school.Hardly anyone in her hometown went to college, and neither of her parents had gone either.But she worked hard, earned good grades, got a scholarship to Brown University, and is now in graduate school, studying public health, on her way to being Dr.Jazmin Perez.I'm thinking about Andoni Schultz, from Los Altos, California, who's fought brain cancer since he was three.He's endured 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, and he's headed to college this fall.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, she managed to get a job at a local health 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.Jazmin, Andoni and Shantell aren't any different from any of you.They faced challenges in their lives just like you do.But they refused to give up.They chose to take responsibility for their education and set goals for themselves.And I expect all of you to do the same.That's why today, I'm calling on each of you to set your own goals for your education--and to 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 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 kids 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, I hope you'll all wash your hands a lot, and stay home from school when you don't feel well, so we can keep people from getting the

flu this fall and winter.Whatever you resolve to do, I want you to commit to it.I want you to really work at it.I know that sometimes, you get the 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, when chances are, you're not going

to be any of those things.But the truth is, being successful is hard.You won't love every subject you study.You won't click with every teacher.Not every homework assignment will seem completely relevant to your life right this minute.And you won't necessarily succeed at everything the first time you try.That's OK.Some of the most successful people in the world are the ones who've had the most failures.JK Rowling's first Harry Potter book was rejected twelve times before it was finally published.Michael Jordan was cut from his high school basketball team, and 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 is why I succeed.”

These people succeeded because they understand that you can't let your failures define you--you have to let them teach you.You have to let them show you what to do differently next time.If you get in trouble, that doesn't mean you're a troublemaker, it means you need to try harder to behave.If you get a bad grade, that doesn't mean you're stupid, it just means you need to spend more time

studying.No one's born being good at things, you become good at things through 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.It's the same with your schoolwork.You might have to do a math problem a few times before you get it right, or read something a few times before you understand it, or do a few drafts of a paper before it's good enough to hand in.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.It shows you have the courage to admit when you don't know something, and to learn something new.So find an adult you trust--a parent, grandparent or teacher;a coach or counselor--and ask them to help you stay on track to

meet your goals.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.The story of America isn't about people who quit when things got tough.It's about people who kept going, who tried harder, and who loved their country too much to do anything less than their best.It's the story of students, who sat where you sit 250 years ago, and went on to wage a revolution and found this nation.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, Twitter and Facebook and changed the way we communicate with each other.So today, I want to ask 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 twenty or fifty or one hundred years say about what all of you did for this country?

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, equipment and computers you need to learn.But you've got to do your part too.So I expect 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 or your country or yourself down.Make us all proud.I know you can do it.Thank you, God bless you, and God bless America.

第四篇：奧巴馬演講

奧巴馬演講

Hello, everybody.In the State of the Union, I laid out three areas we need to focus on if we're going to build an economy that lasts: new American manufacturing, new skills and education for American workers, and new sources of American-made energy.These days, we're getting another painful reminder why developing new energy is so important to our future.Just like they did last year, gas prices are starting to climb.Only this time, it's happening earlier.And that hurts everyone – everyone who owns a car;everyone who owns a business.It means you have to stretch your paycheck even further.Some folks have no choice but to drive a long way to work, and high gas prices are like a tax straight out of their paychecks.Now, some politicians always see this as a political opportunity.And since it's an election year, they're already dusting off their three-point plans for $2 gas.I'll save you the suspense: Step one is drill, step two is drill, and step three is keep drilling.We hear the same thing every year.Well the American people aren't stupid.You know that's not a plan – especially since we're already drilling.It's a bumper sticker.It's not a strategy to solve our energy challenge.It's a strategy to get politicians through an election.You know there are no quick fixes to this problem, and you know we can't just drill our way to lower gas prices.If we're going to take control of our energy future and avoid these gas price spikes down the line, then we need a sustained, all-of-the-above strategy that develops every available source of American energy – oil, gas, wind, solar, nuclear, biofuels, and more.We need to keep developing the technology that allows us to use less oil in our cars and trucks;in our buildings and plants.That's the strategy we're pursuing, and that's the only real solution to this challenge.Now, we absolutely need safe, responsible oil production here in America.That's why under my Administration, America is producing more oil today than at any time in the last eight years.In 2010, our dependence on foreign oil was under 50% for the first time in more than a decade.And while there are no short-term silver bullets when it comes to gas prices, I've directed my administration to look for every single area where we can make an impact and help consumers in the months ahead, from permitting to delivery bottlenecks to what's going on in the oil markets.But over the long term, an all-of-the-above energy strategy means we have to do more.It means we have to make some choices.Here's one example.Right now, four billion of your tax dollars subsidize the oil industry every year.Four billion dollars.Imagine that.Maybe some of you are listening to this in your car right now, pulling into a gas station to fill up.As you watch those numbers rise, know that oil company profits have never been higher.Yet somehow, Congress is still giving those same companies another four billion dollars of your money.That's outrageous.It's inexcusable.And it has to stop.A century of subsidies to the oil companies is long enough.It's time to end taxpayer giveaways to an industry that's never been more profitable, and use that money to reduce our deficit and double-down on a clean energy industry that's never been more promising.Because of the investments we've already made, the use of wind and solar energy in this country has nearly doubled – and thousands of Americans have jobs because of it.And because we put in place the toughest fuel economy standards in history, our cars will average nearly 55 miles per gallon by the middle of the next decade – something that, over time, will save the typical family more than $8,000 at the pump.Now Congress needs to keep that momentum going by renewing the clean energy tax credits that will lead to more jobs and less dependence on foreign oil.Look, we know there's no silver bullet that will bring down gas prices or reduce our dependence on foreign oil overnight.But what we can do is get our priorities straight, and make a sustained, serious effort to tackle this problem.That's the commitment we need right now.And with your help, it's a commitment we can make.Thank you.

第五篇：奧巴馬演講

Thank you.(Applause.)Thank you very much.Everybody, please have a seat.Well, Madam President, that was an outstanding introduction.(Laughter.)We are so proud of Donae for representing this school so well.And in addition, I also want to acknowledge your outstanding principal, who has been here for 20 years--first as a teacher, now as an outstanding principal--Anita Berger.Please give her a big round of applause.(Applause.)I want to acknowledge, as well, Mayor Gray is here--the mayor of Washington, D.C.is here.Please give him a big round of applause.(Applause.)And I also want to thank somebody who is going to go down in history as one of the finest Secretaries of Education that we’ve ever had--Arne Duncan is here.(Applause.)

Now, it is great to be here at Benjamin Banneker High School, one of the best high schools not only in Washington, D.C., but one of the best high schools in the country.(Applause.)But we’ve also got students tuning in from all across America.And so I want to welcome you all to the new school year, although I know that many of you already have been in school for a while.I know that here at Banneker, you’ve been back at school for a few weeks now.So everything is starting to settle in, just like for all your peers all across the country.The fall sports season is underway.Musicals and marching band routines are starting to shape up, I believe.And your first big tests and projects are probably just around the corner.I know that you’ve also got a great deal going on outside of school.Your circle of friends might be changing a little bit.Issues that used to stay confined to hallways or locker rooms are now finding their way onto Facebook and Twitter.(Laughter.)Some of your families might also be feeling the strain of the economy.As many of you know, we’re going through one of the toughest economic times that we’ve gone through in our lifetime--in my lifetime.Your lifetime hasn’t been that long.And so, as a consequence, you might have to pick up an after-school job to help out your family, or maybe you’re babysitting for a younger sibling because mom or dad is working an extra shift.So all of you have a lot on your plates.You guys are growing up faster and interacting with a wider world in a way that old folks like me, frankly, just didn’t have to.So today, I don’t want to be just another adult who stands up and lectures you like you’re just kids--because you’re not just kids.You’re this country’s future.You’re young leaders.And whether we fall behind or race ahead as a nation is going to depend in large part on you.So I want to talk to you a little bit about meeting that responsibility.It starts, obviously, with being the best student that you can be.Now, that doesn’t always mean that you have to have a perfect score on every assignment.It doesn’t mean that you’ve got to get straight As all the time--although that’s not a bad goal to have.It means that you have to stay at it.You have to be determined and you have to persevere.It means you’ve got to work as hard as you know how to work.And it means that you’ve got to take some risks once in a while.You can’t avoid the class that you think might be hard because you’re worried about getting the best grade if that’s a subject that you think you need to prepare you for your future.You’ve got to wonder.You’ve got to question.You’ve got to explore.And every once in a while, you need to color outside of the lines.That’s what school is for: discovering new passions, acquiring new skills, making use of this incredible time that you have to prepare yourself and give yourself the skills that you’re going to need to pursue the kind of careers that you want.And that’s why when you’re still a student you can explore a wide range of possibilities.One hour you can be an artist;the next, an author;the next, a scientist, or a historian, or a carpenter.This is the time where you can try out new interests and test new ideas.And the more you do, the sooner you’ll figure out what makes you come alive, what stirs you, what makes you excited--the career that you want to pursue.Now, if you promise not to tell anybody, I will let you in on a little secret: I was not always the very best student that I could be when I was in high school, and certainly not when I was in middle school.I did not love every class I took.I wasn’t always paying attention the way I should have.I remember when I was in 8th grade I had to take a class called ethics.Now, ethics is about right and wrong, but if you’d ask me what my favorite subject was back in 8th grade, it was basketball.I don’t think ethics would have made it on the list.But here’s the interesting thing.I still remember that ethics class, all these years later.I remember the way it made me think.I remember being asked questions like: What matters in life? Or, what does it mean to treat other people with dignity and respect? What does it mean to live in a diverse nation, where not everybody looks like you do, or thinks like you do, or comes from the same neighborhood as you do? How do we figure out how to get along?

Each of these questions led to new questions.And I didn’t always know the right answers, but those discussions and that process of discovery--those things have lasted.Those things are still with me today.Every day, I’m thinking about those same issues as I try to lead this nation.I’m asking the same kinds of questions about, how do we as a diverse nation come together to achieve what we need to achieve? How do we make sure that every single person is treated with dignity and respect? What responsibilities do we have to people who are less fortunate than we are? How do we make sure that everybody is included in this family of Americans?

Those are all questions that date back to this class that I took back in 8th grade.And here’s the thing: I still don’t always know the answers to all these questions.But if I’d have just tuned out because the class sounded boring, I might have missed out on something that not only did I turn out enjoying, but has ended up serving me in good stead for the rest of my life.So that’s a big part of your responsibility, is to test things out.Take risks.Try new things.Work hard.Don’t be embarrassed if you’re not good at something right away.You’re not supposed to be good at everything right away.That’s why you’re in school.The idea, though, is, is that you keep on expanding your horizons and your sense of possibility.Now is the time for you to do that.And those are also, by the way, the things that will make school more fun.Down the road, those will be the traits that will help you succeed, as well--the traits that will lead you to invent a device that makes an iPad look like a stone tablet.Or what will help you figure out a way to use the sun and the wind to power a city and give us new energy sources that are less polluting.Or maybe you’ll write the next great American novel.Now, to do almost any of those things, you have to not only graduate from high school,--and I know I’m just--I’m in the “amen” corner with Principal Berger here--not only do you have to graduate from high school, but you’re going to have to continue education after you leave.You have to not only graduate, but you’ve got to keep going after you graduate.That might mean, for many of you, a four-year university.I was just talking to Donae, and she wants to be an architect, and she’s interning with a architectural firm, and she’s already got her sights set on what school she wants to go to.But it might, for some other folks, be a community college, or professional credentialing or training.But the fact of the matter is, is that more than 60 percent of the jobs in the next decade will require more than a high school diploma--more than 60 percent.That’s the world you’re walking into.So I want all of you to set a goal to continue your education after you graduate.And if that means college for you, just getting into college is not enough.You also have to graduate.One of the biggest challenges we have right now is that too many of our young people enroll in college but don’t actually end up getting their degree, and as a consequence--our country used to have the world’s highest proportion of young people with a college degree;we now rank 16th.I don't like being 16th.I like being number one.That’s not good enough.So we’ve got to use--we’ve got to make sure your generation gets us back to the top of having the most college graduates relative to the population of any country on Earth.If we do that, you guys will have a brighter future.And so will America.We’ll be able to make sure the newest inventions and the latest breakthroughs happen right here in the United States of America.It will mean better jobs, and more fulfilling lives, and greater opportunities not only for you, but also for your kids.So I don’t want anybody who’s listening here today to think that you’re done once you finish high school.You are not done learning.In fact, what’s happening in today’s economy is--it’s all about lifelong learning.You have to constantly upgrade your skills and find new ways of doing things.Even if college isn't for you, even if a four-year college isn't for you, you’re still going to have to get more education after you get out of high school.You’ve got to start expecting big things from yourself right now.I know that may sound a little intimidating.And some of you may be wondering how you can pay for college, or you might not know what you want to do with your life yet.And that’s okay.Nobody expects you to have your entire future mapped out at this point.And we don't expect you to have to make it on your own.First of all, you’ve got wonderful parents who love you to death and want you to have a lot more opportunity than they ever had--which, by the way, means don’t give them a hard time when they ask you to turn off the video games, turn off the TV and do some homework.You need to be listening to them.I speak from experience because that’s what I’ve been telling Malia and Sasha.Don’t be mad about it, because we’re thinking about your future.You’ve also got people all across this country--including myself and Arne and people at every level of government--who are working on your behalf.We’re taking every step we can to ensure that you’re getting an educational system that is worthy of your potential.We’re working to make sure that you have the most up-to-date schools with the latest tools of learning.We’re making sure that this country’s colleges and universities are affordable and accessible to you.We’re working to get the best class--teachers into the classroom as well, so they can help you prepare for college and a future career.Let me say something about teachers, by the way.Teachers are the men and women who might be working harder than just about anybody these days.(Applause.)Whether you go to a big school or a small one, whether you attend a public or a private or charter school –-your teachers are giving up their weekends;they’re waking up at dawn;they’re cramming their days full of classes and extra-curricular activities.And then they’re going home, eating some dinner, and then they’ve got to stay up sometimes past midnight, grading your papers and correcting your grammar, and making sure you got that algebra formula properly.And they don’t do it for a fancy office.They don’t--they sure don’t do it for the big salary.They do it for you.They do it because nothing gives them more satisfaction than seeing you learn.They live for those moments when something clicks;when you amaze them with your intellect or your vocabulary, or they see what kind of person you’re becoming.And they’re proud of you.And they say, I had something to do with that, that wonderful young person who is going to succeed.They have confidence in you that you will be citizens and leaders who take us into tomorrow.They know you’re our future.So your teachers are pouring everything they got into you, and they’re not alone.But I also want to emphasize this: With all the challenges that our country is facing right now, we don’t just need you for the future;we actually need you now.America needs young people’s passion and their ideas.We need your energy right now.I know you’re up to it because I’ve seen it.Nothing inspires me more than knowing that young people all across the country are already making their marks.They’re not waiting.They’re making a difference now.There are students like Will Kim from Fremont, California, who launched a nonprofit that gives loans to students from low-income schools who want to start their own business.Think about that.So he’s giving loans to other students.He set up a non-for-profit.He’s raising the money doing what he loves--through dodgeball tournaments and capture-the-flag games.But he’s creative.He took initiative.And now he’s helping other young people be able to afford the schooling that they need.There is a young man, Jake Bernstein, 17 years old, from a military family in St.Louis, worked with his sister to launch a website devoted to community service for young people.And they’ve held volunteer fairs and put up an online database, and helped thousands of families to find volunteer opportunities ranging from maintaining nature trails to serving at local hospitals.And then last year, I met a young woman named Amy Chyao from Richardson, Texas.She’s 16 years old, so she’s the age of some of you here.During the summer, I think because somebody in her family had an illness, she decided that she was interested in cancer research.She hadn’t taken chemistry yet, so she taught herself chemistry during the summer.And then she applied what she had learned and discovered a breakthrough process that uses light to kill cancer cells.Sixteen years old.It’s incredible.And she's been approached by some doctors and researchers who want to work with her to help her with her discovery.The point is you don’t have to wait to make a difference.You’re first obligation is to do well in school.You’re first obligation is to make sure that you’re preparing yourself for college and career.But you can also start making your mark right now.A lot of times young people may have better ideas than us old people do anyway.We just need those ideas out in the open, in and out of the classroom.When I meet young people like yourselves, when I sat and talk to Donae, I have no doubt that America’s best days are still ahead of us, because I know the potential that lies in each of you.Soon enough, you will be the ones leading our businesses and leading our government.You will be the one who are making sure that the next generation gets what they need to succeed.You will be the ones that are charting the course of our unwritten history.And all that starts right now--starts this year.So I want all of you who are listening, as well as everybody here at Banneker, I want you to make the most of the year that’s ahead of you.I want you to think of this time as one in which you are just loading up with information and skills, and you’re trying new things and you’re practicing, and you’re honing--all those things that you’re going to need to do great things when you get out of school.Your country is depending on you.So set your sights high.Have a great school year.Let’s get to work.Thank you very much, everybody.God bless you.God bless the United States of America.(Applause.)