第一篇：美國總統奧巴馬開學勵志演講

美國總統奧巴馬2010年開學勵志演講

美國總統奧巴馬開學演講英語演講稿。這是奧巴馬第二次發表開學演講。奧巴馬2009年的演講招來了許多批評和抵制。一些反對者指責稱，奧巴馬試圖通過演講向學生灌輸政治理念。部分媒體還批評奧巴馬試圖建立個人崇拜。在美國各地，也有許多家長向當地教育官員表示抗議，一些家長甚至威脅在奧巴馬演講時把孩子離教室。有了去年的“教訓”，今年的總統開學演講，白宮意強調這是一次“非政治活動”，而奧巴馬本人也在演講中回避政治話題。

轉自[英美者]-英語專業網站：http:///Listening_Speaking/Oral_English/214752572.html

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 be here.謝謝！你們好！（掌聲。）謝謝。謝謝。你好，費城！（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Kelly報以熱烈的掌聲。在后臺的時候我說，我上高中的時候我就做不這么好，我可能會弄的一團糟。所以讓我們為你和你做的一切自豪吧。站在這里我很激動。

kelly 在奧巴馬總統演講前，一名叫Kelly的學生做了演講。backstage n.后臺

muff v.笨拙地處理，將事情弄糟 thrilled a.激動的 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.)

我想介紹幾個人。首先，來到這兒的有，杰出的賓夕法尼亞州州長，Ed Rendell。（掌聲。）費城市長，Michael Nutter。國會議員Fattah和Allyson Schwartz（掌聲）。你們的校長Marge Neff（掌聲）。學校管理人Arlene Ackerman是這個學校的，并且為學校做了很大的貢獻。（掌聲）。還有教育部秘書長Arne Duncan。（掌聲）

outstanding a.杰出的 Congressman n.國會議員 principal n.校長 superintendent n.院長

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

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 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.今天歡迎你們，歡迎每一個美國學生回校上課，當然你們在學校已經呆了一段時間了。我想不出除了在Masterman外，還有哪個地方更適合做這件事。（掌聲）因為你們是費城最好的學校之一。你們在教育方面是領頭軍。就在上周，由于你們的卓越貢獻，被授為國家藍絲帶勛章。這是對每個人的見證，對學生，家長，老師還有學校領導人。我希望全美的社會團體都能欣然接受這個杰出代表的例子。

embrace vt.擁抱；接受

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.幾周前，我和Michelle為Sasha和Malia上學的事做準備。她們兩個對這非常的期待。我敢打賭她們和你們一樣，有著相同的感覺。你們為夏天的逝去而神傷，但是你們更應該期待新的一年。如你們可以結交新的朋友，加深同老朋友的感情，加入學校俱樂部，參加各種團隊的選拔賽。成長為一個更優秀的學生和個人，不僅僅讓你的家人自豪，同樣讓你們自己也很有成就感。

build friendships 結交新朋友

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.我知道，你們中有些人在新學年會有些緊張。或許你剛從小學升到初中，從初中升到高中，會擔心，新的學年將會是什么樣的呢。也許你進入一所新的學校，不知道是否會喜歡這個學校，想著怎么來融入這個學校。或許你到了高三年級，對整個的大學入學程序感到不安，比如申請那里的學校，能不能支付上大學的費用等等。

elementary school n.小學 figure out 想明白，弄清楚 fit in 融入，適應 afford to do 承擔得起

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.除此之外，我知道你們還有來自困難時期的壓力。你們知道新聞內容，知道你們一些家庭中發發生的事情。你們讀過有關阿富汗戰爭的信息，聽說過我們經歷過的經濟不景氣。有時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。

strain n.壓力

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.所以，因為我們國家面臨困難時期，你們許多人的行為看上去比實際年齡要大。姐姐哥哥在海外工作，你們會表現得堅強，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一點的，父親失了業，你們還要做兼職。

as a consequence 結果，所以

tough time 困難時期【tough a.艱難的】 sibling n.兄弟姐妹，同胞 shift n.輪班

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

handle v.處理，應對 scale back 縮減

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 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.但是，我來到馬斯特曼，告訴你們一句話。我想這句話你們的校長、院長、父母以及老師都曾告訴過你們，那就是，沒有人，只有你才能書寫你自己的命運。未來在你自己手中，生活由自己締造。只要志向遠大，并努力為之奮斗，沒有什么是不能得到的。只要你專注于學業，沒有什么事不能實現的。我確信。

destiny n.命運 accomplish v.完成

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.)

最后這一點，在學校努力奮斗是必要的。因為教育從未像現在這樣重要。我確信，幾個月后會有一段時間，你們會完善熬夜寫作業，為考試臨時抱佛腳，或者在一個雨天的早晨把自己從被窩里拖出來，想，哦天，怎么不是下雪天？！（笑）

absolutely ad.絕對地

cram v.臨時抱佛腳；吃得過飽

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

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 is not just going to determine your success, it’s going to determine America’s success in the 21st century.能否能抓住機遇，越來越取決于你們在學校的努力。你們在學校的表現越好，生活中就能走得越遠。當今，其他國家正與我們競爭，而且比以往任何時候都激烈。在中國北京或者印度邦加羅爾的學生比以前更加努力，而且比以前表現更好。你們在學校的成功并不只決定了自己一人的成功，還決定了美國在21世界是否能夠成功。

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.所以，你們要承擔起這樣的責任和義務。同時國家也向你們承擔責任和義務，那就是為你們提供最好的教育，為此我們要努力，共同奮斗。

obligation n.責任，義務

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.所有政府工作人員，從州長到市長，到院長，到總統，所有人都要履行職責為我們的學生做好準備，幫助他們在教室、在大學、在事業上取得成功。這就需要我們有一個杰出的校長，像校長Neff，和優秀的老師，正如你們的馬斯特曼的老師們。老師們要履行好對學生所應擔負起的責任。我也希望家長負起責任。

佳句欣賞

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。未來在你自己手中，生活由自己締造。背景知識

這是奧巴馬第二次發表開學演講。奧巴馬2009年的演講招來了許多批評和抵制。一些反對者指責稱，奧巴馬試圖通過演講向學生灌輸政治理念。部分媒體還批評奧巴馬試圖建立個人崇拜。在美國各地，也有許多家長向當地教育官員表示抗議，一些家長甚至威脅在奧巴馬演講時把孩子離教室。有了去年的“教訓”，今年的總統開學演講，白宮意強調這是一次“非政治活動”，而奧巴馬本人也在演講中回避政治話題。

弗吉尼亞州，阿林頓市，2009年9月8日 嗨，大家好！你們今天過得怎么樣？我現在和弗吉尼亞州阿林頓郡韋克菲爾德高中的學生們在一起，全國各地也有從幼兒園到高三的眾多學生們通過電視關注這里，我很高興你們能共同分享這一時刻。

我知道，對你們中的許多人來說，今天是開學的第一天，你們中的有一些剛剛進入幼兒園或升上初高中，對你們來說，這是在新學校的第一天，因此，假如你們感到有些緊張，那也是很正常的。我想也會有許多畢業班的學生們正自信滿滿地準備最后一年的沖刺。不過，我想無論你有多大、在讀哪個年級，許多人都打心底里希望現在還在放暑假，以及今天不用那么早起床。

我可以理解這份心情。小時候，我們家在印度尼西亞住過幾年，而我媽媽沒錢送我去其他美國孩子們上學的地方去讀書，因此她決定自己給我上課——時間是每周一到周五的凌晨4點半。顯然，我不怎么喜歡那么早就爬起來，很多時候，我就這么在廚房的桌子前睡著了。每當我埋怨的時候，我媽總會用同一副表情看著我說：“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于開學還需要時間來調整和適應，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人的教育，以及在新的學年里，你們應當做些什么。

我做過許多關于教育的講話，也常常用到“責任”這個詞。我談到過教師們有責任激勵和啟迪你們，督促你們學習。我談到過家長們有責任看管你們認真學習、完成作業，不要成天只會看電視或打游戲機。

我也很多次談到過政府有責任設定高標準嚴要求、協助老師和校長們的工作，改變在有些學校里學生得不到應有的學習機會的現狀。

但哪怕這一切都達到最好，哪怕我們有最盡職的教師、最好的家長、和最優秀的學校，假如你們不去履行自己的責任的話，那么這一切努力都會白費。——除非你每天準時去上學、除非你認真地聽老師講課、除非你把父母、長輩和其他大人們說的話放在心上、除非你肯付出成功所必需的努力，否則這一切都會失去意義。而這就是我今天講話的主題：對于自己的教育，你們中每一個人的責任。首先，我想談談你們對于自己有什么責任。

你們中的每一個人都會有自己擅長的東西，每一個人都是有用之材，而發現自己的才能是什么，就是你們要對自己擔起的責任。教育給你們提供了發現自己才能的機會。

或許你能寫出優美的文字——甚至有一天能讓那些文字出現在書籍和報刊上——但假如不在英語課上經常練習寫作，你不會發現自己有這樣的天賦；或許你能成為一個發明家、創造家——甚至設計出像今天的iPhone一樣流行的產品，或研制出新的藥物與疫苗——但假如不在自然科學課程上做上幾次實驗，你不會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生會或參加幾次辯論賽，你也不會發現自己的才能。

而且，我可以向你保證，不管你將來想要做什么，你都需要相應的教育。——你想當名醫生、當名教師或當名警官？你想成為護士、成為建筑設計師、律師或軍人？無論你選擇哪一種職業，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，任何工作，都需要你的汗水、訓練與學習。

不僅僅對于你們個人的未來有重要意義，你們的教育如何也會對這個國家、乃至世界的未來產生重要影響。今天你們在學校中學習的內容，將會決定我們整個國家在未來迎接重大挑戰時的表現。

你們需要在數理科學課程上學習的知識和技能，去治療癌癥、艾滋那樣的疾病，和解決我們面臨的能源問題與環境問題；你們需要在歷史社科課程上培養出的觀察力與判斷力，來減輕和消除無家可歸與貧困、犯罪問題和各種歧視，讓這個國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展出來的創新意識和思維，去創業和建立新的公司與企業，來制造就業機會和推動經濟的增長。我們需要你們中的每一個人都培養和發展自己的天賦、技能和才智，來解決我們所面對的最困難的問題。假如你不這么做——假如你放棄學習——那么你不僅是放棄了自己，也是放棄了你的國家。當然，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。我父親在我兩歲時就離開了家庭，是母親一人將我們拉扯大，有時她付不起帳單，有時我們得不到其他孩子們都有的東西，有時我會想，假如父親在該多好，有時我會感到孤獨無助，與周圍的環境格格不入。因此我并不總是能專心學習，我做過許多自己覺得丟臉的事情，也惹出過許多不該惹的麻煩，我的生活岌岌可危，隨時可能急轉直下。

但我很幸運。我在許多事上都得到了重來的機會，我得到了去大學讀法學院、實現自己夢想的機會。我的妻子——現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，她的父母都沒讀過大學，也沒有什么財產，但他們和她都辛勤工作，好讓她[本_文_來_源_于_我_的_學_習_網

http://www.tmdps.cnic 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.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.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, 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 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 we communicate with each other.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? 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 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.Thank you very much, everybody.God bless you.God bless America.Thank you.(Applause.)END

12:22 P.M.EDT

第二篇：美國總統奧巴馬開學演講英文原稿

美國總統奧巴馬開學演講英文原稿

整理：微薄哥哥 www.tmdps.cnic 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.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.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, 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 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 we communicate with each other.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?

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

第三篇：美國總統奧巴馬開學演講

美國總統奧巴馬開學演講

About responsibility 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.About necessity of education 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.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.About being successful

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.Never give up

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.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.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.

第四篇：美國總統奧巴馬9月8日開學演講

美國總統奧巴馬9月8日開學演講 英文全文 For Immediate Release September 8, 2009

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

Wakefield High School Arlington, Virginia

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.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.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, 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 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 we communicate with each other.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?

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

END 12:22 P.M.EDT

第五篇：美國總統奧巴馬開學演講西方修辭學淺析

美國總統奧巴馬開學演講西方修辭學淺析

李榮義

（福建農林大學蜂學學院2009級 學號：090723067）

【摘要】肯尼斯·伯克認為任何語篇都包含著人類動機。人類的行為是在動機驅使下發生的。語言作為人類的一種行為，可以成為動機的載體。西方修辭學的發展史表明，演講是修辭的最早來源，兩者關系密切。古典修辭學理論認為，修辭學就是研究演說的技巧。修辭和演講密不可分，演講是一門勸說的藝術。演講者要得到勸說目的就需要應用各種修辭表達技巧。而通過對語言的研究，可以發現其中隱藏的動機。本文試圖通過奧巴馬總統的開學演講，淺析其中西方修辭的應用，討論修辭應用對勸說效果的影響。

【關鍵詞】奧巴馬 演講 受眾 修辭

一、戲劇五要素分析

肯尼斯·伯克的戲劇五位一體理論作為發現動機工具，其中的五個因素：行動、場景、執事者、工具、和目的。伯克是這樣闡述的：任何有關動機的完整闡述都應該回答這樣五個問題：發生了什么(行動)，在什么時候或哪里發生的(場景)，行動實施者是誰(執事者)，怎么發生的(工具)，以及為什么(目的)。在本文研究材料中五要素表現為：美國剛上任總統奧巴馬（執事者）在和弗吉尼亞州阿靈頓市的韋克菲爾德高中（場景），通過麥克風以對現場聽眾，以及電臺及電視臺的轉播（工具）面對全美國學生及教育者，學生家長等演講（行動），強調學習的重要性并希望通過演講使學生重視并認真學習（目的）。這五個要素不是孤立存在的，它們可以以不同的方式組合。按照伯克的觀點，戲劇五要素的不同組合可形成十對關系比場景-行為、場景-執行者、場景-工具、場景-目的、行為-目的、行為-執行者、行為-工具、執行者-目的、執行者-工具、工具-目的，顛倒每-對關系比的順序可創設另外十對關系比。演講是由演講者的動機驅使而發生的行為，動機會決定五個元素在其中的排列組合。因此，了解動機可以對演講的理解起到幫助作用。相比競選就職等政治色彩演說，開學演講的動機只需要博得受眾的認同并實踐，而受眾的認同及付諸行動并不需要放棄一放選擇另一平行的選擇，如投選票。開學演講中，沒有競爭對手，演講動機即說服受眾承認學習的重要性并采取行動以正確的態度認真學習。因此演講動機并不需要頂著另一方同等競爭備選項的挑戰。

二、開學演講受眾分析

修辭的首要問題便是對受眾的把握。受眾應該成為整個修辭過程的中心。演講者必須對受眾有清晰的認識，了解受眾心理，及時調整演講內容、選定語法結構、框定

詞匯范圍、列舉恰當例子幫助修辭目的的成功。從演講開頭，我們可以發現奧巴馬對受眾已經有了清晰的認識：幼兒園到12年級的學生。并且奧巴馬有對受眾進行分層：剛入學新生、畢業班、以及剛完成新生向老生轉變的學生這三層次。鑒于受眾受教育程度跨度較大，奧巴馬演講所用詞匯，運用的語法都比較簡單。一般而言，激勵學生認真學習本是教育者的工作。而奧巴馬作為美國新上任的總統，在開學第一天的演講看來有些“不務正業”。挖掘潛在的受眾，我們發現還有教育工作者以及學生家長。當然也不排除政界對立的黨派人士。演講中，奧巴馬一再使用“I’ve”的現在完成時語態，強調了自己對教育的重視，在口頭上“兌現”了其競選演講許下的承諾。而作為剛上任的總統，我們其實清楚地知道：教師配備及待遇及教育設施投入等現狀其實是以往的領導班子努力的成果。演講中，多次用到“I’ve”的排比形式，潛意識里形成受眾對他工作的認同，盜用了前人的功勞，為其總統工作的肯定鋪下基石，穩定并提高公眾對自己的支持率。據此分析，奧巴馬的開學演講在激勵學生的目的的背后，或多或少帶有政治動機。

三、博克新修辭學認同說分析

根據伯克的定義，修辭指“人們運用語言表明態度或誘導他人完成某種行為”：它以語言的基本功能為基礎，其關鍵在于“認同”，即個體與某個特性或人之間的共同本質。在伯克看來，人類作為生物學上獨立的個體生存在世界上，為了克服隔離感，始終在通過交際追求認同。伯克認為，“說服是認同的結果”。想要說服受眾，執事者必須在其他方面上和受眾達成共識，以謀取受眾心理上接受演說者的基礎繼而進行修辭，從而達到說服的目的。認同論分為：同情認同、對立認同、誤同。

演講一開始，奧巴馬便抓住受眾心理，并通自己的童年來表達自己對學生心理的理解：對假日的不舍，對懶床的共性，對開學的壓力等。以“過來人”的身份表示自己完全理解，因為小時候“我（奧巴馬）”也是這樣的。這就很自然地迎合了受眾心理，與說教的風格立即區別開，取得受眾的認同使其有興趣聽下去。

同時，奧巴馬總統的身份本身也在此也起到修辭作用：誤同。通過同情認同，總統的身份形成一種誤同，即：只要你們現在肯努力，也會和我（奧巴馬）一樣有無限可能，比如成為總統。此后結合各種例子，演講中誤同的大量運用起到很好的修辭效果。誤同在廣告中最常見，以明星的身材，容貌結合其知名度使受眾誤以為只要用同一產品，誘使受眾誤以為只要使用一樣的產品，通過同樣的努力，就可以和他們一樣優秀出眾。跳出演講，眾所周知成功案例畢竟是少數，努力過后，成功也往往需要機會的垂青，也因各人品行修養取向以及人生觀價值觀左右。也就是說，成功除了努力，也靠各人造化，機遇和運氣早就不同人生。但是，在演講中誤同法運用得當，可以起到很好的修辭效果，讓受眾備受激勵而接受演講者的觀點，從而使演講者的動機得以實現。

我們可以發現，在該演講中，幾乎沒有運用到對立認同。這也是開學演講相對于競選等政治演講的特點。開學演講不需要受眾在接受演講者的觀點的同時，拋棄另一平行選項。所以，這是一種沒有競爭的修辭行為。

四、語言細節分析

“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.” “If you don't do that--if you quit on school--you're not just quitting on yourself, you're quitting on your country.”“because here in America, you write your own destiny.You make your own future.”演講者用了一系列的放大夸張法，將放棄學業放大成對國家的拋棄，將國家的前途降臨到沒一位受眾身上。這使受眾倍受激勵而自覺放棄反駁同時也失去反駁的余地。受眾被賦予光榮的身份，將認真學習修辭成為熱愛國家的不二選擇。同時，之后又用到“because when you give up on yourself, you give up on your country.”再次運用這一修辭，將演說者的觀點深入受眾內心，修辭動機得以突出。而這一動機也迎合了奧巴馬競選時候的格調：“I can”以及“Change”等在經濟不景氣背景下對直接受眾，潛在受眾的激勵，延續競選時的口號，使其政治手段更加深入人心。

相比于辯論，歸謬法這一修辭手段也沒有應用到該演講中。但是以上夸大事實放大影響提出對未來生活的無限展望，本人認為與歸謬法的效果有些類似。根據本人對西方修辭的理解，我認為那是一種“泛歸謬法”的應用，道理是一樣的。謬法是人們常用的一種論證方法。它是充分條件假言推理否定式在論證中的應用。人們在運用歸謬法反駁某一判斷(或稱為觀點)時，先假定被反駁判斷為真，并以它作為充分條件假言推理大前提的前件，然后經過合理的引申、推導得出一個虛假或荒謬的后件，最后根據充分條件假言推理“否定后件就要否定前件”的規則，達到對被反駁判斷的否定。而放大夸張的修辭則往相反方向，其動機恰恰與駁倒對方觀點相左，通過夸大修辭讓受眾接受同一觀點。因此，本人對修辭中的歸謬法認識：歸謬法在辯論中較常使用，不適用于開學演講這種激勵型演講。

此外，開學演講中運用排比重復形式，推進形式，結合訴諸情感，人格和邏輯與聽眾達成同一。通過分析受眾、同情認同、引入主題、強調背景，轉入正題、反復誤同后結合而邏輯分析、正面價值觀先入為主、細節關心生活（勤洗手）、推進總結，從而將演講內容歸納如下：

A：發現自己的長處，發現自己真正感興趣的東西。每一個人都是有用之才，你們的職責就是發現自己的才能所在！

B：每一個孩子都應該擁有讀書和學習的機會。

C：永遠不要放棄自己！盡管長相，家庭，智力任何外在的因素的不如意等緣故，都不要當作放棄疏忽學業和態度惡劣借口。

D：問問自己，在未來的社會中。你將會有什么心新的發現？你將會解決什么問題？你將會做出什么樣的貢獻？

E：在成功的路上，就是不斷失敗不斷失敗中，走向成功。

F：不要害怕求助，他是力量的象征。因為你有勇氣承認自己的不足，能使你得到進步！

五、結語

奧巴馬成功就職總統是修辭學的成功，然而生活無處不修辭。本文從政治性較不突出的開學演講進行淺析，得到不一樣的認識。同時，西方修辭的簡單入門學習也為自己演講稿的撰寫得到一些啟發。西方修辭學相比中國零散不成體系的修辭，彰顯其強大的力量，吸引著我。國內對西方修辭學的研究較薄弱，本人認為應該適時加強對西方修辭學的研究，幫助我們在對外政治或商務談判中少吃虧。同時，通過本人感悟，認為西方修辭學可以很好地結合營銷理論用于實踐，指導商家業務推廣。因為修辭的本質就是知道我們如何說話，以及對什么樣的人，說什么樣的話（依據受眾特點），更好地達到說服或者取得受眾的認同。此外，鑒于修辭本質是應用語言，我們“實踐出真知”的同時，應該注意修辭學應用中的道德問題，即“好人良言”，合理使用并維護西方修辭學的地位和名聲。

參考文獻：

【1】黃堅 借鑒西方修辭理論，改進對臺傳播 福建福州350002

【2】劉亞猛：《西方修辭學史》，外研社2008年版