第一篇：奧巴馬對全國學生的演講

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?！悄忝刻鞙蕰r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?！阆氘斆t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.cn ]有機會去這個國家最優秀的學校讀書。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輩，或許你的某個家長沒有工作、經濟拮據，或許你住的社區不那么安全，或許你認識一些會對你產生不良影響的朋友，等等。

但歸根結底，你的生活狀況——你的長相、出身、經濟條件、家庭氛圍——都不是疏忽學業和態度惡劣的借口，這些不是你去跟老師頂嘴、逃課、或是輟學的借口，這些不是你不好好讀書的借口。

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

而在這片土地上的每個地方，千千萬萬和你一樣的年輕人正是這樣在書寫著自己的命運。例如德克薩斯州羅馬市的賈斯敏·佩雷茲（Jazmin Perez）。剛進學校時，她根本不會說英語，她住的地方幾乎沒人上過大學，她的父母也沒有受過高等教育，但她努力學習，取得了優異的成績，靠獎學金進入了布朗大學，如今正在攻讀公共衛生專業的博士學位。

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，他熬過了一次次治療與手術——其中一次影響了他的記憶，因此他得花出比常人多幾百個小時的時間來完成學業，但他從不曾落下自己的功課。這個秋天，他要開始在大學讀書了。

又比如在我的家鄉，伊利諾斯州芝加哥市，身為孤兒的香特爾·史蒂夫（Shantell Steve）換過多次收養家庭，從小在治安很差的地區長大，但她努力爭取到了在當地保健站工作的機會、發起了一個讓青少年遠離犯罪團伙的項目，很快，她也將以優異的成績從中學畢業，去大學深造。

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題，但他們拒絕放棄，他們選擇為自己的教育擔起責任、給自己定下奮斗的目

標。我希望你們中的每一個人，都能做得到這些。

因此，在今天，我號召你們每一個人都為自己的教育定下一個目標——并在之后，盡自己的一切努力去實現它。你的目標可以很簡單，像是完成作業、認真聽講或每天閱讀——或許你打算參加一些課外活動，或在社區做些志愿工作；或許你決定為那些因為長相或出身等等原因而受嘲弄或欺負的孩子做主、維護他們的權益，因為你和我一樣，認為每個孩子都應該能有一個安全的學習環境；或許你認為該學著更好的照顧自己，來為將來的學習做準備……當然，除此之外，我希望你們都多多洗手、感到身體不舒服的時候要多在家休息，免得大家在秋冬感冒高發季節都得流感。

不管你決定做什么，我都希望你能堅持到底，希望你能真的下定決心。

我知道有些時候，電視上播放的節目會讓你產生這樣那樣的錯覺，似乎你不需要付出多大的努力就能腰纏萬貫、功成名就——你會認為只要會唱rap、會打籃球或參加個什么真人秀節目就能坐享其成，但現實是，你幾乎沒有可能走上其中任何一條道路。

因為，成功是件難事。你不可能對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和現實生活有關的作業。而且，并不是每件事，你都能在頭一次嘗試時獲得成功。

但那沒有關系。因為在這個世界上，最最成功的人們往往也經歷過最多的失敗。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·喬丹上高中時被學校的籃球隊刷了下來，在他的職業生涯里，他輸了幾百場比賽、投失過幾千次射籃，知道他是怎么說的嗎？“我一生不停地失敗、失敗再失敗，這就是我現在成功的原因。”

他們的成功，源于他們明白人不能讓失敗左右自己——而是要從中吸取經驗。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，那并不說明你就是個搗蛋貴，而是在提醒你，在將來要對自己有更嚴格的要求；假如你考了個低分，那并不說明你就比別人笨，而是在告訴你，自己得在學習上花更多的時間。

沒有哪一個人一生出來就擅長做什么事情的，只有努力才能培養出技能。任何人都不是在第一次接觸一項體育運動時就成為校隊的代表，任何人都不是在第一次唱一首歌時就找準每一個音，一切都需要熟能生巧。對于學業也是一樣，你或許要反復運算才能解出一道數學題的正確答案，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準。這都是很正常的。

不要害怕提問。不要不敢向他人求助?！颐刻於荚谶@么做。求助并不是軟弱的表現，恰恰相反，它說明你有勇氣承認自己的不足、并愿意去學習新的知識。所以，有不懂時，就向大人們求助吧——找個你信得過的對象，例如父母、長輩、老師、教練或輔導員——讓他們幫助你向目標前進。

你要記住，哪怕你表現不好、哪怕你失去信心、哪怕你覺得身邊的人都已經放棄了你——永遠不要自己放棄自己。因為當你放棄自己的時候，你也放棄了自己的國家。

美國不是一個人們遭遇困難就輕易放棄的國度，在這個國家，人們堅持到底、人們加倍努力，為了他們所熱愛的國度，每一個人都盡著自己最大的努力，不會給自己留任何余地。

250年前，有一群和你們一樣的學生，他們之后奮起努力、用一場革命最終造就了這個國家；75年前，有一群和你們一樣的學生，他們之后戰勝了大蕭條、贏得了二戰；就在20年前，和你們一樣的學生們，他們后來創立了Google、Twitter和Facebook，改變了我們人與人之間溝通的方式。

因此，今天我想要問你們，你們會做出什么樣的貢獻？你們將解決什么樣的難題？你們能發現什么樣的事物？

二十、五十或百年之后，假如那時的美國總統也來做一次開學演講的話，他會怎樣描述你們對這個國家所做的一切？

你們的家長、你們的老師和我，每一個人都在盡最大的努力，確保你們都能得到應有的教育來回答這些問題。例如我正在努力為你們提供更安全的教室、更多的書籍、更先進的設施與計算機。但你們也要擔起自己的責任。因此我要求你們在今年能夠認真起來，我要求你們盡心地去做自己著手的每一件事，我要求你們每一個人都有所成就。請不要讓我們失望——不要讓你的家人、你的國家和你自己失望。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。

中國古代文化是中華民族的先人在改造自然、發展自己的過程中創造的物質財富和精神財富。體現了他們對人生、對社會、對自然的認識及感悟，充滿了智慧；體現了中華民族的心理特征、文化傳統、精神風貌、價值取向。集中體現在中華民族五千年的文明史中，蘊藏在古代文化的典籍中，體現在古代仁人志士的思想和行動里。在學習古代文化時，要注意挖掘蘊藏的民族精神；以人為本的人道主義精神；團結統一、愛好和平的和諧意識；憂患意識和愛國主義思想：與時俱進、自強不息、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和博大的胸懷；天下為公、大同小康的社會理想；天人合一、自然與社會統一性、整體性的思想；仁愛寬恕、厚德載物的精神；崇尚氣節的人格修養；敦厚守信、忠于職守的誠實態度；國家利益至上的價值觀念；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；勤儉節約等。

儒家思想、墨家思想、道家思想和法家思想

孔子的“仁”、“有教無類”、辦私學，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“無為”；莊子的唯心哲學；韓非的以法為本。這些思想對中國古代文化的發展，起到了至關重要的作用。中華文化是中華民族對于人類的偉大貢獻：獨具特色的語言文字，浩如煙海的文化典籍，嘉惠世界的科技工藝，精彩紛呈的文學藝術，充滿智慧的哲學宗教，完備深刻的道德倫理，共同構成中國文化的基本內容。在博大精深的中國古代文化中，書法、繪畫、唐詩、宋詞無疑是突出的代表。僅以書法為例進行分析。

第二篇：奧巴馬對學生的演講

奧巴馬校園開學演講

綜合媒體9月14日報道，根據白宮發布的發布的演講摘要透露，奧巴馬總統14日的演講將譴責校園暴力，告訴學生們其自身在高中校園中所進行的種族身份斗爭。奧巴馬將表示，作為一名青少年并不容易，正是一個需要處理很多事情的時期。當他還是學生時，他當時質疑他是誰？一個白人母親和一個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歷著自己的問題，尋求是什么因素導致你與眾不同。

此次奧巴馬在費城朱莉婭馬斯特曼實驗室與示范學校（Julia R.Masterman Laboratory and Demonstration School）的演講，據其第一次在學校演講約一年多的時間。當時，奧巴馬的演講引起了共和黨和保守派的爭議，擔心其利用這一機會宣傳自己的政治議程。奧巴馬在當時演講的結尾，也呼吁學生們要努力學習，這與14日的演講頗為相似。

奧巴馬總統將宣布，一所高性能的學校在競爭中贏得勝利，他將在這所學校的開學典禮上進行發言。奧巴馬表示，如果你的學校是勝者，如果你向大家展示，老師、學生和家長正在齊心協力為孩子的職業生涯作出規劃，如果你能展示將如何回饋社區和國家，他將以個人身份對其表示祝賀，并在其開學典禮上進行演講。

奧巴馬也將在演講中承認，美國目前面臨的嚴峻的經濟和安全挑戰，許多學生應該能夠從其父母的表情和聲音中感覺到。他將稱，許多學生將不得不表現的比真實年齡成熟，當其兄弟姐妹在海外服役時，必須變得強大起來；當其母親外出工作時，必須幫助照看年幼的弟妹；當其父親失業后，必須利用課余時間找一份兼職。

奧巴馬還將向學生表示，沒有人能夠撰寫你們的生命，除了你們自己。未來在自己的手中，生活由自己創造，沒有任何事情是超越自己的控制的。

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。

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?。ㄕ坡?。）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。be here.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.)

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

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）

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。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。

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，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。

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 結交新朋友

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。

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 figure out 想明白，弄清楚

我知道，你們中有些人在新學年會有些緊張?；蛟S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。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.strain n.壓力

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。

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

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?；蛟S你們有些人年長一點的，父親失了業，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，應對 scale back 縮減

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。

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 accomplish v.完成

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。

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.絕對地

cram v.臨時抱佛腳；吃得過飽

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？?。ㄐΓ?/p>

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。

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。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.責任，義務

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。

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。

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。

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.

第三篇：奧巴馬對大學生演講

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：奧巴馬對全美學生的開學演講

奧巴馬對全美學生的開學演講(中英）

Hello, everybody!Thank you.Thank you.Thank you, everybody.All right, everybody go ahead and have a seat.How is everybody doing today? How about Tim Spicer? I am here with students at Wakefield High School in Arlington, Virginia.And we’ve 奧巴馬在全美學生開學第一天的演講詞

教育美國奧巴馬責任演講

嗨，大家好！謝謝，謝謝，謝謝大家，好，大家請就座.你們今天過得怎么樣？蒂姆斯帕賽好嗎？我現在與弗吉利亞阿靈郡 維克菲爾高中的學們在一起,全國各地也有從幼兒園到高三的眾多學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.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 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.”

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.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，我還要感謝維克菲爾高中出色的組織安排,請為你們自己熱烈鼓掌，我知道，對你們中間許多人來說，今天是開學的第一天，對于剛進入幼兒園或升上初中高中的學生，今天是你們來到新學校的第一天，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正自信滿滿，還有一年就畢業了，不論在哪個年級，許多人都打心底希望現在還在放暑假，今天早上能多睡一小會兒，我可以理解這份心情.小時候，我們家生活在海外，我在印度尼西亞住了幾年，我媽媽沒有錢送我上其他美國孩子上的學校，但她認為必須讓我接受美式教育，因此，她決定從周一到周五自己給我補課，不過她還要上班，所以只能在清晨四點半給我上課，你們可以想象，我不太情愿那么早起床，有很多次，我趴在餐桌上就睡著了，每當我埋怨的時候，我媽媽總會用同一幅表情看著我說，小鬼，你以為教你我就很輕松？

所以我能理解你們有些人還在適應開學后的生活，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，以及在這個新學年對你們所有人的期待.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你們，督促你們學習，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.我談到過家長們有責任確保你們走正道，完成家庭作業，不要成天只會看電視或打游戲機，我也多次談到政府有責任制定高標準，協助老師和校長們的工作，改變在有些學校學生得不到應有學習機會的現狀，但哪怕這一切都達到最好，哪怕我們擁有最敬業的教師，最盡力的家長，和全世界最好的學校，假如你們不去履行自己的責任的話，那么這一些努力都會白費，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重點，你們每個人對自己的教育應盡的責任，我首先要講講你們對自己應盡的責任，你們每個人都有自己的長處，你們每個人都是有用之材，你們對自己應盡的責任是發現自己的才能所在，而教育能夠提供這樣的機會，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才能，或許你能成為一名創新者或發明家，甚至可能設計出新一代IPHONE,或研制出新型藥物與疫苗，但假如不在自然科學課堂上做幾次實驗，你不會發現自己有這樣的才能，或許你能成為一名市長，或參議員，或最高法院的大法官，但假如你不去加入學生會或參加幾次辯論賽，你不會發現自己有這樣的才能，不論你的生活志向是什么，我敢肯定你都需要相應的教育，你想當醫生、教師、或者警官嗎？你想當護士，建筑師，律師，或軍人嗎？你必須接受良好的教育，才能從事上述任何一種職業，你不能指望輟學后能碰上個好工作，你必須接受培訓，為之努力，為之學習，這并非只對你個人的人生和未來意義重大，教育給你帶來的益處將決定這個國家的未來，美國的未來取決于你們，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，你們需要再數理科學課程上學習的知識和

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’s 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’s 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’s 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

技能，去治療癌癥、艾滋那樣的疾病，開發新的能源技術，保護我們的環境，你們 需要歷史社科課程上獲得的觀察力與判斷力，來抗擊平困和解決無家可歸問題，打擊犯罪和消除歧視，讓這個國家變得更加公平和自由，你們需要再各類課程中逐漸培養的創造力和智慧，去創辦新公司，制造就業機會和推動經濟增長，我們需要你們每個人都發揮天賦、技能和才智，來幫助老一輩解決我們面臨的最棘手問題，如果你們不這樣做，如果你們輟學，那么你們不僅是放棄了自己，也放棄了自己的國家.我當然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問題，很難把精力集中在專心讀書上，我明白這一點，我有親身感受，我父親在我兩歲時就離開了家庭，是母親一人將我拉扯大，母親不得不工作，并時常為支付生活費用而苦苦掙扎，但有時仍無法為我們提供其他孩子享有的東西，有時我渴望生活中能有一位父親，有時我會感到孤獨無助，感覺與周圍的環境格格不入，我并非總是像我應該做到的那樣專心學習，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，我有幸能上大學，上法學院，追求自己的理想，我的妻子，我們的第一夫人米歇爾奧巴馬，也有著相似的人生故事，她的父母都沒讀過大學，也沒什么財產，但他們都非常勤奮，她也是如此，因此她得以進入一些美國最好的學校，你們中有些人可能沒有那些有利條件，或許你的生活中沒有能為你提供幫助的長輩，或許你們家中有人失業，經濟非常拮據，或許你住的社區不那么安全，或許你認識一些會對你產生不良影響的朋友，但歸根到底，你的生活狀況，你的長相，出身，經濟條件，家庭氛圍，都不是疏忽學業和態度惡劣的借口，這些不是你去跟老師頂嘴，逃課或輟學的借口，這些不是你不好好讀書的借口，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’s 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’s 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’s feel well, so we can keep people from getting the flu this fall and winter.你們目前的狀況并不決定著你們的未來，沒有人為你編排好你的命運，在美國，你的命運由你自己書寫，你的未來由你自己掌握，這就是像你們這樣的年輕人每天都在做的事情，全美各地都是如此，例如德克薩斯州羅馬市的賈思敏佩雷茲，她剛進學校時根本不會說英語，她的父母都沒有上過大學，然而，她非常勤奮，成績優異，獲得布朗大學的獎學金，如今正攻讀公共衛生專業的研究生，不久，將成為賈思敏佩雷茲博士，我還想起了加州羅斯拉圖斯市的安多尼舒爾茲，他從三歲起就開始于腦癌病魔做斗爭，他熬過了一次次治療與手術，其中一項手術曾影響了他的記憶，因此他得比常人多花幾百個小時來完成學業，但他從不曾落下自己的功課，這個秋天，他要開始在大學讀書了，我還想起家鄉伊利諾伊州芝加哥市的一名孤兒，香特爾史蒂夫，她曾寄養于多個不同的家庭，從小在治安很差的地區長大，但他通過努力在一家地方醫療中心找到工作，發起了一個讓青少年遠離犯罪團伙的項目，她即將以優異成績從中學畢業，去大學深造，賈思敏，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問題，在某些情況下，他們的處境比起你們許多人更差，但他們拒絕放棄，他們決定要為自己的人生，自己的教育負起責任，給自己定下奮斗的目標，我希望你們中的每一個人都能做到這些.因此，我今天號召你們每一個人，為自己的教育設定目標，并盡自己的最大努力來實現這些目標，你的目標可以很簡單，像是完成作業，認真聽講，或每天閱讀，或許你打算參加一些課外活動，或在你的社區提供免費志愿服務，或許你會決定挺身而出，保護那些因身份或長相而受人戲弄或欺負的孩子，原因是你和我一樣認為，每個孩子都應該享有適合讀書和學習的安全環境，或許你決定該學著更好地照顧自己，來為將來的學習做準備，除此之外，順便提一下，我希望大家要勤洗手，感到身體 不舒服的時候，要多在家休息，免得大家在秋冬感冒高發季節都得流感，但無論你決定做什么，我都希望你能堅持到

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 底，我希望你腳踏實地去做，我知道有時候，你會從電視上得到這樣的印象，不需要付出多大的努力就能腰纏萬貫，功成名就，只要會唱RAP，會打籃球或參加真人秀節目，就能坐享其成，但現實是，你幾乎沒有可能走上其中任何一條道路，事實上取得成功不是輕而易舉的事情，你不可能對要讀的每門課程都興趣盎然，你不可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’s 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’s 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’s be afraid to ask questions.Don’s 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’s 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

能和每名帶課教師都相處順利，不是所有的家庭作業都與你眼前的生活完全有關，并不是每件事，你都能在頭一次嘗試時獲得成功，但那沒有關系，世界上最成功的人士中有一些事遭遇失敗最多的，JK羅琳，哈利波特的作者，她的哈利波特第一步在出版前被退稿12次，邁克爾喬丹上高中時被校籃球隊刷下來，在他的職業生涯里，他輸了幾百場比賽，投失過幾千次射籃，但他曾說過，我一生不停的失敗，失敗再失敗，這就是我成功的原因，他們的成功，源于他們明白不能讓失敗左右自己，而是要從中吸取經驗，從失敗中，你能明白下一次可以做出怎么樣的改變，假如你惹了什么麻煩，那并不說明你就是個搗蛋鬼，而意味著你需要更加努力去把他做對，假如你考了個低分，那不表示你比比別人笨，而只表示你需要花更多的時間學習，沒有一個人天生擅長做什么事情，只有努力才能培養出技能，第一次接觸新的體育項目時，你不可能是一位主力隊員，第一次唱一首歌曲時，你不可能常準每一個發音，一切都是熟能生巧的，對于學業也是一樣，你或許要反復運算才能正確解出一道數學題，你或許需要反復讀一段文字才能理解他的意思，你或許得把論文改上好幾次才能符合提交的標準.不要害怕提問，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，它是力量的標志，因為他表明你有勇氣承認自己的不足，這樣做會使你學到新的東西，請確定一位你信任的成年人，例如家長，祖父母或老師，教練或輔導員，請他們幫助你遵循既定計劃實現你的目標，即使當你苦苦掙扎，即使當你灰心喪氣，你you feel like other people have given up on you, don’s 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’s let us down.Don’s let your family down or your country down.Most of all, don’s let yourself down.Make us all proud.Thank you very much, everybody.God bless you.God bless America.Thank you.覺得身邊的人都已經放棄了你，永遠不要自己放棄自己，因為當你放棄自己的時候，你也放棄了自己的國家，書寫美國歷史的不是在困難時刻退縮的人，而是堅持不懈，加倍努力的人，他們對國家的愛促使他們全力以赴，書寫美國歷史的是250年前和你們一樣的學生，他們之后用一場革命最終造就了這個國家，年輕人，75年前，有一群和你們一樣的學生，他們之后戰勝了大蕭條，贏得了二戰，他們為民權而奮斗并把宇航員送上了月球，就在20年前，有一群和你們一樣的學生們，他們后來創立了GOOGLE，TWITTER和FACEBOOK，改變了我們之間交流溝通的方式，因此，今天我要問問你們大家，你們會做出什么樣的貢獻，你們將解決什么樣的難題，你們能發現什么樣的事物，20年，50年或100年后，假如那時的美國總統也來做一次開學演講的話，他會怎樣描述你們對這個國家所做的一切，你們的家長，你們的老師和我，正在竭盡全力確保你們都能得到應有的教育，以便回答上述問題，我正在努力為你們提供更安全的教室，更多的書籍，更先進的設施與計算機，但你們也要承擔起自己的責任，因此我要求你們在今年能夠認真起來，我要求你們盡心地去做自己著手的每一件事情，我要求你們每個人都有所成就，請不要讓我們失望，不要讓你們的家人或你們的國家失望，而最重要的是，不要辜負你們自己，你們要成為我們驕傲，非常感謝你們大家，愿主保佑美國，謝謝你們.

第五篇：奧巴馬演講

May 25, 2013 WASHINGTON, DC—In his weekly address Saturday, Obama noted that members of the U.S.military often risk their lives without seeking the limelight or any special reward.As Americans observe Memorial Day weekend, U.S.President Barack Obama is calling on his fellow citizens to remember the men and women who have given their lives in service to the country, and to remember the military families who make sacrifices of their own.奧巴馬在例行的周六演說中指出，美軍官兵經常將生命危險置之度外而并不尋求關注和特別獎賞。他說，星期一就是陣亡將士紀念日，這一天應該用來感謝烈士的奉獻。美國總統奧巴馬呼吁美國民眾牢記為國捐軀的英烈們，記住烈士家屬做出的犧牲。