第一篇：美國賣餅老人去世奧巴馬致辭

美國總統奧巴馬在曼德拉追悼會上的致辭

謝謝各位！非常感謝大家！首先我想向曼德拉家族成員、祖馬總統、尊敬的各位各國的代表們、尊敬的各位嘉賓，我覺得我今天非常榮幸在此參加曼德拉的追悼會，來紀念這一個卓越非凡的人。

各位南非的人民們，來自各行各業的人，全世界感謝你們，讓你們的國度誕生了曼德拉這位偉人，他的一生是偉大的一生，是你們的尊容。而他為你們獲得了自由和民主，這是他留下的寶貴財富。我們現在難以用言語去表達我們對曼德拉的熱愛，很難用一些數據、事實去描繪一個人的一生。我們用很多不同的事讓我們心意相連。

在他從監獄獲得自由之后，他把國家又重新團結起來，就像林肯 總統那樣，他是國家的締造者，他為下一代人建立了自由的基礎。而他為國家塑造起來了民主和法治的基礎，而且在一任總統任期之后就自愿選擇從權利的高位下退出。在他的一生當中他取得了輝煌的成就。

我們記得曼德拉是我們的偶像，是我們的領袖，他永遠帶著微笑，但同時他又是堅強的自強不息的斗士。但是曼德拉也與我們分享他的疑惑，還有在他的一些光輝成就當中的疑慮。他說，如果你覺得所謂的圣人就是雖然犯錯但是永不放棄的人，而他也承認他的不完美。他有著幽默感，即使他身負重擔但是仍然微笑著面對生活。他是有血有肉的真實的一個人，有著自己的情感，他既是一位導師，又是我們親密的朋友，這是我們為什么從他身上學習到如此多的東西。

他的成就是卓越的，是無與倫比的，在他的一生當中我們看到了他不屈不撓的斗爭，他的勇氣、信仰、耐心和堅持，他向我們展示了人類的潛力，不僅是歷史上一些光輝的章節，而是我們看到的實實在在的成就，他也讓我們看到了行動的力量。看到了他為理想所付出的艱辛的努力，從曼德拉身上我們看到了，他從他的父親那里繼承了勇氣和不懈斗爭的精神。而為成千上萬的人爭取尊嚴，即使他在監獄當中也心懷人民。就像我們歷史上的巨人一樣，他跨越了艱險。

曼德拉控制了憤怒，而是拋出了仇恨，讓人們可以獲得和解，可以重尋人的尊嚴。即使他面臨著艱難，但是他幫助我們一同去尋求正義。他說，我為了白人的統治和黑人的統治都征戰過、奮斗過、抗爭過，我是希望所有的人能夠平等自由的生活著。正是在這樣的理想之下我們希望能夠把他的精神傳承下來，我會為我所熱愛的人們，為他們做好風險的準備。

曼德拉向我們展示了行動的成就，他告訴了我們思考和理性的重要性，他告訴我們不僅要去堅持贊同的人，同時要去尊重他們即使反對人的意見。而且他把自己的經歷作為磨煉，他把他的知識傳授下去，影響他人。他在奮斗的過程當中不斷地學習，這樣才能夠向人們展示打破了種族隔離的自由是多么寶貴和重要。

曼德拉向我們展示出了想法，僅僅有想法是不夠的。不管想法有多么正確，同時也要受到法律和制度的運輸。他非常實際，把自己的信仰在實踐當中和歷史情況當中加以實驗。但是在核心價值觀方面是絕不動搖的，所以說他也提醒我們即便是身處牢獄當中也可以有奮斗精神。但是他在監獄當中仍然制訂法律，而且不為了個人的利益而犧牲大的原則。而且他也創造了南非的《憲法》，創造了反種族制度的民主，保護了少數人的利益及大多數的利益，以及每一個南非人的自由權利。

最終曼德拉代表了人類精神的紐帶，在南非有這樣一個詞，這個詞其實就描繪了曼德拉最偉大的天賦，他意識到人類永遠有一條看不到的紐帶連接在一起，但是人性是統一的。我們在傳承精神的過程當中能夠實現自我，我們永遠不知道這樣的力量有多強，是不是這樣的力量支撐他在幽暗的監獄當中堅持奮斗。但是他卻在救人總統的時候向全世界人介紹他的監獄看守，他把他家人離世的心痛轉化為愛滋病尋找救治方法的努力。他不僅代表了偉大，還教會了這么多人如何在自在尋找真理。就是像曼德拉這樣的人能夠解放不僅是囚犯，同時能夠解放看守囚犯的人。而且教會其他人如何信任 自己，而且他教給我們和解不是一條殘忍的道路，而是通過包容、寬大和真理來化解這些分歧，他改變了法律，也改變了人心。

對于南非的民眾來說，對于那些全球范圍內受過他激勵的人，曼德拉的離世絕對是無比悲痛的時刻，他們都在為他哀悼，慶祝英雄般的一生。但是我相信這也是我們每個人自省的一刻，我們必須要貪嗔地面對自己，無論外界條件如何都要問自己我們有沒有在自己的生活當中運用到曼德拉的精神，運用到他教給我們的品質。我自己也在思考，作為一個總統、作為一個人，我們知道像南非那樣，美國也有過種族制度的統治，我們也為此斗爭和奮斗長達幾十年。正是那些知名和不知名的人奮斗才有今天，我的夫人和我正是這種成果的受益者。但是在美國，還有在南非，以及全球各國，我們不能夠允許我們的進步遮蔽這樣的事實，就是我們的工作尚未完成，仍然任重而道遠。

實現平等的路上仍然有很多工作要做，可能沒有過去來的那么排山倒海，但是仍然有很多的工作要做。我們現在仍然看到孩子們忍饑挨餓死于疾病，我們看到學校被炸毀，看到年輕人完全看不到未來的希望，在世界各國我們看到有許多人仍然因為他們的政治信仰而入獄。仍然因為他們的宗教信仰，因為他們的興趣，因為他們所愛的人而蒙受牢獄之災，現在這種情況仍然在發生。所以我們也必須為了公正而戰，為公正而行動，為和平而行動。現在還有太多的人沒有能夠獲得曼德拉所取得的成就的問責，他們仍然經受著種族歧視的煎熬，仍然生活在水深火熱貧困當中。

曼德拉致力于自由，有很多領導說是維護曼德拉的價值觀，但是卻不能夠寬容的對待他們自己的民眾。而我們有很多人在邊線當中生活，我們就坐在一旁，卻沒有發出自己的聲音。我們的聲音必須要聽到我們當前面臨的問題，比如說推動和平和公正，如何推動自由和人權，如何結束紛爭以及戰爭。這一些問題不好解答，也不好解決，但是很多問題都不好解答。比如說在一戰當中出生了曼德拉，也業面臨著那么多的難題，但是他卻會在解決問題之前不斷地奮斗，直到一切解決為止。南非展示給我們，我們可以變化，我們可以建造這樣一個世界，根基不是我們之間的差異，而是我們之間的共同點；不是紛爭，而是機會和和平。我們無法再見到曼德拉了，但是我想告訴南非的年輕人，以及世界各國的年輕人。你們也可以使他的人生變成你們自己的。

在三十年前我還是一個學生，我學習了曼德拉的事跡了，了解了他在南非國土上所做出的奮斗。當時點燃了我身體當中的某些信念，使我想到了我的責任對我自己和其他人的責任，使我踏上這樣一條旅程，一直到我今天所在的位置。我永遠無法成為像曼德拉那樣偉大的人，但是他讓我想成為更好的人。他能喚醒我們每個人心中最美好的部分。

他這個偉大的自由斗士已然安息，我們會回到各自的生活和工作崗位，重新開始我們的日常生活。在這個過程當中讓我們繼續找尋他的力量，找尋他偉大的精神，就在我們自己的心中，在我們自己的體內找到他的這種精神。當我們的心上仍然受到不公正的負篇二：美國總統奧巴馬對英國女王鉆禧慶典的致辭

美國總統奧巴馬對英國女王鉆禧慶典的致辭時間:2012-06-20 10:50來源:口譯網 作者:口譯網 點擊:2603次

president obama’s message for the diamond jubilee of queen elizabeth ii june 5, 2012 美國總統奧巴馬對英國女王伊麗莎白二世鉆禧慶典的致辭 2012年6月5日

點擊進入下載頁面：視頻、音頻、文本 your majesty, 女王陛下，在這鉆禧之年的歷史時刻，米歇爾和我向您、所有的英國人以及英聯邦的成員國表達美國人民的衷心祝賀。in war and in peace, in times of plenty and in times of hardship, the united states and the united kingdom have shared a special relationship.we’ve stood tall and strong.and together we’ve faced some of the greatest challenges this world has known.無論戰爭還是和平時期，無論在富裕還是艱苦時刻，美國和英國一直有著共同的特殊關系，我們一起并肩向前，共同面對世界范圍內的各種巨大挑戰。

歷經多位總統和首相的輪換，陛下的統治一如既往。如去年我在白金漢宮所說，陛下正是我們兩國聯盟的真實見證和力量源泉。作為一個堅定的盟友、忠實的朋友和孜孜不倦的領導者，陛下為我們樹立了矢志不渝的光輝典范。

and as we work together to build a better future for the next generation, it is gratifying to know that the bonds between our nations remain indispensable to our two countries and to the world.當我們共同攜手為下一代打造更加美好的未來的時候，我們欣喜的認識到，兩國之間的聯系對于兩國乃至世界仍然至關重要。

為了慶祝您在位這不平凡的六十年，整個英聯邦亮起千萬座鉆禧的信標。祝女王陛下的王冠在未來的歲月里永放光芒。

奧巴馬2013年感恩節致辭 2013年11月28日，美國奧巴馬總統在每周總統講話中發表2013年感恩節致辭，奧巴馬稱贊美國公民們為國家建立和發展的貢獻，同時感謝其家人和美國人民共同為構建美好的生活而努力。

hi, everybody.on behalf of all the obamas – michelle, malia, sasha, bo, and the newest member of our family, sunny – i want to wish you a happy and healthy thanksgiving.大家好！我代表我們家所有人——米歇爾、瑪利亞、薩莎、波爾以及新添成員桑尼，祝愿大家有一個快樂舒適的感恩節。

we’ll be spending today just like many of you – sitting down with family and friends to eat some good food, tell some stories, watch a little football, and most importantly, count our blessings.我們今天會和家人朋友一起享用美味的食物、講故事、看點足球比賽，最重要的是，感恩——就像你們大多數人一樣。

and as americans, we have so much to be thankful for.作為美國人，我們有那么多值得感恩的東西。

we give thanks for the men and women who set sail for this land nearly four centuries ago, risking everything for the chance at a better life – and the people who were already here, our native american brothers and sisters, for their generosity during that first thanksgiving.我們對近400年前航行到這片土地的人們表達感謝，因為他們為了尋求更好的生活，甘冒一切風險。我們還要感激已經在這片土地上的，我們的原住民印第安兄弟姐妹們，感激他們在第一次感恩節上的慷慨大度。

we give thanks for the generations who followed – people of all races and religions, who arrived here from every country on earth and worked to build something better for themselves and for us.我們對相繼而來的世世代代的人們表達感激。來自世界各國的人們——來自不同民族并有著不同宗教信仰，齊心協力為他們自己和我們建筑起更美好的將來。we give thanks for all our men and women in uniform – and for their families, who are surely missing them very much today.we’re grateful for their sacrifice too.我們對穿制服為我們服務的人們表達謝意，對今天必定無比想念他們的親人表達謝意。我們感激他們的犧牲。we give thanks for the freedoms they defend – the freedom to think what we want and say what we think, to worship according to our own beliefs, to choose our leaders and, yes, criticize them without punishment.people around the world are fighting and even dying for their chance at these freedoms.we stand with them in that struggle, and we give thanks for being free.我們感恩他們所捍衛的自由——讓我們敢想敢說的自由、讓我們選擇信仰的自由、讓我們選擇自己的領導人的自由，以及，不受懲罰地批評領導人的自由。世界各國人民都在為有這些自由而奮斗甚至犧牲。我們和他們站在同一戰線上，我們為自由而感恩。

character.we believe in lending a hand to folks who need it.we believe in pitching in to solve problems even if they aren’t our problems.and that’s not a one-day-a-year belief.it’s part of the fabric of our nation.而且，我們感恩所有讓美國成為更強大并且更富同情心的國家而盡責職守的人們——那些感恩節在救濟所參加志愿服務的人，或者參加服務項目的人，或者給孤單的鄰居送去食物和鼓勵的人。這樣的大度慷慨是我們美國人性格中的核心部分。我們愿意給需要的人以援手，我們愿意路見不平拔刀相助。這些不是一年一次的想法，這是我們國家的構成。and we remember that many americans need that helping hand right now.americans who’ve lost their jobs and can’t get a new one through no fault of their own.americans who’ve been trapped in poverty and just need that helping hand to climb out.citizens whose prayers and hopes move us to act.我們牢記著許多美國人現在需要幫助。那些失去工作而且沒有絲毫過錯卻找不到新工作的美國人，那些深陷貧困而且急需救援之手的美國人。正是這些公民的祈禱和希望促使我們行動。

we are a people who are greater together than we are on our own.that’s what today is about.that’s what every day should be about.no matter our differences, we’re all part of one american family.we are each other’s keeper.we are one nation, under god.that core tenet of our american experience has guided us from the earliest days of our founding – and it will guide us to a future that’s even brighter than today.我們是一個團結勝過單獨行動的國家。今天如此，每天都如此。不管我們多么不同，我們都是美國大家庭的一份子。我們是彼此的守護者。我們是上帝庇佑的一個國家。我們美國歷史實踐出的這個核心信條將帶領我們走向比今天更輝煌的未來，從建國初期到將來都是如此。

thank you, god bless you, and from my family to yours, happy thanksgiving.謝謝，上帝保佑你。還有我們全家想對大家表示感恩節快樂。

第二篇：老人去世致辭

尊敬的各位親朋，各位來賓：

今天我們懷著萬分悲痛的心情向老人做最后的遺體告別，老人生前為人默默奉獻，身后令人深深懷念，眾多親朋好友，大家用不同的方式表達悼念，寄托哀思，慰問家屬，我代表老人全家向大家表示衷心的感謝！

老人生于xxxx年xx月xx日，于xxx年xx月xx日xx時xx分去世，享年xx歲，xx歲從xx來到xx，在xxxx先后干過xxxx司機，xxx司機等工作，爾后到xxxxxxxx公司，從事xxxx辦公室等工作。老人為人善良，和藹可親。

老人工作更是仔細認真，一絲不茍，在辦公室十余年擔任xxxxx的工作中，及時，準確xxxxx，寒冬酷暑，風雨不誤。對家人悉心呵護，任勞任怨，一切安排的井井有條。在此祝老人一路走好！

xxxx年xxx月xxx日

第三篇：奧巴馬對美國中小學生新學期致辭

奧巴馬新學期致辭

REMARKS BY THE PRESIDENT IN A NATIONAL ADDRESS TO AMERICA’S SCHOOLCHILDREN美國總統奧巴馬對全美中小學生的講話

Wakefield High School, Arlington, Virginia 弗吉尼亞州阿靈頓郡韋克菲爾德高中

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

大家好！謝謝你們。謝謝你們。謝謝你們大家。好，大家請就坐。你們今天都好嗎？（掌聲）蒂姆?斯派塞（Tim Spicer）好嗎？（掌聲）我現在與弗吉尼亞州阿靈頓郡韋克菲爾德高中的學生們在一起。美國各地從小學預備班到中學12年級的學生正在收聽收看。我很高興大家今天都能參與。我還要感謝韋克菲爾德高中出色的組織安排。請為你們自己熱烈鼓掌。（掌聲）

I know that for many of you, today is the first day of school.And for those of you in kindergarten, or starting middle or high school, it’s your first day in a new school, so it’s understandable if you’re a little nervous.I imagine there are some seniors out there who are feeling pretty good right now--(applause)--with just one more year to go.And no matter what grade you’re in, some of you are probably wishing it were still summer and you could’ve stayed in bed just a little bit longer this morning.我知道，今天是你們很多人開學的日子。對于進入小學預備班、初中或高中的學生，今天是你們來到新學校的第一天，心里可能有點緊張，這是可以理解的。我能想象有些畢業班學生現在感覺很不錯——（掌聲）——還有一年就畢業了。不論在哪個年級，你們有些人可能希望暑假更長一點，今天早上還能多睡一小會兒。

I know that feeling.When I was young, my family lived overseas.I lived in Indonesia for a few years.And my mother, she didn’t have the money to send me where all the American kids went to school, but she thought it was important for me to keep up with an American education.So she decided to teach me extra lessons herself, Monday through Friday.But because she had to go to work, the only time she could do it was at 4:30 in the morning.我了解這種感覺。我小時候，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。

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

你們可以想見，我不太情愿那么早起床。有很多次，我趴在餐桌上就睡著了。但每當我抱怨的時候，我媽媽都會那樣地看我一眼，然后說：“小子，這對我也并不輕松。”（笑聲）

So I know that some of you are still adjusting to being back at school.But I’m here today because I have something important to discuss with you.I’m here because I want to talk with you about your education and what’s expected of all of you in this new school year.我知道你們有些人還在適應開學后的生活。但我今天來到這里是因為有重要的事情要和你們說。我來這里是要和你們談談你們的教育問題，以及在這個新學年對你們所有人的期望。

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

I’ve talked about teachers’ responsibility for inspiring students and pushing you to learn.我談到過教師激勵學生并督促他們學習的責任。

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

I’ve talked a lot about your government’s responsibility for setting high standards, and supporting teachers and principals, and turning around schools that aren’t working, where students aren’t getting the opportunities that they deserve.我多次談到過政府的責任，要制定高標準，支持教師和校長的工作，徹底改善不能為學生提供應有機會的、教育質量差的學校。

But at the end of the day, we can have the most dedicated teachers, the most supportive parents, the best schools in the world--and none of it will make a difference, none of it will matter unless all of you fulfill your responsibilities, unless you show up to those schools, unless you pay attention to those teachers, unless you listen to your parents and grandparents and other adults and put in the hard work it takes to succeed.That’s what I want to focus on today: the responsibility each of you has for your education.然而，即使我們擁有最敬業的教師，最盡力的家長和全世界最好的學校——如果你們大家不履行你們的責任，不到校上課，不專心聽講，不聽家長、祖父祖母和其他大人的話，不付出取得成功所必須的勤奮努力，那么這一切都毫無用處，都無關緊要。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。

I want to start with the responsibility you have to yourself.Every single one of you has something that you’re good at.Every single one of you has something to offer.And you have a responsibility to yourself to discover what that is.That’s the opportunity an education can provide.我首先要講講你們對自己應盡的責任。你們每個人都有自己的長處。你們每個人都能做出自己的貢獻。你們對自己應盡的責任是發現自己的能力所在。而教育能夠提供這樣的機會。

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

And no matter what you want to do with your life, I guarantee that you’ll need an education to do it.You want to be a doctor, or a teacher, or a police officer? You want to be a nurse or an architect, a lawyer or a member of our military? You’re going to need a good education for every single one of those careers.You cannot drop out of school and just drop into a good job.You’ve got to train for it and work for it and learn for it.不論你的生活志向是什么，我敢肯定你必須上學讀書才能實現它。你想當醫生、教師或警官嗎？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。

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

You’ll need the knowledge and problem-solving skills you learn in science and math to cure diseases like cancer and AIDS, and to develop new energy technologies and protect our environment.You’ll need the insights and critical-thinking skills you gain in history and social studies to fight poverty and homelessness, crime and discrimination, and make our nation more fair and more free.You’ll need the creativity and ingenuity you develop in all your classes to build new companies that will create new jobs and boost our economy.你們將需要利用你們通過自然科學和數學課程所學到的知識和解決問題的能力來治愈癌癥、艾滋病及其他疾病，開發新的能源技術和保護我們的環境。你們將需要利用你們在歷史學和社會學課堂上所獲得的知識和獨立思考能力來抗擊貧困和解決無家可歸問題，打擊犯罪和消除歧視，使我們的國家更公平、更自由。你們將需要利用你們在所有課堂上培養的創造力和智慧來創辦新公司，增加就業機會，振興我們的經濟。

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

Now, I know it’s not always easy to do well in school.I know a lot of you have challenges in your lives right now that can make it hard to focus on your schoolwork.我自然知道要做到學業優秀并非總是易事。我知道你們許多人在生活中中面臨挑戰，難以集中精力從事學業。

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.我明白這一點。我有親身感受。兩歲時，我父親離家而去，我是由一位單親母親撫養成人的，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。有時我感到孤獨，感到自己不適應社會。

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

But I was--I was lucky.I got a lot of second chances, and I had the opportunity to go to college and law school and follow my dreams.My wife, our First Lady Michelle Obama, she has a similar story.Neither of her parents had gone to college, and they didn’t have a lot of money.But they worked hard, and she worked hard, so that she could go to the best schools in this country.但是，我當年際遇不錯。我有過許多第二次機會，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，也有著類似的經歷。她的父母都未曾上過大學，家里很窮。但他們非常勤奮，她也是如此，因此她得以進入一些美國最好的學校。

Some of you might not have those advantages.Maybe you don’t have adults in your life who give you the support that you need.Maybe someone in your family has lost their job and there’s not enough money to go around.Maybe you live in a neighborhood where you don’t feel safe, or have friends who are pressuring you to do things you know aren’t right.你們中有一些人可能沒有那些有利條件。或許你們生活中沒有成年人為你們提供你們所需要的支持。或許你們家中有人失業，經濟非常拮據。或許你們生活在使你們感覺不安全的社區，或有朋友逼迫你們去做你們知道不對的事情。

But at the end of the day, the circumstances of your life--what you look like, where you come from, how much money you have, what you’ve got going on at home--none of that is an excuse for neglecting your homework or having a bad attitude in school.That’s no excuse for talking back to your teacher, or cutting class, or dropping out of school.There is no excuse for not trying.然而說到底，你們生活的環境、你們的膚色、你們的原籍、你們的經濟收入、你們家中的境況等等，這一切都不能成為你們不用功或不努力的理由。你們沒有理由不服從你們的老師、逃學、或輟學。沒有理由不付出努力。

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

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

Young people like Jazmin Perez, from Roma, Texas.Jazmin didn’t speak English when she first started school.Neither of her parents had gone to college.But she worked hard, earned good grades, and got a scholarship to Brown University--is now in graduate school, studying public health, on her way to becoming Dr.Jazmin Perez.來自得州羅馬城的賈茲敏?佩雷斯（Jazmin Perez）就是一個例證，她剛開始上學時并不會說英文。她的父母都沒有上過大學。然而，她非常勤奮，成績優秀，獲得了布朗大學的獎學金，她如今正在讀研究生，攻讀公共衛生專業，不久將成為賈茲敏?佩雷斯博士。

I’m thinking about Andoni Schultz, from Los Altos, California, who’s fought brain cancer since he was three.He’s had to endure all sorts of treatments and surgeries, one of which affected his memory, so it took him much longer--hundreds of extra hours--to do his schoolwork.But he never fell behind.He’s headed to college this fall.我想起了加州洛斯阿爾托斯城的安多尼?舒爾茨（Andoni Schultz），他從三歲開始就一直與腦癌進行抗爭，他不得不忍受各類治療和手術帶來的痛苦，其中一項手術曾影響了他的記憶，因此他花在功課上的時間比一般人長得多，要多出數百個小時。然而，他從未落后。他今年秋季將邁進大學。

And then there’s Shantell Steve, from my hometown of Chicago, Illinois.Even when bouncing from foster home to foster home in the toughest neighborhoods in the city, she managed to get a job at a local health care center, start a program to keep young people out of gangs, and she’s on track to graduate high school with honors and go on to college.我還想起家鄉伊利諾伊州芝加哥市的尚特爾?史蒂夫（Shantell Steve）。她曾在芝加哥最困難的社區生活，寄養于多個不同的家庭，但她最終在一家地方醫療中心找到工作，并開始了一項幫助年輕人遠離流氓團伙的計劃，她即將以優異成績從中學畢業，緊接著將上大學。

And Jazmin, Andoni, and Shantell aren’t any different from any of you.They face challenges in their lives just like you do.In some cases they’ve got it a lot worse off than many of you.But they refused to give up.They chose to take responsibility for their lives, for their education, and set goals for themselves.And I expect all of you to do the same.賈茲敏、安多尼和尚特爾與你們中間的每個人沒什么兩樣。跟你們一樣，他們在生活中面臨種種挑戰。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一生、自己的教育負起責任，為自己設定各項奮斗目標。我期待你們大家都會這樣做。

That’s why today I’m calling on each of you to set your own goals for your education--and do everything you can to meet them.Your goal can be something as simple as doing all your homework, paying attention in class, or spending some time each day reading a book.Maybe you’ll decide to get involved in an extracurricular activity, or volunteer in your community.Maybe you’ll decide to stand up for kids who are being teased or bullied because of who they are or how they look, because you believe, like I do, that all young people deserve a safe environment to study and learn.Maybe you’ll decide to take better care of yourself so you can be more ready to learn.And along those lines, by the way, I hope all of you are washing your hands a lot, and that you stay home from school when you don’t feel well, so we can keep people from getting the flu this fall and winter.因此，我今天呼吁你們每一個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。你的目標可以是一件十分簡單的事情，例如完成家庭作業、上課專心聽講、或每天花一點時間讀一本書。也許你會決定要參加課外活動或在你的社區提供志愿服務。也許你會決定挺身而出保護那些因為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所有的年輕人都應該享有一個適合讀書和學習的安全環境。也許你會決定更好地照料自己，以便有更充沛的精力來學習。順便提一下，除了這些事情外，我希望大家要勤洗手，身體感到不舒服的時候要呆在家里不去上學，這樣我們能防止人們在今年秋冬季節染上流感。

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

I know that sometimes you get that sense from TV that you can be rich and successful without any hard work--that your ticket to success is through rapping or basketball or being a reality TV star.Chances are you’re not going to be any of those things.我知道有時候你會從電視上得到這樣的印象：你不用做任何艱苦的工作就能發財致富并取得成功，唱小調、打籃球或成為真人秀明星是走向成功的途徑。但實際情況是：你可能不會成為其中的一員。

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

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

這些都沒關系。世界上最成功的人士中有一些是遭遇失敗最多的人。作者J?K?羅琳（J.K.Rowling）所寫的系列小說《哈利?波特》（Harry Potter）第一部在獲得出版之前被退稿12次。邁克爾?喬丹（Michael Jordan）曾被他的高中籃球隊除名。在喬丹的籃球生涯中，他輸過數百場比賽，有成千上萬個球沒有投中。但他曾說過：“在我的一生中，我失敗了一次又一次、一次又一次。這就是我成功的原因。”

These people succeeded because they understood that you can’t let your failures define you--you have to let your failures teach you.You have to let them show you what to do differently the next time.So if you get into trouble, that doesn’t mean you’re a troublemaker, it means you need to try harder to act right.If you get a bad grade, that doesn’t mean you’re stupid, it just means you need to spend more time studying.這些人士獲得成功，因為他們懂得：你不能讓失敗來限制你，而必須讓失敗來開導你。你必須讓失敗向你展示下次如何以不同的方式去做這件事情。因此，如果你遇到麻煩，那并不表示你是麻煩的制造者，而意味著你需要更加努力去把它做對。如果你有一門課分數低，那不表示你比別人笨，而只表示你需要花更多的時間學習。

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.沒有一個人天生擅長做各種事情。你通過勤奮而變得擅長于各種事情。第一次從事新的體育項目時，你不可能是一位主力隊員。第一次唱一首歌曲時，你不可能唱準每個音。你必須練習。同樣的道理適用于你的學業。你可能要把一道數學題做幾次才把它做對。你可能要把一些材料閱讀幾遍才能理解。在交出一篇優美的作文之前，你肯定需要打幾遍草稿。

Don’t be afraid to ask questions.Don’t be afraid to ask for help when you need it.I do that every day.Asking for help isn’t a sign of weakness, it’s a sign of strength because it shows you have the courage to admit when you don’t know something, and that then allows you to learn something new.So find an adult that you trust--a parent, a grandparent or teacher, a coach or a counselor--and ask them to help you stay on track to meet your goals.不要害怕提問。不要在需要幫助時害怕請求別人幫助。我天天請求別人的幫助。請求幫助不是軟弱的表現，它是力量的標志，因為它表明你有勇氣承認自己對某些事情不懂，這樣做會使你學到新的東西。因此，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。

And even when you’re struggling, even when you’re discouraged, and you feel like other people have given up on you, don’t ever give up on yourself, because when you give up on yourself, you give up on your country.即使當你苦苦掙扎、灰心喪氣、感到其他人對你不抱希望時，也不要對你自己喪失信心，因為當你自暴自棄時，你也拋棄了自己的國家。

The story of America isn’t about people who quit when things got tough.It’s about people who kept going, who tried harder, who loved their country too much to do anything less than their best.書寫美國歷史的不是在困難時刻退縮的人，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。

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.書寫美國歷史的是250年前坐在你們的位置上的學生，他們后來進行了獨立戰爭并創建了這個國家。還有75年前坐在你們的位置上的年輕人和學生，他們走出了大蕭條并打贏了一場世界大

戰；他們為民權而奮斗并把宇航員送上了月球。至于20年前坐在你們的位置上的學生，他們創辦了谷歌（Google）、嘰喳網（Twitter）和臉譜網（Facebook），改變了我們交流溝通的方式。

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

而今天，我要問問你們大家，你們將做出什么貢獻？你們將解決什么問題？你們將有什么發現？20年、50年或100年后來到這里講話的總統將會怎樣評價你們大家為這個國家所做的一切？

Now, your families, your teachers, and I are doing everything we can to make sure you have the education you need to answer these questions.I’m working hard to fix up your classrooms and get you the books and the equipment and the computers you need to learn.But you’ve got to do your part, too.So I expect all of you to get serious this year.I expect you to put your best effort into everything you do.I expect great things from each of you.So don’t let us down.Don’t let your family down or your country down.Most of all, don’t let yourself down.Make us all proud.你們的家人、你們的老師和我正在竭盡全力保證你們接受必要的教育，以便回答上述問題。我正在努力工作，以便你們的教室得到修繕，你們能夠得到學習所需的課本、設備和電腦。但你們也必須盡自己的努力。因此，我希望你們大家從今年起認真對待這個問題。我希望你們盡最大努力做好每一件事。我希望你們每個人都有出色的表現。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，而要讓我們都能[為你們]感到驕傲。

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

非常感謝你們大家。愿主保佑你們。愿主保佑美國。謝謝你們。（掌聲）

第四篇：奧巴馬演講美國中小學生新學期致辭

奧巴馬演講美國中小學生新學期致辭

2009年9月8日，奧巴馬總統在弗吉尼亞州阿靈頓郡(Arlington, Virginia)韋克菲爾德高中(Wakefield High School)對全美中小學生發表講話，強調上學讀書的重要性，激勵學生努力學習。以下是講話全文：

Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy

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

Wakefield High School, Arlington, Virginia

September 8, 2009

美國總統奧巴馬對全美中小學生的講話

弗吉尼亞州阿靈頓郡韋克菲爾德高中

2009年9月8日

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

大家好！謝謝你們。謝謝你們。謝謝你們大家。好，大家請就坐。你們今天都好嗎？(掌聲)蒂姆·斯派塞(Tim Spicer)好嗎？(掌聲)我現在與弗吉尼亞州阿靈頓郡韋克菲爾德高中的學生們在一起。美國各地從小學預備班到中學12年級的學生正在收聽收看。我很高興大家今天都能參與。我還要感謝韋克菲爾德高中出色的組織安排。請為你們自己熱烈鼓掌。(掌聲)

I know that for many of you, today is the first day of school.And for those of you in kindergarten, or starting middle or high school, it’s your first day in a new school, so it’s understandable if you’re a little nervous.I imagine there are some seniors out there who are feeling pretty good right now--(applause)--with just one more year to go.And no matter what grade you’re in, some of you are probably wishing it were still summer and you could’ve stayed in bed just a little bit longer this morning.我知道，今天是你們很多人開學的日子。對于進入小學預備班、初中或高中的學生，今天是你們來到新學校的第一天，心里可能有點緊張，這是可以理解的。我能想象有些畢業班學生現在感覺很不錯——(掌聲)——還有一年就畢業了。不論在哪個年級，你們有些人可能希望暑假更長一點，今天早上還能多睡一小會兒。

I know that feeling.When I was young, my family lived overseas.I lived in Indonesia for a few years.And my mother, she didn’t have the money to send me where all the American kids went to school, but she thought it was important for me to keep up with an American education.So she decided to teach me extra lessons herself, Monday through Friday.But because she had to go to work, the only time she could do it was at 4:30 in the morning.我了解這種感覺。我小時候，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。

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

你們可以想見，我不太情愿那么早起床。有很多次，我趴在餐桌上就睡著了。但每當我抱怨的時候，我媽媽都會那樣地看我一眼，然后說：“小子，這對我也并不輕松。”(笑聲)So I know that some of you are still adjusting to being back at school.But I’m here today because I have something important to discuss with you.I’m here because I want to talk with you about your education and what’s expected of all of you in this new school year.我知道你們有些人還在適應開學后的生活。但我今天來到這里是因為有重要的事情要和你們說。我來這里是要和你們談談你們的教育問題，以及在這個新學年對你們所有人的期望。

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

I’ve talked about teachers’ responsibility for inspiring students and pushing you to learn.我談到過教師激勵學生并督促他們學習的責任。

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

I’ve talked a lot about your government’s responsibility for setting high standards, and supporting teachers and principals, and turning around schools that aren’t working, where students aren’t getting the opportunities that they deserve.我多次談到過政府的責任，要制定高標準，支持教師和校長的工作，徹底改善不能為學生提供應有機會的、教育質量差的學校。

But at the end of the day, we can have the most dedicated teachers, the most supportive parents, the best schools in the world--and none of it will make a difference, none of it will matter unless all of you fulfill your responsibilities, unless you show up to those schools, unless you pay attention to those teachers, unless you listen to your parents and grandparents and other adults and put in the hard work it takes to succeed.That’s what I want to focus on today: the responsibility each of you has for your education.然而，即使我們擁有最敬業的教師，最盡力的家長和全世界最好的學校——如果你們大家不履行你們的責任，不到校上課，不專心聽講，不聽家長、祖父祖母和其他大人的話，不付出取得成功所必須的勤奮努力，那么這一切都毫無用處，都無關緊要。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。

I want to start with the responsibility you have to yourself.Every single one of you has something that you’re good at.Every single one of you has something to offer.And you have a responsibility to yourself to discover what that is.That’s the opportunity an education can provide.我首先要講講你們對自己應盡的責任。你們每個人都有自己的長處。你們每個人都能做出自己的貢獻。你們對自己應盡的責任是發現自己的能力所在。而教育能夠提供這樣的機會。

Maybe you could be a great writer--maybe even good enough to write a book or articles in a newspaper--but you might not know it until you write that English paper--that English class paper that’s assigned to you.Maybe you could be an innovator or an inventor--maybe even good enough to come up with the next iPhone or the new medicine or vaccine--but you might not know it until you do your project for your science class.Maybe you could be a mayor or a senator or a Supreme Court justice--but you might not know that until you join student government or the debate team.你或許能成為一名出色的作家——甚至可能寫書或在報紙上發表文章——但你可能要在完成那篇英文課的作文后才會發現自己的才華。你或許能成為一名創新者或發明家——甚至可能設計出新一代iPhone或研制出新型藥物或疫苗——但你可能要在完成科學課的實驗后才會發現自己的才華。你或許能成為一名市長或參議員或最高法院的大法官——但你可能要在參加學生會的工作或辯論隊后才會發現自己的才華。And no matter what you want to do with your life, I guarantee that you’ll need an education to do it.You want to be a doctor, or a teacher, or a police officer? You want to be a nurse or an architect, a lawyer or a member of our military? You’re going to need a good education for every single one of those careers.You cannot drop out of school and just drop into a good job.You’ve got to train for it and work for it and learn for it.不論你的生活志向是什么，我敢肯定你必須上學讀書才能實現它。你想當醫生、教師或警官嗎？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。

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

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 tech nologies and protect our environment.You’ll need the insights and critical-thinking skills you gain in history and social studies to fight poverty and homelessness, crime and discrimination, and make our nation more fair and more free.You’ll need the creativity and ingenuity you develop in all your classes to build new companies that will create new jobs and boost our economy.你們將需要利用你們通過自然科學和數學課程所學到的知識和解決問題的能力來治愈癌癥、艾滋病及其他疾病，開發新的能源技術和保護我們的環境。你們將需要利用你們在歷史學和社會學課堂上所獲得的知識和獨立思考能力來抗擊貧困和解決無家可歸問題，打擊犯罪和消除歧視，使我們的國家更公平、更自由。你們將需要利用你們在所有課堂上培養的創造力和智慧來創辦新公司，增加就業機會，振興我們的經濟。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.www.tmdps.cn

我們需要你們每個人發揮你們的聰明才智和技能，以便幫助老一輩人解決我們面臨的最棘手問題。如果你們不這樣做，如果你們輟學，你們不僅僅是自暴自棄，也是拋棄自己的國家。

Now, I know it’s not always easy to do well in school.I know a lot of you have challenges in your lives right now that can make it hard to focus on your schoolwork.我自然知道要做到學業優秀并非總是易事。我知道你們許多人在生活中面臨挑戰，難以集中精力從事學業。

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.我明白這一點。我有親身感受。兩歲時，我父親離家而去，我是由一位單親母親撫養成人的，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。有時我感到孤獨，感到自己不適應社會。

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

But I was--I was lucky.I got a lot of second chances, and I had the opportunity to go to college and law school and follow my dreams.My wife, our First Lady Michelle Obama, she has a similar story.Neither of her parents had gone to college, and they didn’t have a lot of money.But they worked hard, and she worked hard, so that she could go to the best schools in this country.但是，我當年際遇不錯。我有過許多第二次機會，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，也有著類似的經歷。她的父母都未曾上過大學，家里很窮。但他們非常勤奮，她也是如此，因此她得以進入一些美國最好的學校。

Some of you might not have those advantages.Maybe you don’t have adults in your life who give you the support that you need.Maybe someone in your family has lost their job and there’s not enough money to go around.Maybe you live in a neighborhood where you don’t feel safe, or have friends who are pressuring you to do things you know aren’t right.你們中有一些人可能沒有那些有利條件。或許你們生活中沒有成年人為你們提供你們所需要的支持。或許你們家中有人失業，經濟非常拮據。或許你們生活在使你們感覺不安全的社區，或有朋友逼迫你們去做你們知道不對的事情。

But at the end of the day, the circumstances of your life--what you look like, where you come from, how much money you have, what you’ve got going on at home--none of that is an excuse for neglecting your homework or having a bad attitude in school.That’s no excuse for talking back to your teacher, or cutting class, or dropping out of school.There is no excuse for not trying.然而說到底，你們生活的環境、你們的膚色、你們的原籍、你們的經濟收入、你們家中的境況等等，這一切都不能成為你們不用功或不努力的理由。你們沒有理由不服從你們的老師、逃學、或輟學。沒有理由不付出努力。

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

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

Young people like Jazmin Perez, from Roma, Texas.Jazmin didn’t speak English when she first started school.Neither of her parents had gone to college.But she worked hard, earned good grades, and got a scholarship to Brown University--is now in graduate school, studying public health, on her way to becoming Dr.Jazmin Perez.來自得州羅馬城的賈茲敏?佩雷斯(Jazmin Perez)就是一個例證，她剛開始上學時并不會說英文。她的父母都沒有上過大學。然而，她非常勤奮，成績優秀，獲得了布朗大學的獎學金，她如今正在讀研究生，攻讀公共衛生專業，不久將成為賈茲敏?佩雷斯博士。

I’m thinking about Andoni Schultz, from Los Altos, California, who’s fought brain cancer since he was three.He’s had to endure all sorts of treatments and surgeries, one of which affected his memory, so it took him much longer--hundreds of extra hours--to do his schoolwork.But he never fell behind.He’s headed to college this fall.我想起了加州洛斯阿爾托斯城的安多尼?舒爾茨(Andoni Schultz)，他從三歲開始就一直與腦癌進行抗爭，他不得不忍受各類治療和手術帶來的痛苦，其中一項手術曾影響了他的記憶，因此他花在功課上的時間比一般人長得多，要多出數百個小時。然而，他從未落后。他今年秋季將邁進大學。

And then there’s Shantell Steve, from my hometown of Chicago, Illinois.Even when bouncing from foster home to foster home in the toughest neighborhoods in the city, she managed to get a job at a local health care center, start a program to keep young people out of gangs, and she’s on track to graduate high school with honors and go on to college.我還想起家鄉伊利諾伊州芝加哥市的尚特爾?史蒂夫(Shantell Steve)。她曾在芝加哥最困難的社區生活，寄養于多個不同的家庭，但她最終在一家地方醫療中心找到工作，并開始了一項幫助年輕人遠離流氓團伙的計劃，她即將以優異成績從中學畢業，緊接著將上大學。

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.www.tmdps.cn

賈茲敏、安多尼和尚特爾與你們中間的每個人沒什么兩樣。跟你們一樣，他們在生活中面臨種種挑戰。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一生、自己的教育負起責任，為自己設定各項奮斗目標。我期待你們大家都會這樣做。

That’s why today I’m calling on each of you to set your own goals for your education--and do everything you can to meet them.Your goal can be something as simple as doing all your homework, paying attention in class, or spending some time each day reading a book.Maybe you’ll decide to get involved in an extracurricular activity, or volunteer in your community.Maybe you’ll decide to stand up for kids who are being teased or bullied because of who they are or how they look, because you believe, like I do, that all young people deserve a safe environment to study and learn.Maybe you’ll decide to take better care of yourself so you can be more ready to learn.And along those lines, by the way, I hope all of you are washing your hands a lot, and that you stay home from school when you don’t feel well, so we can keep people from getting the flu this fall and winter.因此，我今天呼吁你們每一個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。你的目標可以是一件十分簡單的事情，例如完成家庭作業、上課專心聽講、或每天花一點時間讀一本書。也許你會決定要參加課外活動或在你的社區提供志愿服務。也許你會決定挺身而出保護那些因為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所有的年輕人都應該享有一個適合讀書和學習的安全環境。也許你會決定更好地照料自己，以便有更充沛的精力來學習。順便提一下，除了這些事情外，我希望大家要勤洗手，身體感到不舒服的時候要呆在家里不去上學，這樣我們能防止人們在今年秋冬季節染上流感。The truth is, being successful is hard.You won’t love every subject that you study.You won’t click with every teacher that you have.Not every homework assignment will seem completely relevant to your life right at this minute.And you won’t necessarily succeed at everything the first time you try.事實上，取得成功不是輕而易舉的事情。你不會喜歡你學習的每一門課目。你不會與你的每一位老師都很投契。不是所有的家庭作業似乎都與你眼前的生活完全有關。你第一次嘗試做每件事的時候，不一定成功。

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

這些都沒關系。世界上最成功的人士中有一些是遭遇失敗最多的人。作者J?K?羅琳(J.K.Rowling)所寫的系列小說《哈利?波特》(Harry Potter)第一部在獲得出版之前被退稿12次。邁克爾?喬丹(Michael Jordan)曾被他的高中籃球隊除名。在喬丹的籃球生涯中，他輸過數百場比賽，有成千上萬個球沒有投中。但他曾說過：“在我的一生中，我失敗了一次又一次、一次又一次。這就是我成功的原因。”

These people succeeded because they understood that you can’t let your failures define you--you have to let your failures teach you.You have to let them show you what to do differently the next time.So if you get into trouble, that doesn’t mean you’re a troublemaker, it means you need to try harder to act right.If you get a bad grade, that doesn’t mean you’re stupid, it just means you need to spend more time studying.這些人士獲得成功，因為他們懂得：你不能讓失敗來限制你，而必須讓失敗來開導你。你必須讓失敗向你展示下次如何以不同的方式去做這件事情。因此，如果你遇到麻煩，那并不表示你是麻煩的制造者，而意味著你需要更加努力去把它做對。如果你有一門課分數低，那不表示你比別人笨，而只表示你需要花更多的時間學習。

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.沒有一個人天生擅長做各種事情。你通過勤奮而變得擅長于各種事情。第一次從事新的體育項目時，你不可能是一位主力隊員。第一次唱一首歌曲時，你不可能唱準每個音。你必須練習。同樣的道理適用于你的學業。你可能要把一道數學題做幾次才把它做對。你可能要把一些材料閱讀幾遍才能理解。在交出一篇優美的作文之前，你肯定需要打幾遍草稿。

Don’t be afraid to ask questions.Don’t be afraid to ask for help when you need it.I do that every day.Asking for help isn’t a sign of weakness, it’s a sign of strength because it shows you have the courage to admit when you don’t know something, and that then allows you to learn something new.So find an adult that you trust--a parent, a grandparent or teacher, a coach or a counselor--and ask them to help you stay on track to meet your goals.不要害怕提問。不要在需要幫助時害怕請求別人幫助。我天天請求別人的幫助。請求幫助不是軟弱的表現，它是力量的標志，因為它表明你有勇氣承認自己對某些事情不懂，這樣做會使你學到新的東西。因此，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。

And even when you’re struggling, even when you’re discouraged, and you feel like other people have given up on you, don’t ever give up on yourself, because when you give up on yourself, you give up on your country.即使當你苦苦掙扎、灰心喪氣、感到其他人對你不抱希望時，也不要對你自己喪失信心，因為當你自暴自棄時，你也拋棄了自己的國家。

The story of America isn’t about people who quit when things got tough.It’s about people who kept going, who tried harder, who loved their country too much to do anything less than their best.書寫美國歷史的不是在困難時刻退縮的人，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。

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.書寫美國歷史的是250年前坐在你們的位置上的學生，他們后來進行了獨立戰爭并創建了這個國家。還有75年前坐在你們的位置上的年輕人和學生，他們走出了大蕭條并打贏了一場世界大戰；他們為民權而奮斗并把宇航員送上了月球。至于20年前坐在你們的位置上的學生，他們創辦了谷歌(Google)、嘰喳網(Twitter)和臉譜網(Facebook)，改變了我們交流溝通的方式。

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

而今天，我要問問你們大家，你們將做出什么貢獻？你們將解決什么問題？你們將有什么發現？20年、50年或100年后來到這里講話的總統將會怎樣評價你們大家為這個國家所做的一切？

Now, your families, your teachers, and I are doing everything we can to make sure you have the education you need to answer these questions.I’m working hard to fix up your classrooms and get you the books and the equipment and the computers you need to learn.But you’ve got to do your part, too.So I expect all of you to get serious this year.I expect you to put your best effort into everything you do.I expect great things from each of you.So don’t let us down.Don’t let your family down or your country down.Most of all, don’t let yourself down.Make us all proud.你們的家人、你們的老師和我正在竭盡全力保證你們接受必要的教育，以便回答上述問題。我正在努力工作，以便你們的教室得到修繕，你們能夠得到學習所需的課本、設備和電腦。但你們也必須盡自己的努力。因此，我希望你們大家從今年起認真對待這個問題。我希望你們盡最大努力做好每一件事。我希望你們每個人都有出色的表現。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，而要讓我們都能[為你們]感到驕傲。

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

非常感謝你們大家。愿主保佑你們。愿主保佑美國。謝謝你們。(掌聲)

第五篇：奧巴馬致辭美國中小學生之中英對照

奧巴馬致辭美國中小學生之中英對照

2009年9月8日，奧巴馬總統在弗吉尼亞州阿靈頓郡（Arlington, Virginia）韋克菲爾德高中（Wakefield High School）對全美中小學生發表講話，強調上學讀書的重要性，激勵學生努力學習。以下是講話全文： REMARKS BY THE PRESIDENT IN A NATIONAL ADDRESS TO

AMERICA’S SCHOOLCHILDREN Wakefield High School, Arlington, Virginia

September 8, 2009

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.美國總統奧巴馬對全美中小學生的講話

弗吉尼亞州阿靈頓郡韋克菲爾德高中

2009年9月8日 大家好！謝謝你們。謝謝你們。謝謝你們大家。好，大家請就坐。你們今天都好嗎？（掌聲）蒂姆?斯派塞（Tim Spicer）好嗎？（掌聲）我現在與弗吉尼亞州阿靈頓郡韋克菲爾德高中的學生們在一起。美國各地從小學預備班到中學12年級的學生正在收聽收看。我很高興大家今天都能參與。我還要感謝韋克菲爾德高中出色的組織安排。請為你們自己熱烈鼓掌。（掌聲）我知道，今天是你們很多人開學的日子。對于進入小學預備班、初中或高中的學生，今天是你們來到新學校的第一天，心里可能有點緊張，這是可以理解的。我能想象有些畢業班學生現在感覺很不錯——（掌聲）——還有一年就畢業了。不論在哪個年級，你們有些人可能希望暑假更長一點，今天早上還能多睡一小會兒。

我了解這種感覺。我小時候，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。

你們可以想見，我不太情愿那么早起床。有很多次，我趴在餐桌上就睡著了。但每當我抱怨的時候，我媽媽都會那樣地看我一眼，然后說：“小子，這對我也并不輕松。”（笑聲）

我知道你們有些人還在適應開學后的生活。但我今天來到這里是因為有重要的事情要和你們說。我來這里是要和你們談談你們的教育問題，以及在這個新學年對你們所有人的期望。

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

我談到過教師激勵學生并督促他們學習的責任。

我談到過家長的責任，要確保你們走正路，完成家庭作業，不要整天坐在電視前或玩Xbox游戲。

我多次談到過政府的責任，要制定高標準，支持教師和校長的工作，徹底改善不能為學生提供應有機會的、教育質量差的學校。

然而，即使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——如果你們大家不履行你們的責任，不到校上課，不專心聽講，不聽家長、祖父祖母和其他大人的話，不付出取得成功所必須的勤奮努力，那么這一切都毫無用處，都無關緊要。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。你們每個人都能做出自己的貢獻。你們對自己應盡的責任是發現自己的能力所在。而教育能夠提供這樣的機會。

你或許能成為一名出色的作家——甚至可能寫書或在報紙上發表文章——但你可能要在完成那篇英文課的作文后才會發現自己的才華。你或許能成為一名創新者或發明家——甚至可能設計出新一代iPhone或研制出新型藥物或疫苗——但你可能要在完成科學課的實驗后才會發現自己的才華。你或許能成為一名市長或參議員或最高法院的大法官——但你可能要在參加學生會的工作或辯論隊后才會發現自己的才華。

不論你的生活志向是什么，我敢肯定你必須上學讀書才能實現它。你想當醫生、教師或警官嗎？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。

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.這并非只對你個人的人生和未來意義重大。可以毫不夸大地說，教育給你帶來的益處將決定這個國家的未來。美國的未來取決于你們。你們今日在校學習的知識將決定我們作為一個國家是否能夠迎接我們未來所面臨的最嚴峻挑戰。

你們將需要利用你們通過自然科學和數學課程所學到的知識和解決問題的能力來治愈癌癥、艾滋病及其他疾病，開發新的能源技術和保護我們的環境。你們將需要利用你們在歷史學和社會學課堂上所獲得的知識和獨立思考能力來抗擊貧困和解決無家可歸問題，打擊犯罪和消除歧視，使我們的國家更公平、更自由。你們將需要利用你們在所有課堂上培養的創造力和智慧來創辦新公司，增加就業機會，振興我們的經濟。

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

Now, I know it’s not always easy to do well in school.I know a 我自然知道要做到學業優秀并非總是易事。lot of you have challenges in your lives right now that can make it hard 我知道你們許多人在生活中面臨挑戰，難以集中to focus on your schoolwork.精力從事學業。

I get it.I know what it’s like.My father left my family when I was 我明白這一點。我有親身感受。兩歲時，two years old, and I was raised by a single mom who had to work and 我父親離家而去，我是由一位單親母親撫養成人who struggled at times to pay the bills and wasn’t always able to give 的，母親不得不工作，并時常為支付生活費用而us the things that other kids had.There were times when I missed 苦苦掙扎，但有時仍無法為我們提供其他孩子享having a father in my life.There were times when I was lonely and I 有的東西。有時，我渴望生活中能有一位父親。felt like I didn’t fit in.有時我感到孤獨，感到自己不適應社會。

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

入更糟糕的境地。But I was--I was lucky.I got a lot of second chances, and I had 但是，我當年際遇不錯。我有過許多第二次the opportunity to go to college and law school and follow my dreams.機會，我有幸能上大學，上法學院，追求自己的My wife, our First Lady Michelle Obama, she has a similar story.理想。我的妻子，我們的第一夫人米歇爾?奧巴Neither of her parents had gone to college, and they didn’t have a lot of 馬，也有著類似的經歷。她的父母都未曾上過大money.But they worked hard, and she worked hard, so that she could 學，家里很窮。但他們非常勤奮，她也是如此，go to the best schools in this country.因此她得以進入一些美國最好的學校。

Some of you might not have those advantages.Maybe you don’t 你們中有一些人可能沒有那些有利條件。或have adults in your life who give you the support that you need.Maybe 許你們生活中沒有成年人為你們提供你們所需someone in your family has lost their job and there’s not enough 要的支持。或許你們家中有人失業，經濟非常拮money to go around.Maybe you live in a neighborhood where you 據。或許你們生活在使你們感覺不安全的社區，don’t feel safe, or have friends who are pressuring you to do things you 或有朋友逼迫你們去做你們知道不對的事情。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

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

你們目前的狀況并不決定著你們的未來。沒有人決定你們的命運，在美國，你們決定自己的命運。你們掌握自己的未來。

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。

來自得州羅馬城的賈茲敏?佩雷斯（Jazmin Perez）就是一個例證，她剛開始上學時并不會說英文。她的父母都沒有上過大學。然而，她非常勤奮，成績優秀，獲得了布朗大學的獎學金，她如今正在讀研究生，攻讀公共衛生專業，不久將成為賈茲敏?佩雷斯博士。

我想起了加州洛斯阿爾托斯城的安多尼?舒爾茨（Andoni Schultz），他從三歲開始就一直與腦癌進行抗爭，他不得不忍受各類治療和手術帶來的痛苦，其中一項手術曾影響了他的記憶，因此他花在功課上的時間比一般人長得多，要多出數百個小時。然而，他從未落后。他今年秋季將邁進大學。

我還想起家鄉伊利諾伊州芝加哥市的尚特爾?史蒂夫（Shantell Steve）。她曾在芝加哥最困難的社區生活，寄養于多個不同的家庭，但她最終在一家地方醫療中心找到工作，并開始了一項幫助年輕人遠離流氓團伙的計劃，她即將以優異成績從中學畢業，緊接著將上大學。

賈茲敏、安多尼和尚特爾與你們中間的每個人沒什么兩樣。跟你們一樣，他們在生活中面臨種種挑戰。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一生、自己的教育負起責任，為自己設定各項奮斗目標。我期待你們大家都會這樣做。因此，我今天呼吁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。你的目標可以是一件十分簡單的事情，例如完成家庭作業、上課專心聽講、或每天花一點時間讀一本書。也許你會決定要參加課外活動或在你的社區提供志愿服務。也許你會決定挺身而出保護那些因為身份或長相而受人戲弄或欺負的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

孩子，原因是你和我一樣認為所有的年輕人都應該享有一個適合讀書和學習的安全環境。也許你會決定更好地照料自己，以便有更充沛的精力來學習。順便提一下，除了這些事情外，我希望大家要勤洗手，身體感到不舒服的時候要呆在家里不去上學，這樣我們能防止人們在今年秋冬季節染上流感。

但無論你決定做什么，我希望你保證去做。我希望你腳踏實地地去做。

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

事實上，取得成功不是輕而易舉的事情。你不會喜歡你學習的每一門課目。你不會與你的每一位老師都很投契。不是所有的家庭作業似乎都與你眼前的生活完全有關。你第一次嘗試做每件事的時候，不一定成功。

這些都沒關系。世界上最成功的人士中有一些是遭遇失敗最多的人。作者J?K?羅琳（J.K.Rowling）所寫的系列小說《哈利?波特》（Harry Potter）第一部在獲得出版之前被退稿12次。邁克爾?喬丹（Michael Jordan）曾被他的高中籃球隊除名。在喬丹的籃球生涯中，他輸過數百場比賽，有成千上萬個球沒有投中。但他曾說過：“在我的一生中，我失敗了一次又一次、一次又一次。這就是我成功的原因。”

這些人士獲得成功，因為他們懂得：你不能讓失敗來限制你，而必須讓失敗來開導你。你必須讓失敗向你展示下次如何以不同的方式去做這件事情。因此，如果你遇到麻煩，那并不表示你是麻煩的制造者，而意味著你需要更加努力去把它做對。如果你有一門課分數低，那不表示你比別人笨，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各種事情。你通過勤奮而變得擅長于各種事情。第一次從事新的體育項目時，你不可能是一位主力隊員。第一次唱一首歌曲時，你不可能唱準每個音。你必須練習。同樣的道理適用于你的學業。你可能要把一道數學題做幾次才把它做對。你可能要把一些材料閱讀幾遍才能理解。在交出一篇優美的作文之前，你肯定需要打幾遍草稿。

Don’t be afraid to ask questions.Don’t be afraid to ask for help when you need it.I do that every day.Asking for help isn’t a sign of weakness, it’s a sign of strength because it shows you have the courage to admit when you don’t know something, and that then allows you to learn something new.So find an adult that you trust--a parent, a grandparent or teacher, a coach or a counselor--and ask them to help you stay on track to meet your goals.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.不要害怕提問。不要在需要幫助時害怕請求別人幫助。我天天請求別人的幫助。請求幫助不是軟弱的表現，它是力量的標志，因為它表明你有勇氣承認自己對某些事情不懂，這樣做會使你學到新的東西。因此，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、灰心喪氣、感到其他人對你不抱希望時，也不要對你自己喪失信心，因為當你自暴自棄時，你也拋棄了自己的國家。

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年前坐在你們的位置上的學生，他們后來進行了獨立戰爭并創建了這個國家。還有75年前坐在你們的位置上的年輕人和學生，他們走出了大蕭條并打贏了一場世界大戰；他們為民權而奮斗并把宇航員送上了月球。至于20年前坐在你們的位置上的學生，他們創辦了谷歌（Google）、嘰喳網（Twitter）和臉譜網（Facebook），改變了我們交流溝通的方式。

而今天，我要問問你們大家，你們將做出什么貢獻？你們將解決什么問題？你們將有什么發現？20年、50年或100年后來到這里講話的總統將會怎樣評價你們大家為這個國家所做的一切？

你們的家人、你們的老師和我正在竭盡全力保證你們接受必要的教育，以便回答上述問題。我正在努力工作，以便你們的教室得到修繕，你們能夠得到學習所需的課本、設備和電腦。但你們也必須盡自己的努力。因此，我希望你們大家從今年起認真對待這個問題。我希望你們盡最大努力做好每一件事。我希望你們每個人都有出色的表現。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，而要讓我們都能[為你們]感到驕傲。

Thank you very much, everybody.God bless you.God bless 非常感謝你們大家。愿主保佑你們。愿主保America.Thank you.(Applause.)佑美國。謝謝你們。（掌聲）