第一篇：中美教育管理體制比較——奧巴馬開學(xué)演講遭遇抗議

奧巴馬開學(xué)演講遭遇抗議

據(jù)新華社電美國總統(tǒng)貝拉克·奧巴馬8日在一所高級中學(xué)面向全美從幼兒園到12年級的學(xué)生發(fā)表電視開學(xué)演講，以他本人的求學(xué)經(jīng)歷為例，鼓勵學(xué)生不畏逆境、發(fā)奮學(xué)習(xí)。這場演講受到“政治推銷”等抗議，一些學(xué)生未能收看演講電視直播。

奧巴馬8日中午在弗吉尼亞州阿靈頓縣韋克菲爾德高中發(fā)表大約16分鐘演講。在演講中多次談及自身經(jīng)歷，表明他理解學(xué)生感受，進(jìn)而提出建議。

他希望學(xué)生們以他走過的彎路為鑒。“我知道你們許多人眼下面臨挑戰(zhàn)，從而難以集中精力上學(xué)。我明白這種難處。我父親在我兩歲時離家。我由單親母親撫養(yǎng)。她不時要為生活苦苦掙扎，難以滿足孩子的要求??所以當(dāng)時我沒有全身心投入學(xué)業(yè)——我原本應(yīng)該那樣做。我做下一些難以讓自己自豪的事，惹出不應(yīng)有的麻煩。如果不走這些彎路，我的人生路會走得更輕松。”

“歡迎全美從幼兒園到12年級的學(xué)生們收看（這場演講）。”奧巴馬說。

不過，一些學(xué)區(qū)以內(nèi)容可能涉及政治為由，未向?qū)W生播放這場演講；一些學(xué)區(qū)允許學(xué)校或者教師自行決定是否收看；另一些學(xué)區(qū)規(guī)定，如果家長反對孩子收看這場演講，他們的孩子可自行選擇是否收看。一些抗議者當(dāng)天在韋克菲爾德高中校外聚集，打出“總統(tǒng)先生，離我們孩子遠(yuǎn)點”等反對演講的標(biāo)語。

為消除家長疑慮，白宮在奧巴馬演講前24小時公布演說稿。美國佛羅里達(dá)州共和黨委員會主席吉姆·格里爾讀過演講稿后說，雖然奧巴馬不應(yīng)該對學(xué)童發(fā)表演講，但這場演講基調(diào)并非政治，他的孩子可以收看。

中國開學(xué)第一課

今年《開學(xué)第一課》是中小學(xué)生迎接黨的十八大召開的重要活動。主題為“美在你身邊”，在這一年里，我們身邊涌現(xiàn)出了很多可歌可泣的“最美人物”：最美教師張麗莉，最美司機(jī)吳斌，最美戰(zhàn)士高鐵成??這些最美人物和他們的故事讓我們感動；在這一年里，我們國家有許多讓我們振奮的美好事物：神九飛天、蛟龍下海、奧運(yùn)健兒奮力拼搏??這些美好的事物鼓勵我們奮發(fā)向上。

節(jié)目將會延續(xù)往年的風(fēng)格，寓教于樂，在歡樂與趣味中進(jìn)行講述，以“美在你身邊”引導(dǎo)中小學(xué)生感受祖國的強(qiáng)大、生活的美好和榜樣人物的高尚品格，鼓勵中小學(xué)生發(fā)現(xiàn)身邊的美，努力展現(xiàn)美，傳遞美，創(chuàng)造美，用實際行動讓我們的世界變得更加美好，為建設(shè)社會主義和諧社會而努力。

今年的《開學(xué)第一課》節(jié)目陣容強(qiáng)大，精彩紛呈。我國首位女航天員劉洋以主講嘉賓的身份首先亮相，她娓娓道來的講述充滿了詩情畫意，生動講述了太空之美、地球之美，同時也講述了她回到地球之后的人性之美，溫情感人。

令人矚目的是今年倫敦奧運(yùn)的冠軍們的集體亮相：參加過兩屆奧運(yùn)會的蝶泳冠軍焦劉洋擔(dān)任主講嘉賓，為我們講述他們對于美的理解與感悟；中國首位奧運(yùn)帆船冠軍徐莉佳為大家講述她奮斗的歷程；倫敦奧運(yùn)會冠軍、體操男團(tuán)五名隊員張成龍、馮喆、鄒凱、郭偉陽將在隊長陳一冰的帶領(lǐng)下與小朋友們通過做游戲的方式展開互動，隊長陳一冰還將以主講老師的身份講述體操男團(tuán)的奪冠經(jīng)歷，為大家闡釋和諧之美；今年倫敦奧運(yùn)女子400米混合泳冠軍、女子200米混合泳冠軍葉詩文也將與主持人撒貝寧進(jìn)行精彩現(xiàn)場互動，并講述奪冠背后的點滴故事。

今年的《開學(xué)第一課》將首次采用場外嘉賓助陣的方式，邀請籃球巨星姚明與林書豪擔(dān)任“課外輔導(dǎo)員”。姚明作為“野生救援協(xié)會”的形象大使，在非洲大陸向大家講述他探索美、發(fā)現(xiàn)美以及拍攝野生動物保護(hù)的紀(jì)錄片《野性的終結(jié)》的一些故事。林書豪以特別的方式為大家送來他對全國中小學(xué)生的祝福，同時激勵孩子們勇敢追求自己的夢想。

此外，鄉(xiāng)村女教師鄧麗、著名學(xué)者于丹、著名畫家韓美林、歌手譚晶、韓庚、陳翔、玖月奇跡、常石磊，小童星豆豆等也傾情加盟，在今年的開學(xué)第一課上亮相。

第二篇：奧巴馬開學(xué)演講

我們?yōu)槭裁匆獙W(xué)習(xí)

我們?yōu)槭裁匆獙W(xué)習(xí)，這應(yīng)該是每個學(xué)生都會思考的問題吧，可能有些人已經(jīng)明確了答案，可能更大一部分人，尤其是青少年還在茫然著。日前美國總統(tǒng)奧巴馬做出了開學(xué)演講，以自己的觀點闡述了我們之所以要學(xué)習(xí)的原因

他認(rèn)為對于自己的教育，我們中每一個人的責(zé)任。正如中國的古話：天生我才必有用。每一個人都是有用之材，而發(fā)現(xiàn)自己的才能是什么，就是我們要對自己擔(dān)起的責(zé)任。教育給我們提供了發(fā)現(xiàn)自己才能的機(jī)會。

他舉了幾個例子：或許有的人能寫出優(yōu)美的文字——甚至有一天能讓那些文字出現(xiàn)在書籍和報刊上——但假如不在課上經(jīng)常練習(xí)寫作，他不會發(fā)現(xiàn)自己有這樣的天賦；或許有的人能成為一個發(fā)明家、創(chuàng)造家——甚至設(shè)計出像今天的iPhone一樣流行的產(chǎn)品，或研制出新的藥物與疫苗——但假如不在自然科學(xué)課程上做上幾次實驗，他不會知道自己有這樣的天賦；或許有的人能成為一名議員或最高法院法官，但假如他不去加入什么學(xué)生會或參加幾次辯論賽，他也不會發(fā)現(xiàn)自己的才能。

他說的很對，不管我們將來想要做什么，我們都需要相應(yīng)的教育。無論你選擇什么職業(yè)，良好的教育都必不可少，這世上不存在不學(xué)習(xí)就能拿到好工作的美夢，任何工作，都需要汗水、訓(xùn)練與學(xué)習(xí)。

就像是我們需要在數(shù)理科學(xué)課程上學(xué)習(xí)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(huán)境問題；我們需要在歷史社科課程上培養(yǎng)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；我們需要在各類課程中逐漸累積和發(fā)展出來的創(chuàng)新意識和思維，去創(chuàng)業(yè)和建立新的公司與企業(yè)，來制造就業(yè)機(jī)會和推動經(jīng)濟(jì)的增長。

如他所說，在那么多頑劣的人最后都通過努力獲得成功下，我們的長相、出身、經(jīng)濟(jì)條件、家庭氛圍——都不是疏忽學(xué)業(yè)和態(tài)度惡劣的借口。

我們的未來，并不取決于我們現(xiàn)在的狀況有多好或多壞。沒有人為你編排好你的命運(yùn)，不論是在美國，還是中國，我們的命運(yùn)都是由自己書寫，我們的未來由自己掌握。在奧巴馬的演講中還提到了加利福尼亞州洛斯拉圖斯市的安多尼.舒爾茲（Andoni Schultz），一個從三歲起就開始與腦癌病魔做斗爭，熬過了一次次治療與手術(shù)的勇敢之人——因為一次手術(shù)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(xué)業(yè)，但他從不曾落下自己的功課。最后于這個秋天，他要開始在大學(xué)讀書了。還有賈斯敏、安多尼和香特爾與我們沒有什么不同。和我們一樣，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(dān)起責(zé)任、給自己定下奮斗的目標(biāo)。

同時奧巴馬還闡述有些時候，電視上播放的節(jié)目會讓我們產(chǎn)生這樣那樣的錯覺，似乎我們可以不需要付出多大的努力就能腰纏萬貫、功成名就——有的人會認(rèn)為只要會唱rap、會打籃球或參加個什么真人秀節(jié)目就能坐享其成，但現(xiàn)實是，我們幾乎沒有可能走上其中任何一條道路。

因為，成功是件難事。我們不可能對要讀的每門課程都興趣盎然，我們不可能和每名帶課教師都相處順利，我們也不可能每次都遇上看起來和現(xiàn)實生活有關(guān)的作業(yè)。而且，并不是每件事，我們都能在頭一次嘗試時獲得成功。

但那沒有關(guān)系。因為在這個世界上，最最成功的人們往往也經(jīng)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(xué)校的籃球隊刷了下來，在他的職業(yè)生涯里，他輸了幾百場比賽、投失過幾千次射籃。他們的成功，源于他們明白人不能讓失敗左右自己——而是要從中吸取經(jīng)驗。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(yán)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(xué)習(xí)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(yǎng)出技能。任何人都不是在第一次接觸一項體育運(yùn)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(zhǔn)每一個音，一切都需要熟能生巧。對于學(xué)業(yè)也是一樣，我們或許要反復(fù)運(yùn)算才能解出一道數(shù)學(xué)題的正確答案，我們或許需要讀一段文字好幾遍才能理解它的意思，我們或許得把論文改上好幾次才能符合提交的標(biāo)準(zhǔn)。這都是很正常的。我們所要明確并相信的是我們一定可以！

第三篇：奧巴馬開學(xué)演講

2010年9月14日，奧巴馬來到位于賓州費城的一所中學(xué)進(jìn)行了他第二次的中學(xué)演講。

他告訴學(xué)生，在政府做好本職工作，幫助學(xué)生獲得接受優(yōu)質(zhì)教育的機(jī)會的同時，學(xué)生仍然應(yīng)該努力學(xué)習(xí)，為自己的未來擔(dān)起責(zé)任。

THE PRESIDENT: Thank you!Hello!(Applause.)Thank you.Thank you.Well, hello, Philadelphia!(Applause.)And hello, Masterman.It is wonderful to see all of you.What a terrific introduction by Kelly.Give Kelly a big round of applause.(Applause.)I was saying backstage that when I was in high school, I could not have done that.(Laughter.)I would have muffed it up somehow.So we are so proud of you and everything that you’ve done.And to all the students here, I’m thrilled to be here.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.)

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 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.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.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.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.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.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.But I came to Masterman to tell all of you what I think you’re hearing from your principal and your superintendent, and from your parents and your teachers: Nobody gets to write your destiny but you.Your future is in your hands.Your life is what you make of it.And nothing--absolutely nothing--is beyond your reach, so long as you’re willing to dream big, so long as you’re willing to work hard.So long as you’re willing to stay focused on your education, there is not a single thing that any of you cannot accomplish, not a single thing.I believe that.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.)

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 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.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.Now, that’s what we have to do for you.That’s our responsibility.That’s our job.But you’ve got a job, too.You’ve got to show up to school on time.You’ve got to pay attention in your class.You’ve got to do your homework.You’ve got to study for exams.You’ve got to stay out of trouble.You’ve got to instill a sense of excellence in everything that you do.That kind of discipline, that kind of drive, that kind of hard work, is absolutely essential for success.And I can speak from experience here because unlike Kelly, I can’t say I always had this discipline.See, I can tell she was always disciplined.I wasn’t always disciplined.I wasn’t always the best student when I was younger.I made my share of mistakes.I still remember a conversation I had with my mother in high school.I was kind of a goof-off.And I was about the age of some of the folks here.And my grades were slipping.I hadn’t started my college applications.I was acting, as my mother put it, sort of casual about my future.I was doing good enough.I was smart enough that I could kind of get by.But I wasn’t really applying myself.And so I suspect this is a conversation that will sound familiar to some students and some parents here today.She decided to sit me down and said I had to change my attitude.My attitude was what I imagine every teenager’s attitude is when your parents have a conversation with you like that.I was like, you know, I don’t need to hear all this.I’m doing okay, I’m not flunking out.So I started to say that, and she just cut me right off.She said, you can’t just sit around waiting for luck to see you through.She said, you can get into any school you want in the country if you just put in a little bit of effort.She gave me a hard look and she said, you remember what that’s like? Effort?(Laughter.)Some of you have had that conversation.(Laughter.)And it was pretty jolting hearing my mother say that.But eventually her words had the intended effect, because I got serious about my studies.And I started to make an effort in everything that I did.And I began to see my grades and my prospects improve.And I know that if hard work could make the difference for me, then it can make a difference for all of you.And I know that there may be some people who are skeptical about that.Sometimes you may wonder if some people just aren’t better at certain things.You know, well, I’m not good at math or I’m just not really interested in my science classes.And it is true that we each have our own gifts, we each have our own talents that we have to discover and nurture.Not everybody is going to catch on in certain subjects as easily as others.But just because you’re not the best at something today doesn’t mean you can’t be tomorrow.Even if you don’t think of yourself as a math person or a science person, you can still excel in those subjects if you’re willing to make the effort.And you may find out you have talents you never dreamed of.Because one of the things I’ve discovered is excelling--whether it’s in school or in life--isn’t mainly about being smarter than everybody else.That’s not really the secret to success.It’s about working harder than everybody else.So don’t avoid new challenges--seek them out, step out of your comfort zone, don’t be afraid to ask for help.Your teachers and family are there to guide you.They want to know if you’re not catching on to something because they know that if you keep on working at it, you’re going to catch on.Don’t feel discouraged;don’t give up if you don’t succeed at something the first time.Try again, and learn from your mistakes.Don’t feel threatened if your friends are doing well;be proud of them, and see what lessons you can draw from what they’re doing right.Now, I’m sort of preaching to the choir here because I know that’s the kind of culture of excellence that you promote at Masterman.But I’m not just speaking to all of you, I’m speaking to kids all across the country.And I want them to all here that same message: That’s the kind of excellence we’ve got to promote in all of America’s schools.That’s one of the reasons why I’m announcing our second Commencement Challenge.Some of you may have heard of this.If your school is the winner, if you show us how teachers and students and parents are all working together to prepare your kids and your school for college and a career, if you show us how you’re giving back to your community and your country, then I will congratulate you in person by speaking at your commencement.Last year I was in Michigan at Kalamazoo and had just a wonderful time.Although I got to admit, their graduating class was about 700 kids and my hands were really sore at the end of it because I was shaking all of them.(Laughter.)

But the truth is, an education is about more than getting into a good college.It’s about more than getting a good job when you graduate.It’s about giving each and every one of us the chance to fulfill our promise, and to be the best version of ourselves we can be.And part of that means treating others the way we want to be treated--with kindness and respect.So that’s something else that I want to communicate to students not just here at Masterman but all across the country.Sometimes kids can be mean to other kids.Let’s face it.We don’t always treat each other with respect and kindness.That’s true for adults as well, by the way.And sometimes that’s especially true in middle school or high school, because being a teenager isn’t easy.It’s a time when you’re wrestling with a lot of things.When I was in my teens, I was wrestling with all sorts of questions about who I was.I had a white mother and a black father, and my father wasn’t around;he had left when I was two.And so there were all kinds of issues that I was dealing with.Some of you may be working through your own questions right now and coming to terms with what makes you different.And I know that figuring out all of that can be even more difficult when you’ve got bullies in a class who try to use those differences to pick on you or poke fun at you, to make you feel bad about yourself.And in some places, the problem is even more serious.There are neighborhoods in my hometown of Chicago, and there are neighborhoods right here in Philadelphia where kids are doing each other serious harm.So, what I want to say to every kid, every young person--what I want all of you--if you take away one thing from my speech, I want you to take away the notion that life is precious, and part of what makes it so wonderful is its diversity, that all of us are different.And we shouldn’t be embarrassed by the things that make us different.We should be proud of them, because it’s the thing that makes us different that makes us who we are, that makes us unique.And the strength and character of this country has always come from our ability to recognize--no matter who we are, no matter where we come from, no matter what we look like, no matter what abilities we have--to recognize ourselves in each other.I was reminded of that idea the other day when I read a letter from Tamerria Robinson.She’s a 12-year-old girl in Georgia.And she told me about how hard she works and about all the community service she does with her brother.And she wrote, “I try to achieve my dreams and help others do the same.” “That,” she said, “is how the world should work.” That’s a pretty good motto.I work hard to achieve my goals and then I try to help others to achieve their goals.And I agree with Tamerria.That’s how the world should work.But it’s only going to work that way if all of you get in good habits while you’re in school.So, yes, each of us need to work hard.We all have to take responsibilities for our own education.We need to take responsibility for our own lives.But what makes us who we are is that here, in this country, in the United States of America, we don’t just reach for our own dreams, we try to help others do the same.This is a country that gives all its daughters and all of its sons a fair chance, a chance to make the most of their lives and fulfill their God-given potential.And I’m absolutely confident that if all of our students--here at Masterman and across this country--keep doing their part, if you guys work hard and you’re focused on your education, you keep fighting for your dreams and then you help each other reach each other’s dreams, then you’re not only going to succeed this year, you’re going to succeed for the rest of your lives.And that means America will succeed in the 21st century.So my main message to all of you here today: I couldn’t be prouder of you.Keep it up.All of you I know are going to do great things in the future.And maybe some time in the 21st century, it’s going to be one of you that’s standing up here speaking to a group of kids as President of the United States.Thank you.God bless you, and God bless the United States of America.Thank you.(Applause.)

END 1:23 P.M.EDT

第四篇：奧巴馬開學(xué)演講全文

青春獻(xiàn)禮

以下是美國奧巴馬總統(tǒng)2009年9月8日在美國美國阿林頓中學(xué)開學(xué)典禮上的演講內(nèi)容，其中許多句子發(fā)人深省。謹(jǐn)以此文獻(xiàn)給所有會員及會干以及所有在校大學(xué)生。這場演講雖然是做給美國學(xué)生的，但對照我們自己，想想我們的責(zé)任與夢想是什么？我們?yōu)槭裁炊鴮W(xué)習(xí)，我們可以學(xué)到什么？我們又真的學(xué)到了什么？我們又該怎樣學(xué)習(xí)？思考的時間到了，同學(xué)們，花片刻的時間仔細(xì)讀一讀這篇文章吧。空虛和寂寞不應(yīng)是青春的主旋律。誠然，在大學(xué)，我們需要完成從無憂無慮的孩子到社會成員的角色蛻變，一夜長大的痛苦是不言而喻的，但這決不是自我放逐渾渾噩噩的借口，我們長大了，我們應(yīng)該并且能夠承擔(dān)起屬于自己的責(zé)任。就像奧巴馬對所有美國學(xué)子所說的“Make us all proud”.是的，我們可以做到的。最后祝各位莘莘學(xué)子身體健康，學(xué)有所成。You can do it!

We Are What We Learn

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 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.I've talked about your parents' responsibility for making sure you stay on track, and you get your homework done, and don't spend every waking hour in front of the TV or with the Xbox.I've talked a lot about your government's responsibility for setting high standards, and supporting teachers and principals, and turning around schools that aren't working, where students aren't getting the opportunities that they deserve.But at the end of the day, we can have the most dedicated teachers, the most supportive parents, the best schools in the world--and none of it will make a difference, none of it will matter unless all of you fulfill your responsibilities, unless you show up to those schools, unless you pay attention to those teachers, unless you listen to your parents and grandparents and other adults and put in the hard work it takes to succeed.That's what I want to focus on today: the responsibility each of you has for your education.I want to start with the responsibility you have to yourself.Every single one of you has something that you're good at.Every single one of you has something to offer.And you have a responsibility to yourself to discover what that is.That's the opportunity an education can provide.Maybe you could be a great writer--maybe even good enough to write a book or articles in a newspaper--but you might not know it until you write that English paper--that English class paper that's assigned to you.Maybe you could be an innovator or an inventor--maybe even good enough to come up with the next iPhone or the new medicine or vaccine--but you might not know it until you do your project for your science class.Maybe you could be a mayor or a senator or a Supreme Court justice--but you might not know that until you join student government or the debate team.And no matter what you want to do with your life, I guarantee that you'll need an education to do it.You want to be a doctor, or a teacher, or a police officer? You want to be a nurse or an architect, a lawyer or a member of our military? You're going to need a good education for every single one of those careers.You cannot drop out of school and just drop into a good job.You've got to train for it and work for it and learn for it.And this isn't just important for your own life and your own future.What you make of your education will decide nothing less than the future of this country.The future of America depends on you.What you're learning in school today will determine whether we as a nation can meet our greatest challenges in the future.You'll need the knowledge and problem-solving skills you learn in science and math to cure diseases like cancer and AIDS, and to develop new energy technologies and protect our environment.You'll need the insights and critical-thinking skills you gain in history and social studies to fight poverty and homelessness, crime and discrimination, and make our nation more fair and more free.You'll need the creativity and ingenuity you develop in all your classes to build new companies that will create new jobs and boost our economy.We need every single one of you to develop your talents and your skills and your intellect so you can help us old folks solve our most difficult problems.If you don't do that--if you quit on school--you're not just quitting on yourself, you're quitting on your country.Now, I know it's not always easy to do well in school.I know a lot of you have challenges in your lives right now that can make it hard to focus on your schoolwork.I get it.I know what it's like.My father left my family when I was two years old, and I was raised by a single mom who had to work and who struggled at times to pay the bills and wasn't always able to give us the things that other kids had.There were times when I missed having a father in my life.There were times when I was lonely and I felt like I didn't fit in.So I wasn't always as focused as I should have been on school, and I did some things I'm not proud of, and I got in more trouble than I should have.And my life could have easily taken a turn for the worse.But I was--I was lucky.I got a lot of second chances, and I had the opportunity to go to college and law school and follow my dreams.My wife, our First Lady Michelle Obama, she has a similar story.Neither of her parents had gone to college, and they didn't have a lot of money.But they worked hard, and she worked hard, so that she could go to the best schools in this country.Some of you might not have those advantages.Maybe you don't have adults in your life who give you the support that you need.Maybe someone in your family has lost their job and there's not enough money to go around.Maybe you live in a neighborhood where you don't feel safe, or have friends who are pressuring you to do things you know aren't right.But at the end of the day, the circumstances of your life--what you look like, where you come from, how much money you have, what you've got going on at home--none of that is an excuse for neglecting your homework or having a bad attitude in school.That's no excuse for talking back to your teacher, or cutting class, or dropping out of school.There is no excuse for not trying.Where you are right now doesn't have to determine where you'll end up.No one's written your destiny for you, because here in America, you write your own destiny.You make your own future.That's what young people like you are doing every day, all across America.Young people like Jazmin Perez, from Roma, Texas.Jazmin didn't speak English when she first started school.Neither of her parents had gone to college.But she worked hard, earned good grades, and got a scholarship to Brown University--is now in graduate school, studying public health, on her way to becoming Dr.Jazmin Perez.I'm thinking about Andoni Schultz, from Los Altos, California, who's fought brain cancer since he was three.He's had to endure all sorts of treatments and surgeries, one of which affected his memory, so it took him much longer--hundreds of extra hours--to do his schoolwork.But he never fell behind.He's headed to college this fall.And then there's Shantell Steve, from my hometown of Chicago, Illinois.Even when bouncing from foster home to foster home in the toughest neighborhoods in the city, she managed to get a job at a local health care center, start a program to keep young people out of gangs, and she's on track to graduate high school with honors and go on to college.And Jazmin, Andoni, and Shantell aren't any different from any of you.They face challenges in their lives just like you do.In some cases they've got it a lot worse off than many of you.But they refused to give up.They chose to take responsibility for their lives, for their education, and set goals for themselves.And I expect all of you to do the same.That's why today I'm calling on each of you to set your own goals for your education--and do everything you can to meet them.Your goal can be something as simple as doing all your homework, paying attention in class, or spending some time each day reading a book.Maybe you'll decide to get involved in an extracurricular activity, or volunteer in your community.Maybe you'll decide to stand up for kids who are being teased or bullied because of who they are or how they look, because you believe, like I do, that all young people deserve a safe environment to study and learn.Maybe you'll decide to take better care of yourself so you can be more ready to learn.And along those lines, by the way, I hope all of you are washing your hands a lot, and that you stay home from school when you don't feel well, so we can keep people from getting the flu this fall and winter.But whatever you resolve to do, I want you to commit to it.I want you to really work at it.I know that sometimes you get that sense from TV that you can be rich and successful without any hard work--that your ticket to success is through rapping or basketball or being a reality TV star.Chances are you're not going to be any of those things.The truth is, being successful is hard.You won't love every subject that you study.You won't click with every teacher that you have.Not every homework assignment will seem completely relevant to your life right at this minute.And you won't necessarily succeed at everything the first time you try.That's okay.Some of the most successful people in the world are the ones who've had the most failures.J.K.Rowling's--who wrote Harry Potter--her first Harry Potter book was rejected 12 times before it was finally published.Michael Jordan was cut from his high school basketball team.He lost hundreds of games and missed thousands of shots during his career.But he once said, “I have failed over and over and over again in my life.And that's why I succeed.” These people succeeded because they understood that you can't let your failures define you--you have to let your failures teach you.You have to let them show you what to do differently the next time.So if you get into trouble, that doesn't mean you're a troublemaker, it means you need to try harder to act right.If you get a bad grade, that doesn't mean you're stupid, it just means you need to spend more time studying.No one's born being good at all things.You become good at things through hard work.You're not a varsity athlete the first time you play a new sport.You don't hit every note the first time you sing a song.You've got to practice.The same principle applies to your schoolwork.You might have to do a math problem a few times before you get it right.You might have to read something a few times before you understand it.You definitely have to do a few drafts of a paper before it's good enough to hand in.Don't be afraid to ask questions.Don't be afraid to ask for help when you need it.I do that every day.Asking for help isn't a sign of weakness, it's a sign of strength because it shows you have the courage to admit when you don't know something, and that then allows you to learn something new.So find an adult that you trust--a parent, a grandparent or teacher, a coach or a counselor--and ask them to help you stay on track to meet your goals.And even when you're struggling, even when you're discouraged, and you feel like other people have given up on you, don't ever give up on yourself, because when you give up on yourself, you give up on your country.The story of America isn't about people who quit when things got tough.It's about people who kept going, who tried harder, who loved their country too much to do anything less than their best.It's the story of students who sat where you sit 250 years ago, and went on to wage a revolution and they founded this nation.Young people.Students who sat where you sit 75 years ago who overcame a Depression and won a world war;who fought for civil rights and put a man on the moon.Students who sat where you sit 20 years ago who founded Google and Twitter and Facebook and changed the way we communicate with each other.So today, I want to ask all of you, what's your contribution going to be? What problems are you going to solve? What discoveries will you make? What will a President who comes here in 20 or 50 or 100 years say about what all of you did for this country? Now, your families, your teachers, and I are doing everything we can to make sure you have the education you need to answer these questions.I'm working hard to fix up your classrooms and get you the books and the equipment and the computers you need to learn.But you've got to do your part, too.So I expect all of you to get serious this year.I expect you to put your best effort into everything you do.I expect great things from each of you.So don't let us down.Don't let your family down or your country down.Most of all, don't let yourself down.Make us all proud.Thank you very much, everybody.God bless you.God bless America.Thank you.責(zé)任與夢想

嗨，大家好！你們今天過得怎么樣？我現(xiàn)在和弗吉尼亞州阿林頓郡韋克菲爾德高中的學(xué)生們在一起，全國各地也有從幼兒園到高三的眾多學(xué)生們通過電視關(guān)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(xué)的第一天，你們中的有一些剛剛進(jìn)入幼兒園或升上初高中，對你們來說，這是在新學(xué)校的第一天，因此，假如你們感到有些緊張，那也是很正常的。我想也會有許多畢業(yè)班的學(xué)生們正自信滿滿地準(zhǔn)備最后一年的沖刺。不過，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(xiàn)在還在放暑假，以及今天不用那么早起床。

我可以理解這份心情。小時候，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(xué)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(dāng)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(xué)還需要時間來調(diào)整和適應(yīng)，但今天我站在這里，是為了和你們談一些重要的事情。我要和你們談一談你們每個人的教育，以及在新的學(xué)年里，你們應(yīng)當(dāng)做些什么。

我做過許多關(guān)于教育的講話，也常常用到“責(zé)任”這個詞。我談到過教師們有責(zé)任激勵和啟迪你們，督促你們學(xué)習(xí)。

我談到過家長們有責(zé)任看管你們認(rèn)真學(xué)習(xí)、完成作業(yè)，不要成天只會看電視或打游戲機(jī)。

我也很多次談到過政府有責(zé)任設(shè)定高標(biāo)準(zhǔn)嚴(yán)要求、協(xié)助老師和校長們的工作，改變在有些學(xué)校里學(xué)生得不到應(yīng)有的學(xué)習(xí)機(jī)會的現(xiàn)狀。

但哪怕這一切都達(dá)到最好，哪怕我們有最盡職的教師、最好的家長、和最優(yōu)秀的學(xué)校，假如你們不去履行自己的責(zé)任的話，那么這一切努力都會白費。——除非你每天準(zhǔn)時去上學(xué)、除非你認(rèn)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(zé)任。首先，我想談?wù)勀銈儗τ谧约河惺裁簇?zé)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(fā)現(xiàn)自己的才能是什么，就是你們要對自己擔(dān)起的責(zé)任。教育給你們提供了發(fā)現(xiàn)自己才能的機(jī)會。

或許你能寫出優(yōu)美的文字——甚至有一天能讓那些文字出現(xiàn)在書籍和報刊上——但假如不在英語課上經(jīng)常練習(xí)寫作，你不會發(fā)現(xiàn)自己有這樣的天賦；或許你能成為一個發(fā)明家、創(chuàng)造家——甚至設(shè)計出像今天的iPhone一樣流行的產(chǎn)品，或研制出新的藥物與疫苗——但假如不在自然科學(xué)課程上做上幾次實驗，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(xué)生會或參加幾次辯論賽，你也不會發(fā)現(xiàn)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(yīng)的教育。——你想當(dāng)名醫(yī)生、當(dāng)名教師或當(dāng)名警官？你想成為護(hù)士、成為建筑設(shè)計師、律師或軍人？無論你選擇哪一種職業(yè)，良好的教育都必不可少，這世上不存在不把書念完就能拿到好工作的美夢，任何工作，都需要你的汗水、訓(xùn)練與學(xué)習(xí)。

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(chǎn)生重要影響。今天你們在學(xué)校中學(xué)習(xí)的內(nèi)容，將會決定我們整個國家在未來迎接重大挑戰(zhàn)時的表現(xiàn)。

你們需要在數(shù)理科學(xué)課程上學(xué)習(xí)的知識和技能，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(huán)境問題；你們需要在歷史社科課程上培養(yǎng)出的觀察力與判斷力，來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(fā)展出來的創(chuàng)新意識和思維，去創(chuàng)業(yè)和建立新的公司與企業(yè)，來制造就業(yè)機(jī)會和推動經(jīng)濟(jì)的增長。

我們需要你們中的每一個人都培養(yǎng)和發(fā)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(xué)習(xí)——那么你不僅是放棄了自己，也是放棄了你的國家。

當(dāng)然，我明白，讀好書并不總是件容易的事。我知道你們中的許多人在生活中面臨著各種各樣的問題，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(huán)境格格不入。

因此我并不總是能專心學(xué)習(xí)，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(zhuǎn)直下。

但我很幸運(yùn)。我在許多事上都得到了重來的機(jī)會，我得到了去大學(xué)讀法學(xué)院、實現(xiàn)自己夢想的機(jī)會。我的妻子——現(xiàn)在得叫她第一夫人米歇爾?奧巴馬了——也有著相似的人生故事，她的父母都沒讀過大學(xué)，也沒有什么財產(chǎn)，但他們和她都辛勤工作，好讓她有機(jī)會去這個國家最優(yōu)秀的學(xué)校讀書。

你們中有些人可能沒有這些有利條件，或許你的生活中沒有能為你提供幫助和支持的長輩，或許你的某個家長沒有工作、經(jīng)濟(jì)拮據(jù)，或許你住的社區(qū)不那么安全，或許你認(rèn)識一些會對你產(chǎn)生不良影響的朋友，等等。

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

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

例如德克薩斯州羅馬市的賈斯敏?佩雷茲（Jazmin Perez）。剛進(jìn)學(xué)校時，她根本不會說英語，她住的地方幾乎沒人上過大學(xué)，她的父母也沒有受過高等教育，但她努力學(xué)習(xí)，取得了優(yōu)異的成績，靠獎學(xué)金進(jìn)入了布朗大學(xué)，如今正在攻讀公共衛(wèi)生專業(yè)的博士學(xué)位。

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

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

賈斯敏、安多尼和香特爾與你們并沒有什么不同。和你們一樣，他們也在生活中遭遇各種各樣的困難與問題，但他們拒絕放棄，他們選擇為自己的教育擔(dān)起責(zé)任、給自己定下奮斗的目標(biāo)。我希望你們中的每一個人，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(biāo)——并在之后，盡自己的一切努力去實現(xiàn)它。你的目標(biāo)可以很簡單，像是完成作業(yè)、認(rèn)真聽講或每天閱讀——或許你打算參加一些課外活動，或在社區(qū)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(fù)的孩子做主、維護(hù)他們的權(quán)益，因為你和我一樣，認(rèn)為每個孩子都應(yīng)該能有一個安全的學(xué)習(xí)環(huán)境；或許你認(rèn)為該學(xué)著更好的照顧自己，來為將來的學(xué)習(xí)做準(zhǔn)備……當(dāng)然，除此之外，我希望你們都多多洗手、感到身體不舒服的時候要多在家休息，免得大家在秋冬感冒高發(fā)季節(jié)都得流感。

不管你決定做什么，我都希望你能堅持到底，希望你能真的下定決心。

我知道有些時候，電視上播放的節(jié)目會讓你產(chǎn)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(rèn)為只要會唱rap、會打籃球或參加個什么真人秀節(jié)目就能坐享其成，但現(xiàn)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(xiàn)實生活有關(guān)的作業(yè)。而且，并不是每件事，你都能在頭一次嘗試時獲得成功。

但那沒有關(guān)系。因為在這個世界上，最最成功的人們往往也經(jīng)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(xué)校的籃球隊刷了下來，在他的職業(yè)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(xiàn)在成功的原因。”

他們的成功，源于他們明白人不能讓失敗左右自己——而是要從中吸取經(jīng)驗。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(yán)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(xué)習(xí)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(yǎng)出技能。任何人都不是在第一次接觸一項體育運(yùn)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(zhǔn)每一個音，一切都需要熟能生巧。對于學(xué)業(yè)也是一樣，你或許要反復(fù)運(yùn)算才能解出一道數(shù)學(xué)題的正確答案，你或許需要讀一段文字好幾遍才能理解它的意思，你或許得把論文改上好幾次才能符合提交的標(biāo)準(zhǔn)。這都是很正常的。

不要害怕提問。不要不敢向他人求助。——我每天都在這么做。求助并不是軟弱的表現(xiàn)，恰恰相反，它說明你有勇氣承認(rèn)自己的不足、并愿意去學(xué)習(xí)新的知識。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(dǎo)員——讓他們幫助你向目標(biāo)前進(jìn)。

你要記住，哪怕你表現(xiàn)不好、哪怕你失去信心、哪怕你覺得身邊的人都已經(jīng)放棄了你——永遠(yuǎn)不要自己放棄自己。因為當(dāng)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(xué)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(xué)生，他們之后戰(zhàn)勝了大蕭條、贏得了二戰(zhàn)；就在20年前，和你們一樣的學(xué)生們，他們后來創(chuàng)立了Google、Twitter和Facebook，改變了我們?nèi)伺c人之間溝通的方式。

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

二十、五十或百年之后，假如那時的美國總統(tǒng)也來做一次開學(xué)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(yīng)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(jìn)的設(shè)施與計算機(jī)。但你們也要擔(dān)起自己的責(zé)任。因此我要求你們在今年能夠認(rèn)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。

Hope you enjoy this inspiring article, think what we should learn from it and take it into actions, guys!There’re still more helpful articles both for reading and learning in English study as well as for coping with college life that I want to share with you, I’ve put them on the blog space of our English Association.You can search for more information.Hard hard study, day day up!Good luck with you!

英語協(xié)會

諸葛珍

2010/12/7 7

第五篇：奧巴馬2010開學(xué)演講

各位同學(xué)好！謝謝！謝謝每一位同學(xué)！好，現(xiàn)在請每一位同學(xué)就座。

今天大家都過得怎么樣？（歡呼）蒂姆·斯培塞（校長，演講主持人——譯注），開始吧？（歡呼）

我現(xiàn)在正和弗吉尼亞州阿靈頓市的韋克菲爾德高中的同學(xué)們在一起。全美國從幼兒園到高中畢業(yè)班都在收聽收看。我很高興同大家分享這一時刻。我還要特別感謝好客的東道主，韋克菲爾德高中。來，給你們自己一個歡呼。（歡呼）

我知道，對你們當(dāng)中的許多人而言，今天是開學(xué)日，你們中有一些人剛?cè)雽W(xué)或剛升學(xué)，這是上新學(xué)校的第一天，所以，假如你們感到有點兒緊張，那也很正常。我想那些畢業(yè)班的同學(xué)此時此刻自我感覺一定非常好——（歡呼）——因為再有一年他們就功德圓滿、修成正果了。不過，我想，不管是哪個年級的，也許有的同學(xué)希望現(xiàn)在還是在過暑假，今天早晨可以在床上再賴一小會兒。

我知道這種感覺。我小時候曾家居海外，在印度尼西亞住過幾年。媽媽沒錢送我上美國孩子念書的學(xué)校。但她相信，接受美國教育對我至關(guān)重要。于是她決定星期一至五自己給我補(bǔ)課。但她又得去打工，所以只能每天凌晨 4:30 開始教我。

當(dāng)然，我也不喜歡那么早就爬起來，有好多次，我竟在飯桌上睡著了。我一撅起嘴來嘟囔，媽媽就會賞我一個臉子，說：“儍孩子，你以為我教你有多好玩？”（笑聲）

所以，我理解你們許多同學(xué)還需要時間來調(diào)整，來適應(yīng)開學(xué)。但我今天來到這里，是為了和你們討論一些重要的事情。我要和你們討論你們的教育問題，以及在新的學(xué)年里，你們都應(yīng)當(dāng)做些什么。

我做過許多次有關(guān)教育問題的講話。我特別強(qiáng)調(diào)責(zé)任。

我講過老師們有責(zé)任鼓勵和啟發(fā)你們，督促你們學(xué)習(xí)。

我講過家長們有責(zé)任確保你們能在學(xué)習(xí)的狀態(tài)，按部就班，完成家庭作業(yè)，不要把很多時光都花在電視和游戲機(jī)上。

我也多次談到過政府有責(zé)任制定嚴(yán)格的教學(xué)標(biāo)準(zhǔn)，支持老師和校長們的工作，扭轉(zhuǎn)某些學(xué)校工作失調(diào)、學(xué)生失學(xué)的現(xiàn)象。

但是，即使把一切做到最好，即使有最盡職的老師、鼎力支持的家長和最優(yōu)越的教學(xué)設(shè)施，如果你們不恪盡自己那一份責(zé)任，一切也都會歸于徒勞——除非你們能每天按時上學(xué)、注意聽講、把師長們的諄諄告誡銘記在心、付出成功所必需的努力，否則，一切都無濟(jì)于事！這就是今天我要鎖定的主題：對于你們所受的教育，你們每一個人都有責(zé)任，而且責(zé)無旁貸！

我先從你們對于自己都有什么責(zé)任講起。

你們每一個人都有自己的專長。每一個人都會有所作為和貢獻(xiàn)。發(fā)現(xiàn)自己——發(fā)現(xiàn)自己的潛質(zhì)或潛能——首先就是你們自己的責(zé)任！教育給了你們發(fā)現(xiàn)自己的機(jī)會。

或許你會成為一位足以著書立說的大作家和記者，但是如果不在作文課上經(jīng)常練習(xí)寫作，你就永遠(yuǎn)不奧巴馬2010開學(xué)演講

1//4 會意識到這一點。或許你會成為一位革新能手或發(fā)明家，讓人們享用你開發(fā)的新一代手機(jī)，或救死扶傷的新藥和疫苗，但如果你不上理科課、搞搞項目，就不會發(fā)現(xiàn)自己這方面的天賦。你將來還可能是一位市長、參議員或***官，但若不參加學(xué)生會工作或辯論團(tuán)隊，就很可能毫無覺察、自我埋沒，讓機(jī)遇擦肩而過。

我可以向你們保證，不管你將來想要做什么工作和現(xiàn)在生活條件怎樣，你都需要接受相應(yīng)的教育，來實現(xiàn)自己的理想。你想成為一位醫(yī)生、教師或警官？還是想成為一位護(hù)士、建筑師、律師或是軍人？無論你選擇哪一種職業(yè)，接受良好的教育都是必由之路，別無選擇。不完成學(xué)業(yè)就得不到一份稱心的工作。無論做什么，你都需要接受培訓(xùn)，都需要勤奮工作，都需要努力學(xué)習(xí)。

你們所受到的教育不僅會決定你們自己的生活和前途，更重要的是將會決定國家的未來。美國的將來依靠你們。你們今天在校學(xué)習(xí)的內(nèi)容，決定著我們國家，將來能否應(yīng)對各種重大挑戰(zhàn)。

你們需要通過理科課程的學(xué)習(xí)，獲取知識和解決問題的技能，治療癌癥和艾滋病，開發(fā)新能源技術(shù)和保護(hù)人類的生存環(huán)境。你們需要從文科學(xué)習(xí)中培養(yǎng)洞察力和批判性思維，消滅貧困、愚昧、犯罪和歧視現(xiàn)象，使我們的國家更加公平和自由。你們需要在各門課程的學(xué)習(xí)中，厚積薄發(fā)，開發(fā)自己的創(chuàng)新能力和獨門絕技，創(chuàng)業(yè)并組建公司，擴(kuò)大就業(yè)機(jī)會，振興我們的經(jīng)濟(jì)。

我們需要你們每一個人都充分開發(fā)自己的聰明才智，以幫助我們老一代人，解決我們最困難的問題。如果你不去做，如果你輟學(xué)，你的自棄，不僅是在拋棄自己，更是在拋棄你的祖國。

我也知道在校學(xué)習(xí)并非總是輕車熟道、一帆風(fēng)順。我很了解你們在生活中面臨著很多困難和挑戰(zhàn)，使你們難以潛心學(xué)業(yè)。

我深有體會。我兩歲時，父親離開了我們，我由單身母親撫育成人。她不得不去拼命打工、奮斗，有時連帳單都無力支付，別人家的孩子有的東西，她常常買不起給我們。在我幼小的心靈里，雖說有母愛恩深似海，卻仍然留有一大片空白和缺憾。多少次我懷念起父愛如山，多少次我深感孤獨無助，與周邊環(huán)境格格不入。

我沒有象應(yīng)當(dāng)做的那樣，在校始終全心就讀，也做過不該做的事情，招到過不應(yīng)有的麻煩。如果沒有這些彎路，我的人生道路還可以更加順暢。

但是，我畢竟很幸運(yùn)。我得到過很多第二次機(jī)會，得以重整旗鼓，后來還有機(jī)會上了大學(xué)和法學(xué)院，去追求自己的夢想。我的夫人，我們的第一夫人米歇爾·奧巴馬，也有過類似的坎坷經(jīng)歷。她的雙親都沒進(jìn)過大學(xué)，他們也很窮。但是他們都努力工作，她也很勤奮，所以她就能到我國最高學(xué)府深造。

你們當(dāng)中有些同學(xué)可能更加困難，可能在你們的生活中，沒有成人能給出你們所需要的那些支持。你們家庭中可能會有人失業(yè)，經(jīng)濟(jì)拮據(jù)。可能你們生活在不夠安全的鄰里環(huán)境，或受到過行為不端朋友的影響。

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但無論如何，你的生活現(xiàn)狀——你的外表、出身、家境——都不是你忽視家庭作業(yè)或在校表現(xiàn)不好的借口。你們沒有頂撞老師、曠課或輟學(xué)的借口。你們沒有不努力學(xué)習(xí)的借口。

你將來的地位和前途不取決于現(xiàn)在的處境。沒有人能改寫你的命運(yùn)，只有你才會寫下你自己的歷史和命運(yùn)，因為這是在美國。你的將來就在你自己的把握之中。

全美國象你們一樣的年輕人，都在這樣地書寫著自己的歷史和命運(yùn)。

象德州羅馬市的加茲敏·佩雷斯，她剛上學(xué)時連英語都不會講。她的雙親也都沒進(jìn)過大學(xué)。但她刻苦學(xué)習(xí)，成績優(yōu)異，贏得了布朗大學(xué)的獎學(xué)金，現(xiàn)在又進(jìn)了研究生院，主修公共衛(wèi)生，正在腳踏實地、一步一步地實現(xiàn)著自我——倍受尊敬的加茲敏·佩雷斯醫(yī)學(xué)博士。

我還在想著加州洛斯阿托的***尼·舒爾茲。他從 3 歲起就得與腦癌殊死抗?fàn)帲坏貌蝗淌苤鞣N療程和手術(shù)的煎熬，其中一項手術(shù)還嚴(yán)重?fù)p害了他的記憶力，以致他做功課要花去比別人多得多的時間——多花長達(dá)幾百個小時。但他從不落人后。今年秋季他將升入大學(xué)。

此外還有來自伊州芝加哥的、我的小同鄉(xiāng)姍特爾·斯蒂夫。作為孤兒，她多次被輾轉(zhuǎn)更換托養(yǎng)家庭，而且社區(qū)治安不靖，但她努力爭取到了在當(dāng)?shù)乇＝≌竟ぷ鞯臋C(jī)會，還發(fā)起了一個讓青少年遠(yuǎn)離犯罪團(tuán)伙的公益活動。她在校品學(xué)兼優(yōu)，即將榮升大學(xué)。

加茲敏、***尼、姍特爾，和你們沒有什么不同。他們在生命中面對的挑戰(zhàn)就象你們所面對的一樣。他們的境遇常常比你們很多同學(xué)更糟。但是他們拒絕屈服和放棄。他們選擇了擔(dān)當(dāng)，對他們的生命負(fù)責(zé)，對他們所受的教育負(fù)責(zé)，他們還為自己設(shè)定了奮斗目標(biāo)。我期待你們也都同樣去做。

因此，今天我也要號召你們每一位同學(xué)，為自己的教育規(guī)劃設(shè)定奮斗目標(biāo)——并且盡最大努力去做好每一件事，去實現(xiàn)這些目標(biāo)。你們的目標(biāo)可以很簡單，象完成家庭作業(yè)、上課注意聽講、每天花些時間讀本書。或許你們還想?yún)⒓诱n外活動、作個社區(qū)志愿者。或許你們想保護(hù)弱小，為那些受嘲弄或挨欺負(fù)的孩子主持公道，因為你們也都和我一樣，認(rèn)為每個孩子都應(yīng)該有一個安全的學(xué)習(xí)環(huán)境。或許你們認(rèn)為應(yīng)當(dāng)更好地照顧自己，以便能更好地學(xué)習(xí)。這些目標(biāo)都很有意義。順便說，我也希望你們大家都多洗手，不舒服的時候就要多在家休息，預(yù)防秋冬季流感。

不管你們決定做什么，我都希望你們能負(fù)責(zé)任地、實實在在地去做。

我知道，有時候電視節(jié)目會給你們帶來一種錯覺，似乎無需努力也能成功或致富——以為只要饒舌、打球或作個電視真人秀明星就能一步登天。但在現(xiàn)實生活中，那些神話幾乎無法復(fù)制。

事實上，成功更象是一項艱巨的系統(tǒng)工程。你不會對每門課程都情有獨鍾，也難以與每一位老師都合作默契，每次布置給你的家庭作業(yè)未必都能正中下懷、恰到好處。而且，并不是做每件事，你都能一步到位。所有這一切，環(huán)環(huán)相扣，都離成功太遠(yuǎn)太遠(yuǎn)。

世界上一些最成功的人往往都有過最慘痛的挫折和教訓(xùn)。《哈里·波特》的作者 J.K.羅琳的處女作奧巴馬2010開學(xué)演講

3//4 在最終出版之前，退稿竟達(dá) 12 次之多。“飛人”邁克爾·喬丹在高中球隊時就被刷掉過。在他的職業(yè)生涯中，幾百場比賽敗北，幾千次投籃失誤。他說過，“我屢敗屢戰(zhàn)，這就是我成功的秘訣。”

成功人士之所以成功，就是因為他們懂得，不能讓失敗左右自己，但你必須讓這些失敗教會你，下一次應(yīng)當(dāng)怎樣改進(jìn)？所以，如果你闖了禍，并不說明你天生就是搗蛋鬼，而是表明你應(yīng)當(dāng)更嚴(yán)格地要求自己。如果沒考好，也并非是自己笨，而是意味著你得多花些時間學(xué)習(xí)才能追上來。

人非生而知之，更何談全能？只有努力才會學(xué)有專長。涉足新的體育項目時，你絕不會一開始就駕輕就熟；啼聲初試，也不可能把歌唱得字正腔圓。都需要多練。做功課也如是。解數(shù)學(xué)題你可能得好幾次才能算出正確的答案。閱讀時可能得反反復(fù)復(fù)才能看懂它。一篇佳作在能拿得出手之前，肯定你還得再三潤色。

勤學(xué)還要好問，不要羞于啟齒。需要時就不要怕求助于人。每天我都會不恥下問和求助于人。求助并非示弱，它恰恰是自強(qiáng)的標(biāo)志，顯示你有勇氣承認(rèn)自己的不足。虛懷若谷，自能有容乃大，讓你學(xué)到新東西，與時俱進(jìn)。所以，找一位你信得過的師長——父母、祖父母、老師、教練或輔導(dǎo)員，求助于他們，使自己在通往目標(biāo)的正軌上闊步前進(jìn)。

即使是在和逆境拼搏，即使是失落彷徨、有被拋棄的感覺，你都絕不要拋棄自己。你拋棄了自己，你也就拋棄了你的祖國。

美國的歷史絕不是懦夫知難而退的敗績，而是全民銳意進(jìn)取、勇攀高峰的凱歌。美國人民是那樣地愛國，大家無不全力以赴。

美 國歷史，就是 250 年前坐在你們座位的那些學(xué)生，后來革命建國的故事。年輕人，75 年前坐在你們座位上的那些學(xué)生，后來戰(zhàn)勝了大蕭條，贏得了二戰(zhàn)。他們爭取過民權(quán)，還把人類送上了月球。20 年前坐在你們座位上的那些學(xué)生，后來創(chuàng)建了 Google，Twitter，F(xiàn)acebook，改變了我們相互溝通的方式。

所以，今天我也要問你們每一位同學(xué)，你們將來要貢獻(xiàn)什么？你們將要解決什么難題？你們將會有什么發(fā)明發(fā)現(xiàn)？20 年后、50 年后、100 年后，一位總統(tǒng)來到這里演講，他會怎樣評價你們?yōu)槊绹龅囊磺校?/p>

為了你們能夠圓滿地回答上述問題，為了確保你們得到所需要的教育，你們的家庭、你們的老師和我，都在努力地做著每一件工作，修繕教室，準(zhǔn)備教學(xué)用的書籍、設(shè)備和計算機(jī)，等等。但是，你們也要擔(dān)負(fù)起你們的那些責(zé)任。所以，我期待著你們，要嚴(yán)肅認(rèn)真地對待新學(xué)年。我期待著你們?nèi)σ愿暗刈龊妹恳患虑椤Ｎ移诖銈兠恳晃煌瑢W(xué)的成功。請不要讓我們失望，不要讓你們的家庭失望，不要讓你們的國家失望。更不要讓你們自己失望。讓我們都引以為榮、無比驕傲。

多謝大家，多謝每一位同學(xué)。上帝保佑你們。上帝保佑美國。謝謝。（歡呼）

奧巴馬2010開學(xué)演講

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