第一篇：從語用學角度分析美國總統奧巴馬伊拉克撤軍演講

從語用學角度分析美國總統奧巴馬伊拉克撤軍演講

一、相關論文：

廣州大學外國語學院 程歡 《奧巴馬就職演講的認知語篇分析及譯文評析》 湘潭大學外國語學院 陳華娟 《奧巴馬就職演講的人際意義解讀》

湖北經濟學院法商學院 匡露 《奧巴馬就職演講的批評話語分析》

內蒙古大學人文學院 楊青 《論言語交際中的合作原則》

姜志偉 《中、英政治演講中禮貌原則對比研究——胡錦濤、布什高校演講個案研究》

二、人們做了怎樣的研究：

人們從語言學各個角度分析政治演講稿，或從語言修辭角度，或從翻譯角度，或從語用學角度，以此提高演講愛好者公眾演講語言的運用技能，或揣測政治家的政治意圖，了解中西方文化差異等等。

三、他們的問題和不足、美國總統就職演說影響廣泛,意義重大,是一種獨特而重要的實用文體。由于總統就職演說所具有的這種獨特性和重要性,長期以來它吸引了不少歷史學家,政治學家和語言學家對其進行研究。但是這些研究大多是從政治或文體學的角度展開的,很少有人從語用學的角度進行研究。學術研究最終應當應用于生活。政治與人們的生活息息相關，通過語用學研究政治家的意圖、判斷獲得政治信息的真實性和可靠性，就顯得尤為重要。

四、我的觀點是：

（一）語境

含義是一種受制于語境的，說話人交際意圖的隱含信息。要分析奧巴馬伊拉克撤軍演講的語用含義就必須先了解語境。奧巴馬演講的主要聽眾是在伊拉克戰爭中戰死軍人的家屬和依舊駐守在伊拉克的美軍。伊戰戰死軍人家屬是非常心痛的，他們有一個共同的問題，就是：這種犧牲是值得的嗎？而仍然駐守在伊拉克的美軍主要有兩個共同的問題，一是：伊拉克戰爭已經結束，為什么伊拉克人民仍然被殺，伊拉克反美武裝襲擊仍然不間斷？二是：為什么他們還要駐守在伊拉克？

奧巴馬的演講主要分三段：結束伊拉克戰斗任務、我們正面臨的安全挑戰和如何重建我們的國家。

（二）合作原則

格賴斯于1967年在哈佛大學做了三次演講，他指出為了保證會話等言語交際的順利進行，說話人和聽話人雙方必須遵守一些基本原則，特別市合作原則（cooperative principle）.美國學者格林將格賴斯提出的合作原則進行重述，將它們表述為四個準則：a量準則 b準則 c關系準則d 方式準則

1、合作原則的遵循

A 量準則（Quantity maxim）：所提供的信息室交際所需的且不多也不少

例如：奧巴馬解釋了美國軍隊的國度力量仍然留在伊拉克的原因與它們承擔的不

同的任務，“為伊拉克安全部門提供建議和幫助；支持伊拉克軍隊針對恐怖主義的行動；保護美國公民”。

B 質準則（Quality Maxim）：所提供的信息應當是真實的例如：奧巴馬描述戰爭帶來的弊端“我們派去的年輕男女軍人在伊拉克付出了巨

大的犧牲，在國內預算緊缺的情況下投入大量資源支持這場戰爭，是時候翻過新的一頁了”。奧巴馬在演講中說美國現在的主要任務是重振經濟，這是誠實的說法，他并沒有否定戰爭給美國經濟帶來的負面影響。

C 關系準則（Relevant Maxim）:行為者的行為與他的意圖有共有關系

美國媒體普遍認為伊拉克戰爭的負面影響大于積極成就?！都~約時報》認為

這是“一場本不應該打的戰爭”，美國國內經濟一團糟，奧巴馬在演講中并

沒有回避這一問題，提出要恢復國內經濟，幫助數百萬失業的美國人重新

找到工作；結束對外國石油的依賴；培養企業家的創新意識。

D 方式準則（Manner Maxim）：行為者對具有共同目標的對方清楚地表達自己的行為

在安撫伊戰戰死軍人家屬時，奧巴馬提到自己的部分責任是確保那些國家

應用服役的軍人獲得應有的榮譽，包括“為戰爭

中受傷的士兵提供最好的治療；并為所有老兵提

供醫療保障和其它幫助；為9.11恐怖襲擊后的老

兵和他們的家人追求大學夢鄉提供資金支持。”

2、合作原則的違背

A 量準則的違背

奧巴馬在描述伊拉克戰爭的積極意義時說：“伊拉克安全事故已經下降到開戰以來的最低水平”，這無疑是一項極其模糊的表達，伊拉克戰爭到底有何積極意義，為何伊拉克仍然遭受恐怖分子襲擊，這些問題都被刻意跳過未作解釋。

B 質準則的違背

奧巴馬說美軍已經完成任務，推翻了實行恐怖統治的政權，但是眾所周知，伊戰并沒有消除安全隱患，反而出現更多的恐怖主義，雖然翹倒了薩達姆，同時也打開了禁閉恐怖主義的大門，伊拉克如今烏煙瘴氣。這些事實說明奧巴馬明顯違背了質準則，說了虛假的事。

（三）會話含義的推導

英國哲學家John Austin認為說話者的語言可分為言中(locutionary act)、言外

(illocutionary act)和言后(perlocutionary act).言中即說話者的字面意義，言外是指說話者的真正意圖，言后則是說話后帶來的實際影響。下面簡單地列舉兩個例子來解釋會話含義的推導。

例一：“今晚，我宣布美國在伊拉克的戰斗任務結束，伊拉克自由行動結束。伊

拉克人現在必須承擔起保護自己國家安全的重擔，這是我競選美國總統

時向美國人民做出的承諾。”

言中：伊拉克戰爭已經結束了，就像我當年說的那樣。

言外：表明自己兌現了承諾，完成了美國人民的心愿，是個守信的值得

信任的人，帶有吹噓的意味。

言后：讓人民更加信任他?；蛘哂X得他善于吹噓。言后效果因人而異。例二：“伊拉克人是一群驕傲的人，他們拒絕宗派戰爭，對無休止的破壞不感興

趣。他們知道，最后只有伊拉克人自己能夠解決他們之間的分歧，只有

伊拉克人能建立自己的民主”

言中： 描述伊拉克人的特征。

言外： 將美國在伊拉克完成任務遠少于未完成任務就撤軍的事實歸結為

遵循伊拉克人的意愿，激勵伊拉克人政治改革取得進展（當然也

包括自己當年的撤軍承諾）。

言后： 人們會認為美國人民是遵循別國意愿的，并提供朋友和伙伴式的支持。

（四）總結

墨西哥灣漏油事件、弗吉尼亞煤礦爆炸、醫療改革??遇到種種突發情況和重要事這些演講稿的，是一個由許多才思敏捷的寫手組成的團隊，他們被稱為“奧巴馬的大腦”。這篇演講稿是不是美國總統寫的，這個問題并不重要。我們通過分析這篇演講稿發現駐伊美軍作戰部隊完成撤離并非意味著伊拉克戰爭取得了最后勝利，但是奧巴馬卻把這個事件視作兌現競選承諾的機遇，同時也借此向全世界宣布，他為國際和平做出巨大貢獻。伊拉克戰爭究竟是贏了還是輸了？美國《國際日報》日前刊文認為，奧巴馬實現了結束駐伊美軍作戰任務的就任承諾是一件好事；但對伊拉克戰爭的評價卻并非是易事，也并非是體面地輸掉了戰爭那樣簡單?，F在評價伊拉克戰爭，可能為時過早。

第二篇：從語用學角度分析美國總統奧巴馬伊拉克撤軍演講

從語用學角度分析美國總統奧巴馬伊拉克撤軍演講

一、相關論文：

廣州大學外國語學院 程歡 《奧巴馬就職演講的認知語篇分析及譯文評析》 湘潭大學外國語學院 陳華娟 《奧巴馬就職演講的人際意義解讀》 湖北經濟學院法商學院 匡露 《奧巴馬就職演講的批評話語分析》 內蒙古大學人文學院 楊青 《論言語交際中的合作原則》

姜志偉 《中、英政治演講中禮貌原則對比研究——胡錦濤、布什高校演講個案研究》

二、人們做了怎樣的研究：

人們從語言學各個角度分析政治演講稿，或從語言修辭角度，或從翻譯角度，或從語用學角度，以此提高演講愛好者公眾演講語言的運用技能，或揣測政治家的政治意圖，了解中西方文化差異等等。

三、他們的問題和不足、美國總統就職演說影響廣泛,意義重大,是一種獨特而重要的實用文體。由于總統就職演說所具有的這種獨特性和重要性,長期以來它吸引了不少歷史學家,政治學家和語言學家對其進行研究。但是這些研究大多是從政治或文體學的角度展開的,很少有人從語用學的角度進行研究。學術研究最終應當應用于生活。政治與人們的生活息息相關，通過語用學研究政治家的意圖、判斷獲得政治信息的真實性和可靠性，就顯得尤為重要。

四、我的觀點是：

（一）語境

含義是一種受制于語境的，說話人交際意圖的隱含信息。要分析奧巴馬伊拉克撤軍演講的語用含義就必須先了解語境。奧巴馬演講的主要聽眾是在伊拉克戰爭中戰死軍人的家屬和依舊駐守在伊拉克的美軍。伊戰戰死軍人家屬是非常心痛的，他們有一個共同的問題，就是：這種犧牲是值得的嗎？而仍然駐守在伊拉克的美軍主要有兩個共同的問題，一是：伊拉克戰爭已經結束，為什么伊拉克人民仍然被殺，伊拉克反美武裝襲擊仍然不間斷？二是：為什么他們還要駐守在伊拉克？ 奧巴馬的演講主要分三段：結束伊拉克戰斗任務、我們正面臨的安全挑戰和如何重建我們的國家。

（二）合作原則

格賴斯于1967年在哈佛大學做了三次演講，他指出為了保證會話等言語交際的順利

進行，說話人和聽話人雙方必須遵守一些基本原則，特別市合作原則（cooperative principle）.美國學者格林將格賴斯提出的合作原則進行重述，將它們表述為四個準則：a量準則 b準則 c關系準則

d 方式準則

1、合作原則的遵循

A 量準則（Quantity maxim）：所提供的信息室交際所需的且不多也不少

例如：奧巴馬解釋了美國軍隊的國度力量仍然留在伊拉克的原因與它們承擔的不同的任務，“為伊拉克安全部門提供建議和幫助；支持伊拉克軍隊針對恐怖主義的行動；保護美國公民”。B 質準則（Quality Maxim）：所提供的信息應當是真實的

例如：奧巴馬描述戰爭帶來的弊端“我們派去的年輕男女軍人在伊拉克付出了巨大的犧牲，在國內預算緊缺的情況下投入大量資源支持這場戰爭，是時候翻過新的一頁了”。奧巴馬在演講中說美國現在的主要任務是重振經濟，這是誠實的說法，他并沒有否定戰爭給美國經濟帶來的負面影響。C 關系準則（Relevant Maxim）:行為者的行為與他的意圖有共有關系

美國媒體普遍認為伊拉克戰爭的負面影響大于積極成就?！都~約時報》認為這是“一場本不應該打的戰爭”，美國國內經濟一團糟，奧巴馬在演講中并沒有回避這一問題，提出要恢復國內經濟，幫助數百萬失業的美國人重新找到工作；結束對外國石油的依賴；培養企業家的創新意識。

D 方式準則（Manner Maxim）：行為者對具有共同目標的對方清楚地表達自己的行為

在安撫伊戰戰死軍人家屬時，奧巴馬提到自己的部分責任是確保那些國家

應用服役的軍人獲得應有的榮譽，包括“為戰爭中受傷的士兵提供最好的治療；并為所有老兵提供醫療保障和其它幫助；為9.11恐怖襲擊后的老兵和他們的家人追求大學夢鄉提供資金支持?！?/p>

2、合作原則的違背

A 量準則的違背

奧巴馬在描述伊拉克戰爭的積極意義時說：“伊拉克安全事故已經下降到開戰以來的最低水平”，這無疑是一項極其模糊的表達，伊拉克戰爭到底有何積極意義，為何伊拉克仍然遭受恐怖分子襲擊，這些問題都被刻意跳過未作解釋。B 質準則的違背

奧巴馬說美軍已經完成任務，推翻了實行恐怖統治的政權，但是眾所周知，伊戰并沒有消除安全隱患，反而出現更多的恐怖主義，雖然翹倒了薩達姆，同時也打開了禁閉恐怖主義的大門，伊拉克如今烏煙瘴氣。這些事實說明奧巴馬明顯違背了質準則，說了虛假的事。

（三）會話含義的推導

英國哲學家John Austin認為說話者的語言可分為言中(locutionary act)、言外(illocutionary act)和言后(perlocutionary act).言中即說話者的字面意義，言外是指說話者的真正意圖，言后則是說話后帶來的實際影響。下面簡單地列舉兩個例子來解釋會話含義的推導。

例一：“今晚，我宣布美國在伊拉克的戰斗任務結束，伊拉克自由行動結束。伊拉克人現在必須承擔起保護自己國家安全的重擔，這是我競選美國總統時向美國人民做出的承諾?！?/p>

言中：伊拉克戰爭已經結束了，就像我當年說的那樣。

言外：表明自己兌現了承諾，完成了美國人民的心愿，是個守信的值得

信任的人，帶有吹噓的意味。

言后：讓人民更加信任他。或者覺得他善于吹噓。言后效果因人而異。

例二：“伊拉克人是一群驕傲的人，他們拒絕宗派戰爭，對無休止的破壞不感興趣。他們知道，最后只有伊拉克人自己能夠解決他們之間的分歧，只有伊拉克人能建立自己的民主”

言中： 描述伊拉克人的特征。

言外： 將美國在伊拉克完成任務遠少于未完成任務就撤軍的事實歸結為

遵循伊拉克人的意愿，激勵伊拉克人政治改革取得進展（當然也包括自己當年的撤軍承諾）。

言后： 人們會認為美國人民是遵循別國意愿的，并提供朋友和伙伴式的支持。

（四）總結 墨西哥灣漏油事件、弗吉尼亞煤礦爆炸、醫療改革??遇到種種突發情況和重要事這些演講稿的，是一個由許多才思敏捷的寫手組成的團隊，他們被稱為“奧巴馬的大腦”。這篇演講稿是不是美國總統寫的，這個問題并不重要。我們通過分析這篇演講稿發現駐伊美軍作戰部隊完成撤離并非意味著伊拉克戰爭取得了最后勝利，但是奧巴馬卻把這個事件視作兌現競選承諾的機遇，同時也借此向全世界宣布，他為國際和平做出巨大貢獻。伊拉克戰爭究竟是贏了還是輸了？美國《國際日報》日前刊文認為，奧巴馬實現了結束駐伊美軍作戰任務的就任承諾是一件好事；但對伊拉克戰爭的評價卻并非是易事，也并非是體面地輸掉了戰爭那樣簡單。現在評價伊拉克戰爭，可能為時過早。

第三篇：奧巴馬10月22日關于伊拉克撤軍的講話

奧巴馬10月22日關于伊拉克撤軍的講話 導讀：遠在伊拉克快9年的美國軍人終于可以回國了！奧巴馬在10月22日的電視講話中親自作出了承諾，承諾美國部隊將在年底前全部從伊拉克撤回，并且可以與家人共度圣誕節！

This week, we had two powerful reminders of how we've renewed American leadership in the world.I was proud to announce that—as promised—the rest of our troops in Iraq will come home by the end of this year.And in Libya, the death of Moammar Qadhafi showed that our role in protecting the Libyan people, and helping them break free from a tyrant, was the right thing to do.In Iraq, we've succeeded in our strategy to end the war.Last year, I announced the end of our combat mission in Iraq.We've already removed more than 100,000 troops, and Iraqi forces have taken full responsibility for the security of their own country.Thanks to the extraordinary sacrifices of our men and women in uniform, the Iraqi people have the chance to forge their own future.And now the rest of our troops will be home for the holidays.In Libya, our brave pilots and crews helped prevent a massacre, save countless lives, and give the Libyan people the chance to prevail.Without putting a single U.S.service member on the ground, we achieved our objectives.Soon, our NATO mission will come to a successful end even as we continue to support the Libyan people, and people across the Arab world, who seek a democratic future.These successes are part of a larger story.After a decade of war, we're turning the page and moving forward, with strength and confidence.The drawdown in Iraq allowed us to refocus on Afghanistan and achieve major victories against al Qaeda and Osama bin Laden.As we remove the last of our troops from Iraq, we're beginning to bring our troops home from Afghanistan.To put this in perspective, when I took office, roughly 180,000 troops were deployed in these wars.By the end of this year that number will be cut in half, and an increasing number of our troops will continue to come home.As we end these wars, we're focusing on our greatest challenge as a nation—rebuilding our economy and renewing our strength at home.Over the past decade, we spent a trillion dollars on war, borrowed heavily from overseas and invested too little in the greatest source of our national strength—our own people.Now, the nation we need to build is our own.We have to tackle this challenge with the same urgency and unity that our troops brought to their fight.That's why we have to do everything in our power to get our economy moving again.That's why I'm calling on Congress to pass the American Jobs Act, so we can rebuild our country – our schools, our roads, our bridges – and put our veterans, construction workers, teachers, cops and firefighters back to work.And that's why I hope all of us can draw strength from the example of our men and women in uniform.They’ve met their responsibilities to America.Now it's time to meet ours.It's time to come together and show the world why the United States of America remains the greatest source for freedom and opportunity that the world has ever known.

第四篇：(全英文論文)美國總統奧巴馬獲勝演講分析

本科生畢業設計（論文）封面

（2015 屆）

論文（設計）題目 作 者 學 院、專 業 班 級 指導教師（職稱）論 文 字 數 論文完成時間

大學教務處制

英語原創畢業論文參考選題(100個)

一、論文說明

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二、原創論文參考題目 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 曼斯菲爾德莊園-理性的巨大勝利

乞力馬扎羅的雪中的概念隱喻研究

被遺棄的韋瑟羅爾奶奶中愛倫.韋瑟羅爾的性格分析

農村高中生英語交際能力培養的限制因素--XX中學為例

傷心咖啡館之歌的生態女性主義解讀

從中西方文化差異分析動物習語十二生肖

論威尼斯商人中的安東尼奧

成語中數字的翻譯

合理設計初中英語翻譯練習的重要性 分析十七大報告英譯版的翻譯方法關于和諧企業文化構建及其意義的文獻綜述論語言輸入與語言輸出在二語習得中的作用旅游景點名稱的英譯技巧創造有效的師生互動英語課堂策略淺談功能對等理論在中英商標翻譯中的應用游戲法在小學英語詞匯教學中的運用商標翻譯中歸化與異化的合理運用 淺談中西方文化禮儀差動物習語的修辭手法及聯想意義論美國電影片名的翻譯 淺析跨文化交際下的旅游英語翻譯從蜘蛛俠系列看美國的英雄主義論影響大學英語自主學習的內在因素 圖式理論在初中英語閱讀教學中的運用 ?？思{對女性形象的塑造-獻給艾米麗的玫瑰,士兵的報酬多媒體在中學英語聽力中的運用 論社會達爾文主義的“適者生存”在熱愛生命中的運用野性的呼喚中巴克分析弗蘭肯斯坦中的死亡意義 從禮貌原則的角度看英語商務談判中語言的運用

在英語教學中培養學生的創新思維

屈臣氏個人護理店經營模式、核心競爭力、營銷策略的分析

分析比較中英詞匯中隱喻的文化內涵異同

耐克公司4Ps營銷策略對我國體育用品產業的啟示

從敘事結構分析電影撞車中對種族歧視問題的詮釋

英漢翻譯中的詞性轉換 37 英語專四聽寫策略調查

中國晚清以的教學方法的研究

IBM企業文化中的利他主義精神及其對中國企業文化建設的啟示

老友記字幕翻譯研究

從合作原則的角度分析成長的煩惱中的言語幽默

“寫長法”在高中英語寫作教學中的應用

分析飄中與眾不同的白瑞德

道連.格雷的畫像中亨利的人物形象分析

解析呼嘯山莊中希斯克利夫的心路歷程

XX學院英語專業學生課堂焦慮調查

英漢化妝品名稱對比及翻譯

可口可樂廣告本土化策略分析

用批評性語言分析中美主要矛盾

吸血鬼形象的流變剖析女性愛情觀對文學形象的影響

商務談判口譯的語用失誤的成因及負面影響對學習的啟示

英語學習者錯誤分析及糾錯策略

小公主中薩拉的人格魅力及其影響

淺談現今兒童文學翻譯的特點--以小公主及其譯本為例

英文電影片名中文譯名研究

公示語及其翻譯

形成性評價在中學英語教學的應用探究

從女權主義的角度比較-傲慢與偏見簡愛中女主人公

畢業論文題目的英譯研究

英漢問候語在學前兒童教育上的影響

莎士比亞四大喜劇的雙關語的翻譯技巧

論湯姆叔叔的小屋中的黑人困境

中國的人際關系文化和美國的獨立自主文化

從目的論角度分析產品說明書的翻譯

英漢人名比較及翻譯

從電影生死朗讀主角人物特征分析通往救贖的道路

淺談中西方飲食文化差異

夏洛的價值夏洛的網的主題解讀

文化語境對英漢習語借用對象的影響

高中生英語詞匯學習策略個案調查

淺談商務英語信函寫作

漢英方位詞的文化對比與翻譯

中英語言中動物詞匯的文化含義對比

莎士比亞寫作修辭方法在哈姆雷特中的運用

論例句在中學英語課堂中的應用

簡愛--女權主義者

提問藝術在初二英語課堂教學中的運用

歸化和異化在化妝品品牌的翻譯技巧

課堂語言環境對高中生英語學習的影響

解讀羅伯特.弗羅斯特的修墻

解讀獻給艾米麗的一朵玫瑰花中“玫瑰”的象征意義

Santiago的精神世界--老人與海賞析

小學英語教學中的啟發式教學

從關聯理論角度分析廣告雙關語

倫理學批評視角下的紫顏色

從美國電影中透視個人主義-當幸福來敲門為例

淺析英文廣告口號中言語行為理論的實用性

呼嘯山莊中的意象研究

高中生英語作文中冠詞錯誤分析XX中學的個案研究

解讀了不起的蓋茨比分析美國夢破滅的深層原因

對黑人婦女在民權運動期間爭取教育權的背景分析

詩歌天凈沙.秋思的不同翻譯版本賞析

淺談歐.亨利短篇小說創作特點

淺析喧嘩與騷動中的女性形象

英漢體態語的對比研究

美國牛仔文化和中國武俠文化的比較-上海正午為例

從禁忌語角度看中西方文化之間的差異 98 從霍夫斯塔德的文化維度分析中美文化差異的99 對蒙牛乳業集團體育營銷策略的研究

淺論英美影視字幕翻譯方法

第五篇：美國總統奧巴馬開學演講英文原稿

美國總統奧巴馬開學演講英文原稿

整理：微薄哥哥 www.tmdps.cnic for me either, buster.“(Laughter.)

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

These people succeeded because they understood that you can't let your failures define you--you have to let your failures teach you.You have to let them show you what to do differently the next time.So if you get into trouble, that doesn't mean you're a troublemaker, it means you need to try harder to act right.If you get a bad grade, that doesn't mean you're stupid, it just means you need to spend more time studying.No one's born being good at all things.You become good at things through hard work.You're not a varsity athlete the first time you play a new sport.You don't hit every note the first time you sing a song.You've got to practice.The same principle applies to your schoolwork.You might have to do a math problem a few times before you get it right.You might have to read something a few times before you understand it.You definitely have to do a few drafts of a paper before it's good enough to hand in.Don't be afraid to ask questions.Don't be afraid to ask for help when you need it.I do that every day.Asking for help isn't a sign of weakness, it's a sign of strength because it shows you have the courage to admit when you don't know something, and that then allows you to learn something new.So find an adult that you trust--a parent, a grandparent or teacher, a coach or a counselor--and ask them to help you stay on track to meet your goals.And even when you're struggling, even when you're discouraged, and you feel like other people have given up on you, don't ever give up on yourself, because when you give up on yourself, you give up on your country.The story of America isn't about people who quit when things got tough.It's about people who kept going, who tried harder, who loved their country too much to do anything less than their best.It's the story of students who sat where you sit 250 years ago, and went on to wage a revolution and they founded this nation.Young people.Students who sat where you sit 75 years ago who overcame a Depression and won a world war;who fought for civil rights and put a man on the moon.Students who sat where you sit 20 years ago who founded Google and Twitter and Facebook and changed the way we communicate with each other.So today, I want to ask all of you, what's your contribution going to be? What problems are you going to solve? What discoveries will you make? What will a President who comes here in 20 or 50 or 100 years say about what all of you did for this country?

Now, your families, your teachers, and I are doing everything we can to make sure you have the education you need to answer these questions.I'm working hard to fix up your classrooms and get you the books and the equipment and the computers you need to learn.But you've got to do your part, too.So I expect all of you to get serious this year.I expect you to put your best effort into everything you do.I expect great things from each of you.So don't let us down.Don't let your family down or your country down.Most of all, don't let yourself down.Make us all proud.Thank you very much, everybody.God bless you.God bless America.Thank you.(Applause.)