第一篇：奥巴马在韦克菲尔高中开学时的演讲稿
奥巴马在韦克菲尔高中开学时的演讲稿
THE PRESIDENT:
Hello, everybody!Thank you.Thank you.Thank you, everybody.All right, everybody go ahead and have a seat.How is everybody doing today?(Applause.)How about Tim Spicer?(Applause.)I am here with students at Wakefield High School in Arlington, Virginia.And we've got students tuning in from all across America, from kindergarten through 12th grade.And I am just so glad that all could join us today.And I want to thank Wakefield for being such an outstanding host.Give yourselves a big round of applause.(Applause.)
I know that for many of you, today is the first day of school.And for those of you in kindergarten, or starting middle or high school, it's your first day in a new school, so it's understandable if you're a little nervous.I imagine there are some seniors out there who are feeling pretty good right now--(applause)--with just one more year to go.And no matter what grade you're in, some of you are probably wishing it were still summer and you could've stayed in bed just a little bit longer this morning.I know that feeling.When I was young, my family lived overseas.I lived in Indonesia for a few years.And my mother, she didn't have the money to send me where all the American kids went to school, but she thought it was important for me to keep up with an American education.So she decided to teach me extra lessons herself, Monday through Friday.But because she had to go to work, the only time she could do it was at 4:30 in the morning.Now, as you might imagine, I wasn't too happy about getting up that early.And a lot of times, I'd fall asleep right there at the kitchen table.But whenever I'd complain, my mother would just give me one of those looks and she'd say, “This is no picnic for me either, buster.”(Laughter.)
So I know that some of you are still adjusting to being back at school.But I'm here today because I have something important to discuss with you.I'm here because I want to talk with you about your education and what's expected of all of you in this new school year.Now, I've given a lot of speeches about education.And I've talked about responsibility a lot.I've talked about teachers' responsibility for inspiring students and pushing you to learn.I've talked about your parents' responsibility for making sure you stay on track, and you get your homework done, and don't spend every waking hour in front of the TV or with the Xbox.I've talked a lot about your government's responsibility for setting high standards, and supporting teachers and principals, and turning around schools that aren't working, where students aren't getting the opportunities that they deserve.But at the end of the day, we can have the most dedicated teachers, the most supportive parents, the best schools in the world--and none of it will make a difference, none of it will matter unless all of you fulfill your responsibilities, unless you show up to those schools, unless you pay attention to those teachers, unless you listen to your parents and grandparents and other adults and put in the hard work it takes to succeed.That's what I want to focus on today: the responsibility each of you has for your education.I want to start with the responsibility you have to yourself.Every single one of you has something that you're good at.Every single one of you has something to offer.And you have a responsibility to yourself to discover what that is.That's the opportunity an education can provide.Maybe you could be a great writer--maybe even good enough to write a book or articles in a newspaper--but you might not know it until you write that English paper--that English class paper that's assigned to you.Maybe you could be an innovator or an inventor--maybe even good enough to come up with the next iPhone or the new medicine or vaccine--but you might not know it until you do your project for your science class.Maybe you could be a mayor or a senator or a Supreme Court justice--but you might not know that until you join student government or the debate team.And no matter what you want to do with your life, I guarantee that you'll need an education to do it.You want to be a doctor, or a teacher, or a police officer? You want to be a nurse or an architect, a lawyer or a member of our military? You're going to need a good education for every single one of those careers.You cannot drop out of school and just drop into a good job.You've got to train for it and work for it and learn for it.And this isn't just important for your own life and your own future.What you make of your education will decide nothing less than the future of this country.The future of America depends on you.What you're learning in school today will determine whether we as a nation can meet our greatest challenges in the future.You'll need the knowledge and problem-solving skills you learn in science and math to cure diseases like cancer and AIDS, and to develop new energy technologies and protect our environment.You'll need the insights and critical-thinking skills you gain in history and social studies to fight poverty and homelessness, crime and discrimination, and make our nation more fair and more free.You'll need the creativity and ingenuity you develop in all your classes to build new companies that will create new jobs and boost our economy.We need every single one of you to develop your talents and your skills and your intellect so you can help us old folks solve our most difficult problems.If you don't do that--if you quit on school--you're not just quitting on yourself, you're quitting on your country.Now, I know it's not always easy to do well in school.I know a lot of you have challenges in your lives right now that can make it hard to focus on your schoolwork.I get it.I know what it's like.My father left my family when I was two years old, and I was raised by a single mom who had to work and who struggled at times to pay the bills and wasn't always able to give us the things that other kids had.There were times when I missed having a father in my life.There were times when I was lonely and I felt like I didn't fit in.So I wasn't always as focused as I should have been on school, and I did some things I'm not proud of, and I got in more trouble than I should have.And my life could have easily taken a turn for the worse.But I was--I was lucky.I got a lot of second chances, and I had the opportunity to go to college and law school and follow my dreams.My wife, our First Lady Michelle Obama, she has a similar story.Neither of her parents had gone to college, and they didn't have a lot of money.But they worked hard, and she worked hard, so that she could go to the best schools in this country.Some of you might not have those advantages.Maybe you don't have adults in your life who give you the support that you need.Maybe someone in your family has lost their job and there's not enough money to go around.Maybe you live in a neighborhood where you don't feel safe, or have friends who are pressuring you to do things you know aren't right.But at the end of the day, the circumstances of your life--what you look like, where you come from, how much money you have, what you've got going on at home--none of that is an excuse for neglecting your homework or having a bad attitude in school.That's no excuse for talking back to your teacher, or cutting class, or dropping out of school.There is no excuse for not trying.Where you are right now doesn't have to determine where you'll end up.No one's written your destiny for you, because here in America, you write your own destiny.You make your own future.That's what young people like you are doing every day, all across America.Young people like Jazmin Perez, from Roma, Texas.Jazmin didn't speak English when she first started school.Neither of her parents had gone to college.But she worked hard, earned good grades, and got a scholarship to Brown University--is now in graduate school, studying public health, on her way to becoming Dr.Jazmin Perez.I'm thinking about Andoni Schultz, from Los Altos, California, who's fought brain cancer since he was three.He's had to endure all sorts of treatments and surgeries, one of which affected his memory, so it took him much longer--hundreds of extra hours--to do his schoolwork.But he never fell behind.He's headed to college this fall.And then there's Shantell Steve, from my hometown of Chicago, Illinois.Even when bouncing from foster home to foster home in the toughest neighborhoods in the city, she managed to get a job at a local health care center, start a program to keep young people out of gangs, and she's on track to graduate high school with honors and go on to college.And Jazmin, Andoni, and Shantell aren't any different from any of you.They face challenges in their lives just like you do.In some cases they've got it a lot worse off than many of you.But they refused to give up.They chose to take responsibility for their lives, for their education, and set goals for themselves.And I expect all of you to do the same.That's why today I'm calling on each of you to set your own goals for your education--and do everything you can to meet them.Your goal can be something as simple as doing all your homework, paying attention in class, or spending some time each day reading a book.Maybe you'll decide to get involved in an extracurricular activity, or volunteer in your community.Maybe you'll decide to stand up for kids who are being teased or bullied because of who they are or how they look, because you believe, like I do, that all young people deserve a safe environment to study and learn.Maybe you'll decide to take better care of yourself so you can be more ready to learn.And along those lines, by the way, I hope all of you are washing your hands a lot, and that you stay home from school when you don't feel well, so we can keep people from getting the flu this fall and winter.But whatever you resolve to do, I want you to commit to it.I want you to really work at it.I know that sometimes you get that sense from TV that you can be rich and successful without any hard work--that your ticket to success is through rapping or basketball or being a reality TV star.Chances are you're not going to be any of those things.The truth is, being successful is hard.You won't love every subject that you study.You won't click with every teacher that you have.Not every homework assignment will seem completely relevant to your life right at this minute.And you won't necessarily succeed at everything the first time you try.That's okay.Some of the most successful people in the world are the ones who've had the most failures.J.K.Rowling's--who wrote Harry Potter--her first Harry Potter book was rejected 12 times before it was finally published.Michael Jordan was cut from his high school basketball team.He lost hundreds of games and missed thousands of shots during his career.But he once said, “I have failed over and over and over again in my life.And that's why I succeed.”
These people succeeded because they understood that you can't let your failures define you--you have to let your failures teach you.You have to let them show you what to do differently the next time.So if you get into trouble, that doesn't mean you're a troublemaker, it means you need to try harder to act right.If you get a bad grade, that doesn't mean you're stupid, it just means you need to spend more time studying.No one's born being good at all things.You become good at things through hard work.You're not a varsity athlete the first time you play a new sport.You don't hit every note the first time you sing a song.You've got to practice.The same principle applies to your schoolwork.You might have to do a math problem a few times before you get it right.You might have to read something a few times before you understand it.You definitely have to do a few drafts of a paper before it's good enough to hand in.Don't be afraid to ask questions.Don't be afraid to ask for help when you need it.I do that every day.Asking for help isn't a sign of weakness, it's a sign of strength because it shows you have the courage to admit when you don't know something, and that then allows you to learn something new.So find an adult that you trust--a parent, a grandparent or teacher, a coach or a counselor--and ask them to help you stay on track to meet your goals.And even when you're struggling, even when you're discouraged, and you feel like other people have given up on you, don't ever give up on yourself, because when you give up on yourself, you give up on your country.The story of America isn't about people who quit when things got tough.It's about people who kept going, who tried harder, who loved their country too much to do anything less than their best.It's the story of students who sat where you sit 250 years ago, and went on to wage a revolution and they founded this nation.Young people.Students who sat where you sit 75 years ago who overcame a Depression and won a world war;who fought for civil rights and put a man on the moon.Students who sat where you sit 20 years ago who founded Google and Twitter and Facebook and changed the way we communicate with each other.So today, I want to ask all of you, what's your contribution going to be? What problems are you going to solve? What discoveries will you make? What will a President who comes here in 20 or 50 or 100 years say about what all of you did for this country?
Now, your families, your teachers, and I are doing everything we can to make sure you have the education you need to answer these questions.I'm working hard to fix up your classrooms and get you the books and the equipment and the computers you need to learn.But you've got to do your part, too.So I expect all of you to get serious this year.I expect you to put your best effort into everything you do.I expect great things from each of you.So don't let us down.Don't let your family down or your country down.Most of all, don't let yourself down.Make us all proud.Thank you very much, everybody.God bless you.God bless America.Thank you.(Applause.)
第二篇：奥巴马在韦克菲尔德高中开学时的演讲稿
奥巴马在韦克菲尔德高中开学时的演讲稿 嗨，大家好！{掌声，欢呼声} 谢谢，谢谢大家！{掌声，欢呼声} 好，大家请就座！
你们今天过得怎么样？{掌声，欢呼声} 蒂姆`斯派赛还好吗？{掌声，欢呼声} 我现在位于佛吉尼亚阿林顿郡，与韦柯菲尔德中学的高中生们在一起，全国各地有从幼儿园到高三的众多学生们通过电视关注这里。我很高兴你们能共同分享这一时刻，我还要感谢韦柯菲尔德中学出色的组织安排，请为你们自己热烈鼓掌！我知道对于你们中的许多人来说，今天是开学的第一天。对于刚进入幼儿园或什上初中高中的学生今天是你们来到新学校的第一天，因此，假如你们感到有些紧张，那也是很正常的！我想也会有许多毕业班的学生们自信满满，还有一年就毕业了！{掌声，欢呼声}不论在那个年级，许多人都打心底里希望现在还在放暑假，今天早上还能多睡一小会儿！我可以理解这份心情，小时候，我们家生活在海外，我在印度尼西亚住了几年，我妈妈没有钱送我上其他美国孩子上的学校，但她认为必须让我接受美国式教育，因此，她决定从周一到周五自己给我补课，不过她还要上班，所以只能在清晨四点半给我上课，你们可以想象，我不太情愿那么早起床，有很多次，我爬在餐桌上就睡着了。每当我抱怨的时候，我妈妈总会用同一幅表情看着我说：“小鬼，你以为教你我就恨轻松？”所以，我能理解你们有些人还在适应开学后的生活，但今天我站在这里，是为了和你们谈一些重要的事情，我要和你们谈一谈你们每一个人的教育，以及在这个新学年对你们所有人的期望。我做过许多关于教育的讲话，也常常用到“责任”这个词，我谈到过教师们有责任激励你们，督促你们学习，我谈到过家长们有责任确保你们走正道，完成家庭作业，不要成天只会看电视或打游戏机，我也多次谈到过政府有责任制定高标准协助老师和校长们的工作，改变在有些学校学生得不到应有学习机会的现状，但哪怕这一切都达到最好，哪怕我们拥有最敬业的教师，最尽力的家长，和全世界最好的学校，假如你们不去履行自己的责任的话，那么这一切努力都会白费，除非你们每天准时去上学，除非你们认真地听老师讲课，除非你们把父母，长辈和其他大人们的话放在心上，除非你们肯付出成功所必需的努力，否则，这一切都会失去意义！而这就是我今天讲话的重点：你们每个人对自己的教育应尽的责任 我首先要讲讲你们对自己应尽的责任，你们每个人都有自己的长处，你们每个人都是有用之才，你们对自己的责任是发现自己的才能所在，而教育能够提供这样的机会，或许你能写出优美的文字，甚至有一天能让那些文字出现在书籍和报刊上，但假如不在英语课上经常练习写作，你不会发现自己有这样的才能；或许你能成为一名创新者或发明家，甚至可能设计出新一代IPhone，或研制出新型药物与疫苗，但假如你不在自然科学课堂上做上几次实验，你不会发现自己有这样的才能；或许你能成为一名市长，参议院或最高法院大大法官，但假如你不去加入学生会或参加几次辩论赛，你不会发现自己有这样的才能；不论你的生活志向是什么，我敢肯定你都需要相应的教育，你想当医生，教师或警官吗？你想当护士，建筑师，律师或军人吗？你必须接受良好的教育，才能从事上述任何一种职业。你不能指望辍学后能碰上个好工作，你必须接受培训，为之努力，为之学习。这并非只对你个人的人生和未来意义重大，教育给你带来的益处将决定这个国家的未来，美国的未来取决于你们，今天你们在学校中学习的内容，将会决定我们整个国家在未来迎接重大挑战时的表现。你们需要在数理科学课程上学习知识和技能，去治疗癌症，艾滋病那样的疾病，开发新的能源技术，保护我们的环境，你们需要历史社科课程上获得的观察力与判断力，来抗击贫困和解决无家可归问题，打击犯罪和消除歧视，让这个国家变的更加公平和自由。你们需要在各类课程中逐渐培养的创造力和智慧去创办新公司。制造就业机会和推动经济增长。我们需要你们每个人都发挥天赋，技能和才智，帮助老一辈人解决我们面临的最棘手问题。如果你们不这样做，如果你们辍学，那么你们不仅是放弃了自己，也是放弃了自己的国家。我当然明白读好书并不总是件容易的事，我知道你们中的许多人在生活中面临着各种问题，很难把精力集中在专心读书上，我明白这一点，我有亲身感受，我父亲在我两岁时离开了家庭，是母亲一人将我拉扯大，母亲不得不工作，并时常为支付生活费用而苦苦挣扎，但有时仍无法为我们提供其他孩子享有的东西，有时我渴望生活中能有位父亲，有时我会感到孤独无助，感觉与周围的环境格格不入，我并非总是像我应该做到的那样专心学习，我做过许多自己觉得丢脸的事情，也惹出过不该惹得麻烦，我的生活岌岌可危，随时可能急转直下，但我很幸运，我在许多事上都的到了重来的机会，我有幸能上大学，上法学院，追求自己的理想。我的妻子，我们的第一夫人米歇尔`奥巴马，也有着相似的人生经历，她的父母都没读过大学，也没有什么财产，但他们都非常勤奋，她也是如此，因此她得以进入美国一些最好的学校，你们中的有些人可能没有那些有利条件，或许你的生活中没有能为你提供帮助的长辈，或许你们家中有人失业，经济非常拮据，或许你住的社区并不那么安全，或许你认识一些会对你产生不良影响的朋友，但归根结底，你的生活状况，你的长相，出身，经济条件，家庭氛围，都不是疏忽学业和态度恶劣的借口。这些不是你去跟老师顶嘴，逃学或辍学的借口。这些不是你不好好学习的借口，你们目前的状况并不决定着你们的未来，没有人为你骗编排好你的命运，在美国，你的命运由你自己来书写，你的未来由你自己来掌握，这就是像你们这样的年轻人每天都在做的事情。全美各地都是如此。
例如德克萨斯州罗马市的贾斯敏•佩雷兹（Jazmin Perez）。刚进学校时，她根本不会说英语，她住的地方几乎没人上过大学，她的父母也没有受过高等教育，但她努力学习，取得了优异的成绩，靠奖学金进入了布朗大学，如今正在攻读公共卫生专业的博士学位。
我还想起了加利福尼亚州洛斯拉图斯市的安多尼•舒尔兹（Andoni Schultz），他从三岁起就开始与脑癌病魔做斗争，他熬过了一次次治疗与手术——其中一次影响了他的记忆，因此他得花出比常人多几百个小时的时间来完成学业，但他从不曾落下自己的功课。这个秋天，他要开始在大学读书了。
又比如在我的家乡，伊利诺斯州芝加哥市，身为孤儿的香特尔•史蒂夫（Shantell Steve）换过多次收养家庭，从小在治安很差的地区长大，但她努力争取到了在当地保健站工作的机会、发起了一个让青少年远离犯罪团伙的项目，很快，她也将以优异的成绩从中学毕业，去大学深造。
贾斯敏、安多尼和香特尔与你们并没有什么不同。和你们一样，他们也在生活中遭遇各种各样的困难与问题，但他们拒绝放弃，他们选择为自己的教育担起责任、给自己定下奋斗的目标。我希望你们中的每一个人，都能做得到这些。
因此，在今天，我号召你们每一个人都为自己的教育定下一个目标——并在之后，尽自己的一切努力去实现它。你的目标可以很简单，像是完成作业、认真听讲或每天阅读——或许你打算参加一些课外活动，或在社区做些志愿工作；或许你决定为那些因为长相或出身等等原因而受嘲弄或欺负的孩子做主、维护他们的权益，因为你和我一样，认为每个孩子都应该能有一个安全的学习环境；或许你认为该学着更好的照顾自己，来为将来的学习做准备……当然，除此之外，我希望你们都多多洗手、感到身体不舒服的时候要多在家休息，免得大家在秋冬感冒高发季节都得流感。
不管你决定做什么，我都希望你能坚持到底，希望你能真的下定决心。我知道有些时候，电视上播放的节目会让你产生这样那样的错觉，似乎你不需要付出多大的努力就能腰缠万贯、功成名就——你会认为只要会唱rap、会打篮球或参加个什么真人秀节目就能坐享其成，但现实是，你几乎没有可能走上其中任何一条道路。
因为，成功是件难事。你不可能对要读的每门课程都兴趣盎然，你不可能和每名带课教师都相处顺利，你也不可能每次都遇上看起来和现实生活有关的作业。而且，并不是每件事，你都能在头一次尝试时获得成功。
但那没有关系。因为在这个世界上，最最成功的人们往往也经历过最多的失败。J.K.罗琳的第一本《哈利•波特》被出版商拒绝了十二次才最终出版；迈克尔•乔丹上高中时被学校的篮球队刷了下来，在他的职业生涯里，他输了几百场比赛、投失过几千次射篮，知道他是怎么说的吗？―我一生不停地失败、失败再失败，这就是我现在成功的原因。‖
他们的成功，源于他们明白人不能让失败左右自己——而是要从中吸取经验。从失败中，你可以明白下一次自己可以做出怎样的改变；假如你惹了什么麻烦，那并不说明你就是个捣蛋贵，而是在提醒你，在将来要对自己有更严格的要求；假如你考了个低分，那并不说明你就比别人笨，而是在告诉你，自己得在学习上花更多的时间。
没有哪一个人一生出来就擅长做什么事情的，只有努力才能培养出技能。任何人都不是在第一次接触一项体育运动时就成为校队的代表，任何人都不是在第一次唱一首歌时就找准每一个音，一切都需要熟能生巧。对于学业也是一样，你或许要反复运算才能解出一道数学题的正确答案，你或许需要读一段文字好几遍才能理解它的意思，你或许得把论文改上好几次才能符合提交的标准。这都是很正常的。
不要害怕提问。不要不敢向他人求助。——我每天都在这么做。求助并不是软弱的表现，恰恰相反，它说明你有勇气承认自己的不足、并愿意去学习新的知识。所以，有不懂时，就向大人们求助吧——找个你信得过的对象，例如父母、长辈、老师、教练或辅导员——让他们帮助你向目标前进。
你要记住，哪怕你表现不好、哪怕你失去信心、哪怕你觉得身边的人都已经放弃了你——永远不要自己放弃自己。因为当你放弃自己的时候，你也放弃了自己的国家。
美国不是一个人们遭遇困难就轻易放弃的国度，在这个国家，人们坚持到底、人们加倍努力，为了他们所热爱的国度，每一个人都尽着自己最大的努力，不会给自己留任何余地。
250年前，有一群和你们一样的学生，他们之后奋起努力、用一场革命最终造就了这个国家；75年前，有一群和你们一样的学生，他们之后战胜了大萧条、赢得了二战；就在20年前，和你们一样的学生们，他们后来创立了Google、Twitter和Facebook，改变了我们人与人之间沟通的方式。
因此，今天我想要问你们，你们会做出什么样的贡献？你们将解决什么样的难题？你们能发现什么样的事物？
二十、五十或百年之后，假如那时的美国总统也来做一次开学演讲的话，他会怎样描述你们对这个国家所做的一切？
你们的家长、你们的老师和我，每一个人都在尽最大的努力，确保你们都能得到应有的教育来回答这些问题。例如我正在努力为你们提供更安全的教室、更多的书籍、更先进的设施与计算机。但你们也要担起自己的责任。因此我要求你们在今年能够认真起来，我要求你们尽心地去做自己着手的每一件事，我要求你们每一个人都有所成就。请不要让我们失望——不要让你的家人、你的国家和你自己失望。你们要成为我们骄傲，我知道，你们一定可以做到。
谢谢大家，上帝保佑你们，上帝保佑美国。
The White House Office of the Press Secretary For Immediate Release September 14, 2010
Remarks by the President in Back to School Speech in Philadelphia, PennsylvaniaJulia R.Masterman Laboratory and Demonstration School, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania1:05 P.M.EDT 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
第三篇：奥巴马韦克菲尔德高中演讲
奥巴马总统在弗吉尼亚州阿灵顿郡（Arlington, Virginia）韦克菲尔德高中演讲
REMARKS BY THE PRESIDENT IN A NATIONAL ADDRESS TO AMERICA’S
SCHOOLCHILDREN
Wakefield High School, Arlington, Virginia
September 8, 2009
美国总统奥巴马对全美中小学生的讲话 弗吉尼亚州阿灵顿郡韦克菲尔德高中
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[收听，调谐画面] 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 summerand 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[印度尼西亚] for a few years.And my mother, she didn’t have the money to send me where all the American kids went to school, but she thought it was important for me to keep up with an American education.So she decided to teach me extra lessons herself, Monday through Friday.But because she had to go to work, the only time she could do it was at 4:30 in the morning.Now, as you might imagine, I wasn’t too happy about getting up that early.And a lot of times, I’d fall asleep right there at the kitchen table.But whenever I’d complain, my mother would just give me one of those looks and she’d say, “This is no picnic for me either, buster.”(Laughter.)
So I know that some of you are still adjusting to being back at school.But I’m here today because I have something important to discuss with you.I’m here because I want to talk with you about your education and what’s expected of all of you in this new school year.Now, I’ve given a lot of speeches about education.And I’ve talked about responsibility a lot.I’ve talked about teachers’ responsibility for inspiring students and pushing you to learn.I’ve talked about your parents’ responsibility for making sure you stay on track, and you get your homework done, and don’t spend every waking hour in front of the TV or with the Xbox[微软游戏机产品].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 dedicatedteachers, 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 upto 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[个人] 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 assignedto you.Maybe you could be an innovatoror 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 intoa 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 insightsand 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[独创性，精巧] 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 backto 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[德克萨斯 罗马城].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[布朗大学]--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[加利福尼亚 洛斯阿尔托斯], 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 fellbehind.He’s headed tocollege this fall.And then there’s Shantell Steve, from my hometown of Chicago, Illinois[伊利诺斯 芝加哥].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[真人明星秀].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[合拍，处得来] 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[大学代表队的] 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[大萧条] and won a world war;who fought for civil rights and put a man on the moon.Students who sat where you sit 20 years ago who founded Google and Twitter and Facebook and changed the way we communicate with each other.So today, I want to ask all of you, what’s your contribution going to be? What problems are you going to solve? What discoveries will you make? What will a President who comes here in 20 or 50 or 100 years say about what all of you did for this country? Now, your families, your teachers, and I are doing everything we can to make sure you have the education you need to answer these questions.I’m working hard to fix up your classrooms and get you the books and the equipment and the computers you need to learn.But you’ve got to do your part, too.So I expect all of you to get serious this year.I expect you to put your best effort into everything you do.I expect great things from each of you.So don’t let us down.Don’t let your family down or your country down.Most of all, don’t let yourself down.Make us all proud.Thank you very much, everybody.God bless you.God bless America.Thank you.(Applause.)
第四篇：奥巴马在社区大学开学时的演讲
The White House Office of the Press Secretary For Immediate Release October 05, 2010
Remarks by the President and Dr.Jill Biden at White House Summit on Community Colleges
East Room 12:17 P.M.EDT DR.BIDEN: Hello.Good afternoon, and welcome to the first ever White House Summit on Community Colleges.I’m Jill Biden, and I’m proud to stand here today as a community college professor.This is an historic and exciting opportunity for all of us in the community college world.For years I have said that community colleges are one of America’s best-kept secrets.Well, with the President of the United States shining a light on us, I think that secret is out.(Laughter.)Today’s summit is an important next step in our efforts to meet the President’s goal of having the best-educated, most competitive workforce in the world by the end of this decade.As we meet here today, families all across our country are struggling.We see that struggle firsthand in community colleges.We see people who are determined to build a better life for themselves and their families, no matter how hard it is.Today, community colleges are the largest, fastest-growing, most affordable segment of America’s higher education system.For generations, these schools have been an option for many students who didn’t have other options: recent immigrants, working adults, or students who could not afford or were not quite ready for a four-year institution.Community colleges are uniquely American--places where anyone who walks through the door is one step closer to realizing the American Dream.These schools are flexible and innovative.For that reason, countries around the world are looking at community colleges as a model to increase workforce preparedness and college graduation among their own citizens.Community colleges are uniquely positioned to provide the education and training that will prepare students for the jobs in the 21st century.Schools are forming partnerships with businesses in their communities, ensuring that students are trained for jobs that need to be filled.Getting Americans back to work is America’s great challenge.And community colleges are critically important to preparing graduates for those jobs.We are here today because community colleges are entering a new day in America, and here’s why: For more and more people, community colleges are the way to the future.They’re giving real opportunity to students who otherwise wouldn’t have it.They’re giving hope to families who thought the American Dream was slipping away.They are equipping Americans with the skills and expertise that are relevant to the emerging jobs of the future.They’re opening doors for the middle class at a time when the middle class has seen so many doors close to them.As the President said, the nations that out-educate us today will out-compete us tomorrow.That is why he is committed to increasing the number of college graduates in America, so that we will once again lead the world in the percentage of our citizens with a college degree.Community colleges are absolutely critical to reaching this goal, and to ensuring out country’s economic prosperity in the future.That is why the President has also challenged all of us to graduate an additional 5 million community college graduates by 2020.Reaching that goal will take the commitment of everyone in this room, and all of the hardworking community college leaders, faculty and students you represent.Community college students and graduates across the country are working in jobs that will enable us to expand our green economy, provide Americans with the excellent health care they deserve, and rebuild our country’s infrastructure.These are the students like the ones I visited in their state-of-the-art radiology lab last spring at Delgado Community College in New Orleans.Or the woman I met who, after 16 years as a lab tech, came to Kingsborough Community College in New York for retraining, and graduated in nursing with a job offer waiting.I meet students and learn about industry partnerships on every campus I visit that reinforce what we in this room know well: Community colleges are at the center of Americans’ effort to educate our way to a better economy.I’ve been a teacher for nearly three decades, and I have spent the past 17 years teaching at a community college.I know the power of community colleges to change lives.I have seen the wisdom of Yeats who said that, “Education is not the filling of the pail, but the lighting of a fire.” All of the teachers here today know the magic of lighting that fire in the soul of a student.But as I work hard every day to inspire students, it is ultimately they who inspire me.I’m inspired by students who overcome significant odds just to show up, workers who have returned to school to improve their job prospects, mothers who juggle jobs and childcare while preparing for a new career, and students who spend two years at a community college before transferring to a four-year school.At the President’s request, I have visited community colleges around the country to see innovative job partnerships and creative student support programs.At each school, I hear stories about the perseverance of community college students to make a better life for themselves and their families--students like Albert, who inspire me and who I am thrilled to welcome here today.You’re amazing, Albert.The programs are different, the students are different, but the aspirations are the same.These students are working hard to get the training and education they need to make their lives better.They know that education can open the door to a world of new opportunities.They are students like the mother who shared her experience with us on the White House website of working towards a degree while raising three children and straddling financial challenges.Now employed and the holder of a Bachelor’s and a Master’s degree, she wrote, “Community colleges didn’t just change my life, they gave me my life.”
Community colleges do that every day.With the support and the attention of the people in this room, we can serve more students and serve them better than ever.Our challenge is not just to get students into college, but to keep them there and to graduate them faster with the skills they need to succeed in the American workforce.This is the moment for community colleges to shine.Teaching is my life’s work.I am grateful and tremendously proud to work with a President and Vice President who value that work.President Obama is committed to restoring the promise of the American education system.He recognizes the value of community colleges and is investing in them so that they are the best that they can be.His leadership is inspiring to all of us who believe that each and every American deserves the opportunity to realize his full potential.I am honored to introduce a leader who shares our belief in the power of the community college, President Barack Obama.(Applause.)THE PRESIDENT: Thank you.Thank you very much.Thank you so much.Thank you, everybody.Thank you very much.Everybody please have a seat.Thank you so much.I want to acknowledge some of the folks who are here who are making an incredible contribution to this effort.First of all, our Secretary of Education, Arne Duncan, is here.(Applause.)Our Secretary of Labor, Hilda Solis, is here.(Applause.)Someone who cares deeply about our veterans and the education that they receive, our Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Admiral Mike Mullen, and his wife, Ms.Mullen, are here.(Applause.)Representative Brett Guthrie, Republican of Kentucky, is in the house, and has been doing great work on this.And obviously I am thrilled to not only see Jill Biden here but also Albert Ojeda, who introduced Jill Biden, because I think the story he tells is representative of so many incredible stories all across the country.I’m so grateful for Jill being willing to lead today’s summit, first of all because she has to spend time putting up with Joe.(Laughter.)And that’s a big enough task.Then to take this one on, too, on behalf of the administration is extraordinarily significant.I do not think she’s doing it for the administration.She’s doing it because of the passion she has for community colleges.Jill has devoted her life to education.As she said, she’s been a teacher for nearly three decades, although you can’t tell it by looking at her--(laughter)--a community college professor for 17 years.I want it on the record Jill is not playing hooky today.The only reason she’s here is because her college president gave her permission to miss class.(Laughter.)And this morning, between appearing on the Today Show, receiving briefings from her staff and hosting the summit, she was actually grading papers in her White House office.(Laughter.)So I think it’s clear why I asked Jill to travel the country visiting community colleges-– because, as she knows personally, these colleges are the unsung heroes of America’s education system.They may not get the credit they deserve.They may not get the same resources as other schools.But they provide a gateway to millions of Americans to good jobs and a better life.These are places where young people can continue their education without taking on a lot of debt.These are places where workers can gain new skills to move up in their careers.These are places where anyone with a desire to learn and to grow can take a chance on a brighter future for themselves and their families--whether that’s a single mom, or a returning soldier, or an aspiring entrepreneur.And community colleges aren’t just the key to the future of their students.They’re also one of the keys to the future of our country.We are in a global competition to lead in the growth industries of the 21st century.And that leadership depends on a well-educated, highly skilled workforce.We know, for example, that in the coming years, jobs requiring at least an associate’s degree are going to grow twice as fast as jobs that don’t require college.We will not fill those jobs-– or keep those jobs on our shores –-without community colleges.So it was no surprise when one of the main recommendations of my Economic Advisory Board-– who I met with yesterday-– was to expand education and job training.These are executives from some of America’s top companies.Their businesses need a steady supply of people who can step into jobs involving a lot of technical knowledge and skill.They understand the importance of making sure we’re preparing folks for the jobs of the future.In fact, throughout our history, whenever we’ve faced economic challenges, we’ve responded by seeking new ways to harness the talents of our people.And that’s one of the primary reasons that we have prospered.In the 19th century, we built public schools and land grant colleges –-transforming not just education, but our entire economy.In the 20th century, we passed the G.I.Bill and invested in math and science –-helping to unleash a wave of innovation that helped to forge the great American middle class.But in recent years, we’ve failed to live up to this legacy, especially in higher education.In just a decade, we’ve fallen from first to ninth in the proportion of young people with college degrees.That not only represents a huge waste of potential;in the global marketplace it represents a threat to our position as the world’s leading economy.As far as I’m concerned, America does not play for second place, and we certainly don’t play for ninth.So I’ve set a goal: By 2020, America will once again lead the world in producing college graduates.And I believe community colleges will play a huge part in meeting this goal, by producing an additional 5 million degrees and certificates in the next 10 years.That’s why last year I launched the American Graduation Initiative.I promised that we would end wasteful subsidies to big banks for student loans, and instead use that money to make college more affordable, and to make a historic investment in community colleges.And after a tough fight, we passed those reforms, and today we’re using this money towards the interest of higher education in America.And this is helping us modernize community colleges at a critical time-– because many of these schools are under pressure to cut costs and to cap enrollments and scrap courses even as demand has soared.It’s going to make it possible for colleges to better harness technology in the classroom and beyond.And it’s going to promote reform, as colleges compete for funding by improving graduation rates, and matching courses to the needs of local businesses, and making sure that when a graduate is handed a diploma it means that she or he are ready for a career.We’re also helping students succeed by making college more affordable.So we’ve increased student aid by thousands of dollars.We’ve simplified the loan application process.And we’re making it easier for students to pay back their loans by limiting payments to 10 percent of their income.But reaching the 2020 goal that I’ve set is not just going to depend on government.It also depends on educators and students doing their part.And it depends on businesses and non-for-profits working with colleges to connect students with jobs.So that’s why we’re holding this summit.That’s why I’m asking my Economic Advisory Board to reach out to employers across the country and come up with new ways for businesses and community colleges to work together.Based on this call to action, yesterday we announced a new partnership called Skills for America’s Future.And the idea is simple: Businesses and community colleges work together to match the work in the classroom with the needs of the boardroom.And already, businesses from PG&E, to UTC, to the Gap have announced their support, as have business leaders like my friend Penny Pritzker, and the Aspen Institute’s Walter Isaacson.I hope that the companies, schools and nonprofits that all of you lead will take part.Today, we can also announce the Gates Foundation is starting a new five-year initiative to raise community college graduation rates.This is critically important because more than half of those who enter community colleges fail to either earn a two-year degree or transfer to a earn a four-year degree.So we want to thank Melinda Gates, who’s here, for that terrific contribution.And the Aspen Institute and several leading foundations are launching a competitive prize for community college excellence.It’s going to shine a spotlight on community colleges delivering truly exceptional results –-places that often don’t get a lot of attention, but make a tremendous difference in their students’ lives.So we’re investing in community colleges.We’re making college more affordable.And we’re bringing together businesses, nonprofits and schools to train folks for the jobs of a new century.Now, all of this will help ensure that we continue to lead the global economy-– but only if we maintain this commitment to education that’s always been central to our success.That’s why I so strongly disagree with the economic plan that was released last week by the Republican leaders in Congress, which would actually cut education by 20 percent.It would reduce or eliminate financial aid for 8 million college students.And it would leave community colleges without the resources they need to meet the goals we’ve talked about today.Instead, this money would help pay for a $700 billion tax cut that only 2 percent of the wealthiest Americans would ever see –-an average of $100,000 for every millionaire and billionaire in the country.And that just doesn’t make sense-– not for students, not for our economy.Think about it.China isn’t slashing education by 20 percent right now.India is not slashing education by 20 percent.We are in a fight for the future-– a fight that depends on education.And cutting aid for 8 million students, or scaling back our community--our commitment to community colleges, that’s like unilaterally disarming our troops right as they head to the frontlines.So we obviously have to get serious about our deficit.That’s why, after decades of profligacy, my administration report pay-as-you-go rules, proposed a three-year freeze on non-security spending.That’s why we’ve formed a bipartisan deficit reduction commission.But what we can’t do is fund tax cuts for those who don’t need it by slashing education for those who do.There’s a better way for us to do this.And I want to work together with everybody concerned--Republican and Democrat--to figure that out.To use an expression familiar to those of you who are from the Midwest: You don’t eat your seed corn.(Laughter.)We can’t accept less investment in our young people if our country is going to move forward.It would mean giving up on the promise of so many people who might not be able to pursue an education, like the millions of students at community colleges across this country.So I just want to use as an example Derek Blumke, who’s here today.Where’s Derek? Right here.Derek spent six years in the Air Force, three deployments in the Afghan theater, putting his life at risk to keep this country safe.And when he returned, he started classes at his local community college in northern Michigan.Now, apparently, what I’m told is, he wasn’t sure whether he was smart enough to do the work, and he also was concerned that he wouldn’t get the support that he needed.And he was wrong on both fronts.His professors not only helped him transition from the military-– even as he continued to serve in the Michigan Air National Guard-– but also helped him to earn his associate’s degree with honors.Then he transferred to the University of Michigan--Go Blue--(laughter)--where he graduated just a few weeks ago.And while he was there, he co-founded Student Veterans of America to help returning veterans like himself.So congratulations, Derek.(Applause.)Or we can look to the example set by Albert Ojeda, who just spoke to you.He didn’t have any advantages in life--grew up in a tough neighborhood in Phoenix, lost his father to violence, lost his mother to prison.But that didn’t stop him from pursuing an education.It didn’t stop him from attending community college, become an honor student, become the first member of his family to graduate from college.There are so many folks out there like Derek and Albert.And I think about the many community college students who’ve written letters to me or emails through whitehouse.gov about how important community college has been to them.One person said he had been laid off and decided to return to school after 17 years.And attending community college “literally helped save my life”--that’s what he said.“I can not only see an associate’s degree next year, but a new future filled with possibilities for the first time.” A new future filled with possibilities.That’s why we’re here today.That’s the promise of an education not just for any one student, but for our entire country.And that’s why it’s so important that we work together on behalf of community colleges-– and an education system that harnesses the talents and hard work of every single American.So thank you for the incredible work that each and every one of you do out there in schools, business folks who are supporting these community colleges, the students who are doing so much to contribute to our country.Let’s get busy.Thank you very much.END 12:40 P.M.EDT
第五篇：奥巴马总统在弗吉尼亚州阿灵顿郡(Arlington, Virginia)韦克菲尔德高中演讲
奥巴马总统在弗吉尼亚州阿灵顿郡（Arlington, Virginia）韦克菲尔德高中演讲
REMARKS BY THE PRESIDENT IN A NATIONAL ADDRESS TO AMERI
CA’S SCHOOLCHILDREN
Wakefield High School, Arlington, Virginia
September 8, 2009
美国总统奥巴马对全美中小学生的讲话 弗吉尼亚州阿灵顿郡韦克菲尔德高中
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！谢谢你们。谢谢你们。谢谢你们大家。好，大家请就坐。你们今天都好吗？（掌声）蒂姆•斯派塞（Tim Spicer）好吗？（掌声）我现在与弗吉尼亚州阿灵顿郡韦克菲尔德高中的学生们在一起。美国各地从小学预备班到中学12年级的学生正在收听收看。我很高兴大家今天都能参与。我还要感谢韦克菲尔德高中出色的组织安排。请为你们自己热烈鼓掌。（掌声）
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，今天是你们很多人开学的日子。对于进入小学预备班、初中或高中的学生，今天是你们来到新学校的第一天，心里可能有点紧张，这是可以理解的。我能想象有些毕业班学生现在感觉很不错——（掌声）——还有一年就毕业了。不论在哪个年级，你们有些人可能希望暑假更长一点，今天早上还能多睡一小会儿。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.我了解这种感觉。我小时候，我们家生活在海外。我在印度尼西亚住了几年。我妈妈没有钱送我上其他美国孩子上的学校，但她认为必须让我接受美式教育。因此，她决定从周一到周五自己给我补课。不过她还要上班，所以只能在清晨四点
半给我上课。
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.)
你们可以想见，我不太情愿那么早起床。有很多次，我趴在餐桌上就睡着了。但每当我抱怨的时候，我妈妈都会那样地看我一眼，然后说：“小子，这对我也并
不轻松。”（笑声）
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 o
f all of you in this new school year.我知道你们有些人还在适应开学后的生活。但我今天来到这里是因为有重要的事情要和你们说。我来这里是要和你们谈谈你们的教育问题，以及在这个新学年对
你们所有人的期望。
Now, I’ve given a lot of speeches about education.And I’ve talked about resp
onsibility a lot.我做过很多次有关教育问题的演讲。我多次谈到过责任问题。
I’ve talked about teachers’ responsibility for inspiring students and pushing you
to learn.我谈到过教师激励学生并督促他们学习的责任。
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 fr
ont of the TV or with the Xbox.我谈到过家长的责任，要确保你们走正路，完成家庭作业，不要整天坐在电视前
或玩Xbox游戏。
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.我多次谈到过政府的责任，要制定高标准，支持教师和校长的工作，彻底改善不能为学生提供应有机会的、教育质量差的学校。
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，即使我们拥有最敬业的教师，最尽力的家长和全世界最好的学校——如果你们大家不履行你们的责任，不到校上课，不专心听讲，不听家长、祖父祖母和其他大人的话，不付出取得成功所必须的勤奋努力，那么这一切都毫无用处，都无关紧要。这就是我今天讲话的重点：你们每个人对自己的教育应尽的责任。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.我首先要讲讲你们对自己应尽的责任。你们每个人都有自己的长处。你们每个人都能做出自己的贡献。你们对自己应尽的责任是发现自己的能力所在。而教育能
够提供这样的机会。
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.你或许能成为一名出色的作家——甚至可能写书或在报纸上发表文章——但你可能要在完成那篇英文课的作文后才会发现自己的才华。你或许能成为一名创新者或发明家——甚至可能设计出新一代iPhone或研制出新型药物或疫苗——但你可能要在完成科学课的实验后才会发现自己的才华。你或许能成为一名市长或参议员或最高法院的大法官——但你可能要在参加学生会的工作或辩论队后才
会发现自己的才华。
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.不论你的生活志向是什么，我敢肯定你必须上学读书才能实现它。你想当医生、教师或警官吗？你想当护士、建筑师、律师或军人吗？你必须接受良好的教育，才能从事上述任何一种职业。你不能指望辍学后能碰上个好工作。你必须接受培
训，为之努力，为之学习。
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.这并非只对你个人的人生和未来意义重大。可以毫不夸大地说，教育给你带来的益处将决定这个国家的未来。美国的未来取决于你们。你们今日在校学习的知识将决定我们作为一个国家是否能够迎接我们未来所面临的最严峻挑战。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.你们将需要利用你们通过自然科学和数学课程所学到的知识和解决问题的能力来治愈癌症、艾滋病及其他疾病，开发新的能源技术和保护我们的环境。你们将需要利用你们在历史学和社会学课堂上所获得的知识和独立思考能力来抗击贫困和解决无家可归问题，打击犯罪和消除歧视，使我们的国家更公平、更自由。你们将需要利用你们在所有课堂上培养的创造力和智慧来创办新公司，增加就业
机会，振兴我们的经济。
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.我们需要你们每个人发挥你们的聪明才智和技能，以便帮助老一辈人解决我们面临的最棘手问题。如果你们不这样做，如果你们辍学，你们不仅仅是自暴自弃，也是抛弃自己的国家。
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 you
r schoolwork.我自然知道要做到学业优秀并非总是易事。我知道你们许多人在生活中面临挑
战，难以集中精力从事学业。
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.我明白这一点。我有亲身感受。两岁时，我父亲离家而去，我是由一位单亲母亲抚养成人的，母亲不得不工作，并时常为支付生活费用而苦苦挣扎，但有时仍无法为我们提供其他孩子享有的东西。有时，我渴望生活中能有一位父亲。有时
我感到孤独，感到自己不适应社会。
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.我并非总是像我应该做到的那样专心学习，我也曾做过我如今不能引以为豪的一些事情，我曾惹过不应该惹的麻烦。我的人生原本会轻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，我当年际遇不错。我有过许多第二次机会，我有幸能上大学，上法学院，追求自己的理想。我的妻子，我们的第一夫人米歇尔•奥巴马，也有着类似的经历。她的父母都未曾上过大学，家里很穷。但他们非常勤奋，她也是如此，因
此她得以进入一些美国最好的学校。
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.你们中有一些人可能没有那些有利条件。或许你们生活中没有成年人为你们提供你们所需要的支持。或许你们家中有人失业，经济非常拮据。或许你们生活在使你们感觉不安全的社区，或有朋友逼迫你们去做你们知道不对的事情。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.然而说到底，你们生活的环境、你们的肤色、你们的原籍、你们的经济收入、你们家中的境况等等，这一切都不能成为你们不用功或不努力的理由。你们没有理由不服从你们的老师、逃学、或辍学。没有理由不付出努力。
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.你们目前的状况并不决定着你们的未来。没有人决定你们的命运，在美国，你们决定自己的命运。你们掌握自己的未来。
That’s what young people like you are doing every day, all across America.这就是像你们这样的年轻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 beco
ming Dr.Jazmin Perez.来自得州罗马城的贾兹敏•佩雷斯（Jazmin Perez）就是一个例证，她刚开始上学时并不会说英文。她的父母都没有上过大学。然而，她非常勤奋，成绩优秀，获得了布朗大学的奖学金，她如今正在读研究生，攻读公共卫生专业，不久将成为
贾兹敏•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.H
e’s headed to college this fall.我想起了加州洛斯阿尔托斯城的安多尼•舒尔茨（Andoni Schultz），他从三岁开始就一直与脑癌进行抗争，他不得不忍受各类治疗和手术带来的痛苦，其中一项手术曾影响了他的记忆，因此他花在功课上的时间比一般人长得多，要多出数百个小时。然而，他从未落后。他今年秋季将迈进大学。
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.我还想起家乡伊利诺伊州芝加哥市的尚特尔•史蒂夫（Shantell Steve）。她曾在芝加哥最困难的社区生活，寄养于多个不同的家庭，但她最终在一家地方医疗中心找到工作，并开始了一项帮助年轻人远离流氓团伙的计划，她即将以优异成绩
从中学毕业，紧接着将上大学。
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.贾兹敏、安多尼和尚特尔与你们中间的每个人没什么两样。跟你们一样，他们在生活中面临种种挑战。在某些情况下，他们的处境比起你们许多人更差。但他们拒绝放弃。他们决定要为自己的一生、自己的教育负起责任，为自己设定各项奋斗目标。我期待你们大家都会这样做。
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，我今天呼吁你们每一个人为自己的教育设定目标，并尽自己的最大努力来实现这些目标。你的目标可以是一件十分简单的事情，例如完成家庭作业、上课专心听讲、或每天花一点时间读一本书。也许你会决定要参加课外活动或在你的社区提供志愿服务。也许你会决定挺身而出保护那些因为身份或长相而受人戏弄或欺负的孩子，原因是你和我一样认为所有的年轻人都应该享有一个适合读书和学习的安全环境。也许你会决定更好地照料自己，以便有更充沛的精力来学习。顺便提一下，除了这些事情外，我希望大家要勤洗手，身体感到不舒服的时候要呆在家里不去上学，这样我们能防止人们在今年秋冬季节染上流感。But whatever you resolve to do, I want you to commit to it.I want you to re
ally work at it.但无论你决定做什么，我希望你保证去做。我希望你脚踏实地地去做。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.我知道有时候你会从电视上得到这样的印象：你不用做任何艰苦的工作就能发财致富并取得成功，唱小调、打篮球或成为真人秀明星是走向成功的途径。但实际情况是：你可能不会成为其中的一员。
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.事实上，取得成功不是轻而易举的事情。你不会喜欢你学习的每一门课目。你不会与你的每一位老师都很投契。不是所有的家庭作业似乎都与你眼前的生活完全有关。你第一次尝试做每件事的时候，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 su
cceed.”
这些都没关系。世界上最成功的人士中有一些是遭遇失败最多的人。作者J•K•罗琳（J.K.Rowling）所写的系列小说《哈利•波特》（Harry Potter）第一部在获得出版之前被退稿12次。迈克尔•乔丹（Michael Jordan）曾被他的高中篮球队除名。在乔丹的篮球生涯中，他输过数百场比赛，有成千上万个球没有投中。但他曾说过：“在我的一生中，我失败了一次又一次、一次又一次。这就是我成功的原因。”
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.这些人士获得成功，因为他们懂得：你不能让失败来限制你，而必须让失败来开导你。你必须让失败向你展示下次如何以不同的方式去做这件事情。因此，如果你遇到麻烦，那并不表示你是麻烦的制造者，而意味着你需要更加努力去把它做对。如果你有一门课分数低，那不表示你比别人笨，而只表示你需要花更多的时
间学习。
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.没有一个人天生擅长做各种事情。你通过勤奋而变得擅长于各种事情。第一次从事新的体育项目时，你不可能是一位主力队员。第一次唱一首歌曲时，你不可能唱准每个音。你必须练习。同样的道理适用于你的学业。你可能要把一道数学题做几次才把它做对。你可能要把一些材料阅读几遍才能理解。在交出一篇优美的作文之前，你肯定需要打几遍草稿。
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.不要害怕提问。不要在需要帮助时害怕请求别人帮助。我天天请求别人的帮助。请求帮助不是软弱的表现，它是力量的标志，因为它表明你有勇气承认自己对某些事情不懂，这样做会使你学到新的东西。因此，请确定一位你信任的成年人，例如家长、祖父母或老师、教练或辅导员，请他们帮助你遵循既定计划实现你的目标。
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.即使当你苦苦挣扎、灰心丧气、感到其他人对你不抱希望时，也不要对你自己丧失信心，因为当你自暴自弃时，你也抛弃了自己的国家。
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.书写美国历史的不是在困难时刻退缩的人，而是坚持不懈、加倍努力的人，他们
对国家的爱促使他们全力以赴。
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.书写美国历史的是250年前坐在你们的位置上的学生，他们后来进行了独立战争并创建了这个国家。还有75年前坐在你们的位置上的年轻人和学生，他们走出了大萧条并打赢了一场世界大战；他们为民权而奋斗并把宇航员送上了月球。至于20年前坐在你们的位置上的学生，他们创办了谷歌（Google）、叽喳网（Twitter）和脸谱网（Facebook），改变了我们交流沟通的方式。
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 o
f you did for this country?
而今天，我要问问你们大家，你们将做出什么贡献？你们将解决什么问题？你们将有什么发现？20年、50年或100年后来到这里讲话的总统将会怎样评价你们
大家为这个国家所做的一切？
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.你们的家人、你们的老师和我正在竭尽全力保证你们接受必要的教育，以便回答上述问题。我正在努力工作，以便你们的教室得到修缮，你们能够得到学习所需的课本、设备和电脑。但你们也必须尽自己的努力。因此，我希望你们大家从今年起认真对待这个问题。我希望你们尽最大努力做好每一件事。我希望你们每个人都有出色的表现。不要让我们失望。不要让你们的家人或你们的国家失望。而最重要的是，不要辜负你们自己，而要让我们都能[为你们]感到骄傲。Thank you very much, everybody.God bless you.God bless America.Thank
you.(Applause.)
非常感谢你们大家。愿主保佑你们。愿主保佑美国。谢谢你们。（掌声）
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