从语用学角度分析美国总统奥巴马伊拉克撤军演讲

第一篇：从语用学角度分析美国总统奥巴马伊拉克撤军演讲

从语用学角度分析美国总统奥巴马伊拉克撤军演讲

一、相关论文：

广州大学外国语学院 程欢 《奥巴马就职演讲的认知语篇分析及译文评析》 湘潭大学外国语学院 陈华娟 《奥巴马就职演讲的人际意义解读》 湖北经济学院法商学院 匡露 《奥巴马就职演讲的批评话语分析》 内蒙古大学人文学院 杨青 《论言语交际中的合作原则》

姜志伟 《中、英政治演讲中礼貌原则对比研究——胡锦涛、布什高校演讲个案研究》

二、人们做了怎样的研究：

人们从语言学各个角度分析政治演讲稿，或从语言修辞角度，或从翻译角度，或从语用学角度，以此提高演讲爱好者公众演讲语言的运用技能，或揣测政治家的政治意图，了解中西方文化差异等等。

三、他们的问题和不足、美国总统就职演说影响广泛,意义重大,是一种独特而重要的实用文体。由于总统就职演说所具有的这种独特性和重要性,长期以来它吸引了不少历史学家,政治学家和语言学家对其进行研究。但是这些研究大多是从政治或文体学的角度展开的,很少有人从语用学的角度进行研究。学术研究最终应当应用于生活。政治与人们的生活息息相关，通过语用学研究政治家的意图、判断获得政治信息的真实性和可靠性，就显得尤为重要。

四、我的观点是：

（一）语境

含义是一种受制于语境的，说话人交际意图的隐含信息。要分析奥巴马伊拉克撤军演讲的语用含义就必须先了解语境。奥巴马演讲的主要听众是在伊拉克战争中战死军人的家属和依旧驻守在伊拉克的美军。伊战战死军人家属是非常心痛的，他们有一个共同的问题，就是：这种牺牲是值得的吗？而仍然驻守在伊拉克的美军主要有两个共同的问题，一是：伊拉克战争已经结束，为什么伊拉克人民仍然被杀，伊拉克反美武装袭击仍然不间断？二是：为什么他们还要驻守在伊拉克？ 奥巴马的演讲主要分三段：结束伊拉克战斗任务、我们正面临的安全挑战和如何重建我们的国家。

（二）合作原则

格赖斯于1967年在哈佛大学做了三次演讲，他指出为了保证会话等言语交际的顺利

进行，说话人和听话人双方必须遵守一些基本原则，特别市合作原则（cooperative principle）.美国学者格林将格赖斯提出的合作原则进行重述，将它们表述为四个准则：a量准则 b准则 c关系准则

d 方式准则

1、合作原则的遵循

A 量准则（Quantity maxim）：所提供的信息室交际所需的且不多也不少

例如：奥巴马解释了美国军队的国度力量仍然留在伊拉克的原因与它们承担的不同的任务，“为伊拉克安全部门提供建议和帮助；支持伊拉克军队针对恐怖主义的行动；保护美国公民”。B 质准则（Quality Maxim）：所提供的信息应当是真实的

例如：奥巴马描述战争带来的弊端“我们派去的年轻男女军人在伊拉克付出了巨大的牺牲，在国内预算紧缺的情况下投入大量资源支持这场战争，是时候翻过新的一页了”。奥巴马在演讲中说美国现在的主要任务是重振经济，这是诚实的说法，他并没有否定战争给美国经济带来的负面影响。C 关系准则（Relevant Maxim）:行为者的行为与他的意图有共有关系

美国媒体普遍认为伊拉克战争的负面影响大于积极成就。《纽约时报》认为这是“一场本不应该打的战争”，美国国内经济一团糟，奥巴马在演讲中并没有回避这一问题，提出要恢复国内经济，帮助数百万失业的美国人重新找到工作；结束对外国石油的依赖；培养企业家的创新意识。

D 方式准则（Manner Maxim）：行为者对具有共同目标的对方清楚地表达自己的行为

在安抚伊战战死军人家属时，奥巴马提到自己的部分责任是确保那些国家

应用服役的军人获得应有的荣誉，包括“为战争中受伤的士兵提供最好的治疗；并为所有老兵提供医疗保障和其它帮助；为9.11恐怖袭击后的老兵和他们的家人追求大学梦乡提供资金支持。”

2、合作原则的违背

A 量准则的违背

奥巴马在描述伊拉克战争的积极意义时说：“伊拉克安全事故已经下降到开战以来的最低水平”，这无疑是一项极其模糊的表达，伊拉克战争到底有何积极意义，为何伊拉克仍然遭受恐怖分子袭击，这些问题都被刻意跳过未作解释。B 质准则的违背

奥巴马说美军已经完成任务，推翻了实行恐怖统治的政权，但是众所周知，伊战并没有消除安全隐患，反而出现更多的恐怖主义，虽然翘倒了萨达姆，同时也打开了禁闭恐怖主义的大门，伊拉克如今乌烟瘴气。这些事实说明奥巴马明显违背了质准则，说了虚假的事。

（三）会话含义的推导

英国哲学家John Austin认为说话者的语言可分为言中(locutionary act)、言外(illocutionary act)和言后(perlocutionary act).言中即说话者的字面意义，言外是指说话者的真正意图，言后则是说话后带来的实际影响。下面简单地列举两个例子来解释会话含义的推导。

例一：“今晚，我宣布美国在伊拉克的战斗任务结束，伊拉克自由行动结束。伊拉克人现在必须承担起保护自己国家安全的重担，这是我竞选美国总统时向美国人民做出的承诺。”

言中：伊拉克战争已经结束了，就像我当年说的那样。

言外：表明自己兑现了承诺，完成了美国人民的心愿，是个守信的值得

信任的人，带有吹嘘的意味。

言后：让人民更加信任他。或者觉得他善于吹嘘。言后效果因人而异。

例二：“伊拉克人是一群骄傲的人，他们拒绝宗派战争，对无休止的破坏不感兴趣。他们知道，最后只有伊拉克人自己能够解决他们之间的分歧，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： 将美国在伊拉克完成任务远少于未完成任务就撤军的事实归结为

遵循伊拉克人的意愿，激励伊拉克人政治改革取得进展（当然也包括自己当年的撤军承诺）。

言后： 人们会认为美国人民是遵循别国意愿的，并提供朋友和伙伴式的支持。

（四）总结 墨西哥湾漏油事件、弗吉尼亚煤矿爆炸、医疗改革„„遇到种种突发情况和重要事这些演讲稿的，是一个由许多才思敏捷的写手组成的团队，他们被称为“奥巴马的大脑”。这篇演讲稿是不是美国总统写的，这个问题并不重要。我们通过分析这篇演讲稿发现驻伊美军作战部队完成撤离并非意味着伊拉克战争取得了最后胜利，但是奥巴马却把这个事件视作兑现竞选承诺的机遇，同时也借此向全世界宣布，他为国际和平做出巨大贡献。伊拉克战争究竟是赢了还是输了？美国《国际日报》日前刊文认为，奥巴马实现了结束驻伊美军作战任务的就任承诺是一件好事；但对伊拉克战争的评价却并非是易事，也并非是体面地输掉了战争那样简单。现在评价伊拉克战争，可能为时过早。

第二篇：从语用学角度分析美国总统奥巴马伊拉克撤军演讲

从语用学角度分析美国总统奥巴马伊拉克撤军演讲

一、相关论文：

广州大学外国语学院 程欢 《奥巴马就职演讲的认知语篇分析及译文评析》 湘潭大学外国语学院 陈华娟 《奥巴马就职演讲的人际意义解读》

湖北经济学院法商学院 匡露 《奥巴马就职演讲的批评话语分析》

内蒙古大学人文学院 杨青 《论言语交际中的合作原则》

姜志伟 《中、英政治演讲中礼貌原则对比研究——胡锦涛、布什高校演讲个案研究》

二、人们做了怎样的研究：

人们从语言学各个角度分析政治演讲稿，或从语言修辞角度，或从翻译角度，或从语用学角度，以此提高演讲爱好者公众演讲语言的运用技能，或揣测政治家的政治意图，了解中西方文化差异等等。

三、他们的问题和不足、美国总统就职演说影响广泛,意义重大,是一种独特而重要的实用文体。由于总统就职演说所具有的这种独特性和重要性,长期以来它吸引了不少历史学家,政治学家和语言学家对其进行研究。但是这些研究大多是从政治或文体学的角度展开的,很少有人从语用学的角度进行研究。学术研究最终应当应用于生活。政治与人们的生活息息相关，通过语用学研究政治家的意图、判断获得政治信息的真实性和可靠性，就显得尤为重要。

四、我的观点是：

（一）语境

含义是一种受制于语境的，说话人交际意图的隐含信息。要分析奥巴马伊拉克撤军演讲的语用含义就必须先了解语境。奥巴马演讲的主要听众是在伊拉克战争中战死军人的家属和依旧驻守在伊拉克的美军。伊战战死军人家属是非常心痛的，他们有一个共同的问题，就是：这种牺牲是值得的吗？而仍然驻守在伊拉克的美军主要有两个共同的问题，一是：伊拉克战争已经结束，为什么伊拉克人民仍然被杀，伊拉克反美武装袭击仍然不间断？二是：为什么他们还要驻守在伊拉克？

奥巴马的演讲主要分三段：结束伊拉克战斗任务、我们正面临的安全挑战和如何重建我们的国家。

（二）合作原则

格赖斯于1967年在哈佛大学做了三次演讲，他指出为了保证会话等言语交际的顺利进行，说话人和听话人双方必须遵守一些基本原则，特别市合作原则（cooperative principle）.美国学者格林将格赖斯提出的合作原则进行重述，将它们表述为四个准则：a量准则 b准则 c关系准则d 方式准则

1、合作原则的遵循

A 量准则（Quantity maxim）：所提供的信息室交际所需的且不多也不少

例如：奥巴马解释了美国军队的国度力量仍然留在伊拉克的原因与它们承担的不

同的任务，“为伊拉克安全部门提供建议和帮助；支持伊拉克军队针对恐怖主义的行动；保护美国公民”。

B 质准则（Quality Maxim）：所提供的信息应当是真实的例如：奥巴马描述战争带来的弊端“我们派去的年轻男女军人在伊拉克付出了巨

大的牺牲，在国内预算紧缺的情况下投入大量资源支持这场战争，是时候翻过新的一页了”。奥巴马在演讲中说美国现在的主要任务是重振经济，这是诚实的说法，他并没有否定战争给美国经济带来的负面影响。

C 关系准则（Relevant Maxim）:行为者的行为与他的意图有共有关系

美国媒体普遍认为伊拉克战争的负面影响大于积极成就。《纽约时报》认为

这是“一场本不应该打的战争”，美国国内经济一团糟，奥巴马在演讲中并

没有回避这一问题，提出要恢复国内经济，帮助数百万失业的美国人重新

找到工作；结束对外国石油的依赖；培养企业家的创新意识。

D 方式准则（Manner Maxim）：行为者对具有共同目标的对方清楚地表达自己的行为

在安抚伊战战死军人家属时，奥巴马提到自己的部分责任是确保那些国家

应用服役的军人获得应有的荣誉，包括“为战争

中受伤的士兵提供最好的治疗；并为所有老兵提

供医疗保障和其它帮助；为9.11恐怖袭击后的老

兵和他们的家人追求大学梦乡提供资金支持。”

2、合作原则的违背

A 量准则的违背

奥巴马在描述伊拉克战争的积极意义时说：“伊拉克安全事故已经下降到开战以来的最低水平”，这无疑是一项极其模糊的表达，伊拉克战争到底有何积极意义，为何伊拉克仍然遭受恐怖分子袭击，这些问题都被刻意跳过未作解释。

B 质准则的违背

奥巴马说美军已经完成任务，推翻了实行恐怖统治的政权，但是众所周知，伊战并没有消除安全隐患，反而出现更多的恐怖主义，虽然翘倒了萨达姆，同时也打开了禁闭恐怖主义的大门，伊拉克如今乌烟瘴气。这些事实说明奥巴马明显违背了质准则，说了虚假的事。

（三）会话含义的推导

英国哲学家John Austin认为说话者的语言可分为言中(locutionary act)、言外

(illocutionary act)和言后(perlocutionary act).言中即说话者的字面意义，言外是指说话者的真正意图，言后则是说话后带来的实际影响。下面简单地列举两个例子来解释会话含义的推导。

例一：“今晚，我宣布美国在伊拉克的战斗任务结束，伊拉克自由行动结束。伊

拉克人现在必须承担起保护自己国家安全的重担，这是我竞选美国总统

时向美国人民做出的承诺。”

言中：伊拉克战争已经结束了，就像我当年说的那样。

言外：表明自己兑现了承诺，完成了美国人民的心愿，是个守信的值得

信任的人，带有吹嘘的意味。

言后：让人民更加信任他。或者觉得他善于吹嘘。言后效果因人而异。例二：“伊拉克人是一群骄傲的人，他们拒绝宗派战争，对无休止的破坏不感兴

趣。他们知道，最后只有伊拉克人自己能够解决他们之间的分歧，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： 将美国在伊拉克完成任务远少于未完成任务就撤军的事实归结为

遵循伊拉克人的意愿，激励伊拉克人政治改革取得进展（当然也

包括自己当年的撤军承诺）。

言后： 人们会认为美国人民是遵循别国意愿的，并提供朋友和伙伴式的支持。

（四）总结

墨西哥湾漏油事件、弗吉尼亚煤矿爆炸、医疗改革„„遇到种种突发情况和重要事这些演讲稿的，是一个由许多才思敏捷的写手组成的团队，他们被称为“奥巴马的大脑”。这篇演讲稿是不是美国总统写的，这个问题并不重要。我们通过分析这篇演讲稿发现驻伊美军作战部队完成撤离并非意味着伊拉克战争取得了最后胜利，但是奥巴马却把这个事件视作兑现竞选承诺的机遇，同时也借此向全世界宣布，他为国际和平做出巨大贡献。伊拉克战争究竟是赢了还是输了？美国《国际日报》日前刊文认为，奥巴马实现了结束驻伊美军作战任务的就任承诺是一件好事；但对伊拉克战争的评价却并非是易事，也并非是体面地输掉了战争那样简单。现在评价伊拉克战争，可能为时过早。

第三篇：奥巴马10月22日关于伊拉克撤军的讲话

奥巴马10月22日关于伊拉克撤军的讲话 导读：远在伊拉克快9年的美国军人终于可以回国了！奥巴马在10月22日的电视讲话中亲自作出了承诺，承诺美国部队将在年底前全部从伊拉克撤回，并且可以与家人共度圣诞节！

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：(全英文论文)美国总统奥巴马获胜演讲分析

本科生毕业设计（论文）封面

（2015 届）

论文（设计）题目 作 者 学 院、专 业 班 级 指导教师（职称）论 文 字 数 论文完成时间

大学教务处制

英语原创毕业论文参考选题(100个)

一、论文说明

本写作团队致力于英语毕业论文写作与辅导服务，精通前沿理论研究、仿真编程、数据图表制作，专业本科论文3000起，具体可以联系qq 805990749。下列所写题目均可写作。部分题目已经写好原创。

二、原创论文参考题目 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 曼斯菲尔德庄园-理性的巨大胜利

乞力马扎罗的雪中的概念隐喻研究

被遗弃的韦瑟罗尔奶奶中爱伦.韦瑟罗尔的性格分析

农村高中生英语交际能力培养的限制因素--XX中学为例

伤心咖啡馆之歌的生态女性主义解读

从中西方文化差异分析动物习语十二生肖

论威尼斯商人中的安东尼奥

成语中数字的翻译

合理设计初中英语翻译练习的重要性 分析十七大报告英译版的翻译方法关于和谐企业文化构建及其意义的文献综述论语言输入与语言输出在二语习得中的作用旅游景点名称的英译技巧创造有效的师生互动英语课堂策略浅谈功能对等理论在中英商标翻译中的应用游戏法在小学英语词汇教学中的运用商标翻译中归化与异化的合理运用 浅谈中西方文化礼仪差动物习语的修辞手法及联想意义论美国电影片名的翻译 浅析跨文化交际下的旅游英语翻译从蜘蛛侠系列看美国的英雄主义论影响大学英语自主学习的内在因素 图式理论在初中英语阅读教学中的运用 福克纳对女性形象的塑造-献给艾米丽的玫瑰,士兵的报酬多媒体在中学英语听力中的运用 论社会达尔文主义的“适者生存”在热爱生命中的运用野性的呼唤中巴克分析弗兰肯斯坦中的死亡意义 从礼貌原则的角度看英语商务谈判中语言的运用

在英语教学中培养学生的创新思维

屈臣氏个人护理店经营模式、核心竞争力、营销策略的分析

分析比较中英词汇中隐喻的文化内涵异同

耐克公司4Ps营销策略对我国体育用品产业的启示

从叙事结构分析电影撞车中对种族歧视问题的诠释

英汉翻译中的词性转换 37 英语专四听写策略调查

中国晚清以的教学方法的研究

IBM企业文化中的利他主义精神及其对中国企业文化建设的启示

老友记字幕翻译研究

从合作原则的角度分析成长的烦恼中的言语幽默

“写长法”在高中英语写作教学中的应用

分析飘中与众不同的白瑞德

道连.格雷的画像中亨利的人物形象分析

解析呼啸山庄中希斯克利夫的心路历程

XX学院英语专业学生课堂焦虑调查

英汉化妆品名称对比及翻译

可口可乐广告本土化策略分析

用批评性语言分析中美主要矛盾

吸血鬼形象的流变剖析女性爱情观对文学形象的影响

商务谈判口译的语用失误的成因及负面影响对学习的启示

英语学习者错误分析及纠错策略

小公主中萨拉的人格魅力及其影响

浅谈现今儿童文学翻译的特点--以小公主及其译本为例

英文电影片名中文译名研究

公示语及其翻译

形成性评价在中学英语教学的应用探究

从女权主义的角度比较-傲慢与偏见简爱中女主人公

毕业论文题目的英译研究

英汉问候语在学前儿童教育上的影响

莎士比亚四大喜剧的双关语的翻译技巧

论汤姆叔叔的小屋中的黑人困境

中国的人际关系文化和美国的独立自主文化

从目的论角度分析产品说明书的翻译

英汉人名比较及翻译

从电影生死朗读主角人物特征分析通往救赎的道路

浅谈中西方饮食文化差异

夏洛的价值夏洛的网的主题解读

文化语境对英汉习语借用对象的影响

高中生英语词汇学习策略个案调查

浅谈商务英语信函写作

汉英方位词的文化对比与翻译

中英语言中动物词汇的文化含义对比

莎士比亚写作修辞方法在哈姆雷特中的运用

论例句在中学英语课堂中的应用

简爱--女权主义者

提问艺术在初二英语课堂教学中的运用

归化和异化在化妆品品牌的翻译技巧

课堂语言环境对高中生英语学习的影响

解读罗伯特.弗罗斯特的修墙

解读献给艾米丽的一朵玫瑰花中“玫瑰”的象征意义

Santiago的精神世界--老人与海赏析

小学英语教学中的启发式教学

从关联理论角度分析广告双关语

伦理学批评视角下的紫颜色

从美国电影中透视个人主义-当幸福来敲门为例

浅析英文广告口号中言语行为理论的实用性

呼啸山庄中的意象研究

高中生英语作文中冠词错误分析XX中学的个案研究

解读了不起的盖茨比分析美国梦破灭的深层原因

对黑人妇女在民权运动期间争取教育权的背景分析

诗歌天净沙.秋思的不同翻译版本赏析

浅谈欧.亨利短篇小说创作特点

浅析喧哗与骚动中的女性形象

英汉体态语的对比研究

美国牛仔文化和中国武侠文化的比较-上海正午为例

从禁忌语角度看中西方文化之间的差异 98 从霍夫斯塔德的文化维度分析中美文化差异的99 对蒙牛乳业集团体育营销策略的研究

浅论英美影视字幕翻译方法

第五篇：美国总统奥巴马开学演讲英文原稿

美国总统奥巴马开学演讲英文原稿

整理：微薄哥哥 www.xiexiebang.comic 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.)