第一篇：米歇尔2012民主党大会演讲
Thank you so much, Elaine.… We are so grateful for your family's service and sacrifice … and we will always have your back.Over the past few years as First Lady, I have had the extraordinary privilege of traveling all across this country.And everywhere I've gone, in the people I've met, and the stories I've heard, I have seen the very best of the American spirit.I have seen it in the incredible kindness and warmth that people have shown me and my family, especially our girls.I've seen it in teachers in a near-bankrupt school district who vowed to keep teaching without pay.I've seen it in people who become heroes at a moment's notice, diving into harm's way to save others … flying across the country to put out a fire … driving for hours to bail out a flooded town.And I've seen it in our men and women in uniform and our proud military families … in wounded warriors who tell me they're not just going to walk again, they're going to run, and they're going to run marathons … in the young man blinded by a bomb in Afghanistan who said, simply, “… I'd give my eyes 100 times again to have the chance to do what I have done and what I can still do.” Every day, the people I meet inspire me … every day, they make me proud … every day they remind me how blessed we are to live in the greatest nation on earth.Serving as your first lady is an honor and a privilege … but back when we first came together four years ago, I still had some concerns about this journey we'd begun.While I believed deeply in my husband's vision for this country, … and I was certain he would make an extraordinary president, … like any mother, I was worried about what it would mean for our girls if he got that chance.How would we keep them grounded under the glare of the national spotlight? How would they feel being uprooted from their school, their friends, and the only home they'd ever known? Our life before moving to Washington was filled with simple joys: … Saturdays at soccer games, Sundays at grandma's house … and a date night for Barack and me was either dinner or a movie, because as an exhausted mom, I couldn't stay awake for both.And the truth is, I loved the life we had built for our girls.… I deeply loved the man I had built that life with, … and I didn't want that to change if he became president.I loved Barack just the way he was.You see, even though back then Barack was a senator and a presidential candidate … to me, he was still the guy who'd picked me up for our dates in a car that was so rusted out, I could actually see the pavement going by through a hole in the passenger side door.… He was the guy whose proudest possession was a coffee table he'd found in a Dumpster, and whose only pair of decent shoes was half a size too small.But when Barack started telling me about his family — that's when I knew I had found a kindred spirit, someone whose values and upbringing were so much like mine.You see, Barack and I were both raised by families who didn't have much in the way of money or material possessions but who had given us something far more valuable: their unconditional love, their unflinching sacrifice, and the chance to go places they had never imagined for themselves.My father was a pump operator at the city water plant, and he was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis多发性硬化症 when my brother and I were young.And even as a kid, I knew there were plenty of days when he was in pain.… I knew there were plenty of mornings when it was a struggle for him to simply get out of bed.But every morning, I watched my father wake up with a smile, grab his walker, prop himself up against the bathroom sink, and slowly shave and button his uniform.And when he returned home after a long day's work, my brother and I would stand at the top of the stairs to our little apartment, patiently waiting to greet him, … watching as he reached down to lift one leg, and then the other, to slowly climb his way into our arms.But despite these challenges, my dad hardly ever missed a day of work.… He and my mom were determined to give me and my brother the kind of education they could only dream of.And when my brother and I finally made it to college, nearly all of our tuition came from student loans and grants.But my dad still had to pay a tiny portion of that tuition himself.And every semester, he was determined to pay that bill right on time, even taking out loans when he fell short.He was so proud to be sending his kids to college, … and he made sure we never missed a registration deadline because his check was late.You see, for my dad, that's what it meant to be a man.Like so many of us, that was the measure of his success in life — being able to earn a decent living that allowed him to support his family.And as I got to know Barack, I realized that even though he'd grown up all the way across the country, he'd been brought up just like me.Barack was raised by a single mother who struggled to pay the bills, and by grandparents who stepped in when she needed help.Barack's grandmother started out as a secretary at a community bank, … and she moved quickly up the ranks.… But like so many women, she hit a glass ceiling.And for years, men no more qualified than she was — men she had actually trained — were promoted up the ladder ahead of her, earning more and more money while Barack's family continued to scrape by.But day after day, she kept on waking up at dawn to catch the bus, … arriving at work before anyone else, … giving her best without complaint or regret.And she would often tell Barack, “So long as you kids do well, Bar, that's all that really matters.”
Like so many American families, our families weren't asking for much.They didn't begrudge anyone else's success or care that others had much more than they did.… In fact, they admired it.They simply believed in that fundamental American promise that, even if you don't start out with much, if you work hard and do what you're supposed to do, then you should be able to build a decent life for yourself and an even better life for your kids and grandkids.That's how they raised us.… That's what we learned from their example.We learned about dignity and decency, that how hard you work matters more than how much you make, … that helping others means more than just getting ahead yourself.We learned about honesty and integrity.That the truth matters, … that you don't take shortcuts or play by your own set of rules.… And success doesn't count unless you earn it fair and square.We learned about gratitude and humility.That so many people had a hand in our success, from the teachers who inspired us to the janitors who kept our school clean — … and we were taught to value everyone's contribution and treat everyone with respect.Those are the values Barack and I — and so many of you — are trying to pass on to our own children.That's who we are.And standing before you four years ago, I knew that I didn't want any of that to change if Barack became president.Well, today, after so many struggles and triumphs and moments that have tested my husband in ways I never could have imagined, I have seen firsthand that being president doesn't change who you are — it reveals who you are.You see, I've gotten to see up close and personal what being president really looks like.And I've seen how the issues that come across a President's desk are always the hard ones — the problems where no amount of data or numbers will get you to the right answer.… The judgment calls where the stakes are so high, and there is no margin for error.And as president, you can get all kinds of advice from all kinds of people.But at the end of the day, when it comes time to make that decision, as president all you have to guide you are your values and your vision, and the life experiences that make you who you are.So when it comes to rebuilding our economy, Barack is thinking about folks like my dad and like his grandmother.He's thinking about the pride that comes from a hard day's work.That's why he signed the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act to help women get equal pay for equal work.这就是为什么他签署了莱德贝特公平报酬法，以帮助妇女获得平等的同工同酬。
That's why he cut taxes for working families and small businesses and fought to get the auto industry back on its feet.That's how he brought our economy from the brink of collapse to creating jobs again — jobs you can raise a family on, good jobs right here in the United States of America.When it comes to the health of our families, Barack refused to listen to all those folks who told him to leave health reform for another day, another president.He didn't care whether it was the easy thing to do politically — that's not how he was raised — he cared that it was the right thing to do.He did it because he believes that here in America, our grandparents should be able to afford their medicine.… Our kids should be able to see a doctor when they're sick, … and no one in this country should ever go broke because of an accident or illness.And he believes that women are more than capable of making our own choices about our bodies and our health care … that's what my husband stands for.When it comes to giving our kids the education they deserve, Barack knows that like me and like so many of you, he never could've attended college without financial aid.And believe it or not, when we were first married, our combined monthly student loan bills were actually higher than our mortgage.We were so young, so in love, and so in debt.That's why Barack has fought so hard to increase student aid and keep interest rates down, because he wants every young person to fulfill their promise and be able to attend college without a mountain of debt.So in the end, for Barack, these issues aren't political.They're personal.Because Barack knows what it means when a family struggles.He knows what it means to want something more for your kids and grandkids.Barack knows the American Dream because he's lived it, … and he wants everyone in this country to have that same opportunity, no matter who we are, or where we're from, or what we look like, or who we love.And he believes that when you've worked hard, and done well, and walked through that doorway of opportunity, … you do not slam it shut behind you.… You reach back, and you give other folks the same chances that helped you succeed.So when people ask me whether being in the White House has changed my husband, I can honestly say that when it comes to his character, and his convictions, and his heart, Barack Obama is still the same man I fell in love with all those years ago.He's the same man who started his career by turning down high paying jobs and instead working in struggling neighborhoods where a steel plant had shut down, fighting to rebuild those communities and get folks back to work, … because for Barack, success isn't about how much money you make, it's about the difference you make in people's lives.He's the same man who, when our girls were first born, would anxiously check their cribs every few minutes to ensure they were still breathing, proudly showing them off to everyone we knew.That's the man who sits down with me and our girls for dinner nearly every night, patiently answering their questions about issues in the news, and strategizing about middle school friendships.That's the man I see in those quiet moments late at night, hunched over his desk, poring over the letters people have sent him.The letter from the father struggling to pay his bills, … from the woman dying of cancer whose insurance company won't cover her care, … from the young person with so much promise but so few opportunities.I see the concern in his eyes, … and I hear the determination in his voice as he tells me, “You won't believe what these folks are going through, Michelle.… It's not right.We've got to keep working to fix this.We've got so much more to do.” I see how those stories — our collection of struggles and hopes and dreams — I see how that's what drives Barack Obama every single day.And I didn't think it was possible, but today, I love my husband even more than I did four years ago, … even more than I did 23 years ago, when we first met.I love that he's never forgotten how he started.I love that we can trust Barack to do what he says he's going to do, even when it's hard — especially when it's hard.I love that for Barack, there is no such thing as “us” and “them” — he doesn't care whether you're a Democrat, a Republican, or none of the above.… He knows that we all love our country, … and he's always ready to listen to good ideas.… He's always looking for the very best in everyone he meets.And I love that even in the toughest moments, when we're all sweating it — when we're worried that the bill won't pass, and it seems like all is lost — Barack never lets himself get distracted by the chatter and the noise.Just like his grandmother, he just keeps getting up and moving forward … with patience and wisdom, and courage and grace.And he reminds me that we are playing a long game here, … and that change is hard, and change is slow, and it never happens all at once.But eventually we get there, we always do.We get there because of folks like my dad, … folks like Barack's grandmother, … men and women who said to themselves, “I may not have a chance to fulfill my dreams, but maybe my children will.… Maybe my grandchildren will.”
So many of us stand here tonight because of their sacrifice, and longing, and steadfast love, … because time and again, they swallowed their fears and doubts and did what was hard.So today, when the challenges we face start to seem overwhelming — or even impossible — let us never forget that doing the impossible is the history of this nation.… It's who we are as Americans.… It's how this country was built.And if our parents and grandparents could toil and struggle for us, … if they could raise beams of steel to the sky, send a man to the moon, and connect the world with the touch of a button, … then surely we can keep on sacrificing and building for our own kids and grandkids.And if so many brave men and women could wear our country's uniform and sacrifice their lives for our most fundamental rights, … then surely we can do our part as citizens of this great democracy to exercise those rights.… Surely, we can get to the polls and make our voices heard on Election Day.If farmers and blacksmiths could win independence from an empire, … if immigrants could leave behind everything they knew for a better life on our shores, … if women could be dragged to jail for seeking the vote, … if a generation could defeat a depression, and define greatness for all time, … if a young preacher could lift us to the mountaintop with his righteous dream, … and if proud Americans can be who they are and boldly stand at the altar with who they love, … then surely, surely we can give everyone in this country a fair chance at that great American Dream.Because in the end, more than anything else, that is the story of this country — the story of unwavering hope grounded in unyielding struggle.That is what has made my story, and Barack's story, and so many other American stories possible.And I say all of this tonight not just as first lady, … and not just as a wife.You see, at the end of the day, my most important title is still “mom-in-chief.” My daughters are still the heart of my heart and the center of my world.But today, I have none of those worries from four years ago about whether Barack and I were doing what's best for our girls.Because today, I know from experience that if I truly want to leave a better world for my daughters, and all our sons and daughters, … if we want to give all our children a foundation for their dreams and opportunities worthy of their promise, … if we want to give them that sense of limitless possibility — that belief that here in America, there is always something better out there if you're willing to work for it — … then we must work like never before, … and we must once again come together and stand together for the man we can trust to keep moving this great country forward: … my husband, our president, President Barack Obama.Thank you, God bless you, and God bless America.
第二篇：米歇尔-奥巴马民主党大会演讲综述
米歇尔-奥巴马民主党大会演讲
So when it comes to rebuilding our economy, Barack is thinking about folks like my dad and like his grandmother.He’s thinking about the pride that comes from a hard day’s work.That’s why he signed the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act to help women get equal pay for equal work.That’s why he cut taxes for working families and small businesses and fought to get the auto industry back on its feet.That’s how he brought our economy from the brink of collapse to creating jobs again – jobs you can raise a family on, good jobs right here in the United States of America.When it comes to the health of our families, Barack refused to listen to all those folks who told him to leave health reform for another day, another president.He didn’t care whether it was the easy thing to do politically – that’s not how he was raised – he cared that it was the right thing to do.He did it because he believes that here in America, our grandparents should be able to afford their medicine…our kids should be able to see a doctor when they’re sick…and no one in this country should ever go broke because of an accident or
illness.And he believes that women are more than capable of making our own choices about our bodies and our health care…that’s what my husband stands for.When it comes to giving our kids the education they deserve, Barack knows that like me and like so many of you, he never could’ve attended college
without financial aid.And believe it or not, when we were first married, our combined monthly student loan bills were actually higher than our mortgage.We were so young, so in love, and so in debt.That’s why Barack has fought so hard to increase student aid and keep interest rates down, because he wants every young person to fulfill their promise and be able to attend college without a mountain of debt.So in the end, for Barack, these issues aren’t political – they’re personal.Because Barack knows what it means when a family struggles.He knows what it means to want something more for your kids and grandkids.Barack knows the American Dream because he’s lived it…and he wants everyone in this country to have that same opportunity, no matter who we are, or where we’re from, or what we look like, or who we love.And he believes that when you’ve worked hard, and done well, and walked through that doorway of opportunity…you do not slam it shut behind you…
you reach back, and you give other folks the same chances that helped you succeed.So when people ask me whether being in the White House has changed my husband, I can honestly say that when it comes to his character, and his convictions, and his heart, Barack Obama is still the same man I fell in love with all those years ago.He’s the same man who started his career by turning down high paying jobs and instead working in struggling neighborhoods where a steel plant had shut down, fighting to rebuild those communities and get folks back to work…because for Barack, success isn’t about how much money you make, it’s about the difference you make in
people’s lives.He’s the same man who, when our girls were first born, would anxiously check their cribs every few minutes to ensure they were still breathing, proudly showing them off to everyone we knew.That’s the man who sits down with me and our girls for dinner nearly every night, patiently answering their questions about issues in the news, and strategizing about middle school friendships.That’s the man I see in those quiet moments late at night, hunched over his desk, poring over the letters people have sent him.The letter from the father struggling to pay his bills…from the woman dying of cancer whose insurance company won’t cover her care…from the young person with so much promise but so few opportunities.I see the concern in his eyes…and I hear the determination in his voice as he tells me, “You won’t believe what these folks are going through, Michelle…it’s not right.We’ve got to keep working to fix this.We’ve got so much more to
do.”
I see how those stories – our collection of struggles and hopes and dreams – I see how that’s what drives Barack Obama every single day.And I didn’t think it was possible, but today, I love my husband even more than I did four years ago…even more than I did 23 years ago, when we
first met.I love that he’s never forgotten how he started.I love that we can trust Barack to do what he says he’s going to do, even when it’s hard – especially when it’s hard.I love that for Barack, there is no such thing as “us” and “them”– he doesn’t care whether you’re a Democrat, a Republican, or none of the above…he knows that we all love our country…and he’s always ready to listen to good ideas…he’s always looking for the very best in everyone he meets.And I love that even in the toughest moments, when we’re all sweating it – when we’re worried that the bill won’t pass, and it seems like all is lost – Barack never lets himself get distracted by the chatter and the noise.Just like his grandmother, he just keeps getting up and moving forward…with patience and wisdom, and courage and grace.And he reminds me that we are playing a long game here…and that change is hard, and change is slow, and it never happens all at once.But eventually we get there, we always do.We get there because of folks like my Dad…folks like Barack’s grandmother…men and women who said to themselves, “I may not have a chance to fulfill my dreams, but maybe my children will…maybe my
grandchildren will.”
So many of us stand here tonight because of their sacrifice, and longing, and steadfast love…because time and again, they swallowed their fears and doubts and did what was hard.So today, when the challenges we face start to seem overwhelming – or even impossible – let us never forget that doing the impossible is the history of this nation…it’s who we are as Americans…it’s how this country was built.And if our parents and grandparents could toil and struggle for us…if they could raise beams of steel to the sky, send a man to the moon, and connect the world with the touch of a button…
then surely we can keep on sacrificing and building for our own kids and grandkids.And if so many brave men and women could wear our country’s uniform and sacrifice their lives for our most fundamental rights…then surely we can do our part as citizens of this great democracy to exercise those rights…surely, we can get to the polls and make our voices heard on Election Day.If farmers and blacksmiths could win independence from an empire…if immigrants could leave behind everything they knew for a better life on our shores…if women could be dragged to jail for seeking the vote…if a generation could defeat a depression, and define greatness for all time…
if a young preacher could lift us to the mountaintop with his righteous dream…and if proud Americans can be who they are and boldly stand at the altar with who they love…then surely, surely we can give everyone in this country a fair chance at that great American Dream.Because in the end, more than anything else, that is the story of this country – the story of unwavering hope grounded in unyielding struggle.That is what has made my story, and Barack’s story, and so many other American stories possible.And I say all of this tonight not just as First Lady…and not just as a wife.You see, at the end of the day, my most important title is still “mom-in-chief.” My daughters are still the heart of my heart and
the center of my world.But today, I have none of those worries from four years ago about whether Barack and I were doing what’s best for our girls.Because today, I know from experience that if I truly want to leave a better world for my daughters, and all our sons and daughters…if we want to give all our children a foundation for their dreams and opportunities worthy of their promise…if we want to give them that sense of limitless possibility – that belief that here in America, there is always something better out there if you’re willing to work for it…then we must work like never before…and we must once again come together and stand together for the man we can trust to keep moving this great country forward…my husband, our President, President Barack Obama.Thank you, God bless you, and God bless America.
第三篇：米歇尔民主党大会演讲全文 我力挺希拉里
米歇尔民主党大会演讲全文：我力挺希拉里
现美国第一夫人米歇尔·奥巴马在民主党全国大会上发表了感人肺腑的演讲来支持希拉里的竞选，虽然希拉里最近丑闻不断，但这在政界实属正常，所以这并不妨碍我们欣赏这段精彩的演讲。小编君为大家准备了双语字幕以及语言点讲解。
Thank you all.Thank you so much.You know, it’s hard to believe that it has been eight years since I first came to this convention to talk with you about why I thought my husband should be president.谢谢大家。非常感谢。很难相信，自从我第一次来这个大会并对大家讲为何我丈夫应该当选美国总统已经8年了。
Remember how I told you about his character and convictions, his decency and his grace, the traits that we’ve seen every day that he’s served our country in the White House?
还记得我是如何向你们讲述他的品行和坚定信念、他正派的作风和他的魅力、以及他每天在白宫里为国家奉献时，让我们有目共睹的那些优点?
I also told you about our daughters, how they are the heart of our hearts, the center of our world.And during our time in the White House, we’ve had the joy of watching them grow from bubbly little girls into poised young women, a journey that started soon after we arrived in Washington.我还对你们讲了我们的女儿，说她们是我们的心头肉，对我们来说是世界的中心。在我们住在白宫的这段时间，我们有幸能见证她们从活泼的小女孩成长为泰然自若的年轻女性，这是一趟自我们抵达华盛顿后不久就开始的旅程。
可千万别把心头肉翻译成flesh on my heart哦。
Have the joy of doing sth.的意思是“有幸能做什么”，并且表示很享受做这件事。
When they set off for their first day at their new school, I will never forget that winter morning as I watched our girls, just 7 and 10 years old, pile into those black SUVs with all those big men with guns.And I saw their little faces pressed up against the window, and the only thing I could think was, what have we done?
我永远忘不了她们第一天出发去新学校上课的那一幕，那是一个冬天的早晨，我看着我们的女儿出发，她们一个7岁，一个10岁，和那些荷枪实弹的大汉们一起挤进那些黑色的SUV。我看着她们把小脸抵在车窗上，而我脑子里唯一能想到的话是：“我们都干了什么?”
Set off for sth.的意思是“开始着手做某事”，也可以说set off for doing sth.比如：He sets off for building his own house.他开始建造自己的房子。
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Up against和单纯的against在大多数情况下可以互换，但当其中的up确实也表示“向上”的时候则不行。
See, because at that moment I realized that our time in the White House would form the foundation for who they would become and how well we managed this experience could truly make or break them.我想说的是，因为在那一刻我意识到：我们住在白宫的这段时间将成为她们今后人生的原点，而这段经历是将成就她们还是毁了她们都取决于我们如何经营这段人生。
当你想详细解释前面提到的东西的时候，可以简单地用see开头。
Make sb.是一种简洁地表示“成就某人”的方式，使用这个表达方式的时候重音一般放在make上。不过make sb.的意义很多，既能是正面的，也能使反面的，要视语境来判断如何翻译。比如：You are my childhood idol.You made me.(你是我的童年偶像，是你成就了我。)里可以翻译成“成就”;而I am a monster.But it’s you who made me.(我是个怪物。但是这都是你一手造成的。)里面就不行。
That is what Barack and I think about every day as we try to guide and protect our girls through the challenges of this unusual life in the spotlight, how we urge them to ignore those who question their father’s citizenship or faith.How we insist that the hateful language they hear from public figures on TV does not represent the true spirit of this country.How we explain that when someone is cruel or acts like a bully, you don’t stoop to their level.No, our motto is, when they go low, we go high.这就是我们夫妻二人每天为女儿们所想的事，我们思考：怎样在这种聚光灯下的非正常生活中，引导并保护她们，思索着怎样让他们面对其中的挑战。我们思考怎样劝导她们去无视那些质疑她们父亲公民身份以及信仰的人。我们思考怎样才能表明自己的立场，告诉他们电视上那些公众人物讲出的仇恨言论并不代表这个国家的真正精神。我们思考怎样向他们解释：当一个人表现得残忍又霸道的时候，你不能自贬身价去和他撕扯。不，我们的座右铭是：用更高的高尚来回应卑贱。
With every word we utter, with every action we take, we know our kids are watching us.We as parents are their most important role models.And let me tell you, Barack and I take that same approach to our jobs as president and first lady because we know that our words and actions matter, not just to our girls, but the children across this country, kids who tell us I saw you on TV, I wrote a report on you for school.Kids like the little black boy who looked up at my husband, his eyes wide with hope and he wondered, is my hair like yours?
我们知道，我们孩子在注视着我们的一言一行。我们，作为父母，是他们最重要的榜样。而且我要告诉各位，我们夫妻二人在作为总统与第一夫人的时候也是这么做的，因为我们知道自己的言行举止举足轻重，它们不光会影响我们的女儿们，也影响着整个国家的孩子们：那些告诉我们、曾在电视上看到我们、并以我们为课程报告主题的孩子们，以及那个睁着充满希望的大眼睛，抬头看向我丈夫并想着自己的发型是不是和他一样的黑人小男孩。
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Utter的意思和speak一样是“说”，不过它比speak要正式、书面很多。
Approach的意思是“方法、途径”，和means是一样的意思。
Matter在这里的用法和it doesn’t matter里是一样的，表示“举足轻重”，意思基本等同于make a difference。
表达“全国”可以用across the country、all over the country、throughout the country.And make no mistake about it, this November when we go to the polls that is what we’re deciding, not Democrat or Republican, not left or right.No, in this election and every election is about who will have the power to shape our children for the next four or eight years of their lives.而且，请大家想明白，这才是我们今年11月投票时将要决定的，并非只是民主党和共和党的区别，并非只是左翼和右翼的区别。不，这场选举，以及所有选举所决定的，是未来4到8年将由谁来塑造我们的孩子。
Shape除了众所周知的名词意义，也可以作为动词“塑造”来用。Shape your future.塑造你的未来。
And I am here tonight because in this election there is only one person who I trust with that responsibility, only one person who I believe is truly qualified to be president of the United States, and that is our friend Hillary Clinton.而我今晚出现在这里的原因是：在这场选举中，我只愿将此重任托付给一个人，我认为只有这个人才真正能够胜任美国总统一职，而她就是我们的朋友希拉里·克灵顿。
Trust sb.with sth.可以表示“在某件事上相信某人”，如：I trust you with what you do.(我信任你的专业能力)。也可以表示“将某件东西托付给某人”，如：I’ll trust you with my money.(我会将我的钱托付给你)。
Be qualified to do sth.的意思是“有资格做什么”，而且他强调的是“因为达到了怎样标准、拥有了怎样的品质，所以有资格”。
That’s right.See, I trust Hillary to lead this country because I’ve seen her lifelong devotion to our nation’s children, not just her own daughter, who she has raised to perfection, but every child who needs a champion, kids who take the long way to school to avoid the gangs, kids who wonder how they’ll ever afford college, kids whose parents don’t speak a word of English, but dream of a better life, kids who look to us to determine who and what they can be.对。就是这样，我相信希拉里能领导这个国家，因为我看到她将一生都奉献给了我们国家的孩子们，不光只是她那被她培养到完美的女儿，而是所有的孩子们，是那些需要一个捍卫者的孩子们，是那些为了躲避地区帮派而绕远路上学的孩子们，是那些不知道自己怎样才
/ 8 能负担得起大学教育的孩子们，是那些虽然父母完全不懂英语自己却梦想着过上更好生活的孩子们，是那些寄希望于我们来决定他们未来的孩子们。
Champion除了“冠军”的意思还有“捍卫者”的意思，通常指的是“对一种理念、一种主义的捍卫者、拥戴者”。
Ever在这里是一种强调方式，是其“永远”含义的引申用法。
Look to sb.to do sth.的意思是“指望某人做某事”，通常只的是：因为对方有某种自己不具备的能力，所以讲希望寄托于对方。
You see, Hillary has spent decades doing the relentless, thankless work to actually make a difference in their lives, advocating for kids with disabilities as a young lawyer, fighting for children’s health care as first lady, and for quality child care in the Senate.如你们所见，希拉里在几十年间一直任劳任怨地工作，为的是真正地使孩子们的生活有所不同。当她是个年轻律师时，她就为残障儿童的权益发声;后来她成了第一夫人，她为孩子们的医疗保障奔忙;在国务卿任上，她依然在为孩子们争取高质量的保育环境。
And when she didn’t win the nomination eight years ago, she didn’t get angry or disillusioned.Hillary did not pack up and go home, because as a true public servant Hillary knows that this is so much bigger than her own desires and disappointments.So she proudly stepped up to serve our country once again as secretary of state, traveling the globe to keep our kids safe.并且，八年前她竞选失利之后，她并不恼怒，也没有灰心丧气。希拉里没有打包走人，因为作为一个真正的公共利益服务者，她懂得这份事业比个人的欲望与失望重要得多。所以，她又挺身而出，以国务卿的身份为我们的国家服务，为孩子们的安全走遍全球。
And look, there were plenty of moments when Hillary could have decided that this work was too hard, that the price of public service was too high, that she was tired of being picked apart for how she looks or how she talks or even how she laughs.But here’s the thing.What I admire most about Hillary is that she never buckles under pressure.She never takes the easy way out.And Hillary Clinton has never quit on anything in her life.很多时候，希拉里都可以抱怨她的工作有多难，为人民付出的代价有多大，自己的外貌或言语甚至笑容时刻被人指责有多心累。可是，我最佩服她的一点，就是无论面对多大的压力，她都不会垮掉，也从来不会偷懒。在她的世界里，永无放弃可言。
Take the easy way out的意思是“选择更容易而非正确的道路”。
And when I think about the kind of president that I want for my girls and all our children, that’s what I want.所以，当我想象一个能为我的女儿和所有孩子带来美好和希望的美国总统的样子时，这就是我想要的。
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I want someone with the proven strength to persevere, someone who knows this job and takes it seriously, someone who understands that the issues a president faces are not black and white and cannot be boiled down to 140 characters.我想要一个真正有能力坚持下去的人，一个了解这份工作、严肃对待它的人，一个懂得总统面对的问题不是非黑即白，也不能短短归结为140个字的人。
Take something seriously是最为常用的表达“严肃对待某事”的用法。
Be boiled down to表示“可以总结为”，也可以用主动形式：it boils down to。
Because when you have the nuclear codes at your fingertips and the military in your command, you can’t make snap decisions.You can’t have a thin skin or a tendency to lash out.You need to be steady and measured and well-informed.因为当核武器的发射密码就在你指尖，并且手握着整个国家军队的时候，你不可以做出轻率的决定。你不能死要面子，也不能一戳就发火。你必须运筹帷幄、深思熟虑、见识广博。
Snap的原意是“啪地一下”，经常将它用作形容词来表示“草率的”，比如snap decision是“草率的决定”，snap shot是“草草拍摄的照片”。
Thin skin和中文里一样是“脸皮薄”的意思，不过它在英文里的对立面并不是“厚脸皮”，而是“忍辱负重”。
Lash out的基本意思是“大量挥霍”，既可以表示“大量挥霍钱财”，亦可以像这里一样表示“发火(大量宣泄情感)”。
I want a president with a record of public service, someone whose life’s work shows our children that we don’t chase fame and fortune for ourselves, we fight to give everyone a chance to succeed.我心目中的总统，要有从事公众服务的纪录，用毕生工作向孩子们证明，我们奋斗的目标不是追名逐利，而是让每个人都有成功的机会。
And we give back even when we’re struggling ourselves because we know that there is always someone worse off.And there but for the grace of God go I.就算当我们苦苦挣扎的时候，也要回报这个社会，因为总有人的生活比你还艰难。我们没吃他们的苦，是因为上帝眷顾。
单纯使用worse就表示“这个人更差劲”，而加上off后表示“这个人的处境更差”。
But在这里不是表示“但是”，而是表示“若不是……就……”，后面的go I是倒装。
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I want a president who will teach our children that everyone in this country matters, a president who truly believes in the vision that our Founders put forth all those years ago that we are all created equal, each a beloved part of the great American story.我想要的总统，应当告诉孩子们，我们国家的每一个人都很重要。他要深信国父们数百年前的理念，人人生而平等，每一个人都是伟大美国历史珍视的一部分。
Put forth a vision, 提出一个愿景。
Be created后面可以直接带形容词，用以表示“被创造成什么样子”。
And when crisis hits, we don’t turn against each other.No, we listen to each other, we lean on each other, because we are always stronger together.当危机到来时，我们绝不分崩离析。我们互相倾听，相互扶持，因为团结才会让我们更加强大。
And I am here tonight because I know that that is the kind of president that Hillary Clinton will be.And that’s why in this election I’m with her.今晚我在这里就是想告诉大家，希拉里就会是这样一位总统。这就是为什么在这场大选中，我站在她的一边。
这里的两个that中，第一个是宾语从句引导词，第二个是指代她要形容的总统。
With在表示“和”的同时也表达出一种“支持、拥戴、站在同一阵线”的意思，同时它也可以用来形容两个人处于情侣或夫妻关系，视语境不同翻译不同。
You see, Hillary understands that the president is about one thing and one thing only, it’s about leaving something better for our kids.That’s how we’ve always moved this country forward, by all of us coming together on behalf of our children, folks who volunteer to coach that team, to teach that Sunday school class, because they know it takes a village.她懂得作为一个总统，最主要的任务就是一件事，要为孩子们争取更美好的未来。为了孩子而团结起来，我们的国家就是这样不断进步的。不论是志愿做学生队教练的人，还是去当主日学的教师，他们都明白，培养下一代，需要整个国家的力量。
Village在这并不是“村子”的意思，而是“团体”的意思，it takes a village的意思是“这需要团结的力量”。
Heroes of every color and creed who wear the uniform and risk their lives to keep passing down those blessings of liberty, police officers and the protesters in Dallas who all desperately want to keep our children safe.People who lined up in Orlando to donate blood because it could have been their son, their daughter in that club.6 / 8
不同肤色和信仰的英雄们穿上制服，冒着生命危险将自由的福祉传承下去。在达拉斯，警察和抗议者们都在拼尽全力地呼吁保护孩子们的安全。在奥兰多，人们排着队献血，因为他们知道，那晚在酒吧的也可能就是他们的孩子。
Leaders like Tim Kaine who show our kids what decency and devotion look like.Leaders like Hillary Clinton who has the guts and the grace to keep coming back and putting those cracks in that highest and hardest glass ceiling until she finally breaks through, lifting all of us along with her.蒂姆•凯恩这样的领袖让孩子们懂得了什么是正直与奉献。希拉里这样的领袖拥有的勇气和魅力，让她一直没有放弃，不断地冲击限制女性发展的那道最高最艰难的玻璃顶，直到她终于将其击碎，并带着我们一同提升。
Guts的意思是“勇气”，它在口语中要比courage常用得多。
Glass ceiling, 玻璃天花板，是指工作中、社会上被认为设定的不可逾越的瓶颈，通常由歧视等原因造成。
That is the story of this country, the story that has brought me to this stage tonight, the story of generations of people who felt the lash of bondage, the shame of servitude, the sting of segregation, but who kept on striving and hoping and doing what needed to be done so that today I wake up every morning in a house that was built by slaves.And I watch my daughters, two beautiful, intelligent, black young women playing with their dogs on the White House lawn.这就是我们国家的故事，是这个故事让我今天站在这里。在这个故事中，曾有世世代代的人遭受着压迫和束缚，被奴役的耻辱和被隔离的痛苦。但是他们始终怀揣着希望，不息地抗争，所以今天的我才能每天在由奴隶建造的白宫里醒来，看着我的女儿们，两个美丽聪敏的黑皮肤少女，与狗狗们在白宫的草坪上嬉戏。
Lash是“鞭打”，bondage是“捆绑”，这里他们在一起是指代奴隶制度。
And because of Hillary Clinton, my daughters and all our sons and daughters now take for granted that a woman can be president of the United States.因为希拉里，我的女儿，和所有的孩子们，觉得女人可以当美国总统，这是理所应当的事。
So, look, so don’t let anyone ever tell you that this country isn’t great, that somehow we need to make it great again.Because this right now is the greatest country on earth!
所以，别再听别人说我们的国家不够好，我们要让她变好之类的话。因为此时此刻，这就是世界上最伟大的国家。
And as my daughters prepare to set out into the world, I want a leader who is worthy of that truth, a leader who is worthy of my girls’ promise and all our kids’ promise, a leader
/ 8 who will be guided every day by the love and hope and impossibly big dreams that we all have for our children.我的两个女儿就要去闯荡世界了，我希望能有一个领袖能够配得上这个真相，值得托付我的女儿以及所有孩子们的前途，能用爱与希望，和我们寄予孩子的无限期望来指导其每一天。
So in this election, we cannot sit back and hope that everything works out for the best.We cannot afford to be tired or frustrated or cynical.No, hear me.Between now and November, we need to do what we did eight years ago and four years ago.所以在这次选举中，我们不能坐视着希望最后的结果是最好的，我们承受不起疲倦、沮丧或愤世嫉俗的代价。听我说，从现在起到十一月份，我们要像8年前或4年前那样，为之付出行动。
We need to knock on every door, we need to get out every vote, we need to pour every last ounce of our passion and our strength and our love for this country into electing Hillary Clinton as president of the United States of America!
我们要挨家挨户敲门，让更多的人来投票。我们要用尽我们对这个国家的每一丝热情、每一份力量，和每一点爱，来推选希拉里•克林顿成为美利坚合众国的总统!
So let’s get to work.Thank you all and God bless.让我们行动起来吧。谢谢大家，上帝保佑。
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第四篇：2016年米歇尔助选希拉里民主党全国大会演讲
2016年米歇尔助选希拉里演讲稿（中英文）
Thank you all.Thank you so much.You know, it’s hard to believe that it has been eight years since I first came to this convention to talk with you about why I thought my husband should be president.谢谢各位，谢谢。真是令人难以置信，八年就这样过去了。八年前，我第一次站在这个大会上告诉诸位，为什么我的丈夫应该成为总统。
Remember how I told you about his character and convictions, his decency and his grace, the traits that we’ve seen every day that he’s served our country in the White House? 大家还记得吗，我向你们介绍他的品质与信念，说着他的正派与慈悲，以及他在白宫为国操劳的每一天向我们展现的所有优点。
I also told you about our daughters, how they are the heart of our hearts, the center of our world.And during our time in the White House, we’ve had the joy of watching them grow from bubbly little girls into poised young women, a journey that started soon after we arrived in Washington.我那时还向各位说起我们的女儿，说起她们是我们宝贝的心头肉，是我们眼里世界的中心。在白宫度过的这段时光里，我们欢欣地看着她们从热情活泼的小女孩长大为举止沉稳的年轻女性，这是一趟自我们抵达华盛顿之时就已开始的成长旅程。
When they set off for their first day at their new school, I will never forget that winter morning as I watched our girls, just 7 and 10 years old, pile into those black SUVs with all those big men with guns.And I saw their little faces pressed up against the window, and the only thing I could think was, what have we done? 我永远不会忘记她们第一天出发去新学校的场景。那个冬天的早晨，我目送我们7岁和10岁的女儿钻进黑色的SUV车里，陪着她们的全是持枪的壮汉。我看着她们把小脸贴在车窗上往外张望，那时候我想到的唯一一件事是：我们这是做错了什么？
See, because at that moment I realized that our time in the White House would form the foundation for who they would become and how well we managed this experience could truly make or break them.对，就是在那一刻，我意识到，在白宫的日子将会对她们的成长蜕变起到至关重要的影响。我们若能好好地应对这段经历，这段日子将会成就她们；如果不能，这些经历则会把她们带入歧途。
That is what Barack and I think about every day as we try to guide and protect our girls through the challenges of this unusual life in the spotlight, how we urge them to ignore those who question their father’s citizenship or faith.How we insist that the hateful language they hear from public figures on TV does not represent the true spirit of this country.How we explain that when someone is cruel or acts like a bully, you don’t stoop to their level.No, our motto is, when they go low, we go high.这就是我和巴拉克每一天所思考的问题。我们努力地引导我们的孩子，保护她们不受这聚光灯之下的不寻常生活的伤害，鼓励她们不去在意别人对她们的爸爸的国籍或信念的质疑。我们坚持让她们相信，电视上那些公共人物说出来的满带恨意的话并不能代表这个国家真正的精神。我们向她们解释，有些人可能残忍而霸道，但这不意味着你可以堕落到与他们一样。绝不可以，我们的信条是，当别人往道德的低处走时，我们要继续向高处前行。
With every word we utter, with every action we take, we know our kids are watching us.We as parents are their most important role models.And let me tell you, Barack and I take that same approach to our jobs as president and first lady because we know that our words and actions matter, not just to our girls, but the children across this country, kids who tell us I saw you on TV, I wrote a report on you for school.Kids like the little black boy who looked up at my husband, his eyes wide with hope and he wondered, is my hair like yours? 我们知道，父母的言行举止时时刻刻都被孩子们所关注，我们是她们最重要的榜样。我想告诉各位，巴拉克和我一直以同样的心态对待总统与第一夫人的工作。因为我们深知，我们所说的话，我们所做的事，不仅仅被自家孩子所关注，更同时被这个国家所有的孩子听到和看到。这些孩子可能会对我说，“我在电视上看过你”或是“我在一份作业里写了你”，也可能就像那个抬头带着希望看着我丈夫的黑人小男孩，心里充满好奇，“我的头发和你的是一样的吗？”
And make no mistake about it, this November when we go to the polls that is what we’re deciding, not Democrat or Republican, not left or right.No, in this election and every election is about who will have the power to shape our children for the next four or eight years of their lives.毫无疑问，今年11月我们去投票时，要做的就是这样一个决定，不是选择民主党或共和党，也不管左翼右翼之分。就同每一场选举一样，这场选举决定的是由谁来掌握一个大权，由谁来影响塑造孩子们生命中接下来的四年或六年。
And I am here tonight because in this election there is only one person who I trust with that responsibility, only one person who I believe is truly qualified to be president of the United States, and that is our friend Hillary Clinton.今晚，我站在这里，因为在这场选举中，只有一个人,让我放心地将这个责任交付；只有一个人，我相信真正有能力胜任美国总统一职。这个人就是我们的朋友，希拉里•克林顿。
That’s right.就是如此。See, I trust Hillary to lead this country because I’ve seen her lifelong devotion to our nation’s children, not just her own daughter, who she has raised to perfection, but every child who needs a champion, kids who take the long way to school to avoid the gangs, kids who wonder how they’ll ever afford college, kids whose parents don’t speak a word of English, but dream of a better life, kids who look to us to determine who and what they can be.我坚信希拉里能够领导这个国家，因为我见证了她以一生奉献予这个国家的孩子们，不仅仅是她那被栽培得近乎完美的女儿，更包括每一个需要保护的孩子——保护每一个需要走长长的路上学的孩子不受到犯罪团伙的伤害，帮助那些困惑于为何自己负担不起大学费用的孩子、那些自己的父母并不懂得说一句英语但自身梦想过上更好生活的孩子、那些等待着我们去决定他们的未来的孩子。
You see, Hillary has spent decades doing the relentless, thankless work to actually make a difference in their lives, advocating for kids with disabilities as a young lawyer, fighting for children’s health care as first lady, and for quality child care in the Senate.如你们所见，希拉里在几十年间一直任劳任怨地工作，为的是真正地使孩子们的生活有所不同。当她是个年轻律师时，她就为残障儿童的权益发声；后来她成了第一夫人，她为孩子们的医疗保障奔忙；在国务卿任上，她依然在为孩子们争取高质量的保育环境。
And when she didn’t win the nomination eight years ago, she didn’t get angry or disillusioned.Hillary did not pack up and go home, because as a true public servant Hillary knows that this is so much bigger than her own desires and disappointments.So she proudly stepped up to serve our country once again as secretary of state, traveling the globe to keep our kids safe.并且，八年前她竞选失利之后，她并不恼怒，也没有灰心丧气。希拉里没有打包走人，因为作为一个真正的公共利益服务者，她懂得这份事业比个人的欲望与失望重要得多。所以，她又挺身而出，以国务卿的身份为我们的国家服务，为孩子们的安全走遍全球。
And look, there were plenty of moments when Hillary could have decided that this work was too hard, that the price of public service was too high, that she was tired of being picked apart for how she looks or how she talks or even how she laughs.But here’s the thing.What I admire most about Hillary is that she never buckles under pressure.She never takes the easy way out.And Hillary Clinton has never quit on anything in her life.很多时候希拉里都可以抱怨她的工作有多难，为人民付出的代价有多大，自己的外貌或言语甚至笑容时刻被人指责有多心累。可是，我最佩服她的一点，就是无论面对多大的压力，她都不会垮掉，也从来不会偷懒。在她的世界里，永无放弃可言。And when I think about the kind of president that I want for my girls and all our children, that’s what I want.所以，当我想象一个能为我的女儿和所有孩子带来美好和希望的美国总统的样子，这就是我想要的。
I want someone with the proven strength to persevere, someone who knows this job and takes it seriously, someone who understands that the issues a president faces are not black and white and cannot be boiled down to 140 characters.我想要一个真正有能力坚持下去的人，一个了解这份工作、严肃对待它的人，一个懂得总统面对的问题不是非黑即白，也不能短短归结为140个字的人。
Because when you have the nuclear codes at your fingertips and the military in your command, you can’t make snap decisions.You can’t have a thin skin or a tendency to lash out.You need to be steady and measured and well-informed.因为当核武器的发射密码就在你指尖，并且手握着整个国家军队的时候，你不可以做出轻率的决定。你不能死要面子，也不能一戳就发火。你必须运筹帷幄、深思熟虑、见识广博。
I want a president with a record of public service, someone whose life’s work shows our children that we don’t chase fame and fortune for ourselves, we fight to give everyone a chance to succeed.我心目中的总统，要有从事公众服务的纪录，用毕生工作向孩子们证明，我们奋斗的目标不是追名逐利，而是让每个人都有成功的机会。
And we give back even when we’re struggling ourselves because we know that there is always someone worse off.And there but for the grace of God go I.就算当我们苦苦挣扎的时候，也要回报这个社会，因为总有人的生活比你还艰难。我们没吃他们的苦，是因为上帝眷顾。
I want a president who will teach our children that everyone in this country matters, a president who truly believes in the vision that our Founders put forth all those years ago that we are all created equal, each a beloved part of the great American story.我想要的总统，应当告诉孩子们，我们国家的每一个人都很重要。他要深信国父们数百年前的理念，人人生而平等，每一个人都是伟大美国历史珍视的一部分。
And when crisis hits, we don’t turn against each other.No, we listen to each other, we lean on each other, because we are always stronger together.当危机到来时，我们绝不分崩离析。我们互相倾听，相互扶持，因为团结才会让我们更加强大。
And I am here tonight because I know that that is the kind of president that Hillary Clinton will be.And that’s why in this election I’m with her.今晚我在这里就是想告诉大家，希拉里就会是这样一位总统。这就是为什么在这场大选中，我站在她的一边。
You see, Hillary understands that the president is about one thing and one thing only, it’s about leaving something better for our kids.That’s how we’ve always moved this country forward, by all of us coming together on behalf of our children, folks who volunteer to coach that team, to teach that Sunday school class, because they know it takes a village.她懂得作为一个总统，最主要的任务就是一件事，要为孩子们争取更美好的未来。为了孩子而团结起来，我们的国家就是这样不断进步的。不论是志愿做学生队教练的人，还是去当主日学的教师，他们都明白，培养下一代，需要整个国家的力量。
Heroes of every color and creed who wear the uniform and risk their lives to keep passing down those blessings of liberty, police officers and the protesters in Dallas who all desperately want to keep our children safe.People who lined up in Orlando to donate blood because it could have been their son, their daughter in that club.不同肤色和信仰的英雄们穿上制服，冒着生命危险将自由的福祉传承下去。在达拉斯，警察和抗议者们都在拼尽全力地呼吁保护孩子们的安全。在奥兰多，人们排着队献血，因为他们知道，那晚在酒吧的也可能就是他们的孩子。
Leaders like Tim Kaine who show our kids what decency and devotion look like.Leaders like Hillary Clinton who has the guts and the grace to keep coming back and putting those cracks in that highest and hardest glass ceiling until she finally breaks through, lifting all of us along with her.蒂姆•凯恩这样的领袖让孩子们懂得了什么是正直与奉献。希拉里这样的领袖拥有的勇气和魅力，让她一直没有放弃，不断地冲击限制女性发展的那道最高最艰难的玻璃顶，直到她终于将其击碎，并带着我们一同提升。
That is the story of this country, the story that has brought me to this stage tonight, the story of generations of people who felt the lash of bondage, the shame of servitude, the sting of segregation, but who kept on striving and hoping and doing what needed to be done so that today I wake up every morning in a house that was built by slaves.And I watch my daughters, two beautiful, intelligent, black young women playing with their dogs on the White House lawn.这就是我们国家的故事，是这个故事让我今天站在这里。在这个故事中，曾有世世代代的人遭受着压迫和束缚，被奴役的耻辱和被隔离的痛苦。但是他们始终怀揣着希望，不息地抗争，所以今天的我才能每天在由奴隶建造的白宫里醒来，看着我的女儿们，两个美丽聪敏的黑皮肤少女，与狗狗们在白宫的草坪上嬉戏。
And because of Hillary Clinton, my daughters and all our sons and daughters now take for granted that a woman can be president of the United States.因为希拉里，我的女儿，和所有的孩子们，觉得女人可以当美国总统，这是理所应当的事。
So, look, so don’t let anyone ever tell you that this country isn’t great, that somehow we need to make it great again.Because this right now is the greatest country on earth!所以，别再听别人说我们的国家不够好，我们要让她变好之类的话。因为此时此刻，这就是世界上最伟大的国家。
And as my daughters prepare to set out into the world, I want a leader who is worthy of that truth, a leader who is worthy of my girls’ promise and all our kids’ promise, a leader who will be guided every day by the love and hope and impossibly big dreams that we all have for our children.我的两个女儿就要去闯荡世界了，我希望能有一个领袖能够配得上这个真相，值得托付我的女儿以及所有孩子们的前途，能用爱与希望，和我们寄予孩子的无限期望来指导其每一天。
So in this election, we cannot sit back and hope that everything works out for the best.We cannot afford to be tired or frustrated or cynical.No, hear me.Between now and November, we need to do what we did eight years ago and four years ago.所以在这次选举中，我们不能坐视着希望最后的结果是最好的，我们承受不起疲倦、沮丧或愤世嫉俗的代价。听我说，从现在起到十一月份，我们要像8年前或4年前那样，为之付出行动。
We need to knock on every door, we need to get out every vote, we need to pour every last ounce of our passion and our strength and our love for this country into electing Hillary Clinton as president of the United States of America!我们要挨家挨户敲门，让更多的人来投票。我们要用尽我们对这个国家的每一丝热情、每一份力量，和每一点爱，来推选希拉里•克林顿成为美利坚合众国的总统！
So let’s get to work.Thank you all and God bless.让我们行动起来吧。谢谢大家，上帝保佑
第五篇：奥巴马夫人米歇尔在2012年民主党全国代表大会演讲
奥巴马夫人米歇尔在2012年民主党全国代表大会演讲（完整）
Thank you, thank you so much.Thank you, thank you so much.With you help, let me start.I want to start by thanking Elaine, thank you so much, we are so grateful for you family’s service and sacrifice, and we will always have you back.Over the past years as First Lady, I have had the extraordinary privilege（['prɪvlɪdʒ]特权；优待；基本权利）of traveling all across the country.And everywhere I’ve gone, and every people I’ve met, and the stories I’ve heard, I have seen the very best of American spirit.I have seen it in the incredible kindness and warmth that people have shown me and my family, especially our girls.I’ve seen it in teachers in a near-bankrupt（['bæŋkrʌpt]破产的）school district（['dɪstrɪkt] 区域；地方；行政区）who vowed to keep teaching without pay.I’ve seen it in people who become heroes at a moment’s notice diving into harm’s way to save others, flying across the county to put out a fire, driving for hours to bail（[beɪl]保释，帮助某人脱离困境；往外舀水）out a flooded town.And I’ve seen it in our men and women in uniform and our proud military families, in wounded warriors who tell me they are not just going to walk again, they are going to run, and they are going to run marathons（['mærə,θɑn]马拉松赛跑；耐力的考验）.In a young man blinded by a bomb[bɒm] in Afghanistan[æf'gænə,stæn]who said simply…“I’d give my eyes 100 times again to have the chance to do what I have done and what I can still do.”
Every day, the people I meet inspire me, every day they make me proud, every day they remind me how blessed we are to live in the greatest nation on the earth.Serving as your First Lady is an honor and privilege, but back when we first come together four years ago, I still had some concerns about this journey we had begun, and I believed deeply in my husband’s vision for the country, and I was certain he could make extraordinary president.Like any mother, I was worried about what it would mean for our girls if he got the chance, how would we keep them grounded under the glare（[ɡlɛr] 刺眼；耀眼的光；受公众注目）of the national spotlight（['spɑtlaɪt] 聚光灯；反光灯；公众注意的中心）? How would they feel being uprooted（[,ʌp'rut]根除，连根拔起；迫使某人离开出生地或定居处）from their schools, their friends and the only home they had ever known?
See, our life before moving to Washington was filled with simple joys: Saturday at soccer games, Sundays at grandma’s home, and a date night for Barack and me was either dinner or a movie.Because as an exhausted mom, I couldn’t stay awake for both.And the truth is, I loved the life we had built for our girls.And I deeply love the man I had built that life with, and I didn’t want to change if he became president.I love Barack Obama just the way he was.You see, even back then, when Barack was a senator（['sɛnətɚ] 参议员；（古罗马的）元老院议员；评议员，理事）and presidential candidate（[ˈkændɪˌdet,-dɪt 候选人，候补者；应试者]）, to me he was still the guy who’d picked me up for our dates in a car that was so rusted out.I could actually see the pavement（['pevmənt] 人行道，路面）going by in a hole in the passenger side door.He was the guy whose proudest possession was a coffee table he’d found in a dumpster（['dʌmpstə] 大型垃圾装卸卡车；垃圾大铁桶）, and whose only pair of decent（['disnt]正派的；得体的；相当好的）shoes was half a size too small.But see, when Barack started telling me about his family—see, now, that’s when I knew I had found a kindred spirit, someone whose values and upbringing were so much like me.You see, Barack and I were both raised by families who didn’t have much the way of money and material possessions, but who had given us something far more valuable—their unconditional love, their unflinching（[ʌn'flɪntʃɪŋ]不畏缩的；不退缩的）sacrifice, and the chance to go places they had never imagined for themselves.My father was a pump（[pʌmp]泵，抽水机；打气筒）operator at the city water plant, and he was diagnosed（[,daɪəɡ'nos]诊断；被诊断为）with Multiple['mʌltəpl] Sclerosis（[sklə'rosɪs] [病理] 硬化，[医] 硬化症；细胞壁硬化）when my brother and I were young.And even as a kid, I knew there were plenty of days when he was in pain.And I knew there were plenty of mornings when it was a struggle for him to simply get out of bed.But every morning I watched my father wake up with a smile, grab his walker, prop（[prɑp]支撑；维持）himself up against the bathroom sink, and slowly shave and button his uniform.And when he returned home after a long day’s work, my brother and I would stand at the top of the stairs of our little apartment, patiently waiting to greet him, watching as he reached down to lift one leg, and then the other, to slowly climb his way into our arms.But despite these challenges, my dad hardly ever missed a day of work.He and my mom were determined to give my brother and me the kind of education they could only dream of.And when my brother and I finally made it to college.Nearly all of our tuition（[tʊ'ɪʃən] 学费；讲授）came from student loans（[lon] 贷款；借款）and grants（[ɡrænt] 拨款，补助）.But my dad still had to pay a tiny portion of that tuition himself.And every semester, he was determined to pay that bill right on time, even taking out loans when he fell short.He was so proud to be sending his kids to college, and he made sure we never missed a registration deadline because his check was late.You see, for my dad, that’s what it meant to be a man.Like—like so many of us, that was the measure of his success in life.Being able to earn a decent living that allowed him to support his family.And as I got to know Barack, I realized that even though he had grown up all the way across the county, he’d been brought up just like me.Barack was raised by a single mom who struggled to pay the bills, and by grandparents who stepped in when she needed help.Barack’s grandmother started out as a secretary at a community bank, and she moved quickly up the ranks, but like so many women, she hit the glass ceiling.And for years, men no more qualified than she was—men she had actually trained—were promoted up the ladder ahead of her, earning more and more money while Barack’s family continued to scrape by.But day after day, she kept on waking up at dawn to catch the bus, arriving at work before anyone else, giving her best without complaint and regret.And she would often tell Barack,” so long as you kids do well, Bar, that’s all that really matters.” Like so many American families, our families weren’t asking for much.They didn’t begrudge anyone else’s success or care that others had much more than they did.In fact, they admired it.They simply believed in that fundamental American promise: that even if you don’t start out with much, if you work hard and do what you’re supposed to do, you should be able to build a decent life for yourselves and an even better life for your kids and grandkids.That’s how they raised us, that’s what we learned from their example.When learned about dignity and decency—that how hard you work matters more than how much you make, that helping others means more than just getting ahead yourself.We learned about honesty and integrity—that the truth matters, that you don’t take shortcuts or play by your own set of rules.And success doesn’t count unless you earn it fair and square.We learned about gratitude and humility—that so many people had a hand in our success, from the teachers who inspired us to the janitors who kept our school clean.And we were taught to value everyone’s contribution and treat any with respect.Those are the values Barack and I–and so many of you—are trying to pass on to our own children.That’s who we are.And standing before you four years ago, I knew that I didn’t want any of that to change if Barack become president.Well, today, after so many struggles and triumphs and moments that have tested my husband in ways I could have imagined, I have seen firsthand that being president doesn’t change who you are –No, it reveals who you are.You see, I have gotten to see up close and personal what being president really looks like.And I’ve see how the issues that come across a president’s desk are always the hard ones: you know, the problems where no amount of data or numbers will get you to the right answer.The judgment calls where the stakes are so high, and there is no margin for error.And as president, you are going to get all kinds of advice from all kinds of people.But at the end of the day, when it comes time to make the decision as president, all you have to guide you are your values, and you vision, and the life experiences that make you who you are.So ,when it comes to rebuilding our economy, Barack is thinking about folks like my dad and his grandmother, he is thinking about the pride that comes from a hard day’s work.That’s why he signed the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act to help women get equal pay for equal work.That’s why he cut taxes for working families and small business, and fought to get the auto industry back on its feet.That’s how he brought our economy from the brink of collapse to creating jobs again—jobs you can raise a family on, good jobs right here in the United states of America.When it comes to the health of our families, Barack refused to listen to all those folks who told him leave health reform to another day, another president.He didn’t care whether it was the easy thing to do politically—no, that’s not how he was raised—he cared that it was the right thing to do.He did it because he believes that here in Americagrandparents should be able to afford their medicine, our kids should be able to see a doctor when they are sick, and no one in this county should ever go broke because of an accident or an illness.And he believes that women are more than capable of making our own choices about our bodies and our health care.That’s what my husband stands for.When it comes to giving our kids the education they deserve, Barack knows that like me and like so many of you.He never could have attended college without financial aid.And believe it or not, when we were first married, our combined monthly student loanbills were actually higher than our mortgage We were so young, so in love, and so in debt.That’s why Barack has fought so hard to increase student aid and keep interest rates down, because he wants every young person fulfill their promise and be able to attend college without a mountain of debt.So in the end, for Barack, these issues are not political—they are personal.Because Barack knows what it means when a family struggles.He knows what it means to want something more for you kids and grandkids.Barack knows the American Dream because he’s lived it...and he wants everyone in this country to have that same opportunity, no matter who we are, or where we’re from, or what we look like, or who we love.And he believes that when you’ve worked hard, and done well, and worked though the doorway of opportunity… you do not slam it shut behind you, you reach back, and you give other folks the same chances that helped you succeed.So when people ask me whether being in the White House has changed my husband, I can honestly say when it comes to his character, and his convictions, and his heart, Barack Obama is still the same man I feel in love with all those years ago.He is the same man who started his career by turning down high paying jobs, and instead working in struggling neighborhoods where a steel plant has shut down, fighting to rebuild those communities and get folks back to work… because for Barack, success isn’t about how much money you make, it’s about the difference you make in people’s lives.He is the same man who, when our girls were first born, would anxiously check their cribs every few minutes to ensure they were still breathing, proudly showing them off to everyone we knew.That’s the man who sits down with me and our girls for dinner nearly every night patiently answer their questions about issues in the news, and strategizing about middle school friendships.That’s the man I see in those quiet moments late in night, hunched over his desk, poring over the letters people have sent him.The letter from the father struggling to pay his bills… from the woman dying of cancer whose insurance company won’t cover her care… from the young people with so much promise but so few opportunities.And I see the concern in his eyes… and I hear the determination in his voice as he tells me, “you won’t believe what these folks are going though, Michelle… it’s not right.We’ve got to work hard to fix this, we’ve got so much more to do.”
I see how these stories—our collection of struggles and hopes and dreams.I see how that’s what drives Barack Obama every single day.And I did not think as possible, but today, I love my husband even more than I did four years ago… even more than I did 23 years ago, when we first met.Let me tell you why, I love that he’s never forgotten how he started.I love that we can trust Obama to do what he says he is going to do, even when it’s hard especially when it’s hard.I love that for Barack, there is no such thing as “us” and “them”, he doesn’t care whether you are a Democrat, a Republican, or none of the above.He knows that we all love our country… and he’s always ready to listen good ideas, he’s always looking for the very best in everyone he meets.And I love that even in the toughest moments, when we are all sweating it, when we are worried that the bill will not pass, and it seems like all is lost—see, Barack never lets himself get distracted by the chatter and the noise, no, just like his grandmother, he just keeps getting up and moving forward with patience and wisdom, and courage and grace.And he reminds me—he reminds me that we are playing a long game here, and that change is hard, and change is slow, and it never happens all at once.But eventually we get there, we always do.We get there because of folks like my Dad, folks like Barack’s grandmother, men and women who said to themselves—“I may not have a chance to fulfill my dreams, but maybe my children will, maybe my grandchildren will.” See—see—so many of us stand here tonight because of their sacrifice, and longing, and steadfast love, because time and again, they swallowed their fears and doubts and did what was hard.So today, when the challenges we face start to seem overwhelming—or even impossible, let us never forget that doing the impossible is the history of this nation, it is who we are as Americans, it is how this county was built.And if our parents and grandparents could toil and struggle for us, if they could raise beams of steel to the sky, send a man to the moon, connect the world with the touch of a button, then surely we can keep on sacrificing and building for our kids and grandkids, right? And if so many brave men and women could wear our county’s uniform and sacrifice their lives for our most fundamental rights, then surely we can do our part as citizens of this great democracy to exercise those rights.Surely we can get to the polls on the Election Day and make our voices heard.If farmers and blacksmiths could win independence from an empire.If immigrants could leave behind everything they knew for a better life on our shores.If women could dragged to jail for seeking the vote.If a generation could defeat a depression, and define greatness for all time.If a young preacher could lift us to the mountain top with his righteous dream.And if proud Americans can be who they are, and boldly stand at the alter with who they love.Then surely, surely we can give anyone in this county a fair chance at that great American Dream.Because in the end—in the end, more than anything else, this is the story of this county—the story of unwavering hope grounded in unyielding struggle.That is what had made my story, and Barack’s story, and so many other American stories possible.And let me tell you something: I say all of this tonight not just as First Lady, no, not just as a wife.You see, at the end of the day, my most important title is still “mom—in—chief ”.My daughters are still the heart of my heart and the center of my world.Let me tell you: today, I have none of those worries from four years ago, no, not about whether Barack and I were doing what’s best for our girls.Because today, I know from experience that if I truly want to leave a better world for my daughters, and for all our sons and daughters, if we want to give all our children a fundamental for their dreams and opportunities worthy of their promise, if we want to give them that sense of limitless possibility, that belief that here in America there is always something better out there if you are willing to work for it.Then we must work like never before, and we must once again come together and stand together for the man we can trust to keep moving this great country forward: my husband, our president, Barack Obama.Thank you, God bless you, God bless America.
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