《我们为什么要上学？》

第一篇：《我们为什么要上学？》

21．作文

寒窗读书十余载，蓦然回首，几多欢喜，几多悲辛；而今，大家面临高考，将上大学，参加工作，展望未来，几许期盼，几许迷茫 „„

请你选择一个角度，以“我们为什么要读书”为题，写一篇作文，谈谈自己的认识。要求：1，写出自己的真情实感；2，除诗歌外，文体不限；3，不少于800字。

美国总统奥巴马在开学第一天（2009年9月8日），到弗吉尼亚州，阿林顿市，一所高中参加集会，并发表电视演讲《我们为什么要上学？》：你们中的每一个人都会有自己擅长的东西，每一个人都是有用之材，而发现自己的才能是什么，就是你们要对自己担起的责任，教育给你们提供了发现自己才能的机会；我可以向你保证，不管你将来想要做什么，你都需要相应的教育；我们需要你们中的每一个人都培养和发展自己的天赋、技能和才智，来解决我们所面对的最困难的问题„„

今年合肥某初中曾要求全校学生在早自习时间诵读奥巴马的这篇演说词。消息一出，网上议论纷纷，或赞成或反对，吵得沸沸扬扬。

不管人们对这所学校的做法有何看法，但大家都应思考一下：我们为什么要读书？无论你是学生，是家长，还是教育工作者。

高中毕业生即将上大学，走向社会，必须树立正确的人生观，学习观，价值观。此时认真思考一下“为什么要读书”，是十分必要的。

从写作的角度说，本文可以写成一篇记叙文，记叙自己学习生活的经历与感悟，也可以写成一篇议论文，谈一谈对读书学习的理解认识。但立意有高下，感情有真伪。

评价这篇作文，在内容方面，主要看立意高下，感情真伪。此题没有多少审题难度，学生可以自由抒写自己的学习生活感受。小而言之，可写为改变家庭生活境遇，为自己的人生发展争取一个高起点；可写为改变家乡贫穷落后的面貌，投身家乡经济建设，提高文化生活水平，回报桑梓；大而言之，可写为国家富强、民族振兴、人民幸福，为实现中国梦。但不管从哪个角度写，都要写出自己的真情实感，都应做到内容集中，观点鲜明。空谈大道理，言之无物，或格调低俗，鼠目寸光，均不会得到阅卷老师的认可。人生风云，笔底波澜。学生可联系现实生活，谈自己对读书目的的认识，大学毕业生择业问题（北大高材生卖猪肉问题，清华毕业生当保安问题，硕士生竞争环卫工人，大学生争当掏粪工等），那些读书成才为父母争光、为国家争光的正面人物，那些读书做官又贪污腐败锒铛入狱的反面人物，均可入题。

第二篇：我们为什么要上学(英文)

美国总统奥巴马开学演讲 英文全文

2009年9月8日 在弗吉尼亚州阿林顿市

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。

第三篇：爸爸,我们为什么要上学[范文]

爸爸，我们为什么要上学?

90后到10后的一代，是物质及其富足的一代，他们从小就在优越的环境中长大，过着吃喝不愁的生活。父母对他们唯一的期望与要求就是：好好读书!可是为什么要好好读书，读书的意义究竟是什么，却很少有人告诉他们。

面对这个问题，一位平民爸爸的回答，很接地气，值得参考.....“爸爸，我为什么要上学呢?”儿子上学不久问爸爸。

爸爸说：儿子，你知道吧？一颗小树长一年的话，只能用来做篱笆，或当柴烧。

十年的树可以做檩条。

二十年的树用处就大了，可以做粱，可以做柱子，可以做家具......一个小孩子如果不上学，他7岁就可以放羊，长大了能放一大群羊，但他除了放羊，基本干不了别的。

如果上6六年学，小学毕业，在农村他可以用一些新技术种地，在城市可以到建筑工地打工，做保安，也可以当个小商小贩，小学的知识够用了。

如果上9年学，初中毕业，他就可以学习一些机械的操作了。

如果上12年学，高中毕业，他就可以学习很多机械的修理了。

如果大学毕业，他就可以设计高楼大厦，铁 路桥梁了。

如果他硕士博士毕业，他就可能发明创造出一些我们原来没有的东西。

知道了吗?

儿子：知道了。

爸爸又问：放羊、种地、当保安，丢人不丢人?

儿子：丢人。

爸爸说：儿子，不丢人。他们不偷不抢，干活赚钱，养活自己的孩子和父母，一点也不丢人。?

不是说不上学，或上学少就没用。就像一年的小树一样，有用，但用处不如大树多。不读书或读书少也有用，但对社会的贡献少，他们赚的钱就少。读书多，花的钱也多，用的时间也多，但是贡献大，自己赚的钱也多。

第四篇：我们为什么要上学主题班会教案

让梦想起航

——我们为什么要上学读书

主题班会教案

——七年级七班

主题班会目标：

1、帮助学生正确认识学习的重要性。

2、引导学生树立正确的人生导向。教学过程：

【主持人】：同学们，我们来到初中学习即将过去一个学期，我们期待的寒假即将来临，伴随而来的还有我们中国重大而喜庆的节日——春节。每当这个时候，我们每个同学都会打心底里高兴，假期来了，终于不用那么早起床，可以睡到自然醒了，还能做一些自己随心所欲的事情，多么值得期待。而春节的到来，也给我们带来了无限的诱惑：亲人的团聚，朋友的相邀，还有很多的压岁钱，甚至还有各种各样不同的思想观念都会一拥而入。

每年的这个时候，外出打工的父母回来了，在外摸爬滚打的亲戚朋友回来了，他们回来给我们谈论的最多的可能就是外出打工的经历。由于我们对外面知之甚少，我们对他们的描述感到新奇，尤其是他们谈到打工一个月可以赚到大笔的金钱。他们的侃侃而谈会使我们倍加向往，可能在座的很多同学都期待着有他们一样的“神奇”经历。

那么他们谈论的真是如此吗？是否背后还隐藏着其他不为人知的一面？他们的生活就是我们所追求的吗？他们的这种经历真值得我们舍去美好的学习时光而去追随吗？我们今后将如何走好我们人生之中最为关键的一步？今天晚上，我们就在这里共同探讨一下这些问题。

【活动一】【可以在课前先做布置让学生写好，到时候直接交流即可】 【板书】分享梦想：世界很大，梦想很远

【板书】能不能告诉我你的梦想是什么？【学生互相交流，分享，时间控制7-10分钟】 【主持人】：是想光宗耀祖？成为名人？成为一个大老板？去一个美丽的地方旅行？......【主持人】：通过大家的交流，分享，我们知道，我们每一个同学都有属于自己的梦想，这些梦想有大有小，有长期的也有短期的，我们怎样才能使他变成真实？

【活动二】【可以在课前先做布置让学生写好，到时候直接交流即可】

【板书】为了你的梦想，你要做些什么？才能使一切不显得那么遥远？【学生互相交流，分享，时间控制7-10分钟】 【主持人】：听了大家提出的各种不同做法，可以看出，大家都有了一定的方向，我认为不论何时我们都应该做到： 【板书】

————适时的时间做适当的事 【主持人】：现在我们身处求学阶段，那我们做的最适当的事是什么呢？想必大家都会明白，那就是——上学读书【板书】 我们刚才都分享了自己的梦想，提出了自己的做法，要实现它绝非易事。但有一句话说得好：读书能成就梦想。

【活动三】【分组讨论，控制时间7-8分钟】如果我们受到身边不良风气的影响而过早地放弃自己的学业，那么我们在今后的人生道路中将会如何走下去？

起这的样

姐: 妹︐以为有了姐妹就有了全世界︐你们在一

一

帮不学无术的女孩聚在一起︐这就是所谓

们︐以为有了哥们就天下我有︐你们在一起这样

而一帮无所事事的男孩聚在一起︐就是所谓的哥

能是们这傻样

︑: 只知道读书︐殊不知︐几年以后︐你们 你们嘲笑那些好学生︐嘲笑他们是书子︐说他

子︐几年以后︐他们是这样

当初那些你们眼里的书子︐几年以后︐他们是这样 而当初那些你们眼里的书

是这样

可是，你们的父亲可能在工地这 样

你们的母亲可能在工地上是

【主持人，可以学生朗读,但最好事先准备】是，你们年轻，你们漂亮，你们帅气，你们以为这一切就是资本，你们骄傲，你们自负，你们无所畏惧。

你们看不起那些比你们长的丑的、不会化妆的、不会穿衣服的、一天到晚只知道读书的好学生。在学校里，以为所有人的光环都集中在你们身上。

有的人说，读书有什么用，我好多没读大学的同学都混的非常好。

其实，我想说，你们忘记了一个词语，这个词语叫做比例，想想你们身边，没读书能成功的占有多少？或许连1%的可能都不到吧！

而成功的那极少部分人，那是他们自身具备了成功的一些素质，而你们，是否具备？

其实我还是想点破：每个不想念书的学生，都会不约而同的有一个不读书就能成功的同学。并以此来作为他放纵的最后心理安慰。

有些学生说，青春不就是要这样吗？

不叛逆不疯狂的青春也配叫青春？

那么很遗憾的告诉你们，这里是天朝，这里不是美利坚、这里也不是欧洲。

这里优胜劣汰，这里弱肉强食。

叛逆和疯狂的青春当然可以，你们只不过是过早了预支了。任何事情都是要有代价的。

几年的放纵，换来的可能就是一生的卑微和底层！

我不是在和你们说教，底层人是要有人来当的，总不至于每个人都在办公室吹着空调。

而那些听不进去我的话，还要一意孤行的人，你们不当这个底层人，谁来当？

【班主任】这时候，请问大家有何感想？外出打工，新年回家的同学及亲戚们表面光鲜的后面，可能也在流水线上流血流汗呢！

第五篇：奥巴马演讲,我们为什么要上学？

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 of 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 responsibility 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 front 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 your 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.kN懍奔 2014-09-29