第一篇：奥巴马关于为父之道的演讲
奥巴马关于为父之道的演讲
[1484](2008-06-26)奥巴马很有可能成为美国的下一任总统已引起人们的普遍关注。《人民日报海外版》也打破对美国大选期间不予置评的惯例，6月16日头版刊登了该报高级编辑丁刚的文章《奥巴马现象》。倘若美国人今年11月确实选出一位大力倡导变革的新总统，中美关系随之而将出现一些调整变化将在所难免。因此，对奥巴马这位政坛新星，人们都想知道他到底是何方神圣，竟有这么大能耐，能把人们普遍十分看好的前美国第一夫人希拉里·克林顿击败而获得民主党提名。他的出身、学历、爱好、信仰、工作经验、政治主张、价值观等都将是许多人想多了解的内容。也许不久的将来，他的两本书《家父留下的梦想》与《勇于拥抱希望》将有中译本出现。
最近在父亲节6月15日，奥巴马作了一个关于为父之道的演讲，给人提供了又一个了解他人生观的窗口。一般像妇女节、母亲节、儿童节这样的节日，人人都应该说些恭维话或做些慰劳妇女、母亲、儿童的事。在父亲节这个属于父亲的节日也应该给当父亲的说几句好话才合适，但奥巴马像吃了豹子胆似的，在演讲中大谈美国当爸黑人的不是。可能由于他的威信或由于他说中要害，黑人父亲们听了像哑巴吃黄连一样，居然一声不吭，甘受奚落。
奥巴马由于他原来所属教堂“芝加哥三合一联合基督教堂”前不久不断发生有争议性的种族性言论事件而不得不于五月宣布脱离该教堂。6月15日他选择芝加哥的另一个主要以黑人信徒为主的上帝使徒教堂发表他的演讲。在演讲的开场白中，奥巴马借《圣经》一段有关岩石的话对岩石的比喻作了进一步延伸。他把岩石比喻为基础。任何事业都需要有像岩石一样坚实的基础。他指出上帝使徒教堂之所以能长久存在下来并得到发展就是因为有其杰出创始人波莱基尔主教这个“岩石”所起的作用。然后他在演讲中继续讲道：
“在我们建立我们生活所依附的岩石中，今天我们要记起来的是，最重要的岩石是家庭。我们须要认识到并予以肯定的是，每位父亲对这个基础能起多么关键的作用。父亲是教师和教练，他们是导师和生活角色的模范，是成功的榜样，亦是老推动我们走向成功的人。
“但如果我们坦诚的话，我们应该承认有太多的父亲不在其位——不在太多人的生活里，不在太多的家里。他们置他们的责任于不顾，表现得像小男孩而不是男子汉。我们许许多多家庭的基础也因此而变得更加薄弱了。
“你我都知道这种情况在非洲裔美国人的社会里多么真实。我们知道一半以上的黑人小孩住在单亲的家庭里，这个数字比我们童年时代高出一倍。统计资料告诉我们：生活里没有父亲的孩子比较容易落入贫困或犯罪的可能性高出五倍；他们比较容易弃学的可能性高出九倍；比较容易关进监狱的可能性高出二十倍。他们比较可能出现行为问题，比较可能离家出走，比较可能成为青春发育年龄期父母。由于父亲的缺席，我们社会的基础变得更加薄弱。
……
“但我们也需要家庭来抚育我们的子女。我们需要父亲们能认识到做父亲的责任并不终止于导致怀孕。我们需要他们认识到，不是有生孩子的能力，而是有抚养孩子的勇气才配称男子汉。
“我们需要帮助那些正在靠自己抚养孩子的母亲。她们送孩子上学，去上班，下午接孩子回家，再上一次班，做饭和准备午餐饭盒，付帐单，打点家务，以及种种需要双亲干的工作。许许多多的妇女正干着这些英勇伟大的工作，但她们需要支持啊。她们需要另一个家长。她们的孩子也需要另一个家长。唯有如此他们才有牢靠的基础，我们的国家也才有牢靠的基础。
“我知道身边没有一个父亲的苦处，当然我的处境没有像今天许多年轻人的处境那么不幸。虽然我的父亲在我两岁时就离开了我们，而我只从他所写的信和我家庭讲到他的故事中了解到他，但我比大多数无父的小孩都幸运。我在夏威夷长大，我有两个来自堪萨斯州的外祖父母，他们尽他们的一切帮我母亲抚养我和我的妹妹，也帮她教导我们对人要有爱心、尊重和有责任感。我做错过许多不应做错的事，但我获得了许多改过自新的机会。虽然我们没有很多钱，但奖学金让我有机会上我们国家一些最好的学校。今天很多小孩未能获得这些机会。他们的生活中不容他们有犯错误而改过自新的机会。所以在这一点上我个人的故事与他们是不同的。
“尽管如此，我了解我母亲作为一个单亲所要付出的艰辛：有时候她吃力挣扎着清还账单；挣扎着给我们那些别的孩子有的东西；挣扎着扮演应该由双亲扮演的角色。我也知道因此我所要付出的艰辛。所以我多年前已下定决心要打破这个恶性循环——我下定决心，如果我一生中有何成就的话，我要作为我女儿的好父亲；如果我能给予她们任何东西的话，我要给她们那个她们能建立她们生活的岩石——那个基础。那将是我所能给予她们的最贵重的礼物。
“我在讲这些话时，我心里明白我是一个缺点多多的父亲——我知道我犯过错误并且将仍不断地犯更多错误；我希望我能比现在有更多时间在家陪伴我女儿和太太，可是又做不到。我心里明白这一切，因为纵然我们缺点多多，纵然我们困难重重，有某些教训是我们为父的应该尽可能地去亲历和总结的——不管我们是黑人或白人；富人或穷人；来自“南边”区（芝加哥南部较穷的住宅区）或来自富裕的郊区。
“第一个教训是给我们的子女做出一个绝佳的榜样，因为如果我们对他们抱有很高的期望，我们对自己也应该抱有同样高的期望。你有一个职业是件好事；有一个大学文凭更好一些。结了婚而又能跟孩子住在一起是再好不过了，但却不能只坐在家里而整个周末看电视的“体育中心”节目。许多孩子就是因为有这样的父亲而在电视机前成长起来的。作为父亲和家长，我们应该花更多时间在他们身上，帮他们完成作业，时不时让他们抛开电脑游戏或遥控器而捧上一本书。这就是我们要建立那个基础所应做的事。
“我们明白学校教育是孩子未来的关键。我们明白他们不再是只跟印地安那州的孩子竞争获取未来的好职业，而是跟印度、跟中国、跟世界各地的孩子竞争。我们明白为此所需的努力、学习和教育水平。
“你知道吗，有时候我去参加八年级（初中）毕业典礼，那里张灯结彩、花团锦簇、学生一个个礼服盛装。我在想，那只不过初中毕业呗。要想真正参与竞争，他们必须高中毕业，然后必须大学毕业，也许还得拿一张研究生文凭呢。在今天，只完成初中教育是竞争不过人的。让我们握一握他们的手，叫他们把屁股移到图书馆的座椅上吧！
“如果我们要把这种追求卓越的精神输进我们孩子脑里的话，就得靠作为父亲和家长的我们了。要靠我们告诉我们的女孩，别让你的自身价值被电视上的形象所操纵影响，因为我要你能做你最大的梦，去为之而奋斗。要靠我们告诉我们的男孩，收音机里的歌曲有美化暴力的可能，但在我家里我们的生活是为了美化成就、美化自尊、美化辛勤的劳动。让他们知道我们对他们抱有这些期望就全靠我们。这也就是说，我们自己也得达到这些期望的水平，我们在生活中也要做个追求卓越的榜样。
“第二个教训是，我们为父所应做的是传给我们孩子对人应有同感empathy的人生价值。不是同情，而是同感——即能设身处地地为人着想，将心比心；能透过别人的眼观世界。有时候我们是那么容易地执著于“我们”，而忘了我们相互之间所应承担的义务。我们的社会有这么一种文化（流行的看法），认为牢记我们相互之间所应承担的义务是一种软弱的表现，因此我们不应该对人表示关爱。
“但我们年轻的男孩女孩都会观察到这一切。他们会观察到你不理会或虐待你的妻子；会观察到你在家不为别人着想的表现；会观察到你的冷漠无情；会观察到你只为一己之私着想。所以，我们在学校或在街上会看到这些同样的行为表现是不足为奇的。这就是为什么我们必须以身作则来把同感和关爱这些人生价值传给我们的孩子。我们须要给他们做出这样的榜样——强者不是把别人击倒而是把别人扶起来，这才是强者。这就是我们为父的所应负起的责任。”
……
接下去奥巴马谈到政府应如何帮助尽责的父亲和所应采取的措施。然后他接着说道：
“我们应该采取这一切措施来为我们的孩子建立一个坚实的基础。但我们也必须明白，即使我们做到这一切，既使我们做父亲和家长的尽了我们的义务，即使华盛顿政府履其职责，我们在生活中仍然会碰到许多艰难的挑战。人将仍会有挣扎与痛苦的日子。风仍会在吹，雨仍会在打。
“因此最后我们为父的应总结的教训，也是我们可以传给我们孩子最贵重的礼物，就是希望这个礼物。
“我讲的希望不是空谈的希望——那种类似盲目的乐观主义或对问题不加考虑的盲干。我讲的希望是那种寄托于我们内心的精神——即坚信在逆境中我们只要愿意为之努力而奋斗，就会有更好的事在等待着我们。只要我们有这个信念啊。
“前一天我在威斯康星州的一个市政厅座谈会上回答问题。有一个年轻人举起手，我猜想他想问的是有关大学学费、能源问题或者也许有关伊拉克战争。但他不问这些，却很严肃地瞪着我问道：‘生活对你有何意义？’
“欸，我必须承认我对这个问题毫无准备。我当时开始回答得有点结巴，然后我停下来，想了一会儿就说道：
“我年轻的时候，我想到的生活就是关于我——我如何为自己在世界闯出一条路来，我如何取得成功，以及我如何获得我所要的东西。
“但现在，我的生活围绕着我的两个小女儿。我想到的是我要留给她们一个什么样的世界。她们应该生活在一个只有一小拨人富有而一大拨人为了生存而必须每天挣扎的国家吗？她们应该生活在一个依旧有种族歧视的国家吗？生活在一个由于她们是女孩而不能享有与男孩同样多的机会的国家吗？她们应该生活在一个由于我们不能与其他国家有效地合作而被世人所讨厌的国家吗？她们应该生活在一个由于我们对气候所造成的不良影响而出现严重危机的世界吗？
“我所深刻认识到的是，你如果不愿意为我们的孩子——所有我们的孩子，作出一丁点贡献而留下一个更美好的世界的话，生活就没有多大价值。哪怕这很困难，哪怕所要做的工作有多艰巨，哪怕在我们一生中所能做到的还远离目标甚远。
“这就是我们做父亲和做家长的最重大的责任。我们尝试，我们希望，我们尽力把我们的房子建在一个最坚实的岩石上。风吹雨打时，让风雨吹打房屋吧，我们坚信我们的主会领导我们，看着我们，保护着我们，带领着祂的孩子穿过暴风雨的极度黑暗而走向更美好未来的光明。这就是今天父亲节我为我们大家作的祈祷，也是我对我们国家将来所抱有的希望。原上帝保佑您和您们的孩子。谢谢大家。”
奥巴马的这篇演讲普遍获得好评，加深了人们对他是个有责任感的人的印象。从他的演讲中可以看出，他强调的竞争是一种“追求卓越”，同时又要求人要具有“同感”的道德精神。他的强者的观念是：“强者不是把别人击倒而是把别人扶起来，这才是强者”。他指出美国文化的一个缺点：“我们的社会有这么一种文化，认为牢记我们相互之间所应承担的义务是一种软弱的表现，因此我们不应该对人表示关爱。”奥巴马的价值观明显地与克林顿夫妇的价值观有相当大的区别。希拉里在这次竞选表现出来的是坚强好斗，不轻易服输（I am not a quitter），多次把自己比成拳手，只要能把对方击倒，使什么手段都可以。就像人们对他们夫妇俩的评价：“他们为了取得胜利，什么都敢说，什么都敢做”（They will say and do anything to win）。希拉里如果是在美国原始资本主义时期参加竞选，那肯定没有一个人能敌得过她。但美国选民今年似乎对“追求卓越”比对纯粹的“取得胜利”更感兴趣。
记得四年前，一本《狼图腾》小说风靡整个中国，在内地畅销三、四年。该小说鼓吹“狼性”，要人们摒弃儒家的所谓“羊性”思想（一个对儒家思想过分简单的概括）；作者姜戎认为唯有如此，中国才能腾飞，才能跻身强国之列。这种价值观与希拉里的价值观颇为相近。奥巴马的价值观更接近中国人的传统价值观。他所主张的为父之道其实与在孔孟之道熏陶下的中国父母的看法相差不大。他强调的“同感”和“追求卓越”与儒家强调的“仁爱” 和“学而优则仕”有异曲同工之妙。
“狼性”乎？“羊性”乎？不管人们作何选择，中国明年要与美国打交道的头号人物可能是一位既具“狼性”亦具“羊性”、但偏重于后者的新人。
胡祖庶 德国法兰克福
第二篇：奥巴马关于为父之道的演讲
简介
最近在父亲节6月15日，奥巴马作了一个关于为父之道的演讲，给人提供了又一个了解他人生观的窗口。一般像妇女节、母亲节、儿童节这样的节日，人人都应该说些恭维话或做些慰劳妇女、母亲、儿童的事。在父亲节这个属于父亲的节日也应该给当父亲的说几句好话才合适，但奥巴马像吃了豹子胆似的，在演讲中大谈美国当爸黑人的不是。可能由于他的威信或由于他说中要害，黑人父亲们听了像哑巴吃黄连一样，居然一声不吭，甘受奚落。
奥巴马关于为父之道的演讲 胡祖庶（德国）
Remarks of Senator Barack Obama: Apostolic Church of God Good morning.It's good to be home on this Father's Day with my girls, and it's an honor to spend some time with all of you today in the house of our Lord.At the end of the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus closes by saying, “Whoever hears these words of mine, and does them, shall be likened to a wise man who built his house upon a rock: and the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house, and it fell not, for it was founded upon a rock.” [Matthew 7: 24-25] Here at Apostolic, you are blessed to worship in a house that has been founded on the rock of Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior.But it is also built on another rock, another foundation – and that rock is Bishop Arthur Brazier.In forty-eight years, he has built this congregation from just a few hundred to more than 20,000 strong – a congregation that, because of his leadership, has braved the fierce winds and heavy rains of violence and poverty;joblessness and hopelessness.Because of his work and his ministry, there are more graduates and fewer gang members in the neighborhoods surrounding this church.There are more homes and fewer homeless.There is more community and less chaos because Bishop Brazier continued the march for justice that he began by Dr.King's side all those years ago.He is the reason this house has stood tall for half a century.And on this Father's Day, it must make him proud to know that the man now charged with keeping its foundation strong is his son and your new pastor, Reverend Byron Brazier.Of all the rocks upon which we build our lives, we are reminded today that family is the most important.And we are called to recognize and honor how critical every father is to that foundation.They are teachers and coaches.They are mentors and role models.They are examples of success and the men who constantly push us toward it.But if we are honest with ourselves, we'll admit that what too many fathers also are is missing – missing from too many lives and too many homes.They have abandoned their responsibilities, acting like boys instead of men.And the foundations of our families are weaker because of it.You and I know how true this is in the African-American community.We know that more than half of all black children live in single-parent households, a number that has doubled – doubled – since we were children.We know the statistics – that children who grow up without a father are five times more likely to live in poverty and commit crime;nine times more likely to drop out of schools and twenty times more 1 likely to end up in prison.They are more likely to have behavioral problems, or run away from home, or become teenage parents themselves.And the foundations of our community are weaker because of it.How many times in the last year has this city lost a child at the hands of another child? How many times have our hearts stopped in the middle of the night with the sound of a gunshot or a siren? How many teenagers have we seen hanging around on street corners when they should be sitting in a classroom? How many are sitting in prison when they should be working, or at least looking for a job? How many in this generation are we willing to lose to poverty or violence or addiction? How many?
Yes, we need more cops on the street.Yes, we need fewer guns in the hands of people who shouldn't have them.Yes, we need more money for our schools, and more outstanding teachers in the classroom, and more afterschool programs for our children.Yes, we need more jobs and more job training and more opportunity in our communities.But we also need families to raise our children.We need fathers to realize that responsibility does not end at conception.We need them to realize that what makes you a man is not the ability to have a child – it's the courage to raise one.We need to help all the mothers out there who are raising these kids by themselves;the mothers who drop them off at school, go to work, pick up them up in the afternoon, work another shift, get dinner, make lunches, pay the bills, fix the house, and all the other things it takes both parents to do.So many of these women are doing a heroic job, but they need support.They need another parent.Their children need another parent.That's what keeps their foundation strong.It's what keeps the foundation of our country strong.I know what it means to have an absent father, although my circumstances weren't as tough as they are for many young people today.Even though my father left us when I was two years old, and I only knew him from the letters he wrote and the stories that my family told, I was luckier than most.I grew up in Hawaii, and had two wonderful grandparents from Kansas who poured everything they had into helping my mother raise my sister and me – who worked with her to teach us about love and respect and the obligations we have to one another.I screwed up more often than I should've, but I got plenty of second chances.And even though we didn't have a lot of money, scholarships gave me the opportunity to go to some of the best schools in the country.A lot of kids don't get these chances today.There is no margin for error in their lives.So my own story is different in that way.Still, I know the toll that being a single parent took on my mother – how she struggled at times to the pay bills;to give us the things that other kids had;to play all the roles that both parents are supposed to play.And I know the toll it took on me.So I resolved many years ago that it was my obligation to break the cycle – that if I could be anything in life, I would be a good father to my girls;that if I could give them anything, I would give them that rock – that foundation – on which to build their lives.And that would be the greatest gift I could offer.I say this knowing that I have been an imperfect father – knowing that I have made mistakes and will continue to make more;wishing that I could be home for my girls and my wife more than I am right now.I say this knowing all of these things because even as we are imperfect, even as we face difficult circumstances, there are still certain lessons we must strive to live and learn as fathers – whether we are black or white;rich or poor;from the South Side or the wealthiest suburb.2 The first is setting an example of excellence for our children – because if we want to set high expectations for them, we've got to set high expectations for ourselves.It's great if you have a job;it's even better if you have a college degree.It's a wonderful thing if you are married and living in a home with your children, but don't just sit in the house and watch “SportsCenter” all weekend long.That's why so many children are growing up in front of the television.As fathers and parents, we've got to spend more time with them, and help them with their homework, and replace the video game or the remote control with a book once in awhile.That's how we build that foundation.We know that education is everything to our children's future.We know that they will no longer just compete for good jobs with children from Indiana, but children from India and China and all over the world.We know the work and the studying and the level of education that requires.You know, sometimes I'll go to an eighth-grade graduation and there's all that pomp and circumstance and gowns and flowers.And I think to myself, it's just eighth grade.To really compete, they need to graduate high school, and then they need to graduate college, and they probably need a graduate degree too.An eighth-grade education doesn't cut it today.Let's give them a handshake and tell them to get their butts back in the library!It's up to us – as fathers and parents – to instill this ethic of excellence in our children.It's up to us to say to our daughters, don't ever let images on TV tell you what you are worth, because I expect you to dream without limit and reach for those goals.It's up to us to tell our sons, those songs on the radio may glorify violence, but in my house we live glory to achievement, self respect, and hard work.It's up to us to set these high expectations.And that means meeting those expectations ourselves.That means setting examples of excellence in our own lives.The second thing we need to do as fathers is pass along the value of empathy to our children.Not sympathy, but empathy – the ability to stand in somebody else's shoes;to look at the world through their eyes.Sometimes it's so easy to get caught up in “us,” that we forget about our obligations to one another.There's a culture in our society that says remembering these obligations is somehow soft – that we can't show weakness, and so therefore we can't show kindness.But our young boys and girls see that.They see when you are ignoring or mistreating your wife.They see when you are inconsiderate at home;or when you are distant;or when you are thinking only of yourself.And so it's no surprise when we see that behavior in our schools or on our streets.That's why we pass on the values of empathy and kindness to our children by living them.We need to show our kids that you're not strong by putting other people down – you're strong by lifting them up.That's our responsibility as fathers.And by the way – it's a responsibility that also extends to Washington.Because if fathers are doing their part;if they're taking our responsibilities seriously to be there for their children, and set high expectations for them, and instill in them a sense of excellence and empathy, then our government should meet them halfway.We should be making it easier for fathers who make responsible choices and harder for those who avoid them.We should get rid of the financial penalties we impose on married couples right now, and start making sure that every dime of child support goes directly to helping children instead of some bureaucrat.We should reward fathers who pay that child support with job training and job opportunities and a larger Earned Income Tax Credit that can help them pay the bills.We should expand programs where registered nurses visit expectant and new mothers and help them learn how to care for themselves before the baby is born and what to do after – programs that have helped increase father involvement, women's employment, and children's readiness for school.We should help these new families care for their children by expanding maternity and paternity leave, and we should guarantee every worker more paid sick leave so they can stay home to take care of their child without losing their income.We should take all of these steps to build a strong foundation for our children.But we should also know that even if we do;even if we meet our obligations as fathers and parents;even if Washington does its part too, we will still face difficult challenges in our lives.There will still be days of struggle and heartache.The rains will still come and the winds will still blow.And that is why the final lesson we must learn as fathers is also the greatest gift we can pass on to our children – and that is the gift of hope.I'm not talking about an idle hope that's little more than blind optimism or willful ignorance of the problems we face.I'm talking about hope as that spirit inside us that insists, despite all evidence to the contrary, that something better is waiting for us if we're willing to work for it and fight for it.If we are willing to believe.I was answering questions at a town hall meeting in Wisconsin the other day and a young man raised his hand, and I figured he'd ask about college tuition or energy or maybe the war in Iraq.But instead he looked at me very seriously and he asked, “What does life mean to you?”
Now, I have to admit that I wasn't quite prepared for that one.I think I stammered for a little bit, but then I stopped and gave it some thought, and I said this: When I was a young man, I thought life was all about me – how do I make my way in the world, and how do I become successful and how do I get the things that I want.But now, my life revolves around my two little girls.And what I think about is what kind of world I'm leaving them.Are they living in a county where there's a huge gap between a few who are wealthy and a whole bunch of people who are struggling every day? Are they living in a county that is still divided by race? A country where, because they're girls, they don't have as much opportunity as boys do? Are they living in a country where we are hated around the world because we don't cooperate effectively with other nations? Are they living a world that is in grave danger because of what we've done to its climate? And what I've realized is that life doesn't count for much unless you're willing to do your small part to leave our children – all of our children – a better world.Even if it's difficult.Even if the work seems great.Even if we don't get very far in our lifetime.That is our ultimate responsibility as fathers and parents.We try.We hope.We do what we can to build our house upon the sturdiest rock.And when the winds come, and the rains fall, and they beat upon that house, we keep faith that our Father will be there to guide us, and watch over us, and protect us, and lead His children through the darkest of storms into light of a better day.That is my prayer for all of us on this Father's Day, and that is my hope for this country in the years ahead.May God Bless you and your children.Thank you.The America We Love Remarks of Senator Barack Obama: The America We Love Independence, MO | June 30, 2008 On a spring morning in April of 1775, a simple band of colonists – farmers and merchants, blacksmiths and printers, men and boys – left their homes and families in Lexington and Concord to take up arms against the tyranny of an Empire.The odds against them were long and the risks enormous – for even if they survived the battle, any ultimate failure would bring charges of treason, and death by hanging.And yet they took that chance.They did so not on behalf of a particular tribe or lineage, but on behalf of a larger idea.The idea of liberty.The idea of God-given, inalienable rights.And with the first shot of that fateful day – a shot heard round the world – the American Revolution, and America's experiment with democracy, began.Those men of Lexington and Concord were among our first patriots.And at the beginning of a week when we celebrate the birth of our nation, I think it is fitting to pause for a moment and reflect on the meaning of patriotism – theirs, and ours.We do so in part because we are in the midst of war – more than one and a half million of our finest young men and women have now fought in Iraq and Afghanistan;over 60,000 have been wounded, and over 4,600 have been laid to rest.The costs of war have been great, and the debate surrounding our mission in Iraq has been fierce.It is natural, in light of such sacrifice by so many, to think more deeply about the commitments that bind us to our nation, and to each other.We reflect on these questions as well because we are in the midst of a presidential election, perhaps the most consequential in generations;a contest that will determine the course of this nation for years, perhaps decades, to come.Not only is it a debate about big issues – health care, jobs, energy, education, and retirement security – but it is also a debate about values.How do we keep ourselves safe and secure while preserving our liberties? How do we restore trust in a government that seems increasingly removed from its people and dominated by special interests? How do we ensure that in an increasingly global economy, the winners maintain allegiance to the less fortunate? And how do we resolve our differences at a time of increasing diversity? Finally, it is worth considering the meaning of patriotism because the question of who is – or is not – a patriot all too often poisons our political debates, in ways that divide us rather than bringing us together.I have come to know this from my own experience on the campaign trail.Throughout my life, I have always taken my deep and abiding love for this country as a given.It was how I was raised;it is what propelled me into public service;it is why I am running for President.And yet, at certain times over the last sixteen months, I have found, for the first time, my patriotism challenged – at times as a result of my own carelessness, more often as a result of the desire by some to score political points and raise fears about who I am and what I stand for.So let me say at this at outset of my remarks.I will never question the patriotism of others in this campaign.And I will not stand idly by when I hear others question mine.My concerns here aren't simply personal, however.After all, throughout our history, men and women of far greater stature and significance than me have had their patriotism questioned in the midst of momentous debates.Thomas Jefferson was accused by the Federalists of selling out to the French.The anti-Federalists were just as convinced that John Adams was in cahoots with the British and intent on restoring monarchal rule.Likewise, even our wisest Presidents have sought to justify questionable policies on the basis of patriotism.Adams' Alien and Sedition Act, Lincoln's suspension of habeas corpus, Roosevelt's internment of Japanese Americans – all were defended as expressions of patriotism, and those who disagreed with their policies were sometimes labeled as unpatriotic.In other words, the use of patriotism as a political sword or a political shield is as old as the Republic.Still, what is striking about today's patriotism debate is the degree to which it remains rooted in the culture wars of the 1960s – in arguments that go back forty years or more.In the early years of the civil rights movement and opposition to the Vietnam War, defenders of the status quo often accused anybody who questioned the wisdom of government policies of being unpatriotic.Meanwhile, some of those in the so-called counter-culture of the Sixties reacted not merely by criticizing particular government policies, but by attacking the symbols, and in extreme cases, the very idea, of America itself – by burning flags;by blaming America for all that was wrong with the world;and perhaps most tragically, by failing to honor those veterans coming home from Vietnam, something that remains a national shame to this day.Most Americans never bought into these simplistic world-views – these caricatures of left and right.Most Americans understood that dissent does not make one unpatriotic, and that there is nothing smart or sophisticated about a cynical disregard for America's traditions and institutions.And yet the anger and turmoil of that period never entirely drained away.All too often our politics still seems trapped in these old, threadbare arguments – a fact most evident during our recent debates about the war in Iraq, when those who opposed administration policy were tagged by some as unpatriotic, and a general providing his best counsel on how to move forward in Iraq was accused of betrayal.Given the enormous challenges that lie before us, we can no longer afford these sorts of divisions.None of us expect that arguments about patriotism will, or should, vanish entirely;after all, when we argue about patriotism, we are arguing about who we are as a country, and more importantly, who we should be.But surely we can agree that no party or political philosophy has a monopoly on patriotism.And surely we can arrive at a definition of patriotism that, however rough and imperfect, captures the best of America's common spirit.What would such a definition look like? For me, as for most Americans, patriotism starts as a gut instinct, a loyalty and love for country rooted in my earliest memories.I'm not just talking about the recitations of the Pledge of Allegiance or the Thanksgiving pageants at school or the fireworks on the Fourth of July, as wonderful as those things may be.Rather, I'm referring to the way the American ideal wove its way throughout the lessons my family taught me as a child.One of my earliest memories is of sitting on my grandfather's shoulders and watching the astronauts come to shore in Hawaii.I remember the cheers and small flags that people waved, and my grandfather explaining how we Americans could do anything we set our minds to do.That's my idea of America.I remember listening to my grandmother telling stories about her work on a bomber assembly-line during World War II.I remember my grandfather handing me his dog-tags from his time in Patton's Army, and understanding that his defense of this country marked one of his greatest sources of pride.That's my idea of America.I remember, when living for four years in Indonesia as a child, listening to my mother reading me the first lines of the Declaration of Independence – “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal.That they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.” I remember her explaining how this declaration applied to every American, black and white and brown alike;how those words, and words of the United States Constitution, protected us from the injustices that we witnessed other people suffering during those years abroad.That's my idea of America.As I got older, that gut instinct – that America is the greatest country on earth – would survive my growing awareness of our nation's imperfections: it's ongoing racial strife;the perversion of our political system laid bare during the Watergate hearings;the wrenching poverty of the Mississippi Delta and the hills of Appalachia.Not only because, in my mind, the joys of American life and culture, its vitality, its variety and its freedom, always outweighed its imperfections, but because I learned that what makes America great has never been its perfection but the belief that it can be made better.I came to understand that our revolution was waged for the sake of that belief – that we could be governed by laws, not men;that we could be equal in the eyes of those laws;that we could be free to say what we want and assemble with whomever we want and worship as we please;that we could have the right to pursue our individual dreams but the obligation to help our fellow citizens pursue theirs.For a young man of mixed race, without firm anchor in any particular community, without even a father's steadying hand, it is this essential American idea – that we are not constrained by the accident of birth but can make of our lives what we will – that has defined my life, just as it has defined the life of so many other Americans.That is why, for me, patriotism is always more than just loyalty to a place on a map or a certain kind of people.Instead, it is also loyalty to America's ideals – ideals for which anyone can sacrifice, or defend, or give their last full measure of devotion.I believe it is this loyalty that allows a country teeming with different races and ethnicities, religions and customs, to come together as one.It is the application of these ideals that separate us from Zimbabwe, where the opposition party and their supporters have been silently hunted, tortured or killed;or Burma, where tens of thousands continue to struggle for basic food and shelter in the wake of a monstrous storm because a military junta fears opening up the country to outsiders;or Iraq, where despite the heroic efforts of our military, and the courage of many ordinary Iraqis, even limited cooperation between various factions remains far too elusive.I believe those who attack America's flaws without acknowledging the singular greatness of our ideals, and their proven capacity to inspire a better world, do not truly understand America.Of course, precisely because America isn't perfect, precisely because our ideals constantly demand more from us, patriotism can never be defined as loyalty to any particular leader or government or policy.As Mark Twain, that greatest of American satirists and proud son of Missouri, once wrote, “Patriotism is supporting your country all the time, and your government when it deserves it.” We may hope that our leaders and our government stand up for our ideals, and there are many times in our history when that's occurred.But when our laws, our leaders or our government are out of alignment with our ideals, then the dissent of ordinary Americans may prove to be one of the truest expression of patriotism.The young preacher from Georgia, Martin Luther King, Jr., who led a movement to help America confront our tragic history of racial injustice and live up to the meaning of our creed – he was a patriot.The young soldier who first spoke about the prisoner abuse at Abu Ghraib – he is a patriot.Recognizing a wrong being committed in this country's name;insisting that we deliver on the promise of our Constitution – these are the acts of patriots, men and women who are defending that which is best in America.And we should never forget that – especially when we disagree with them;especially when they make us uncomfortable with their words.Beyond a loyalty to America's ideals, beyond a willingness to dissent on behalf of those ideals, I also believe that patriotism must, if it is to mean anything, involve the willingness to sacrifice – to give up something we value on behalf of a larger cause.For those who have fought under the flag of this nation – for the young veterans I meet when I visit Walter Reed;for those like John McCain who have endured physical torment in service to our country – no further proof of such sacrifice is necessary.And let me also add that no one should ever devalue that service, especially for the sake of a political campaign, and that goes for supporters on both sides.We must always express our profound gratitude for the service of our men and women in uniform.Period.Indeed, one of the good things to emerge from the current conflict in Iraq has been the widespread recognition that whether you support this war or oppose it, the sacrifice of our troops is always worthy of honor.For the rest of us – for those of us not in uniform or without loved ones in the military – the call to sacrifice for the country's greater good remains an imperative of citizenship.Sadly, in recent years, in the midst of war on two fronts, this call to service never came.After 9/11, we were asked to shop.The wealthiest among us saw their tax obligations decline, even as the costs of war continued to mount.Rather than work together to reduce our dependence on foreign oil, and thereby lessen our vulnerability to a volatile region, our energy policy remained unchanged, and our oil dependence only grew.In spite of this absence of leadership from Washington, I have seen a new generation of Americans begin to take up the call.I meet them everywhere I go, young people involved in the project of American renewal;not only those who have signed up to fight for our country in distant lands, but those who are fighting for a better America here at home, by teaching in underserved schools, or caring for the sick in understaffed hospitals, or promoting more sustainable energy policies in their local communities.I believe one of the tasks of the next Administration is to ensure that this movement towards service grows and sustains itself in the years to come.We should expand AmeriCorps and grow the Peace Corps.We should encourage national service by making it part of the requirement for a new college assistance program, even as we strengthen the benefits for those whose sense of duty has already led them to serve in our military.We must remember, though, that true patriotism cannot be forced or legislated with a mere set of government programs.Instead, it must reside in the hearts of our people, and cultivated in the heart of our culture, and nurtured in the hearts of our children.As we begin our fourth century as a nation, it is easy to take the extraordinary nature of America for granted.But it is our responsibility as Americans and as parents to instill that history in our children, both at home and at school.The loss of quality civic education from so many of our classrooms has left too many young Americans without the most basic knowledge of who our forefathers are, or what they did, or the significance of the founding documents that bear their names.Too many children are ignorant of the sheer effort, the risks and sacrifices made by previous generations, to ensure that this country survived war and depression;through the great struggles for civil, and social, and worker's rights.It is up to us, then, to teach them.It is up to us to teach them that even though we have faced great challenges and made our share of mistakes, we have always been able to come together and make this nation stronger, and more prosperous, and more united, and more just.It is up to us to teach them that America has been a force for good in the world, and that other nations and other people have looked to us as the last, best hope of Earth.It is up to us to teach them that it is good to give back to one's community;that it is honorable to serve in the military;that it is vital to participate in our democracy and make our voices heard.8 And it is up to us to teach our children a lesson that those of us in politics too often forget: that patriotism involves not only defending this country against external threat, but also working constantly to make America a better place for future generations.When we pile up mountains of debt for the next generation to absorb, or put off changes to our energy policies, knowing full well the potential consequences of inaction, we are placing our short-term interests ahead of the nation's long-term well-being.When we fail to educate effectively millions of our children so that they might compete in a global economy, or we fail to invest in the basic scientific research that has driven innovation in this country, we risk leaving behind an America that has fallen in the ranks of the world.Just as patriotism involves each of us making a commitment to this nation that extends beyond our own immediate self-interest, so must that commitment extends beyond our own time here on earth.Our greatest leaders have always understood this.They've defined patriotism with an eye toward posterity.George Washington is rightly revered for his leadership of the Continental Army, but one of his greatest acts of patriotism was his insistence on stepping down after two terms, thereby setting a pattern for those that would follow, reminding future presidents that this is a government of and by and for the people.Abraham Lincoln did not simply win a war or hold the Union together.In his unwillingness to demonize those against whom he fought;in his refusal to succumb to either the hatred or self-righteousness that war can unleash;in his ultimate insistence that in the aftermath of war the nation would no longer remain half slave and half free;and his trust in the better angels of our nature – he displayed the wisdom and courage that sets a standard for patriotism.And it was the most famous son of Independence, Harry S Truman, who sat in the White House during his final days in office and said in his Farewell Address: “When Franklin Roosevelt died, I felt there must be a million men better qualified than I, to take up the Presidential task…But through all of it, through all the years I have worked here in this room, I have been well aware than I did not really work alone – that you were working with me.No President could ever hope to lead our country, or to sustain the burdens of this office, save the people helped with their support.” In the end, it may be this quality that best describes patriotism in my mind – not just a love of America in the abstract, but a very particular love for, and faith in, the American people.That is why our heart swells with pride at the sight of our flag;why we shed a tear as the lonely notes of Taps sound.For we know that the greatness of this country – its victories in war, its enormous wealth, its scientific and cultural achievements – all result from the energy and imagination of the American people;their toil, drive, struggle, restlessness, humor and quiet heroism.That is the liberty we defend – the liberty of each of us to pursue our own dreams.That is the equality we seek – not an equality of results, but the chance of every single one of us to make it if we try.That is the community we strive to build – one in which we trust in this sometimes messy democracy of ours, one in which we continue to insist that there is nothing we cannot do when we put our mind to it, one in which we see ourselves as part of a larger story, our own fates wrapped up in the fates of those who share allegiance to America's happy and singular creed.Thank you, God Bless you, and may God Bless the United States of America.
第三篇：奥巴马演讲
May 25, 2013 WASHINGTON, DC—In his weekly address Saturday, Obama noted that members of the U.S.military often risk their lives without seeking the limelight or any special reward.As Americans observe Memorial Day weekend, U.S.President Barack Obama is calling on his fellow citizens to remember the men and women who have given their lives in service to the country, and to remember the military families who make sacrifices of their own.奥巴马在例行的周六演说中指出，美军官兵经常将生命危险置之度外而并不寻求关注和特别奖赏。他说，星期一就是阵亡将士纪念日，这一天应该用来感谢烈士的奉献。美国总统奥巴马呼吁美国民众牢记为国捐躯的英烈们，记住烈士家属做出的牺牲。
第四篇：奥巴马演讲
奥巴马演讲《我们为什么要上学》全文
发布者：weleve 日期：2013年09月05日 01:39 来源： weleve.com 【字号 ：大 中 小】 你要记住，哪怕你表现不好、哪怕你失去信心、哪怕你觉得身边的人都已经放弃了你——永远不要自己放弃自己。因为当你放弃自己的时候，你也放弃了自己的国家。
【时间地点】弗吉尼亚州，阿林顿市，2009年9月8日
嗨，大家好!你们今天过得怎么样?
我现在和弗吉尼亚州阿林顿郡韦克菲尔德高中的学生们在一起，全国各地也有从幼儿园到高三的众多学生们通过电视关注这里，我很高兴你们能共同分享这一时刻。
我知道，对你们中的许多人来说，今天是开学的第一天，你们中的有一些刚刚进入幼儿园或升上初高中，对你们来说，这是在新学校的第一天，因此，假如你们感到有些紧张，那也是很正常的。我想也会有许多毕业班的学生们正自信满满地准备最后一年的冲刺。不过，我想无论你有多大、在读哪个年级，许多人都打心底里希望现在还在放暑假，以及今天不用那么早起床。
我可以理解这份心情。小时候，我们家在印度尼西亚住过几年，而我妈妈没钱送我去其他美国孩子们上学的地方去读书，因此她决定自己给我上课——时间是每周一到周五的凌晨4点半。显然，我不怎么喜欢那么早就爬起来，很多时候，我就这么在厨房的桌子前睡着了。
每当我埋怨的时候，我妈总会用同一副表情看着我说：“小鬼，你以为教你我就很轻松?” 所以，我可以理解你们中的许多人对于开学还需要时间来调整和适应，但今天我站在这里，是为了和你们谈一些重要的事情。我要和你们谈一谈你们每个人的教育，以及在新的学年里，你们应当做些什么。我做过许多关于教育的讲话，也常常用到“责任”这个词。
我谈到过教师们有责任激励和启迪你们，督促你们学习。我谈到过家长们有责任看管你们认真学习、完成作业，不要成天只会看电视或打游戏机。我也很多次谈到过政府有责任设定高标准严要求、协助老师和校长们的工作，改变在有些学校里学生得不到应有的学习机会的现状。但哪怕这一切都达到最好，哪怕我们有最尽职的教师、最好的家长、和最优秀的学校，假如你们不去履行自己的责任的话，那么这一切努力都会白费。——除非你每天准时去上学、除非你认真地听老师讲课、除非你把父母、长辈和其他大人们说的话放在心上、除非你肯付出成功所必需的努力，否则这一切都会失去意义。
而这就是我今天讲话的主题：对于自己的教育，你们中每一个人的责任。首先，我想谈谈你们对于自己有什么责任。
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。或许你能写出优美的文字——甚至有一天能让那些文字出现在书籍和报刊上——但假如不在英语课上经常练习写作，你不会发现自己有这样的天赋;或许你能成为一个发明家、创造家——甚至设计出像今天的iPhone一样流行的产品，或研制出新的药物与疫苗——但假如不在自然科学课程上做上几次实验，你不会知道自己有这样的天赋;或许你能成为一名议员或最高法院法官，但假如你不去加入什么学生会或参加几次辩论赛，你也不会发现自己的才能。而且，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。——你想当名医生、当名教师或当名警官?你想成为护士、成为建筑设计师、律师或军人?无论你选择哪一种职业，良好的教育都必不可少，这世上不存在不把书念完就能拿到好工作的美梦，任何工作，都需要你的汗水、训练与学习。不仅仅对于你们个人的未来有重要意义，你们的教育如何也会对这个国家、乃至世界的未来产生重要影响。
今天你们在学校中学习的内容，将会决定我们整个国家在未来迎接重大挑战时的表现。你们需要在数理科学课程上学习的知识和技能，去治疗癌症、艾滋那样的疾病，和解决我们面临的能源问题与环境问题;你们需要在历史社科课程上培养出的观察力与判断力，来减轻和消除无家可归与贫困、犯罪问题和各种歧视，让这个国家变得更加公平和自由;你们需要在各类课程中逐渐累积和发展出来的创新意识和思维，去创业和建立新的公司与企业，来制造就业机会和推动经济的增长。
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。假如你不这么做——假如你放弃学习——那么你不仅是放弃了自己，也是放弃了你的国家。当然，我明白，读好书并不总是件容易的事。我知道你们中的许多人在生活中面临着各种各样的问题，很难把精力集中在专心读书之上。我知道你们的感受。我父亲在我两岁时就离开了家庭，是母亲一人将我们拉扯大，有时她付不起帐单，有时我们得不到其他孩子们都有的东西，有时我会想，假如父亲在该多好，有时我会感到孤独无助，与周围的环境格格不入。
因此我并不总是能专心学习，我做过许多自己觉得丢脸的事情，也惹出过许多不该惹的麻烦，我的生活岌岌可危，随时可能急转直下。但我很幸运。我在许多事上都得到了重来的机会，我得到了去大学读法学院、实现自己梦想的机会。我的妻子——现在得叫她第一夫人米歇尔·奥巴马了——也有着相似的人生故事，她的父母都没读过大学，也没有什么财产，但他们和她都辛勤工作，好让她有机会去这个国家最优秀的学校读书。你们中有些人可能没有这些有利条件，或许你的生活中没有能为你提供帮助和支持的长辈，或许你的某个家长没有工作、经济拮据，或许你住的社区不那么安全，或许你认识一些会对你产生不良影响的朋友，等等。
但归根结底，你的生活状况——你的长相、出身、经济条件、家庭氛围——都不是疏忽学业和态度恶劣的借口，这些不是你去跟老师顶嘴、逃课、或是辍学的借口，这些不是你不好好读书的借口。你的未来，并不取决于你现在的生活有多好或多坏。没有人为你编排好你的命运，在美国，你的命运由你自己书写，你的未来由你自己掌握。而在这片土地上的每个地方，千千万万和你一样的年轻人正是这样在书写着自己的命运。
例如德克萨斯州罗马市的贾斯敏·佩雷兹(Jazmin Perez)。刚进学校时，她根本不会说英语，她住的地方几乎没人上过大学，她的父母也没有受过高等教育，但她努力学习，取得了优异的成绩，靠奖学金进入了布朗大学，如今正在攻读公共卫生专业的博士学位。我还想起了加利福尼亚州洛斯拉图斯市的安多尼·舒尔兹(Andoni Schultz)，他从三岁起就开始与脑癌病魔做斗争，他熬过了一次次治疗与手术——其中一次影响了他的记忆，因此他得花出比常人多几百个小时的时间来完成学业，但他从不曾落下自己的功课。
这个秋天，他要开始在大学读书了。又比如在我的家乡，伊利诺斯州芝加哥市，身为孤儿的香特尔·史蒂夫(Shantell Steve)换过多次收养家庭，从小在治安很差的地区长大，但她努力争取到了在当地保健站工作的机会、发起了一个让青少年远离犯罪团伙的项目，很快，她也将以优异的成绩从中学毕业，去大学深造。贾斯敏、安多尼和香特尔与你们并没有什么不同。和你们一样，他们也在生活中遭遇各种各样的困难与问题，但他们拒绝放弃，他们选择为自己的教育担起责任、给自己定下奋斗的目标。我希望你们中的每一个人，都能做得到这些。因此，在今天，我号召你们每一个人都为自己的教育定下一个目标——并在之后，尽自己的一切努力去实现它。你的目标可以很简单，像是完成作业、认真听讲或每天阅读——或许你打算参加一些课外活动，或在社区做些志愿工作;或许你决定为那些因为长相或出身等等原因而受嘲弄或欺负的孩子做主、维护他们的权益，因为你和我一样，认为每个孩子都应该能有一个安全的学习环境;或许你认为该学着更好的照顾自己，来为将来的学习做准备……
当然，除此之外，我希望你们都多多洗手、感到身体不舒服的时候要多在家休息，免得大家在秋冬感冒高发季节都得流感。不管你决定做什么，我都希望你能坚持到底，希望你能真的下定决心。我知道有些时候，电视上播放的节目会让你产生这样那样的错觉，似乎你不需要付出多大的努力就能腰缠万贯、功成名就——你会认为只要会唱rap、会打篮球或参加个什么真人秀节目就能坐享其成，但现实是，你几乎没有可能走上其中任何一条道路。
因为，成功是件难事。你不可能对要读的每门课程都兴趣盎然，你不可能和每名带课教师都相处顺利，你也不可能每次都遇上看起来和现实生活有关的作业。而且，并不是每件事，你都能在头一次尝试时获得成功。但那没有关系。因为在这个世界上，最最成功的人们往往也经历过最多的失败。
J.K.罗琳的第一本《哈利·波特》被出版商拒绝了十二次才最终出版;迈克尔·乔丹上高中时被学校的篮球队刷了下来，在他的职业生涯里，他输了几百场比赛、投失过几千次射篮，知道他是怎么说的吗?“我一生不停地失败、失败再失败，这就是我现在成功的原因。” 他们的成功，源于他们明白人不能让失败左右自己——而是要从中吸取经验。从失败中，你可以明白下一次自己可以做出怎样的改变;假如你惹了什么麻烦，那并不说明你就是个捣蛋贵，而是在提醒你，在将来要对自己有更严格的要求;假如你考了个低分，那并不说明你就比别人笨，而是在告诉你，自己得在学习上花更多的时间。没有哪一个人一生出来就擅长做什么事情的，只有努力才能培养出技能。
任何人都不是在第一次接触一项体育运动时就成为校队的代表，任何人都不是在第一次唱一首歌时就找准每一个音，一切都需要熟能生巧。对于学业也是一样，你或许要反复运算才能解出一道数学题的正确答案，你或许需要读一段文字好几遍才能理解它的意思，你或许得把论文改上好几次才能符合提交的标准。这都是很正常的。不要害怕提问。不要不敢向他人求助。——我每天都在这么做。求助并不是软弱的表现，恰恰相反，它说明你有勇气承认自己的不足、并愿意去学习新的知识。所以，有不懂时，就向大人们求助吧——找个你信得过的对象，例如父母、长辈、老师、教练或辅导员——让他们帮助你向目标前进。
你要记住，哪怕你表现不好、哪怕你失去信心、哪怕你觉得身边的人都已经放弃了你——永远不要自己放弃自己。因为当你放弃自己的时候，你也放弃了自己的国家。美国不是一个人们遭遇困难就轻易放弃的国度，在这个国家，人们坚持到底、人们加倍努力，为了他们所热爱的国度，每一个人都尽着自己最大的努力，不会给自己留任何余地。
250年前，有一群和你们一样的学生，他们之后奋起努力、用一场革命最终造就了这个国家;75年前，有一群和你们一样的学生，他们之后战胜了大萧条、赢得了二战;就在20年前，和你们一样的学生们，他们后来创立了Google、Twitter和Facebook，改变了我们人与人之间沟通的方式。因此，今天我想要问你们，你们会做出什么样的贡献?你们将解决什么样的难题?你们能发现什么样的事物?
二十、五十或百年之后，假如那时的美国总统也来做一次开学演讲的话，他会怎样描述你们对这个国家所做的一切?你们的家长、你们的老师和我，每一个人都在尽最大的努力，确保你们都能得到应有的教育来回答这些问题。
例如我正在努力为你们提供更安全的教室、更多的书籍、更先进的设施与计算机。但你们也要担起自己的责任。因此我要求你们在今年能够认真起来，我要求你们尽心地去做自己着手的每一件事，我要求你们每一个人都有所成就。
请不要让我们失望——不要让你的家人、你的国家和你自己失望。你们要成为我们骄傲，我知道，你们一定可以做到。
谢谢大家!
第五篇：奥巴马演讲
英语俱乐部指导老师刘志永2013年3月21日带读晨读材料 地点：新图书馆台阶前
美国总统奥巴马2013年就职演说（第一部分）
Vice President Biden, Mr.Chief justice,Members of the United States Congress, distinguished guests, and fellow citizens:
Each time we gather to inaugurate a president;
we bear witness to the enduring strength of our Constitution.We affirm the promise of our democracy.We recall that what binds the nation
副总统拜登、首席法官、美国国会议员、尊敬的客人和美国同胞们： 每次聚在一起举行总统就职仪式时，我们总能见证到宪法经久不衰的力量。
我们肯定民主的承诺。
我们回忆起，团结这个国家的力量不是皮肤的together is not the color of our skin, or the 颜色、tenets of our faith, or the origins of our names.所信奉的教条或名字的起源。
What makes us exceptional, what makes
让我们与众不同、成为美国人的us American, is our allegiance to an idea,是源自对一个理念的效忠，articulated in a declaration made more than
它早在2个多世纪前就在一份宣言中有过明确
two centuries ago.表述：
We hold these truths to be self-evident,“我们认为这一真理是不言自明的：
that all men are created equal, that they are
人人生而平等，并由造物主赋予了某些不可剥
endowed by their Creator with certain
夺的权利，unalienable rights, that among these are life,其中包括生命、自由和追求幸福的权利。”
liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.Today we continue a never-ending journey
今天，为了缩小这些文字意义与当今现实间的差to bridge the meaning of those words with the realities of our time.For history tells us that while these truths
距，我们将继续这场没有尽头的旅程。
因为历史告诉我们，虽然这些真理也许不言自明，may be self-evident, they have never been 但它们从不会自动生效；self-executing;
that while freedom is a gift from God, it must be secure by His people here on earth.The patriots of 1776 did not fight to of a few or the rule of a mob.They gave to us a Republic, a government generation to keep safe our founding creed.For more than two hundred years, we have.欢迎全校英语爱好者参加晨读活动！一起来，更精彩！
虽然自由是来自上帝的礼物，但它必须由地球上的子民们去争取。
1776年的爱国者们不是为了用少数人的特权或乌
replace the tyranny of a king with the privilege 合之众的法则取代国王的暴政而战斗。
他们给予我们的是一个共和国,一个民有、民治、念。
两百多年来，我们一直如此。
of, and by, and for the people, entrusting each 民享的政府,并委托每一代人去捍卫我们的建国理
点击咨询 