奥巴马的精彩开学演讲全文英文版Word下载.docx
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syourfirstdayinanewschool,soit'
sunderstandableifyou'
realittlenervous.Iimaginetherearesomeseniorsouttherewhoarefeelingprettygoodrightnow--(applause)--withjustonemoreyeartogo.Andnomatterwhatgradeyou'
rein,someofyouareprobablywishingitwerestillsummerandyoucould'
vestayedinbedjustalittlebitlongerthismorning.
Iknowthatfeeling.WhenIwasyoung,myfamilylivedoverseas.IlivedinIndonesiaforafewyears.Andmymother,shedidn'
thavethemoneytosendmewherealltheAmericankidswenttoschool,butshethoughtitwasimportantformetokeepupwithanAmericaneducation.Soshedecidedtoteachmeextralessonsherself,MondaythroughFriday.Butbecauseshehadtogotowork,theonlytimeshecoulddoitwasat4:
30inthemorning.
Now,asyoumightimagine,Iwasn'
ttoohappyaboutgettingupthatearly.Andalotoftimes,I'
dfallasleeprightthereatthekitchentable.ButwheneverI'
dplain,mymotherwouldjustgivemeoneofthoselooksandshe'
dsay,"
Thisisnopiicformeeither,buster."
(Laughter.)
SoIknowthatsomeofyouarestilladjustingtobeingbackatschool.ButI'
mheretodaybecauseIhavesomethingimportanttodiscusswithyou.I'
mherebecauseIwanttotalkwithyouaboutyoureducationandwhat'
sexpectedofallofyouinthisnewschoolyear.
Now,I'
vegivenalotofspeechesabouteducation.AndI'
vetalkedaboutresponsibilityalot.
I'
vetalkedaboutteachers'
responsibilityforinspiringstudentsandpushingyoutolearn.
vetalkedaboutyourparents'
responsibilityformakingsureyoustayontrack,andyougetyourhomeworkdone,anddon'
tspendeverywakinghourinfrontoftheTVorwiththeXbox.
vetalkedalotaboutyourgovernment'
sresponsibilityforsettinghighstandards,andsupportingteachersandprincipals,andturningaroundschoolsthataren'
tworking,wherestudentsaren'
tgettingtheopportunitiesthattheydeserve.
Butattheendoftheday,wecanhavethemostdedicatedteachers,themostsupportiveparents,thebestschoolsintheworld--andnoneofitwillmakeadifference,noneofitwillmatterunlessallofyoufulfillyourresponsibilities,unlessyoushowuptothoseschools,unlessyoupayattentiontothoseteachers,unlessyoulistentoyourparentsandgrandparentsandotheradultsandputinthehardworkittakestosucceed.That'
swhatIwanttofocusontoday:
theresponsibilityeachofyouhasforyoureducation.
Iwanttostartwiththeresponsibilityyouhavetoyourself.Everysingleoneofyouhassomethingthatyou'
regoodat.Everysingleoneofyouhassomethingtooffer.Andyouhavearesponsibilitytoyourselftodiscoverwhatthatis.That'
stheopportunityaneducationcanprovide.
Maybeyoucouldbeagreatwriter--maybeevengoodenoughtowriteabookorarticlesinanewspaper--butyoumightnotknowituntilyouwritethatEnglishpaper--thatEnglishclasspaperthat'
sassignedtoyou.Maybeyoucouldbeaninnovatororaninventor--maybeevengoodenoughtoeupwiththenextiPhoneorthenewmedicineorvaccine--butyoumightnotknowituntilyoudoyourprojectforyourscienceclass.MaybeyoucouldbeamayororasenatororaSupremeCourtjustice--butyoumightnotknowthatuntilyoujoinstudentgovernmentorthedebateteam.
Andnomatterwhatyouwanttodowithyourlife,Iguaranteethatyou'
llneedaneducationtodoit.Youwanttobeadoctor,orateacher,orapoliceofficer?
Youwanttobeanurseoranarchitect,alawyeroramemberofourmilitary?
You'
regoingtoneedagoodeducationforeverysingleoneofthosecareers.Youcannotdropoutofschoolandjustdropintoagoodjob.You'
vegottotrainforitandworkforitandlearnforit.
Andthisisn'
tjustimportantforyourownlifeandyourownfuture.Whatyoumakeofyoureducationwilldecidenothinglessthanthefutureofthiscountry.ThefutureofAmericadependsonyou.Whatyou'
relearninginschooltodaywilldeterminewhetherweasanationcanmeetourgreatestchallengesinthefuture.
You'
llneedtheknowledgeandproblem-solvingskillsyoulearninscienceandmathtocurediseaseslikecancerandAIDS,andtodevelopnewenergytechnologiesandprotectourenvironment.You'
llneedtheinsightsandcritical-thinkingskillsyougaininhistoryandsocialstudiestofightpovertyandhomelessness,crimeanddiscrimination,andmakeournationmorefairandmorefree.You'
llneedthecreativityandingenuityyoudevelopinallyourclassestobuildnewpaniesthatwillcreatenewjobsandboostoureconomy.
Weneedeverysingleoneofyoutodevelopyourtalentsandyourskillsandyourintellectsoyoucanhelpusoldfolkssolveourmostdifficultproblems.Ifyoudon'
tdothat--ifyouquitonschool--you'
renotjustquittingonyourself,you'
requittingonyourcountry.
Now,Iknowit'
snotalwayseasytodowellinschool.Iknowalotofyouhavechallengesinyourlivesrightnowthatcanmakeithardtofocusonyourschoolwork.
Igetit.Iknowwhatit'
slike.MyfatherleftmyfamilywhenIwastwoyearsold,andIwasraisedbyasinglemomwhohadtoworkandwhostruggledattimestopaythebillsandwasn'
talwaysabletogiveusthethingsthatotherkidshad.ThereweretimeswhenImissedhavingafatherinmylife.ThereweretimeswhenIwaslonelyandIfeltlikeIdidn'
tfitin.
SoIwasn'
talwaysasfocusedasIshouldhavebeenonschool,andIdidsomethingsI'
mnotproudof,andIgotinmoretroublethanIshouldhave.Andmylifecouldhaveeasilytakenaturnfortheworse.
ButIwas--Iwaslucky.Igotalotofsecondchances,andIhadtheopportunitytogotocollegeandlawschoolandfollowmydreams.Mywife,ourFirstLadyMichelleObama,shehasasimilarstory.Neitherofherparentshadgonetocollege,andtheydidn'
thavealotofmoney.Buttheyworkedhard,andsheworkedhard,sothatshecouldgotothebestschoolsinthiscountry.
Someofyoumightnothavethoseadvantages.Maybeyoudon'
thaveadultsinyourlifewhogiveyouthesupportthatyouneed.Maybesomeoneinyourfamilyhaslosttheirjobandthere'
snotenoughmoneytogoaround.Maybeyouliveinaneighborhoodwhereyoudon'
tfeelsafe,orhavefriendswhoarepressuringyoutodothingsyouknowaren'
tright.
Butattheendoftheday,thecircumstancesofyourlife--whatyoulooklike,whereyouefrom,howmuchmoneyyouhave,whatyou'
vegotgoingonathome--noneofthatisanexcuseforneglectingyourhomeworkorhavingabadattitudeinschool.That'
snoexcusefortalkingbacktoyourteacher,orcuttingclass,ordroppingoutofschool.Thereisnoexcusefornottrying.
Whereyouarerightnowdoesn'
thavetodeterminewhereyou'
llendup.Noone'
swrittenyourdestinyforyou,becausehereinAmerica,youwriteyourowndestiny.Youmakeyourownfuture.
That'
swhatyoungpeoplelikeyouaredoingeveryday,allacrossAmerica.
YoungpeoplelikeJazminPerez,fromRoma,Texas.Jazmindidn'
tspeakEnglishwhenshefirststartedschool.Neitherofherparentshadgonetocollege.Butsheworkedhard,earnedgoodgrades,andgotascholarshiptoBrownUniversity--isnowingraduateschool,studyingpublichealth,onherwaytobeingDr.JazminPerez.
mthinkingaboutAndoniSchultz,fromLosAltos,California,who'
sfoughtbraincancersincehewasthree.He'
shadtoendureallsortsoftreatmentsandsurgeries,oneofwhichaffectedhismemory,soittookhimmuchlonger--hundredsofextrahours--todohisschoolwork.Butheneverfellbehind.He'
sheadedtocollegethisfall.
Andthenthere'
sShantellSteve,frommyhometownofChicago,Illinois.Evenwhenbouncingfromfosterhometofosterhomeinthetoughestneighborhoodsinthecity,shemanagedtogetajobatalocalhealthcarecenter,startaprogramtokeepyoungpeopleoutofgangs,andshe'
sontracktograduatehighschoolwithhonorsandgoontocollege.
AndJazmin,Andoni,andShantellaren'
tanydifferentfromanyofyou.Theyfacechallengesintheirlivesjustlikeyoudo.Insomecasesthey'
vegotitalotworseoffthanmanyofyou.Buttheyrefusedtogiveup.Theychosetotakeresponsibilityfortheirlives,fortheireducation,andsetgoalsforthemselves.AndIexpectallofyoutodothesame.
swhytodayI'
mcallingoneachofyoutosetyourowngoalsforyoureducation--anddoeverythingyoucantomeetthem.Yourgoalcanbesomethingassimpleasdoingallyourhomework,payingattentioninclass,orspendingsometimeeachdayreadingabook.Maybeyou'
lldecidetogetinvolvedinanextracurricularactivity,orvolunteerinyourmunity.Maybeyou'
lldecidetostandupforkidswhoarebeingteasedorbulliedbecauseofwhotheyareorhowtheylook,becauseyoubelieve,likeIdo,thatallyoungpeopledeserveasafeenvironmenttostudyandlearn.Maybeyou'
lldecidetotakebettercareofyourselfsoyoucanbemorereadytolearn.Andalongthoselines,bytheway,Ihopeallofyouarewashingyourhandsalot,andthatyoustayhomefromschoolwhenyo