奥巴马演讲文字稿.docx
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奥巴马演讲文字稿
TimSpicer是美国维京尼亚州阿灵顿市维克菲德中学十二年级的一名十七岁普通学生。
他是当天奥巴马到该校讲演时的司仪。
THEPRESIDENT:
Hello,everybody!
Thankyou.Thankyou.Thankyou,everybody.Allright,everybodygoaheadandhaveaseat.Howiseverybodydoingtoday?
(Applause.)HowaboutTimSpicer?
(Applause.)IamherewithstudentsatWakefieldHighSchoolinArlington,Virginia.Andwe'vegotstudentstuningin(收听)fromallacrossAmerica,fromkindergartenthrough12thgrade.AndIamjustsogladthatallcouldjoinustoday.AndIwanttothankWakefieldforbeingsuchanoutstandinghost.Giveyourselvesabigroundofapplause.(Applause.)
Iknowthatformanyofyou,todayisthefirstdayofschool.Andforthoseofyouinkindergarten,orstartingmiddleorhighschool,it'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'dcomplain,mymotherwouldjustgivemeoneofthoselooksandshe'dsay,"Thisisnopicnic(轻松的事)formeeither,buster."(Laughter.)
SoIknowthatsomeofyouarestilladjustingtobeingbackatschool.ButI'mheretodaybecauseIhavesomethingimportanttodiscusswithyou.I'mherebecauseIwanttotalkwithyouaboutyoureducationandwhat'sexpectedofallofyou(对大家的期望)inthisnewschoolyear.
Now,I'vegivenalotofspeechesabouteducation.AndI'vetalkedaboutresponsibilityalot.
I'vetalkedaboutteachers'responsibilityforinspiringstudentsandpushingyoutolearn.
I'vetalkedaboutyourparents'responsibilityformakingsureyoustayontrack(【行动、思想】在正确的轨道上),andyougetyourhomeworkdone,anddon'tspendeverywakinghourinfrontoftheTVorwiththeXbox.
I'vetalkedalotaboutyourgovernment'sresponsibilityforsettinghighstandards,andsupportingteachersandprincipals,andturningaroundschoolsthataren'tworking,wherestudentsaren'tgettingtheopportunitiesthattheydeserve.(改善那些运作不良、学生得不到应有的机会的那些学校)
Butattheendoftheday,wecanhavethemostdedicatedteachers,themostsupportiveparents,thebestschoolsintheworld--andnoneofitwillmakeadifference,noneofitwillmatterunlessallofyoufulfillyourresponsibilities,unlessyoushowup(出席,露面)tothoseschools,unlessyoupayattentiontothoseteachers,unlessyoulistentoyourparentsandgrandparentsandotheradultsandputinthehardworkittakestosucceed.That'swhatIwanttofocusontoday:
theresponsibilityeachofyouhasforyoureducation.
Iwanttostartwiththeresponsibilityyouhavetoyourself.Everysingleoneofyouhassomethingthatyou'regoodat.Everysingleoneofyouhassomethingtooffer.Andyouhavearesponsibilitytoyourselftodiscoverwhatthatis.That'stheopportunityaneducationcanprovide.
Maybeyoucouldbeagreatwriter--maybeevengoodenoughtowriteabookorarticlesinanewspaper--butyoumightnotknowituntilyouwritethatEnglishpaper--thatEnglishclasspaperthat'sassignedtoyou.Maybeyoucouldbeaninnovatororaninventor--maybeevengoodenoughtocomeupwiththenextiPhoneorthenewmedicineorvaccine--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'llneedthecreativityandingenuityyoudevelopinallyourclassestobuildnewcompaniesthatwillcreatenewjobsandboostoureconomy.
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,whereyoucomefrom,howmuchmoneyyouhave,whatyou'vegotgoingonathome--noneofthatisanexcuseforneglectingyourhomeworkorhavingabadattitudeinschool.That'snoexcusefortalkingbacktoyourteacher,orcuttingclass,ordroppingoutofschool.Thereisnoexcusefornottrying.
Whereyouarerightnowdoesn'thavetodeterminewhereyou'llendup.(你现在什么样子不能决定你将来什么样子)Noone'swrittenyourdestinyforyou,becausehereinAmerica,youwriteyourowndestiny.Youmakeyourownfuture.
That'swhatyoungpeoplelikeyouaredoingeveryday,allacrossAmerica.
YoungpeoplelikeJazminPerez,fromRoma,Texas.Jazmindidn'tspeakEnglishwhenshefirststartedschool.Neitherofherparentshadgonetocollege.Butsheworkedhard,earnedgoodgrades,andgotascholarshiptoBrownUniversity--isnowingraduateschool,studyingpublichealth,onherwaytobecomingDr.JazminPerez.
I'mthinkingaboutAndoniSchultz,fromLosAltos,California,who'sfoughtbraincancersincehewasthree.He'shadtoendureallsortsoftreatmentsandsurgeries,oneofwhichaffectedhismemory,soittookhimmuchlonger--hundredsofextrahours--todohisschoolwork.Butheneverfellbehind.He'sheadedtocollegethisfall.
Andthenthere'sShantellSteve,frommyhometownofChicago,Illinois.Evenwhenbouncingfromfosterhometofosterhomeinthetoughestneighborhoodsinthecity(尽管不断地在最恶劣的地区的一个收养家庭转到另个收养家庭)shemanagedtogetajobatalocalhealthcarecenter,startaprogramtokeepyoungpeopleoutofgangs,andshe'sontracktograduatehighschoolwithhonorsandgoontocollege.
AndJazmin,Andoni,andShantellaren'tanydifferentfromanyofyou.Theyfacechallengesintheirlivesjustlikeyoudo.Insomecasesthey'vegotitalotworseoffthanmanyofyou.Buttheyrefusedtogiveup.Theychosetotakeresponsibilityfortheirlives,fortheireducation,andsetgoalsforthemselves.AndIexpectallofyoutodothesame.
That'swhytodayI'mcallingoneachofyoutosetyourowngoalsforyoureducation--anddoeverythingyoucantomeetthem.Yourgoalcanbesomethingassimpleasdoingallyourhomework,payingattentioninclass,orspendingsometimeeachdayreadingabook.Maybeyou'lldecidetogetinvolvedinanextracurricularactivity,orvolunteerinyourcommunity.Maybeyou'lldecidetostandupforkidswhoarebeingteasedorbulliedbecauseofwhotheyareorhowtheylook,becauseyoubelieve,likeIdo,thatallyoungpeopledeserveasafeenvironmenttostudyandlearn.Maybeyou'lldecidetotakebettercareofyourselfso