米歇尔毕业演讲 commencement speech.docx

1、米歇尔毕业演讲 commencement speechClass of 2009, all I can say is now, and good afternoon,everyone. Im so proud of these graduates. We have to give them one big round of applause before I start. This is just an amazing day. I want to thank Dick for that lovely introduction. He makes for a good companion wh

2、en you have to go to an inauguration, so Im glad he could be here with me today. I appreciate all that he has done to make this day so very special.2009届的毕业生们，我现在能说的就是：哇，大家下午好！我为在座的毕业生感到无比骄傲。因此，在我开始讲话前，让我们先用热烈的掌声祝贺你们！这是一个无比奇妙的日子。我要感谢迪克对我热心介绍。因此如果你必须参加就职典礼的话，他会是一个很棒的陪同。他能够和我一起参加典礼让我非常高兴。真的很感激他，他所做的一切

3、使得今天如此特别。I want to acknowledge a few other people before I begin: Congressman Jerry NcNerney,Lieutenant Governor John Garamendi,Attorney General Jerry Brown and Assembly speaker Karen Bass. I want to thank you all for your leadership and for being an example of what a life in public service can mean

4、 to us all.在开始前，我还要感谢另外一些人，我要感谢国会议员杰瑞1迈克纳尼、副州长约翰加拉曼迪、首席检察官杰瑞布朗以及议长凯伦贝斯。你们有出色的领导能力，并在公众服务方面为我们做出了杰出的榜样，因此，我要感谢你们。And of course I have to thank Chancellor Kang for this incredible welcome, and as well as President Yudof and Provost Keith Alley for all that theyve done to help make this event just such

5、 a wonderful day for us all.当然，我还要感谢名誉校长康先生，他安排的欢迎仪式令人难以相信。同事还要感谢校长尤道夫先生和教务长凯斯艾利。他们为准备毕业典礼的到来所做的一切，让这一天如此美好。And to the graduates and their families and the entire community of Merced, I am so pleased,so thrilled, so honored to be here with all of you today.全体毕业生，各位家长，摩塞德社区的所有人们，感谢你们！非常高兴今天能来到这里和你们分享

6、这一刻，我感到无比高兴，无比激动。Now, I know weve got a lot national press out there, and a few people may be wondering why did I choose the university of California-Merced to deliver my first commencement speech as First lady.我知道这里有很多国内记者，而且一些人可能也很想知道：作为第一夫人我为什么会选择在加利福利亚大学摩塞德分校进行我的第一次毕业典礼演讲呢？Well, let me tel you s

7、omething, the answer is simple: you inspires me. You touched me. You know, there are few things that are more rewarding than to watch young people recognize that they have the power to make their dreams come true. And you did just that. Your perseverance and creativity were on full display in your e

8、fforts to bring me here to Merced for this wonderful occasion.那么让我告诉大家，我的答案很简单：是因为你们激发了我，你们感动了我。你们知道，几乎没有什么比看到年轻人认识到他们能够实现自己的梦想更有价值了。你们确实认识到了这一点。你们邀请我来见证这一美好时刻，期间你们所付出的努力充分展示了你们的坚韧和想象力。So, let me tell you what you did. If you dont know, parents, because some of this wonderful cards from students; ea

9、ch and every one of them so filled with hope and enthusiasm. It moved not just me but my entire staff. They came up to me and said, Michelle, you have to do this. You have to go there.那么，让我告诉大家你们都做了什么。各位家长，你们可能不知道，你们中也有一些人参与其中。我收到了上千封学生们的来信，当然还有情人节明星片，每一封信每一张明信片中都充满了期待和热情。这不仅感动了我，还感动了我所有的同事们。他们过来跟我说

10、：“米歇尔，你必须去参加。”“你必须到那里去。”They were all terrific. Like the one from Christopher Casuga that read, Dear Mrs. Obama: Please come to UC Merceds commencement. We would really use the publicity. That really touched me.那些信和明信片都写得棒极了。比如，来自克里斯多夫卡苏卡的信中写道：“亲爱的奥巴马夫人，请来参加加州大学莫塞德分校毕业典礼吧！我们真的可以使用公众舆论。”那真的触动了我的心灵。Or

11、 then there was one from Jim Greenwood who wrote not on his behalf but on behalf of his wife and mother of his two children, who is graduating with us today.来自吉姆格林伍德的信中说，他不仅仅是代表他自己给我写信，还代表他的妻子。他的妻子已经是两个孩子的母亲了，她是今天在座的毕业生中的一员。And then there was the one from Andres Mercado. I think this was one of my f

12、avorites. And reasaid that the role of First Lady is and I hopeThe balance between the politics and sanity.Thank you, Andrea, for that vote of confidence.还有一封来自安德里亚梅尔卡多的信。我想这是我最喜欢的来信中的一封。安德里亚在信中写道：“第一夫人的角色就是要在政治和理智之间寻求平衡。”谢谢你，安德里亚，谢谢你给我的信任投票。I received letters from everyone connected to this univers

13、itynot just students, but they came from parents, and grandparents, and cousins, and uncles, and neighbors,and friends, all of them telling me about hoe hard you all worked and how important this day is for you and for the entire Merced community.我收到了所有与这个大学相关的人的来信不只是学生，还有他们的父母、祖父母、堂表兄妹、姑舅叔姨以及他们的邻居和

14、朋友，所有的人告诉我，你们是多么地努力，而这一天对于你们和整个摩塞德分校有多么重要。And then theres that beautiful video, the we believe video. Well lat me tell you, it worked,because Im here!我还收到了一段精彩的视频，名为“我们相信”。那么让我告诉你们，这一切真的很奏效，因为我最终来到了这里。And I want to thank in particular Sam Fong and Yaasha and all of the students who launched the Dear

15、 Michelle campaign. I am honored by your efforts and happy to be with you to celebrate this important milestone.我要特别感谢萨姆放和亚莎萨巴以及所有发起“亲爱的米歇尔”活动的学生们。你们的努力让我感受到了极大的荣耀，我很高兴和你们一起庆祝这一重要时刻。But I understand that this type of community-based letter writing campaign isnt unique tome. This community, this Merc

16、ed community, employed the same strategy to help get the university of California to build the new campus here in Merced. Every school kid in the entire county, I understand, sent a postcard to the UC Board of Regents in order to convince then to select Merced, and I just love the fact that some of

17、the graduates sitting in this audience today participating were involved in that campaign, as well, and then they used the same strategy to get me here. That is amazing. And what it demonstrates is the power of many voices coming together to make something wonderful happen. And Im telling you, next

18、years graduation speaker better watch out,because Merced students know how to get what they want.但是我明白，这种基于社区而写信的活动并不仅仅针对我。这个社区，摩赛德社区用同样的方式使得加利福利亚大学在摩赛德成立了新的分校。这个县城里的每一个学生都给加利福利亚大学董事会寄了一张明信片，以说服他们在这里成立分校。我很高兴因为事实上，今天在座的一些毕业生当时也参与了那次活动，而他们用同样的方式说服我来到了这里。这真是太奇妙了。这说明一点，万众齐心必然能够创造奇迹。而且我也想说明下一年的毕业演讲人，你可要

19、当心了。摩赛德分校的学生可知道如何实现他们的愿望。You know, I grew up in one of those communities with similar values. Like Merced, the South Side of Chicago is a community where people struggles financially,but worked hard, looked out for each other and rallies around their children. My father was a blue-collar worker,as y

20、ou know. My mother stayed at home to raise me and my brother.We were the first to graduate from college in our immediate family.你们知道，我在一个有着相似价值观的社区长大。就像摩赛德一样，芝加哥南部是一个过去人们在经济困境中挣扎的社区，但是那里的人们辛勤工作、彼此照料，以子女为中心。你们都知道的，我的父亲是蓝领工人，我的母亲在家里抚养我和哥哥。我们兄妹是我们所有直系亲属中的第一批从大学毕业的成员。I know that many of you here are als

21、o the first in your families to achieve that distinction, aswell. And as you know, being the first is often a big responsibility, particularly in a community that, like many others around our country at the moment, is struggling to cope with record high unemployment and foreclosure rates; a communit

22、y where are single payback or an emergency room visit away from homelessness.我知道你们中的很多人也是你们家族中第一位获得如此殊荣的成员。但正如你们所了解的那样，成为第一就常常意味着肩负着更大的责任，特别是在一个和当前我们国家的很多其他社区一样面对创纪录的高失业率和高抵押房屋赎回权丧失率的社区，特别是一个家庭是单一收入来源或者家庭只是为了避免无家可归的紧急避难所的社区。And with jobs scarce, many of you maybe considering leaving town with your d

23、iploma in hand.And it wouldnt be unreasonable. For those of you who came from communities facing similar economic hardships, you may also be wondering how you ll build decent lives for yourselves if you choose to return to those communities.在这样的社区里工作机会很少，你们中的很多人可能会考虑带着你们的学位证书离开城镇。这并非不合理。对于那些来自处于相似经济

24、困境社区的同学而言，你们也许会有疑问：假如我回到了那些社区，我怎么才能过上体面的生活呢？But I would encourage you to call upon the same hope and hard work that brought you to this day. Call upon that optimism and tenacity that built the University of California at Merced to invest in the future of Merced in your own towns all across this coun

25、try. By using what youve learned here, you can shorten the path perhaps for kids who may not see a path at all.但是我要鼓励你们拿出过去的让你们取得今日成就的希望和努力，拿出建设加州大学摩赛德校区的乐观和不屈不挠的精神，将其投入到建设摩赛德的美好未来之中，投入到建设分布在全国各地的你们的家乡中去。运用你们在这所大学学到的知识，你们能够帮助那些也许根本看不到出路的孩子们找到通往成功的捷径。And I was once one of those kids.Most of you were

26、once one of those kids. I grew up just a few miles from the University of Chicago in my hometown. The university, like most institutions, was a major cultural, economic institution in my neighborhood. My mother even worked as a secretary there for several years.我曾经就是那些看不到出路的孩子中的一员。你们中的大多数人也曾经是那些孩子中的

27、一员。我的家乡距离芝加哥大学只有几英里。和大多数学校一样，芝加哥大学就是我邻近地区的一个文化经济中心。我的母亲甚至在那里做了几年的秘书工作。Yet that university never played a meaningful role in my academic development. The institution made no effort to reach out to mea bright and promising student in their midstand I had no reason to believe there was a place for me t

28、here. Therefore, when it came time for me to apply to college, I never for one second considered the university in my own back yards a viable option.但是那所大学从来没有在我的学业发展中发挥积极的作用。它没做出任何努力来吸引我这样一个有着大好前程的学生，而我也没有任何理由相信在那里有我是一席之地。因此，当到了申请大学的时候，我根本没有考虑选择自己家门口的那所大学。And as fate would have it, I ultimately wen

29、t on and accepted a position in student affairs at the university of Chicago more than a decade later.就像命中注定一样，十多年后我最终接受了芝加哥大学一个负责学生事务的职位。What I found was that working within the institution gave me the opportunity to express my concerned about how little role the university plays in the life of its

30、 neighbors. I wanted desperately to be involved in helping to break down the barriers that existed between the campus and the community.我发现在这所大学工作使得我有机会关注那个问题，即他在周围社区生活中扮演着多么渺小的角色。我当时迫切地想扫除挡在大学校园和社区之间障碍。And in less than a year, through that position, I would with others to build the universitys firs

31、t office of Community Service. And today, the office continues to provide students with opportunities to help reshape relationships between the university and its surrounding community. students there today are volunteering in local elementary schools, serving as mentors at high schools, organizing

32、neighborhood watches, and worshiping in local churches.在不到一年的时间里，我和其他人一起努力建立了芝加哥大学的第一个社区服务办公室。今天，该办公室还在继续为学生们提供机会，让他们帮助重塑大学与周边社区的关系。如今，那里的学生们在当地小学做志愿者，到当地中学做辅导员，组织邻里监督，到当地教堂做礼拜。But you know a little something about working with your community here, dont you, Merced?UC Merced, its faculty and its students seem to already have a handle on this need and it speaks once again to the character of this community. As I learned more about what you have done, I am so impressed with how the students, faculty and the community are collaborating to ensure that every ch