1、美国总统奥巴马 9 月 8 日开学演讲REMARKS BY THE PRESIDENT IN A NATIONAL ADDRESS TO AMERICAS SCHOOLCHILDRENWakefield High SchoolArlington, VirginiaHello, everybody! Thank you. Thank you. Thank you, everybody. 嗨，大家好！谢谢！谢谢大家！All right, everybody go ahead and have a seat. How is everybody going today? How about Tim S
2、picer?好的，大家请就座。你们今天过得怎么样？蒂姆.斯派塞好吗？I am here with students at Wakefield High School in Arlington, Virginia. And weve 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 a
3、n outstanding host. Give yourselves a big round of applause.我现在与弗吉尼亚州阿灵顿郡维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。我还有感谢维克菲尔德高中出色的组织安排，请为你们热烈鼓掌。 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, i
4、ts your first day in a new school, so its understandable if youre a little nervous. 我知道，对你们中的许多人来说，今天是开学的第一天。对于刚进入幼儿园或升上初中高中的学生，今天是你们来到新学校的第一天。因此，假如你们搞到有些紧张，那也是正常的。I imagine there are some seniors out there who are feeling pretty good right now -with just one more year to go. And no matter what grad
5、e youre in, some of you are probably wishing it were still summer and you couldve stayed in bed just a little bit longer this morning.我想也会有许多毕业班的学生们正自信满满，还有一年就毕业了。不论在哪个年级，许多人打心底里希望现在还是暑假。今天早上还能多睡一小会。I know that feeling. When I was young, my family lived overseas. I lived in Indonesia for a few years
6、. And my mother, she didnt 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. 我可以理解这份心情。小时候，我们家生活中海外。我在印度尼西亚住了几年。我母亲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。So she decided to teach me extra lessons herself, Mond
7、ay through Friday. But because she had to go to work, the only time she could do it was at 4:30 in the morning.因此，他决定从周一到周五自己给我补课。不过她还要上夜班。所以只能在清晨四点半给我上课。Now, as you might imagine, I wasnt too happy about getting up that early. And a lot of times, Id fall asleep right there at the kitchen table. But
8、 whenever Id complain, my mother would just give me one of those looks and shed say, “This is no picnic for me either, buster.“你们可以想象，我不太情愿那么早起床。有很多次，我趴在餐桌上就睡着了。每当我埋怨的时候，我妈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？”So I know that some of you are still adjusting to being back at school. But Im here today because
9、I have something important to discuss with you. Im here because I want to talk with you about your education and whats expected of all of you in this new school year.所有我能理解你们有些人还在适应开学后的生活。但几天我站在这里，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一个人的教育，以及这个新学年对你们所有人的期望。Now, Ive given a lot of speeches about education. And
10、 Ive talked about responsibility a lot.我做过许多关于教育的讲话。也常常用到“责任”这个词。Ive talked about teachers responsibility for inspiring students and pushing you to learn.我谈到过教师有责任激励你们，督促你们学习。Ive talked about your parents responsibility for making sure you stay on track, and you get your homework done, and dont spen
11、d every waking hour in front of the TV or with the Xbox.我谈到过家长有责任确保你们走正道、完成家庭作业，不要成天只会看电视或打游戏机。Ive talked a lot about your governments responsibility for setting high standards, and supporting teachers and principals, and turning around schools that arent working, where students arent getting the op
12、portunities that they deserve.我也多次谈到过政府有责任制定高标准协助老师和校长的工作，改变在有些学校学生得不到应有的学习机会的现状。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 yo
13、ur 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. Thats what I want to focus on today: the responsibility each of you has for your edu
14、cation.但哪怕这一切都达到最好，哪怕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，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，除非你认真听老师讲课，除非你把父母、长辈和其他大人们的话放在心上。除非你肯付出成功所必需的努力。否则这一切都会失去意识。而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 youre good at. Eve
15、ry single one of you has something to offer. And you have a responsibility to yourself to discover what that is. Thats the opportunity an education can provide.我首先要讲讲你们对自己应尽的责任。你们每一个都有自己的长处，你们每个人都时有用之才。你们对自己应尽的责任时发现自己的才能所在。而教育能够提供这样的机会。Maybe you could be a great writer - maybe even good enough to wr
16、ite a book or articles in a newspaper - but you might not know it until you write that English paper - that English class paper thats assigned to you. 或许你能写出优美的文字，甚至有一天能将那些文字出现在书籍和报刊上，但假如不再英语课上经常练习写作，你不会发现自己有这样的才能。Maybe you could be an innovator or an inventor - maybe even good enough to come up wit
17、h 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.或许你能成为一名创新家或发明家。甚至可能设计出
18、新一代 iPhone，或研制出新型药物与疫苗。但假如不再自然科学课堂上做上几次试验，你不会发现自己有这样的才能。或许你能成为一名市长或参议员，或最高法院的大法官，但假如你不去加入或参加几次辩论赛，你不会发现自己有这样的才能。And no matter what you want to do with your life, I guarantee that youll need an education to do it. 不论你的生活的志向是什么，我敢肯定你都需要相应的教育。You want to be a doctor, or a teacher, or a police officer?
19、You want to be a nurse or an architect, a lawyer or a member of our military? Youre 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. Youve got to train for it and work for it and learn for it.你想当医生、教师或警官吗？你想当护士、建筑师、律师或
20、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。你不能指望辍学后碰上个好工作。你必须接受培训，为之努力，为之学习。And this isnt 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 youre learning in school today will det
21、ermine 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。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。今天你们在学校中的学习内容，将决定我们整个国家在未来迎接重大挑战时的表现。Youll need the knowledge and problem-solving skills you learn in science and math to cure diseases like cancer and AIDS, and to develop
22、new energy technologies and protect our environment. 你们需要在数理科学课程上学习知识和技能，去治疗癌症、艾滋病那样的疾病。开发新的能源技术保护我们的环境。Youll 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
23、. Youll need the creativity and ingenuity you develop in all your classes to build new companies that will create new jobs and boost our economy.你们需要历史社会科课程上活动观察的能力与判断力来抗击贫困和解决无家可归的问题打击犯罪和消除歧视，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培养创造力和智慧去创办公司，制造就业机会和推动经济增长。We need every single one of you to develop your tale
24、nts and your skills and your intellect so you can help us old folks solve our most difficult problems. If you dont do that - if you quit on school - youre not just quitting on yourself, youre quitting on your country.我们需要你们每一个人都发挥天赋、技能和才智，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，入股你们辍学，你们不仅放弃了自己，也放弃了自己的国家。Now, I
25、 know its 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.我当然明白读好书不是件容易的事，我知道你们中的许多人在生活中面临着各种问题。很难把精力集中在专心读书上。I get it. I know what its like. My father left my family when I was two years old, and I w
26、as raised by a single mom who had to work and who struggled at times to pay the bills and wasnt always able to give us the things that other kids had. 我明白这一点，我有亲身感受。我父亲在我两岁时就离开了家庭，是我母亲一个人将我拉扯大，母亲不得不工作并时常为支付生活费而苦苦挣扎。但有时仍无法位我们提供其他孩子享有的东西。There were times when I missed having a father in my life. There
27、 were times when I was lonely and I felt like I didnt fit in.有时我渴望生活中能有一位父亲。有时我也会感到孤独无助，感觉到与周围的环境格格不入。So I wasnt always as focused as I should have been on school, and I did some things Im not proud of, and I got in more trouble than I should have. And my life could have easily taken a turn for the
28、worse.我并非总是想我应该做到的那样专心学习，我做过许多自己觉得丢脸的事情，也惹出许多不该惹的麻烦。我的生活岌岌可危，随时可能急转直下。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 go
29、ne to college, and they didnt 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.但我很幸运，在许多事情上都得到了重来的机会。我有幸能上大学，上法学院，追求自己的理想。我的妻子，我们的第一夫人马歇尔.奥巴马，也有着类似的人生故事。她的父母亲都没有读过大学，也没有什么财产，但他们都非常勤奋，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
30、have those advantages. Maybe you dont have adults in your life who give you the support that you need. Maybe someone in your family has lost their job and theres not enough money to go around. Maybe you live in a neighborhood where you dont feel safe, or have friends who are pressuring you to do thi
31、ngs you know arent right.你们中有些人可能没有那些有利条件。或许你们的生活中没有能为你提供帮助的长辈。或许你们家长中有人失业，经济非常拮据。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。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 youve got going on at home - none of that is an excuse
32、 for neglecting your homework or having a bad attitude in school. Thats no excuse for talking back to your teacher, or cutting class, or dropping out of school. There is no excuse for not trying.但归根结底，你的生活状况，你的长相、出身、经济条件、家庭气氛，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、逃课或辍学的借口。这些不是你不好好读书的借口。Where you are right now
33、 doesnt have to determine where youll end up. No ones written your destiny for you, because here in America, you write your own destiny. You make your own future.你们目前的状况并不是决定这你们的未来，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，你的未来你自己掌握。Thats what young people like you are doing every day, all across America.这就是像你们这样
34、的年轻人每天都在做的事情，全美各地都是如此。Young people like Jazmin Perez, from Roma, Texas. Jazmin didnt 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 publi
35、c health, on her way to becoming Dr. Jazmin Perez.假如德克萨斯州罗马市的贾斯敏.佩雷兹，她刚进学校时根本不会说英语。她父母都没有上过大学。然而，她非常勤奋，成绩优异，获得了布朗大学的奖学金。如今正攻读公共卫生专业的研究生。不久将成为贾斯敏.佩雷斯博士。Im thinking about Andoni Schultz, from Los Altos, California, whos fought brain cancer since he was three. Hes had to endure all sorts of treatments
36、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. Hes headed to college this fall.我还想起了加州洛斯拉图斯市的安多妮.舒尔兹。他从三岁起就开始与脑癌病魔作斗争。他熬过了一次次治疗与手术。其中一项手术曾影响他的记忆。因此他得比常人多花几百小时来完成学业。但他不曾落下自己的功课。这个秋天，他要开始在大学读书了。And
37、 then theres 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 shes on track to graduate h
38、igh school with honors and go on to college.我还想起了家乡伊利诺伊州芝加哥市的一名孤儿，香奈儿.史蒂夫。她曾寄养于多个不同的家庭，从小在治安差的地区长大。但她通过努力在一家地方医疗中心找到了工作，发起了一个让青少年远离犯罪团伙的项目。她即将以优异成绩从中学毕业去大学深造。And Jazmin, Andoni, and Shantell arent any different from any of you. They face challenges in their lives just like you do. In some cases they
39、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.贾斯敏、安多妮和香奈儿与你们并没有什么不同。和你们一样，他们也在生活中遇到各种问题。在某些情况下，他们的处境比起你们许多人更差。但他们拒绝放弃，他们决定要为自己的人生、自己
40、的教育负起责任，给自己定下奋斗的目标。我希望你们中每一个人都能做得到这些。Thats why today Im 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.
41、 Maybe youll decide to get involved in an extracurricular activity, or volunteer in your community. 因此，我今天号召你们每一个人，为自己的教育设定目标。并尽自己的最大努力来实现这些目标。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，或是在你的社区提供志愿服务。Maybe youll decide to stand up for kids who are being teased or bullied because of who they are or how
42、 they look, because you believe, like I do, that all young people deserve a safe environment to study and learn. 或许你决定挺身而出，保护那些因身份或长相而受人戏弄或欺负的孩子，原因是你和我一样认为，每个孩子都应该享有适合读书和学习的安全环境。Maybe youll decide to take better care of yourself so you can be more ready to learn. And along those lines, by the way, I
43、 hope all of you are washing your hands a lot, and that you stay home from school when you dont feel well, so we can keep people from getting the flu this fall and winter.或许你决定该学着更好地照顾自己，来位将来的学习准备。除此之外，顺便提一下，我希望大家要勤洗手，感到身体不舒服的时候要多在家了休息。免得大家在秋冬感冒高发季节得流感。But whatever you resolve to do, I want you to c
44、ommit to it. I want you to really work at it.但无论你决定做什么，我都希望你能坚持到底。我希望你脚踏实地去做。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 youre not goi
45、ng to be any of those things.我知道有时候你会从电视上得到这样的印象，不需要付出多大的努力就能腰缠万贯、功成名就。只要会唱 rap、会打篮球或参加真人秀节目，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。The truth is, being successful is hard. You wont love every subject that you study. You wont click with every teacher that you have. Not every homework assignment will seem comp
46、letely relevant to your life right at this minute. And you wont necessarily succeed at everything the first time you try.事实上，取得成功不是轻而易举的事情。你不可能对要读的每一门课程都兴趣盎然。你不可能和每名带课教师都相处顺利。不是所有的家庭作业都与你眼前的生活完全相关。并不是每一件事，你都能在头一次尝试时获得成功。Thats okay. Some of the most successful people in the world are the ones whove h
47、ad the most failures. 但那没关系，世界上最成功的人士中有一些时遭遇失败最多的。J.K. Rowlings - 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 hi
48、s career. But he once said, “I have failed over and over and over again in my life. And thats why I succeed.“J.K.罗琳， 哈利.波特的作者，她的哈利.波特第一部出版前被退稿 12 次。迈克尔.乔丹上高中时被校队刷了下来。在他的职业生涯里，输了几百场比赛。投失过几千次射篮，但他曾说过：“我一生不停地失败、失败再失败，这就是我成功的原因。 ”These people succeeded because they understood that you cant let your fail
49、ures 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 doesnt mean youre a troublemaker, it means you need to try harder to act right. If you get a bad grade, that doesnt mean youre stupid, it just means you need to spend more time studying.他们的成功，源于他们明白不能让失败左右自己。而是要从中吸取经验，从失败中，你能明白下一次可以做出怎样的改变。假如你惹了什么麻烦，那并不说明你就是那个捣蛋鬼。而意味着你需要更加努力去把它做对。假如你考了个低分，那不表示你比别人笨，而只表示你需要更多的时间学习。No ones born
