奥巴马竞选演讲稿
If there is anyone out there who still doubts that America is a place where all things are possible; who still wonders if the dream of our founders is alive in our time; who still questions the power of our democracy, tonight is your answer.
如果还有人对美国是一个任何事情都有可能发生的地方有所质疑，想知道我们的祖先还活在我们的时代的梦想能否成真，对我们民主的力量有所怀疑的话，那么今晚就是你想要的答案。
（ “美国是一个任何事情都有可能发生的国家,对于这一点如果还有任何人心存怀疑的话,今晚就是对这一问题的最好回答”） It’s the answer told by lines that stretched around schools and churches in numbers this nation has never seen; by people who waited three hours and four hours, many for the very first time in their lives, because they believed that this time must be different; that their voice could be that difference.
这个答案早已经印在了到处悬挂在学校和教堂的竞选条幅上,人们随处可见;这些人们已经等待了三四个小时,对于他们当中的大多数,这是有生以来第一次经历这样的过程,因为他们坚信这一时刻注定与众不同,而这种不同便有可能源自他们所发出的声音。
It’s the answer spoken by young and old, rich and poor, Democrat and Republican, black, white, Latino, Asian, Native American, gay,straight, disabled and not disabled – Americans who sent a message to the world that we have never been a collection of Red States and Blue States: we are, and always will be, the United States of America.
无论老少贫富，无论共和党抑或民主党，不管是黑皮肤、白种人、拉丁后裔、亚裔子孙还是本土美国人；无论性向如何，不管健康抑或残疾，所有的美国人民都向全世界传递出这样一条信息：我们从来都不是红蓝阵营的政治堆砌，我们是，而且永远是，美利坚合众国。
It’s the answer that led those who have been told for so long by so many to be cynical, and fearful, and doubtful of what we can achieve to put their hands on the arc of history and bend it once more toward the hope of a better day.
这个答案告诉了那些一直以来充满焦虑、恐惧和怀疑的人们,我们可以将双手放在历史的转折点上,将它再次带向充满希望的美好明天。
It’s been a long time coming, but tonight, because of what we did on this day, in this election, at this defining moment, change has come to America.
这一刻我们已经等待了太久,但是今晚,由于我们在这一决定性的时刻所作出的选择,美国便迎来了它崭新的一刻。
奥巴马演讲这次竞选的演讲稿？
谢谢，非常感谢各位。今晚，是在一个曾经的殖民地在赢得自己主权200多年之后，我们来到这里，不断前行，这主要是因为你们坚信这个国家能够实现永恒的希望，实现移民的梦想。每一个人都可以独立的争取自己的未来，我们将会作为一个国家共同起落。
今晚，在选举的过程当中，你们——美国的人民，让我们记得我们的道路是非常艰辛的，我们的道路是漫长的，我们重新站了起来，我们也从内心知道，美国还没有迎来最好的时代。
我想要感谢每一个参与选举的美国人。无论你们是第一次投票，还是(排队)等了很长的时间才投上一票——顺便说一下我会解决这个问题。无论你是自己去投票站投的票，还是打电话投的票；无论你是投给奥巴马，还是投给罗姆尼，你都是为我们国家带来转变的力量。
我刚刚同罗姆尼通过电话，我祝贺他和保罗·瑞安这次竞选所取得的成绩。我们的选战也许非常激烈，但这正是因为我们深爱着这个国家，并且我们十分在意它的未来。罗姆尼整个家庭，孙子辈，孩子辈，整个家庭都献给了美国，这种精神我们将永远铭记。几周之后我将会同罗姆尼坐在一起，讨论我们怎么样推动国家未来的发展。
我也感谢在过去四年辛苦奉献的搭档，也是美国最好的副总统，拜登先生。
我(之所以)成为现在的我，必须要感谢20年前与我结婚的女人。我想公开地表达：米歇尔，我从来没有像现在这样爱你！我为你感到非常非常的骄傲，我相信我们的国家也非常爱你，你是我们非常热爱的美国第一夫人。
萨莎和玛莉亚，我挚爱的女儿，你们两个是非常坚强也非常聪明的女性，就像你们的母亲一样，我对你们感到非常的骄傲，但是目前我觉得给你们养一条宠物狗就够了。
我还要感谢我的竞选团队和志愿者，他们是最好的，最棒的，而且是史上最棒的。有些人是第一次来听我的演说，有些人四年前就听了我的获胜演说，但是每个人对我来讲都是我的一分子，不管你做了什么，不管你去了哪里，你一定会记得我们今天晚上所创的历史，你会一生都感激今晚这个时刻，而且你们会一直记得有一个心怀感激的总统，谢谢你们一路以来对我的信任，我要感谢你们所做的每一件事情。正是因为有了你们，我才会一路坚持下来。我对此将永远感谢，不管你做的什么，你们所做的一切我都心怀感激，并且永远感谢。
我知道这些政治竞选，可能有时候看起来非常愚蠢，而且我们也听到很多人跟我们讲政治有的时候十分愚蠢，可能他只是利益的追求和冲突，但是如果你们真的有机会去和竞选活动上和人们谈论一些问题，或者你看到一些竞选团队，非常辛勤工作的志愿者们，你们的印象会有所改观，因为你能够看到他们有多大的决心。
一名大学生竞选活动组织者，他付出艰辛努力读完大学，而现在希望每一个孩子都能享有和他一样的机会。一名志愿者，言辞中藏不住骄傲，她挨家挨户助选拉票，只因哥哥终于找到工作，附近的汽车厂增加了班次给了他机会。一名军人的妻子在谈话中洋溢着爱国之情，她为助选打电话直到深夜，只是为了确保那些曾经为国家抛头颅洒热血的军人回家之后，无需再为一份工作、一个住处，再次走上“战场”。
这就是我们现在所做的一切，这就是政治的真谛，这才是大选如此重要的原因。这并不是小事情，这是大事情，是至关重要的事情。我们这个拥有3亿人口的国家，民主的情绪可能十分复杂，可能十分混乱，每个人可能都有自己的观点，每个人都有自己深深的信仰，在我们经历艰难时刻，做出艰难抉择时，我们很自然会有冲突，会有情感的表达，但是我认为它不应当影响我们今晚的表现。这些争论正是我们自由的基础，我们永远不会忘记我们说话的时候，许多国家的人民仍然在冒着风险，希望能够找到解决问题的方法，希望能够争取投票的权利。
尽管我们有很多的分歧，大多数人都对美国有共同的希望，我们都希望我们的孩子能够上最好的学校，有最好的老师；我们的国家成为技术以及创新方面的领袖，并且创造更多的就业岗位和更多的企业。我希望我们的孩子不是负债累累，不会受到恐怖力量的威胁。我们也希望我们的国家是安全的，在全球受到尊重和羡慕，并且拥有全世界最强大、最优秀的军队。同时我们的国家也应该是充满信心的国家，结束战争，重塑人类的和平。
与此同时我们也希望自己的国家，有信心，并且能够不断推动每个人的自由、繁荣和发展，我们相信美国的慷慨和包容，美国的自由和开放，我们将伸开双手迎接那些移民的子女来到美国。我们相信在芝加哥任何一个孩子都可以看到他的希望，在北卡州那些想要成为科学家和医生的学生，想要成为工程师，甚至是总统的学生，这是我们共同要争取的未来，这是我们共同分享的愿景，这也是我们前进的方向。
我们有的时候会对于怎么样向前进有非常强烈的分歧，200年来，大家知道我们的进步不是一蹴而就，也不是一帆风顺，我们伴随着很多分歧和不同。我们意识到我们有着共同的梦想，将会使我们结束僵局，努力的促成问题的解决。我们需要妥协，需要使我们国家的继续向前进，这样一种团结的力量是我们现在出发的基础。我们的经济正处于复苏期间，我们十年的战争也已经结束，我们的竞选也已经将告尾声，无论我是否赢得了你们的选票，我都倾听了你们的声音，我都从你们那里学到了很多东西，你们将会使我成为更好的总统。我将会记得你们的故事，你们的抗争，我将会更坚定的入主白宫，并且更坚定的完成未来的工作。
今晚，大家是为行动而不是为政治而投票，希望我们能够更关注你们的工作，而不是我的工作。在今后的几周，我将会与两党领袖会面应对我们的挑战，我们只能够共同应对挑战，减少我们的赤字，改善我们的移民体系，减少对外国石油的依赖，我们有很多工作要做。但是这不意味着你们的工作就结束了，在民主社会当中公民的作用并不因为投票而结束，你们一定要问问自己，不是美国能为你们做什么，而是我能为美国做什么，我们要进行自我治理，自我约束，这是我们的原则，也是我们建国的理念。
美国是全球拥有最多财富的国家，但这并不是美国人民富有的真正原因。我们拥有最强大的军队，但这并不是我们强壮的真正原因。我们拥有最优秀的高等教育和文化成果，但这并不是吸引世界各国人民涌向美国的真正原因。美国之所以与众不同，是因为能够包容多元化的纽带将我们联系在一起，是因为我们相信彼此拥有共同的命运，是因为我们相信，只有为他人付出，互相帮助才能实现国家的进步，才能为后代创造更美好的未来。前人曾为自由奋斗甚至是献出生命，而只有负责任与权利的结合，只有爱、宽容、责任感及爱国之情能使我们更好地实现、维护这份来之不易的自由。这才是美国的伟大之处。
我今天晚上充满了希望，因为我看到美国劳动人民的精神，还看到了那些商业人士所做的工作，提供了很多工作机会，而且我还看到那些失业的人民得到了帮助，我还看到战士们仍然守卫着我们的国家，因为他们也知道我们在支持着他们。我还看到新泽西纽约每个政党的领导人，都开始抛开他们的歧见，来探讨怎么从桑迪风暴中重建我们的家园。
我们还看到，几天前，俄亥俄州一个父亲说他有一个八岁的女儿，女孩的白血病使他的家庭一贫如洗，他们之前并没有得到医疗保障，后来他们受利于几个月前刚刚通过的医改方案，使他们能够支付起医疗费。我和这位父亲，还有他的女儿都见面了，当他说的时候，在场所有的父母都落泪了，因为我们知道，他的女儿也可能是我们的女儿，我们都希望自己的孩子未来充满光芒，这是每个父母的希望，这是我身为总统引以为豪的。
今晚，尽管我们经历了这么多的困难，尽管我们经历了这么多的挫折，我对未来格外充满信心，我对美国格外充满希望，我希望大家延续这种希望，我这里讲的并不是盲目的乐观，指的是我们对未来的挑战，我也没有说天真或者理想化的乐观情绪，我真正的希望，不管我们遇到多少的挫折，多少的困难，只有我们有勇气保持不断努力、不断斗争，不断勇往直前。
我相信我们我们能在取得成就的基础上取得新的机会，为美国的中产阶级提供新的希望，我相信我们能够继续延续我们建国者的承诺，不管你来自哪里，不管你的肤色是什么，不管你是黑人、白人、亚裔人，任何种族，不管你是同性恋，还是非同性恋，不管你是贫困的，还是富裕的，你都可以来到美国实现你的梦想。
我相信，我们可以共同迎来这样的未来，因为我们对未来是充满了希望，我们有雄心壮志，我们赢得的不仅仅是这一个选举，而且是一个未来，是美国的未来。我们将会作为一个整体，是美利坚合众国，而不是分成蓝色或者是红色，上帝会引导我们走向这条道路。并且我们相信，我们会成为世界上最伟大的国家，谢谢你们，上帝保佑美国！
求奥巴马就职演讲的中英文演讲稿
奥巴马就职演说全文
以下是奥巴马总统就职演说的中英文对照全文，中文由美国国务院国际信息局(IIP)根据演说记录稿翻译。
（巴拉克•奥巴马(Barack Obama)于2009年1月20日宣誓就职美国第44任总统）
My fellow citizens:
I stand here today humbled by the task before us, grateful for the trust you have bestowed, mindful of the sacrifices borne by our ancestors. I thank President Bush for his service to our nation, as well as the generosity and cooperation he has shown throughout this transition.
同胞们：
我今天站在这里，深感面前使命的重大，深谢你们赋予的信任，并铭记我们前辈所付的代价。我感谢布什总统对国家的贡献以及他在整个过渡阶段给予的大度合作。
Forty-four Americans have now taken the presidential oath. The words have been spoken during rising tides of prosperity and the still waters of peace. Yet, every so often the oath is taken amidst gathering clouds and raging storms. At these moments, America has carried on not simply because of the skill or vision of those in high office, but because we the people have remained faithful to the ideals of our forebears, and true to our founding documents.
至此，有四十四个美国人发出总统誓言。这些字词曾在蒸蒸日上的繁荣时期和宁静安详的和平年代诵读。但是间或，它们也响彻在阴云密布、风暴降临的时刻。美国能够历经这些时刻而勇往直前，不仅因为当政者具有才干或远见，而且也因为“我们人民”始终坚信我们先辈的理想，对我们的建国理念忠贞不渝。
So it has been. So it must be with this generation of Americans.
这是过来之路。这是这一代美国的必由之路。
That we are in the midst of crisis is now well understood. Our nation is at war, against a far-reaching network of violence and hatred. Our economy is badly weakened, a consequence of greed and irresponsibility on the part of some, but also our collective failure to make hard choices and prepare the nation for a new age. Homes have been lost; jobs shed; businesses shuttered. Our health care is too costly; our schools fail too many; and each day brings further evidence that the ways we use energy strengthen our adversaries and threaten our planet.
我们处于危机之中，这一点已得到充分认识。我国在进行战争，打击分布广泛的暴力和仇恨势力。我们的经济严重衰弱，部分归咎于一些人的贪婪不轨，同时也因为我们作为一个整体，未能痛下决心，让国家作好面对新时代的准备。如今，住房不再，就业减少，商业破产。医疗保健费用过度昂贵；学校质量没有保障；而每一天都在不断显示，我们使用能源的方式在助长敌人的威风，威胁我们的星球。
These are the indicators of crisis, subject to data and statistics. Less measurable but no less profound is a sapping of confidence across our land — a nagging fear that America's decline is inevitable, and that the next generation must lower its sights.
这些是危机的迹象，数据统计将予以证明。不易于衡量然而同样严重的是全国各地受动摇的信心——一种挥之不去的恐惧感，认为美国将不可避免地走下坡路，下一代人不得不放低眼光。
Today I say to you that the challenges we face are real. They are serious and they are many. They will not be met easily or in a short span of time. But know this, America — they will be met.
今天，我告诉大家，我们面临的挑战真实存在，并且严重而多重。它们不可能在一个短时间内被轻易征服。但是，美国，请记住这句话——它们将被征服。
On this day, we gather because we have chosen hope over fear, unity of purpose over conflict and discord.
我们今天聚集在这里是因为我们选择希望而不是恐惧，选择齐心协力而不是冲突对立。
On this day, we come to proclaim an end to the petty grievances and false promises, the recriminations and worn out dogmas, that for far too long have strangled our politics.
我们今天在这里宣告，让斤斤计较与虚假承诺就此结束，让窒息我国政治为时太久的相互指责和陈词滥调就此完结。
（亲爱的黑人兄弟在看就职典礼）
We remain a young nation, but in the words of Scripture, the time has come to set aside childish things. The time has come to reaffirm our enduring spirit; to choose our better history; to carry forward that precious gift, that noble idea, passed on from generation to generation: the God-given promise that all are equal, all are free and all deserve a chance to pursue their full measure of happiness.
我们仍是一个年轻的国家，但用圣经的话说，现在是抛弃幼稚的时侯了。现在应是我们让永恒的精神发扬光大的时侯，应是选择创造更佳历史业绩的时侯，应是将代代相传的宝贵财富、崇高理想向前发展的时侯：上帝赋予所有人平等、所有人自由和所有人充分追求幸福的机会。
In reaffirming the greatness of our nation, we understand that greatness is never a given. It must be earned. Our journey has never been one of shortcuts or settling for less. It has not been the path for the faint-hearted — for those who prefer leisure over work, or seek only the pleasures of riches and fame. Rather, it has been the risk-takers, the doers, the makers of things — some celebrated but more often men and women obscure in their labor, who have carried us up the long, rugged path towards prosperity and freedom.
在重申我们国家伟大精神的同时，我们懂得，伟大从非天生，而是必须赢得。我们的历程从来不是走捷径或退而求其次的历程。它不是弱者的道路——它不属于好逸恶劳或只图名利享受的人；这条路属于冒险者，实干家，创造者——有些人享有盛名，但大多数是默默无闻耕耘劳作的男女志士，是他们带我们走向通往繁荣和自由的漫长崎岖之路。
For us, they packed up their few worldly possessions and traveled across oceans in search of a new life.
为了我们，他们打点起贫寒的行装上路，远涉重洋，追求新生活。
For us, they toiled in sweatshops and settled the West; endured the lash of the whip and plowed the hard earth.
为了我们，他们在血汗工厂劳作，在西部原野拓荒，忍着鞭笞之痛在坚硬的土地上耕耘。
For us, they fought and died, in places like Concord and Gettysburg; Normandy and Khe Sanh.
为了我们，他们奔赴疆场，英勇捐躯，长眠于康科德、葛底斯堡、诺曼底和溪山。
Time and again these men and women struggled and sacrificed and worked till their hands were raw so that we might live a better life. They saw America as bigger than the sum of our individual ambitions; greater than all the differences of birth or wealth or faction.
为了我们能够过上更好的生活，他们前赴后继，历尽艰辛，全力奉献，不辞劳苦，直至双手结起层层老茧。他们看到的美国超越了我们每一个人的雄心壮志，也超越了所有种族、财富或派系的差异。
This is the journey we continue today. We remain the most prosperous, powerful nation on Earth. Our workers are no less productive than when this crisis began. Our minds are no less inventive, our goods and services no less needed than they were last week or last month or last year. Our capacity remains undiminished. But our time of standing pat, of protecting narrow interests and putting off unpleasant decisions — that time has surely passed. Starting today, we must pick ourselves up, dust ourselves off, and begin again the work of remaking America.
今天，作为后来者，我们踏上了这一未竟的旅程。我们依然是地球上最繁荣、最强大的国家。我们的劳动者的创造力并没有因为眼前的这场危机而减弱。我们的头脑依然像以往那样善于发明创新。我们的产品与服务仍旧像上星期、上个月或去年一样受人欢迎。我们的能力丝毫无损。但是，维持现状、保护狭隘的利益集团、推迟困难的抉择的时代无疑已成为过去。从今天起，我们必须振作起来，扫除我们身上的尘土，重新开启再造美国的事业。
For everywhere we look, there is work to be done. The state of the economy calls for action, bold and swift, and we will act — not only to create new jobs, but to lay a new foundation for growth. We will build the roads and bridges, the electric grids and digital lines that feed our commerce and bind us together. We will restore science to its rightful place, and wield technology's wonders to raise health care's quality and lower its cost. We will harness the sun and the winds and the soil to fuel our cars and run our factories. And we will transform our schools and colleges and universities to meet the demands of a new age. All this we can do. All this we will do.
无论我们把目光投向何处，都有工作在等待着我们。经济形势要求我们果敢而迅速地行动，我们将不辱使命——不仅要创造新的就业机会，而且要打下新的增长基础。我们将建造道路和桥梁，架设电网，铺设承载我们的商务和把我们紧密相连的电子通讯网络。我们将恢复尊重科学的传统，利用高新技术的超常潜力提高医疗保健质量并降低成本。我们将利用太阳能、风力和地热为车辆和工厂提供能源。我们将改造我们的中小学和高等院校，以应对新时代的挑战。这一切我们都能做到。这一切我们必将做到。
Now, there are some who question the scale of our ambitions — who suggest that our system cannot tolerate too many big plans. Their memories are short. For they have forgotten what this country has already done; what free men and women can achieve when imagination is joined to common purpose, and necessity to courage.
现在，有人怀疑我们的雄心壮志——他们说我们的体制不能承受太多的宏伟规划。他们的记忆是短暂的，因为他们忘记了这个国家已经取得的成就，忘记了一旦共同的目标插上理想的翅膀、现实的要求鼓起勇气的风帆，自由的人民就会爆发出无穷的创造力。
What the cynics fail to understand is that the ground has shifted beneath them — that the stale political arguments that have consumed us for so long no longer apply. The question we ask today is not whether our government is too big or too small, but whether it works — whether it helps families find jobs at a decent wage, care they can afford, a retirement that is dignified. Where the answer is yes, we intend to move forward. Where the answer is no, programs will end. Those of us who manage the public's dollars will be held to account — to spend wisely, reform bad habits, and do our business in the light of day — because only then can we restore the vital trust between a people and their government.
那些冷眼旁观的人没有认识到他们脚下的大地已经移动——那些长期以来空耗我们的精力的陈腐政治观点已经过时。我们今天提出的问题不是我们的政府太大还是太小，而是它是否行之有效——它是否能够帮助人们找到报酬合理的就业机会，是否能够为他们提供费用适度的医疗保健服务，是否能够确保他们在退休后不失尊严。如果回答是肯定的，我们就要向前推进。如果回答是否定的，计划和项目必须终止。作为公共资金的管理者，我们必须承担责任——明智地使用资金，抛弃坏习惯，在阳光下履行职责——因为只有这样我们才能恢复人民对政府的至关重要的信任。
Nor is the question before us whether the market is a force for good or ill. Its power to generate wealth and expand freedom is unmatched, but this crisis has reminded us that without a watchful eye, the market can spin out of control — and that a nation cannot prosper long when it favors only the prosperous. The success of our economy has always depended not just on the size of our gross domestic product, but on the reach of our prosperity; on our ability to extend opportunity to every willing heart — not out of charity, but because it is the surest route to our common good.
我们提出的问题也不在于市场力量是替天行道还是为虎作伥。市场在生成财富和传播自由方面具有无与伦比的力量，但这场危机提醒我们：没有严格的监督，市场就会失控——如果一个国家仅仅施惠于富裕者，其富裕便不能持久。我们的经济成功从来不是仅仅依赖国内总产值的规模，而是还依赖繁荣的普及，即为每一位愿意致富的人提供机会的能力——不是通过施舍——因为这才是最可靠的共同富裕之路。
(就职典礼)
As for our common defense, we reject as false the choice between our safety and our ideals. Our founding fathers ... our found fathers, faced with perils we can scarcely imagine, drafted a charter to assure the rule of law and the rights of man, a charter expanded by the blood of generations. Those ideals still light the world, and we will not give them up for expedience's sake. And so to all the other peoples and governments who are watching today, from the grandest capitals to the small village where my father was born: know that America is a friend of each nation and every man, woman, and child who seeks a future of peace and dignity, and that we are ready to lead once more.
至于我们的共同防御，我们决不接受安全与理念不可两全的荒谬论点。建国先贤面对我们难以想见的险恶局面，起草了一部保障法治和人权的宪章，一部子孙后代以自己的鲜血使之更加完美的宪章。今天，这些理念仍然照耀着世界，我们不会为一时之利而弃之。因此，对于今天正在观看此情此景的其他各国人民和政府——从最繁华的首都到我父亲出生的小村庄——我们希望他们了解：凡追求和平与尊严的国家以及每一位男人、妇女和儿童，美国是你们的朋友。我们已经做好准备，再一次走在前面。
奥巴马就职演讲稿.英文和中文都要.
Hello, everybody! Thank you. Thank you. Thank you, everybody. All right, everybody go ahead and have a seat. How is everybody doing today? (Applause.) How about Tim Spicer? (Applause.) I am here with students at Wakefield High School in Arlington, Virginia. And we’ve 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 an outstanding host. Give yourselves a big round of applause. (Applause.)
大家好！谢谢你们。谢谢你们。谢谢你们大家。好，大家请就坐。你们今天都好吗？（掌声）
•
（Tim Spicer）好吗？（掌声）我现在与
郡
高中的学生们在一起。美国各地从小学预备班到中学12年级的学生正在收听收看。我很高兴大家今天都能参与。我还要感谢
高中出色的组织安排。请为你们自己热烈鼓掌。（掌声）
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
, it’s your first day in a
, so it’s understandable if you’re a little nervous. I imagine there are some seniors out there who are feeling pretty good
-- (applause) -- with just one more year to go. And
grade you’re in, some of you are probably wishing it were still summer and you could’ve stayed in bed
longer this morning.
我知道，今天是你们很多人开学的日子。对于进入小学预备班、初中或高中的学生，今天是你们来到新学校的第一天，心里可能有点紧张，这是可以理解的。我能想象有些毕业班学生现在感觉很不错——（掌声）——还有一年就毕业了。不论在哪个年级，你们有些人可能希望暑假更长一点，今天早上还能多睡一小会儿。
I know that feeling. When I was young, my family lived overseas. I lived in Indonesia for a few years. And my
, she didn’t have the money to send me where all the American kids went to school, but she thought it was important for me to
with an American education. So she decided to teach me extra lessons herself, Monday through Friday. But because she had to go to work, the
she could do it was at 4:30 in the morning.
我了解这种感觉。我小时候，我们家生活在海外。我在
住了几年。我妈妈没有钱送我上其他
上的学校，但她认为必须让我接受美式教育。因此，她决定从周一到周五自己给我补课。不过她还要上班，所以只能在清晨四点半给我上课。
Now, as you might imagine, I wasn’t too happy about getting up that early. And a lot of times, I’d fall asleep right there at the kitchen table. But whenever I’d complain, my
would just give me one of those looks and she’d say, “This is no picnic for me either, buster.” (Laughter.)
你们可以想见，我不太情愿那么早起床。有很多次，我趴在餐桌上就睡着了。但每当我抱怨的时候，我妈妈都会那样地看我一眼，然后说：“小子，这对我也并不轻松。”（笑声）
So I know that some of you are still adjusting to being back at school. But I’m here today because I have something important to discuss with you. I’m here because I want to talk with you about your education and what’s expected of all of you in this
year.
我知道你们有些人还在适应开学后的生活。但我今天来到这里是因为有重要的事情要和你们说。我来这里是要和你们谈谈你们的教育问题，以及在这个新学年对你们所有人的期望。
Now, I’ve given a lot of speeches about education. And I’ve talked about responsibility a lot.
我做过很多次有关教育问题的演讲。我多次谈到过责任问题。
I’ve talked about teachers’ responsibility for inspiring students and pushing you to learn.
我谈到过教师激励学生并督促他们学习的责任。
I’ve talked about your parents’ responsibility for making sure you stay on track, and you get your homework done, and don’t spend every waking hour in front of the TV or with the Xbox.
我谈到过家长的责任，要确保你们走正路，完成
，不要整天坐在电视前或玩Xbox游戏。
I’ve talked a lot about your government’s responsibility for setting high standards, and supporting teachers and principals, and turning around schools that aren’t working, where students aren’t getting the opportunities that they deserve.
我多次谈到过政府的责任，要制定高标准，支持教师和校长的工作，彻底改善不能为学生提供应有机会的、教育质量差的学校。
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 your responsibilities, unless you show up to those schools, unless you pay attention to those teachers, unless you
to your parents and grandparents and other adults and put in the hard work it takes to succeed. That’s what I want to focus on today: the responsibility each of you has for your education.
然而，即使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——如果你们大家不履行你们的责任，不到校上课，不专心听讲，不听家长、祖父祖母和其他大人的话，不付出取得成功所必须的勤奋努力，那么这一切都毫无用处，都无关紧要。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 you’re good at. Every single one of you has something to offer. And you have a responsibility to yourself to
what that is. That’s the opportunity an education can provide.
我首先要讲讲你们对自己应尽的责任。你们每个人都有自己的长处。你们每个人都能做出自己的贡献。你们对自己应尽的责任是发现自己的能力所在。而教育能够提供这样的机会。
Maybe you could be a great writer -- maybe even good enough to write a book or articles in a newspaper -- but you might not know it until you write that English paper -- that English class paper that’s assigned to you. Maybe you could be an innovator or an
-- maybe even good enough to come up with the next iPhone or the new medicine or
-- but you might not know it until you do your project for your
class. Maybe you could be a mayor or a
or a Supreme Court justice -- but you might not know that until you join student government or the debate team.
你或许能成为一名出色的作家——甚至可能写书或在报纸上发表文章——但你可能要在完成那篇英文课的作文后才会发现自己的才华。你或许能成为一名创新者或
——甚至可能设计出新一代iPhone或研制出新型药物或疫苗——但你可能要在完成
的实验后才会发现自己的才华。你或许能成为一名市长或
或最高法院的
——但你可能要在参加学生会的工作或辩论队后才会发现自己的才华。
And
you want to do with your life, I guarantee that you’ll need an education to do it. You want to be a doctor, or a teacher, or a police officer? You want to be a nurse or an
, a lawyer or a member of our military? You’re 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. You’ve got to train for it and work for it and learn for it.
不论你的生活志向是什么，我敢肯定你必须上学读书才能实现它。你想当医生、教师或警官吗？你想当护士、
、律师或军人吗？你必须接受良好的教育，才能从事上述任何一种职业。你不能指望辍学后能碰上个好工作。你必须接受培训，为之努力，为之学习。
And this isn’t 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 you’re learning in school today will determine 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。可以毫不夸大地说，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。你们今日在校学习的知识将决定我们作为一个国家是否能够迎接我们未来所面临的最严峻挑战。
You’ll need the knowledge and problem-solving skills you learn in
and math to cure diseases like
and AIDS, and to develop new energy technologies and protect our environment. You’ll 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. You’ll need the creativity and ingenuity you develop in all your classes to build new companies that will create new jobs and
our economy.
你们将需要利用你们通过
和数学课程所学到的知识和解决问题的能力来治愈
、
及其他疾病，开发新的
和保护我们的环境。你们将需要利用你们在
和
课堂上所获得的知识和独立思考能力来抗击贫困和解决
问题，打击犯罪和消除歧视，使我们的国家更公平、更自由。你们将需要利用你们在所有课堂上培养的创造力和智慧来创办新公司，增加就业机会，振兴我们的经济。
We need every single one of you to develop your talents and your skills and your intellect so you can help us old folks solve our most difficult problems. If you don’t do that -- if you quit on school -- you’re not just quitting on yourself, you’re quitting on your country.
我们需要你们每个人发挥你们的聪明才智和技能，以便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，如果你们辍学，你们不仅仅是
，也是抛弃自己的国家。
Now, I know it’s not always easy to do well in school. I know a lot of you have challenges in your lives
that can make it hard to focus on your schoolwork.
我自然知道要做到学业优秀并非总是易事。我知道你们许多人在生活中面临挑战，难以集中精力从事学业。
I get it. I know what it’s like. My father left my family when I was two years old, and I was raised by a single mom who had to work and who struggled at times to pay the bills and wasn’t always able to give us the things that other kids had. There were times when I missed having a father in my life. There were times when I was lonely and I felt like I didn’t fit in.
我明白这一点。 我有亲身感受。两岁时，我父亲离家而去，我是由一位单亲母亲抚养成人的，母亲不得不工作，并时常为支付生活费用而苦苦挣扎，但有时仍无法为我们提供其他孩子享有的东西。有时，我
中能有一位父亲。有时我感到孤独，感到自己不适应社会。
So I wasn’t always as focused as I should have been on school, and I did some things I’m not proud of, and I got in more trouble than I should have. And my life could have easily taken a turn for the worse.
我并非总是像我应该做到的那样专心学习，我也曾做过我如今不能引以为豪的一些事情，我曾惹过不应该惹的麻烦。我的人生原本会轻易陷入更糟糕的境地。
But I was -- I was
. I got a lot of
s, and I had the opportunity to go to college and law school and follow my dreams. My wife, our
Michelle Obama, she has a similar story. Neither of her parents had gone to college, and they didn’t 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.
但是，我当年
不错。我有过许多第二次机会，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
•
，也有着类似的经历。她的父母都未曾上过大学，家里很穷。但他们非常勤奋 ，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 have those advantages. Maybe you don’t have adults in your life who give you the support that you need. Maybe someone in your family has lost their job and there’s
money to go around. Maybe you live in a neighborhood where you don’t feel safe, or have friends who are pressuring you to do things you know aren’t right.
你们中有一些人可能没有那些有利条件。或许你们生活中没有成年人为你们提供你们所需要的支持。或许你们家中有人失业，经济非常拮据。或许你们生活在使你们感觉不安全的社区，或有朋友逼迫你们去做你们知道不对的事情。
