2009奥巴马的秋季开学演讲稿

REMARKS BY THE PRESIDENT IN A NATIONAL 美国总统奥巴马对全美中小学生的ADDRESS TO AMERICA’S SCHOOLCHILDREN Wakefield High School, Arlington,

Virginia

弗吉尼亚州阿灵顿郡韦克菲尔德高

September 8, 2009

Hello, everybody! Thank you.

中

2009年9月8日

大家好！谢谢你们。谢谢你们。

讲话

Thank you. Thank you, everybody. All 谢谢你们大家。好，大家请就坐。你right, everybody go ahead and have a 们今天都好吗？（掌声）蒂姆•斯派seat. How is everybody doing today? 塞（Tim Spicer）好吗？（掌声）我(Applause.) How about Tim Spicer?

现在与弗吉尼亚州阿灵顿郡韦克菲

(Applause.) I am here with students at 尔德高中的学生们在一起。美国各地Wakefield High School in Arlington, 从小学预备班到中学12年级的学生Virginia. And we’ve got students tuning in from all across America,

正在收听收看。我很高兴大家今天都能参与。我还要感谢韦克菲尔德高中

from kindergarten through 12th grade. 出色的组织安排。请为你们自己热烈And I am just so glad that all could 鼓掌。（掌声） join us today. And I want to thank Wakefield for being such an outstanding host. Give yourselves a big round of applause. (Applause.)

I know that for many of you, today 我知道，今天是你们很多人

is the first day of school. And for 开学的日子。对于进入小学预备those of you in kindergarten, or

班、初中或高中的学生，今天是

starting middle or high school, it’你们来到新学校的第一天，心里s your first day in a new school, so 可能有点紧张，这是可以理解的。it’s understandable if you’re a little 我能想象有些毕业班学生现在感nervous. I imagine there are some seniors out there who are feeling

觉很不错——（掌声）——还有一年就毕业了。不论在哪个年级，

pretty good right now -- (applause) -- 你们有些人可能希望暑假更长一with just one more year to go. And no 点，今天早上还能多睡一小会儿。 matter what grade you’re in, some of you are probably wishing it were still summer and you could’ve stayed in bed just a little bit longer this morning.

I know that feeling. When I was young, my family lived overseas. I

我了解这种感觉。我小时候，我们家生活在海外。我在印度尼

lived in Indonesia for a few years. And 西亚住了几年。我妈妈没有钱送my mother, she didn’t have the money 我上其他美国孩子上的学校，但to send me where all the American kids 她认为必须让我接受美式教育。went to school, but she thought it was 因此，她决定从周一到周五自己important for me to keep up with an 给我补课。不过她还要上班，所American education. So she decided to 以只能在清晨四点半给我上课。 teach me extra lessons herself, Monday through Friday. But because she had to go to work, the only time she could do it was at 4:30 in the morning.

Now, as you might imagine, I wasn’t too happy about getting up that

你们可以想见，我不太情愿那么早起床。有很多次，我趴在

early. And a lot of times, I’d fall 餐桌上就睡着了。但每当我抱怨

asleep right there at the kitchen 的时候，我妈妈都会那样地看我

table. But whenever I’d complain, my 一眼，然后说：“小子，这对我mother would just give me one of those 也并不轻松。”（笑声） looks and she’d say, “This is no picnic for me either, buster.” (Laughter.)

So I know that some of you are still adjusting to being back at

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

school. But I’m here today because I 里是因为有重要的事情要和你们have something important to discuss 说。我来这里是要和你们谈谈你with you. I’m here because I want to 们的教育问题，以及在这个新学talk with you about your education and 年对你们所有人的期望。 what’s expected of all of you in this new school year.

Now, I’ve given a lot of speeches 我做过很多次有关教育问题

about education. And I’ve talked about 的演讲。我多次谈到过责任问题。 responsibility a lot.

I’ve talked about teachers’

我谈到过教师激励学生并督

responsibility for inspiring students 促他们学习的责任。 and pushing you to learn.

I’ve talked about your parents’ 我谈到过家长的责任，要确

responsibility for making sure you stay on track, and you get your

保你们走正路，完成家庭作业，不要整天坐在电视前或玩Xbox游

homework done, and don’t spend every 戏。 waking hour in front of the TV or with the Xbox.

I’ve talked a lot about your government’s responsibility for setting high standards, and

我多次谈到过的责任，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

supporting teachers and principals, 供应有机会的、教育质量差的学and turning around schools that aren’校。 t working, where students aren’t getting the opportunities that they deserve.

But at the end of the day, we can 然而，即使我们拥有最敬业

have the most dedicated teachers, the 的教师，最尽力的家长和全世界most supportive parents, the best

最好的学校——如果你们大家不

schools in the world -- and none of it 履行你们的责任，不到校上课，will make a difference, none of it will 不专心听讲，不听家长、祖父祖matter unless all of you fulfill your 母和其他大人的话，不付出取得responsibilities, unless you show up 成功所必须的勤奋努力，那么这to those schools, unless you pay

一切都毫无用处，都无关紧要。

attention to those teachers, unless 这就是我今天讲话的重点：你们you listen to your parents and

每个人对自己的教育应尽的责

grandparents and other adults and put 任。 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.

I want to start with the

我首先要讲讲你们对自己应

responsibility you have to yourself. 尽的责任。你们每个人都有自己Every single one of you has something 的长处。你们每个人都能做出自that you’re good at. Every single one 己的贡献。你们对自己应尽的责of you has something to offer. And you 任是发现自己的能力所在。而教have a responsibility to yourself to 育能够提供这样的机会。 discover what that is. That’s the opportunity an education can provide.

Maybe you could be a great writer 你或许能成为一名出色的作

-- maybe even good enough to write a 家——甚至可能写书或在报纸上book or articles in a newspaper -- but 发表文章——但你可能要在完成you might not know it until you write 那篇英文课的作文后才会发现自that English paper -- that English

己的才华。你或许能成为一名创

class paper that’s assigned to you. 新者或发明家——甚至可能设计Maybe you could be an innovator or an 出新一代iPhone或研制出新型药inventor -- maybe even good enough to 物或疫苗——但你可能要在完成come up with the next iPhone or the new 科学课的实验后才会发现自己的medicine or vaccine -- but you might 才华。你或许能成为一名或not know it until you do your project 参议员或最高的大法官——for your science class. Maybe you could be a mayor or a senator or a

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

Supreme Court justice -- but you might 华。 not know that until you join student government or the debate team.

And no matter what you want to do 不论你的生活志向是什么，

with your life, I guarantee that you’我敢肯定你必须上学读书才能实ll need an education to do it. You want 现它。你想当医生、教师或警官to be a doctor, or a teacher, or a

吗？你想当护士、建筑师、律师

police officer? You want to be a nurse 或军人吗？你必须接受良好的教or an architect, a lawyer or a member 育，才能从事上述任何一种职业。of our military? You’re going to need 你不能指望辍学后能碰上个好工a good education for every single one 作。你必须接受培训，为之努力，of those careers. You cannot drop out 为之学习。 of school and just drop into a good job. You’ve got to train for it and work for it and learn for it.

And this isn’t just important for 这并非只对你个人的人生和

your own life and your own future. What 未来意义重大。可以毫不夸大地you make of your education will decide 说，教育给你带来的益处将决定nothing less than the future of this 这个国家的未来。美国的未来取country. The future of America depends 决于你们。你们今日在校学习的on you. What you’re learning in school 知识将决定我们作为一个国家是today will determine whether we as a 否能够迎接我们未来所面临的最nation can meet our greatest challenges in the future.

You’ll need the knowledge and

你们将需要利用你们通过自严峻挑战。

problem-solving skills you learn in 然科学和数学课程所学到的知识science and math to cure diseases like 和解决问题的能力来治愈癌症、cancer and AIDS, and to develop new 艾滋病及其他疾病，开发新的能

energy technologies and protect our 源技术和保护我们的环境。你们environment. You’ll need the insights 将需要利用你们在历史学和社会and critical-thinking skills you gain 学课堂上所获得的知识和思in history and social studies to fight 考能力来抗击贫困和解决无家可poverty and homelessness, crime and 归问题，打击犯罪和消除歧视，discrimination, and make our nation 使我们的国家更公平、更自由。more fair and more free. You’ll need 你们将需要利用你们在所有课堂the creativity and ingenuity you

上培养的创造力和智慧来创办新

develop in all your classes to build 公司，增加就业机会，振兴我们new companies that will create new jobs and boost our economy.

We need every single one of you to 我们需要你们每个人发挥你的经济。

develop your talents and your skills 们的聪明才智和技能，以便帮助and your intellect so you can help us 老一辈人解决我们面临的最棘手old folks solve our most difficult

问题。如果你们不这样做，如果

problems. If you don’t do that -- if 你们辍学，你们不仅仅是自暴自you quit on school -- you’re not just 弃，也是抛弃自己的国家。 quitting on yourself, you’re quitting on your country.

Now, I know it’s not always easy 我自然知道要做到学业优秀

to do well in school. I know a lot of 并非总是易事。我知道你们许多you have challenges in your lives right now that can make it hard to focus on your schoolwork.

I get it. I know what it’s like. 我明白这一点。 我有亲身感人在生活中面临挑战，难以集中精力从事学业。

My father left my family when I was two 受。两岁时，我父亲离家而去，years old, and I was raised by a single 我是由一位单亲母亲抚养成人mom who had to work and who struggled 的，母亲不得不工作，并时常为at times to pay the bills and wasn’支付生活费用而苦苦挣扎，但有t always able to give us the things 时仍无法为我们提供其他孩子享that other kids had. There were times 有的东西。有时，我渴望生活中when I missed having a father in my 能有一位父亲。有时我感到孤独，life. There were times when I was lonely and I felt like I didn’t fit in.

So I wasn’t always as focused as 我并非总是像我应该做到的感到自己不适应社会。

I should have been on school, and I did 那样专心学习，我也曾做过我如some things I’m not proud of, and I 今不能引以为豪的一些事情，我got in more trouble than I should have. 曾惹过不应该惹的麻烦。我的人And my life could have easily taken a 生原本会轻易陷入更糟糕的境turn for the worse.

But I was -- I was lucky. I got a 但是，我当年际遇不错。我地。

lot of second chances, and I had the 有过许多第二次机会，我有幸能opportunity to go to college and law 上大学，上法学院，追求自己的school and follow my dreams. My wife, 理想。我的妻子，我们的第一夫our First Lady Michelle Obama, she has 人米歇尔•奥巴马，也有着类似的a similar story. Neither of her

经历。她的父母都未曾上过大学，

parents had gone to college, and they 家里很穷。但他们非常勤奋 ，她didn’t have a lot of money. But they 也是如此，因此她得以进入一些worked hard, and she worked hard, so 美国最好的学校。 that she could go to the best schools in this country.

Some of you might not have those advantages. Maybe you don’t have

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

adults in your life who give you the 有成年人为你们提供你们所需要support that you need. Maybe someone 的支持。或许你们家中有人失业，in your family has lost their job and 经济非常拮据。或许你们生活在there’s not enough money to go around. 使你们感觉不安全的社区，或有Maybe you live in a neighborhood where 朋友逼迫你们去做你们知道不对you don’t feel safe, or have friends 的事情。 who are pressuring you to do things you know aren’t right.

But at the end of the day, the

然而说到底，你们生活的环

circumstances of your life -- what you 境、你们的肤色、你们的原籍、look like, where you come from, how 你们的经济收入、你们家中的境much money you have, what you’ve got 况等等，这一切都不能成为你们going on at home -- none of that is an 不用功或不努力的理由。你们没excuse for neglecting your homework or 有理由不服从你们的老师、逃学、having a bad attitude in school. That’或辍学。没有理由不付出努力。 s no excuse for talking back to your teacher, or cutting class, or dropping out of school. There is no excuse for not trying.

Where you are right now doesn’t 你们目前的状况并不决定着

have to determine where you’ll end up. 你们的未来。没有人决定你们的No one’s written your destiny for you, 命运，在美国，你们决定自己的because here in America, you write your own destiny. You make your own

命运。你们掌握自己的未来。

future.

That’s what young people like you are doing every day, all across America.

Young people like Jazmin Perez,

来自得州罗马城的贾兹敏•这就是像你们这样的年轻人每天都在做的事情，全美各地都是如此。

from Roma, Texas. Jazmin didn’t speak 佩雷斯（Jazmin Perez）就是一English when she first started school. 个例证，她刚开始上学时并不会Neither of her parents had gone to

说英文。她的父母都没有上过大

college. But she worked hard, earned 学。然而，她非常勤奋，成绩优good grades, and got a scholarship to 秀，获得了布朗大学的奖学金，Brown University -- is now in graduate 她如今正在读研究生，攻读公共school, studying public health, on her 卫生专业，不久将成为贾兹敏•佩way to becoming Dr. Jazmin Perez.

I’m thinking about Andoni

我想起了加州洛斯阿尔托斯雷斯博士。

Schultz, from Los Altos, California, 城的安多尼•舒尔茨（Andoni who’s fought brain cancer since he was Schultz），他从三岁开始就一直three. He’s had to endure all sorts 与脑癌进行抗争，他不得不忍受of treatments and surgeries, one of 各类治疗和手术带来的痛苦，其which affected his memory, so it took 中一项手术曾影响了他的记忆，him much longer -- hundreds of extra 因此他花在功课上的时间比一般hours -- to do his schoolwork. But he 人长得多，要多出数百个小时。never fell behind. He’s headed to college this fall.

然而，他从未落后。他今年秋季将迈进大学。

And then there’s Shantell Steve, 我还想起家乡伊利诺伊州芝

from my hometown of Chicago, Illinois. 加哥市的尚特尔•史蒂夫Even when bouncing from foster home to （Shantell Steve）。她曾在芝foster home in the toughest

加哥最困难的社区生活，寄养于

neighborhoods in the city, she managed 多个不同的家庭，但她最终在一to get a job at a local health care 家地方医疗中心找到工作，并开center, start a program to keep young 始了一项帮助年轻人远离流氓团people out of gangs, and she’s on track 伙的计划，她即将以优异成绩从to graduate high school with honors 中学毕业，紧接着将上大学。 and go on to college.

And Jazmin, Andoni, and Shantell 贾兹敏、安多尼和尚特尔与

aren’t any different from any of you. 你们中间的每个人没什么两样。They face challenges in their lives 跟你们一样，他们在生活中面临just like you do. In some cases they’种种挑战。在某些情况下，他们ve got it a lot worse off than many of 的处境比起你们许多人更差。但you. But they refused to give up. They 他们拒绝放弃。他们决定要为自chose to take responsibility for their 己的一生、自己的教育负起责任，lives, for their education, and set 为自己设定各项奋斗目标。我期goals for themselves. And I expect all 待你们大家都会这样做。 of you to do the same.

That’s why today I’m calling on 因此，我今天呼吁你们每一

each of you to set your own goals for 个人为自己的教育设定目标，并your education -- and do everything 尽自己的最大努力来实现这些目you can to meet them. Your goal can be 标。你的目标可以是一件十分简something as simple as doing all your 单的事情，例如完成家庭作业、homework, paying attention in class, 上课专心听讲、或每天花一点时

or spending some time each day reading 间读一本书。也许你会决定要参a book. Maybe you’ll decide to get 加课外活动或在你的社区提供志involved in an extracurricular activity, or volunteer in your community. Maybe you’ll decide to

愿服务。也许你会决定挺身而出保护那些因为身份或长相而受人戏弄或欺负的孩子，原因是你和

stand up for kids who are being teased 我一样认为所有的年轻人都应该or bullied because of who they are or 享有一个适合读书和学习的安全how they look, because you believe, 环境。也许你会决定更好地照料like I do, that all young people

自己，以便有更充沛的精力来学

deserve a safe environment to study 习。顺便提一下，除了这些事情and learn. Maybe you’ll decide to take 外，我希望大家要勤洗手，身体better care of yourself so you can be 感到不舒服的时候要呆在家里不more ready to learn. And along those 去上学，这样我们能防止人们在lines, by the way, I hope all of you 今年秋冬季节染上流感。 are washing your hands a lot, and that you stay home from school when you don’t feel well, so we can keep people from getting the flu this fall and winter.

But whatever you resolve to do, I 但无论你决定做什么，我希

want you to commit to it. I want you 望你保证去做。我希望你脚踏实to really work at it.

I know that sometimes you get that 我知道有时候你会从电视上地地去做。

sense from TV that you can be rich and 得到这样的印象：你不用做任何successful without any hard work -- 艰苦的工作就能发财致富并取得that your ticket to success is through 成功，唱小调、打篮球或成为真rapping or basketball or being a

人秀明星是走向成功的途径。但

reality TV star. Chances are you’re 实际情况是：你可能不会成为其not going to be any of those things. 中的一员。

The truth is, being successful is

事实上，取得成功不是轻而

hard. You won’t love every subject 易举的事情。你不会喜欢你学习that you study. You won’t click with 的每一门课目。你不会与你的每every teacher that you have. Not every 一位老师都很投契。不是所有的homework assignment will seem

家庭作业似乎都与你眼前的生活

completely relevant to your life right 完全有关。你第一次尝试做每件at this minute. And you won’t necessarily succeed at everything the first time you try.

That’s okay. Some of the most

这些都没关系。世界上最成事的时候，不一定成功。

successful people in the world are the 功的人士中有一些是遭遇失败最ones who’ve had the most failures. 多的人。作者J•K•罗琳（J.K. J.K. Rowling’s -- who wrote Harry

Rowling）所写的系列小说《哈利

Potter -- her first Harry Potter book •波特》（Harry Potter）第一部was rejected 12 times before it was 在获得出版之前被退稿12次。迈finally published. Michael Jordan was 克尔•乔丹（Michael Jordan）曾cut from his high school basketball 被他的高中篮球队除名。在乔丹team. He lost hundreds of games and 的篮球生涯中，他输过数百场比missed thousands of shots during his 赛，有成千上万个球没有投中。career. But he once said, “I have

但他曾说过：“在我的一生中，

failed over and over and over again in 我失败了一次又一次、一次又一my life. And that’s why I succeed.” 次。这就是我成功的原因。”

These people succeeded because

这些人士获得成功，因为他

they understood that you can’t let 们懂得：你不能让失败来你，your failures define you -- you have 而必须让失败来开导你。你必须to let your failures teach you. You 让失败向你展示下次如何以不同have to let them show you what to do 的方式去做这件事情。因此，如differently the next time. So if you 果你遇到麻烦，那并不表示你是get into trouble, that doesn’t mean 麻烦的制造者，而意味着你需要you’re a troublemaker, it means you 更加努力去把它做对。如果你有need to try harder to act right. If you 一门课分数低，那不表示你比别get a bad grade, that doesn’t mean you’人笨，而只表示你需要花更多的re stupid, it just means you need to 时间学习。 spend more time studying.

No one’s born being good at all things. You become good at things through hard work. You’re not a varsity athlete the first time you

没有一个人天生擅长做各种事情。你通过勤奋而变得擅长于各种事情。第一次从事新的体育项目时，你不可能是一位主力队

play a new sport. You don’t hit every 员。第一次唱一首歌曲时，你不note the first time you sing a song. 可能唱准每个音。你必须练习。You’ve got to practice. The same

同样的道理适用于你的学业。你

principle applies to your schoolwork. 可能要把一道数学题做几次才把You might have to do a math problem a 它做对。你可能要把一些材料阅few times before you get it right. You 读几遍才能理解。在交出一篇优might have to read something a few

美的作文之前，你肯定需要打几

times before you understand it. You 遍草稿。 definitely have to do a few drafts of a paper before it’s good enough to hand in

Don’t be afraid to ask questions. 不要害怕提问。不要在需要

Don’t be afraid to ask for help when 帮助时害怕请求别人帮助。我天you need it. I do that every day. Asking for help isn’t a sign of weakness, it’s a sign of strength

天请求别人的帮助。请求帮助不是软弱的表现，它是力量的标志，因为它表明你有勇气承认自己对

because it shows you have the courage 某些事情不懂，这样做会使你学to admit when you don’t know

到新的东西。因此，请确定一位

something, and that then allows you to 你信任的成年人，例如家长、祖learn something new. So find an adult 父母或老师、教练或辅导员，请that you trust -- a parent, a

他们帮助你遵循既定计划实现你

grandparent or teacher, a coach or a 的目标。 counselor -- and ask them to help you stay on track to meet your goals.

And even when you’re struggling, 即使当你苦苦挣扎、灰心丧

even when you’re discouraged, and you 气、感到其他人对你不抱希望时，feel like other people have given up 也不要对你自己丧失信心，因为on you, don’t ever give up on yourself, 当你自暴自弃时，你也抛弃了自because when you give up on yourself, 己的国家。 you give up on your country.

The story of America isn’t about 书写美国历史的不是在困难

people who quit when things got tough. 时刻退缩的人，而是坚持不懈、It’s about people who kept going, who 加倍努力的人，他们对国家的爱tried harder, who loved their country 促使他们全力以赴。 too much to do anything less than their best.

It’s the story of students who sat 书写美国历史的是250年前

where you sit 250 years ago, and went 坐在你们的位置上的学生，他们on to wage a revolution and they founded this nation. Young people.

后来进行了战争并创建了这个国家。还有75年前坐在你们的

Students who sat where you sit 75 years 位置上的年轻人和学生，他们走ago who overcame a Depression and won 出了大萧条并打赢了一场世界大a world war; who fought for civil rights and put a man on the moon.

战；他们为民权而奋斗并把宇航员送上了月球。至于20年前坐在

Students who sat where you sit 20 years 你们的位置上的学生，他们创办ago who founded Google and Twitter and 了谷歌（Google）、叽喳网Facebook and changed the way we communicate with each other.

So today, I want to ask all of you, 而今天，我要问问你们大家，（Twitter）和脸谱网

（Facebook），改变了我们交流沟通的方式。

what’s your contribution going to be? 你们将做出什么贡献？你们将解What problems are you going to solve? 决什么问题？你们将有什么发What discoveries will you make? What 现？20年、50年或100年后来到will a President who comes here in 20 这里讲话的总统将会怎样评价你or 50 or 100 years say about what all 们大家为这个国家所做的一切？ of you did for this country?

Now, your families, your

你们的家人、你们的老师和

teachers, and I are doing everything 我正在竭尽全力保证你们接受必we can to make sure you have the education you need to answer these

要的教育，以便回答上述问题。我正在努力工作，以便你们的教

questions. I’m working hard to fix up 室得到修缮，你们能够得到学习your classrooms and get you the books 所需的课本、设备和电脑。但你and the equipment and the computers 们也必须尽自己的努力。因此，

you need to learn. But you’ve got to 我希望你们大家从今年起认真对do your part, too. So I expect all of 待这个问题。我希望你们尽最大you to get serious this year. I expect 努力做好每一件事。我希望你们you to put your best effort into everything you do. I expect great

每个人都有出色的表现。不要让我们失望。不要让你们的家人或

things from each of you. So don’t let 你们的国家失望。而最重要的是，us down. Don’t let your family down 不要辜负你们自己，而要让我们or your country down. Most of all, don’都能[为你们]感到骄傲。 t let yourself down. Make us all proud.

Thank you very much, everybody. God bless you. God bless America. Thank you. (Applause.)

非常感谢你们大家。愿主保佑你们。愿主保佑美国。谢谢你们。（掌声）