奥巴马开学演讲稿3篇

时间:2024-02-29 15:29:56 | 来源:第一作文网

  2008年11月4日,美国各大电视网公布的初步统计结果显示,美国民主党总统候选人、伊利诺伊州国会参议员贝拉克·奥巴马在2008年11月4日举行的总统选举中击败共和党对手、亚利桑那州国会参议员麦凯恩,当选第44任(第56届)美国总统已成定局。以下是学习啦小编分享给大家的关于奥巴马开学演讲稿,给大家作为参考,希望能给大家带来帮助!

  奥巴马开学演讲稿1:

  Hello, everybody! Thank you. Thank you.Thank you, everybody. All right, everybody go ahead and have a seat. How iseverybody doing today? (Applause.) How about Tim Spicer? (Applause.) I am herewith students at Wakefield High School in Arlington, Virginia. And we've gotstudents tuning in from all across America, from kindergarten through 12thgrade. And I am just so glad that all could join us today. And I want to thankWakefield for being such an outstanding host. Give yourselves a big round ofapplause. (Applause.)

  I know that for many of you, today is thefirst day of school. And for those of you in kindergarten, or starting middleor high school, it's your first day in a new school, so it's understandable ifyou're a little nervous. I imagine there are some seniors out there who arefeeling pretty good right now -- (applause) -- with just one more year to go.And no matter what grade you're in, some of you are probably wishing it werestill summer and you could've stayed in bed just a little bit longer thismorning.

  I know that feeling. When I was young, myfamily lived overseas. I lived in Indonesia for a few years. And my mother, shedidn't 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.So she decided to teach me extra lessons herself, Monday through Friday. Butbecause she had to go to work, the only time she could do it was at 4:30 in themorning.

  Now, as you might imagine, I wasn't toohappy about getting up that early. And a lot of times, I'd fall asleep rightthere at the kitchen table. But whenever I'd complain, my mother would justgive me one of those looks and she'd say, "This is no picnic for meeither, buster." (Laughter.)

  So I know that some of you are stilladjusting to being back at school. But I'm here today because I have somethingimportant to discuss with you. I'm here because I want to talk with you aboutyour education and what's expected of all of you in this new school year.

  Now, I've given a lot of speeches abouteducation. And I've talked about responsibility a lot.

  I've talked about teachers' responsibilityfor inspiring students and pushing you to learn.

  I've talked about your parents'responsibility for making sure you stay on track, and you get your homeworkdone, and don't spend every waking hour in front of the TV or with theXbox.

  I've talked a lot about your government'sresponsibility for setting high standards, and supporting teachers and principals,and turning around schools that aren't working, where students aren't gettingthe opportunities that they deserve.

  But at the end of the day, we can have themost dedicated teachers, the most supportive parents, the best schools in theworld -- and none of it will make a difference, none of it will matter unlessall of you fulfill your responsibilities, unless you show up to those schools,unless you pay attention to those teachers, unless you listen to your parentsand 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 foryour education.

  I want to start with the responsibility youhave 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 responsibilityto yourself to discover what that is. That's the opportunity an education canprovide.

  Maybe you could be a great writer -- maybeeven good enough to write a book or articles in a newspaper -- but you mightnot know it until you write that English paper -- that English class paperthat's assigned to you. Maybe you could be an innovator or an inventor -- maybeeven good enough to come up with 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 youmight not know that until you join student government or the debate team.

  And no matter what you want to do with yourlife, I guarantee that you'll need an education to do it. You want to be adoctor, or a teacher, or a police officer? You want to be a nurse or an architect,a lawyer or a member of our military? You're going to need a good education forevery single one of those careers. You cannot drop out of school and just dropinto 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 your ownlife and your own future. What you make of your education will decide nothingless 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 canmeet our greatest challenges in the future.

  You'll need the knowledge andproblem-solving skills you learn in science and math to cure diseases likecancer and AIDS, and to develop new energy technologies and protect ourenvironment. You'll need the insights and critical-thinking skills you gain inhistory and social studies to fight poverty and homelessness, crime anddiscrimination, and make our nation more fair and more free. You'll need thecreativity and ingenuity you develop in all your classes to build new companiesthat will create new jobs and boost our economy.

  We need every single one of you to developyour talents and your skills and your intellect so you can help us old folks solveour 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.

  Now, I know it's not always easy to do wellin school. I know a lot of you have challenges in your lives right now that canmake it hard to focus on your schoolwork.

  I get it. I know what it's like. My fatherleft my family when I was two years old, and I was raised by a single mom whohad to work and who struggled at times to pay the bills and wasn't always ableto give us the things that other kids had. There were times when I missedhaving a father in my life. There were times when I was lonely and I felt likeI didn't fit in.

  So I wasn't always as focused as I shouldhave been on school, and I did some things I'm not proud of, and I got in moretrouble than I should have. And my life could have easily taken a turn for theworse.

  But I was -- I was lucky. I got a lot ofsecond chances, and I had the opportunity to go to college and law school andfollow my dreams. My wife, our First Lady Michelle Obama, she has a similarstory. Neither of her parents had gone to college, and they didn't have a lotof money. But they worked hard, and she worked hard, so that she could go tothe best schools in this country.

  Some of you might not have thoseadvantages. Maybe you don't have adults in your life who give you the supportthat you need. Maybe someone in your family has lost their job and there's notenough money to go around. Maybe you live in a neighborhood where you don'tfeel safe, or have friends who are pressuring you to do things you know aren'tright.

  But at the end of the day, the circumstancesof your life -- what you look like, where you come from, how much money youhave, what you've got going on at home -- none of that is an excuse forneglecting your homework or having a bad attitude in school. That's no excusefor 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 have todetermine where you'll end up. No one's written your destiny for you, becausehere in America, you write your own destiny. You make your own future.

  That's what young people like you are doingevery day, all across America.

  Young people like Jazmin Perez, from Roma,Texas. Jazmin didn't speak English when she first started school. Neither ofher parents had gone to college. But she worked hard, earned good grades, andgot a scholarship to Brown University -- is now in graduate school, studyingpublic health, on her way to becoming Dr. Jazmin Perez.

  I'm thinking about Andoni Schultz, from LosAltos, California, who's fought brain cancer since he was three. He's had toendure all sorts of treatments 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. He's headed to college this fall.

  And then there's Shantell Steve, from myhometown of Chicago, Illinois. Even when bouncing from foster home to fosterhome in the toughest neighborhoods in the city, she managed to get a job at alocal health care center, start a program to keep young people out of gangs,and she's on track to graduate high school with honors and go on tocollege. And Jazmin, Andoni,and Shantell aren't any different from any of you. They face challenges intheir lives just like you do. In some cases they've got it a lot worse off thanmany of you. But they refused to give up. They chose to take responsibility fortheir lives, for their education, and set goals for themselves. And I expectall of you to do the same.

  That's why today I'm calling on each of youto set your own goals for your education -- and do everything you can to meetthem. Your goal can be something as simple as doing all your homework, payingattention in class, or spending some time each day reading a book. Maybe you'lldecide to get involved in an extracurricular activity, or volunteer in yourcommunity. Maybe you'll decide to stand up for kids who are being teased orbullied because of who they are or how they look, because you believe, like Ido, that all young people deserve a safe environment to study and learn. Maybeyou'll decide to take better care of yourself so you can be more ready tolearn. And along those lines, by the way, I hope all of you are washing yourhands a lot, and that you stay home from school when you don't feel well, so wecan keep people from getting the flu this fall and winter.

  But whatever you resolve to do, I want youto commit to it. I want you to really work at it.

  I know that sometimes you getthat 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 realityTV star. Chances are you're not going to be any of those things.

  The truth is, being successful is hard. Youwon't love every subject that you study. You won't click with every teacherthat you have. Not every homework assignment will seem completely relevant toyour life right at this minute. And you won't necessarily succeed at everythingthe first time you try.

  That's okay. Some of the most successfulpeople in the world are the ones who've had the most failures. J.K. Rowling's-- who wrote Harry Potter -- her first Harry Potter book was rejected 12 timesbefore it was finally published. Michael Jordan was cut from his high schoolbasketball team. He lost hundreds of games and missed thousands of shots duringhis career. But he once said, "I have failed over and over and over againin my life. And that's why I succeed."

  These people succeeded because theyunderstood that you can't let your failures define you -- you have to let yourfailures teach you. You have to let them show you what to do differently thenext time. So if you get into trouble, that doesn't mean you're a troublemaker,it means you need to try harder to act right. If you get a bad grade, thatdoesn't mean you're stupid, it just means you need to spend more timestudying.

  No one's born being good at all things. Youbecome good at things through hard work. You're not a varsity athlete the firsttime you play a new sport. You don't hit every note the first time you sing asong. You've got to practice. The same principle applies to your schoolwork.You might have to do a math problem a few times before you get it right. Youmight have to read something a few times before you understand it. Youdefinitely have to do a few drafts of a paper before it's good enough to handin.

  Don't be afraid to ask questions. Don't beafraid to ask for help when you need it. I do that every day. Asking for helpisn't a sign of weakness, it's a sign of strength because it shows you have thecourage to admit when you don't know something, and that then allows you tolearn something new. So find an adult that you trust -- a parent, a grandparentor teacher, a coach or a counselor -- and ask them to help you stay on track tomeet your goals.

  And even when you're struggling, even whenyou're discouraged, and you feel like other people have given up on you, don'tever give up on yourself, because when you give up on yourself, you give up onyour country.

  Thestory of America isn't about people who quit when things got tough. It's aboutpeople who kept going, who tried harder, who loved their country too much to doanything less than their best.

  It's the story of students who sat whereyou sit 250 years ago, and went on to wage a revolution and they founded thisnation. Young people. Students who sat where you sit 75 years ago who overcamea Depression and won a world war; who fought for civil rights and put a man on themoon. Students who sat where you sit 20 years ago who founded Google andTwitter and Facebook and changed the way we communicate with each other.

  So today, I want to ask all of you, what'syour contribution going to be? What problems are you going to solve? Whatdiscoveries will you make? What will a President who comes here in 20 or 50 or100 years say about what all of you did for this country?

  Now, your families, your teachers, and Iare doing everything we can to make sure you have the education you need toanswer these questions. I'm working hard to fix up your classrooms and get youthe books and the equipment and the computers you need to learn. But you've gotto do your part, too. So I expect all of you to get serious this year. I expectyou to put your best effort into everything you do. I expect great things fromeach of you. So don't let us down. Don't let your family down or your countrydown. Most of all, don't let yourself down. Make us all proud.

  Thank you very much, everybody. God blessyou.

  God bless America. Thank you.

  译文:

  阿文弗吉尼亚州,阿林顿市,2009年9月8日

  嗨,大家好!你们今天过得怎么样?我现在和弗吉尼亚州阿林顿郡韦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,我很高兴你们能共分享这一时刻。

  我知道,对你们中的许多人来说,今天是开学的第一天,你们中的有一些刚刚进入幼儿园或升上初高中,对你们来说,这是在新学校的第一天,因此,假如你们感到有些紧张,那也是很正常的。我想也会有许多毕业班的学生们正自信满满地准备最后一年的冲刺。不过,我想无论你有多大、在读哪个年级,许多人都打心底里希望现在还在放暑假,以及今天不用那么早起床。

  我可以理解这份心情。小时候,我们家在印度尼西亚住过几年,而我妈妈没钱送我去其他美国孩子们上学的地方去读书,因此她决定自己给我上课——时间是每周一到周五的凌晨4点半。

  显然,我不怎么喜欢那么早就爬起来,很多时候,我就这么在厨房的桌子前睡着了。每当我埋怨的时候,我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?”

  所以,我可以理解你们中的许多人对于开学还需要时间来调整和适应,但今天我站在这里,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个人的教育,以及在新的学年里,你们应当做些什么。

  我做过许多关于教育的讲话,也常常用到“责任”这个词。

  我谈到过教师们有责任激励和启迪你们,督促你们学习。

  我谈到过家长们有责任看管你们认真学习、完成作业,不要成天只会看电视或打游戏机。

  我也很多次谈到过政府有责任设定高标准严要求、协助老师和校长们的工作,改变在有些学校里学生得不到应有的学习机会的现状。

  但哪怕这一切都达到最好,哪怕我们有最尽职的教师、最好的家长、和最优秀的学校,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、除非你认真地听老师讲课、除非你把父母、长辈和其他大人们说的话放在心上、除非你肯付出成功所必需的努力,否则这一切都会失去意义。

  而这就是我今天讲话的主题:对于自己的教育,你们中每一个人的责任。首先,我想谈谈你们对于自己有什么责任。

  你们中的每一个人都会有自己擅长的东西,每一个人都是有用之材,而发现自己的才能是什么,就是你们要对自己担起的责任。教育给你们提供了发现自己才能的机会。

  或许你能写出优美的文字——甚至有一天能让那些文字出现在书籍和报刊上——但假如不在英语课上经常练习写作,你不会发现自己有这样的天赋;或许你能成为一个发明家、创造家——甚至设计出像今天的iPhone一样流行的产品,或研制出新的药物与疫苗——但假如不在自然科学课程上做上几次实验,你不会知道自己有这样的天赋;或许你能成为一名议员或最高法院法官,但假如你不去加入什么学生会或参加几次辩论赛,你也不会发现自己的才能。

  而且,我可以向你保证,不管你将来想要做什么,你都需要相应的教育。——你想当名医生、当名教师或当名警官?你想成为护士、成为建筑设计师、律师或军人?无论你选择哪一种职业,良好的教育都必不可少,这世上不存在不把书念完就能拿到好工作的美梦,任何工作,都需要你的汗水、训练与学习。

  不仅仅对于你们个人的未来有重要意义,你们的教育如何也会对这个国家、乃至世界的未来产生重要影响。今天你们在学校中学习的内容,将会决定我们整个国家在未来迎接重大挑战时的表现。

  你们需要在数理科学课程上学习的知识和技能,去治疗癌症、艾滋那样的疾病,和解决我们面临的能源问题与环境问题;你们需要在历史社科课程上培养出的观察力与判断力,来减轻和消除无家可归与贫困、犯罪问题和各种歧视,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累积和发展出来的创新意识和思维,去创业和建立新的公司与企业,来制造就业机会和推动经济的增长。

  我们需要你们中的每一个人都培养和发展自己的天赋、技能和才智,来解决我们所面对的最困难的问题。假如你不这么做——假如你放弃学习——那么你不仅是放弃了自己,也是放弃了你的国家。

  当然,我明白,读好书并不总是件容易的事。我知道你们中的许多人在生活中面临着各种各样的问题,很难把精力集中在专心读书之上。

  我知道你们的感受。我父亲在我两岁时就离开了家庭,是母亲一人将我们拉扯大,有时她付不起帐单,有时我们得不到其他孩子们都有的东西,有时我会想,假如父亲在该多好,有时我会感到孤独无助,与周围的环境格格不入。

  因此我并不总是能专心学习,我做过许多自己觉得丢脸的事情,也惹出过许多不该惹的麻烦,我的生活岌岌可危,随时可能急转直下。

  但我很幸运。我在许多事上都得到了重来的机会,我得到了去大学读法学院、实现自己梦想的机会。我的妻子——现在得叫她第一夫人米歇尔?奥巴马了——也有着相似的人生故事,她的父母都没读过大学,也没有什么财产,但他们和她都辛勤工作,好让她有机会去这个国家最优秀的学校读书。

  你们中有些人可能没有这些有利条件,或许你的生活中没有能为你提供帮助和支持的长辈,或许你的某个家长没有工作、经济拮据,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,等等。

  但归根结底,你的生活状况——你的长相、出身、经济条件、家庭氛围——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、或是辍学的借口,这些不是你不好好读书的借口。

  你的未来,并不取决于你现在的生活有多好或多坏。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,你的未来由你自己掌握。

  而在这片土地上的每个地方,千千万万和你一样的年轻人正是这样在书写着自己的命运。

  例如德克萨斯州罗马市的贾斯敏?佩雷兹(Jazmin Perez)。刚进学校时,她根本不会说英语,她住的地方几乎没人上过大学,她的父母也没有受过高等教育,但她努力学习,取得了优异的成绩,靠奖学金进入了布朗大学,如今正在攻读公共卫生专业的博士学位。

  我还想起了加利福尼亚州洛斯拉图斯市的安多尼?舒尔兹(Andoni Schultz),他从三岁起就开始与脑癌病魔做斗争,他熬过了一次次治疗与手术——其中一次影响了他的记忆,因此他得花出比常人多几百个小时的时间来完成学业,但他从不曾落下自己的功课。这个秋天,他要开始在大学读书了。

  又比如在我的家乡,伊利诺斯州芝加哥市,身为孤儿的香特尔?史蒂夫(Shantell Steve)换过多次收养家庭,从小在治安很差的地区长大,但她努力争取到了在当地保健站工作的机会、发起了一个让青少年远离犯罪团伙的项目,很快,她也将以优异的成绩从中学毕业,去大学深造。

  贾斯敏、安多尼和香特尔与你们并没有什么不同。和你们一样,他们也在生活中遭遇各种各样的困难与问题,但他们拒绝放弃,他们选择为自己的教育担起责任、给自己定下奋斗的目标。我希望你们中的每一个人,都能做得到这些。

  因此,在今天,我号召你们每一个人都为自己的教育定下一个目标——并在之后,尽自己的一切努力去实现它。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,或在社区做些志愿工作;或许你决定为那些因为长相或出身等等原因而受嘲弄或欺负的孩子做主、维护他们的权益,因为你和我一样,认为每个孩子都应该能有一个安全的学习环境;或许你认为该学着更好的照顾自己,来为将来的学习做准备……当然,除此之外,我希望你们都多多洗手、感到身体不舒服的时候要多在家休息,免得大家在秋冬感冒高发季节都得流感。

  不管你决定做什么,我都希望你能坚持到底,希望你能真的下定决心。

  我知道有些时候,电视上播放的节目会让你产生这样那样的错觉,似乎你不需要付出多大的努力就能腰缠万贯、功成名就——你会认为只要会唱rap、会打篮球或参加个什么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。

  因为,成功是件难事。你不可能对要读的每门课程都兴趣盎然,你不可能和每名带课教师都相处顺利,你也不可能每次都遇上看起来和现实生活有关的作业。而且,并不是每件事,你都能在头一次尝试时获得成功。

  但那没有关系。因为在这个世界上,最最成功的人们往往也经历过最多的失败。J.K.罗琳的第一本《哈利·波特》被出版商拒绝了十二次才最终出版;迈克尔·乔丹上高中时被学校的篮球队刷了下来,在他的职业生涯里,他输了几百场比赛、投失过几千次射篮,知道他是怎么说的吗?“我一生不停地失败、失败再失败,这就是我现在成功的原因。”

  他们的成功,源于他们明白人不能让失败左右自己——而是要从中吸取经验。从失败中,你可以明白下一次自己可以做出怎样的改变;假如你惹了什么麻烦,那并不说明你就是个捣蛋贵,而是在提醒你,在将来要对自己有更严格的要求;假如你考了个低分,那并不说明你就比别人笨,而是在告诉你,自己得在学习上花更多的时间。

  没有哪一个人一生出来就擅长做什么事情的,只有努力才能培养出技能。任何人都不是在第一次接触一项体育运动时就成为校队的代表,任何人都不是在第一次唱一首歌时就找准每一个音,一切都需要熟能生巧。对于学业也是一样,你或许要反复运算才能解出一道数学题的正确答案,你或许需要读一段文字好几遍才能理解它的意思,你或许得把论文改上好几次才能符合提交的标准。这都是很正常的。

  不要害怕提问。不要不敢向他人求助。——我每天都在这么做。求助并不是软弱的表现,恰恰相反,它说明你有勇气承认自己的不足、并愿意去学习新的知识。所以,有不懂时,就向大人们求助吧——找个你信得过的对象,例如父母、长辈、老师、教练或辅导员——让他们帮助你向目标前进。

  你要记住,哪怕你表现不好、哪怕你失去信心、哪怕你觉得身边的人都已经放弃了你——永远不要自己放弃自己。因为当你放弃自己的时候,你也放弃了自己的国家。

  美国不是一个人们遭遇困难就轻易放弃的国度,在这个国家,人们坚持到底、人们加倍努力,为了他们所热爱的国度,每一个人都尽着自己最大的努力,不会给自己留任何余地。 250年前,有一群和你们一样的学生,他们之后奋起努力、用一场革命最终造就了这个国家;75年前,有一群和你们一样的学生,他们之后战胜了大萧条、赢得了二战;就在20年前,和你们一样的学生们,他们后来创立了Google、Twitter和Facebook,改变了我们人与人之间沟通的方式。

  因此,今天我想要问你们,你们会做出什么样的贡献?你们将解决什么样的难题?你们能发现什么样的事物?二十、五十或百年之后,假如那时的美国总统也来做一次开学演讲的话,他会怎样描述你们对这个国家所做的一切?

  你们的家长、你们的老师和我,每一个人都在尽最大的努力,确保你们都能得到应有的教育来回答这些问题。例如我正在努力为你们提供更安全的教室、更多的书籍、更先进的设施与计算机。但你们也要担起自己的责任。因此我要求你们在今年能够认真起来,我要求你们尽心地去做自己着手的每一件事,我要求你们每一个人都有所成就。请不要让我们失望——不要让你的家人、你的国家和你自己失望。你们要成为我们骄傲,我知道,你们一定可以做到。

  谢谢大家,上帝保佑你们,上帝保佑美国。

  奥巴马开学演讲稿2:

  大家好!谢谢你们。谢谢你们,大家好,大家请就坐。你们今天都好吗?蒂姆·斯派塞(TimSpicer)好吗?我现在与弗吉尼亚州阿灵顿郡韦克菲尔德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。我还要感谢韦克菲尔德高中出色的组织安排。请为你们自己热烈鼓掌。

  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--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。

  我了解这种感觉。我小时候,我们家生活在海外。我在印度尼西亚住了几年。我妈妈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。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。

  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。”

  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。

  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。

  我谈到过教师激励学生并督促他们学习的责任。

  我谈到过家长的责任,要确保你们走正路,完成家庭作业,不要整天坐在电视前或玩Xbox游戏。

  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。

  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。

  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。

  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发明家--甚至可能设计出新一代iPhone或研制出新型药物或疫苗--但你可能要在完成科学课的实验后才会发现自己的才华。你或许能成为一名或参议员或最高法院的大法官--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。

  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、建筑师、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。

  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。

  你们将需要利用你们通过自然科学和数学课程所学到的知识和解决问题的能力来治愈癌症、艾滋病及其他疾病,开发新的能源技术和保护我们的环境。你们将需要利用你们在历史学和社会学课堂上所获得的知识和独立思考能力来抗击贫困和解决无家可归问题,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。

  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,你们不仅仅是自暴自弃,也是抛弃自己的国家。

  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。

  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,我渴望生活中能有一位父亲。有时我感到孤独,感到自己不适应社会。

  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。

  但是,我当年际遇不错。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,我们的第一夫人米歇尔。奥巴马,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。

  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。

  然而说到底,你们生活的环境、你们的肤色、你们的原籍、你们的经济收入、你们家中的境况等等,这一切都不能成为你们不用功或不努力的理由。你们没有理由不服从你们的老师、逃学、或辍学。没有理由不付出努力。

  你们目前的状况并不决定着你们的未来。没有人决定你们的命运,在美国,你们决定自己的命运。你们掌握自己的未来。

  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。

  来自得州罗马城的贾兹敏。佩雷斯(JazminPerez)就是一个例证,她刚开始上学时并不会说英文。她的父母都没有上过大学。然而,她非常勤奋,成绩优秀,获得了布朗大学的奖学金,她如今正在读研究生,攻读公共卫生专业,不久将成为贾兹敏。佩雷斯博士。

  我想起了加州洛斯阿尔托斯城的安多尼。舒尔茨(AndoniSchultz),他从三岁开始就一直与脑癌进行抗争,他不得不忍受各类治疗和手术带来的痛苦,其中一项手术曾影响了他的记忆,因此他花在功课上的时间比一般人长得多,要多出数百个小时。然而,他从未落后。他今年秋季将迈进大学。

  我还想起家乡伊利诺伊州芝加哥市的尚特尔。史蒂夫(ShantellSteve)。她曾在芝加哥最困难的社区生活,寄养于多个不同的家庭,但她最终在一家地方医疗中心找到工作,并开始了一项帮助年轻人远离流氓团伙的计划,她即将以优异成绩从中学毕业,紧接着将上大学。

  贾兹敏、安多尼和尚特尔与你们中间的每个人没什么两样。跟你们一样,他们在生活中面临种种挑战。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一生、自己的教育负起责任,为自己设定各项奋斗目标。我期待你们大家都会这样做。

  因此,我今天呼吁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。你的目标可以是一件十分简单的事情,例如完成家庭作业、上课专心听讲、或每天花一点时间读一本书。也许你会决定要参加课外活动或在你的社区提供志愿服务。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,原因是你和我一样认为所有的年轻人都应该享有一个适合读书和学习的安全环境。也许你会决定更好地照料自己,以便有更充沛的精力来学习。顺便提一下,除了这些事情外,我希望大家要勤洗手,身体感到不舒服的时候要呆在家里不去上学,这样我们能防止人们在今年秋冬季节染上流感。

  但无论你决定做什么,我希望你保证去做。我希望你脚踏实地地去做。

  我知道有时候你会从电视上得到这样的印象:你不用做任何艰苦的工作就能发财致富并取得成功,唱小调、打篮球或成为真人秀明星是走向成功的途径。但实际情况是:你可能不会成为其中的一员。

  事实上,取得成功不是轻而易举的事情。你不会喜欢你学习的每一门课目。你不会与你的每一位老师都很投契。不是所有的家庭作业似乎都与你眼前的生活完全有关。你第一次尝试做每件事的时候,不一定成功。

  这些都没关系。世界上最成功的人士中有一些是遭遇失败最多的人。作者J.K.罗琳(J.K.Rowling)所写的系列小说《哈利。波特》(HarryPotter)第一部在获得出版之前被退稿12次。迈克尔。乔丹(MichaelJordan)曾被他的高中篮球队除名。在乔丹的篮球生涯中,他输过数百场比赛,有成千上万个球没有投中。但他曾说过:“在我的一生中,我失败了一次又一次、一次又一次。这就是我成功的原因。”

  这些人士获得成功,因为他们懂得:你不能让失败来限制你,而必须让失败来开导你。你必须让失败向你展示下次如何以不同的方式去做这件事情。因此,如果你遇到麻烦,那并不表示你是麻烦的制造者,而意味着你需要更加努力去把它做对。如果你有一门课分数低,那不表示你比别人笨,而只表示你需要花更多的时间学习。

  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员。第一次唱一首歌曲时,你不可能唱准每个音。你必须练习。同样的道理适用于你的学业。你可能要把一道数学题做几次才把它做对。你可能要把一些材料阅读几遍才能理解。在交出一篇优美的作文之前,你肯定需要打几遍草稿。

  不要害怕提问。不要在需要帮助时害怕请求别人帮助。我天天请求别人的帮助。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某些事情不懂,这样做会使你学到新的东西。因此,请确定一位你信任的成年人,例如家长、祖父母或老师、教练或辅导员,请他们帮助你遵循既定计划实现你的目标。

  即使当你苦苦挣扎、灰心丧气、感到其他人对你不抱希望时,也不要对你自己丧失信心,因为当你自暴自弃时,你也抛弃了自己的国家。

  书写美国历史的不是在困难时刻退缩的人,而是坚持不懈、加倍努力的人,他们对国家的爱促使他们全力以赴。

  书写美国历史的是250年前坐在你们的位置上的学生,他们后来进行了独立战争并创建了这个国家。还有75年前坐在你们的位置上的年轻人和学生,他们走出了大萧条并打赢了一场世界大战;他们为民权而奋斗并把宇航员送上了月球。至于20年前坐在你们的位置上的学生,他们创办了谷歌(Google)、叽喳网(Twitter)和脸谱网(Facebook),改变了我们交流沟通的方式。

  而今天,我要问问你们大家,你们将做出什么贡献?你们将解决什么问题?你们将有什么发现?20年、50年或100年后来到这里讲话的总统将会怎样评价你们大家为这个国家所做的一切?

  你们的家人、你们的老师和我正在竭尽全力保证你们接受必要的教育,以便回答上述问题。我正在努力工作,以便你们的教室得到修缮,你们能够得到学习所需的课本、设备和电脑。但你们也必须尽自己的努力。因此,我希望你们大家从今年起认真对待这个问题。我希望你们尽最大努力做好每一件事。我希望你们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你们的国家失望。而最重要的是,不要辜负你们自己,而要让我们都能为你们感到骄傲。

  非常感谢你们大家。愿主保佑你们。愿主保佑美国。谢谢你们。