奥巴马演讲 实现我们的理想1
文章来源:未知 文章作者:meng 发布时间:2010-09-19 00:48 字体: [ ]  进入论坛
(单词翻译:双击或拖选)

THE PRESIDENT:  Thank you!  Hello!  (Applause.)  Thank you.  Thank you.  Well, hello, Philadelphia!  (Applause.)  And hello, Masterman.  It is wonderful to see all of you.  What a terrific introduction by Kelly.  Give Kelly a big round of applause.  (Applause.)  I was saying backstage that when I was in high school, I could not have done that.  (Laughter.)  I would have muffed(弄糟) it up somehow.  So we are so proud of you and everything that you’ve done.  And to all the students here, I’m thrilled to be here.

We’ve got a couple introductions I want to make.  First of all, you’ve got the outstanding governor of Pennsylvania, Ed Rendell, in the house.  (Applause.)  The mayor of Philadelphia, Michael Nutter1, is here.  (Applause.)  Congressman2 Chaka Fattah is here.  (Applause.)  Congresswoman Allyson Schwartz is here.  (Applause.)  Your own principal, Marge Neff, is here.  (Applause.)  The school superintendent3, Arlene Ackerman, is here and doing a great job.  (Applause.)  And the Secretary of Education, Arne Duncan, is here.  (Applause.)

And I am here.  (Applause.)  And I am thrilled to be here.  I am just so excited.  I’ve heard such great things about what all of you are doing, both the students and the teachers and the staff here.

Today is about welcoming all of you, and all of America’s students, back to school, even though I know you’ve been in school for a little bit now.  And I can’t think of a better place to do it than at Masterman.   (Applause.)  Because you are one of the best schools in Philadelphia.  You are a leader in helping4 students succeed in the classroom.  Just last week, you were recognized by a National Blue Ribbon -- as a National Blue Ribbon School because of your record of achievement.  And that is a testament5 to everybody here –- to the students, to the parents, to the teachers, to the school leaders.  It’s an example of excellence6 that I hope communities across America can embrace.

Over the past few weeks, Michelle and I have been getting Sasha and Malia ready for school.  And they’re excited about it.  I’ll bet they had the same feelings that you do -- you’re a little sad to see the summer go, but you’re also excited about the possibilities of a new year.  The possibilities of building new friendships and strengthening old ones, of joining a school club, or trying out for a team.  The possibilities of growing into a better student and a better person and making not just your family proud but making yourself proud.

But I know some of you may also be a little nervous about starting a new school year.  Maybe you’re making the jump from elementary to middle school, or from middle school to high school, and you’re worried about what that’s going to be like.  Maybe you’re starting a new school.  You’re not sure how you’ll like it, trying to figure out how you’re going to fit in.  Or maybe you’re a senior, and you’re anxious about the whole college process; about where to apply and whether you can afford to go to college.

And beyond all those concerns, I know a lot of you are also feeling the strain of some difficult times.  You know what’s going on in the news and you also know what’s going on in some of your own families.  You’ve read about the war in Afghanistan.  You hear about the recession that we’ve been through.  And sometimes maybe you’re seeing the worries in your parents’ faces or sense it in their voice.

So a lot of you as a consequence, because we’re going through a tough time a country, are having to act a lot older than you are.  You got to be strong for your family while your brother or sister is serving overseas, or you’ve got to look after younger siblings7(兄弟姐妹) while your mom is working that second shift.  Or maybe some of you who are little bit older, you’re taking on a part-time job while your dad’s out of work(失业) .

And that’s a lot to handle.  It’s more than you should have to handle.  And it may make you wonder at times what your own future will look like, whether you’re going to be able to succeed in school, whether you should maybe set your sights a little lower, scale back(相应缩减) your dreams.

But I came to Masterman to tell all of you what I think you’re hearing from your principal and your superintendent, and from your parents and your teachers:  Nobody gets to write your destiny but you.  Your future is in your hands.  Your life is what you make of it.  And nothing -- absolutely nothing -- is beyond your reach, so long as you’re willing to dream big, so long as you’re willing to work hard.  So long as you’re willing to stay focused on your education, there is not a single thing that any of you cannot accomplish, not a single thing.  I believe that.

And that last part is absolutely essential, that part about really working hard in school, because an education has never been more important than it is today.  I’m sure there are going to be times in the months ahead when you’re staying up late doing your homework or cramming8 for a test, or you’re dragging yourself out of bed on a rainy morning and you’re thinking, oh, boy, I wish maybe it was a snow day.  (Laughter.)

But let me tell you, what you’re doing is worth it.  There is nothing more important than what you’re doing right now.  Nothing is going to have as great an impact on your success in life as your education, how you’re doing in school.

More and more, the kinds of opportunities that are open to you are going to be determined9 by how far you go in school.  The farther you go in school, the farther you’re going to go in life.  And at a time when other countries are competing with us like never before, when students around the world in Beijing, China, or Bangalore, India, are working harder than ever, and doing better than ever, your success in school is not just going to determine your success, it’s going to determine America’s success in the 21st century.



点击收听单词发音收听单词发音  

1 nutter nutter     
n.疯子
参考例句:
  • Don't call him nutter because it is such a bad term.别叫他“疯子”,这不是个好词。
  • But it's awfully ruthless and cold-blooded for a nutter from the other side.但是对那边的疯子们来说,却也实在太冷血无情了。
2 Congressman TvMzt7     
n.(美)国会议员
参考例句:
  • He related several anecdotes about his first years as a congressman.他讲述自己初任议员那几年的几则轶事。
  • The congressman is meditating a reply to his critics.这位国会议员正在考虑给他的批评者一个答复。
3 superintendent vsTwV     
n.监督人,主管,总监;(英国)警务长
参考例句:
  • He was soon promoted to the post of superintendent of Foreign Trade.他很快就被擢升为对外贸易总监。
  • He decided to call the superintendent of the building.他决定给楼房管理员打电话。
4 helping 2rGzDc     
n.食物的一份&adj.帮助人的,辅助的
参考例句:
  • The poor children regularly pony up for a second helping of my hamburger. 那些可怜的孩子们总是要求我把我的汉堡包再给他们一份。
  • By doing this, they may at times be helping to restore competition. 这样一来, 他在某些时候,有助于竞争的加强。
5 testament yyEzf     
n.遗嘱;证明
参考例句:
  • This is his last will and testament.这是他的遗愿和遗嘱。
  • It is a testament to the power of political mythology.这说明,编造政治神话可以产生多大的威力。
6 excellence ZnhxM     
n.优秀,杰出,(pl.)优点,美德
参考例句:
  • His art has reached a high degree of excellence.他的艺术已达到炉火纯青的地步。
  • My performance is far below excellence.我的表演离优秀还差得远呢。
7 siblings 709961e45d6808c7c9131573b3a8874b     
n.兄弟,姐妹( sibling的名词复数 )
参考例句:
  • A triplet sleeps amongst its two siblings. 一个三胞胎睡在其两个同胞之间。 来自《简明英汉词典》
  • She has no way of tracking the donor or her half-siblings down. 她没办法找到那个捐精者或她的兄弟姐妹。 来自时文部分
8 cramming 72a5eb07f207b2ce280314cd162588b7     
n.塞满,填鸭式的用功v.塞入( cram的现在分词 );填塞;塞满;(为考试而)死记硬背功课
参考例句:
  • Being hungry for the whole morning, I couldn't help cramming myself. 我饿了一上午,禁不住狼吞虎咽了起来。 来自《简明英汉词典》
  • She's cramming for her history exam. 她考历史之前临时抱佛脚。 来自《简明英汉词典》
9 determined duszmP     
adj.坚定的;有决心的
参考例句:
  • I have determined on going to Tibet after graduation.我已决定毕业后去西藏。
  • He determined to view the rooms behind the office.他决定查看一下办公室后面的房间。
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