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)蒂姆·斯派塞(Tim Spicer)好吗?(掌声)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。(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 high school, it’s your first day in a new school, so it’s understandable if you’re a little nervous. I imagine there are some seniors out there who are feeling 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 were still summer and you could’ve stayed in bed just a little bit 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 mother, 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 keep up 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 only time 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。
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 mother 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 new school 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
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，完成家庭作业，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 listen 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 discover 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 inventor -- maybe even 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 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
And no matter what 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 architect, 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、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。
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 science and math to cure diseases like cancer 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 boost our economy.
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。
2008年，有着非洲黑人血统的美国伊利诺伊州参议员巴拉克?奥巴马像一头非洲狮子搅动着的美国的政坛。他似乎有神奇的魔力，可以一呼百应，颠倒众生。有人说他是新时代的肯尼迪。有人说他是新时代美国梦的代言人。有人折服于他的演讲魅力，将他与林肯和马丁?路德?金相提并论。有人化用美国国歌的话，认为奥巴马是个受到“上帝垂青的人”究竟是什么原因使上苍对这位黑白混血儿如此这般的格外垂青呢?周光凡，中国现当代文学博士，他用散文化的语言详尽介绍奥巴马的生平、奥巴马的成功之路、奥巴马竞选总统的来龙去脉、奥巴马的魅力、奥巴马遇到的困难、奥巴马的演讲艺术、奥巴马的幽默艺术，如同一支火把，点燃梦想和希望。
应用介绍
2008年，有着非洲黑人血统的美国伊利诺伊州参议员巴拉克?奥巴马像一头非洲狮子搅动着的美国的政坛。他似乎有神奇的魔力，可以一呼百应，颠倒众生。有人说他是新时代的肯尼迪。有人说他是新时代美国梦的代言人。有人折服于他的演讲魅力，将他与林肯和马丁?路德?金相提并论。有人化用美国国歌的话，认为奥巴马是个受到“上帝垂青的人”究竟是什么原因使上苍对这位黑白混血儿如此这般的格外垂青呢?周光凡，中国现当代文学博士，他用散文化的语言详尽介绍奥巴马的生平、奥巴马的成功之路、奥巴马竞选总统的来龙去脉、奥巴马的魅力、奥巴马遇到的困难、奥巴马的演讲艺术、奥巴马的幽默艺术，如同一支火把，点燃梦想和希望。
几天前，刘老师给我们分享了一篇奥巴马精彩的演讲，演讲中突出了“责任”二字!看似简单的词语，从中却有着内涵!
奥巴马总统在开始就提到了“责任”!对于我们每一个人的未来有重要意义，也会对这个国家、乃至世界的未来产生重要影响。今天我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。
奥巴马总统不仅讲到责任对世界的重要性，还举了一个例子!
在总统的家乡，身为孤儿的香特尔，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。
责任心!重如千金!今天放学后，看班级里的值日生如打蔫儿的花，于是我加入了扫地大军。随着渐渐暗下来的天，我不禁想打退堂鼓，跑?不行，既然选择帮助大家一起扫地，怎么可以这样呢?于是我又重振旗鼓，扫起地来!“帮我递一下拖把吧!”咦……人呢?咋只剩亦然和佳佳了?值日生呢?“唉!都走了……我们还是好好扫地吧!”亦然无奈的说，看着他那消瘦的小脸，似乎有些疲惫，一天的学习压力，谁都会累!我边取拖把一边对她说：“先回去吧!我很快就好了!”在我的`再三劝阻下佳佳和亦然先回去了!
冷冷清清的教室里就我和拖把在“工作”，脑海里一幕幕地闪过“责任”!
不只是责任，细节在人生旅途中也是至关重要的!
第一节语文课，刘老师面带微笑的向讲台走去，在刘老师的分享下，才得知刘老师来学校要值班，所以叫佳佳到楼上帮老师的杯子洗一下，没想到佳佳不仅把杯子洗的发亮，还帮刘老师倒了一杯热水，其他老师洗杯子时才发现刘老师的杯子不见了!这何尝不是细节呢!
我走在回家的路上，不会生气那些逃跑的值日生，更多的是快乐和幸福，因为我再次认识了责任和细节这两个词!责任决定细节!
