马歇尔·奥巴马演讲：论教育的重要性

0:11

This is my first trip, my first foreign trip as a first lady. Can you believe that? (Applause) And while this is not my first visit to the U.K., I have to say that I am glad that this is my first official visit. The special relationship between the United States and the U.K. is based not only on the relationship between governments, but the common language and the values that we share, and I'm reminded of that by watching you all today. During my visit I've been especially honored to meet some of Britain's most extraordinary women -- women who are paving the way for all of you.

这是我第一次出国旅行，也是我作为第一夫人的第一次外事旅行。你能相信吗?(掌声)虽然这不是我第一次来英国。我不得不说，我很高兴这是我第一次正式访问。美国和英国之间的特殊关系不仅建立在两国政府之间的关系上，也建立在我们共同的语言和价值观的基础上，我今天看到你们大家都知道了这一点。在我访问期间，我特别荣幸地会见了一些英国最杰出的女性——为你们所有人铺平道路的女性。

1:01

And I'm honored to meet you, the future leaders of Great Britain and this world. And although the circumstances of our lives may seem very distant, with me standing here as the First Lady of the United States of America, and you, just getting through school, I want you to know that we have very much in common. For nothing in my life's path would have predicted that I'd be standing here as the first African-American First Lady of the United States of America. There is nothing in my story that would land me here. I wasn't raised with wealth or resources or any social standing to speak of. I was raised on the South Side of Chicago. That's the real part of Chicago. And I was the product of a working-class community. My father was a city worker all of his life, and my mother was a stay-at-home mom. And she stayed at home to take care of me and my older brother. Neither of them attended university.

我很荣幸能见到你们，英国和这个世界的未来领袖。尽管我们的生活环境似乎很遥远，我作为美利坚第一夫人站在这里，你们，刚刚通过学校，我想让你们知道我们有很多共同之处。因为在我的人生道路上，没有任何东西能预言我将站在这里，成为美利坚合众国的第一位非洲裔第一夫人。我的故事里没有什么东西能把我放在这里。我没有被财富或资源或任何社会地位所提及。我是在芝加哥的南边长大的。这是芝加哥的真实部分。我是一个工人阶级社区的产物。我父亲一辈子都是城市工人，而我母亲是一个全职妈妈。她待在家里照顾我和我的哥哥。他们两人都没有上过大学。

My dad was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis in the prime of his life. But even as it got harder for him to walk and get dressed in the morning -- I saw him struggle more and more -- my father never complained about his struggle. He was grateful for what he had. He just woke up a little earlier and worked a little harder. And my brother and I were raised with all that you really need: love, strong values and a belief that with a good education and a whole lot of hard work, that there was nothing that we could not do.

我的父亲在他生命的黄金时期被诊断出患有多发性硬化症。但是，即使在早上他走路和穿衣服变得越来越难——我看到他越来越挣扎——我的父亲从来没有抱怨过他的挣扎。他很感激他所拥有的一切。他刚醒得更早，工作更努力些。我和我的兄弟和我一起长大，你们真正需要的是:爱，强烈的价值观，以及一种信念，那就是接受良好的教育和辛勤的工作，没有什么是我们不能做的。

2:51

I am an example of what's possible when girls from the very beginning of their lives are loved and nurtured by the people around them. I was surrounded by extraordinary women in my life: grandmothers, teachers, aunts, cousins, neighbors, who taught me about quiet strength and dignity. And my mother, the most important role model in my life, who lives with us at the White House and helps to care for our two little daughters, Malia and Sasha. She's an active presence in their lives, as well as mine, and is instilling in them the same values that she taught me and my brother: things like compassion, and integrity, and confidence, and perseverance -- all of that wrapped up in an unconditional love that only a grandmother can give.

我是一个例子，当女孩从她们生命的最开始的时候被周围的人爱和培养。在我的生活中，我周围都是非凡的女性:祖母、老师、阿姨、堂兄弟、邻居，她们教会我安静的力量和尊严。我的母亲是我生命中最重要的榜样，她和我们一起住在白宫，帮助照顾我们的两个小女儿，玛利亚和萨莎。她是一个活跃的出现在他们的生活,以及我的,并正在给她们灌输同样的价值观,她教给我和我哥哥:同情心,和完整性,信心和毅力——所有包裹在无条件的爱之中,那是只有一个祖母才能给予的爱。

3:51

I was also fortunate enough to be cherished and encouraged by some strong male role models as well, including my father, my brother, uncles and grandfathers. The men in my life taught me some important things, as well. They taught me about what a respectful relationship should look like between men and women. They taught me about what a strong marriage feels like: that it's built on faith and commitment and an admiration for each other's unique gifts. They taught me about what it means to be a father and to raise a family. And not only to invest in your own home but to reach out and help raise kids in the broader community.

我也很幸运地得到了一些强有力的男性榜样的鼓励和鼓励，包括我的父亲、我的兄弟、叔叔和祖父。在我的生活中，男人也教会了我一些重要的东西。他们教会我，男女之间应该有什么样的尊重关系。他们教会了我一段牢固的婚姻是什么样的:它是建立在信念和承诺的基础上，并对彼此独特的天赋表示赞赏。他们教会我如何成为一个父亲，如何养育一个家庭。不仅要在自己的家里投资，还要伸出援手，帮助在更广阔的社区里养育孩子。

4:41

And these were the same qualities that I looked for in my own husband, Barack Obama. And when we first met, one of the things that I remember is that he took me out on a date. And his date was to go with him to a community meeting. (Laughter) I know, how romantic. (Laughter) But when we met, Barack was a community organizer. He worked, helping people to find jobs and to try to bring resources into struggling neighborhoods. As he talked to the residents in that community center, he talked about two concepts. He talked about "the world as it is" and "the world as it should be."

这些都是我在我自己的丈夫巴拉克奥巴马身上所寻找的品质。当我们第一次见面时，我记得的一件事是他带我出去约会。他的约会对象是和他一起去参加一个社区会议。(笑声)我知道，多么浪漫。(笑声)但是当我们见面的时候，巴拉克是一个社区组织者。他工作，帮助人们找到工作，并努力把资源带到困难的社区。当他与社区中心的居民交谈时，他谈到了两个概念。他谈到了“世界是什么样子”和“世界应该是什么样子”。

And I talked about this throughout the entire campaign. What he said, that all too often, is that we accept the distance between those two ideas. And sometimes we settle for the world as it is, even when it doesn't reflect our values and aspirations. But Barack reminded us on that day, all of us in that room, that we all know what our world should look like. We know what fairness and justice and opportunity look like. We all know. And he urged the people in that meeting, in that community, to devote themselves to closing the gap between those two ideas, to work together to try to make the world as it is and the world as it should be, one and the same.

我在整个竞选过程中都谈到过这个问题。他经常说的是，我们接受这两种观点之间的距离。有时候，我们会满足于这个世界，即使它没有反映我们的价值观和愿望。但巴拉克在那天提醒我们，我们所有人都在那个房间里，我们都知道我们的世界应该是什么样的。我们知道公平、公正和机会是什么样的。我们都知道。他敦促在那个会议上的人们，在那个社区里，致力于缩小这两个想法之间的差距，共同努力使这个世界和这个世界一样，一个和一个一样。

6:17

And I think about that today because I am reminded and convinced that all of you in this school are very important parts of closing that gap. You are the women who will build the world as it should be. You're going to write the next chapter in history. Not just for yourselves, but for your generation and generations to come. And that's why getting a good education is so important. That's why all of this that you're going through -- the ups and the downs, the teachers that you love and the teachers that you don't -- why it's so important. Because communities and countries and ultimately the world are only as strong as the health of their women. And that's important to keep in mind.

我今天想到了这一点，因为我被提醒并深信，在这所学校里，你们所有人都是缩小这一差距的重要部分。你是那些将会创造世界的女人。你要写的是历史的下一章。不仅是为了你们自己，也是为了你们这一代和几代人。这就是为什么接受良好的教育是如此重要。这就是为什么你要经历的所有这些——ups和低谷，你爱的老师和你不喜欢的老师——为什么它如此重要。因为社区和国家以及最终的世界都和妇女的健康一样强大。记住这一点很重要。

7:07

Part of that health includes an outstanding education. The difference between a struggling family and a healthy one is often the presence of an empowered woman or women at the center of that family. The difference between a broken community and a thriving one is often the healthy respect between men and women who appreciate the contributions each other makes to society. The difference between a languishing nation and one that will flourish is the recognition that we need equal access to education for both boys and girls.

这种健康的一部分包括优秀的教育。一个处于困境的家庭和一个健康的家庭之间的区别通常是一个被授权的妇女或妇女在这个家庭的中心。一个破碎的社区和一个繁荣的社区之间的区别通常是男女之间的健康的尊重，他们欣赏彼此对社会的贡献。一个日渐衰弱的国家和一个蓬勃发展的国家之间的区别在于，我们认识到，我们需要平等地接受教育，无论是男孩还是女孩。

7:47

And this school, named after the U.K.'s first female doctor, and the surrounding buildings named for Mexican artist Frida Kahlo, Mary Seacole, the Jamaican nurse known as the "black Florence Nightingale," and the English author, Emily Bronte, honor women who fought sexism, racism and ignorance, to pursue their passions to feed their own souls. They allowed for no obstacles. As the sign said back there, "without limitations." They knew no other way to live than to follow their dreams. And having done so, these women moved many obstacles. And they opened many new doors for millions of female doctors and nurses and artists and authors, all of whom have followed them. And by getting a good education, you too can control your own destiny.

这所学校是以英国命名的。第一位女医生，以及以墨西哥艺术家Frida Kahlo、Mary Seacole、牙买加护士Frida Kahlo命名的“黑人弗罗伦斯丁格尔”，以及英国作家Emily Bronte，对那些与性别歧视、种族主义和无知的女性进行了斗争，以追求她们的激情来满足自己的灵魂。他们不允许任何障碍。正如标语所说，“没有限制。”“他们除了追寻自己的梦想之外，没有其他的生活方式。”这样做之后，这些女性就有了很多障碍。他们为数以百万计的女性医生、护士、艺术家和作家开启了许多新的大门，她们都追随了她们。通过接受良好的教育，你也可以控制自己的命运。

8:52

Please remember that. If you want to know the reason why I'm standing here, it's because of education. I never cut class. Sorry, I don't know if anybody is cutting class. I never did it. I loved getting As. I liked being smart. I liked being on time. I liked getting my work done. I thought being smart was cooler than anything in the world. And you too, with these same values, can control your own destiny. You too can pave the way. You too can realize your dreams, and then your job is to reach back and to help someone just like you do the same thing. History proves that it doesn't matter whether you come from a council estate or a country estate.

请记住这一点。如果你想知道我为什么站在这里，那是因为教育。我从不逃课。对不起，我不知道有没有人逃课。我从来没有它。我爱一样。我喜欢聪明。我喜欢准时。我喜欢把我的工作做完。我觉得聪明比世界上任何东西都酷。同样的价值观，你也可以控制自己的命运。你也可以铺平道路。你也可以实现你的梦想，然后你的工作就是回到过去，帮助别人，就像你做同样的事情一样。历史证明，无论你是来自一个委员会的房地产还是一个国家的房地产，都不重要。

9:45

Your success will be determined by your own fortitude, your own confidence, your own individual hard work. That is true. That is the reality of the world that we live in. You now have control over your own destiny. And it won't be easy -- that's for sure. But you have everything you need. Everything you need to succeed, you already have, right here.

你的成功将取决于你的毅力，你的自信，你自己的努力。这是正确的。这就是我们所生活的世界的现实。你现在可以控制自己的命运了。这并不容易——这是肯定的。但你拥有你所需要的一切。你需要成功的一切，你已经拥有了，就在这里。

10:14

My husband works in this big office. They call it the Oval Office. In the White House, there's the desk that he sits at -- it's called the Resolute desk. It was built by the timber of Her Majesty's Ship Resolute and given by Queen Victoria. It's an enduring symbol of the friendship between our two nations. And its name, Resolute, is a reminder of the strength of character that's required not only to lead a country, but to live a life of purpose, as well. And I hope in pursuing your dreams, you all remain resolute, that you go forward without limits, and that you use your talents -- because there are many; we've seen them; it's there -- that you use them to create the world as it should be. Because we are counting on you. We are counting on every single one of you to be the very best that you can be. Because the world is big. And it's full of challenges. And we need strong, smart, confident young women to stand up and take the reins.

我丈夫在这个大办公室工作。他们称其为总统办公室。在白宫里，他坐的那张桌子叫做“坚决的办公桌”。它是由女王陛下的船的木料建造而成的，由维多利亚女王授予。这是我们两国友谊的持久象征。它的名字“坚决”，提醒我们，要想领导一个国家，不仅要有一个国家的力量，而且要过一种有目的的生活。我希望你们追求你们的梦想，你们都保持坚定，你们向前走，没有限制，你们用你们的才华——因为有很多，我们已经看到了，你们用它们来创造世界。因为我们指望着你。我们正在指望你们中的每一个人都是你们能做到的最好的。因为这个世界很大。它充满了挑战。我们需要坚强、聪明、自信的年轻女性站出来，掌控大局。

11:27

We know you can do it. We love you. Thank you so much.

我们知道你能做到。我们爱你。非常感谢。