米歇尔奥巴马在欧柏林学院毕业典礼英语演讲稿.docx

米歇尔奥巴马在欧柏林学院毕业典礼英语演讲稿.docx

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米歇尔奥巴马在欧柏林学院毕业典礼英语演讲稿

米歇尔·奥巴马在欧柏林学院毕业典礼英语演讲稿

　　hi!

howareyoualldoing?

areyousure?

well,letmejusttellyou,itisbeyondapleasureandanhonortobeherewithallofyoutoday.

　　iwanttostartbythankingpresidentkrislovforthatverykindintroduction,aswellasallofthetrustees,thefaculty,thestaffhereatoberlin.ialsowanttotellyouhowproudandhowmovediamtoreceivethishonorarydegreefromthisparticularschool–thefirstcollegeinamericatoofficiallyembracetheadmissionofblackstudents,andthefirstco-edschooltograntbachelor'sdegreestowomen.（applause.）

　　ishouldbeheretoday.oberlinislikelytheonlycollegeinamericathaticouldhaveattendednearlytwocenturiesago,andiamhonoredtobepartoftheextraordinarylegacyofthisgreatinstitution.（applause.）

　　ialsowanttotakeamomentonthismemorialdaytopaytributetoallofthebravemenandwomenwhohavesacrificedtheirlivessothatwecouldsitheretoday,atpeace,withrightsandfreedomsthatothersaroundtheworldcanonlydreamof.iamsoproudtohonortheseamericanheroestoday–andeveryday–fortheirextraordinaryservicetoournation.（applause.）

　　andi'malsoalittlegiddytobejoinedonstagebyanotheroneofmyheroes,marianwrightedelman.（applause.）hermoralleadershiponbehalfofchildreninthiscountryhasinspiredmethroughoutmycareer,aswellasmyhusband,thepresidentoftheunitedstates.（applause.）

　　and,graduates,ithinkweshouldgiveanothershout-outtoyourfamilies,ofcourse,allthefamilies.（applause.）thesearethefolkswhopushedyouandsupportedyou.theyansweredyourlate-nightphonecallsevenwhenyouwerejustcallingformoney.（laughter.）soonbehalfofyourstudents,ijustwanttoshowyouallsomelovetoday,aswell.thankyouforcreatingthesefabulousindividuals.welldone.（applause.）

　　andfinally,mostofall,iwanttocongratulatetheoberlinclassofXX!

（applause.）lookatyou!

youmadeit!

you'rehere!

you'relookinggood!

（applause.）andiknowyouworkedhardtomakeittothismoment,didn'tyou?

（laughter.）stayinguplatewritingthosepapers,studyingforexams.spenthourspracticingandperforming.youwenttocountlesshappyhours,andhappy-happyhoursatthefeveihear–（laughter）–i'mgoingtotryoneofthoseburgersforlunchtoday;that'salli'mgoingtohave–（laughter）–whereofcourse,parents,that'swheretheystudiedsomemore.

　　andontopofallofthat,youspentthousandsofhoursgivingbacktothiscommunity–tutoringkids,playingmusicforseniors,servingfoodtofolksinneed,andofcourse,mentoringthelocalyoungpeoplebackthere–iseeyouall–throughthenindescholarsprogram.soproudofyouallbackthere.

　　andthat's,asthepresidentsaid,whyi'mheretoday.（applause.）ashementioned,myofficedidthiswonderfulcompetitiontohighlightcollegesthatarehelpingunderservedyoungpeoplegraduatefromhighschoolandthengoontohighereducation.sobyprovidingtutoringandactprepclasses,financialaidworkshops,andsomuchmore,yournindescholarsprogramstoodoutasashiningexampleofhowschoolslikeoberlincanliftfirst-generationstudentsintocollege.

　　soi'mheretodaybecausei'mproudofyouall.ireallyam.i'minspiredbyyourcommitmenttoserviceandsocialjustice.andi'mimpressedbythecommunitythatyouallhavecreatedhere–awarm,supportive,inclusivecommunitythatembodiesthevaluesthatdefinethisschool.

　　andevenamidstthejoyandexcitementofgraduation,iknowthatyoumaybefeelingsomerealsadnessaboutleavingthiscommunitybehind.youmayalsobefeelingsomerealanxietyaboutventuringoutintotheworldbeyondthesewalls.andi'mnotgoingtolietoyou–formanyofyou,thisisgoingtobeaprettybigtransition.infact,ithinkdr.martinlutherkingdescribeditwellinhiscommencementaddressin'65whenhedeclared,“todayyoubidfarewelltothesafesecurityoftheacademicenvironment.youpreparetocontinueyourjourneyontheclamoroushighwaysoflife.”

　　andthetruthis,graduates,afterfouryearsofthoughtful,respectfuldiscussionanddebatehereatoberlin–thoseseminarswhereyouexplorednewideastogether,thoselate-nightconversationswhereyouchallengedeachotherandlearnedfromeachother–afterallofthat,youmightfindyourselfalittledismayedbytheclamoroutsidethesewalls–thename-calling,thenegativeads,thefolksyellingateachotherontv.afterbeingsurroundedbypeoplewhoaresodedicatedtoservingothersandmakingtheworldabetterplace,youmightfeelalittlediscouragedbythepolarizationandgridlockthattoooftencharacterizeourpoliticsandciviclife.

　　andinthefaceofallofthatclamor,youmighthaveanoverwhelminginstincttojustruntheotherwayasfastasyoucan.youmightbetemptedtojustrecreatewhatyouhadhereatoberlin–tofindacommunityoflike-mindedfolksandworkwiththemoncausesyoucareabout,andjusttuneoutallofthenoise.andthat'scompletelyunderstandable.infact,isometimeshavethatinstinctmyself–run!

（laughter.）

　　buttoday,graduates,iwanttourgeyoutodojusttheopposite.today,iwanttosuggestthatifyoutrulywishtocarryontheoberlinlegacyofserviceandsocialjustice,thenyouneedtorunto,andnotawayfrom,thenoise.（applause.）today,iwanttourgeyoutoactivelyseekoutthemostcontentious,polarized,gridlockedplacesyoucanfind.becausesooften,throughoutourhistory,thosehavebeentheplaceswhereprogressreallyhappens–theplaceswheremindsarechanged,livestransformed,whereourgreatamericanstoryunfolds.

　　forexample,thinkbacktothestruggleforwomen'ssuffrageandthestoryofaleadingsuffragistandoberlinalumnamedlucystone.（applause.）peoplescreamedather.theyspatonher.theyeventhrewprayerbooksatherasshetriedtospeak.heropponentsdeclaredthatlettingwomenvotewas“unnatural,”wouldleadtochildneglectandallkindsofsocialills.soi'dsaythatdebatewasprettypolarized,wouldn'tyou?

　　andthinkaboutpresidentroosevelt'sstruggletopassthenewdealafewdecadeslater.fdr'splanforsocialsecuritywascalled“socialist,”a“fraudontheworkingman.”oneopponentevenstatedthatitwould“endtheprogressofagreatcountry.”sothatdebatewasprettycontentious,too.

　　andintheyearsbeforedr.kingaddressedthoseoberlingraduatesin‘65,heandhiscolleaguesfacedfirehosesanddogsinmontgomery,beatingsonabridgeinselma,insultsandassaultsastheysatquietlyatlunchcountersandmarchedpeacefullydownpublicstreets.

　　andifyouthinktoday'sgridlockisbad,letmeremindyouthatitwasagoodcenturybetweenthesigningoftheemancipationproclamationandthepassageofthecivilrightslegislationofthe1960s.andofallthewomenatthesenecafallswomen'ssuffrageconventionin1848,justonelivedtoseewomencasttheirvotes.justone.

　　butthesefolksdidn'tlettheuglinessandtheobstaclesdeterthem.theydidn'tjustgiveupandretreattothecomfortablecompanyoflike-mindedfolks,becausetheyunderstoodthatthisishowdemocracyoperates.itisloudandmessy,andit'snotparticularlywarmandfuzzy.andbelieveme,iknowthisfrompersonalexperience.（laughter.）overtheyears,i'veoccasionallyrunintothenoisemyself.buti'vecometorealizethatmostofthatclamorisreallycomingfromjustahandfulofveryloudfolksoutonthefringes.

　　see,thetruthisthattheoverwhelmingmajorityofpeopleinthiscountryareopen-mindedandbig-hearted.theyaresmartenoughtoseethroughthatnoise,andtheyaresohungryforvoicesthatriseaboveit–smart,compassionate,thoughtfulvoiceslikeyours.

　　now,theprocessofdemocracymightnotalwaysbeasfastorassmoothaswe'dlike.butthefactis,itworks.generationaftergeneration,thiscountryhasbecomemoreequal,moreinclusive,morefair,morefree.mylifeandsomanyofyourlivesareatestamentofthattruth.butthathasonlyhappenedbecausefolkslikeallofyoulefttheircomfortzonesandmadetheirvoicesheard.

　　justlookatthestoryofoberlincollege.thefoundersofthisschooldidn'tjustdecidetoadmitwomenandafricanamericanstudentsandthenpatthemselvesonthebackandsay“jobwelldone.”no,eveninthoseearlydays,folkshereatoberlinwereattendinganti-slaverymeetings,shiveringonroughwoodenbenchesinunheated,unfinishedbuildings.theywerejoiningtheequalsuffrageleagueandspeakingoutforwomen'srighttovote.

　　theywereleadingcivilrightsmarchesandsit-ins,organizingexchangeprogramswithhistoricallyblackcollegesanduniversities,andsomuchmore.becausetheyknewitwasn'tenoughtowelcomewomenandafricanamericanstudentstooberliniftheywouldonlygraduateinfouryearstobesecond-classcitizensintheirowncountry.theyknewthatourpoliciesmatter.theyknewthatourlawsmatter.andiknow,aspresidentkrislovunderstands,thatelectingtherightfolksmatters–itmattersalot.

　　now,idon'tknowwhetheryourpresidentknowswhatiwasgoingtosaytoday,butiknowthathehadsomekindwordsforyouallaboutthisissue.butit'snocoincidencethatwe'rebothurgingyoutogetinvolvedinciviclife.becausewebothknowthatyoucannotfullyachieveyourgoalsofserviceandsocialjusticeifyouturnawayfrompoliticsandpublicpolicy.

　　yousee,it'swonderfultovolunteeratyourlocalhomelessshelter–pleasedothat–butyoualsoneedtoattendthecitycouncilmeetingsandmakesurethezoninglawsdon'tshutthatshelterdown.（applause.）areyouthinkingofteachinginanunder-servedschool?

ifso,i'mgladtohearthat.somanykidsneedyou.butyou'vealsogottoelectgoodpeopletoyourschoolboarda