25日上午10时50分，成都七中艺术楼音乐厅，在持续20秒的热烈掌声后，美国总统奥巴马夫人米歇尔发表此次访华期间的第二场演讲。她用刚学不久的中文“你好”和“谢谢”作为开场白和结束语，并以讲故事的方式，与成都中学生分享自己的求学经历，强调教育对年轻人的重要性。
Remarks by the First Lady at Number Seven School
Chengdu, China
March 25, 2014
Nihao. It is truly a pleasure to be here at theNumber Seven School. Thank you so much for yourwarm welcome.
Now, before I get started, onbehalf of myself and my husband, I want to say that our hearts goout to all those with loved ones on Malaysia Airlines Flight370. As I said this past weekend when I spoke atPeking University, we are very much keeping all of them in ourthoughts and our prayers at this tremendously difficult time.
So now, let me start bythanking your Principal, Principal Liu, and your classmate, JuChao, for that wonderful introduction. YourEnglish, Ju Chao, is excellent, and you should be veryproud. Thank you so much. (Applause.) And I want to thank all of thestudents here today, both those of you here in person and those ofyou joining remotely from across the region. I’mthrilled to be visiting your wonderful school.
Now, in preparation for this visit, before I left the U.S. Ivisited the Yu Ying School. It’s a public schoolnear the White House in Washington, D.C., and all of the studentsat this school study Chinese. And I met with thesixth-grade class, kids who are 11 and 12 yearsold. They had recently taken a trip here toChina, and they were bursting with excitement. They were eager to tell me about everything about what they hadseen.
But they admitted that beforetheir trip, they had all kinds of misconceptions aboutChina. They thought they would see palaces andtemples everywhere they went, but instead they found massive citiesfilled with skyscrapers. They weren’t sure thatthey’d like the food here in China, but they actually loved it, andthey learned how to use chopsticks. And in theend, one of the students told me –- and this is his quote -- hesaid, “Coming home was really exciting, but was at the same timesad.”
Now, meeting these studentsreminded me that when we live so far away from each other, it’seasy to develop all kinds of misconceptions andstereotypes. It’s easy to focus on ourdifferences –- how we speak different languages and eat differentfoods and observe different traditions. But as Itravel the world, and I meet young people from so many countries,I’m always struck by how much more we have incommon. And that’s been particularly true duringmy visit here in China.
You see, the truth is that Igrew up like many of you. My mom, my dad, mybrother and I, we lived in a tiny apartment in Chicago, which isone of the largest cities in America. My fatherworked at the local water plant. And we didn’thave much money, but our little home was bursting withlove. Every evening, my family would laugh andshare stories over dinner. We’d play card gamesand have fun for hours. And on summer nights, Iremember, when our apartment got too hot, we’d all sleep outside onour back porch.
Family meant everything to us, including our extendedfamily. My grandparents lived nearby, and myelderly great aunt and uncle lived in the apartment downstairs fromus. And when their health started to decline myparents stepped in, helping my uncle shave and dress each morning,dashing downstairs in the middle of the night to check on myaunt.
So in my family, like in somany of your families, we took care of eachother. And while we certainly weren’t rich, myparents had big dreams for me and my brother. They had only a high school education themselves, but they weredetermined to send us both to universities.
So they poured all of their love and all of their hope into us, andthey worked hard. They saved everypenny. And I know that wasn’t easy for them,especially for my father. You see, my father hada serious illness called multiple sclerosis. Andas he got sicker, it got harder for him to walk, and it took himlonger to get dressed in the morning.
But nomatter how tired he felt, no matter how much pain he was in, myfather hardly ever missed a day of work, because he was determinedto give me and my brother a better life. Andevery day, like so many of you, I felt the weight of my parents’sacrifices on my shoulders. Every day, I wantedto make them proud.
So while most American kidsattend public schools near their homes, when it was time for me toattend high school, I took an exam and got into a special publichigh school where I could get a better education. But the school was very far from my home, so I had to get up earlyevery morning and ride a bus for an hour, sometimes an hour and ahalf if the weather was bad. And every afternoon,I’d ride that same bus back home and then immediately start myhomework, often studying late into the night -- and sometimes Iwould wake up at 4:30 or 5:00 in the morning to study evenmore.
And itwasn’t easy. But whenever I got tired ordiscouraged, I would just think about how hard my parents wereworking for me. And I would remember something mymother always told me –- she said: “A goodeducation is something that no one can take away from you.”
And when it was time for me to apply to university, I had manyoptions, because in America, there are many kinds ofuniversities. There are four-yearuniversities. There are two-year communitycolleges which are less expensive. There areuniversities where you take classes at night while working duringthe day. So you don’t have to be a top student toattend a university. And even if your parentsdon’t have much money or you live in a tiny town in a rural area,in America, you can still attend university. Andyou can get scholarships and government loans to help pay yourtuition.
So Iattended Princeton University for my undergraduate degree, and Iwent on to Harvard University for my graduate degree inlaw. And with those degrees I was able to becomea lawyer at a large law firm, and then I worked as an executive ata city hospital, and then I was the director of an organizationthat helped disadvantaged young people.
And my storyisn’t unusual in America. Some of our most famousathletes, like LeBron James, and artists, like the singer JanelleMonae, came from struggling families like mine, as do many businessleaders – like Howard Schultz. He’s the head of acompany called Starbucks, which many of you may have heardof. When Mr. Schultz was a boy his father losthis job, leaving their family destitute. But Mr.Schultz worked hard. He got a scholarship to auniversity, and eventually built the largest coffeehouse company inthe world.
And thenthere’s this other guy I know who was raised by a single mother whosometimes struggled to afford food for theirfamily. But like me, this guy got scholarshipsand loans to attend universities. He became alawyer and a professor, and then he was a state senator and then anational senator. And then, he became Presidentof the United States. This guy I’m talking aboutis my husband, Barack Obama. (Applause.)
These stories are the storiesof so many Americans, and of America itself. Because in America, we believe that no matter where you live or howmuch money your parents have, or what race or religion or ethnicityyou are, if you work hard and believe in yourself, then you shouldhave a chance to succeed. We also believe thateveryone is equal, and that we all have the right to say what wethink and worship as we choose, even when others don’t like what wesay or don’t always agree with what we believe.
Now of course, living up tothese ideals isn’t always easy. And there havebeen times in our history where we have fallenshort. Many decades ago, there were actually lawsin America that allowed discrimination against black people likeme, who are a minority in the United States. Butover time, ordinary citizens decided that those laws wereunfair. So they held peaceful protests andmarches. They called on government officials tochange those laws, and they voted to elect new officials who sharedtheir views.
And slowly but surely, America changed. We gotrid of those unjust laws. And today, just 50years later, my husband and I are President and First Lady of theUnited States. And that is really the story ofAmerica –- how over the course of our short history, through somany trials and struggles, we have become more equal, moreinclusive, and more free.
And today in America, peopleof every race, religion and ethnicity live together and worktogether to build a better life for their children andgrandchildren. And in the end, that deep yearningto leave something better for those who come after us, that issomething we all truly share. In fact, there’s aChinese saying that I love that says, “To achieve true happiness,help the next generation.”
And like so many of your parents, my parents sacrificed so much sothat I could have opportunities they never dreamedof. And today, as a mother myself, I want evenmore opportunities for my own daughters. But ofcourse, as I always tell my daughters, with opportunities comeobligations.
And that is true for all ofyou as well. You all have the opportunity toreceive an education from this wonderful school, and you all havean obligation to take the fullest advantage of thisopportunity. And I know that’s exactly what youall are doing.
You’re winning prizes in mathand science. Here, you are staging musicalperformances around the world. You’revolunteering in your communities. And many of youare working hard to get an education your parents never dreamedof.
So you all have so much tooffer –- and that’s a good thing, because the world needs yourtalent. The world needs your creativity andenergy more than ever before. Because we face bigchallenges that know no borders –- like improving the quality ofour air and water, ensuring that people have good jobs, stoppingthe spread of disease. And soon, it will all fallto all of you to come together with people on every continent andsolve these problems together.
Now, fortunately, here at thiswonderful school, you’re already well on yourway. For more than a decade, you’ve been buildingspecial relationships with a American school in -- an American highschool, and many of you will attend universities in America or findother ways to reach out beyond your borders.
So in the years ahead, muchlike you and I are doing here today, you will be creating bonds offriendship across the globe that will last for decades tocome. And over the past week, as I have seen boththe ancient wonders and the modern achievements of your fascinatingcountry, and as I’ve met with extraordinary young people like allof you, I am more confident than ever before in our sharedfuture. And I cannot wait to see everything thatyou will achieve here in China and around the world.
Thank you again for hosting meand my family at this extraordinary school, and I wish you all thebest of luck in your journey ahead. Xie-Xie. (Applause.)
米歇尔在成都七中演讲全文
奇速英语整理
你好。非常高兴和荣幸来到第七中学……谢谢你们的热情欢迎。
我要首先感谢你们的校长——刘校长和你们的同学——琚朝的精彩介绍……琚朝，你的英语非常棒，你应该为自己骄傲！
我还要感谢今天到场的每一位同学——不论是在现场还是这个区域远程连线进来的。我无比兴奋能访问你们这么好的学校。
在我离开美国之前准备这次访问时，我在华盛顿哥伦比亚特区访问了白宫附近的一所公立学校“育英学校。”
这所学校的所有学生都学习中文……我和小学六年级一个班的同学们见了面——他们都是十一、十二岁的孩子。
他们最近刚来过中国……他们都充满了兴奋，急于告诉我他们所看到的一切。
但他们承认，来中国之前，他们有着各种各样有关中国的误解。
他们以为到处都会看到宫殿和庙宇……可是，他们看到的却是充满摩天大厦的大型城市。
他们原来不知道自己会不会喜欢中国这边的食物,实际上他们却爱上了它——他们甚至学会了使用筷子。
最后，一名学生告诉我——这是原话，“回家真是让人既兴奋又难过。”
和这些学生见面提醒了我，当我们生活在相隔如此遥远的地方，很容易产生各种误解和成见。
人们很容易只关注不同点——我们如何讲不同的语言、吃不同的食物和遵循不同的习俗和传统。
但随着我在世界各地旅行，遇到这么多国家的年轻人，我总是惊讶于我们有更多共同之处的事实。
这次对中国的访问尤其说明了这一点。
你们看，事实是，我的成长经历和你们许多人一样。
我父母和哥哥与我同住在芝加哥的一间小公寓里，芝加哥是美国最大的城市之一。
我父亲曾在当地一家水厂工作-我们没有太多钱……但是，我们的小家充满了爱。
每天晚上，晚餐时分，我们全家都会在一起说笑和分享故事……我们会一连几个小时地打牌、玩游戏……夏天的夜晚，当公寓里太热时，我们都睡在户外的后阳台。
家庭对我们来说意味着一切，这也包括我们的大家庭。
我的祖父母住得很近——我年迈的姨姥姥和姨姥爷住在楼下的公寓里。
当他们的健康状况开始下降，我父母开始每天早晨帮我姨姥爷刮胡子、穿衣服——半夜三更冲到楼下查看我姨姥姥的情况。
所以，在我的家里，我们互相照顾，就像在你们许多家庭里一样。
虽然我们并不富裕……我父母对我和哥哥抱有远大梦想。
虽然他们自己只有高中学历，但他们决心送我们俩上大学。
因此，她们对我们倾注了全部的爱和希望……他们拼命工作，积攒每一分钱，我知道这对他们来说并不容易，尤其是对我父亲来说，我父亲患有被称为多发性硬化症的重病。
随着他的病情加重，他的行走变得更加困难，早上他需要花更长时间才能穿好衣服。
但不管他觉得多累……不管他有多痛苦——我父亲几乎从没耽误过一天的工作。因为他决心给我和哥哥更好的生活。
每一天，像你们之中的很多人一样，我肩上都能感到父母的付出的分量。
每一天，我想让他们感到骄傲。
所以，尽管大多数美国孩子都在家附近的公立学校就读，到了我要读高中的时候，我参加了考试并且进入了一所特殊的公立高中，我认为我能在那里得到更好的教育。
但是，这所学校离我家很远……因此我不得不每天早上早起，坐一个小时公共汽车，天气不好的时候甚至要一个半小时。
而每天下午，我乘坐同一趟车回家，然后立即开始做家庭作业。经常学到深夜……有时为了多学点，我在清晨4：30或5：00就起床。
这很不容易。
但每当我疲倦或沮丧的时候，我就想想我父亲为了我正在多么辛苦地工作。
我会记起我妈妈一直告诉我的话——她说：“良好的教育是谁都无法从你身上拿走的东西。”
到了我要申请大学的时候，我有很多选择，因为在美国有许多类型的大学—有四年制大学……有比较便宜的两年制社区学院……有让你晚上上课而白天工作的大学……所以要读大学，你不必是优等生。
即使你的父母没有很多钱，或者你住在乡村的一个小镇上……在美国，你仍然就读大学……而且你可以得到奖学金和政府贷款帮助你支付学费。
所以我去了普林斯顿大学攻读本科学位……后来我又去了哈佛大学攻读法学硕士学位。
有了这些学位，我能在一家大型律师事务所担任一名律师……然后我在一家城市医院担任管理人员，然后我成了一个帮助弱势青少年组织的负责人。
而我的故事在美国并不异乎寻常。
我们一些最有名的运动员，比如勒布朗.詹姆斯（LeBron James），还有艺术家，比如歌手加奈儿.梦奈（Janelle Monae），都来自困难家庭……还有很多商界领袖，
他成了一名律师，一位法律教授…后来他成了州参议员，然后是国家参议员…再后来，他成了美国总统…没错，这个人就是我的丈夫巴拉克.欧巴马。
这些故事也是太多美国人的故事——也是美国自己的故事。
因为在美国，我们相信，无论你住在哪里…或者你的父母有多少钱…或者你来自什么种族、宗教或族裔…如果你努力，并且相信自己，那么你就有机会成功。
我们也相信，每个人都是平等的，我们都有权利说我们所想，选择我们所崇拜，即使其他人不喜欢我们所说的，或者不同意我们所相信的。
当然，坚守这些理想并非易事——而历史上我们也有做得不尽如人意的时候。
几十年前，美国实际上是有法律允许歧视像我这样美国黑人少数族裔的。
但是随着时间的推移，普通公民决定，那些法律是不公平的。
于是他们举行了和平示威和游行……他们呼吁政府官员修改那些法律……他们还投票选举同意他们观点的新官员。
于是慢慢地，但是毫无疑问地，美国改变了。
我们取消了那些不公正的法律。
而如今，仅仅50年之后，我丈夫和我已经是美国总统和第一夫人。
那的确是美国的故事——我们如何在我们短短的历史进程中，通过这么多艰苦磨难和不懈斗争，变得更加平等、更加包容、更加自由。
如今在美国，来自各个种族、宗教和族裔的人居住在一起，共同为子孙后代创造更好的生活。
最后，那种为我们后代留下更美好事物的深切渴望——这才是我们真正的共同愿望。
事实上，有一句我喜欢的中国名言这样说：“造福子孙，幸福自己。”
像你们许多人的父母一样。我父母牺牲了很多，让我能有他们从未梦想过的机会。
如今，我自己作为一名母亲，我希望我自己的女儿们拥有甚至更多的机会。
但当然，就如同我总是告诫女儿们的，伴随机会而来的义务。
这也适用于你们所有人。
你们都有机会在这么美好的学校接受教育——你们都有义务充分利用这个机会。
而这正是你们都在做的。
你们赢得数学和科学奖……你们在世界各地进行音乐演出……你们在社区做志愿服务……你们很多人努力奋斗以接受你们父母从未梦想过的教育。
所以，你们都有那么多可以给予——这是好事，因为世界比以往任何时候都更需要你们的才华、创造力和能量。
因为我们面对的是没有边界的巨大挑战——比如改善我们空气和水的质量……确保人们有好的工作……和阻止疾病的传播。
很快，你们所有人就要肩负责任和每一个大洲的人们一起共同解决这些问题。
幸运的是，在这所学校，你们已经有了一个好的开端。
十多年来，你们同美国一所高中建立了特殊关系，你们中的许多人将去美国上大学或以其他方式接触外面的世界。
所以未来几年，就像你们和我今天在这里所做的，你们将在全球各地创建友谊的纽带，这些纽带将在未来几十年绵延持续。
过去一周，当我看到你们迷人国家的古老奇迹和现代成就时……当我和像你们一样的杰出年轻人见面时……我对我们共同的未来比以往任何时候都更加自信…我迫不及待地想看到你们大家取得的所有成就，不论是在中国还是世界各地。
再次感谢你们在你们杰出的学校接待我和家人，祝愿你们前程似锦，一路好运。
谢谢。
