⊙ By Michelle Obama

翻译：旭文

用良好的教育武装自己

1)Empower Yourselves with a Good Education

⊙ By Michelle Obama

翻译：旭文

刚刚卸任的美国总统奥巴马是大家公认的演讲好手，从他参加总统竞选伊始到在位的八九年间，他的讲话一直受到大家的追捧。其实，他的夫人米歇尔·奥巴马也同样是演讲高手，只不过露面的机会远远不如她丈夫多罢了。现在我们来欣赏一下米歇尔作为第一夫人的最后一次正式讲话吧。

口语指南针

与许多男性政治家或励志演讲家相比，米歇尔的演讲与激越高亢、抑扬顿挫沾不上边。在这段对美国年轻人的讲话中，她更像是一位谆谆善诱的长辈，态度亲切、诚恳。她联系自己与丈夫出身贫寒，经过奋斗获得成功的经历来勉励年轻人，在对话般的讲话中道出自己对年轻人的殷殷期望。建议同学们反复听，仔细体会这种更贴近生活的演讲风格。

And as I end my time in the White House, I can think of no better message to send to our young people in my last official remarks as First Lady. So, for all the young people in this room and those who are watching, know that this country belongs to you—to all of you, from every background and walk of life. If you or your parents are immigrants, knowthat you are part of a proud American tradition—the2)infusion of new cultures, talents and ideas, generation after generation. That has made us the greatest country on Earth.

If your family doesn’t have much money, I want you to remember that in this country, plenty of folks, including me and my husband, we started out with very little. But with a lot of hard work and a good education, anything is possible—even becoming President. That’s what the American Dream is all about.

Right now, you need to be preparing yourself to add your voice to our national conversation. You need to prepare yourself to be informed and3)engaged as a citizen, to serve and to lead, to stand up for our proud American values and to honor them in your daily lives. And that means getting the best education possible, so you can think4)critically, so you can express yourself clearly, so you can get a good job and support yourself and your family, so you can be a positive force in your communities.

And when you encounter5)obstacles—because I guarantee you, you will, and many of you already have—when you are struggling and you start thinking about giving up, I want you to remember something that my husband and I have talked about since we first started this journey nearly a decade ago, something that has carried us through every moment in this White House and every moment of our lives, and that is the power of hope, the belief that something better is always possible if you’re willing to work for it and fight for it.

It is our fundamental belief in the power of hope that has allowed us to rise above the voices of doubt and division, of anger and fear that we have faced in our own lives and in the life of this country; our hope that if we work hard enough and believe in ourselves, then we can be whatever we dream, regardless of the6)limitations that others may place on us; the hope that when people see us for who we truly are, maybe, just maybe, they, too, will be inspired to rise to their best possible selves.

That’s the kind of hope that every single one of us—politicians, parents,7)preachers—all of us need to be providing for our young people. Because that is what moves this country forward every single day—our hope for the future and the hard work that hope inspires.

1) empower [Im5paJE(r)] v. 授权，赋权

2) infusion [In5fju:V(E)n] n. 输入，灌输

3) engaged [In5^eIdVd] adj. 活跃的

4) critically [5krItIkElI] adv. 批评地，用钻研眼光地

5) obstacle [5ɒbstEk(E)l] n. 障碍，困难

6) limitation [7lImI5teIF(E)n] n. 限制

7) preacher [5pri:tFE(r)] n. 讲道者，说教者

推荐背诵

So, that’s my final message to young people as First Lady. It is simple. I want our young people to know that they matter, that they belong. So don’t be afraid—you hear me, young people? Don’t be afraid. Be focused. Be determined. Be hopeful. Be empowered. Empower yourselves with a good education. Then get out there and use that education to build a country worthy of your boundless promise. Lead by example with hope, never fear. And know that I will be with you,8)rooting for you and working to support you for the rest of my life.

背诵理由

本段语句简洁有力。通过七个只有两三个词的祈使短句，从否定到肯定，像一连串有力的鼓点直击人心，让听者把注意力集中在关键词上，突出中心，干净利落，有明显的警醒作用。

8) root for 鼓劲，支持

习语学习：walk of life

我们非常熟悉的walk在作名词用时，除了“散步，步行”等与走路相关的意思外，还有“行业，职业，社会地位”的意思，因此就有了walk of life这个习语。这个习语最常见的用法是all walks of life，指社会各界、各阶层人士，视上下文而定，可强调差异性或包容性；另一个用法是every walk of life，作用及用法与前者相同，只不过在形式上略有差异罢了。……