奥巴马演讲——我们为什么要上学？（有删减）
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.
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.
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.
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.What you're learning in school today will determine whether we as a nation can meet our greatest challenges in the future.
We need every single one of you to develop your talents and your skills and your intellect so you can help us old folks solve our most difficult problems.If you don't do that -- if you quit on school -- you're not just quitting on yourself, you're quitting on your country.
Now, I know it's not always easy to do well in school.I know a lot of you have challenges in your lives right now that can make it hard to focus on your schoolwork.
Some of you might not have those advantages.Maybe you don't have adults in your life who give you the support that you need.Maybe someone in your family has lost their job and there's not enough money to go around.Maybe you live in a neighborhood where you don't feel safe, or have friends who are pressuring you to do things you know aren't right.
But at the end of the day, the circumstances of your life—what you look like, where you come from, how much money you have, what you've got going on at home -- none of that is an excuse for neglecting your homework or having a bad attitude in school.That's no excuse for talking back to your teacher, or cutting class, or dropping out of school.There is no excuse for not trying.
Where you are right now doesn't have to determine where you'll end up.No one's written your destiny for you, because here in America, you write your own destiny.
That's why today I'm calling on each of you to set your own goals for your education -- and do everything you can to meet them.Your goal can be something as simple as doing all your homework, paying attention in class, or spending some time each day reading a book.
【词汇积累】
1. adjust v.调节；适应
adjust to 表示适应的时候，to是介词，后面跟sth.或doing sth.
例：The body adjusts itself to the change of temperature.
It took her a long time to adjust to living alone in China.
区分：adapt v.使适应 常用搭配adapt to sth.
例：We have had to adapt quickly to the new system.
2. drop out of sth.退出；不参与 drop into sth.顺便访问；顺便进入
例：He had injured leg and had to drop out of the race.
Sorry we’re late—we dropped into the pub on the way.
3. quit v.放弃 常搭配quit (doing) sth.
例：I’ve quit smoking.
4. pressure n.气体；强迫；紧张 v.逼迫
put pressure on sb. to do sth, pressure sb. to do sth, pressure sb.(into sth./into doing sth.)
例：Don’t let yourself be pressured into making a hasty decision.
【佳句欣赏】
1.What you're learning in school today will determine whether we as a nation can meet our greatest challenges in the future.
2.Where you are right now doesn't have to determine where you'll end up.No one's written your destiny for you, because here in America, you write your own destiny.
【参考译文】
我能理解你们有些人还在适应开学后的生活。但今天我站在这里，是为了和你们谈一些重要的事情。我要和你们谈一谈你们每一个人的教育以及这个新学年对你们所有人的期望。
首先，我要讲讲你们每个人对自己的教育应尽的责任。你们每个人都有自己的长处。你们每个人都是有用之才。你们对自己应尽的责任是发现自己的才能所在。而教育能够提供这样的机会。
不论你的生活志向是什么，我敢肯定你都需要相应的教育。你想当医生、教师 或者警官吗？你想当护士、建筑师、律师或者军人吗？你必须接受良好的教育才能从事上述的任何一种职业。你不能指望缀学后碰上一个好工作。你必须接受培训，为之努力，为之学习。
这并非只对你个人的人生和未来意义重大。教育给你带来的益处将决定这个国家的未来。今天你们在学校中学习的知识，将决定我们整个国家是否能够迎接我们未来所面临的严峻挑战。
我们需要每个人都发挥天赋、技能和才智，帮助我们这一辈人解决面临的最棘手的问题。如果你们不这样做——如果你们放弃学校教育——你们不仅放弃了自己，也放弃了自己的国家。
我当然明白读好书不是件容易的事。我知道你们许多人在生活中面临着各种问题，很难把精力集中在专心读书上，
你们中有些人可能没有那样的有利条件。或许你们的生活中没有能为你们提供帮助的长辈。或许你们家长中有人失业，经济非常拮据。或许你住的社区不那么安全，或许你认识一些朋友逼迫你做明知不对的事情。
但归根结底，你的生活状况，你的长相、出生、经济条件、家庭气氛都不是疏忽学业和态度恶劣的借口。这些不是你去跟老师顶嘴、逃学或缀学的借口。这些不是你不好好读书的借口。
你们目前的状况并不决定你们的未来，没有人为你编排好你的命运。你的命运由你自己书写。你的未来你自己掌握。
因此我今天号召你们每一个人，为自己的教育设定目标。并尽自己的最大努力来实现这些目标。你的目标可以很简单，像是完成作业，认真听讲或者每天阅读。
