奥巴马演讲视频：President Obama's Third Annual Back to School Speech

Donae Owens: Good afternoon, special guests, faculty 1 members and my fellow students.

My name is Donae Owens.

I'm the student government president and a proud member of the class of 2012 at Benjamin Banneker Academic High School.

I am privileged to be here today welcoming our nation's President, Barack Obama.

We are very proud that the President chose Benjamin Banneker as the venue 2 for his 3rd Annual Back to School Speech.

Banneker is one of the top public schools in the District of Columbia.

Celebrating our 30th year anniversary as a magnet school; having maintained 100% graduation rate and college acceptance rate.

As Banneker -- (applause) As Banneker Achievers, we have excelled in both academics and extracurricular activities -- including giving back to our community through multiple service and activities.

I attribute my success to my parents, my school family and my strong work ethic 3 and self-determination.

I am an aspiring 4 architectural engineer who would like to pursue my studies at NYU next fall.

Currently, I enter at Barnes Vanze Architects, an architectural firm that is preparing me for my future career.

Since my freshman 5 year here at Banneker, I have been fortunate enough not to have been faced with the painful dilemmas 6 that an increasing number of our nation's students face daily.

Recently -- recently, I was a recipient 7 of the 2011 Congressional Black Caucus 8 Foundation Essay Scholarship.

This year's topic, chosen by the CBC spouses 9, focused on positive initiatives to increase graduation rates amongst minorities.

Throughout my paper, I stressed the importance of self-determination.

If it is to be, it is up to me, because we are the controllers of our own destinies.

On behalf of the Banneker Achievers, I would like to take this opportunity to thank the administration, teachers, counselors 10 and other staff members for their unwavering support.

We value and appreciate your efforts and commitment.

We have achieved exceptional academic success and are destined 11 to set even higher markers as we progress.

Today's presidential address will be memorable 12 and historic -- and an historic event for all of us.

We feel honored and are humbled 13 today to represent students all over America as we look forward to another year of scholastic 14 challenges and opportunities.

So, with further ado, from president to president, let me invite you --

(laughter) -- let me invite you all to sit back, enjoy and internalize the wonderful words of council and encouragement from our President of the United States, Barack Obama accompanied by Secretary of Education, Arne Duncan.

Thank you.

(cheers and applause)

THE PRESIDENT: Thank you. (Applause.) Thank you very much. Everybody, please have a seat. Well, Madam President, that was an outstanding introduction. (Laughter.) We are so proud of Donae for representing this school so well.

And in addition, I also want to acknowledge your outstanding principal, who has been here for 20 years -- first as a teacher, now as an outstanding principal -- Anita Berger. Please give her a big round of applause. (Applause.) I want to acknowledge, as well, Mayor Gray is here -- the mayor of Washington, D.C. is here. Please give him a big round of applause. (Applause.) And I also want to thank somebody who is going to go down in history as one of the finest Secretaries of Education that we’ve ever had -- Arne Duncan is here. (Applause.)

Now, it is great to be here at Benjamin Banneker High School, one of the best high schools not only in Washington, D.C., but one of the best high schools in the country. (Applause.) But we’ve also got students tuning 15 in from all across America. And so I want to welcome you all to the new school year, although I know that many of you already have been in school for a while. I know that here at Banneker, you’ve been back at school for a few weeks now. So everything is starting to settle in, just like for all your peers all across the country. The fall sports season is underway. Musicals and marching band routines are starting to shape up, I believe. And your first big tests and projects are probably just around the corner.

I know that you’ve also got a great deal going on outside of school. Your circle of friends might be changing a little bit. Issues that used to stay confined to hallways or locker 16 rooms are now finding their way onto Facebook and Twitter. (Laughter.) Some of your families might also be feeling the strain of the economy. As many of you know, we’re going through one of the toughest economic times that we’ve gone through in our lifetime -- in my lifetime. Your lifetime hasn’t been that long. And so, as a consequence, you might have to pick up an after-school job to help out your family, or maybe you’re babysitting for a younger sibling 17 because mom or dad is working an extra shift.

So all of you have a lot on your plates. You guys are growing up faster and interacting with a wider world in a way that old folks like me, frankly 18, just didn’t have to. So today, I don’t want to be just another adult who stands up and lectures you like you’re just kids -- because you’re not just kids. You’re this country’s future. You’re young leaders. And whether we fall behind or race ahead as a nation is going to depend in large part on you. So I want to talk to you a little bit about meeting that responsibility.

It starts, obviously, with being the best student that you can be. Now, that doesn’t always mean that you have to have a perfect score on every assignment. It doesn’t mean that you’ve got to get straight As all the time -- although that’s not a bad goal to have. It means that you have to stay at it. You have to be determined 19 and you have to persevere 20. It means you’ve got to work as hard as you know how to work. And it means that you’ve got to take some risks once in a while. You can’t avoid the class that you think might be hard because you’re worried about getting the best grade if that’s a subject that you think you need to prepare you for your future. You’ve got to wonder. You’ve got to question. You’ve got to explore. And every once in a while, you need to color outside of the lines.

That’s what school is for: discovering new passions, acquiring new skills, making use of this incredible time that you have to prepare yourself and give yourself the skills that you’re going to need to pursue the kind of careers that you want. And that’s why when you’re still a student you can explore a wide range of possibilities. One hour you can be an artist; the next, an author; the next, a scientist, or a historian, or a carpenter. This is the time where you can try out new interests and test new ideas. And the more you do, the sooner you’ll figure out what makes you come alive, what stirs you, what makes you excited -- the career that you want to pursue.

Now, if you promise not to tell anybody, I will let you in on a little secret: I was not always the very best student that I could be when I was in high school, and certainly not when I was in middle school. I did not love every class I took. I wasn’t always paying attention the way I should have. I remember when I was in 8th grade I had to take a class called ethics 21. Now, ethics is about right and wrong, but if you’d ask me what my favorite subject was back in 8th grade, it was basketball. I don’t think ethics would have made it on the list.

But here’s the interesting thing. I still remember that ethics class, all these years later. I remember the way it made me think. I remember being asked questions like: What matters in life? Or, what does it mean to treat other people with dignity and respect? What does it mean to live in a diverse nation, where not everybody looks like you do, or thinks like you do, or comes from the same neighborhood as you do? How do we figure out how to get along?

Each of these questions led to new questions. And I didn’t always know the right answers, but those discussions and that process of discovery -- those things have lasted. Those things are still with me today. Every day, I’m thinking about those same issues as I try to lead this nation. I’m asking the same kinds of questions about, how do we as a diverse nation come together to achieve what we need to achieve? How do we make sure that every single person is treated with dignity and respect? What responsibilities do we have to people who are less fortunate than we are? How do we make sure that everybody is included in this family of Americans?

Those are all questions that date back to this class that I took back in 8th grade. And here’s the thing: I still don’t always know the answers to all these questions. But if I’d have just tuned 22 out because the class sounded boring, I might have missed out on something that not only did I turn out enjoying, but has ended up serving me in good stead for the rest of my life.

So that’s a big part of your responsibility, is to test things out. Take risks. Try new things. Work hard. Don’t be embarrassed if you’re not good at something right away. You’re not supposed to be good at everything right away. That’s why you’re in school. The idea, though, is, is that you keep on expanding your horizons and your sense of possibility. Now is the time for you to do that. And those are also, by the way, the things that will make school more fun.

Down the road, those will be the traits that will help you succeed, as well -- the traits that will lead you to invent a device that makes an iPad look like a stone tablet. Or what will help you figure out a way to use the sun and the wind to power a city and give us new energy sources that are less polluting. Or maybe you’ll write the next great American novel.

Now, to do almost any of those things, you have to not only graduate from high school, -- and I know I’m just -- I’m in the "amen" corner with Principal Berger here -- not only do you have to graduate from high school, but you’re going to have to continue education after you leave. You have to not only graduate, but you’ve got to keep going after you graduate.

That might mean, for many of you, a four-year university. I was just talking to Donae, and she wants to be an architect, and she’s interning 23 with a architectural firm, and she’s already got her sights set on what school she wants to go to. But it might, for some other folks, be a community college, or professional credentialing or training. But the fact of the matter is, is that more than 60 percent of the jobs in the next decade will require more than a high school diploma -- more than 60 percent. That’s the world you’re walking into.

So I want all of you to set a goal to continue your education after you graduate. And if that means college for you, just getting into college is not enough. You also have to graduate. One of the biggest challenges we have right now is that too many of our young people enroll 24 in college but don’t actually end up getting their degree, and as a consequence -- our country used to have the world’s highest proportion of young people with a college degree; we now rank 16th. I don't like being 16th. I like being number one. That’s not good enough. So we’ve got to use -- we’ve got to make sure your generation gets us back to the top of having the most college graduates relative to the population of any country on Earth.

If we do that, you guys will have a brighter future. And so will America. We’ll be able to make sure the newest inventions and the latest breakthroughs happen right here in the United States of America. It will mean better jobs, and more fulfilling lives, and greater opportunities not only for you, but also for your kids.

So I don’t want anybody who’s listening here today to think that you’re done once you finish high school. You are not done learning. In fact, what’s happening in today’s economy is -- it’s all about lifelong learning. You have to constantly upgrade your skills and find new ways of doing things. Even if college isn't for you, even if a four-year college isn't for you, you’re still going to have to get more education after you get out of high school. You’ve got to start expecting big things from yourself right now.

I know that may sound a little intimidating 25. And some of you may be wondering how you can pay for college, or you might not know what you want to do with your life yet. And that’s okay. Nobody expects you to have your entire future mapped out at this point. And we don't expect you to have to make it on your own. First of all, you’ve got wonderful parents who love you to death and want you to have a lot more opportunity than they ever had -- which, by the way, means don’t give them a hard time when they ask you to turn off the video games, turn off the TV and do some homework. You need to be listening to them. I speak from experience because that’s what I’ve been telling Malia and Sasha. Don’t be mad about it, because we’re thinking about your future.

You’ve also got people all across this country -- including myself and Arne and people at every level of government -- who are working on your behalf. We’re taking every step we can to ensure that you’re getting an educational system that is worthy 26 of your potential. We’re working to make sure that you have the most up-to-date schools with the latest tools of learning. We’re making sure that this country’s colleges and universities are affordable 27 and accessible to you. We’re working to get the best class -- teachers into the classroom as well, so they can help you prepare for college and a future career.

Let me say something about teachers, by the way. Teachers are the men and women who might be working harder than just about anybody these days. (Applause.) Whether you go to a big school or a small one, whether you attend a public or a private or charter school –- your teachers are giving up their weekends; they’re waking up at dawn; they’re cramming 28 their days full of classes and extra-curricular activities. And then they’re going home, eating some dinner, and then they’ve got to stay up sometimes past midnight, grading your papers and correcting your grammar, and making sure you got that algebra 29 formula properly.

And they don’t do it for a fancy office. They don’t -- they sure don’t do it for the big salary. They do it for you. They do it because nothing gives them more satisfaction than seeing you learn. They live for those moments when something clicks; when you amaze them with your intellect or your vocabulary, or they see what kind of person you’re becoming. And they’re proud of you. And they say, I had something to do with that, that wonderful young person who is going to succeed. They have confidence in you that you will be citizens and leaders who take us into tomorrow. They know you’re our future. So your teachers are pouring everything they got into you, and they’re not alone.

But I also want to emphasize this: With all the challenges that our country is facing right now, we don’t just need you for the future; we actually need you now. America needs young people’s passion and their ideas. We need your energy right now. I know you’re up to it because I’ve seen it. Nothing inspires me more than knowing that young people all across the country are already making their marks. They’re not waiting. They’re making a difference now.

There are students like Will Kim from Fremont, California, who launched a nonprofit that gives loans to students from low-income schools who want to start their own business. Think about that. So he’s giving loans to other students. He set up a non-for-profit. He’s raising the money doing what he loves -- through dodgeball tournaments and capture-the-flag games. But he’s creative. He took initiative. And now he’s helping 30 other young people be able to afford the schooling 31 that they need.

There is a young man, Jake Bernstein, 17 years old, from a military family in St. Louis, worked with his sister to launch a website devoted 32 to community service for young people. And they’ve held volunteer fairs and put up an online database, and helped thousands of families to find volunteer opportunities ranging from maintaining nature trails to serving at local hospitals.

And then last year, I met a young woman named Amy Chyao from Richardson, Texas. She’s 16 years old, so she’s the age of some of you here. During the summer, I think because somebody in her family had an illness, she decided 33 that she was interested in cancer research. She hadn’t taken chemistry yet, so she taught herself chemistry during the summer. And then she applied 34 what she had learned and discovered a breakthrough process that uses light to kill cancer cells. Sixteen years old. It’s incredible. And she's been approached by some doctors and researchers who want to work with her to help her with her discovery.

The point is you don’t have to wait to make a difference. You’re first obligation is to do well in school. You’re first obligation is to make sure that you’re preparing yourself for college and career. But you can also start making your mark right now. A lot of times young people may have better ideas than us old people do anyway. We just need those ideas out in the open, in and out of the classroom.

When I meet young people like yourselves, when I sat and talk to Donae, I have no doubt that America’s best days are still ahead of us, because I know the potential that lies in each of you. Soon enough, you will be the ones leading our businesses and leading our government. You will be the one who are making sure that the next generation gets what they need to succeed. You will be the ones that are charting the course of our unwritten history. And all that starts right now -- starts this year.

So I want all of you who are listening, as well as everybody here at Banneker, I want you to make the most of the year that’s ahead of you. I want you to think of this time as one in which you are just loading up with information and skills, and you’re trying new things and you’re practicing, and you’re honing -- all those things that you’re going to need to do great things when you get out of school.

Your country is depending on you. So set your sights high. Have a great school year. Let’s get to work.

Thank you very much, everybody. God bless you. God bless the United States of America. (Applause.)

 

点击收听单词发音  






1
faculty

  
 


n.才能；学院，系；(学院或系的)全体教学人员


参考例句：





He has a great faculty for learning foreign languages.他有学习外语的天赋。
He has the faculty of saying the right thing at the right time.他有在恰当的时候说恰当的话的才智。












2
venue

  
 


n.犯罪地点，审判地，管辖地，发生地点，集合地点


参考例句：





The hall provided a venue for weddings and other functions.大厅给婚礼和其他社会活动提供了场所。
The chosen venue caused great controversy among the people.人们就审判地点的问题产生了极大的争议。












3
ethic

  
 


n.道德标准，行为准则


参考例句：





They instilled the work ethic into their children.他们在孩子们的心中注入了职业道德的理念。
The connotation of education ethic is rooted in human nature's mobility.教育伦理的内涵根源于人本性的变动性。












4
aspiring

  
 


adj.有志气的；有抱负的；高耸的v.渴望；追求


参考例句：





Aspiring musicians need hours of practice every day. 想当音乐家就要每天练许多小时。
He came from an aspiring working-class background. 他出身于有抱负的工人阶级家庭。 来自辞典例句












5
freshman

  
 


n.大学一年级学生(可兼指男女)


参考例句：





Jack decided to live in during his freshman year at college.杰克决定大一时住校。
He is a freshman in the show business.他在演艺界是一名新手。












6
dilemmas

  
 


n.左右为难( dilemma的名词复数 )；窘境，困境


参考例句：





They dealt with their dilemmas by mixing perhaps unintentionally an explosive brew. 他们――也许是无意地――把爆炸性的佐料混合在一起，以此来应付困难处境。 来自辞典例句
Ten years later we encountered the same dilemmas in Vietnam. 十年后，我们又在越南遇到了同样进退两难的局面。 来自辞典例句












7
recipient

  
 


a.接受的,感受性强的 n.接受者,感受者,容器


参考例句：





Please check that you have a valid email certificate for each recipient. 请检查是否对每个接收者都有有效的电子邮件证书。
Colombia is the biggest U . S aid recipient in Latin America. 哥伦比亚是美国在拉丁美洲最大的援助对象。












8
caucus

  
 


n.秘密会议；干部会议；v.（参加）干部开会议


参考例句：





This multi-staged caucus takes several months.这个多级会议常常历时好几个月。
It kept the Democratic caucus from fragmenting.它也使得民主党的核心小组避免了土崩瓦解的危险。












9
spouses

  
 


n.配偶，夫或妻( spouse的名词复数 )


参考例句：





Jobs are available for spouses on campus and in the community. 校园里和社区里有配偶可做的工作。 来自辞典例句
An astonishing number of spouses-most particularly in the upper-income brackets-have no close notion of their husbands'paychecks. 相当大一部分妇女——特别在高收入阶层——并不很了解他们丈夫的薪金。 来自辞典例句












10
counselors

  
 


n.顾问( counselor的名词复数 )；律师；（使馆等的）参赞；（协助学生解决问题的）指导老师


参考例句：





Counselors began an inquiry into industrial needs. 顾问们开始调查工业方面的需要。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》
We have experienced counselors available day and night. ) 这里有经验的法律顾问全天候值班。） 来自超越目标英语 第4册












11
destined

  
 


adj.命中注定的；(for)以…为目的地的


参考例句：





It was destined that they would marry.他们结婚是缘分。
The shipment is destined for America.这批货物将运往美国。












12
memorable

  
 


adj.值得回忆的，难忘的，特别的，显著的


参考例句：





This was indeed the most memorable day of my life.这的确是我一生中最值得怀念的日子。
The veteran soldier has fought many memorable battles.这个老兵参加过许多难忘的战斗。












13
humbled

  
 


adj. 卑下的，谦逊的，粗陋的
vt. 使 ... 卑下，贬低


参考例句：





The examination results humbled him. 考试成绩挫了他的傲气。
I am sure millions of viewers were humbled by this story. 我相信数百万观众看了这个故事后都会感到自己的渺小。












14
scholastic

  
 


adj.学校的，学院的，学术上的


参考例句：





There was a careful avoidance of the sensitive topic in the scholastic circles.学术界小心地避开那个敏感的话题。
This would do harm to students' scholastic performance in the long run.这将对学生未来的学习成绩有害。












15
tuning

  
 


n.调谐，调整，调音v.调音( tune的现在分词 )；调整；（给收音机、电视等）调谐；使协调


参考例句：





They are tuning up a plane on the flight line. 他们正在机场的飞机跑道上调试一架飞机。 来自《简明英汉词典》
The orchestra are tuning up. 管弦乐队在定弦。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》












16
locker

  
 


n.更衣箱，储物柜，冷藏室，上锁的人


参考例句：





At the swimming pool I put my clothes in a locker.在游泳池我把衣服锁在小柜里。
He moved into the locker room and began to slip out of his scrub suit.他走进更衣室把手术服脱下来。












17
sibling

  
 


n.同胞手足(指兄、弟、姐或妹)


参考例句：





Many of us hate living in the shadows of a more successful sibling.我们很多人都讨厌活在更为成功的手足的阴影下。
Sibling ravalry has been common in this family.这个家里，兄弟姊妹之间的矛盾很平常。












18
frankly

  
 


adv.坦白地，直率地；坦率地说


参考例句：





To speak frankly, I don't like the idea at all.老实说，我一点也不赞成这个主意。
Frankly speaking, I'm not opposed to reform.坦率地说，我不反对改革。












19
determined

  
 


adj.坚定的；有决心的


参考例句：





I have determined on going to Tibet after graduation.我已决定毕业后去西藏。
He determined to view the rooms behind the office.他决定查看一下办公室后面的房间。












20
persevere

  
 


v.坚持，坚忍，不屈不挠


参考例句：





They are determined to persevere in the fight.他们决心坚持战斗。
It is strength of character enabled him to persevere.他那坚强的性格使他能够坚持不懈。












21
ethics

  
 


n.伦理学；伦理观，道德标准


参考例句：





The ethics of his profession don't permit him to do that.他的职业道德不允许他那样做。
Personal ethics and professional ethics sometimes conflict.个人道德和职业道德有时会相互抵触。












22
tuned

  
 


adj.调谐的，已调谐的v.调音( tune的过去式和过去分词 )；调整；（给收音机、电视等）调谐；使协调


参考例句：





The resort is tuned in to the tastes of young and old alike. 这个度假胜地适合各种口味，老少皆宜。
The instruments should be tuned up before each performance. 每次演出开始前都应将乐器调好音。 来自《简明英汉词典》












23
interning

  
 


v.拘留，关押( intern的现在分词 )


参考例句：





I will spend the summer interning at a software company in Bombay. 夏季我将会在孟买的一家软件公司里实习。 来自互联网
The young doctor is interning at the Medical Center this year. 这名年轻医生今年在医疗中心做实习医生。 来自互联网












24
enroll

  
 


v.招收；登记；入学；参军；成为会员（英)enrol


参考例句：





I should like to enroll all my children in the swimming class.我愿意让我的孩子们都参加游泳班。
They enroll him as a member of the club.他们吸收他为俱乐部会员。












25
intimidating

  
 


vt.恐吓，威胁( intimidate的现在分词)


参考例句：





They were accused of intimidating people into voting for them. 他们被控胁迫选民投他们的票。
This kind of questioning can be very intimidating to children. 这种问话的方式可能让孩子们非常害怕。












26
worthy

  
 


adj.(of)值得的，配得上的；有价值的


参考例句：





I did not esteem him to be worthy of trust.我认为他不值得信赖。
There occurred nothing that was worthy to be mentioned.没有值得一提的事发生。












27
affordable

  
 


adj.支付得起的，不太昂贵的


参考例句：





The rent for the four-roomed house is affordable.四居室房屋的房租付得起。
There are few affordable apartments in big cities.在大城市中没有几所公寓是便宜的。












28
cramming

  
 


n.塞满，填鸭式的用功v.塞入( cram的现在分词 )；填塞；塞满；（为考试而）死记硬背功课


参考例句：





Being hungry for the whole morning, I couldn't help cramming myself. 我饿了一上午，禁不住狼吞虎咽了起来。 来自《简明英汉词典》
She's cramming for her history exam. 她考历史之前临时抱佛脚。 来自《简明英汉词典》












29
algebra

  
 


n.代数学


参考例句：





He was not good at algebra in middle school.他中学时不擅长代数。
The boy can't figure out the algebra problems.这个男孩做不出这道代数题。












30
helping

  
 


n.食物的一份&adj.帮助人的，辅助的


参考例句：





The poor children regularly pony up for a second helping of my hamburger. 那些可怜的孩子们总是要求我把我的汉堡包再给他们一份。
By doing this, they may at times be helping to restore competition. 这样一来, 他在某些时候,有助于竞争的加强。












31
schooling

  
 


n.教育；正规学校教育


参考例句：





A child's access to schooling varies greatly from area to area.孩子获得学校教育的机会因地区不同而大相径庭。
Backward children need a special kind of schooling.天赋差的孩子需要特殊的教育。












32
devoted

  
 


adj.忠诚的，忠实的，热心的，献身于...的


参考例句：





He devoted his life to the educational cause of the motherland.他为祖国的教育事业贡献了一生。
We devoted a lengthy and full discussion to this topic.我们对这个题目进行了长时间的充分讨论。












33
decided

  
 


adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的


参考例句：





This gave them a decided advantage over their opponents.这使他们比对手具有明显的优势。
There is a decided difference between British and Chinese way of greeting.英国人和中国人打招呼的方式有很明显的区别。












34
applied

  
 


adj.应用的；v.应用，适用


参考例句：





She plans to take a course in applied linguistics.她打算学习应用语言学课程。
This cream is best applied to the face at night.这种乳霜最好晚上擦脸用。