名校励志英语演讲 164:服务—衡量成功的真正标准(5)(在线收听

   You know, I grew up in one of those communities with similar values. Like Merced, the South Side of Chicago is a community where people struggles financially,but worked hard, looked out for each other and rallies around their children. My father was a blue-collar worker,as you know. My mother stayed at home to raise me and my brother.We were the first to graduate from college in our immediate family.

  你们知道,我在一个有着相似价值观的社区长大。就像摩赛德一样,芝加哥南部是一个过去人们在经济困境中挣扎的社区,但是那里的人们辛勤工作、彼此照料,以子女为中心。你们都知道的,我的父亲是蓝领工人,我的母亲在家里抚养我和哥哥。我们兄妹是我们所有直系亲属中的第一批从大学毕业的成员。
  I know that many of you here are also the first in your families to achieve that distinction, as well. And as you know, being the first is often a big responsibility, particularly in a community that, like many others around our country at the moment, is struggling to cope with record high unemployment and foreclosure rates; a community where are single payback or an emergency room visit away from homelessness.
  我知道你们中的很多人也是你们家族中第一位获得如此殊荣的成员。但正如你们所了解的那样,成为第一就常常意味着肩负着更大的责任,特别是在一个和当前我们国家的很多其他社区一样面对创纪录的高失业率和高抵押房屋赎回权丧失率的社区,特别是一个家庭是单一收入来源或者家庭只是为了避免无家可归的紧急避难所的社区。
  And with jobs scarce, many of you maybe considering leaving town with your diploma in hand. And it wouldn't be unreasonable. For those of you who came from communities facing similar economic hardships, you may also be wondering how you 'll build decent lives for yourselves if you choose to return to those communities.
  在这样的社区里工作机会很少,你们中的很多人可能会考虑带着你们的学位证书离开城镇。这并非不合理。对于那些来自处于相似经济困境社区的同学而言,你们也许会有疑问:假如我回到了那些社区,我怎么才能过上体面的生活呢?
  米歇尔·奥巴马,是美国第44任总统巴拉克·奥巴马二世的妻子,是美国历史上第一位非洲裔美国籍总统夫人。米歇尔是土生土长的芝加哥人,她的父亲弗雷泽·罗宾逊是一位水管工,她的母亲玛丽安对子女教育很重视。米歇尔和哥哥克雷格的童年主要在读书、下国际象棋中度过。米歇尔还具有运动天赋,喜欢玩棒球、足球和篮球。
  奥巴马的妻子米歇尔曾被评为最性感政治女性。在1989年认识贝拉克·奥巴马前,米歇尔就是一位成功的黑人女性。
  1981年,米歇尔进入著名的普林斯顿大学读社会学。在普林斯顿读大学的时候,米歇尔是当时校园里少见的黑人女孩。米歇尔回忆说:“我在普林斯顿的经历让我前所未有地注意自己的肤色。有时候,我总觉得自己只是一个访客,并不属于那里。”
  原文地址:http://www.tingroom.com/lesson/mxlzyy/248394.html