精美英文欣赏:美国第一夫人米歇尔首次外交演讲

And I'm honored to meet you,the future leaders of Great Britain and this world.

我也很荣幸见到你们，这些英国和世界未来的领导者。

And although the circumstances of our lives may seem very distant,with me standing¹ here as the First Lady of the United States of America,and you, just getting through school.

虽然我们的生活境况好像相差很远， 我作为美国第一夫人站在这里，而你们还正在上学。

I want you to know that we have very much in common.

我想让你们了解我们有很多共同之处。

For nothing in my life's path would have predicted that I'd be standing here as the first African-American First Lady of the United States of America.

因为在我生命历程中没有任何东西曾经预示我会站在这里，作为美利坚合众国的第一位非洲裔第一夫人。

There is nothing in my story that would land me here.

我的资历里没有什么东西能使我站在这个位置上。

I wasn't raised with wealth or resources or any social standing to speak of.

我不是用财富和资源养大的，也谈不上有什么社会地位。

I was raised on the South Side of Chicago.

我是在芝加哥的南边养大的。

That's the real part of Chicago.

那是芝加哥的真实部分。

And I was the product of a working-class community.

而我出身于工人阶级。

My father was a city worker all of his life.

我父亲一辈子是个市政工人。

And my mother was a stay-at-home mom.

我母亲是个家庭妇女。

And she stayed at home to take care of me and my older brother.

她待在家里照顾我和我哥哥。

Neither of them attended university.

我父母都没上过大学。

My dad was diagnosed² with multiple sclerosis in the prime of his life.

我爸爸在他壮年的时候被诊断有多种硬化症。

But even as it got harder for him to walk and get dressed in the morning-I saw him struggle more and more-my father never complained about his struggle.

但就在他变得难以行走，而且早上难以穿衣的时候-我看着他挣扎得越来越厉害-父亲却从来没有抱怨过他的困难。

He was grateful for what he had.

他对于自己拥有的一切心存感激。

He just woke up a little earlier and worked a little harder.

他只是起得更早一点，工作得更努力一点。

And my brother and I were raised with all that you really need:

我哥哥和我在成长过程中得到了人生真正需要的一切：

love, strong values and a belief that with a good education and a whole lot of hard work,that there was nothing that we could not do.

爱，强有力的价值观，以及一个信念，就是靠着良好的教育，还有大量的辛勤工作，没有什么是我们做不到的。

I am an example of what's possible when girls from the very beginning of their lives are loved and nurtured³ by the people around them.

我的例子就表明女孩子能创造奇迹，只要她们从生命最开始的时候，就受到周围人的爱护和教养。

I was surrounded by extraordinary women in my life.

我的生命中围绕着非凡的女性。

Grandmothers, teachers, aunts, cousins, neighbors,who taught me about quiet strength and dignity.

祖母，老师，姨妈，表姐妹，邻居，她们教会我沉默的力量和尊严。

And my mother, the most important role model in my life,who lives with us at the White House and helps to care for our two little daughters, Malia and Sasha.

还有我母亲，我生命中最重要的榜样， 她和我们住在白宫帮着照顾我们的两个小女儿， 玛丽娅和萨莎。

She's an active presence in their lives, as well as mine,and is instilling⁴ in them the same values that she taught me and my brother:

她在孩子们和我的生活中都很活跃，并正在给她们灌输，她教给我和我哥哥的价值观：

things like compassion⁵, and integrity,and confidence, and perseverance⁶.

同情心，正直、自信和坚定。

All of that wrapped up in an unconditional⁷ love that only a grandmother can give.

所有这些都包含在无条件的爱之中，那是只有一个祖母才能给予的爱。

1 standing   

n.持续，地位；adj.永久的，不动的，直立的，不流动的

参考例句：

• After the earthquake only a few houses were left standing.地震过后只有几幢房屋还立着。
• They're standing out against any change in the law.他们坚决反对对法律做任何修改。

2 diagnosed   

诊断( diagnose的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• Some foetal malformations cannot be diagnosed until late in pregnancy. 有些胎儿的畸形部位得等到妊娠后期才能诊断出来。
• He diagnosed the trouble that caused the engine to knock. 他找出了引擎咔咔响的毛病所在。

3 nurtured   

养育( nurture的过去式和过去分词 )； 培育； 滋长； 助长

参考例句：

• She is looking fondly at the plants he had nurtured. 她深情地看着他培育的植物。
• Any latter-day Einstein would still be spotted and nurtured. 任何一个未来的爱因斯坦都会被发现并受到培养。

4 instilling   

v.逐渐使某人获得（某种可取的品质），逐步灌输( instil的现在分词 )；逐渐使某人获得（某种可取的品质），逐步灌输( instill的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• Make sure your subordinates understand your sense of urgency and work toward instilling this in allsubordinates. 确保你的下属同样具备判断紧急事件的意识，在工作中潜移默化地灌输给他们。 来自互联网

5 compassion   

n.同情，怜悯

参考例句：

• He could not help having compassion for the poor creature.他情不自禁地怜悯起那个可怜的人来。
• Her heart was filled with compassion for the motherless children.她对于没有母亲的孩子们充满了怜悯心。

6 perseverance   

n.坚持不懈，不屈不挠

参考例句：

• It may take some perseverance to find the right people.要找到合适的人也许需要有点锲而不舍的精神。
• Perseverance leads to success.有恒心就能胜利。

7 unconditional   

adj.无条件的，无限制的，绝对的

参考例句：

• The victorious army demanded unconditional surrender.胜方要求敌人无条件投降。
• My love for all my children is unconditional.我对自己所有孩子的爱都是无条件的。