名人励志英语演讲 第10期:梦想与责任(10)

 　　And even when you're struggling, even when you're discouraged¹, and you feel like other people have given up on you, don't ever give up on yourself, because when you give up on yourself, you give up on your country.

　　即使当你苦苦挣扎、灰心丧气、感到其他人对你放弃时，也不要放弃自己，因为当你放弃自己时，你也抛弃了自己的国家。

　　The story of America isn't about people who quit when things got tough. It's about people who kept going, who tried harder, who loved their country too much to do anything less than their best.

　　书写美国历史的不是在困难时刻退缩的人，而是坚持不懈、加倍努力的人，他们对国家的爱促使他们全力以赴。

　　It's the story of students who sat where you sit 250 years ago, and went on to wage a revolution² and they founded this nation. Young people. Students who sat where you sit 75 years ago who overcame a Depression³ and won a world war; who fought for civil rights and put a man on the moon. Students who sat where you sit 20 years ago who founded Google and Twitter and Facebook and changed the way we communicate with each other.

　　书写美国历史的是250年前坐在你们的位置上的学生，他们后来进行了独立战争并创建了这个国家。还有75年前坐在你们的位置上的年轻人和学生，他们，他们走出了大萧条并打赢了一场世界大战；他们为民权而奋斗并把宇航员送上了月球。20年前坐在你们的位置上的学生，他们创办了谷歌、推特网和脸谱网，改变了我们交流沟通的方式。

　　So today, I want to ask all of you, what's your contribution going to be? What problems are you going to solve? What discoveries will you make? What will a President who comes here in 20 or 50 or 100 years say about what all of you did for this country?

　　而今天，我要问问你们大家，你们将作出什么贡献？你们将解决什么问题？你们将有什么发现？20年、50年或100年后来到这里讲话的总统将会怎样评价你们大家为这个国家所做的一切？

　　Now, your families, your teachers, and I are doing everything we can to make sure you have the education you need to answer these questions. I'm working hard to fix up your classrooms and get you the books and the equipment and the computers you need to learn. But you've got to do your part, too. So I expect all of you to get serious this year. I expect you to put your best effort into everything you do. I expect great things from each of you. So don't let us down. Don't let your family down or your country down. Most of all, don't let yourself down. Make us all proud.

　　现在，你们的家人、你们的老师和我正在竭尽全力保证你们接受必要的教育，以便回答上述问题。我正在努力工作，以便你们的教室得到修缮，你们能够得到学习所需的课本、设备和电脑。但你们也必须尽自己的努力。所以我希望你们尽最大努力做好每一件事。我希望你们每个人都有出色的表现。所以不要让我们失望。不要让你们的家人或你们的国家失望。而最重要的是，不要让你们自己失望。而要让我们都倍感骄傲。

　　Thank you very much, everybody. God bless you. God bless America. Thank you.

　　非常感谢大家。愿上帝保佑你们。愿上帝保佑美国。谢谢你们。

1 discouraged   

a.泄气的，沮丧的

参考例句：

• She tactfully discouraged their uninvited guests from staying longer. 她巧妙地使这些不请自到的客人知趣儿，没有再呆下去。
• Husbands are discouraged from voting as proxy for their wives. 不主张丈夫代妻子投票。

2 revolution   

n.革命，大变革；旋转；周期，循环

参考例句：

• The earth makes a yearly revolution around the sun.地球每年绕太阳一周。
• This volume records the history of the country's revolution.这卷书记载了这个国家的革命历史。

3 depression   

n.压抑，抑制，沮丧；萧条，衰退

参考例句：

• During a depression money circulates slowly.在商业萧条时期，货币流通滞缓。
• He suffers from acute depression.他患有严重的忧郁症。