演讲文本

When an arsonist set fire to the school's library in 1877, they built a new one
1877年学校图书馆被人纵火后 人们又新建了一座
When those two original schools ran into financial troubles years later
数年后 最初这两所学校碰到财政困难时
they started making plans to build an even bigger and better university
人们又开始计划建立一所更大更好的大学
And in the 1930s, when white folks complained
1930年代 有些白人开始抱怨
that this new school would mean too many black students on their buses
这所新学校会让太多黑人学生坐到他们的公汽上
the folks at the school got the city to add a bus line just for their students
学校这些人又找市政府专门开辟了一条黑人学生专线
because nothing
没有任何事情
nothing was going to stop them from achieving the vision of those early founders
没有任何事情能够阻止他们实现早期建校者的远大理想
And finally, in May of 1934
最终在1934年5月
they broke ground for this school, Dillard University
这所学校 迪拉德大学 得以成立
a university that would go on to produce
这所大学注定会为我们国家
some of the leading thinkers and achievers in our country
培养出不少的优秀思想者和成功者
And the day the cornerstone was laid for your library
在学校图书馆奠基的那一天
the President of Howard University spoke these words He said
霍华德大学校长说了如下这些话
There lies in this Southland today
在这片南国的土地下静静地躺着
buried in unmarked grave many a black genius
很多名字都不知道的优秀黑人
who would have blessed this city and this section of our country
他们祝福着这座城市和这片土地
if only his parents could have had before them
他们是多么希望自己的前人
the Dillard University you are now building
能够建立起这样一所迪拉德大学
And in the years since then, through segregation and depression
从那时起 虽然有过种族隔离和萧条
through threats of violence and the floodwaters of a devastating storm
有过暴力和暴风雨引发的洪水
students like you have come here to study and to learn
但像你们这样大无畏的学生 聚在这里学习
and to carry forward those hopes and dreams
传承着前人的希望和梦想
And today, I stand before a sea of young geniuses
今天 我站在一片年轻才俊的海洋之前

人物简介和演讲视频

人物简介
本视频是美国第一夫人米歇尔·奥巴马2014年在迪拉德大学发表的演讲，迪拉德大学是位于新奥尔良的一所历史悠久的黑人文科大学。奥巴马夫人在介绍了新奥尔良黑人奋斗历史的基础上，强调了新奥尔良渴望教育的黑人传统，鼓励学校的黑人学生能够继承前人之志，为更多黑人接受更好教育做出贡献。