演讲稿

My motherin-law, Eunice Kennedy Shriver—I always like to mention her, because it gets me on the good side of her—she, for instance, started an organization called Special Olympics. She stared Special Olympics which is for people with mental disabilities. And of course when she started that organization she was told by the experts, "Don’t do it. You cannot take people with mental disabilities out of mental institutions and have them participate in sports events. They will drown in the swimming pools. They will kill each other out there, they will hurt each other. Don’t do it." But Eunice Kennedy Shriver had a dream and a passion, and today millions of people compete in Special Olympics around the world, including right here in China. This is why I was here five years ago. Five years ago you had 50,000 participants in the Special Olympics. Today, five years later, you have 500,000 participants in Special Olympics. 500,000 people are getting a chance to participate in sports programs, getting a chance to have health care, have a chance to be treated equally, with respect and with tolerance. So Eunice Kennedy Shriver exemplifies that the individual can make a difference.
我总是很乐意提起我的岳母尤尼斯·肯尼迪·施莱弗，因为这让我看到她善良的一面。她创立了特殊奥林匹克运动会。她专门为智障人士创立了这一组织。当然，在她创立这一运动会时，也有专家告诉她，“不要那样做，你不可能把智障人士带出精神病院，让他们参加运动会。他们会在游泳池溺水。一旦出了精神病医院，他们就会相互伤害、相互残杀。不要去做。”因为尤尼斯·肯尼迪·施莱弗有梦想，也有激情，如今全世界数百万人参加残奥会，包括中国在内。这也是我五年前来到这儿的原因。五年前中国有5万人参加了残奥会。今天，中国参加残奥会的有50万人。50万残疾人有机会参加体育比赛、有机会享受医疗保险，能受到在尊重和宽容的基础上的平等对待。因此尤尼斯·肯尼迪·施莱弗向我们证明了：个人可以产生深远的影响。
And I think what I’m trying to say to you is that each and every one of you can make a difference. So as you study and as you become smarter, and as you become richer, think about that, that there are millions of people that need your help.
我想跟你们说的就是，你们每一个人都可以产生深远影响。所以，当你们不断学习变得更加精明时，当你们变得更加富有时，想想有数百万人还需要你们的帮助。

背景介绍

尤尼斯·肯尼迪·施莱佛 Eunice Kennedy Shriver
施莱弗出生于1921年7月10日，是美国前总统约翰·肯尼迪的胞妹。在肯尼迪家族9位兄弟姐妹中排行第五。尽管长期以来，施莱弗一直生活在哥哥约翰肯尼迪的光环下，但她也有着另一个为世人所熟悉的身份——特奥会的创始人。

1957年施莱佛女士接管了肯尼迪基金会，开始了为智力残疾人谋求公民权利的公益事业。1963年，施莱佛女士组织35名智力残疾人参加了在自家后花园举行的以体育运动为内容的历时3个星期的夏令营活动，她发现包括罗丝玛丽姐姐在内的所有智力残疾人得到了从未有过的喜悦。施莱佛女士因此深受感动和启发，将这一活动逐年扩大并延续下来。
1968年7月，首届世界特奥运动会在美国芝加哥举行。“特奥会所展现的，是作为个体的人的本质——他们的精神、他们的勇气、他们的品行、他们的爱。”这是施莱佛女士对特奥会的阐述。