演讲文本

And I'm not just talking about your love lives, either

这里说的显然不只是爱情生活

I am talking about all those papers you poured your heart into

我讲的是你们倾注心血完成的那些论文

all those caffeine-fueled all-nighters

所有那些靠咖啡因支撑的不眠之夜

those moments of anxiety as you set out on your own

以及寻找能够交心的朋友

looking to find new friends you clicked with and a new community to call your own

和有归属感的群体时 那种焦躁不安的心情

And for so many of you, I know that graduating from college

我知道对于你们很多人 大学毕业

was not a foregone conclusion

并不是早已成定局的事情

Some of you came from high schools that don't send a lot of kids to college

有些人来自没有多少学生能读上大学的高中

Some of you had to work full time so that you could not only pay for your degree

有些人需要专职工作 不仅需要赚钱付学费

but also support your family

还要支撑自己的家庭

And so many of you, as I've seen, are first in your

我知道 你们很多人 都是家里

families to graduate from college

第一位大学毕业生

So, I know you faced all kinds of doubts and uncertainties

所以我知道 你们首次来到这个校园时

when you first showed up on this campus

心里充满了各种疑惑和不确定感

And I know a little bit about that from my own experiences

我个人经历中 也曾感受到这些

As you've heard, my parents were working folks

你们也听说了 我父母都是普通劳动者

who never earned a degree past high school

他们甚至没有高中文凭

They didn't have a lot of money

他们也没有什么钱

So sending me and my brother to school was a huge sacrifice for them

供我和哥哥上学 他们作出了巨大牺牲

The vast majority of our tuition came from loans and grants

我们的绝大部分学费来自贷款和补助

But let me tell you, every month my father would write out his small check

不过我要告诉你们 我父亲每月都会开出他的小额支票

He was determined to pay his portion of that tuition right on time

他下定决心按时支付他那部分的学费

even if it meant taking out loans when he fell short

哪怕当他没钱时 这意味着要去借钱

See, what our parents had to offer us was a whole lot of love

可以看到 我们的父母 为我们提供的是深深的爱

人物简介和演讲视频

人物简介

本视频是美国总统夫人米歇尔·奥巴马在东肯塔基大学2013年毕业典礼上的演讲。东肯塔基大学在美国以为退伍军人提供帮扶和大学教育而著名，并因此获得白宫的关注。米歇尔在东肯塔基大学的演讲围绕服务这一主题，鼓励毕业生秉承东肯塔基大学的传统服务精神。同时，她希望学生能与不同于自己的人多交流，敞开思想，这样才不至于会固执己见、陷入偏执。