歐巴馬的老婆米歇爾，於當地時間25號發表了一段極富感染力的演講。
她以孩子的未來為切入點，動情之處觀眾潸然淚下。拋開政治立場不談，但就演講水平來講，米歇爾這段演講不知高到哪裡去了，簡直是這個世界上最會演講的女人！
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本次演講的主題從「孩子」出發，米歇爾力表示：「我信任讓希拉蕊領導我們的國家！」「我們今天所有的努力，是為了讓我們的孩子生活在更美好的世界裡！」
為方便你們消化學習，英大給你做了演講全文的知識點解析：
註：滬加粗+下劃線代表雙語對照重點。
Thank you all. Thank you so much. You know, it’s hard to believe that it has been eight years since I first came to this convention to talk with you about why I thought my husband should be president.
謝謝大家。非常感謝。很難相信，自從我第一次來這個大會並對大家講為何我丈夫應該當選美國總統已經8年了。
Remember how I told you about his character and convictions, his decency and his grace, the traits that we』ve seen every day that he’s served our country in the White House?
還記得我是如何向你們講述他的品行和堅定信念、他正派的作風和他的魅力、以及他每天在白宮裡為國家奉獻時，讓我們有目共睹的那些優點？
I also told you about our daughters, how they are the heart of our hearts, the center of our world. And during our time in the White House, we』ve had the joy of watching them grow from bubblylittle girls into poised young women, a journey that started soon after we arrived in Washington.
我還對你們講了我們的女兒，說她們是我們的心頭肉，對我們來說是世界的中心。在我們住在白宮的這段時間，我們有幸能見證她們從活潑的小女孩成長為泰然自若的年輕女性，這是一趟自我們抵達華盛頓後不久就開始的旅程。
Tips：
①不要把「心頭肉」翻譯成「flesh on my heart」！
②Have the joy of doing sth.的意思是「有幸能做什麼」，並且表示很享受做這件事。
When they set off for their first day at their new school, I will never forget that winter morning as I watched our girls, just 7 and 10 years old, pile into those black SUVs with all those big men with guns. And I saw their little faces pressed up against the window, and the only thing I could think was, what have we done?
我永遠忘不了她們第一天出發去新學校上課的那一幕，那是一個冬天的早晨，我看著我們的女兒出發，她們一個7歲，一個10歲，和那些荷槍實彈的大漢們一起擠進那些黑色的SUV。我看著她們把小臉抵在車窗上，而我腦子裡唯一能想到的話是：「我們都幹了什麼？」
Tips：
①Set off for sth.：「開始著手做某事」，也可以說set off for doing sth.
比如：He sets off for building his own house. 他開始建造自己的房子
②Up against和單純的against在大多數情況下可以互換，但當其中的up確實也表示「向上」的時候則不行。
See, because at that moment I realized that our time in the White House would form the foundation for who they would become and how well we managed this experience could truly make or break them.
我想說的是，因為在那一刻我意識到：我們住在白宮的這段時間將成為她們今後人生的原點，而這段經歷是將成就她們還是毀了她們都取決於我們如何經營這段人生。
Tips：
①以「see」開頭：表詳細解釋前面提到的東西
②Make sb.：簡潔地表示「成就某人」的方式，使用這個表達方式的時候重音一般放在make上。
不過make sb.的意義很多，既能是褒義的，也有貶義的，要視語境來判斷如何翻譯。
例：You are my childhood idol. You made me. （你是我的童年偶像，是你成就了我。）裡可以翻譯成「成就」；
I am a monster. But it’s you who made me. （我是個怪物。但是這都是你一手造成的。）裡面就不能翻譯成「成就」，這裡是貶義的。
That is what Barack and I think about every day as we try to guide and protect our girls through the challenges of this unusual life in the spotlight, how we urge them to ignore those who question their father’s citizenship or faith. How we insist that the hateful language they hear from public figures on TV does not represent the true spirit of this country. How we explain that when someone is cruel or acts like a bully, you don’t stoop to their level. No, our motto is, when they go low, we go high.
這就是我們夫妻二人每天為女兒們所想的事，我們思考：怎樣在這種聚光燈下的非正常生活中，引導並保護她們，思索著怎樣讓他們面對其中的挑戰。我們思考怎樣勸導她們去無視那些質疑她們父親公民身份以及信仰的人。我們思考怎樣才能表明自己的立場，告訴他們電視上那些公眾人物講出的仇恨言論並不代表這個國家的真正精神。我們思考怎樣向他們解釋：當一個人表現得殘忍又霸道的時候，你不能自貶身價去和他撕扯。不，我們的座右銘是：用更高的高尚來回應卑賤。
With every word we utter, with every action we take, we know our kids are watching us. We as parents are their most important role models. And let me tell you, Barack and I take that same approach to our jobs as president and first lady because we know that our words and actionsmatter, not just to our girls, but the children across this country, kids who tell us I saw you on TV, I wrote a report on you for school. Kids like the little black boy who looked up at my husband, his eyes wide with hope and he wondered, is my hair like yours?
我們知道，我們孩子在注視著我們的一言一行。我們，作為父母，是他們最重要的榜樣。而且我要告訴各位，我們夫妻二人在作為總統與第一夫人的時候也是這麼做的，因為我們知道自己的言行舉止舉足輕重，它們不光會影響我們的女兒們，也影響著整個國家的孩子們：那些告訴我們、曾在電視上看到我們、並以我們為課程報告主題的孩子們，以及那個睜著充滿希望的大眼睛，抬頭看向我丈夫並想著自己的髮型是不是和他一樣的黑人小男孩。
Tips：
①Utter：在這裡和speak一樣是「說」的意思，不過它比speak要正式、書面很多。
②Approach：「方法、途徑」，和means是一樣的意思。
③Matter：在這裡和it doesn’t matter裡是一樣的，表示「舉足輕重」，意思基本等同於make a difference。
④表達「全國」可以用across the country、all over the country、throughout the country.
And make no mistake about it, this November when we go to the polls that is what we’re deciding, not Democrat or Republican, not left or right. No, in this election and every election is about who will have the power to shape our children for the next four or eight years of their lives.
而且，請大家想明白，這才是我們今年11月投票時將要決定的，並非只是民主黨和共和黨的區別，並非只是左翼和右翼的區別。不，這場選舉，以及所有選舉所決定的，是未來4到8年將由誰來塑造我們的孩子。
Tips：
Shape除了眾所周知的名詞意義，也可以作為動詞「塑造」來用。
例：Shape your future. 塑造你的未來。
And I am here tonight because in this election there is only one person who I trust with that responsibility, only one person who I believe is truly qualified to be president of the United States, and that is our friend Hillary Clinton.
而我今晚出現在這裡的原因是：在這場選舉中，我只願將此重任託付給一個人，我認為只有這個人才真正能夠勝任美國總統一職，而她就是我們的朋友希拉蕊·克靈頓。
Tips：
①Trust sb. with sth.：有下面2個意思。
（1）「在某件事上相信某人」。
如：I trust you with what you do.（我信任你的專業能力）。
（2）「將某件東西託付給某人」，
如：I』ll trust you with my money.（我會將我的錢託付給你）。
②Be qualified to do sth.：「有資格做什麼」，而且他強調的是「因為達到了怎樣標準、擁有了怎樣的品質，所以有資格」。
That’s right. See, I trust Hillary to lead this country because I』ve seen her lifelong devotion to our nation’s children, not just her own daughter, who she has raised to perfection, but every child who needs a champion, kids who take the long way to school to avoid the gangs, kids who wonder how they』ll ever afford college, kids whose parents don’t speak a word of English, but dream of a better life, kids who look to us to determine who and what they can be.
對。就是這樣，我相信希拉蕊能領導這個國家，因為我看到她將一生都奉獻給了我們國家的孩子們，不光只是她那被她培養到完美的女兒，而是所有的孩子們，是那些需要一個捍衛者的孩子們，是那些為了躲避地區幫派而繞遠路上學的孩子們，是那些不知道自己怎樣才能負擔得起大學教育的孩子們，是那些雖然父母完全不懂英語自己卻夢想著過上更好生活的孩子們，是那些寄希望於我們來決定他們未來的孩子們。
Tips：
①Champion：除了「冠軍」的意思還有「捍衛者」的意思，通常指的是「對一種理念、一種主義的捍衛者、擁戴者」。
②Ever：在這裡是一種強調方式，是其「永遠」含義的引申用法。
③Look to sb. to do sth.：「指望某人做某事」，通常只的是：因為對方有某種自己不具備的能力，所以講希望寄託於對方。
You see, Hillary has spent decades doing the relentless, thankless work to actually make a difference in their lives, advocating for kids with disabilities as a young lawyer, fighting for children’s health care as first lady, and for quality child care in the Senate.
如你們所見，希拉蕊在幾十年間一直任勞任怨地工作，為的是真正地使孩子們的生活有所不同。當她是個年輕律師時，她就為殘障兒童的權益發聲；後來她成了第一夫人，她為孩子們的醫療保障奔忙；在國務卿任上，她依然在為孩子們爭取高質量的保育環境。
And when she didn’t win the nomination eight years ago, she didn’t get angry or disillusioned. Hillary did not pack up and go home, because as a true public servant Hillary knows that this is so much bigger than her own desires and disappointments. So she proudly stepped up to serve our country once again as secretary of state, traveling the globe to keep our kids safe.
並且，八年前她競選失利之後，她並不惱怒，也沒有灰心喪氣。希拉蕊沒有打包走人，因為作為一個真正的公共利益服務者，她懂得這份事業比個人的欲望與失望重要得多。所以，她又挺身而出，以國務卿的身份為我們的國家服務，為孩子們的安全走遍全球。
And look, there were plenty of moments when Hillary could have decided that this work was too hard, that the price of public service was too high, that she was tired of being picked apart for how she looks or how she talks or even how she laughs. But here’s the thing. What I admire most about Hillary is that she never buckles under pressure. She never takes the easy way out. And Hillary Clinton has never quit on anything in her life.
很多時候，希拉蕊都可以抱怨她的工作有多難，為人民付出的代價有多大，自己的外貌或言語甚至笑容時刻被人指責有多心累。可是，我最佩服她的一點，就是無論面對多大的壓力，她都不會垮掉，也從來不會偷懶。在她的世界裡，永無放棄可言。
Tips：
Take the easy way out：「選擇更容易而非正確的道路」。
And when I think about the kind of president that I want for my girls and all our children, that’s what I want.
所以，當我想像一個能為我的女兒和所有孩子帶來美好和希望的美國總統的樣子時，這就是我想要的。
I want someone with the proven strength to persevere, someone who knows this job and takes it seriously, someone who understands that the issues a president faces are not black and white and cannot be boiled down to 140 characters.
我想要一個真正有能力堅持下去的人，一個了解這份工作、嚴肅對待它的人，一個懂得總統面對的問題不是非黑即白，也不能短短歸結為140個字的人。
Tips：
①Take something seriously：最為常用的表達「嚴肅對待某事」的用法。
②Be boiled down to：「可以總結為」，也可以用主動形式：it boils down to。
Because when you have the nuclear codes at your fingertips and the military in your command, you can’t make snap decisions. You can’t have a thin skin or a tendency to lash out. You need to be steady and measured and well-informed.
因為當核武器的發射密碼就在你指尖，並且手握著整個國家軍隊的時候，你不可以做出輕率的決定。你不能死要面子，也不能一戳就發火。你必須運籌帷幄、深思熟慮、見識廣博。
Tips：
①Snap：原意是「啪地一下」，作形容詞經常表示「草率的」。
例：snap decision是「草率的決定」，snap shot是「草草拍攝的照片」。
②Thin skin：「臉皮薄」，不過它在英文裡的對立面並不是「厚臉皮」，而是「忍辱負重」。
③Lash out：「大量揮霍」，既可以表示「大量揮霍錢財」，亦可以像這裡一樣表示「發火（大量宣洩情感）」。
I want a president with a record of public service, someone whose life’s work shows our children that we don’t chase fame and fortune for ourselves, we fight to give everyone a chance to succeed.
我心目中的總統，要有從事公眾服務的紀錄，用畢生工作向孩子們證明，我們奮鬥的目標不是追名逐利，而是讓每個人都有成功的機會。
And we give back even when we’re struggling ourselves because we know that there is always someone worse off. And there but for the grace of God go I.
就算當我們苦苦掙扎的時候，也要回報這個社會，因為總有人的生活比你還艱難。我們沒吃他們的苦，是因為上帝眷顧。
Tips：
①worse：單純使用就表示「這個人更差勁」。加上off後表「這個人的處境更差」。
②But：表示「若不是……就……」，後面的go I是倒裝，而不是表示「但是」。
I want a president who will teach our children that everyone in this country matters, a president who truly believes in the vision that our Founders put forth all those years ago that we are all created equal, each a beloved part of the great American story.
我想要的總統，應當告訴孩子們，我們國家的每一個人都很重要。他要深信國父們數百年前的理念，人人生而平等，每一個人都是偉大美國歷史珍視的一部分。
Tips：
①Put forth a vision：提出一個願景。
②Be created：後面可以直接帶形容詞，用以表示「被創造成什麼樣子」。
And when crisis hits, we don’t turn against each other. No, we listen to each other, we lean on each other, because we are always stronger together.
當危機到來時，我們絕不分崩離析。我們互相傾聽，相互扶持，因為團結才會讓我們更加強大。
And I am here tonight because I know that that is the kind of president that Hillary Clinton will be. And that’s why in this election I’m with her.
今晚我在這裡就是想告訴大家，希拉蕊就會是這樣一位總統。這就是為什麼在這場大選中，我站在她的一邊。
Tips：
①這裡的兩個that中，第一個是賓語從句引導詞，第二個是指代她要形容的總統。
②With：在表示「和」的同時也表達出一種「支持、擁戴、站在同一陣線」的意思，同時它也可以用來形容兩個人處於情侶或夫妻關係。
You see, Hillary understands that the president is about one thing and one thing only, it’s about leaving something better for our kids. That’s how we』ve always moved this country forward, by all of us coming together on behalf of our children, folks who volunteer to coach that team, to teach that Sunday school class, because they know it takes a village.
她懂得作為一個總統，最主要的任務就是一件事，要為孩子們爭取更美好的未來。為了孩子而團結起來，我們的國家就是這樣不斷進步的。不論是志願做學生隊教練的人，還是去當主日學的教師，他們都明白，培養下一代，需要整個國家的力量。
Tips：
Village在這並不是「村子」的意思，而是「團體」的意思。
it takes a village的意思是「這需要團結的力量」。
Heroes of every color and creed who wear the uniform and risk their lives to keep passing down those blessings of liberty, police officers and the protesters in Dallas who all desperately want to keep our children safe. People who lined up in Orlando to donate blood because it could have been their son, their daughter in that club.
不同膚色和信仰的英雄們穿上制服，冒著生命危險將自由的福祉傳承下去。在達拉斯，警察和抗議者們都在拼盡全力地呼籲保護孩子們的安全。在奧蘭多，人們排著隊獻血，因為他們知道，那晚在酒吧的也可能就是他們的孩子。
Leaders like Tim Kaine who show our kids what decency and devotion look like. Leaders like Hillary Clinton who has the guts and the grace to keep coming back and putting those cracks in that highest and hardest glass ceiling until she finally breaks through, lifting all of us along with her.
蒂姆•凱恩這樣的領袖讓孩子們懂得了什麼是正直與奉獻。希拉蕊這樣的領袖擁有的勇氣和魅力，讓她一直沒有放棄，不斷地衝擊限制女性發展的那道最高最艱難的玻璃頂，直到她終於將其擊碎，並帶著我們一同提升。
Tips：
①Guts：「勇氣」，它在口語中要比courage常用得多。
②Glass ceiling：願意「玻璃天花板」，這是指工作中、社會上被認為設定的不可逾越的瓶頸，通常由歧視等原因造成。
That is the story of this country, the story that has brought me to this stage tonight, the story of generations of people who felt the lash of bondage, the shame of servitude, the sting ofsegregation, but who kept on striving and hoping and doing what needed to be done so that today I wake up every morning in a house that was built by slaves. And I watch my daughters, two beautiful, intelligent, black young women playing with their dogs on the White House lawn.
這就是我們國家的故事，是這個故事讓我今天站在這裡。在這個故事中，曾有世世代代的人遭受著壓迫和束縛，被奴役的恥辱和被隔離的痛苦。但是他們始終懷揣著希望，不息地抗爭，所以今天的我才能每天在由奴隸建造的白宮裡醒來，看著我的女兒們，兩個美麗聰敏的黑皮膚少女，與狗狗們在白宮的草坪上嬉戲。
Tips：
Lash是「鞭打」，bondage是「捆綁」，這裡他們在一起是指代奴隸制度。
And because of Hillary Clinton, my daughters and all our sons and daughters now take for granted that a woman can be president of the United States.
因為希拉蕊，我的女兒，和所有的孩子們，覺得女人可以當美國總統，這是理所應當的事。
So, look, so don’t let anyone ever tell you that this country isn’t great, that somehow we need to make it great again. Because this right now is the greatest country on earth!
所以，別再聽別人說我們的國家不夠好，我們要讓她變好之類的話。因為此時此刻，這就是世界上最偉大的國家。
And as my daughters prepare to set out into the world, I want a leader who is worthy of that truth, a leader who is worthy of my girls』 promise and all our kids』 promise, a leader who will be guided every day by the love and hope and impossibly big dreams that we all have for our children.
我的兩個女兒就要去闖蕩世界了，我希望能有一個領袖能夠配得上這個真相，值得託付我的女兒以及所有孩子們的前途，能用愛與希望，和我們寄予孩子的無限期望來指導其每一天。
So in this election, we cannot sit back and hope that everything works out for the best. We cannot afford to be tired or frustrated or cynical. No, hear me. Between now and November, we need to do what we did eight years ago and four years ago.
所以在這次選舉中，我們不能坐視著希望最後的結果是最好的，我們承受不起疲倦、沮喪或憤世嫉俗的代價。聽我說，從現在起到十一月份，我們要像8年前或4年前那樣，為之付出行動。
We need to knock on every door, we need to get out every vote, we need to pour every last ounce of our passion and our strength and our love for this country into electing Hillary Clinton as president of the United States of America!
我們要挨家挨戶敲門，讓更多的人來投票。我們要用盡我們對這個國家的每一絲熱情、每一份力量，和每一點愛，來推選希拉蕊•柯林頓成為美利堅合眾國的總統！
So let’s get to work. Thank you all and God bless.
讓我們行動起來吧。謝謝大家，上帝保佑。
看了米歇爾的演講，是不是被她的氣勢震撼到了！留言和大家分享吧~