读点好英文:A Letter to My Daughters　写给女儿们的信

A Letter to My Daughters　写给女儿们的信

·Barack Obama·

Dear Malia and Sasha，

I know that you've both had a lot of fun these last two years on the campaign trail, going to picnics and parades and state fairs, eating all sorts of junk food your mother and I probably shouldn't have let you have. But I also know that it hasn't always been easy for you and Mom, and that as excited as you both are about that new puppy, it doesn't make up for all the time we've been apart.I know how much I’ve missed these past two years, and today I want to tell you a little more about why I decided to take our family on this journey.

When I was a young man, I thought life was all about me-about how I'd make my way in the world, become successful, and get the things I want. But then the two of you came into my world with all your curiosity and mischief and those smiles that never fail to fill my heart and light up my day.And suddenly, all my big plans for myself didn't seem so important anymore.I soon found that the greatest joy in my life was the joy I saw in yours.And I realized that my own life wouldn't count for much unless I was able to ensure that you had every opportunity for happiness and fulfillment in yours.In the end, girls, that's why I ran for President：because of what I want for you and for every child in this nation.

I want all our children to go to schools worthy of their potentiaI-schools that challenge them, inspire them, and instill in them a sense of wonder about the world around them. I want them to have the chance to go to college-even if their parents aren't rich.And I want them to get good jobs-jobs that pay well and give them benefits like health care, jobs that let them spend time with their own kids and retire with dignity.

I want us to push the boundaries of discovery so that you'll live to see new technologies and inventions that improve our lives and make our planet cleaner and safer. And I want us to push our own human boundaries to reach beyond the divides of race and region, gender and religion that keep us from seeing the best in each other.

Sometimes we have to send our young men and women into war and other dangerous situations to protect our country-but when we do, I want to make sure that it is only for a very good reason, that we try our best to settle our differences with others peacefully, and that we do everything possible to keep our servicemen and women safe. And I want every child to understand that the bIessings these brave Americans fight for are not free-that with the great privilege of being a citizen of this nation comes great responsibility.

That was the lesson your grandmother tried to teach me when I was your age, reading me the opening lines of the Declaration of Independence and telling me about the men and women who marched for equaIity because they believed those words put to paper two centuries ago should mean something.

She helped me understand that America is great not because it is perfect but because it can always be made better, and that the unfinished work of perfecting our union falls to each of us. It's a charge we pass on to our children, coming closer with each new generation to what we know America should be.

I hope both of you will take up that work, righting the wrongs that you see and working to give others the chances you've had. Not just because you have an obIigation to give something back to this country that has given our family so much-although you do have that obligation.But because you have an obligation to yourself.Because it is only when you hitch your wagon to something larger than yourself that you will realize your true potential.

These are the things I want for you-to grow up in a world with no limits on your dreams and no achievements beyond your reach, and to grow into compassionate, committed women who will help build that world. And I want every child to have the same chances to learn and dream and grow and thrive as you girls have.That's why I've taken our family on this great adventure.

I am so proud of both of you. I love you more than you can ever know.And I am grateful every day for your patience, poise, grace, and humor as we prepare to start our new life together in the White House.

Love, Dad

巴拉克·奥巴马

亲爱的玛莉亚和莎夏：

我知道这两年你们俩随我一路竞选都有过不少乐子，野餐，游行，参与国家盛事，吃了各种我和你们的妈妈或许不该让你们吃的垃圾食物。然而我也知道，你们俩和你妈的日子有时候并不是那么惬意。新来的小狗虽然令你们兴奋，却无法弥补我们不在一起的时光。我明白这两年我错过的太多了，今天我要再跟你们说说为什么我决定带领我们全家走上这条路。

在我年轻的时候，我认为生活就该围着我转：我如何在这世上闯出一条道，建功立业，得到我想要的。后来，你们俩带着种种好奇、淘气和微笑进入了我的世界，你们总能填满我的心，照亮我的生活。突然，我为自己谱写的伟大计划显得不再那么重要了。我很快便发现，我在你们生命中看到的快乐，也是我自己生命中最大的快乐。而我同时也意识到，如果我不能确保你们此生能够拥有追求幸福和实现自我的一切机会，我自己的生命也就没有多大价值了。总而言之，我的女儿们，这就是我竞选总统的原因：我要让你们俩和这个国家的每一个孩子，都能拥有我想给你们的东西。

我要让所有孩子都在能够发掘他们潜能的学校就读；这些学校足以挑战他们，激励他们，并灌输给他们对这个世界的好奇心。我要让他们都有机会上大学——哪怕他们的父母并不富有。而且，我要让他们都能找到好的工作——薪酬高还附带健康保险的工作，让他们有时间陪孩子，并且能过上有尊严的退休生活。

我想鼓励大家向已发现的极限挑战，让你们在有生之年能够看到改善我们生活、使这个行星更干净更安全的高科技和新发明。我也想让大家向自己的人际界限挑战，跨越使我们看不到对方长处的种族、地域、性别和宗教的藩篱。

有时候为了保护我们的国家，我们不得不把青年男女派到战场或其他危险的地方——然而当我们这么做的时候，我会确保师出有名，并尽全力以和平的方式化解与他人的争执，还要想尽一切办法保障男女官兵的安全。我想让每个孩子都明白，这些勇敢的美国人在战场上捍卫而来的福祉不是平白得到的——在享有作为这个国家的公民的伟大特权之时，重责大任也随之而来。

这正是我在你们这么大时，你们的祖母教给我的。她把《独立宣言》开头几行念给我听，告诉我有一些男女为了争取平等而游行抗议，因为他们认为两个世纪前白纸黑字写下来的这些句子，不应该只是空话。

她让我了解到，美国之所以伟大，不是因为它完美，而是因为我们可以不断地让它变得更好，而让它变得更好的这个使命，就落在了我们每个人的身上。这是我们代代相传的使命，每经过一代人的努力，美国就更接近我们理想的样子。

我希望你们俩都愿意接下这个任务，看到不对的事要想办法改正，努力帮助别人获得你们有过的机会。这并非只因国家给了我们一家人这么多，你们就当有所回馈——当然，你们有义务回报社会，而是因为你们对自己也有这个义务。因为，唯有让自己依附在比自身更强大的人、事、物上，你才会明白自己真正的潜能有多大。

这些是我想要让你们得到的东西——在一个梦想不受限制、无事不能成就的世界中长大，长成具有慈悲心且坚信能够打造那样一个理想世界的女性。我要每个孩子都有和你们一样的机会，去学习、梦想、成长和发展。这就是我带领我们一家展开这个伟大冒险的原因。

我深以你们为荣，你们永远不会明白我有多爱你们。在我们准备在白宫开始新生活之际，我没有一天不为你们的忍耐、沉稳、明理和幽默而心存感激。

爱你们的老爸

Practising&Exercise　实战提升篇

核心单词

parade[pə'reid]n./v.行进；游行

excited[ik'saitid]adj.兴奋的；激动的

curiosity[,kjuəri'ɔsiti]n.好奇心；奇物

potentiaI[pə'tenʃ（ə）l]adj.潜在的；可能的 n.潜力

dangerous['deindʒərəs]adj.危险的；不安全的

bIessing['blesiŋ]n.（上帝的）赐福；祝福

equaIity[i（：）'kwɔliti]n.相等；平等

obIigation[,ɔbli'geiʃən]n.义务；责任

实用句型

And I reaIized that my own Iife wouIdn't count for much unIess I was abIe to ensure that you had every opportunity for happiness and fuIfiIIment in yours.

而我同时也意识到，如果我不能确保你们此生能够拥有追求幸福和实现自我的一切机会，我自己的生命也就没有多大价值了。

①that在这里引导宾语从句。

②count for 值，计。类似的表达还有count on依靠，指望；count in把……算入。

翻译练习

1.太阳照亮了天空和大地。（light up）

2.你必须把时间和地点弄清楚。（make sure）

3.他是什么时候开始踢足球的？（take up）