米歇尔·奥巴马在北京大学演讲英语(3)
Because that’s how you develop that habit of cooperation - you do it by improving yourself in someone’s culture…by learning each other’s stories…and by getting past the stereotypes and misconceptions that too often divide us.
That’s how you come to understand how much we all share.
And that’s how you realize that we all have a stake in each other’s success - that cures discovered here in Beijing could save lives in America…the clean energy technologies from Silicon Valley in California could improve the environment here in China…that the architecture of an ancient temple in Xi’an could inspire the design of new buildings in Dallas or Detroit.
And that’s when the connections you make as classmates or labmates can blossom into something more.
That’s what happened when Abigail Coplin became an American Fulbright Scholar here at Peking University.
She and her colleagues published papers together in top science journals…and they both research partnerships that lasted long after they returned to their home countries.
Professor Niu Ke fromPekingUniversitywas Fulbright Scholar in theU. S.last year…and he reported, and I quote, “the most memorable experience were with my American friends. ”
These lasting bonds represent the true value of studying abroad…and I am thrilled that more and more students are getting this opportunity.
Chinais currently the fifth most popular destination for Americans studying abroad.
And today, the highest number of exchange students in theU.S.are fromChina.
But still, too many students never have this chance…and some that do are hesitant to take it.
They may feel like study abroad is only for wealthy students, or students from certain kinds of universities.
Or they may think to themselves: “Well, that sounds fun, but how will it really be useful in my life?”
I understand where these young people are coming from, because I felt the same way when I was in college.
You see, I came from a working class family… and it never even occurred to me to study abroad.
My parent didn’t get to attend college, and I was focused on getting into a university and earning my degree so I could get a job and support myself.
And for a lot of young people like me who are struggling to afford a regular semester of school paying for plane tickets or living expense halfway around the world just isn’t possible.
And that’s not acceptable, because study abroad shouldn’t just for student from certain backgrounds.
Our hope is to build connections between people of all races and socioeconomic backgrounds because it is that diversity that makes our country so vibrant and strong…and our study abroad programs should reflect the true spirit of America to the world.
That’s why, when my husband visitedChinaback in 2009, he announced our 100,000 Strong initiative to increase the number and diversity of American students studying inChina.
And this year, as we mark the thirty-fifth anniversary of the normaliztaion of relations between our countries…the U.S. Government actually supports more American students in China than in any other country in the world.
We’re sending high school, colleges and graduate students here to study Chinese…we’re inviting teachers from China to teach Mandarin in American schools...we’re providing free online advising fro students in China who want to study in the U.S…and the U.S.-China Fulbright program is still going strong with more than 3,000 alumni.
The private sector is stepping up as well.
For example, Steve Schwarzman, the head of an American company called Blackstone, is funding a new program at Tsinghua University modeled on the Rhodes Scholarship.
中国目前是美国人留学的第五大热门目的地。今天的美国，来自中国的交换生数量最多。
尽管如此，太多的学生从来没有这样的机会，而一些有机会的学生则犹豫是否要抓住它。
他们可能觉得留学只是有钱的学生或来自某类大学的学生的事。或者，他们可能心里想，“嗯，这听起来很有趣，但它在我的生活中真正有多大用处?”
我理解这些年轻人，因为我在上大学时也有同样的感受。你们知道，我来自一个工薪阶层家庭，我甚至从来没想过留学。我的父母没有上过大学，我将精力集中在进入大学并获得学位，这样我就可以得到一份工作并养活自己。
对于很多像我一样靠奋斗才能读得起一个常规学期的年轻人来说，支付世界另一边的机票或生活费实在是不可能的。这是不可接受的，因为留学不应仅属于有一些背景的学生。
我们希望在所有种族和社会经济背景的人之间建立联系，因为正是这样的多样性让我们的国家如此充满活力和强大……我们的海外留学项目应向世界反映美国的真正精神。
这就是为什么在2009年我的丈夫访问中国时，宣布了我们的10万倡议，该倡议旨在增加留学中国的美国学生的数量和多样性。而今年，在我们纪念中美两国关系正常化三十五周年之际……美国政府实际上支持更多的美国学生在中国学习。
我们正将高中生、大学生和研究生送到这里来学习中文，我们正邀请中国老师到美国的尝较教授普通话，我们为希望留学美国的中国学生提供免费的在线咨询。美中富布赖特项目仍在加强，现有3000多名学友。
私人部门也在加紧工作。例如，美国黑石公司的主管斯蒂夫·施瓦茨曼正在资助清华大学模仿罗德奖学全(Rhode Scholarship)的一个新项目。
“你不需要登上飞机才能成为公民外交官”
