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 refl ect the true spirit of America to the world.
That"s why， when my husband visited China back in 2009，he announced our 100，000 Strong initiative to increase the number and diversity of American students studying in China. And this year， as we mark the thirty-fi fth anniversary of the normalization 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 for 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.
And today， students from all kinds of backgrounds are studying here in China. Take the example of Royale Nicholson from Cleveland， Ohio who attends New York University"s program in Shanghai. Like me， Royale is a first generation college student……and her mother worked two fulltime jobs while her father worked nights to support their family. Of her experience in Shanghai， she said， "This city oozes persistence and inspires me to accomplish all that I can."And then there"s Philmon. Haile from the University of Washington whose family came to the U. S.as refugee from Eritrea when he was a child. Of his experience studying in China， he said， "study abroad is a powerful vehicle for people-to-people exchange as we move into a new era of citizen diplomacy."
"a new era of citizen diplomacy"-I couldn"t have said it better myself， because that"s really what I"m talking about……I"m talking about ordinary citizen reaching out to the world. And as I always tell young people back in America， you don"t need to get on a plane to by a citizen diplomacy. I tell them that if you have an internet in your home， school， or library， within seconds， you can be transported anywhere in the world and meet people on every continent. That"s why I"m posting a daily travel blog with videos and photos of my experiences in China-because I want young people in America to be part of this visit. That"s really the power of technology-how it can open up the entire world and expose us to ideas and innovations we never could have imagined. And that"s why it is so important for information and ideas to fl ow freely over the internet and through the media. Because that"s how we discover the truth……that"s how we learn what"s really happening in our communities， our country and our world. And that"s how we decide which values and ideas we think are best-by questioning and debating them vigorously……by listening to all sides of every argument……and by judging for ourselves.
And believe me， I know this can be a messy and frustrating process. My husband and I are on the receiving of plenty of questioning and criticizing from our media and our fellow citizens……and it"s not always easy……but we wouldn"t trade it for anything in the world. Because time and again， we have seen that countries are stronger and more prosperous when the voices and opinions of all their citizens can be heard. And as my husband said， we respect the uniqueness of other cultures and societies. But when it comes to expressing yourself freely， and worshipping as your choice， and having open access to information-we believe those are universal rights that are the birthright of every person on this planet.
We believe that all people deserve the opportunity to fulfi ll their highest potential as I was able to do in the United States. And as you learn about new cultures and form new friendships during your time here in China and in the United States， all of you are the living， breathing embodiment of those values. So I guarantee you that in studying abroad， you"re not just changing your own life……you"re changing the lives of everyone you meet. As the great American President John F. Kennedy once said about foreign students studying in the U. S.， "I think they teach more than they learn."And that is just as true of young Americans who study abroad.
All of you are America"s best face， and China"s best face， to the world. Every day， you show the world your countries"energy， creativity， optimism and unwavering belief in the future. And every day， you remind us of just how much we can achieve if we reach across borders……and learn to see ourselves in each other……and confront our shared challenges with shared resolve. So I hope you will keep seeking these kinds of experiences. And I hope you"ll keep teaching each other……and learning from each other……and building bonds of friendship that will enrich your lives and enrich our world for decades to come. You all have so much to offer， and I cannot wait to see all that you achieve together in the years ahead.
Thank you so much. Xie Xie.
译文参考
丰富你的生活，丰富我们的世界——米歇尔·奥巴马在北京大学的演讲
你好，今天能与你们大家相遇在这所伟大的学府里，真是莫大的荣幸。多谢你们对我热情的邀请。
