英语课前三分钟演讲 篇1
as people’s thoughts control their bodies, computer programs play a leading role in the modern times. both social progress and human evolution depend on the computer programs. in the practical application, a software consists of different programs and then combines with hardware to develop into a high-tech electronic product. there are many kinds of electronic products found everywhere in our daily life. nearly all the time do we make use of these products to conduct our passion.
yes, it is definitely right that programming is a hard work because of its special characteristics---complicated, time-wasted, logical. to make a program needs our continual patient and confidence, and we should accept failure again and again in most cases. but once you go into further understanding of computer programs, you will be surprised at the programs’ wander. in detail, through programming a heap of date or a computing model can be easily solved we expected, such as a number wanted, or the model’s parameters. the magical power of program appeals to all the programmers, certainly including me.
it is of great convenience for us to simplify or model our complex questions by programming. furthermore, studying and using programs can enforce us to form our ability of analyzing and logic. computer language has its regular grammar. how to organize the language into a reasonable calculating method in a high efficiency like speaking easy-understanding and breath-saving words, is an awful challenge for us, and it will be very funny.
now, software is more and more important in our life, therefore programmer becomes a popular profession, which is one urgent need in the society. for our country, it’s very important to ensure our national security from others, such as japan. enhancing military strength makes us pay more attention to the informationalized war that attached intensely to the fundamental function of program and software. it is truth that china has a huge population of 1.4 billion, which means messy things from all the people every day. also, to govern the society orderly all benefit from information composed by programs.
take a more closer example, in the classroom, we are graduate students of engineering, and will be occupied in researching and designing work. thus, not only is programming our tool in study, but also become a weapon that promoting science and technology and producing invention and innovation.
i love programming, because of its powerful function. i love programming, because of its abundant application.
i love programming, because of its terrible challenge.
i love programming, but i am not intend to be an outstanding programmer, nor making a great researching achievement. i just want to know it and do what i want with it.
i hope you firstly remove the horrible psychology upon programming, and then try to get in touch with it. at last, i hope programming gives you much happiness in life!
英语课前三分钟演讲 篇2
sara, who comes from canada, is our oral english teacher. she is loved and respected by many students. what influences me most is that she is warm-hearted, generous and easy-going. she always stays optimistic and tries hard to understand every of her student. besides, she often tells us some interesting stories and jokes in class, so as to make a happy atmosphere for us to study english. she loves teaching so much and has the eagerness to devote her life to education. because of her outstanding achievements, she had won lots of rewards, one of which is “model teacher” prize.
the principal of the school focuses on education rather than waste time in endless meetings and social activities. teachers’ wages are not high but enough to live comfortably. there are no other things to do except to teach. there are no paper requirements, no titles and no ranks because they don’t need to be judged by those things. almost every teacher is a well-known scholar and master in a particular field. a language teacher may be a writer at the same time. a math teacher may try to overcome a world-class guess. a physics teacher can win invention awards and a music teacher may return from an international music competition again.
in short, in this school, the principal is satisfied, the teachers are happy and the students are joyful. that’s my dream.
英语课前三分钟演讲 篇3
what is happiness? it is a feeling of inner peace and satisfaction. it is usually experienced when there are no worries, fears or obsessing thoughts, and this usually happens, when we do something we love to do or when we get, win, gain or achieve something that we value. it seems to be the outcome of positive events, but it actually comes from the inside, triggered by outer events.
for most people happineseems fleeting, because they let changing outer circumstances affect it. one of the best ways to keep it, is by gaining inner peace through daily meditation. as the mind becomes more peaceful, it becomes easier to choose the happinehabit.
here are a few tips for increasing happinein daily life:
1) endeavor to change the way you look at things. always look at the bright side. the mind may drag you to think about negativity and difficulties. don't let it. look at the good and positive side of every situation.
2) think of solutions, not problems.
3) listen to relaxing, uplifting music.
4) watch funny comedies that make you laugh.
5) each day, devote some time to reading a few pages of an inspiring book or article.
6) watch your thoughts. whenever you catch yourself thinking negative thoughts, start thinking of pleasant things.
7) always look at what you have done and not at what you haven't.
sometimes you may begin the day with the desire to accomplish several objectives. at the end of the day you might feel frustrated and unhappy, because you haven't been able to do all of those things.
look at what you have done, not at what you have not been able to do. you may have accomplished a lot during the day, and yet you let yourself become frustrated, because of some small things that you did not accomplish. you have spent all day successfully carrying out many plans, and instead of feeling happy and satisfied, you look at what was not accomplished and feel unhappy. it is unfair toward yourself.
8) each day do something good for yourself. it can be something small, such buying a book, eating something you love, watching you favorite program on tv, going to a movie, or just having a stroll on the beach.
9) each day do at least one act to make others happy. this can be a kind word, helping your colleagues, stopping your car at the crossroad to let people cross, giving your seat in a bus to someone else, or giving a small present to someone you love. the possibilities are infinite. when you make someone happy, you become happy, and then people try to make you happy.
10) always expect happiness.
11) do not envy people who are happy. on the contrary, be happy for their happiness.
12) associate with happy people, and try to learn from them to be happy. remember, happineis contagious.
13) do your best to stay detached, when things do not proceed as intended and desired. detachment will help you stay calm and control your moods and reactions. detachment is
英语课前三分钟演讲 篇4
As everyone knows,English is very important has been used everywhere in the has become the most common language on Internet and for international trade. If we can speak English well,we will have more chance to use more and more people have taken notice of it,the number of the people who go to learn English has increased at a high speed.
But for myself,I learn English not only because of its importance and its usefulness,but also because of my love for I learn English, I can feel a different way of thinking which gives me more room to touch the I read English novels,I can feel the pleasure from the book which is different from reading the I speak English, I can feel the confident from my I write English,I can see the beauty which is not the same as our Chinese...
I love English,it gives me a colorful dream.I hope I can travel around the world one day. With my good English, I can make friends with many people from different contries.I can see many places of great intrests.I dream that I can go to London,because it is the birth place of English.
I also want to use my good English to introduce our great places to the English spoken people,I hope that they can love our country like us.
I know, Rome was not built in a day. I believe that after continuous hard study, one day I can speak English very well.
If you want to be loved, you should learn to love and be lovable. So I believe as I love English everyday , it will love me too.
I am sure that I will realize my dream one day!
Thank you!
正如每个人所知，英语在今天十分重要。它已经被应用到世界的各个角落。它已经成为商业上最为通用的一门语言并广泛的用于国际贸易。如果我们能说好英语，我们就有更多的机会成功。因为越来越多的人注意到这一点，学英语的人数正在已很高的速度增长。 但是对我而言，我学英语不仅仅因为它的重要性以及它的实用性，更是因为我喜爱英语。当我学英语时，我可以体会到一种不同的思维方式，它可以给我更多接触世界的空间。当我读英语小说时，我能感受到不同于阅读翻译文的快乐。当我说英语时，我可以感到自信。当我写英语时，我能够感到不同于汉语的那种美…… 我爱英语，它给了我一个色彩斑斓的梦。我希望有朝一日我可以畅游世界，用我流利的英语，我可以和世界各地的人交友。我能看到许多的名胜。我希望我能够到伦敦去，因为那里是英语的故乡。 我也希望用我流利的英语来将我们的名胜介绍给说英语的朋友，我希望他们可以像我们一样的爱我们的国家。 我知道，罗马不是一天筑成的。(成功需要日积月累。)我相信在持续不断的努力学习下，总有一天我可以拥有一口流利的英语。 如果你想被爱，你就应该学着去爱他人。所以我相信我对英语的爱定将换来它对我的爱。 我相信总有一天我会实现我的梦! 谢谢!
英语课前三分钟演讲 篇5
ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls,
i am chinese. i am proud of being a chinese with five thousand years of civilization behind. i've learned about the four great inventions made by our forefathers. i've learned about the great wall and the yangtze river. i've learned about zhang heng(张衡)and i've learned about zheng he(郑和) says the yellow river civilization has vanished(消失)?i know that my ancestors have made miracles(奇迹)on this fertile land and we're still making miracles. who can ignore the fact that we have established ourselves as a great state in the world, that we have devised our own nuclear weapons, that we have successfully sent our satellites into space, and that our gnp ranks no. 7 in the world? we have experienced the plunders (掠夺) by other nations, and we have experienced the war. yet, based on such ruins, there still stands our nation----china, unyielding and unconquerable!
i once came across an american tourist. she said, “china has a history of five thousand years, but the us only has a history of 200 years. five thousand years ago, china took the lead in the world, and now it is the us that is leading.”my heart was deeply touched by these words. it is true that we're still a developing nation, but it doesn't mean that we can despise (鄙视) ourselves. we have such a long-standing history, we have such abundant resources, we have such intelligent and diligent people, and we have enough to be proud of. we have reasons to say proudly： we are sure to take the lead in the world in the future again, for our problems are big, but our ambition (雄心) is even bigger, our challenges (挑战) are great, but our will is even greater.
i am chinese. i have inherited (继承) black hair and black eyes. i have inherited the virtues of my ancestors. i have also taken over responsibility. i am sure, that wherever i go, whatever i do, i shall never forget that i am chinese!
英语课前三分钟演讲 篇6
when i was seven, i started learning english. i played games and sang english songs with other children. sometimes, i watched english cartoons. it's funny. then i discovered the beauty of the language, and began my colorful dream in the english world.
i hope i can travel around the world someday. i want to go to america to visit washington, because my cousin is over there. of course, i want to go to london too, because england is where english language developed. if i can ride my bike in cambridge university, i will be very happy.
i hope i can speak english with everyone in the world. also i'll introduce china to them, such as the great wall, and the gardens in suzhou. i will teaching people of the world about the beautiful language of our country.
i like the english language. to learn english is wonderful. i once wanted to be an english teacher . i also like chinese literature. when i was really young, i was able to remember lots of poems. i also wanted to be a teacher of chinese. now i think that both of my dreams can come true: i will be able to use english to teach foreign friends chinese and share chinese culture with them. so that more and more people will be able to get to know the 5000 years' history culture, and the prosperity of our great china.
my future is not a dream.
英语课前三分钟演讲 篇7
Good morning everyone, today our group will give some words to let you to guess the meaning , If you get it your group will get one point. OK, Let's begin.
apple of love(不是“爱情之果”)
西红柿
n hand(不是“绿手”)
新手
one‘s leg (不是“拉后腿“) 开玩笑 e sense (不是“马的感觉”) 常识
r
情人
a shame!(不是”多可耻“)
真遗憾!
英语课前三分钟演讲 篇8
the east and the west, let’s enjoy the combination of the two cultures?
kipling said:“east is east, and west is west, and never the twain shall meet!” but now, a century later, they have met.
they have met in business. they have met in education. they have met in the arts. some people will argue that these meetings will leave us with a choice between east and west, but i believe that the best future lies in the creative combination of both worlds. we can make western ideas, customs and technology our own, and adapt them to our own use. we can enjoy the best of both worlds, because our tradition is, above all, one of selecting the best and making it our own.
i love beijing and hennan opera because it always reminds me of who i am. but i am also a fan of pop music, especially english songs. so i have combined eastern melody with western language. it is called western henna opera.
when two cultures meet, there may be things in one culture, which do not fit into the tradition of the other. when this happens, we need to learn to understand and respect the customs of another culture. then there are certain things some people may not like. to this, i will say, if you do not like it, please try to tolerate it. to learn to tolerate what you personally don’t like is a great virtue at a time when different cultures mix and merge. before us, there are two rivers, eastern and western cultures. at present, they may run in different courses. but eventually, they will converge into the vast sea of human culture.
right now, i can see peoples of eastern and western cultures, standing side by side, singing the olympic theme song: we are hand in hand, heart to heart, together we will shape a beautiful tomorrow! thank you!
英语课前三分钟演讲 篇9
Good afternoon,ladies and gentlemen!
I’m very honored to stand here and give you a short speech! To begin with ,I want to ask a question everybody dream a good dream last night? Actually ,today I want to talk about dream with you. Of course, What I want to talk is not a dream you have last night,but a dream—— about life.
Everyone has dreams about life, different dreams at different life stage,and we need dreams to support us. Dreams are like the stars we never reach in the sky,but like most mariners,we can chart our course by them. With the dream,we have a direction,with a direction, we were no longer the dream, there is hope,With hope, we have the strength to fight.
I have a dream: To be a doctor.，because doctor may relieve the pain of patients. May let the human change the health. At the same time, I believed that, those who help others may be able to obtain joyfully. Therefore, I hoped in the near future ,I might be a doctor.
But I know，life is tough,and there are always ups and downs, maybe we fail in the way to our aims,and we may feel depressed ,whenever at this time, the dream in our heart can always comfort us, encourage us ,and support us to move ahead .
Young!Fortunately, I am young now. Just due to it, I know that nothing is impossible.I firmly believe that nothing can stand in my way. If I can't realize my dream,it result from that I haven't work harder enough and I won't find other excuses. If no people believe you, you can make it to prove that you are right. If you think the god haven't blessed you and there is no truth here, you can become the god and create the truth.
"My breath swallows the sky and make the yellow river overflow, my sword is famous in Kyushu and it can collapse the five sacred mountains." At some time in the past I also had am bitious words and I had some achievements. Each achievement results from my hard work. I always believe that "If you want to have more achievements than others, you must work harder." In some extent, the dream is the hope. If you can insist on doing something, the victory will come.
Hold fast to dreams, for if dreams die, life is a broken-winged bird that cannot fly. Hold fast to dreams, for when dreams go, life is a barren field frozen with snow. So my dear friends, think of your old and maybe dead dreams. Whatever it is, pick it up and make it alive from today. Let's--- move ----out!
Thank you for your listening!
Best wishes!
英语课前三分钟演讲 篇10
As everyone knows,English is very important has been used everywhere in the has become the most common language on Internet and for international trade. If we can speak English well,we will have more chance to use more and more people have taken notice of it,the number of the people who go to learn English has increased at a high speed.
But for myself,I learn English not only because of its importance and its usefulness,but also because of my love for I learn English, I can feel a different way of thinking which gives me more room to touch the I read English novels,I can feel the pleasure from the book which is different from reading the I speak English, I can feel the confident from my I write English,I can see the beauty which is not the same as our Chinese...
I love English,it gives me a colorful dream.I hope I can travel around the world one day. With my good English, I can make friends with many people from different contries.I can see many places of great intrests.I dream that I can go to London,because it is the birth place of English.
I also want to use my good English to introduce our great places to the English spoken people,I hope that they can love our country like us.
I know, Rome was not built in a day. I believe that after continuous hard study, one day I can speak English very well.
If you want to be loved, you should learn to love and be lovable. So I believe as I love English everyday , it will love me too.
I am sure that I will realize my dream one day!
Thank you!
英语课前三分钟演讲 篇11
this is a glass of water, tasteless, right? however if you add sugar, it will taste sweet, but if you add vinegar, it will become bitter. the same is true with our life____ the flavor is created by our choices.
if kindness is added to a strange you will have a friend; but if hostility is added, you will have an enemy. if love is added to a pile of red bricks you will have a home, but if hatred is add to those bricks , you will have an concentration camp.
so my dear friends, never complain that life is boring and the world is disappointing. if don’t like the taste of your life, change the ingredients.
three year ago, i weighed more than 100 hundred kilograms which caused significant embarrassment and frustration in my life. like always failing my p.e examinations, like always being laughed at by girls, like being terrified to speak in public. it was my grandmother’s encouragement that revived from my passive attitude to become confident in myself. she said “ my dear, if you can’t change you figure, why not treat it as your own style. so i began to cautiously employ the new way of thinking. by choosing to change my outlook on life, i developed the confidence to make a difference and finally i found a totally new world.
so my dear friend, if faith, hope, love, endurance are added to your life, you will find the confidence to conquer your limitation and embrace new challenges. and hopefully with my speech included, you will have a fantastic speech contest.
英语课前三分钟演讲 篇12
As you slowly open your eyes, look around ,
当你慢慢睁开眼睛的时候, 环顾四周,
Notice where the light comes into your room;
注意到阳光是从什么地方射到你的房间;
feel with your body and spirit, and see if you can sense the freshness in the air.
用你的身心去感觉, 看看你是否能感受到空气中 散发出的新鲜气息。
listen carefully, see if there are new sounds you can recognize;
仔细听听, 看看你可以辨认出新的声音;
Yes, yes, yes, its a new day, its a different day, and its a bright day! And most importantly, it is a new beginning for your life, a beginning where you are going to take new actions,
make new friends,
and take your life to a totally unprecedented level!
英语课前三分钟演讲 篇13
I received a devastating blow to my self-confidence in the first interview of my college years. I applied to be a host in our Student Acting Troupe and felt confident that I would be accepted. But one of the panel members told me: "You seem inadequate and you are a little vertically-challenged." My life has never been the same since. I used bigger heels to complement my height and psychological maneuvers and tricks to hide my lack of confidence. But no matter how hard I tried to look the part, there was still something missing.
As president of English Club, I organized the rehearsal of Snow White for an English party. Unfortunately, we could not find an actor to be the last dwarf. It had to be someone who was humorous by nature and fluent in English. Suddenly, all eyes turned to me, and I knew I would have to be the dwarf. To my great surprise and delight, once on stage, I was totally absorbed in the performance and my humorous nature was put to full use. As the dwarf, I was a big hit.
Yes, each of us is only one among millions of others, but each of us is an individual and each of us is unique. Cultivating our individuality will transform our lives, making of them a kaleidoscope of new colors and textures.
A world deprived of diversity would be a bland and boring place. The real tragedy is not being short or shy or ugly, but having your identity lost in a world in which everyone is a clone of a model cool boy or a flawless charming girl.
Given a choice, I would rather be ugly than live in such a world. I'd rather be a genuine dwarf accompanying a Snow White than be a Snow White among nothing but Snow Whites. I would rather be myself. I would contribute my individual and unique colors to create a more diverse universe. Please, be yourself.
译文:我重树信心
大学生活的几年里，当我参加第一次面试时，我的自信心受到了沉重的打击。我向“学生剧团”申请出演一个主角，而且我十分自信地认为我会被录用。但是,其中有个剧团成员告诉我:“你似乎不太合适出演这个角色，因为你的身高有点问题。”我从未遇到过这种情况。我穿着高跟鞋来弥补我的身高，采用心理策略和技巧来掩盖自己信心的缺乏。但是，不论我怎样努力进入角色，感觉还是缺少些什么。
作为英语俱乐部的主席，我为英语晚会组织排演了《白雪公主》短剧。不幸的是，我们找不到合适的人选出演最后一个小矮人。这个角色必须生性幽默，英语流利。突然，所有人的目光都转向了我，我知道那个小矮人就是我了。让我极度奇怪而又高兴的是，一上台，我完全投入到演出中，而且我那幽默的天性被发挥得淋漓尽致。作为一个‘’小矮人”，我取得了巨大的成功。
的确，我们中的任何一个人都是千百万中的一员，但我们中的每个人都是一个与众不同的个体。发挥我们自己的个性会改变我们的生活，使它们成为美丽的万花筒。
失去了多样性的世界是个冷漠、乏味的地方。真正的悲剧不是个矮、害羞或丑陋，而是将自己的个性迷失在一个克隆的世界里，那里到处都是典型的酷男孩或无瑕、迷人的好姑娘。
如果让我选择，我宁可面貌五陋，也不愿生活在这样一个世界里。我宁可做一个伴随“白雪公主”的真实的小矮人，也不愿做“白雪公主”世界里的一个白雪公主。
英语课前三分钟演讲 篇14
How to Be Popular
Most people would like to be popular with others, but not everyone can achieve this goal. What is the secret to popularity? In fact, it is very simple. The first step is to improve our appearance. We should always make sure that we stay in good shape and dress well. When we are healthy and well-groomed, we will not only look better but also feel better. In addition, we should smile and appear friendly. After all, our facial expression is an important part of our appearance. If we can do this, people will be attracted to our good looks and impressed by our confidence.
Another important step is developing more consideration for others. We should always put others first and place their interests before our own. It's also important to be good listeners; in this way people will feel comfortable enough to confide in us. However, no matter what we do, we must not gossip. Above all, we must remember to be ourselves, not phonies. Only by being sincere and respectful of others can we earn their respect. If we can do all of the above, I am sure popularity will come our way.
英语课前三分钟演讲 篇15
First i want to ask you some questions:
1、 Do you know what is youth?
2、 How do you master your youth?
Youth is not a time of life, it is a state of mind ; it is not rosy cheeks , red lips and supple knees, it is a matter of the emotions : it is the freshness ; it is the freshness of the deep springs of life .
Youth means a temperamental predominance of courage over timidity of the appetite , for adventure over the love of ease. this often exists in a man of 60 more than a boy of 20 . nobody grows old merely by a number of years . we grow old by deserting our ideals.
Years wrinkle the skin , but to give up enthusiasm wrinkles the soul . worry , fear , self –distrust bows the heart and turns the spirit back to dust .
Whether 60 of 16 , there is in every human being ‘s heart the lure of wonders, the unfailing childlike appetite of what’s next and the joy of the game of living . in the center of your heart and my heart there’s a wireless station : so long as it receives messages of beauty , hope ,cheer, courage and power from men and from the infinite, so long as you are young .
When the aerials are down , and your spirit is covered with snows of cynicism and the ice of pessimism, then you are grown old ,even at 20 , but as long as your aerials are up ,to catch waves of optimism , there is hope you may die young at 80.
thank you!
英语课前三分钟演讲 篇16
How to Be Popular
Most people would like to be popular with others, but not everyone can achieve this goal. What is the secret to popularity? In fact, it is very simple. The first step is to improve our appearance. We should always make sure that we stay in good shape and dress well. When we are healthy and well-groomed, we will not only look better but also feel better. In addition, we should smile and appear friendly. After all, our facial expression is an important part of our appearance. If we can do this, people will be attracted to our good looks and impressed by our confidence.
Another important step is developing more consideration for others. We should always put others first and place their interests before our own. It's also important to be good listeners; in this way people will feel comfortable enough to confide in us. However, no matter what we do, we must not gossip. Above all, we must remember to be ourselves, not phonies. Only by being sincere and respectful of others can we earn their respect. If we can do all of the above, I am sure popularity will come our way.
英语课前三分钟演讲 篇17
As everyone knows,English is very important has been used everywhere in the has become the most common language on Internet and for international trade. If we can speak English well,we will have more chance to use more and more people have taken notice of it,the number of the people who go to learn English has increased at a high speed.
But for myself,I learn English not only because of its importance and its usefulness,but also because of my love for I learn English, I can feel a different way of thinking which gives me more room to touch the I read English novels,I can feel the pleasure from the book which is different from reading the I speak English, I can feel the confident from my I write English,I can see the beauty which is not the same as our Chinese...
I love English,it gives me a colorful dream.I hope I can travel around the world one day. With my good English, I can make friends with many people from different contries.I can see many places of great intrests.I dream that I can go to London,because it is the birth place of English.
I also want to use my good English to introduce our great places to the English spoken people,I hope that they can love our country like us.
I know, Rome was not built in a day. I believe that after continuous hard study, one day I can speak English very well.
If you want to be loved, you should learn to love and be lovable. So I believe as I love English everyday , it will love me too.
I am sure that I will realize my dream one day!
Thank you!
正如每个人所知，英语在今天十分重要。它已经被应用到世界的各个角落。它已经成为商业上最为通用的一门语言并广泛的用于国际贸易。如果我们能说好英语，我们就有更多的机会成功。因为越来越多的人注意到这一点，学英语的人数正在已很高的速度增长。 但是对我而言，我学英语不仅仅因为它的重要性以及它的实用性，更是因为我喜爱英语。当我学英语时，我可以体会到一种不同的思维方式，它可以给我更多接触世界的空间。当我读英语小说时，我能感受到不同于阅读翻译文的快乐。当我说英语时，我可以感到自信。当我写英语时，我能够感到不同于汉语的那种美…… 我爱英语，它给了我一个色彩斑斓的梦。我希望有朝一日我可以畅游世界，用我流利的英语，我可以和世界各地的人交友。我能看到许多的名胜。我希望我能够到伦敦去，因为那里是英语的故乡。 我也希望用我流利的英语来将我们的名胜介绍给说英语的朋友，我希望他们可以像我们一样的爱我们的国家。 我知道，罗马不是一天筑成的。(成功需要日积月累。)我相信在持续不断的努力学习下，总有一天我可以拥有一口流利的英语。 如果你想被爱，你就应该学着去爱他人。所以我相信我对英语的爱定将换来它对我的爱。 我相信总有一天我会实现我的梦! 谢谢!
英语课前三分钟演讲 篇18
I stand here today humbled by the task before us, grateful for the trust you have bestowed, mindful of the sacrifices borne by our ancestors. I thank President Bush for his service to our nation, as well as the generosity and cooperation he has shown throughout this transition.
Forty-four Americans have now taken the presidential oath. The words have been spoken during rising tides of prosperity and the still waters of peace. Yet, every so often the oath is taken amidst gathering clouds and raging storms. At these moments, America has carried on not simply because of the skill or vision of those in high office, but because We the People have remained faithful to the ideals of our forbearers, and true to our founding documents.
So it has been. So it must be with this generation of Americans.
That we are in the midst of crisis is now well understood. Our nation is at war, against a far-reaching network of violence and hatred. Our economy is badly weakened, a consequence of greed and irresponsibility on the part of some, but also our collective failure to make hard choices and prepare the nation for a new age. Homes have been lost; jobs shed; businesses shuttered. Our healthcare is too costly; our schools fail too many; and each day brings further evidence that the ways we use energy strengthen our adversaries and threaten our planet.
These are the indicators of crisis, subject to data and statistics. Less measurable but no less profound is a sapping of confidence across our land - a nagging fear that America's decline is inevitable, and that the next generation must lower its sights.
Today I say to you that the challenges we face are real. They are serious and they are many. They will not be met easily or in a short span of time. But know this, America - they will be met.
On this day, we gather because we have chosen hope over fear, unity of purpose over conflict and discord.
On this day, we come to proclaim an end to the petty grievances and false promises, the recriminations and worn out dogmas, that for far too long have strangled our politics.
We remain a young nation, but in the words of Scripture, the time has come to set aside childish things. The time has come to reaffirm our enduring spirit; to choose our better history; to carry forward that precious gift, that noble idea, passed on from generation to generation: the God-given promise that all are equal, all are free, and all deserve a chance to pursue their full measure of happiness.
In reaffirming the greatness of our nation, we understand that greatness is never a given. It must be earned. Our journey has never been one of short-cuts or settling for less. It has not been the path for the faint-hearted - for those who prefer leisure over work, or seek only the pleasures of riches and fame. Rather, it has been the risk-takers, the doers, the makers of things - some celebrated but more often men and women obscure in their labour, who have carried us up the long, rugged path towards prosperity and freedom.
For us, they packed up their few worldly possessions and traveled across oceans in search of a new life.
For us, they toiled in sweatshops and settled the west; endured the lash of the whip and plowed the hard earth.
For us, they fought and died, in places like Concord and Gettysburg; Normandy and Khe Sahn.
Time and again these men and women struggled and sacrificed and worked till their hands were raw so that we might live a better life. They saw America as bigger than the sum of our individual ambitions; greater than all the differences of birth or wealth or faction.
This is the journey we continue today. We remain the most prosperous, powerful nation on Earth. Our workers are no less productive than when this crisis began. Our minds are no less inventive, our goods and services no less needed than they were last week or last month or last year. Our capacity remains undiminished. But our time of standing pat, of protecting narrow interests and putting off unpleasant decisions - that time has surely passed. Starting today, we must pick ourselves up, dust ourselves off, and begin again the work of remaking America.
For everywhere we look, there is work to be done. The state of the economy calls for action, bold and swift, and we will act - not only to create new jobs, but to lay a new foundation for growth. We will build the roads and bridges, the electric grids and digital lines that feed our commerce and bind us together. We will restore science to its rightful place, and wield technology's wonders to raise healthcare's quality and lower its cost. We will harness the sun and the winds and the soil to fuel our cars and run our factories. And we will transform our schools and colleges and universities to meet the demands of a new age. All this we can do. And all this we will do.
Now, there are some who question the scale of our ambitions - who suggest that our system cannot tolerate too many big plans. Their memories are short. For they have forgotten what this country has already done; what free men and women can achieve when imagination is joined to common purpose, and necessity to courage.
What the cynics fail to understand is that the ground has shifted beneath them - that the stale political arguments that have consumed us for so long no longer apply. The question we ask today is not whether our government is too big or too small, but whether it works - whether it helps families find jobs at a decent wage, care they can afford, a retirement that is dignified. Where the answer is yes, we intend to move forward. Where the answer is no, programs will end. And those of us who manage the public's dollars will be held to account - to spend wisely, reform bad habits and do our business in the light of day - because only then can we restore the vital trust between a people and their government.
Nor is the question before us whether the market is a force for good or ill. Its power to generate wealth and expand freedom is unmatched, but this crisis has reminded us that without a watchful eye, the market can spin out of control - and that a nation cannot prosper long when it favours only the prosperous. The success of our economy has always depended not just on the size of our gross domestic product, but on the reach f; on our ability to extend opportunity to every willing heart - not out of charity, but because it is the surest route to our common good.
As for our common defence, we reject as false the choice between our safety and our ideals. Our founding fathers, faced with perils we can scarcely imagine, drafted a charter to assure the rule of law and the rights of man, a charter expanded by the blood of generations. Those ideals still light the world, and we will not give them up for expedience's sake. And so to all other peoples and governments who are watching today, from the grandest capitals to the small village where my father was born: know that America is a friend of each nation and every man, woman and child who seeks a future of peace and dignity, and that we are ready to lead once more.