米歇尔在民主党全国代表大会（Democratic National Convention，DNC）上演讲，为希拉里背书，激昂慷慨、气场十足、极富感染力。
演讲从她自己的两个女儿出发，始终围绕人性最柔软的话题，孩子。
她告诉所有的听众：
The president is about one thing and one thing only，it‘s about leaving something better for our kids.
一个总统，最主要的任务就是一件事，要为孩子们争取更美好的未来。
米歇尔只字未提特朗普，却给了一个漂亮的回击：
她说这个国家需要的不是仇恨与猜忌，而是爱、平等与希望——
“When they go low，we go high.”
当别人往道德的低处走时，我们要继续向高处前行。
这场演讲一结束，学习“如何形容一场演讲很棒”的一大波资源就上线了。
外媒是这样措辞的：
Michelle Obama could be Hillary Clinton's ace in the hole
米歇尔或成希拉里的最后王牌
The First Lady is a powerful surrogate to Clinton
米歇尔是希拉里强有力的代言人
Michelle united a divided hall
米歇尔把一个分裂的大堂团结在一起（邮件门使得这个大会原本一团乱）
Michelle’s speech brought down the DNC house
米歇尔的演讲博得满堂喝彩（快把民主党全国代表大会的屋顶给掀了）
Michelle Obama‘s Speech of a Lifetime Turns Convention Around for Hillary Clinton
米歇尔这场终身难遇的演讲把整个大会的人们都团结到了希拉里身旁
再看看这些用词：
stirring 震撼人心的
emotional 情感饱满的
incredible 不可思议的
stunning 令人惊叹的
epic 史诗般的
blockbuster 轰动的
speech for ages 千载难逢的演讲
showstopper 因太精彩而屡次被掌声打断的演讲
她的这场演讲让群众激动万分（electrifies crowd），全场都坐不住了（get the crowd on their feet），整个大会的人都被感动得热泪盈眶（move the Democratic convention to tears）。
这就是演讲的力量，想学public speech的同学，一定不要错过。
好了，我们现在就来领略一下号称民主党大会上“史上最佳第一夫人演讲”：
双语全文
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.
谢谢各位，谢谢。真是令人难以置信，八年就这样过去了。八年前，我第一次站在这个大会上告诉诸位，为什么我的丈夫应该成为总统。
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？
大家还记得吗，我向你们介绍他的品质与信念，说着他的正派与慈悲，以及他在白宫为国操劳的每一天向我们展现的所有优点。
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 bubbly little girls into poised young women，a journey that started soon after we arrived in Washington.
我那时还向各位说起我们的女儿，说起她们是我们宝贝的心头肉，是我们眼里世界的中心。在白宫度过的这段时光里，我们欢欣地看着她们从热情活泼的小女孩长大为举止沉稳的年轻女性，这是一趟自我们抵达华盛顿之时就已开始的成长旅程。
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？
我永远不会忘记她们第一天出发去新学校的场景。那个冬天的早晨，我目送我们7岁和10岁的女儿钻进黑色的SUV车里，陪着她们的全是持枪的壮汉。我看着她们把小脸贴在车窗上往外张望，那时候我想到的唯一一件事是：我们这是做错了什么？
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.
对，就是在那一刻，我意识到，在白宫的日子将会对她们的成长蜕变起到至关重要的影响。我们若能好好地应对这段经历，这段日子将会成就她们；如果不能，这些经历则会把她们带入歧途。
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.
这就是我和巴拉克每一天所思考的问题。我们努力地引导我们的孩子，保护她们不受这聚光灯之下的不寻常生活的伤害，鼓励她们不去在意别人对她们的爸爸的国籍或信念的质疑。我们坚持让她们相信，电视上那些公共人物说出来的满带恨意的话并不能代表这个国家真正的精神。我们向她们解释，有些人可能残忍而霸道，但这不意味着你可以堕落到与他们一样。绝不可以，我们的信条是，当别人往道德的低处走时，我们要继续向高处前行。
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 actions matter，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？
我们知道，父母的言行举止时时刻刻都被孩子们所关注，我们是她们最重要的榜样。我想告诉各位，巴拉克和我一直以同样的心态对待总统与第一夫人的工作。因为我们深知，我们所说的话，我们所做的事，不仅仅被自家孩子所关注，更同时被这个国家所有的孩子听到和看到。这些孩子可能会对我说，“我在电视上看过你”或是“我在一份作业里写了你”，也可能就像那个抬头带着希望看着我丈夫的黑人小男孩，心里充满好奇，“我的头发和你的是一样的吗？”
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.
毫无疑问，今年11月我们去投票时，要做的就是这样一个决定，不是选择民主党或共和党，也不管左翼右翼之分。就同每一场选举一样，这场选举决定的是由谁来掌握一个大权，由谁来影响塑造孩子们生命中接下来的四年或六年。
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.
今晚，我站在这里，因为在这场选举中，只有一个人，让我放心地将这个责任交付；只有一个人，我相信真正有能力胜任美国总统一职。这个人就是我们的朋友，希拉里•克林顿。
That‘s right.
就是如此。
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.
我坚信希拉里能够领导这个国家，因为我见证了她以一生奉献予这个国家的孩子们，不仅仅是她那被栽培得近乎完美的女儿，更包括每一个需要保护的孩子——保护每一个需要走长长的路上学的孩子不受到犯罪团伙的伤害，帮助那些困惑于为何自己负担不起大学费用的孩子、那些自己的父母并不懂得说一句英语但自身梦想过上更好生活的孩子、那些等待着我们去决定他们的未来的孩子。
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.
如你们所见，希拉里在几十年间一直任劳任怨地工作，为的是真正地使孩子们的生活有所不同。当她是个年轻律师时，她就为残障儿童的权益发声；后来她成了第一夫人，她为孩子们的医疗保障奔忙；在国务卿任上，她依然在为孩子们争取高质量的保育环境。
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.
并且，八年前她竞选失利之后，她并不恼怒，也没有灰心丧气。希拉里没有打包走人，因为作为一个真正的公共利益服务者，她懂得这份事业比个人的欲望与失望重要得多。所以，她又挺身而出，以国务卿的身份为我们的国家服务，为孩子们的安全走遍全球。
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.
很多时候希拉里都可以抱怨她的工作有多难，为人民付出的代价有多大，自己的外貌或言语甚至笑容时刻被人指责有多心累。可是，我最佩服她的一点，就是无论面对多大的压力，她都不会垮掉，也从来不会偷懒。在她的世界里，永无放弃可言。
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，当我想象一个能为我的女儿和所有孩子带来美好和希望的美国总统的样子，这就是我想要的。
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.
我想要一个真正有能力坚持下去的人，一个了解这份工作、严肃对待它的人，一个懂得总统面对的问题不是非黑即白，也不能短短归结为140个字的人。
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.
因为当核武器的发射密码就在你指尖，并且手握着整个国家军队的时候，你不可以做出轻率的决定。你不能死要面子，也不能一戳就发火。你必须运筹帷幄、深思熟虑、见识广博。
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.
我心目中的总统，要有从事公众服务的纪录，用毕生工作向孩子们证明，我们奋斗的目标不是追名逐利，而是让每个人都有成功的机会。
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.
就算当我们苦苦挣扎的时候，也要回报这个社会，因为总有人的生活比你还艰难。我们没吃他们的苦，是因为上帝眷顾。
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.
我想要的总统，应当告诉孩子们，我们国家的每一个人都很重要。他要深信国父们数百年前的理念，人人生而平等，每一个人都是伟大美国历史珍视的一部分。
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.
当危机到来时，我们绝不分崩离析。我们互相倾听，相互扶持，因为团结才会让我们更加强大。
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.
今晚我在这里就是想告诉大家，希拉里就会是这样一位总统。这就是为什么在这场大选中，我站在她的一边。
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.
她懂得作为一个总统，最主要的任务就是一件事，要为孩子们争取更美好的未来。为了孩子而团结起来，我们的国家就是这样不断进步的。不论是志愿做学生队教练的人，还是去当主日学的教师，他们都明白，培养下一代，需要整个国家的力量。
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.
不同肤色和信仰的英雄们穿上制服，冒着生命危险将自由的福祉传承下去。在达拉斯，警察和抗议者们都在拼尽全力地呼吁保护孩子们的安全。在奥兰多，人们排着队献血，因为他们知道，那晚在酒吧的也可能就是他们的孩子。
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•凯恩这样的领袖让孩子们懂得了什么是正直与奉献。希拉里这样的领袖拥有的勇气和魅力，让她一直没有放弃，不断地冲击限制女性发展的那道最高最艰难的玻璃顶，直到她终于将其击碎，并带着我们一同提升。
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 of segregation，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.
这就是我们国家的故事，是这个故事让我今天站在这里。在这个故事中，曾有世世代代的人遭受着压迫和束缚，被奴役的耻辱和被隔离的痛苦。但是他们始终怀揣着希望，不息地抗争，所以今天的我才能每天在由奴隶建造的白宫里醒来，看着我的女儿们，两个美丽聪敏的黑皮肤少女，与狗狗们在白宫的草坪上嬉戏。
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.
因为希拉里，我的女儿，和所有的孩子们，觉得女人可以当美国总统，这是理所应当的事。
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，别再听别人说我们的国家不够好，我们要让她变好之类的话。因为此时此刻，这就是世界上最伟大的国家。
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.
我的两个女儿就要去闯荡世界了，我希望能有一个领袖能够配得上这个真相，值得托付我的女儿以及所有孩子们的前途，能用爱与希望，和我们寄予孩子的无限期望来指导其每一天。
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.
所以在这次选举中，我们不能坐视着希望最后的结果是最好的，我们承受不起疲倦、沮丧或愤世嫉俗的代价。听我说，从现在起到十一月份，我们要像8年前或4年前那样，为之付出行动。
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！
我们要挨家挨户敲门，让更多的人来投票。我们要用尽我们对这个国家的每一丝热情、每一份力量，和每一点爱，来推选希拉里•克林顿成为美利坚合众国的总统！
So let’s get to work. Thank you all and God bless.
让我们行动起来吧。谢谢大家，上帝保佑.
