美国第一夫人米歇尔动情演讲 呼吁加强枪支管理

First lady Michelle Obama gave a personal and emotional speech Wednesday in Chicago as she stepped into the debate over gun control.

美国第一夫人米歇尔·奥巴马周三在芝加哥举行了一场动情的演讲，呼吁美国加强枪支管理。

"Right now, my husband is fighting as hard as he can and engaging as many people as he can to pass common-sense reforms to protect our children from gun violence," she said.“

“现在我的丈夫正尽其全力，推行加强枪支管理改革，来保障青少年远离枪支暴力。” 她说。

The first lady was in her hometown to encourage business leaders to donate millions of dollars to programs for at-risk youth.

第一夫人在她的故乡鼓励商业领袖捐出百万美金，来支持帮助危险中的青少年的项目。

It was just two months ago that Obama returned home to attend the funeral of 15-year-old Hadiya Pendleton, a Chicago teenager who performed with her band members at inaugural festivities in Washington, D.C., earlier this year. Pendleton was shot in January, in a park not far from the Obamas' Chicago home.

就在两个月以前，米歇尔回到故乡，参加15岁的哈蒂亚·彭德尔顿的葬礼，这个芝加哥女孩在年初和她的乐队在华盛顿参加了奥巴马就职典礼。在一月份，彭德尔顿在距离米歇尔芝加哥的家不远的一个公园被枪杀。

The first lady talked Wednesday about growing up on Chicago's South Side. She said she was like many young people in the city now — except she had activities that engaged her, and she lived in a safe neighborhood.

第一夫人谈到了在芝加哥南部的成长。她说，她像现在很多在城市的年轻人一样——除了她有很多活动要参与，而且她住在一个安全的社区。

"In the end, that was the difference between growing up and becoming a lawyer, a mother and first lady of the United States, and being shot dead at the age of 15," she said.

“最终我们之间有了不同的结局：我成为了一个律师、母亲和美国的第一夫人，而她却在15岁被枪杀。”

Chicago's homicide rate declined by 42 percent during the first three months of this year, compared with the same period last year, but violence continues — often driven by gangs. The first lady spoke about children who live in Chicago but have never experienced the city's museums or even seen its picturesque lakefront, "because instead of spending their days enjoying the abundance of riches this city has to offer, they are consumed with watching their backs."

芝加哥的凶杀率在2013年头三个月比起去年同期下降了42%，但是暴力仍在继续，而且很多是黑帮导致的。第一夫人说到在芝加哥的孩子有的还没有看过城市的博物馆甚至没有看过风景如画的湖畔风景，“因为他们时刻要小心警惕，而不是去享受这个城市提供的丰富内容。“

Normally, the first lady focuses on military families and childhood obesity during her speeches. But White House aides say Pendleton's death motivated her to address the issue of gun violence.

通常情况下，第一夫人在她的发言中侧重于军人家庭和儿童肥胖。但白宫助手说彭德尔顿的死促使她提到了枪支暴力的问题。

The first lady also met with students and counselors at W.R. Harper High School on Wednesday. Twenty-nine current or former Harper students have been shot in the past year, eight of them fatally.

周三那天，第一夫人同样遇见了一些在哈伯高中的学生和辅导员。在过去一年，该学校累计有29个学生遭遇枪击，其中8人死亡。

Obama spoke Wednesday about meeting with Pendleton's classmates in February.

米歇尔提到了在二月份会见彭德尔顿的同学。

"It is hard to know what to say to a roomful of teenagers who are about to bury their best friend," she said. "But I started by telling them that Hadiya was clearly on her way to doing something truly worthy with her life."

“对着一屋子即将安葬他们最好朋友的孩子，我不知道该说什么，” 她说，“但是我告诉他们，哈蒂亚肯定是在以她的方式做出生命有价值的事情。”

Obama said she told those teenagers to do the same, and she urged the corporate leaders she spoke with to help provide the opportunities to make that happen.

米歇尔说，她告诉这些孩子要做同样的事情，而且她敦促企业领导帮助提供机会来帮助他们实现。