2023经典英语演讲稿（精选17篇）
keep your direction
what would you do if you failed? many people may choose to give up. however, the surest way to success is to keep your direction and stick to your goal.
on your way to success, you must keep your direction. it is just like a lamp, guiding you in darkness and helping you overcome obstacles on your way. otherwise, you will easily get lost or hesitate to go ahead.
direction means objectives. you can get nowhere without an objective in life.
you can try to write your objective on paper and make some plans to achieve it. in this way, you will know how to arrange your time and to spend your time properly. and you should also have a belief that you are sure to succeed as long as you keep your direction all the time.
坚持你的方向
如果失败了你会怎么做?很多人可能会选择放弃。然而，要想成功，最可靠的方法就是坚持你的方向和目标。
在通往成功的路上，你必须坚持你的方向。它就像一盏灯，在黑暗中为你指路，帮助你度过难关。否则，你很容易就会迷失方向或犹豫不前。
方向意味着目标。人生如果没有目标，将一事无成。
你可以试着把你的目标写在纸上，并制定实现目标的计划。这样，你就会懂得如何合理安排时间，如何正确地支配时间。而且你还要有这样的信念：只要你一直坚持自己的方向，你就一定可以成功。
Knowledge collaboration and all-round education
Ladies and gentlemen,
We engineering students take it for granted that technology is changing incredibly fast. We are thinking nervously and seriously whether our colleges are failing to provide a foundation in the skills currently needed in industry. Take my major telecommunications for example. Scientists say that 21st century is a biomedical time, not an electrical time. But without the help of electronic data processing and transformation, biomedical technology alone cannot go too far. Funny enough, the word biomedical itself is just a combination of two disciplines. So the interdisciplinary exploitation serves as the critical part for our electric and electronics world as well as any other fields to find new way of being.
But the power of knowledge collaboration is certainly not restricted to science and engineering; it is in the full community of learning. Walking around campus I absorbed a reality that there is a seamless web between students from different professional backgrounds. The engineering students are discussing animatedly in a philosophy lecture, speaking passionately in the public speaking club, and looking for sparkling ideas from learning history and arts. How wonderful that is! That, ladies and gentleman, is just a significant step forward to be well-rounded because once we jump out of the circle we can see the bigger picture.
My friends, I hope that you have already got what university is all about. Please let me end my speech with the Nobel Prize winner Li Zhengdao’s words: “The realization of the perfect combination of science and engineering, science and arts, technology and humanity， is the greatest symbol of a university’s success.” Thank you.
知识的融合和人才的全面发展
我们理工科的学生都知道科技在以一种难以置信的速度变化发展着。我们都在紧张和严肃地思考着是否我们的大学能够为我们提供一个适应当前工业需要的知识基础。以我的专业通信工程为例，科学家们说21世纪是生物医学的世纪，而不是电气电子的世纪。但是如果没有电子化的数据处理和转换，生物医学时代就不能发展。有趣的是：“生物医学”这个词本身就是两个学科的结合，所以跨学科的开发手段就成了电气电子领域以以及其他任何领域寻找新出路的关键。
但是知识的结合不仅仅局限在科学和工程中，而是在任何的学习中。徜徉在校园里，我看到了这样一个事实：理工科学生们在哲学讲座上讨论得热火朝天，在演讲俱乐部里激情地演说，在历史和艺术里寻找着闪光的思想。太棒了!朋友们，这就是我们能够全面发展的重要一步，因为当我们跳出自己的圈子时，我们能看到更大的图画。
朋友们，我希望你们已经意识到了大学教育究竟意味着什么。让我以诺贝尔奖获得者李政道先生的话结束我的演讲：“科学与工程，科学与艺术，科技与人道的完美结合，乃是大学教育的最大成功。”
谢谢。
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 existsin 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!
青春
青春不是指岁月，而是指心态。粉嫩的脸，红润的唇，矫健的膝并不是青春。青春表现在意志的坚强与懦弱。想象的丰富与苍白、情感的充沛与贫乏等方面。青春是生命深处清泉的喷涌。青春是追求。只有当勇气盖过怯弱、进取压倒苟安之时，青春才存在。果如此，则60见之长者比20岁之少年更具青春活力。仅仅岁月的流逝并不能使他们衰老。而一旦抛弃理想和信念，则垂垂老也。
岁月只能使皮肤起皱。而一旦丧失生活的激情，则连灵魂枯老，使人生枯如死水，毫无活力。
60岁长者也好，16岁少年也罢，每个人的内心深处都渴望奇迹，都如孩子一般眨着期待的双眼，期待着下一次，期待着生活的情趣，你我灵魂深处都有一座无线电中转站------只有你我年轻，则总能听到希望的呼唤，总能发出喜悦的欢呼，总能传达勇气的讯号，总能表现出青春的活力………
一旦青春的天线倒下，你的灵魂即为玩世不恭之雪、悲观厌世之冰覆盖;即使你年方20.其实你已垂垂老也。而只要你青春的天线高高耸起，就可以随时接收到乐观的电波-----即使你年过八旬，行将就木，而你却仍然拥有青春，你仍然年轻。
谢谢!
What life is about
As we all know, the most important thing in life is our attitude towards it, tons of men have tried different ways of treating life, and some succeeded, some failed, and here are some of the tips they left us.
Life isn’t about keeping score. Life isn’t about your shoes or your hair or the color of your skin. In fact it’s not about if you have lots of friends or if you are alone, and it’s not about how accepted or unaccepted you are. Life just isn’t about that.
But life is about whom you love and who you hurt. It’s about how you feel about yourself. It’s about trust, happiness and compassion. It’s about sticking up for your friends and replacing inner hate with love. Life is about avoiding jealousy, overcoming ignorance and building confidence. It’s about what you say and what you mean. It’s about seeing people for who they are and not what they have. And we should always remember to be ourselves. Other might have things that we desire but being what we really are is the only trail leading to the true colors of life. Most of all, it’s about choosing to use your life to touch someone else’s in a way that could have never been achieved otherwise.
The paradox of our time in history is that we have taller buildings but shorter tempers; we buy more but enjoy them less. We’ve learnt how to make a living but not a life, we’ve added years to life, but not life to years. And it is time for us to choose whether to make a difference in our life.
And these choices are what life is about.
生活的真谛
众所周知，关于生活最重要的我们对待生活的态度，不同的人以不同的方式对待生活，一些人成功了，一些人失败了。这里有一些关于生活的帖士给我们大家。
生活不是为了保持高分，生活也不仅仅是你的鞋子、你的发型和你的肤色。实际上，生活也不只是你拥有多少朋友，或者你是否孤独;生活也不仅仅意味着你被别人接受与否。生活并不仅仅是这些。
但是，生活是关于你所爱的和你所伤害的那些人。生活就是你对自己的所有感觉。它是关于信任、幸福和包容。它是你对朋友的支持和如何用爱来融化内心的憎恨。生活就是远离嫉妒、克服无知和建立信心。生活是关于你的言行和思想。
生活就是关注人的自身，而不是关注别人的拥有。而且我们必须记住保持我们的本色。虽然，生活的另一面令我们向往，但保持我们的本色是通往生活真谛的必由之路。总之，生活就是用你整个的生命去触摸其他人从未企及的选择。 在生活的长河中也常常令我们困惑和矛盾，我们拥有越来越高大的建筑，但我们也越来越缺乏耐心;我们购买的物质越来越多，但我们从中得到的快乐越来越少。我们学习如何活着但那却不是生活;人类的寿命越来越长，但有意义的生活并因此而延长。因此，现在正是我们选择使我们的人生变得不同凡响的时候了。初中英语演讲稿这些选择就是生活的真谛。
Hello, my name is Hao Hao. I am a small member of class 3 in grade six. Today, my topic is my ideal.
Edison, a British scientist, will not be surprised. He is a world-famous invention King. He invented more than one thousand kinds of life. My ideal is to become a great inventor like Edison.
Remember in the third grade textbook, we see Edison to invent almost blind eyes, his train was deaf in one ear, also burned a dress by sulfuric acid. However, his determination to pursue science has not wavered. It is this stubborn spirit, persistent efforts and attitude towards learning that made Edison a great inventor.
I think, if I really want to be an inventor like Edison, I want to carry forward his spirit of not afraid of difficulties and perseverance. For this reason, I want to do four words: diligence, perseverance, courage and thinking. "Diligence" is diligence. All the people who have a good job are the result of hard work. "Constant" is perseverance, there is perseverance can be expected to achieve. "Bravery" is the determination to overcome difficulties when learning difficulties. "Thinking" is equally important. Learning is always combined with thinking. Todays "thinking" is also dared to fantasize. Only by opening the wings of fantasy can invention become reality.
A plow, a harvest, in order to achieve the ideal, I will pay hard!
Good afternoon ，ladies and gentlemen!
I’m very honored to stand here and give you a short speech! my topic is Opportunities and Challenges.
First, I would like to know, what does your destiny offer you? Happiness, wisdom, a strong body or something else. If I had asked this question to president Nixon, he would probably had said,”Our destiny offers not the cup of despair, but the chalice of opportunity.”
Needless to say, one of the biggest opportunities given to China is the 20xx Olympic Games. Till now, we have used two sevenths of the preparation time. How much changes have you seen? New roads, new subway lines, public-exercising equipments with beautiful colors, large blocks of grass fields, and also lots of modern gyms which are under construction.
Other than those, there are even more good effects brought to us by the Olympic Games that cannot be seen directly. For example, more and more people will get to know China. I’m sure the mysterious Chinese culture will attract them strongly. And the games will also do good to the economy and environment, for it is gaining the attention of foreign investors and the awareness of environmental protection is being strengthened. What is more, Olympic Games give a unique opportunity to inspire and educate a new generation of Chinese youth with the Olympic values and the Olympic spirit. Now that we have seen so many advances, could you even imagine us losing the holding rights?
I’ve already said a lot about the Olympics and China. But I think everyone should use some time to think of this question, ”Does the Olympic Games have any special meaning to you?”
我最近读了一本书，名叫《宝葫芦的秘密》，这本书的主人公名叫王葆，和我一样，他也是一名小学生，他天真烂漫，喜欢幻想，爱出风头，又知错能改，正直。他想拥有一个宝葫芦，帮他做各种各样的事情，没想到有一天梦想成真了——在他钓鱼的时候，一次偶然的机会，使他得到了宝葫芦。
这个宝葫芦能帮王葆完成任何事情，例如：变好吃的，帮他完成手工，帮他变出满屋子的'花草，甚至是在考试的时候帮他调换试卷……虽然宝葫芦给了他一种“特殊的幸福”，但是麻烦却接二连三地找上门来，使得他在亲人、朋友面前出丑、尴尬，最后他知道那些东西都是别人的，这使他非常气愤，想扔掉宝葫芦，可是却怎么也摆脱不了宝葫芦。最后还好王葆只是做了一场梦，在这场梦之后，他受到了极大的教育。
通过读这本书，我觉得无论做什么事情，也一定不要抱有不劳而获的心思，如果有不劳而获的心思，终将会让人变得懒惰、迟钝。以后在我们做事情的时候，一定要积极动脑、动手，勤学好问，做一个聪明而勤奋的人。
Good afternoon, everyone!
The topic of my speech today is “Being a Good Listener”.
Good listening can always show respect, promote understanding, and improve interpersonal relationship.
Many people suggest that parents should listen more to their children, so they will understand them better, and find it easy to narrow the generation gap; teachers should listen more to their students, then they can meet their needs better, and place themselves in a good relationship with their students; students should listen more to their classmates, thus they will help and learn from each other, and a friendship is likely to be formed.
What I want to stress is that each of us should listen more to others. Show your respect and never stop others till they finish their talk; show you are interested by a supportive silence or a knowing smile; be open-minded to different opinions even though you don’t like them. In a word, good listening can really enable us to get closer to each other.
Thank you for your listening!
大家下午好!
今天,我演讲的题目是“做一个好的倾听者”。
好的倾听可以表示尊重,增进理解,和改善人际关系。
许多人认为父母应该多听他们的孩子,所以他们会对它们有更好的理解,并且发现它容易缩小代沟,教师应该多听他们的学生,然后他们可以满足他们的需求,并将自己与他们的学生在一个良好的关系,学生应该多听他们的同学,因此他们会帮助和互相学习,可能会形成和友谊。
我想强调的是我们每个人都应该更多的倾听他人。展示你的尊重和从未停止其他人直到他们完成他们的谈话,告诉你感兴趣的一个支持性的沉默或一个会心的微笑,是开放的不同意见,即使你不喜欢他们。总之,良好的倾听可以使我们更接近彼此。
谢谢你的倾听!
Not long after an old Chinese woman came back to China from her visit to her daughter in the States, she went to a city bank to deposit the US dollars her daughter gave her. At the bank counter, the clerk checked each note carefully to see if the money was real. It made the old lady out of patience.
At last she could not hold any more, uttering. "Trust me, Sir, and trust the money. They are real US dollars. They are directly from America."
18年的生命中，有着许多美好的经历，初入大学校园，又是另一种生活，同时，作为当代大学生，你的身上肩负着成为我们民族的脊梁，为社会做出巨大的贡献的重任。今天和小编一起来看看这篇演讲稿吧。
Inmy18yearsoflife,therehavebeenmanythings.Universitydaysarethebestpartofthem.IcanneverforgetthedayswhenIsteppedintomyuniversity.Iwasimpressedbyitsgarden-likecampus,itsenthusiasticstudentsandespeciallyitslearningatmosphere.Iatoncefellinlovewithit.
在我这18年的生命中，有着许多美好的经历，而大学生活则是其中最难忘的一段。我永远不会忘记刚刚跨进大学校园的那几天：花园一样的校园，热情活跃的学生，特别是那里的学习气氛，给我留下了深刻的印象。
Afterthearduousmilitarytraining,Igetabsolutelyabsorbedinmystudies.Theclassesgivenbytheteachersareexcellent.Theyprovideuswithinformationnotonlyfromourtextbooksbutfrommanyothersourcesaswell.TheyeasilyarousemyinsatiabledesiretotakeinasmuchasIcan.
经过了一段艰辛的军事训练后，我完全融入到了学习中。老师的讲课真是棒极了。他们传授给我们的不仅是课本上的知识，还包括其他各种各样的信息。我渴望获得尽可能多的知识，是老师激发起了我这个不能满足的欲望。
Franklyspeaking,atfirstIhadsomedifficultyfollowingtheteachers.However,throughmyowneffortsandthankstomyteachers'guidance,Imaderemarkableprogress.NowI'vebenefitedalotfromlecturesandmanyotheracademicreports.
坦率地说，一开始我还不能跟上老师的讲课。但是，通过我自己的努力以及老师的指导，我取得了巨大的进步。我从老师的授课和其他许多学术报告中获益匪浅。
Learningisalongprocess;I'llkeepexploringinthetreasurehouseofknowledgetoenrichmyself.ThissummerIgotoutoftheivorytowerandenteredtherealworld.Apublishinghouseofferedmeapart-timejobincompilationandrevision.
学习是个循序渐进、长期的过程，我会在知识的宝库中不断探索，丰富自我。今年暑假，我跨出象牙塔，进入并接触到了真正的社会。一个出版社给了我编辑和校对的兼职工作。
AtthebeginningIwasbelittledbymycolleagues.ButtheywerereallysurprisedwhenItranslatedsevenEnglisharticlesover5,000wordsononlyoneday.Gradually,theybegantolookatmewithrespectfuleyes.IntheiropinionIturnedouttobeausefulandtrustworthycolleague.
工作初期，同事们都礁不起我。但是，当我在一天之内翻译完7篇（总字数超过5000字）的英语文章后，他们真的是大吃一惊。渐渐地，他们开始用尊敬的眼光看待我。他们认为，我变成了一个有用并值得信赖的好同事。
Ialsorealizethatonlythosewhobringhappinessforotherscanbetrulyhappy.SoIoftentakepartinactivitiesconcerningpublicwelfare.Ioncewenttoabarrenmountainvillagewithmyclassmates.Wetaughtthekidstherewhocouldnotaffordschool.Whileshowingthemhowbroadandhowcivilizedtheouterworldis,Iwasdeeplytouchedbytheireagernesstolearn,theirhonestyandtheirpurity.Icouldn'tcontrolmytearsonthedaywhenweleft.Thepreciousexperiencewiththepoorkidsmademeawareoftheresponsibilityontheshouldersofus,futureteachers.
我也同样意识到，只有那些为别人带来幸福的人才能真正的幸福。因而，我经常参加有关公众福利享业的活动。有一次，我和同学去了一个贫痔的山区村庄。在那里，我们教那些没钱上学的孩子。我向他们展示了一幅宽广、文明的外部世界的画面，但同时我也被那些孩子学习的渴望、他们的真诚和纯洁深深打动了。在我们离开的那一天，我那不争气的眼泪禁不住流了下来。这次珍贵的经历让我们这些未来的教师意识到了自己肩上的责任重大。
Besidesstudyandsocialpractice,thereareentertainmentsaswell.Idobodybuildingeveryday,hopingtokeephealthyandenergetic.Wealsowriteaplayandputitoninoursparetime.
除了学习和社会实践，我还经常参加娱乐活动。我每天都锻炼身体，希望保持健康和充满活力。我们还在业余时间写剧本并排练演出。
Campuslifeisthemostsplendidtime.Butdifferentpeoplehavedifferentchoices.Themajorityofstudentscherishtheirbeautifulseasonandcherishthehopethatonedaythey'llbecomeoutstanding.Butthereareindeedsomestudentsstillunderignorance.Theygathertogetherforeating,drinkingorplayingcards.They'rebusyinsearchingforagirlfriendoraboyfriend.Theyforgetcompletelyabouttheirmissionascollegestudentsandthehopeoftheirmotherland.
园生活是最丰富多彩的。但是，不同的人有着不同的选择。大多数的学生珍惜他们的美好时光，并殷切希望将来能出类拔萃。可是，的确有学生无动于衷。他们聚在一起吃喝玩乐，他们忙于追求异性朋友，他们完全忘记了自己作为大学生的使命和祖国对他们的厚望。
Finally,Idohopeeverybodycantrytheirbesttobecomeaworthycitizenofthecountry.Idohopeeverybodycanbecomethebackboneofournationandmakegreatcontributionstosociety!
最后，我希望每个人都能尽努力成为国家的有用人才。我也希望每个人都能成为我们民族的脊梁，为社会做出巨大的贡献!
Honourablejudges,ladiesandgentlemen,
Goodafternoon!TodayIwouldliketotalkabouttheimportanceofkeepingoptimistic.Whenweencounterdifficultiesinlife,wenoticethatsomeofuschoosetoburytheirheadsinthesand.Unfortunately,however,thisattitudewilldoyounogood,becauseifyouwillhavenocourageeventofacethem,howcanyouconquerthem?Thus,beoptimistic,ladiesandgentlemen,asitcangiveyouconfidenceandhelpyouseeyourselfthroughthehardtimes,justasWinstonChurchilloncesaid,“Anoptimistseesanopportunityineverycalamity;apessimistseesacalamityineveryopportunity.”
LadiesandGentlemen,keepingoptimistic,youwillbeabletorealize,inspiteofsomehardship,there’salwayshopewaitingforyou,whichwillleadyoutotheultimatesuccess.Historicallyaswellascurrently,therearetoomanyoptimistsofthiskindtoenumerate.Yousee,ThomasEdisonisoptimistic;ifnot,thelightofhopeinhisheartcouldnotilluminatethewholeworld.AlfredNobelisoptimistic;ifnot,theexplosivesandtheprestigiousNobelPrizewouldnothavecomeintobeing.AndLanceArmstrongisalsooptimistic;ifnot,thedevilofcancerwouldhavedevouredhislifeandtheworldwouldnotseea5-timewinneroftheTourDeFrance.
Arosemaybebeautiful,ormaybenot;thatdependsonyourattitudeonly,andsodoessuccess,sodoeslife.Hindrancesanddifficultiesdoexist,butifyouareoptimistic,thentheyareonlyepisodesonyourlongwaytothethroneofsuccess;theyaremorebridgesthanobstacles!NowIprefertoendmyspeechwiththegreatBritishpoetShelley’slines:“Ifwintercomes,canspringbefarbehind?”Thankyou!
Good afternoon ，ladies and gentlemen!
I’m very honored to stand here and give you a short speech! my topic is Opportunities and Challenges.
First, I would like to know, what does your destiny offer you? Happiness, wisdom, a strong body or something else. If I had asked this question to president Nixon, he would probably had said,”Our destiny offers not the cup of despair, but the chalice of opportunity.”
Needless to say, one of the biggest opportunities given to China is the 20xx Olympic Games. Till now, we have used two sevenths of the preparation time. How much changes have you seen? New roads, new subway lines, public-exercising equipments with beautiful colors, large blocks of grass fields, and also lots of modern gyms which are under construction.
Other than those, there are even more good effects brought to us by the Olympic Games that cannot be seen directly. For example, more and more people will get to know China. I’m sure the mysterious Chinese culture will attract them strongly. And the games will also do good to the economy and environment, for it is gaining the attention of foreign investors and the awareness of environmental protection is being strengthened. What is more, Olympic Games give a unique opportunity to inspire and educate a new generation of Chinese youth with the Olympic values and the Olympic spirit. Now that we have seen so many advances, could you even imagine us losing the holding rights?
I’ve already said a lot about the Olympics and China. But I think everyone should use some time to think of this question, ”Does the Olympic Games have any special meaning to you?”
For us, I mean the Chinese youth, 20xx Olympic Games is a tremendous gift. Because what we are waiting for is to do something significant as repaying the love given to us .The society is just like a ship, and in our dreams the captain is waving his hand and saying ”Hey! Come here and take the helm! ”How charming his voice is, but we have never heard of it in our true life. This morning, however, when we wake up, we will see the Olympic Games waving its hand. After chewing, most of us will have at least one plan about what to do for the Olympic Games. And mine is to be a “comforter” ----that is someone who will give comfort to others.
At the end of my speech, I hope all the preparation will go well, and everyone will show their ability to the world. Let us seize opportunities and give a big smile to challenges.
女士们,先生们,下午好!
我很荣幸站在这里给你一个简短的讲话!我的主题是机遇和挑战。
首先,我想知道,你的命运给你什么?幸福,智慧,一个强壮的身体或者其他东西。如果我有问这个问题尼克松总统,他可能会说,“命运给予我们的不是失望之酒,而是机会之杯。”
不用说,给中国一个最大的机会是20xx年奥运会。直到现在,我们已经使用2/7的准备时间。你看过多少变化?新的道路,新的地铁线路,public-exercising设备用美丽的色彩,大量的草地上,还有很多在建的现代健身房。
以外,有更加好的效果带给我们的奥运会,不能直接看到。例如,越来越多的人了解中国。我相信神秘的中国文化会强烈吸引他们。和奥运会也将做良好的经济和环境,因为这是获得外国投资者的关注和保护环境的意识正在加强。更重要的是,奥运会给一个独特的机会来激励和培养新一代的中国青年奥林匹克精神和奥林匹克精神。现在我们已经见过这么多的进步,你能想象我们失去了持有的权利吗?
我已经说了很多关于奥运会和中国。但我认为每个人都应该用一些时间来思考这个问题,“奥运会有什么特殊的意义吗?”
对我们来说,我的意思是中国青年,20xx年奥运会是一个巨大的礼物。因为我们正在等待做重要的是偿还给我们的爱。社会就像一艘船,我们的梦想队长挥舞着他的手,说:“嘿!来这里掌舵!”他的声音是多么迷人,但我们从未听说过在我们的真实生活。然而今天上午,当我们醒来时,我们将看到奥运会挥舞着它的手。咀嚼后,我们大多数人至少都会有一个计划为奥运会做什么。和我的是一个“被子”——这是会安慰别人的人。
在我演讲的最后,我希望所有的准备工作将顺利,每个人都将向世界展示他们的能力。让我们抓住机遇,给挑战一个大大的微笑。
President pitzer Mr. Vice President, Governor, Congressman Thomas, Senator Wiley, and Congressman Miller, Mr. Webb, Mr. Bell, scientists, distinguished guests, and ladies and gentlemen:
I appreciate your president having made me an honorary visiting professor, and I will assure you that my first lecture will be very brief.
I am delighted to be here and I'm particularly delighted to be here on this occasion.
We meet at a college noted for knowledge, in a city noted for progress, in a state noted for strength, and we stand in need of all three, for we meet in an hour of change and challenge, in a decade of hope and fear, in an age of both knowledge and ignorance. The greater our knowledge increases, the greater our ignorance unfolds.
Despite the striking fact that most of the scientists that the world has ever known are alive and working today, despite the fact that this Nation's own scientific manpower is doubling every 12 years in a rate of growth more than three times that of our population as a whole, despite that, the vast stretches of the unknown and the unanswered and the unfinished still far outstrip our collective comprehension.
No man can fully grasp how far and how fast we have come, but condense, if you will, the 50,000 years of man's recorded history in a time span of but a half-century. Stated in these terms, we know very little about the first 40 years, except at the end of them advanced man had learned to use the skins of animals to cover them. Then about 10 years ago, under this standard, man emerged from his caves to construct other kinds of shelter. Only five years ago man learned to write and use a cart with wheels. Christianity began less than two years ago. The printing press came this year, and then less than two months ago, during this whole 50-year span of human history, the steam engine provided a new source of power. Newton explored the meaning of gravity. Last month electric lights and telephones and automobiles and airplanes became available. Only last week did we develop penicillin and television and nuclear power, and now if America's new spacecraft succeeds in reaching Venus, we will have literally reached the stars before midnight tonight.
This is a breathtaking pace, and such a pace cannot help but create new ills as it dispels old, new ignorance, new problems, new dangers. Surely the opening vistas of space promise high costs and hardships, as well as high reward.
So it is not surprising that some would have us stay where we are a little longer to rest, to wait. But this city of Houston, this state of Texas, this country of the United States was not built by those who waited and rested and wished to look behind them. This country was conquered by those who moved forward--and so will space.
William Bradford, speaking in 1630 of the founding of the Plymouth Bay Colony, said that all great and honorable actions are accompanied with great difficulties, and both must be enterprised and overcome with answerable courage.
If this capsule history of our progress teaches us anything, it is that man, in his quest for knowledge and progress, is determined and cannot be deterred. The exploration of space will go ahead, whether we join in it or not, and it is one of the great adventures of all time, and no nation which expects to be the leader of other nations can expect to stay behind in this race for space.
Those who came before us made certain that this country rode the first waves of the industrial revolution, the first waves of modern invention, and the first wave of nuclear power, and this generation does not intend to founder in the backwash of the coming age of space. We mean to be a part of it--we mean to lead it. For the eyes of the world now look into space, to the moon and to the planets beyond, and we have vowed that we shall not see it governed by a hostile flag of conquest, but by a banner of freedom and peace. We have vowed that we shall not see space filled with weapons of mass destruction, but with instruments of knowledge and understanding.
Yet the vows of this Nation can only be fulfilled if we in this Nation are first, and, therefore, we intend to be first. In short, our leadership in science and industry, our hopes for peace and security, our obligations to ourselves as well as others, all require us to make this effort, to solve these mysteries, to solve them for the good of all men, and to become the world's leading space-faring nation.
We set sail on this new sea because there is new knowledge to be gained, and new rights to be won, and they must be won and used for the progress of all people. For space science, like nuclear science and all technology, has no conscience of its own. Whether it will become a force for good or ill depends on man, and only if the United States occupies a position of pre-eminence can we help decide whether this new ocean will be a sea of peace or a new terrifying theater of war. I do not say that we should or will go unprotected against the hostile misuse of space any more than we go unprotected against the hostile use of land or sea, but I do say that space can be explored and mastered without feeding the fires of war, without repeating the mistakes that man has made in extending his writ around this globe of ours.
There is no strife, no prejudice, no national conflict in outer space as yet. Its hazards are hostile to us all. Its conquest deserves the best of all mankind, and its opportunity for peaceful cooperation many never come again. But why, some say, the moon? Why choose this as our goal? And they may well ask why climb the highest mountain? Why, 35 years ago, fly the Atlantic? Why does Rice play Texas?
We choose to go to the moon. We choose to go to the moon in this decade and do the other things, not because they are easy, but because they are hard, because that goal will serve to organize and measure the best of our energies and skills, because that challenge is one that we are willing to accept, one we are unwilling to postpone, and one which we intend to win, and the others, too.
It is for these reasons that I regard the decision last year to shift our efforts in space from low to high gear as among the most important decisions that will be made during my incumbency in the office of the Presidency.
In the last 24 hours we have seen facilities now being created for the greatest and most complex exploration in man's history. We have felt the ground shake and the air shattered by the testing of a Saturn C-1 booster rocket, many times as powerful as the Atlas which launched John Glenn, generating power equivalent to 10,000 automobiles with their accelerators on the floor. We have seen the site where five F-1 rocket engines, each one as powerful as all eight engines of the Saturn combined, will be clustered together to make the advanced Saturn missile, assembled in a new building to be built at Cape Canaveral as tall as a 48 story structure, as wide as a city block, and as long as two lengths of this field.
Within these last 19 months at least 45 satellites have circled the earth. Some 40 of them were made in the United States of America and they were far more sophisticated and supplied far more knowledge to the people of the world than those of the Soviet Union.
The Mariner spacecraft now on its way to Venus is the most intricate instrument in the history of space science. The accuracy of that shot is comparable to firing a missile from Cape Canaveral and dropping it in this stadium between the 40-yard lines.
Transit satellites are helping our ships at sea to steer a safer course. Tiros satellites have given us unprecedented warnings of hurricanes and storms, and will do the same for forest fires and icebergs.
We have had our failures, but so have others, even if they do not admit them. And they may be less public.
To be sure, we are behind, and will be behind for some time in manned flight. But we do not intend to stay behind, and in this decade, we shall make up and move ahead.
The growth of our science and education will be enriched by new knowledge of our universe and environment, by new techniques of learning and mapping and observation, by new tools and computers for industry, medicine, the home as well as the school. Technical institutions, such as Rice, will reap the harvest of these gains.
And finally, the space effort itself, while still in its infancy, has already created a great number of new companies, and tens of thousands of new jobs. Space and related industries are generating new demands in investment and skilled personnel, and this city and this state, and this region, will share greatly in this growth. What was once the furthest outpost on the old frontier of the West will be the furthest outpost on the new frontier of science and space. Houston, your city of Houston, with its Manned Spacecraft Center, will become the heart of a large scientific and engineering community. During the next 5 years the National Aeronautics and Space Administration expects to double the number of scientists and engineers in this area, to increase its outlays for salaries and expenses to $60 million a year; to invest some $200 million in plant and laboratory facilities; and to direct or contract for new space efforts over $1 billion from this center in this city.
To be sure, all this costs us all a good deal of money. This year's space budget is three times what it was in January 1961, and it is greater than the space budget of the previous eight years combined. That budget now stands at $5,400 million a year--a staggering sum, though somewhat less than we pay for cigarettes and cigars every year. Space expenditures will soon rise some more, from 40 cents per person per week to more than 50 cents a week for every man, woman and child in the United States, for we have given this program a high national priority--even though I realize that this is in some measure an act of faith and vision, for we do not now know what benefits await us. But if I were to say, my fellow citizens, that we shall send to the moon, 240,000 miles away from the control station in Houston, a giant rocket more than 300 feet tall, the length of this football field, made of new metal alloys, some of which have not yet been invented, capable of standing heat and stresses several times more than have ever been experienced, fitted together with a precision better than the finest watch, carrying all the equipment needed for propulsion, guidance, control, communications, food and survival, on an untried mission, to an unknown celestial body, and then return it safely to earth, re-entering the atmosphere at speeds of over 25,000 miles per hour, causing heat about half that of the temperature of the sun--almost as hot as it is here today--and do all this, and do it right, and do it first before this decade is out--then we must be bold.
I'm the one who is doing all the work, so we just want you to stay cool for a minute.
However, I think we're going to do it, and I think that we must pay what needs to be paid. I don't think we ought to waste any money, but I think we ought to do the job. And this will be done in the decade of the Sixties. It may be done while some of you are still here at school at this college and university. It will be done during the terms of office of some of the people who sit here on this platform. But it will be done. And it will be done before the end of this decade.
And I am delighted that this university is playing a part in putting a man on the moon as part of a great national effort of the United States of America.
Many years ago the great British explorer George Mallory, who was to die on Mount Everest, was asked why did he want to climb it. He said, "Because it is there."
Well, space is there, and we're going to climb it, and the moon and the planets are there, and new hopes for knowledge and peace are there. And, therefore, as we set sail we ask God's blessing on the most hazardous and dangerous and greatest adventure on which man has ever embarked.
Thank you.
My friends, comrades, and fellow South Africans: I greet you all in the name of peace, democracy, and freedom for all. I stand here before you not as a prophet but as a humble servant of you, the people. Your tireless and heroic sacrifices have made it possible for me to be here today. I therefore have placed the remaining years of my life in your , I extend my sincere and warmest gratitude to the millions of my compatriots and those in every corner of the globe who have campaigned tirelessly for my release. I extend special greetings to the people of Cape Town the city through which — which has been my home for three decades.
I salute the rank?and?file members of the ANC: You have sacrificed life and limb in the pursuit of the noble cause of our , like Solomon Mahlangu and Ashley Kriel, who have paid the ultimate price for the freedom of all South Africans. I salute the South African Communist Party for its sterling contribution to the struggle for democracy. You have survived 40 years of unrelenting persecution.
The memory of great communists like Moses Kotane, Yusuf Dadoo, Bram Fischer, and Moses Mabhida will be cherished for generations to come. I salute General Secretary Joe Slovo, one of our finest patriots. We are heartened by the fact that the alliance between ourselves and the Party remains as strong as it — it always , the National Education Crisis Committee, the South African Youth Congress, the Transvaal and Natal Indian Congresses, and COSATU and the many other formations of the Mass Democratic Movement. I also salute the Black Sash and the National Union of South African Students.
We note with pride that you have looked — that you have acted as the conscience of white South Africa. Even during the darkest days in the history of our struggle you held the flag of liberty high. The large?scale mass mobilization of the past few years is one of the key factors which led to the opening of the final chapter of our — Your organized strength is the pride of our movement. You remain the most dependable force in the struggle to end exploitation and oppression.
I greet the traditional leaders of our country — many among you continue to walk in the footsteps of great heroes like Hintsa and , you, the young lions. You, the young lions, have energized our entire struggle. I pay tribute to the mothers and wives and sisters of our nation. Without your support our struggle would not have reached this advanced stage. The sacrifice of the frontline states will be remembered by South Africans , black and white, recognize that apartheid has no future. It has to be ended by our own decisive mass action in order to build peace and security.
The mass campaigns of defiance and other actions of our organizations and people can onlyculminate in the establishment of continent is in calculable. The fabric of family life of millions of my people has been shattered. Millions are homeless and unemployed. Our economy — Our economy lies in ruins and our people are embroiled in political strife. Our resort to the armed struggle in 1960 with the formation of the military wing of the ANC, Umkhonto we Sizwe, was a purely defensive action against the violence of apartheid. The factors which necessitated the armed struggle still exist today. We have no option but to continue. We express the hope that a climate conducive to a negotiated settlement will be created soon so that there may no longer be the need for the armed , strategies, and , I feel duty?bound to make the point that a leader of the movement is a person who has been democratically elected at a national conference.
This is a principle which must be upheld without any , I wish to report to you that my talks with the government have been aimed at normalizing the political situation in the country. We have not as yet begun discussing the basic demands of the struggle. I wish to stress that I myself have at no time entered into negotiations about the future of our country except to insist on a meeting between the ANC and the has gone further than any other Nationalist President in taking real steps to normalize the situation. However, there are further steps, as outlined in the Harare Declaration, that have to be met before negotiations on the basic demands of our people can begin.
Negotiations cannot take place — Negotiations cannot take place above the heads or behind the backs of our people. It is our belief that the future of our country can only be determined by a body which is democratically elected on a non?racial basis. Negotiations on the dismantling of apartheid will have to address the overwhelming demands of our people for a democratic, non?racial and unitary South Africa. And this reality is that we are still suffering under the policies of the Nationalist , so that the process towards democracy is rapid and uninterrupted. We have waited too long for our freedom. We can no longer wait.
Now is the time to intensify the struggle on all fronts. To relax our efforts now would be a mistake which generations to come will not be able to role in a united democratic and non?racial South Africa is the only way to peace and racial harmony. In conclusion, I wish to quote my own words during my trial in 1964. They are as true today as they were then. I spoke: I have fought against white domination and I have fought against black domination. I have cherished the ideal of a democratic and free society in which all persons live together in harmony and — and with equal opportunities. It is an ideal which I hope to live for and to achieve. But if needs be, it is an ideal for which I am prepared to die.
keep your direction
what would you do if you failed? many people may choose to give up. however, the surest way to success is to keep your direction and stick to your goal.
on your way to success, you must keep your direction. it is just like a lamp, guiding you in darkness and helping you overcome obstacles on your way. otherwise, you will easily get lost or hesitate to go ahead.
direction means objectives. you can get nowhere without an objective in life.
you can try to write your objective on paper and make some plans to achieve it. in this way, you will know how to arrange your time and to spend your time properly. and you should also have a belief that you are sure to succeed as long as you keep your direction all the time.
We've all been taught that we should help people. It is the right thing to do and will make us popular with others. It may even win us favors in return. However, we must be realistic. We can't say yes to every request. If we did, we would fail or go crazy for sure. Sometimes we simply don't have the time to help. In this case, we must know how to say no politely.
When we need to say no, here is one method we can try. First, we should tell the truth. If we really can't do something, we should just say so. Second, we should remember to refuse requests politely. We must communicate clearly, but must also be sincere and sympathetic. A true friend will understand. Finally, we must not feel guilty about saying no. Sometimes refusing others is the right thing to do. It can save ourselves, and them, a lot of trouble. In short, we cannot please everyone all the time. Refusing favors is a part of life.
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 existsin 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!
Hello, everybody! Thank you. Thank you. Thank you, everybody. All right, everybody go ahead and have a seat. How is everybody doing today? (Applause.) How about Tim Spicer? (Applause.) I am here with students at Wakefield High School in Arlington, Virginia. And we’ve got students tuning in from all across America, from kindergarten through 12th grade. And I am just so glad that all could join us today. And I want to thank Wakefield for being such an outstanding host. Give yourselves a big round of applause. (Applause.)I know that for many of you, today is the first day of school. And for those of you in kindergarten, or starting middle or high school, it’s your first day in a new school, so it’s understandable if you’re a little nervous. I imagine there are some seniors out there who are feeling pretty good right now -- (applause) -- with just one more year to go. And no matter what grade you’re in, some of you are probably wishing it were still summer and you could’ve stayed in bed just a little bit longer this morning.I know that feeling. When I was young, my family lived overseas. I lived in Indonesia for a few years. And my mother, she didn’t have the money to send me where all the American kids went to school, but she thought it was important for me to keep up with an American education. So she decided to teach me extra lessons herself, Monday through Friday. But because she had to go to work, the only time she could do it was at 4:30 in the morning.Now, as you might imagine, I wasn’t too happy about getting up that early. And a lot of times, I’d fall asleep right there at the kitchen table. But whenever I’d complain, my mother would just give me one of those looks and she’d say, “This is no picnic for me either, buster.” (Laughter.)So I know that some of you are still adjusting to being back at school. But I’m here today because I have something important to discuss with you. I’m here because I want to talk with you about your education and what’s expected of all of you in this new school year.But at the end of the day, we can have the most dedicated teachers, the most supportive parents, the best schools in the world -- and none of it will make a difference, none of it will matter unless all of you fulfill your responsibilities, unless you show up to those schools, unless you pay attention to those teachers, unless you listen to your parents and grandparents and other adults and put in the hard work it takes to succeed. That’s what I want to focus on today: the responsibility each of you has for your education.I want to start with the responsibility you have to yourself. Every single one of you has something that you’re good at. Every single one of you has something to offer. And you have a responsibility to yourself to discover what that is. That’s the opportunity an education can provide.