ALL+互動英語(雜誌版) 4月號/2019 第173期

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Becoming Michelle Obama

成為這樣的蜜雪兒．歐巴馬

－Helen Yeh

4/4

She’s known by most as the wife of former US President Barack Obama, but there’s much more to Michelle Obama than the position of first lady. 

Born in 1964, Michelle was raised in Chicago’s South Side in a house so small that she and her brother had to sleep in the living room. Encouraged by her parents to excel in school, she graduated cum laude from Princeton University and later earned a degree from Harvard Law School. 

After Harvard, she began working at a Chicago law firm, where she met Barack Obama. The pair married in 1992, and Michelle continued on a successful career path in the public and nonprofit sectors, earning more than her husband for much of their marriage.

As FLOTUS, Michelle put motherhood first, styling herself “mom in chief.” But that didn’t stop her from tackling important issues. She discussed the importance of fighting for equality—a fight that allowed her, a black woman, to wake up each morning in the White House, “a house built by slaves.” She also said her daughters now take for granted that women can become president, thanks to trailblazing female politicians. Michelle’s ability to address political affairs by relating them to life experiences made her a first lady unlike any other.

大多數的人都知道她是美國前總統巴拉克．歐巴馬的妻子，但對蜜雪兒．歐巴馬來說，她不只是第一夫人而已。

蜜雪兒出生於一九六四年，在芝加哥南區一間小到她和哥哥必須睡在客廳的房子裡長大。她受到父母的鼓勵在校表現優異，以優等成績畢業於普林斯頓大學，之後取得哈佛法學院的學位。

自哈佛大學畢業後，她開始在一間芝加哥的律師事務所上班，並在那裡結識巴拉克．歐巴馬。兩人於一九九二年結婚，蜜雪兒繼續在公共部門以及非營利領域擁有成功的事業，婚後大部分時間的收入都比丈夫還高。

身為美國第一夫人，蜜雪兒把母職擺第一，稱自己為「總司令媽媽」。但這無阻她處理重要議題。她討論爭取平等的重要性，這份爭取讓她一名黑人女性能夠每天早晨在白宮（一個黑奴所建的屋子）醒來。她也說過現在她的女兒們認為女性能當總統是理所當然的事，這多虧了帶頭開路的女性政治人物。蜜雪兒藉由連結生活經驗來處理政治事務的能力使她有別於其他的第一夫人。

 

4/5

Since leaving the White House in 2017, Michelle Obama has continued to make public appearances to support women’s causes. She has called for more attention to young girls’ education and the inclusion of women in tech companies and politics. Addressing sexual harassment, she urged people to teach girls to speak up from an early age because “it takes practice to have a voice.” 

The process of developing a voice is something that Michelle describes in her memoir, Becoming. The book talks about her growing up in a mainly black, working-class neighborhood and adjusting to a world of wealth and privilege when she entered Princeton. It also reveals the challenges she faced in trying to conceive her daughters, Malia and Sasha, and how she wanted them to have a normal childhood despite growing up in the White House. The book doesn’t exclude some of the difficulties she and Barack faced in their marriage, either. According to Michelle, the couple had to go to marriage counseling in order to learn how to talk out their differences.

The grace and candor with which she appears before the public eye, along with her outstanding personal achievements, proves she’s not just a former first lady. Michelle Obama is a true inspiration in her own right.

自從二○一七年離開白宮後，蜜雪兒．歐巴馬持續公開出席支持女性公益事業。她呼籲更加關注年輕女性的教育以及女性在科技公司和政治上的參與。處理性騷擾議題時，她敦促人們要教女孩從小開始勇於表態，因為「表達意見是需要練習的」。

養成表達意見的過程就是蜜雪兒在傳記《成為這樣的我：蜜雪兒．歐巴馬》中描述的內容。這本書談論她在一個主要是黑人勞工階級的社區成長的故事，以及她進入普林斯頓大學就讀時如何適應財富和特權的世界。書裡也透露她在試圖懷孕生下兩個女兒瑪莉亞與莎夏時所面臨的挑戰，以及她如何希望她們即使在白宮長大，仍能擁有正常的童年。這本書也沒有避談一些她與歐巴馬在婚姻中遭遇的困難。據蜜雪兒所說，他們夫妻必須去找婚姻諮商，以學習如何透過對話解決彼此的歧異。

她在公眾面前所展現的優雅與坦率，連同她傑出的個人成就，證明了她不只是前第一夫人。蜜雪兒．歐巴馬的確靠自己的努力鼓舞了大家。

Literature  文學花園

The Garden Party

〈花園派對〉

 

News Report  看新聞學英語

Counterfeit Medicine Kills Thousands, Puts Millions at Risk 

假藥猖獗造成嚴重問題

 

People  人物側寫

Becoming Michelle Obama

你不知道的蜜雪兒．歐巴馬

 

Dialogue Focus  情境對話

On a Baseball Field

圖解棒球場

Take Me Out to the Ball Game

揮棒練習曲

 

Travel  繞著地球玩

Palau: Paradise on Earth

島嶼天堂：帛琉

 

Social Media  社群媒體

How Instagram Is Changing Our Lives

IG如何改變我們的生活

 

CNN News

The Perfect Résumé

如何寫出完美履歷

 

Foods  美食饗宴

A Brief History of Pasta

義大利麵食的起源與歷史

 

Writing  寫作練習

Translation Practice

翻譯寫作

 

Health  身心健康

The Benefits of Doing Yoga

做瑜珈的好處

 

Animals  可愛動物

The Wonderful World of Marsupials

有袋動物的奇妙世界

 

Plus Talk  會話百分百

Checking In at the Hotel

入住飯店的常見問題

1. Arriving Too Early  太早抵達

2. Arriving Too Late  太晚抵達

3. Adding Another Guest  臨時增加房客

4. Asking about the Hotel Facilities and Services  

詢問飯店設施和服務

 

Life  生活習慣

Is the Way You Live Killing You?

養成好習慣健康跟著來

 

Topic Writing  主題式寫作

How to Write an Argumentative Essay?

如何撰寫議論文