I am an example of what's possible when girls from the very beginning of their lives are loved and nurtured by the people around them. I was surrounded by extraordinary women in my life. Grandmothers, teachers, aunts, cousins, neighbors, who taught me about quiet strength and dignity. And my mother, the most important role model in my life, who lives with us at the White House and helps to care for our two little daughters, Malia and Sasha. She's an active presence in their lives, as well as mine, and is instilling in them the same values that she taught me and my brother: things like compassion, and integrity, and confidence, and perseverance. All of that wrapped up in an unconditional love that only a grandmother can give.

我的例子就表明女孩子能创造奇迹，只要她们从生命最开始的时候，就受到周围人的爱护和教养。 我的生命中围绕着非凡的女性。 祖母，老师，姨妈，表姐妹，邻居，她们教会我沉默的力量和尊严。 还有我母亲，我生命中最重要的榜样， 她和我们住在白宫帮着照顾我们的两个小女儿， 玛丽娅和萨莎。她在孩子们和我的生活中都很活跃， 并正在给她们灌输，她教给我和我哥哥的价值观： 同情心，正直、自信和坚定。 所有这些都包含在无条件的爱之中，那是只有一个祖母才能给予的爱。

I was also fortunate enough to be cherished and encouraged by some strong male role models as well, including my father, my brother, uncles and grandfathers. The men in my life taught me some important things, as well. They taught me about what a respectful relationship should look like between men and women. They taught me about what a strong marriage feels like. That it's built on faith and commitment and an admiration for each other's unique gifts. They taught me about what it means to be a father and to raise a family. And not only to invest in your own home but to reach out and help raise kids in the broader community.

我也很幸运地从一些男性榜样那里得到珍爱和鼓励，包括我父亲，我哥哥，叔伯和祖父。 我生命中的男人们也教会我一些重要的东西。 他们教会我互相尊重的男女关系应该是什么样子的。 拥有一个牢固的婚姻是什么感觉。 就是建立在信念和承诺之上，以及对彼此独特天赋的赞赏。 他们教我意识到什么叫当一个父亲并养育一家人。 而且不只是关注自己的家庭也要伸手去帮助养育更广泛的社区里的孩子。

And these were the same qualities that I looked for in my own husband, Barack Obama. And when we first met, one of the things that I remember is that he took me out on a date. And his date was to go with him to a community meeting. (Laughter) I know, how romantic. (Laughter) But when we met, Barack was a community organizer. He worked, helping people to find jobs and to try to bring resources into struggling neighborhoods. As he talked to the residents in that community center, he talked about two concepts. He talked about "the world as it is" and "the world as it should be." And I talked about this throughout the entire campaign. What he said, that all too often, is that we accept the distance between those two ideas. And sometimes we settle for the world as it is, even when it doesn't reflect our values and aspirations. But Barack reminded us on that day, all of us in that room, that we all know what our world should look like. We know what fairness and justice and opportunity look like. We all know. And he urged the people in that meeting, in that community, to devote themselves to closing the gap between those two ideas, to work together to try to make the world as it is and the world as it should be, one and the same.

这些同样的品质也是我在自己的丈夫身上寻找的， 就是巴拉克•奥巴马。在我们最初相识的时候我记得，他带我出去约会。 他的约会是和他一起去开一个社区会议。 （笑声） 是啊，够浪漫的吧。 （笑声） 我们相识的时候，巴拉克是一个社区组织者。 他的工作是帮助人家找工作。以及努力把资源带给有困难的邻里。 当他同那个社区中心里的居民交谈的时候他谈到两个概念。 他谈到“现实世界”和“理想世界”。 我在竞选的整个过程中也谈到这些。 他说，我们常常 接受了这两种观念之间的差距。 有的时侯我们满足于现实世界， 即使它没有反映我们的价值观和愿望。 但是那天巴拉克提醒了我们， 在那间屋子里的所有人，我们都知道。我们的世界应该是什么样子的。 我们知道公平，正义和机会是什么样子的。 我们全都知道。 他敦促那个会上的人们， 那个社区里的人们， 把他们自己献身于缩小那两种观念之间的差距， 一起努力把现实世界变成和理想世界一样。