Obama to visit Bangkok | Bangkok Post: learning

President Obama's visit

President Obama will be visiting Bangkok late next week. Let’s get our English-language preparations started with an emotional speech the president gave on November 7 to his campaign volunteers. Includes video and transcript.

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Here’s a great way to begin our preparation for President Obama’s visit to Bangkok. Watch, listen to and read this informal and very emotional speech by the president to his young campaign volunteers on November 7. Yes, you will see some tears in the President’s eyes.

Obama to visit Bangkok

US Ambassador to Thailand Kristie Kenney has confirmed that newly re-elected president Barack Obama will visit Southeast Asia. The president will visit Myanmar, Thailand and Cambodia between November 17 – 20. This will be another great opportunity for you to follow a major news event in English. During the Bangkok part of the trip, you will undoubtedly have a chance to see and hear the president speak on local television, so let’s get our preparation started with a video that is gaining world-wide attention today.

It is a video that was made the day after the election in which a very emotional president (yes, you will see some tears) speaks to the young campaign volunteers who played such an important role in his victory.

This is an informal, “off-the cuff” speech, which is much different than the formal speeches he gives. When you read the text, you will see it is not hard to understand, but listening to it may give you some problems at first. When the president speaks informally, some of his sentences seem to go on and on and on. “And” is his favourite word.
I suggest you watch and listen to the video at least once before you read the text.

Transcript

Ladies and Gentlemen, the re-elected president of the United States.

So, you guys…you know, I try to picture myself when I was your age when I first moved to Chicago at the age of 25 and I had this vague inkling about making a difference. I didn’t really know how to do it. I didn’t have a structure and there wasn’t a presidential campaign at the time that I could attach myself too – Ronald Reagan had just been re-elected and was incredibly popular and….so I came to Chicago knowing that somehow I wanted to make sure that my life attached itself to helping kids get a greater ?? or helping people living in poverty to get decent jobs and be able to work and have dignity, to make sure that people didn’t have to go to the emergency room for health care.

And, I ended up being a community organiser out on the southside of Chicago, it was something the local churches were willing to hire me and I didn’t know at all what I was doing. And the work that I did in those communities changed me much more than I changed the communities because it taught me the hopes and aspirations of and the grit and resilience of ordinary people. And it taught me that under the surface differences we all have common hopes and common dreams and it taught me something that…how I handled disappointment and what it meant to work hard on a common endeavour and I grew, I became a man during that process.

And so I come here and I look at all of you, what comes to mind, it’s not that you guys actually remind me of myself, it’s the fact that you are so much better than I was… in so many ways. You’re smarter, you’re better organised and you’re more effective and, so I’m absolutely confident that all of you are going to amazing things in your lives. And, the – what Bobby Kennedy called the “ripples of hope” that come out when you throw a stone in a lake, that’s going to be you. I’m just looking around the room and I’m thinking where will you guys end up – in whatever states and whatever capacities, whether you’re in the private sector, in the not-for-profit or if some of you decide to go into public service, you’re just going to do great things.

And that’s why, even before last night’s results, I felt the work that I had done in running for office had come full circle because what you guys have done means that the work that I’m doing is important. And I’m really proud of that. I’m really proud of all of you.

And what you describe…what you guys accomplished will go on in the annals of history and people will read about it and will marvel about it, but the most important thing you need to know is that your journey is just beginning. You’re just starting. And whatever good we do in the next four years will pale in comparison to what you guys end up accomplishing for years and years to come. And that’s been my source of hope. That’s why in the last four years when people ask me about how do you put up with this or that and the frustrations of Washington, I just think about you. I think about what you guys are going to do. And that’s the source of my hope. That’s the source of my strength and my inspiration. And I know that you guys won’t disappoint me because I’ve already seen who you guys are and you guys are all remarkable people and you’ve lifted me up each and every step of the way. Thank you guys.

vague – not complete, accurate or fully formed อย่างไม่ชัดเจน
inkling – a slight knowledge of something that is happening or about to happen ความเฉลียว,ข้อสงสัย
structure – a way in which the parts of something are connected together, arranged or organised โครงสร้าง
attach – to fasten or join one thing to another ทำให้ติดกัน, ต่อ, ยึดติด
incredibly – in a way that is difficult to believe อย่างไม่น่าเชื่อ
popular – a situation in which someone or something is liked by many people เป็นที่นิยม, เป็นที่ชื่นชอบ
poverty – the condition of being extremely poor ความจน
decent – of a good enough standard or quality  เหมาะสม
dignity – respect that other people have for you or that you have for yourself ศักดิ์ศรี
emergency – an unexpected situation involving danger in which immediate action is necessary เหตุฉุกเฉิน
emergency room – a room or section of a hospital where emergency cases are accepted
community – the people living in one particular area ชุมชน
local – in or related to the area that you live, or to the particular area that you are talking about  ท้องถิ่น
hire – to pay someone to work for you time จ้าง
aspiration – something that you want to achieve, or the wish to achieve something ความปรารถนา,ความอยาก
grit – the courage and determination that makes it possible for somebody to continue doing something difficult or unpleasant ความอดทน, ความทรหด, ความกล้า
resilience – the ability of people or things to feel better quickly after something unpleasant, such as shock, injury, etc ความสามารถในการกลับสู่สภาพเดิม
ordinary – not unusual or different in any way ธรรมดา, ปกติ
surface – the outside or top layer of something, in this case, without really knowing what’s inside  ผิวหน้า, ผิวภายนอก, ด้านนอก
common – done or shared by two or more people ที่เป็นของส่วนรวม, ที่ร่วมกัน
handle – to be able deal with a situation ควบคุมได้, จัดการได้
disappointment – the feeling of being unhappy because something that you hoped for or expected did not happen or because someone or something was not as good as you expected ความผิดหวัง
endeavour – trying  very hard to do something ความพยายาม บากบั่น
remind – to make someone think of something they have forgotten or might have forgotten เตือนความจำ
effective – producing the result that was intended ได้ผลดี
absolutely – completely โดยสิ้นเชิง, อย่างแน่นอน, อย่างแท้จริง
confident – certain; having trust in people, plans, or the future มั่นใจ
amazing – very surprising, especially in a way that makes you feel pleasure or admiration น่าสนเท่ห์, น่าพิศวง, ซึ่งทำให้ประหลาดใจ
ripple – a small wave on the surface of a liquid that moves outward, especially water in a lake, etc คลื่นเล็กๆ
capacity – a particular position or job ฐานะ
private sector – businesses and industries that are not owned or controlled by the government ภาคเอกชน
profit – money that you make from selling goods and services after all your costs have been paid กำไร
public service – something that is done to help people rather than to make a profit, often working in a government job การบริหารประชาชน,กิจการของข้าราชกา, ภาครัฐบาล
come full circle – to return to the situation in which you started, after a series of events or experiences กลับไปยังสถานการณ์ที่เริ่มต้น
proud – feeling pleased and satisfied about something that you own or have done, or are connected with ภูมิใจ
accomplish – to achieve something ทำได้สำเร็จ
annals – an official record of events or activities year by year; historical records ข้อความที่บันทึกไว้, ประวัติการณ์
marvel – to show or feel surprise or admiration ประหลาดใจมาก, ตกตะลึงกับ
pale in comparison – to be far less important, successful, impressive, etc. than something else
source – the place something comes from or starts at, or the cause of something แหล่งกำเนิด
put up with – to accept something/somebody that is annoying, unpleasant, etc. without complaining สู้ทน
frustration – an annoyed or discouraged feeling because you cannot do or have what you want ความผิดหวัง,  ความไม่พอใจ
inspiration – someone or something that gives you new ideas or enthusiasm to do something แรงบันดาลใจ
remarkable – unusual or special and therefore surprising and worth mentioning ไม่ธรรมดา

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