每年6月的第三个星期是父亲节，作为子女，应该反省过去的一年是否做到孝敬、关心父母；而作为父亲，也要审视自己是否尽了做父亲的职责。下面是美国现任总统奥巴马在2008年父亲节的精彩演讲节选，他强调了家庭的重要价值以及父亲家庭中所扮演的重要角色。不仅是父亲，家庭中的每一位成员都会感同身受并把自己的角色做得更好。
Of all the rocks upon witch we build our lives, we are reminded today that family is the most imortant. And we are called to recognize and honor how critical every father is to that foundation. They are teachers and coaches. They are mentors role models. They are examples of success and the men who constantly push us towared it.
今天我们要记起来的是，在我们缔造生活所依赖的基石中，家庭是最重要的。我们必须认识并且认识和赞颂每一位父亲在这个基石中所起的关键作用。父亲既是老师又是教练；既是导师又是模范。既是成功的榜样，又是不断推动我们走向成功的人。
I say this knowing that I have been an imperfect father—knowing that I have made mistakes and will contiue to make more; wishing that I could be home for my girls and my wife more than I am right now . I say this knowing all of these things because even as we are imperfect ,even as we face diffcult circumstance ,there are still certain lessons we must strive to live and learn as fathers —whether we are black or white , poor or rich.
我讲这些话时，心里明白我并非一个尽善尽美的父亲——我知道我犯过错误，并且还可能会犯更多错误；我希望我能比现在有更多的时间在家里陪伴我的女儿和太太。我心里明白这一切，应为纵然我们缺点多多，纵然我们面对重重困难，但有某些教训是我们身为人父者应该尽可能去体会与学习的——不管我们是黑人还是白人，富人还是穷人。
The first is setting an example of excellence for our children —because if we want to set high expectations for them , we've got to set hight expectations for ourselfs. It's great if you have a job; It's even better if you have a college degree; It's a wonderful thing if you are married and living in a home with your children ,but don't just sit in the house and watch "sports center" all weekend long ; That's why so many children are growing up in front of television. As fathers and parents , we've got to spend more time with them, and help them with their homework , and replace video game or remote control with a book in a while. That's how we build that foundation.
第一个教训是，给我们的子女树立一个卓越的榜样——因为如果我们对他们寄予厚望，那么我们自己也应该抱有同样高的期望。你有一份工作是件好事，有个大学文凭会更好。结了婚而又能跟孩子住在一起是再好不过了，但不要只是整个周末泡在家里看看“体育直播间”节目。许多孩子就是因为有这样的父亲而只能傍着电视机长大。作为父亲，作为家长，我们应该在他们身上花更多的时间，帮助他们完成作业，时不时地让他们抛开手中的游戏机或电视遥控器而捧上一本书。这就是我们要为建立那个基础所应该做的事情。
The second thing we need to do as fathers is pass along the value of empathy to our children. Not sympathy , but empathy — the ability to stand in somebody else's shoes; To look at the world through their eyes. Sometimes it's so easy to get caught up in "us", that we forget about our obligations to one another.
第二个教训是，身为人父，我们应该传递给我们的子女一种同理心的人生价值观。不是同情怜悯，而是同理心——能设身处地的为别人着想，将心比心；能透过别人的眼睛观察这个世界。有时候我们是如此轻易的执着于“我们”，而忘了我们彼此之间所应负担的责任。
And the final lesson we must learn as father is also the greatest gift we can pass on to our children ---- and that is the gift of hope.
我们身为人父应总结的最后一个教训，也是我们可以传给子女的最为贵重的礼物，就是希望
I am not talking about an idle hope that's little more than blind optimism or willful ignorance of the problems we face . I'm talking about hope as the spirit inside us that insists, despite all evidence to the contray, that something better is waiting for us if we're willing to work for it and fight for it . If we are willing to believe.
我将的希望不是空谈的希望，不是那种盲目的乐观主义或对我们面对的问题不加考虑。我讲的希望是那种寄托于我们内心的精神；坚信在逆境中只要愿意为之努力奋斗，情况就会变得好起来。只要我们怀有这种信念。