TheAmericanDreamisanationalethosoftheUnitedStatesofAmericainwhichdemocraticidealsareperceivedasapromiseofprosperityforitspeople.IntheAmericanDream,firstexpressedbyJamesTruslowAdamsin1931,citizensofeveryrankfeelthattheycanachievea"better,richer,andhappierlife."TheideaoftheAmericanDreamreisrootedinthesecondsentenceoftheDeclarationofIndependencewhichstatesthat"allmenarecreatedequal"andthattheyare"endowedbytheirCreatorwithcertaininalienableRights"including"Life,LibertyandthepursuitofHappiness."

　　The"AmericanDream"hasbeencreditedwithhelpingtobuildacohesiveAmericanexperiencebuthasalsobeenblamedforoverinflatedexpectations.ThepresenceoftheAmericanDreamhasnothistoricallyhelpedthemajorityofminorityraceandlowerclassAmericancitizenstogainagreaterdegreeofsocialequalityandinfluence.[5]Instead,theAmericanwealthstructurehasoftenbeenobservedtosustainclassdifferencesinwhichwell-positionedgroupscontinuetobeadvantaged.

　　Incommonparlance,thetermAmericanDreamisoftenusedasasynonymforhomeownershipsincehomeshavehistoricallybeenseenasstatussymbolsseparatingthemiddleclassesandthepoor.Thisusage,though,whilecommon,isgenerallyconsideredaveryspecificuseofamoregeneralterm.

　　以上说的慢点,三分钟应该差不多,如果不够再补充一些：

　　Sincetheearly19thcentury,theUnitedStateshasregardedandpromoteditselfasabeaconoflibertyandprosperityachievedthroughacombinationofthephilosophicalandethicalprinciplespropoundedbyitsfoundersandimplementedintheirmostperfectform.IntandemwiththisisitsnaturalwealthandbountywithintheNewWorld.

　　Themeaningofthe'AmericanDream'hasevolvedoverthecourseofAmericanhistory.WhilehistoricallytracedtotheNewWorldmystique—theavailabilityoflandandthecontinuingAmericanexpansion—theethostodaysimplyindicatestheability,throughparticipationintheresonantsocietyandcultureoftheUnitedStates,tobringprosperitytooneself.

　　Accordingtothedream,thisincludestheopportunityforone'schildrentogrowupandreceiveanAmericaneducationanditsconsequentcareeropportunities.Itistheopportunitytomakeindividualchoiceswithouttherestrictionsofclass,caste,religion,race,orethnicgroup.

　　AccordingtoresearcherTommiUschanov,"americandream"actuallycharacterizesbetterEuropeansocietiesinwhichpeoplewhoborntolowersocialclassesare-accordingtostatisticaldata-morelikelytoreachuppersocialclassesduringtheirlivesthanintheUnitedStates.

　　美国梦还分现代过去?不就是美国人一直都崇尚的self-made（自我缔造）吗