美国高校精彩毕业演讲（双语）

(2011-07-05 08:10:35)

毕业季已经过了，但毕业带给我们的冲击和思考却没有结束。毕业演讲（commencement address）一直是美国各大高校毕业季的重头戏。各个大学，尤其是常春藤联盟大学（Ivy League）都会邀请重量级嘉宾给毕业生们上“最后一课”。让我们一起来欣赏近年来闪烁着智慧光芒的毕业演讲片段吧。

 

2010年亚马逊CEO Jeff Bezos 在普林斯顿大学的演讲

 

Cleverness is a gift, kindness is a choice. Gifts are easy -- they're given after all. Choices can be hard. You can seduce yourself with your gifts if you're not careful, and if you do, it'll probably be to the detriment of your choices.

聪明是一种天赋，而善良是一种选择。天赋得来很容易——毕竟它们与生俱来。而选择则颇为不易。如果一不小心，你可能被天赋所诱惑，这可能会损害到你做出的选择。

I didn't think I'd regret trying and failing. And I suspected I would always be haunted by a decision to not try at all.

我认为自己不会为尝试过后的失败而遗憾，倒是有所决定但完全不付诸行动会一直煎熬着我。

Will inertia be your guide, or will you follow your passions?

Will you follow dogma, or will you be original?

Will you choose a life of ease, or a life of service and adventure?

Will you wilt under criticism, or will you follow your convictions?

Will you bluff it out when you're wrong, or will you apologize?

Will you guard your heart against rejection, or will you act when you fall in love?

Will you play it safe, or will you be a little bit swashbuckling?

When it's tough, will you give up, or will you be relentless?

Will you be a cynic, or will you be a builder?

Will you be clever at the expense of others, or will you be kind?

你们是被惯性所引导，还是追随自己内心的热情?

你们会墨守陈规，还是勇于创新?

你们会选择安逸的生活，还是选择一个奉献与冒险的人生?

你们会屈从于批评，还是会坚守信念?

你们会掩饰错误，还是会坦诚道歉?

你们会因害怕拒绝而掩饰内心，还是会在面对爱情时勇往直前?

你们想要波澜不惊，还是想要搏击风浪?

你们会在严峻的现实之下选择放弃，还是会义无反顾地前行?

你们要做愤世嫉俗者，还是踏实的建设者?

你们要不计一切代价地展示聪明，还是选择善良?

 

2008年 知名媒体人 Oprah Winfrey 在斯坦福大学的演讲

 

 I think about one of the greatest compliments I've ever received: I interviewed with a reporter when I was first starting out in Chicago. And then many years later, I saw the same reporter. And she said to me, “You know what, you really haven’t changed. You’ve just become more of yourself. ”

我记得我受到的最大的赞扬来自我刚在芝加哥开始工作时采访的一个记者。很多年以后我们又见面了。她对我说：“你知道吗？你真的一点也没变。你反而更加自我了。”

And that is really what we're all trying to do, become more of ourselves.  And I believe that there's a lesson in almost everything that you do and every experience, and getting the lesson is how you move forward. It's how you enrich your spirit.  And, trust me, I know that inner wisdom is more precious than wealth.  The more you spend it, the more you gain.

这就是我们一直努力在做的，去做我们自己。我相信你们能从每一件做过的事上学到经验，这些经验会助你们进步。这样你们丰富了心灵。相信我，内在的智慧比外在的财富更加珍贵。你使用它越多，得到的就越多。

 

2011 著名脱口秀主持人 Conan O’Brien 在达特茅斯学院的演讲

But the point is this : It is our failure to become our perceived ideal that ultimately defines us and makes us unique. It's not easy, but if you accept your misfortune and handle it right, your perceived failure can become a catalyst for profound re-invention.

不过，重点是：正是既定想法的失败最终定义了我们，并使我们与众不同。这样做并不简单，但如果你接受你的不幸并且正确地处理好它，失败才会促成你伟大的转型。

So, at the age of 47, after 25 years of obsessively pursuing my dream, that dream changed. For decades, in show business, the ultimate goal of every comedian was to host The Tonight Show. It was the Holy Grail, and like many people I thought that achieving that goal would define me as successful. But that is not true. No specific job or career goal defines me, and it should not define you. In 2000—in 2000—I told graduates to not be afraid to fail, and I still believe that. But today I tell you that whether you fear it or not, disappointment will come. The beauty is that through disappointment you can gain clarity, and with clarity comes conviction and true originality.

所以，当我47岁时，经过了25年对梦想的追逐，那个梦改变了。多少年来，在娱乐圈内，主持“今夜秀”都是喜剧演员的最终目标。它就像圣盘。和许多人一样，我认为达到这个目标就能被视作成功。但这是错的。没有一个具体的工作或职业目标能定义我，这些东西也不能定义你们。在2000年，我告诉毕业生们不要害怕失败——这一点我依然相信。但今天我要告诉你们，不管你们是否害怕，失望总是会降临。但可贵之处是通过失望你能透析自己，通过这些透析，你将获得真正的信念和独创力。

 

外研社官方博客：http://blog.sina.com.cn/fltrp19