名校励志英语演讲 第2期:给大学毕业生的几个忠告

[00:00.16]Another difficulty with giving a Harvard commencement address is that some students may disapprove of the fact that I will borrow material from previous speeches, 在哈佛大学毕业典礼上发表演说，还有一个难处，那就是有些毕业生可能有意见，不喜欢我重复前人演讲中说过的话。 [00:08.17]as well from others. I ask that you forgive me for two reasons. 我请你们谅解我，有两个理由。 [00:12.33]First, in order to be heard, it is important to deliver the same message more than once. 首先，为了能让你们听进去，很重要的方法就是重复传递同样的信息。 [00:18.29]Second, authors who borrow from others are following in the footsteps of the best. 其次，借鉴他人的作者，正走在一条前人开辟的最佳道路上。 [00:23.15]Ralph Waldo Emerson, who graduated from Harvard at the age of 18, noted “All my best thoughts were stolen by the ancients.” 拉尔夫·瓦尔多·爱默生18岁从哈佛大学毕业时曾写过这样的话：“我最好的一些思想曾被古人偷用过。” [00:31.42]Picasso declared “Good artists borrow. Great artists steal.” Why should commencement speakers be held to a higher standard? 画家毕加索宣称：“优秀的艺术家借鉴，伟大的艺术家偷窃。”那么，毕业典礼的演说者为什么就不适用同样的标准呢? [00:44.58]I also want to point out the irony of speaking to graduates of an institution that would have rejected me, had I the chutzpah to apply. 我还要指出一点，向哈佛毕业生发表演说，对我来说是有讽刺意味的，因为如果当年我斗胆向哈佛大学递交入学申请，一定会被拒绝。 [00:53.11]I am married to “Dean Jean,” the former dean of admissions at Stanford. She assures me that she would have rejected me, if given the chance. 我的妻子迪恩·简，曾任斯坦福大学的招生办公室主任，她明确告诉我，如果当年我申请斯坦福大学，她会拒绝我。 [01:01.06]When I showed her a draft of this speech, she objected strongly to my use of the word “rejected.” She never rejected applicants; 我把这篇演讲的草稿给她过目，她强烈反对我使用“拒绝”这个词，她从来不拒绝任何申请者。 [01:10.26]her letters stated that “We are unable to offer an admission.” I have difficulty understanding the difference. 在拒绝信中，她总是写：“我们无法给你提供入学机会。”我不知道这两种说法有何差别。 [01:20.09]After all, deans of admissions of highly selective schools are in reality, “deans of rejection.” Clearly, I have a lot to learn about marketing. 说到底，那些热门学校的招生办公室与其说是“准许他人入学的主任”，还不如说是“拒绝他人入学的主任”。很显然，我需要好好学学怎么来推销自己。

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