Google总裁埃里克·施密特(Eric Schmidt)20xx波士顿大学毕业典礼上的英语演讲:对生活说YES,施密特在演讲中说他是生活崇拜者。此次演讲非常成功,赢得了全场起立长时间的鼓掌。
Find a way to say “yes” to things学会对生活说YES英语演讲稿中英双语对照:
It’s great to be here on campus. It’s an honor to have been invited. It’s an honor to look out on the next generation of BU Terriers. I’ll give you a quote:
我很高兴来到贵校,很荣幸获得贵校邀请,很荣幸看到波士顿大学的又一届毕业生走向社会。我想送你们一句名言:
“I am a true adorer of life, and if I can’t reach as high as the face of it, I plant my kiss somewhere lower down. Those who understand will require no further explanation.”
“我是生活的真正崇拜者。如果我无法够到它的脸,我会将我的吻贴到我够得到的任何地方。明白我的人,将不需要我进一步解释。”
Well, graduates … allow me to explain.
好吧,同学们,让我解释一下。
You used to have a professor here–a decent writer by the name of Saul Bellow. That comes from his novel Henderson the Rain King.
你们这里曾经有一位教授,一位作风正派的作家,笔名为索尔-贝娄(Saul Bellow)。这个笔名来自于他的小说《雨王亨德森》(Henderson the Rain King)。
I stand before you today as someone who considers himself an adorer of life. I know what it’s like to plant a kiss on a life lived fully… And I can tell you from experience that, once you understand that, Professor Bellow’s right: that no further explanation is necessary.
今天站在你们面前的我也自认是一个崇尚生活的人。我知道拥抱一个完整的人生是怎样的体验。我能以我的经验告诉你,一旦你懂得生活,你就会知道贝娄教授的话是对的,真得无需解释。去尽情拥抱你的人生吧。
It’s one quote from countless beautiful lines he wrote over his career. But I feel it best sums up an approach that contains the power to transform an ordinary life into one filled with grace and love and dignity.
这句话摘自他一生创作的无数优美的诗句。但是,我认为这句话包含了一种生活态度,这种态度足以将一种平淡的生活转变为充满优雅、爱和尊严的人生。
And it also best sums up what a fantastic university like BU has infiltrated in every student who sets foot on this beautiful campus.
而且,它还包含了像波士顿大学这样优秀的学府给每个踏进这个美丽校园的学生灌输的思想。
Scientists, engineers, writers, artists, business pioneers … governors … Olympic gold medalists … Oscar winners … cabinet secretaries … They all walked across this stage and left to make their mark on the culture, on society, on the world.
科学家、工程师、作家、艺术家、企业先锋、政府官员、奥林匹克运动会金牌得主、奥斯卡奖得主、内阁大臣……他们都走过了这个舞台,并在我们的文化、社会和全世界留下了他们自己的印记。
And, my God, Martin Luther King is Doctor King because of the PhD he received here.
而且,还有马丁-路德-金(Martin Luther King),因为在这里接受博士学位而成为了金博士。
And, now … you follow. You right here, sitting there now, baking in the sun, thinking about the Celtics game tomorrow, possibly nursing a hangover – there’s one down here I’ve been following – you’re saying, wow–that’s a lot of pressure. What can I do?
现在,你们走来了。你们就在这儿,坐在这儿,晒着太阳,想着明天凯尔特人球队的比赛,也许还未从昨日的宿醉中完全清醒过来——我一直在关注你们中的一位。你们大叫一声,哇,很有压力吧——那么,我能做什么呢?
Where can I plant my kiss?
我能将我的吻贴在生活的何处呢?
Well, that’s your question to answer. I can’t do it for you. But, here’s what I know. I know one thing for certain: No graduating class gets to choose the world they graduate into–just like you don’t get to choose your parents and siblings!
嗯,这是你们需要自己来回答的问题。我无法代劳。但是,我要说说我知道的东西。我知道有一件事情是确定的:没有任何一届毕业班能够选择他们即将走入的社会,就像你们无法选择你们的父母和兄弟姐妹一样!
Every class has its own unique challenges. Every class enters a history that, up to that point, is being written for it.
每一届毕业班都面临着各自独特的挑战。每一届毕业班都会走进一段历史,从这个意义上来说,历史正在形成之中。
This is no different.
你们这一届也一样。
What is different, though, is the chance that each generation has to take that history and make it larger — or, in my business, to program it better.
不同之处在于每一届毕业生接受和创造这段历史的情形并不相同。就我个人而言,就是编写出更好的程序。
And, on that score, your generation’s opportunities are greater than any generation’s in modern history.
而且,在这一点上,你们这届毕业生将拥有比现代历任何一届毕业生更伟大的机会。
You can write the code for all of us.
你们能够为我们所有人编写程序。
You’re connecting to each other in ways those who came before you could never dream of.
你们现在相互联系的方式是你们前辈人做梦都想不到的。
And you’re using those connections to strengthen the invisible ties that hold humanity together, and to deepen our understanding of the world around us.
你们使用的这些联系方式加强了人们之间的看不见的纽带。这种纽带让我们更加团结,让我们更深刻地理解了我们周围的世界。
You are emblems of the sense of possibility that will define this new age.
你们代表了各种可能性,你们将会定义这个新的时代。
In the past, it’s always older generations, standing up on high, trying to teach the next generation the ways of the world—trying to make sure they follow in their footsteps.
在过去,总是老一辈人高瞻远瞩地教导下一代人这个世界的道理,并试图让下一代追随他们的脚步。
Well, graduates, I think it’s different today.
嗨,毕业生们,我想现在已大不同于从前了。
You’re, quite simply, teaching us.
你们正在教导我们。
This generation–your generation–is the first fully connected generation the world has ever known.
你们这一代人是这个世界上首次实现全面联系的人。
What’s the first thing you do when you get up? Right? Check your phone? Your laptop? Read some email, comb through your social networks?
你们在成长过程中有过哪些第一次呢?第一次用手机?第一次玩笔记本电脑?第一次读电子邮件?第一次梳理你的社交网络?
I’m awake, here I am. You are connected, you’re online …
我很清楚,我在上面演讲,而你们在下面相互联系,你们在上网……
Some of you are probably texting your friends right now. Tweeting this speech. Changing your status. Smile, you’re on camera.
你们中的一些人现在很可能正在给朋友发短信,在Twitter上发布这次演讲的消息,更新你们的状态,摆着微笑的表情给自己拍照。
There’s this joke about the college kid getting mugged, who says, “Hold on—let me update my status, letting my friends know I’m getting mugged, then you can have my phone.” That didn’t happen, but it’s also telling — a stark depiction of just how essential technology has become to your generation’s identity and your ability to connect with the world.
这里有一则笑话,说的是一个大学生遇到了抢劫,结果这个大学生说,“等一等,让我先更新一下我的状态,让我的朋友知道我正在被抢劫,然后你才可以抢走我的手机。”这种事情在现实生活中是不可能发生的,但是它也揭示了一些深刻的道理:它赤裸裸地描绘了技术对于你们这一代人的身份以及联系世界的能力有多么重要。
Identity and connection—concepts as old as humanity itself—make up so much of what we are, who we are now. They shape our times, define the human condition.
身份和联系——与人类自身一样古老的概念——揭示了我们是谁,我们能做什么。他们构成了我们的时代,定义了人的条件。
Identity and connection–it is your task to take those timeworn concepts, spin them around, reinvigorate them, make them fresh and new and exciting.
身份和联系——你们的任务就是接受这些陈旧的概念,玩转它们,复苏它们,给它们注入新鲜的、激动人心的内容。
Boston University has built the platform from which you can do that.
波士顿大学已为你们搭建好了完成这种任务的平台。
I know it’s daunting. It’s not a great economy to be walking off this stage into. I know all this.
我知道离开这个平台会让你们感到害怕,你们即将踏入的社会的经济形势也不乐观,我知道这一切。
But you have an advantage–a competitive edge–you have an innate mastery of technology, an ability to build and foster connections that no generation before you ever possessed. It’s a very, very special skill …
但是,你们拥有自己的优势——竞争的优势——你们精通技术,能够建立和培养你们之前的任何一代人都无法拥有的社会联系。这是一种非常非常特殊的技能……
People bemoan a generation who grew up living life in front of screens, always connected to something or someone.
人们总是抱怨你们这一代人从小在电脑屏幕前长大,总是联系着某些人或事。
Those people are wrong.
他们的看法是错误的。
The fact that we are all connected now is a blessing, not a curse, and we can solve many problems in the world as a result
我们现在能够建立全面的联系,这是一种福音,而不是诅咒。正因如此,我们能够解决世界上的很多问题。
Not only is it an advantage you have; it’s a responsibility you carry.
这不仅是你拥有的优势,而且是你负有的责任。
Today, there are 54 wars and conflicts going on. It’s terrible.
今天,有54场战争和冲突正在上演。这是可怕的。
1.5 billion people live on less than $1 a day, and hundreds of millions of children will go to bed hungry tonight. It’s terrible.
全世界约有15亿人每天的生活费用不到1美元,数亿儿童今天晚上将会饿着肚子上床睡觉。这是可怕的。
Nearly half the world’s people don’t live under democratic governments – the rights we all enjoy are a rarity, they’re not a norm
全世界将近一半的人口并没有生活在民主政府的管理之下——我们所有人均享有的这些权利,对于他们来说是一种稀罕物,是他们日常生活中难以企及的东西。
And when it comes to the Internet, we think ‘everyone’ is online – and all of us are online now. But only 1 billion people have smartphones, and only 2 billion have access to the web today. For most of the world, Internet cafes are far-off digital oases in technological deserts. They don’t have access.
说到互联网,我们认为“人人”都在网上。我们在场的所有人现在确实是在网上。但是现在,全球仅有10亿人拥有智能手机,仅有20亿人能够访问网络。对于全世界大多数人来说,网吧是数字沙漠中遥不可及的数字绿洲。他们无法上网。
But in this century, there is a chance for change on the horizon. The spread of mobile phones and new forms of connectivity offers us the prospect of connecting everybody.
但是,在本世纪,我们有机会改变这种现状。手机的普及和新型上网方式的出现,给我们展现出了一个联系每一个人的美好前景。
When that happens, connectivity can revolutionize every aspect of society – politically, socially, economically. To connect the world is to free the world, I say.
当这一切发生时,上网就能够彻底变革我们社会的方方面面:政治、社会和经济。我要说,联系世界就是解放世界。
If we get this right, then we can fix all the world’s most pressing problems …to beam bright rays of hope to millions who can see only a flicker.
如果我们处理得当,我们就能够解决全世界最紧迫的问题,让希望的强光照亮数百万只能看见微光的人。
You have that power, right there, in your pockets right now.
你们就拥有这种权力。这种权力现在就在那里,在你们自己的口袋里。
Now, here’s the deal: Yes, it’s true, we have all this knowledge literally at our fingertips. But, just because we know much more than we used to doesn’t mean our problems just go away.
现在,有一点值得注意:诚然,我们的指尖上确实拥有所有这些知识。但是,我们面临的问题,并不会因为我们的知识比以前更丰富,而自动灰飞烟灭。
The future doesn’t just happen. It’s not etched or written or coded anywhere. There’s no algorithm or formula that says something will do X or Y to occur.
未来并不会自己发生,它并不是已经刻好了、写好了或编好了,就等待着你去发现。没有任何运算法则或公式说,某些事只要经过X或Y就能够发生。
Technology doesn’t work on its own. It’s just a tool. You are the ones who harness its power.
技术并不会自己发挥作用。它只是一种工具。你们就是驾驭它的人。
And that requires innovation and entrepreneurship.
而这就需要创新,需要企业家精神。
Innovation is disruptive; one thing I’ll tell you: you know you are innovating when people are worried about you! Graduates, please make people worry – not your parents.
创新就是一种破坏。我告诉你一件事情:当人们为你感到忧心忡忡的时候,你就知道自己正在创新!毕业生们,请让人们感到担心吧——但不要让你们的父母这样。
Entrepreneurship is the lifeblood of a new economy, and a more prosperous society–the engine that keeps communities growing. Two-thirds of the new jobs created are in small businesses, and you all should try now to create a small business.. or be part of one… and, of course, I would recommend you use all the products Google has to offer to set it up.
企业家精神是新的经济体和繁荣社会的血液,它是促进社区发展的不竭动力。人们所创造的三分之二的新工作均来自于小企业,你们都现在应该尝试着去创办一家小企业或者成为小企业的一份子。当然,我会推荐你使用谷歌的产品来创办你们的企业。
You all have a chance to make an original contribution. Don’t just be a shepherd following somebody else’s vision and ideas–new models, new forms, new thinking — that’s what we need from you.
你们都有机会做出自己的原创性的贡献。不要只做一个追随别人愿景和思想的牧羊人。新的模式、新的形式,新的思维,这就是我们需要你贡献的东西。
You don’t need to become an aid worker or a teacher (though, I obviously applaud those who do). You don’t need to be an engineer (though, I’m pretty sure I’d support that, too). Everyone–all of you–can make their mark by creating new standards of brilliance and innovation.
你们不一定非要成为救援人员或教师(尽管对于这样做的人我也非常欢迎),你们不一定非要成为工程师(尽管我相信我也会支持这样做的人)。每一个人,包括你们所有的人,都能通过自己的创新和才华留下自己的印记。
And, those standards can spread — can scale – they can scale in ways once unimaginable. The collective intelligence of our society, our version of the Borg, is really quite different.
而且,这些新的标准是能够发展壮大的,甚至会大到超出我们的想象。我们社会的集体智慧,我们对于博格人(注:人类的进化者)的想象是迥然不同的。
Think of this as a new society, with shared norms and values, that crosses continents and unites all of us. The empowerment of each of us empowers all of us; and the distinctive feature of your new world is that you can be unique while being completely connected – never been possible before — a true fulfillment of the American Dream.
我们可以将它想象为一个新的社会,拥有共同的标准和价值,这种标准和价值跨越了各大洲,将我们所有人团结在了一起。我们每个人的授权赋予了我们所有人权力;这个新世界的不同之处在于,你能够保持独立,同时与外界保持全面联系。这在以前是不可能的事情,这就是美国梦的真正实现。
You see, computers can do amazing things. Those things in your pockets–they contain power inside them that your proud parents, your grandparents in the audience never could have possibly imagined.
你知道,电脑能够处理各种惊人的任务。这样的电脑就在你的口袋中。它们所包含的巨大力量,甚至连听众中为你们感到骄傲的父母以及祖父母,也可能从未曾想到过。
These computers, they have speed. They have memory. They have intricately complicated wiring and unfathomably complex circuitry.
这些电脑,拥有惊人的速度,拥有超强的记忆。它们还拥有异常复杂的程序,以及难以理解的复杂电路。
But here’s one thing they don’t have. What they don’t have — is heart.
但是,有一样东西是它们没有的,那就是关爱的心。
All of these connections you forge–the digital ties that bind our humanity together–that’s not possible without technology. But it’s also not possible without you, without a heart.
没有科学技术,你不可能建立所有这些联系——所有这些将整个人类联系到一起的数字化纽带。但是没有你们,没有一颗关爱的心,这些联系也同样不可能建立。
You have the heart. And the future will not beat without you.
你们拥有关爱的心。没有你们,未来的世界将不会有生机。
Now, don’t get me wrong: I believe fully in the power of technology to change the world for the better. And I believe even more fully in the ability of your generation to use that power to great effect–to rule technology. But you can’t let technology rule you.
但是,请不要误会我的意思:我完全相信技术的作用力能够使世界变得更加美好,而且我更相信你们这一代人能够运用技术来为人类造福——是你们控制技术,而不是让技术控制你们。
Remember to take at least one hour a day and turn that thing off. Do the math, 1/24th. Go dark. Shut it down. Learn where the OFF button is.
记住,每天抽出至少一个小时,关闭电源。算一算吧,这才是1/24啊。体会黑暗,关掉电脑,了解关闭按钮在哪里。
Take your eyes off the screen, and look into the eyes of the that person you love.
将你的眼睛从屏幕上挪开,与你所爱的人深情凝望吧。
Have a conversation–a real conversation–with the friends who make you think, with the family who makes you laugh.
和你的朋友们进行倾心交谈,是他们让你懂得了思考;和你的家人进行感情交流,是他们带给你微笑。
Don’t just push a button saying I “Like” something. Actually tell them. What a concept!
不要简单地点击按钮说我“赞”,而要亲口告诉他们,这是多好的概念!
Engage with the world around you … feel … and taste … and smell … and hug what’s there, right in front of you–not what’s a click away.
融入你周围的环境,用心去“摸”、“尝”、“嗅”和拥抱你眼前的一切,而不是整日点动鼠标。
Life is not lived in the glow of a monitor. Life is not a series of status updates. Life is not about your friend count–it’s about the friends you can count on.
生活不是整日对着电脑显示器,也不是不停地查看朋友的状态更新。生活中最重要的不是你的朋友的数量,而是你可以依赖的朋友。
Life is about who you love, how you live, it’s about who you travel through the world with. Your family, your collaborators, your friends. Life is a social experience first, and the best aspects of that experience are not lonely ones–they are spent in the company of others.
生活就是你爱谁,你如何过日子,你同谁一起周游世界。你的家人,合作伙伴,还是你的朋友。生活首先是一种社交体验,其中的部分不是那些孤独的日子,而是那段同其他人在一起的时光。
Our modern landscape has changed, yes–but our humanity will always remain, and that, above all else, is what makes us who we are.
没错,我们的现代人文景观已经发生了变化。但是,我们人性的东西仍然保持不变,而且最重要的是,是它造就了我们。
And who YOU are is a proud, talented group of BU Terriers.
而且也造就了你们这群有才华有傲骨的波士顿大学毕业生。
Here you have all come to know extraordinary people. Look around – a few years ago you started off on the road with these people, knowing them as boys and girls, wandering around campus, dazed and overwhelmed.
在这里,你们逐渐结识了一群杰出的人。回顾一下吧——就在数年前,你同这些人刚刚踏上征程,你只知道他们就是一群清纯的少男少女,游荡在校园之中,茫然而又不知所措。
Now you are all extraordinary men and women, in total control of your destinies, ready to make your mark not on history–but on the future.
现在,你们都成了出色的男人和女人,能够完全掌控自己的命运,时刻准备着要在未来留下自己的印记,而不是青史留名。
And the friendships you forged when the times were good, when the times were bad – and when you realized you just overslept your lecture and needed someone’s notes to catch up with – those are the friendships that will matter for life.
当你得意或失意的时候,当你意识到自己睡过课,需要借助别人的课堂笔记来赶上进度的时候,你建立的友谊就是你一生中弥足珍贵的友谊。
The people you have met here will be some of the strongest friends and closest allies you will ever meet in your lives. It’s been that way for me.
你在这里遇到的人当中,有些将会成为你生活中最铁的哥们和最亲密的盟友。对我而言,生活一直是如此。
When you leave here, don’t leave them behind. Don’t leave you behind. Stay close and stay strong. Take them with you wherever you go, and, together, connected, go and change the world.
当你离开这里时,不要忘记他们,也不要让自己被他们遗忘了。保持亲密的关系,保持牢固的关系。不管你去哪儿,带上他们,一起去改变世界吧。
[PAUSE]
At times it may have seemed like the road ahead was an impossible slog, incredible. But today, I have the distinct honor of telling you: you have made it.
有时候,前方的道路似乎需要漫长而艰苦的跋涉,似乎是一个不可能完成的任务。但是在今天,我格外荣幸地告诉你:你们已经成功做到了。
Now that you’re here, I want you do to another thing: Find a way to say “Yes” to things.
既然你们已经走到了这里,我希望你们再做一件事:学会对各种事情说“Yes”。
Say yes to invitations to a new country, say yes to meet new friends, say yes to learning a new language, picking up a new sport .
同意接受访问一个国家的邀请,答应与新的朋友的见面,愿意学习一门新的语言,学会一项新的体育运动。
Yes is how you get your first job, and your next job.
Yes是你得到第一份工作的方法,也是你得到下一份工作的方法。
Yes is how you find your spouse, and even your kids.
Yes是你找到你的配偶,甚至你的孩子的方法。
Even if is a bit edgy, a bit out of your comfort zone, saying yes means that you will do something new, meet someone new, and make a difference in your life–and likely in others’ lives as well.
就算有一些紧张,就算有点超出你的舒适区,说“Yes”意味着你将会做出新的行动,结识新的朋友,改变你的生活——很可能也会改变别人的生活。
Yes lets you stand out in a crowd, to be the optimist, to stay positive, to be the one everyone comes to for help, for advice, or just for fun. Yes is what keeps us all young.
Yes会让你从人群中脱颖而出,成为乐观者,保持积极的人生态度,成为人人都来寻求帮助、征求建议或找乐子的对象。Yes让我们所有人都永葆青春。
Yes is a tiny word that can do big things.
Yes是一个很小的字,但是它能够做很大的事。
Say it often.
要把它经常挂在嘴边。
There’s a second thing I want you to do: Do not be afraid to fail. And DO NOT be afraid to succeed.
我对你们还有一个要求:不要害怕失败,也不要害怕成功。
There’s an old Italian phrase I like, it’s used to describe especially daring circus performers–they do the salto mortale. It means they do a somersault, on a tightrope, without a net.
意大利有一句俗语我非常喜欢,是用来描述胆的马戏演员的。这句话是:他们在玩命。它的意思是说,他们在绷紧的绳索上翻筋斗,而下面却没有设置安。
Graduates, do to do this. Be brave. Work without a net. I promise you, you will land on your feet.
毕业生们,就要这样做。要勇敢。要玩命地工作。我向你保证,你将会站稳自己的脚跟。
For those who say you’re thinking too big … be smart enough not to listen.
对于那些说你异想天开的人,做一个聪明的人,别听他们的话。
For those who say the odds are too small … be dumb enough to give it a shot.
对于那些说成功机会渺茫的人,做一个糊涂的人,勇敢地尝试一下。
And for those who ask, how can you do that ?… look them in the eyes and say, I will figure it out.
对于那些质疑你如何做到的人,看着他们的眼睛,自信地说我将会做到。
Above all else, be an “adorer of life.” No further explanation necessary.
总之,做一个“生活的崇拜者”吧,因为任何解释都是多余的。
[PAUSE]
I, to be very clear, am happy to have you join us as adults, and the quicker we can have you lead, the better. Time to throw out all us aging baby boomers and replace us with those best-equipped to lead us into a new age, march us all to a better day.
显而易见,我很高兴有你们加入成人的行列。你们能够越快地领导我们,我们就越高兴。时间将抛弃我们这些逐渐老去的婴儿潮时期出生的一代人,将让你们这些知识能力兼备的人引领我们走向新时代,引领我们走向更美好的生活。
The power and possibility — the intellectual energy and human electricity — seated in this stadium directly in front of me, and in stadiums and auditoriums like this around the country, your generation will break a new day.
权力和各种可能性,就在我面前观众席上坐着的你们身上。在全美国像这样的舞台上,你们这一代人将会开启全新的一天。
Your vast knowledge will seed a new era.
你们拥有的海量知识将会孕育出一个全新的时代。
Your new ideas will shape a new reality.
你们的新思想将塑造出一个全新的世界。
Your agile minds will inspire a new dawn.
你们敏捷的思维将迎接新的黎明。
You will give our future a heartbeat.
你们将给我们的未来注入活力。
And that beat will be stronger than ever, because of you.
因为有你们,这种活力将更胜从前。
From my perspective looking at this class, you all have the potential to reach higher than any class — than any generation –that came before you. You can reach as high as the face of life itself.
在我看来,你们均有潜力达到比你们之前的任何一届毕业生——或任何一代人——更高的高度。你们能够吻到生活的脸。
Thank you, and congratulations to you all.
感谢你们,并祝贺你们。