美國首席大法官的最佳畢業(yè)演講：我祝你不幸并且痛苦
作者：丹尼爾
來源：丹尼爾先生（MRDANIEL777）
在未成年時(shí)，總想早點(diǎn)拿到身份證。在未畢業(yè)時(shí)，總想早點(diǎn)拿到畢業(yè)證。然而拿到了之后，或許能逃離暫時(shí)的苦惱，卻不知還要迎接更大的挑戰(zhàn)和困難。人生就像一場(chǎng)游戲，需要不停地闖關(guān)。除了需要耐力，更需要智慧。
每逢學(xué)校畢業(yè)季，相信同學(xué)們都會(huì)被各種名人的畢業(yè)演講激勵(lì)到熱血沸騰。今天特別推薦美國首席大法官的畢業(yè)演講，和別的演講嘉賓不同，他直面人性的弱點(diǎn)發(fā)表了一次最佳畢業(yè)演講：「I Wish You Bad Luck.」
連《華盛頓郵報(bào)》評(píng)論都說：「羅伯茨大法官本年度最好的作品，不是某個(gè)案子的判決書，而是在兒子畢業(yè)典禮上的致辭?！?/span>
先來看看這位美國最高法院首席大法官約翰 ? 羅伯茨，是何許人也？
兩度榮登《時(shí)代周刊》封面
約翰 ? 羅伯茨（John G. Roberts Jr）， 1955年生于紐約州水牛城，在印第安納州長大。父親是一家鐵廠的小職員，家中共有4個(gè)孩子，童年時(shí)家境拮據(jù)。1971年羅伯茨考入哈佛大學(xué)，曾擔(dān)任《哈佛法律評(píng)論》的執(zhí)行總編。1976年，羅伯茨以第一名的成績從哈佛法學(xué)院畢業(yè)。1979年，羅伯茨獲得哈佛法學(xué)院法學(xué)博士學(xué)位。
羅伯茨曾多年在白宮、司法系統(tǒng)工作。在里根政府中，羅伯茨擔(dān)任總統(tǒng)助理顧問職務(wù)，同時(shí)兼司法部長特別助理。羅伯茨持強(qiáng)硬的保守立場(chǎng)，認(rèn)為同性婚姻的合法不是美國憲法的進(jìn)步。他最突出的政治觀點(diǎn)，體現(xiàn)為反對(duì)墮胎。
2005年9月，由布什總統(tǒng)提名，參議院批準(zhǔn)通過，羅伯茨就任美國聯(lián)邦最高法院第17任首席大法官。當(dāng)時(shí)他僅有50歲，羅伯茨也是自1801年起兩個(gè)世紀(jì)以來，美國最年輕的首席大法官。
羅伯茨與妻子簡(jiǎn)妮，膝下育有一子一女。雖然都是他們領(lǐng)養(yǎng)的，但如同親生骨肉。上圖是當(dāng)年布什總統(tǒng)宣布提名首席大法官時(shí)，羅伯茨時(shí)年4歲的小兒子杰克突然 “砸場(chǎng)子”，面對(duì)各大電視現(xiàn)場(chǎng)直播的關(guān)鍵時(shí)刻，顯得尷尬又有趣，好在妻子簡(jiǎn)妮把小兒子拉了回來。
如今，12年過去了，這位昔日的調(diào)皮少年即將從 Cardigan Mountain School 畢業(yè)。6月3日，學(xué)校的畢業(yè)典禮請(qǐng)來了杰克他老爸，首席大法官羅伯茨致辭。畢業(yè)典禮的一席致辭，總是蘊(yùn)藏著許多前輩們的人生智慧，和發(fā)自肺腑的諄諄教導(dǎo)。每一次精彩的致辭，猶如畢業(yè)前的最后一堂課，常常能夠發(fā)人深省。
作為美國最高法院最年輕的首席大法官，羅伯茨到底有怎樣的經(jīng)驗(yàn)和歷練，造就了他如此沁人心脾，毫無造作的演講呢？本期特別翻墻找到他的演講視頻，并翻譯了演講全文（水平有限，請(qǐng)多海涵）。愿你們?cè)陟o靜的聆聽，和深深的思考中有所收獲。
美國首席大法官 John Roberts
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I Wish You Bad Luck
Rain, somebody said, is like confetti from heaven. So even the heavens are celebrating this morning, joining the rest of us at this wonderful commencement ceremony. Before we go any further, graduates, you have an important task to perform because behind you are your parents and guardians. Two or three or four years ago, they drove into Cardigan, dropped you off, helped you get settled and then turned around and drove back out the gates. It was an extraordinary sacrifice for them. They drove down the trail of tears back to an emptier and lonelier house. They did that because the decision about your education, they knew, was about you. It was not about them. That sacrifice and others they made have brought you to this point. But this morning is not just about you. It is also about them, so I hope you will stand up and turn around and give them a great round of applause. Please.
人們說，雨就像天上來的五彩紙屑。今天早上，天堂的天使們也正在我們這個(gè)精彩的畢業(yè)慶典中。同學(xué)們，在我們進(jìn)一步演講之前，有一個(gè)重要的任務(wù)需要完成，在你的身后是你們的父母和監(jiān)護(hù)人。兩年、三年、或四年之前，他們送你們來 Cardigan 學(xué)校，幫助你安頓下來，然后轉(zhuǎn)身又默默離開了大門。對(duì)家人而言，意味著莫大的犧牲。他們或許沿著淚的痕跡，回到空洞和孤獨(dú)的房子。這樣做是因?yàn)?，他們知道你的教育，最終是關(guān)乎你的。并不是關(guān)乎他們的。為了幫你實(shí)現(xiàn)這一點(diǎn)，他們?cè)敢庾龀鰻奚?，以及其他任何的幫助。然而今天早上不只是關(guān)于你，也關(guān)于他們，所以我希望你能站起來，轉(zhuǎn)過身來，并請(qǐng)給他們一個(gè)熱烈的掌聲。
Now when somebody asks me how the remarks at Cardigan went, I will be able to say they were interrupted by applause. Congratulations, class of 2017. You’ve reached an important milestone. An important stage of your life is behind you. I’m sorry to be the one to tell you it is the easiest stage of your life, but it is in the books. While you’ve been at Cardigan, you have all been a part of an important international community as well. And I think that needs to be particularly recognized.
當(dāng)有人問我對(duì) Cardigan 學(xué)校的評(píng)價(jià)如何時(shí)，我可以說他們會(huì)被掌聲打斷（大家自覺地笑了，并鼓掌）。祝賀你們，2017屆的畢業(yè)生。這是你們?nèi)松囊粋€(gè)重要里程碑。人生重要的階段，其實(shí)還在你們身后。我很抱歉地告訴你，書本其實(shí)是你生命中最容易的階段（大家會(huì)心一笑）。當(dāng)你們?cè)?Cardigan 的時(shí)候，同時(shí)也是國際社會(huì)的重要組成部分。我認(rèn)為這需要特別認(rèn)知。
「Roberts gave brief remarks in other languages.」
（羅伯茨用其他語言，發(fā)表了簡(jiǎn)短的講話。）
Now around the country today at colleges, high schools, middle schools, commencement speakers are standing before impatient graduates. And they are almost always saying the same things. They will say that today is a commencement exercise. ‘It is a beginning, not an end. You should look forward.’ And I think that is true enough, however, I think if you’re going to look forward to figure out where you’re going, it’s good to know where you’ve been and to look back as well. And I think if you look back to your first afternoon here at Cardigan, perhaps you will recall that you were lonely. Perhaps you will recall that you were a little scared, a little anxious. And now look at you. You are surrounded by friends that you call brothers, and you are confident in facing the next step in your education.
現(xiàn)在全國各地，在大學(xué)/高中/中學(xué)，畢業(yè)典禮的嘉賓們站在不耐煩的畢業(yè)生面前，幾乎總是說同樣的話。 他們會(huì)說，「今天的畢業(yè)只是一個(gè)開始，而不是結(jié)束。你們應(yīng)該向前看?！?我認(rèn)為這也足夠真實(shí)，但是，如果你想弄清楚往哪里去，最好回頭看看在哪一步了，然后決定哪里才是你要去的。回想一下當(dāng)你來到 Cardigan 的第一個(gè)下午，也許你曾感到孤獨(dú)。或許你還會(huì)記得，曾有過一點(diǎn)害怕和焦慮?，F(xiàn)在看看你自己，身邊有很多稱兄道弟的朋友，你也有了信心面對(duì)下一階段的教育。
It is worth trying to think why that is so. And when you do, I think you may appreciate that it was because of the support of your classmates in the classroom, on the athletic field and in the dorms. And as far as the confidence goes, I think you will appreciate that it is not because you succeeded at everything you did, but because with the help of your friends, you were not afraid to fail. And if you did fail, you got up and tried again. And if you failed again, you got up and tried again. And if you failed again, it might be time to think about doing something else. But it was not just success, but not being afraid to fail that brought you to this point.
值得去思考為什么會(huì)這樣？當(dāng)你這樣做的時(shí)候，我想你可能會(huì)理解，這是因?yàn)橥瑢W(xué)們?cè)诮淌依?、運(yùn)動(dòng)場(chǎng)上、和宿舍里給予的支持。就信心而言，我想你會(huì)明白，并不是因?yàn)槟阕龅拿考露汲晒α?，而是因?yàn)樵谂笥训膸椭?，你便不再害怕失敗?/strong>如果你失敗了，你站起來再試一次。如果你又失敗了，你站起來再試一次。如果你再次又失敗了，也許是時(shí)候考慮做別的事情了（大家砰然大笑）。你們之所以走到今天，不僅是因?yàn)槟銈兊某晒Γ且驗(yàn)槟銈儾缓ε率 ?/strong>
Now the commencement speakers will typically also wish you good luck and extend good wishes to you. I will not do that, and I’ll tell you why. From time to time in the years to come, I hope you will be treated unfairly, so that you will come to know the value of justice. I hope that you will suffer betrayal because that will teach you the importance of loyalty. Sorry to say, but I hope you will be lonely from time to time so that you don’t take friends for granted.
通常，畢業(yè)典禮的演講嘉賓都會(huì)向你們表示祝賀，并向你們致以真摯的祝愿。我不會(huì)這么做，讓我來告訴你為什么。在未來的歲月里，我希望你會(huì)遭遇不公正的對(duì)待，這樣你才會(huì)明白正義的價(jià)值。我希望你會(huì)遭受背叛，那樣你才會(huì)懂得忠誠的重要。很抱歉我這么說。我還希望你會(huì)時(shí)常有孤獨(dú)感，如此你才不會(huì)把良朋益友視為理所當(dāng)然的。
I wish you bad luck, again, from time to time so that you will be conscious of the role of chance in life and understand that your success is not completely deserved and that the failure of others is not completely deserved either. And when you lose, as you will from time to time, I hope every now and then, your opponent will gloat over your failure. It is a way for you to understand the importance of sportsmanship. I hope you’ll be ignored so you know the importance of listening to others, and I hope you will have just enough pain to learn compassion. Whether I wish these things or not, they’re going to happen. And whether you benefit from them or not will depend upon your ability to see the message in your misfortunes.
我再次地祝愿你不幸，這樣你才會(huì)意識(shí)到機(jī)遇在人生中的角色，并能明白你們的成功并非命中注定，別人的失敗也非天經(jīng)地義。當(dāng)你偶爾遭遇失敗時(shí)，希望你的對(duì)手會(huì)因?yàn)槟愕氖《覟?zāi)樂禍，如此你才能意識(shí)到有風(fēng)度的競(jìng)爭(zhēng)精神的重要性。希望你會(huì)被別人忽視，這樣你才能意識(shí)到傾聽別人的重要性，同時(shí)希望你有足夠的同情心去學(xué)習(xí)同情。不論我愿不愿意，這些遲早都會(huì)發(fā)生。而你是否從中受益，取決于你能否參透人生苦難所帶來的價(jià)值。
Now commencement speakers are also expected to give some advice. They give grand advice, and they give some useful tips. The most common grand advice they give is for you to be yourself. It is an odd piece of advice to give people dressed identically, but you should — you should be yourself. But you should understand what that means. Unless you are perfect, it does not mean don’t make any changes. In a certain sense, you should not be yourself. You should try to become something better. People say ‘be yourself’ because they want you to resist the impulse to conform to what others want you to be. But you can’t be yourself if you don't learn who are, and you can’t learn who you are unless you think about it.
如今，畢業(yè)典禮嘉賓們也會(huì)提出一些建議。有些建議很宏大，有些建議很實(shí)用。他們給你最普遍的忠告，就是「做你自己」。給你們都是一樣的建議，是一個(gè)很奇怪的建議（全場(chǎng)大笑）。除了你必須做你自己外，更需要知道其中的真意。從某種意義上說，你不應(yīng)該是你自己，而是你應(yīng)該努力成為更好的自己。除非你是完美的，否則不需要做出任何改變。人們常說「做你自己」，是因?yàn)樗麄兿Ｍ愕种瓢此艘庠鸽S波逐流的沖動(dòng)。如果你都不知道自己想成為什么樣的人，你是不可能「做你自己」的。如果不好好思考，你也不可能知道自己想成為什么樣的人。
The Greek philosopher Socrates said, ‘The unexamined life is not worth living.’ And while ‘just do it’ might be a good motto for some things, it’s not a good motto when it’s trying to figure out how to live your life that is before you. And one important clue to living a good life is to not to try to live the good life. The best way to lose the values that are central to who you are is frankly not to think about them at all.
希臘哲學(xué)家蘇格拉底曾說，「未經(jīng)審視的人生是沒有意義的」。對(duì)某些事而言，「Just do it」，或許是一個(gè)不錯(cuò)的座右銘，但在你還未想明白要過怎樣的人生之前，這個(gè)座右銘其實(shí)并不怎么樣。擁有美好人生的一個(gè)最好的路徑，就是不要試圖過輕松的人生。如果你們不思考，就會(huì)丟掉對(duì)自己至關(guān)重要的價(jià)值觀。
So that’s the deep advice. Now some tips as you get ready to go to your new school. Other the last couple of years, I have gotten to know many of you young men pretty well, and I know you are good guys. But you are also privileged young men. And if you weren’t privileged when you came here, you are privileged now because you have been here. My advice is: Don’t act like it.
這便是深刻的建議?，F(xiàn)在給一些你們準(zhǔn)備去新學(xué)校的建議。在過去的幾年里，我很了解你們其中的年輕人，我知道你們都做得非常棒。你們是非常幸運(yùn)的年輕人。如果你們來這里時(shí)還沒有特權(quán)，現(xiàn)在已擁有了某種特權(quán)。正是因?yàn)閬淼搅诉@里，便擁有了某種特權(quán)。我的忠告是：請(qǐng)不要表現(xiàn)出有特權(quán)的樣子。
When you get to your new school, walk up and introduce yourself to the person who is raking the leaves, shoveling the snow or emptying the trash. Learn their name and call them by their name during your time at the school. Another piece of advice: When you pass by people you don’t recognize on the walks, smile, look them in the eye and say hello. The worst thing that will happen is that you will become known as the young man who smiles and says hello, and that is not a bad thing to start with.
當(dāng)你來到新學(xué)校時(shí)，請(qǐng)走上前向那個(gè)正在掃樹葉、鏟雪或倒垃圾的人介紹自己。學(xué)習(xí)他們的名字，在學(xué)校的時(shí)候叫他們的名字。另一條忠告：當(dāng)你走過那些你不認(rèn)識(shí)的人的時(shí)候，微笑著看著他們的眼睛，向他們問好。最糟糕的情況無外乎，你會(huì)成為一個(gè)微笑著向別人打招呼的年輕人（全場(chǎng)微笑），這并不是一件壞事。
You’ve been at a school with just boys. Most of you will be going to a school with girls. I have no advice for you.
目前你們?cè)谝凰行?，很多人未來將?huì)去一間有女生的學(xué)校。在此，我無法給你們建議（全場(chǎng)爆笑，并熱烈鼓掌）。
The last bit of advice I’ll give you is very simple, but I think it could make a big difference in your life. Once a week, you should write a note to someone. Not an email. A note on a piece of paper. It will take you exactly 10 minutes. Talk to an adult, let them tell you what a stamp is. You can put the stamp on the envelope. Again, 10 minutes, once a week. I will help you, right now.
我給你們的最后一點(diǎn)建議很簡(jiǎn)單，但我認(rèn)為它會(huì)給你的生活帶來很大的改變。一周一次，你應(yīng)該給某人寫封信。不是電子郵件。一張寫在紙上的便條。你只需要10分鐘。學(xué)會(huì)跟大人說話，讓他們告訴你郵票是什么。你可以把郵票貼在信封上。10分鐘，每周一次。
I will dictate to you the first note you should write. It will say, ‘Dear「fill in the name of a teacher at Cardigan Mountain School」.’ Say: ‘I have started at this new school. We are reading 「blank」 in English. Football or soccer practice is hard, but I’m enjoying it. Thank you for teaching me.’ Put it in an envelope, put a stamp on it and send it. It will mean a great deal to people who — for reasons most of us cannot contemplate — have dedicated themselves to teaching middle school boys. As I said, that will take you exactly 10 minutes a week. By the end of the school year, you will have sent notes to 40 people. Forty people will feel a little more special because you did, and they will think you are very special because of what you did. No one else is going to carry that dividend during your time at school.
我現(xiàn)在就教你，應(yīng)該寫的第一張便條。譬如：“親愛的「填上學(xué)校老師的名字」：“從這所新學(xué)校開始。我們正在用英語閱讀「空白處填寫」。足球和足球訓(xùn)練都很難，但我很享受。謝謝您教我?！?把它放在信封里，貼上郵票寄出去。這些對(duì)于為了獻(xiàn)身中學(xué)教育的人來說意義重大（爆笑）。就像我說的，你每周只需要10分鐘。到學(xué)年結(jié)束的時(shí)候，你會(huì)給40個(gè)人寄信條。40個(gè)人會(huì)因?yàn)槟阕龅搅?，覺得你很特別。在你上學(xué)的時(shí)候，沒有人會(huì)帶著這種紅利。
Enough advice. I would like to end by reading some important lyrics. I cited the Greek philosopher Socrates earlier. These lyrics are from the great American philosopher, Bob Dylan. They’re almost 50 years old. He wrote them for his son, Jesse, who he was missing while he was on tour. It lists the hopes that a parent might have for a son and for a daughter. They’re also good goals for a son and a daughter. The wishes are beautiful, they’re timeless. They’re universal. They’re good and true, except for one: It is the wish that gives the song its title and its refrain. That wish is a parent’s lament. It’s not a good wish.
最后，我想用一段歌詞來結(jié)束今天的致辭。之前，我引用了希臘哲學(xué)家蘇格拉底的名言。下面，則來自偉大的美國音樂哲人鮑勃 ? 迪倫的歌詞。這些歌詞，都快超過50年的歷史了。在當(dāng)年巡演期間，他為失蹤的兒子杰西寫了這些信，歌詞呈現(xiàn)了父母對(duì)子女的深切期盼。這些期盼是美好，是永恒的，也是普世的。
So these are the lyrics from Forever Young by Bob Dylan:
這就是鮑勃 ? 迪倫的《永遠(yuǎn)年輕》
May God bless you and keep you always
May your wishes all come true
May you always do for others
And let others do for you
May you build a ladder to the stars
And climb on every rung And may you stay forever young
May you grow up to be righteous
May you grow up to be true
May you always know the truth
And see the lights surrounding you
May you always be courageous
Stand upright and be strong
And may you stay forever young
May your hands always be busy
May your feet always be swift
May you have a strong foundation When the winds of changes shift
May your heart always be joyful
May your song always be sung And may you stay forever young
愿上帝祝福你，并常與你同在 愿你美夢(mèng)成真
愿你善待他人，并與他們相互扶持
愿你建立仰望群星的天梯，并穩(wěn)行高處
愿你永遠(yuǎn)年輕
愿你成為正直之人
愿你擁抱真理
愿你永遠(yuǎn)認(rèn)識(shí)真理，真光永遠(yuǎn)照耀你
愿你勇敢無懼，堅(jiān)強(qiáng)又可靠
愿你永遠(yuǎn)年輕
愿你雙手永遠(yuǎn)忙碌，愿你腳步永遠(yuǎn)輕盈
愿你根基穩(wěn)固，在暴風(fēng)雨來臨之際
愿你心中永遠(yuǎn)快樂
愿你歌聲永遠(yuǎn)嘹亮
愿你永遠(yuǎn)年輕
