约翰—霍普金斯大学校长２００６毕业典礼致词 (中文和英文)
让我们来欣赏一下国外的大学校长的毕业致词，没有太多的高歌赞美，没有太多的空洞语言，有的仅仅是一个学者一个朋友对即将进入社会的毕业生的教导和引路。这就是一个好的校长！回想当年俺的毕业典礼，是一个高歌的，空洞的，毫无疑义的教导。
Good morning.
To our honorary degree recipients and our new members of the Society of Scholars, to our Trustees and alumni, faculty and staff, to our parents, family members and friends, but most of all, to our brand new graduates, I bring greetings on behalf of all of The Johns Hopkins University.
What a wonderful day for a celebration. Today, our new graduates are like the bubbles in champagne. And it falls to me, as commencement speaker, to be the cork.
On the occasion of graduating from an august and serious institution like The Johns Hopkins University, it seems fitting you should receive some august and serious advice. But then I pause to remember a young schoolboy's history report I saw not long ago. He was assigned to write about the world's first great advice-giving academic, and so he wrote the following:
"Socrates was a famous Greek teacher who went around giving people advice. They killed him. He died from an overdose of wedlock."
Although cut short, Socrates enjoyed a long and fruitful life. At the other end of the spectrum consider the life of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. He blazed through 18th century Europe in a flash of glory, and is the preeminent example of just how great can be the accomplishment of human living in so very few years.
It gives me pause to remember that when Mozart was my age, he had been dead already for 27 years.
Mozart was the exemplar of human living, accomplishing so much in so very little time, and proving beyond doubt that, as Abraham Lincoln observed, in the end it's not the years in your life that count — it's the life you put in your years.
I just returned from Vienna, where I had the opportunity to attend the opening performance of a Mozart opera, Zaide. The starring role was played by Hyunah Yu, who obtained her bachelor's, master's and artist's performance diplomas from the Peabody Conservatory of Music. This was Hyunah's first major operatic role since graduating from Peabody, and her premiere performance in Vienna, the center of the classical music universe.
The two male leads in Zaide were well-recognized opera singers who had performed with the Metropolitan Opera Company. So this was a very big deal for a young singer to be given such a visible role for her very first operatic performance. And, Hyunah was, as I had fully anticipated, fantastic. She has one of the most beautiful soprano voices one could ever expect to hear.
I mention this in the context of your commencement, not because I would expect you to become famous opera singers, but rather because Ms. Yu didn't expect to become one either. Her career path was anything but conventional. And my expectation is that the same may hold true for you.
Ms. Yu was an honors student who graduated from the University of Texas with a degree in molecular biology and was headed for medical school and a career as a physician. And I am certain that she would have made an outstanding physician.
But life dealt her a tragic twist. Married with a young child, her husband was murdered and Hyunah was forced to abandon any career hopes she might have had to move in with her parents and care for her 3-month-old infant son.
Another twist of fate brought her in contact with the Peabody voice faculty who heard Hyunah sing. Although she had little or no formal instruction in voice, her talent was hard to disguise and a scholarship to Peabody allowed her to restart her education, and catapulted her onto an entirely new career path.
And that, very briefly, is the subject I would like to raise with our graduates today.
The author Po Bronson correctly observes that of all the gifts our modern society gives us, the ultimate privilege is choice.
Most of us will get to choose what we do with our lives -- what jobs we take and whether and in what way we either contribute to society or take away from it. For most societies, and almost all of human history, this was not the case -- you were born to the tasks your family did before you. If they were farmers, you farmed; if they were boat owners, you fished; if they were kings and queens, you ruled. Nowhere did the idea of choosing that role come into play.
But today we do choose, and that is both a tremendous opportunity, and at the same time, a great burden.
This process of choice is not just about choosing where we make our money; it is choosing our identity, about deciding who we are. And that demands both deliberative thought, and difficult decision-making.
The idea that we get to choose who we become so fascinated Bronson that he spent the better part of two years following dozens of people through their daily lives. His observations became a book, What Should I Do With my Life?: The True Story of People Who Answered the Ultimate Question. If there is some downtime in your schedule this summer, it's a book I think you will find worthwhile.
One important observation Bronson makes in his book is that although we are presented with this tremendous opportunity to choose what to do with our lives, too many of us choose badly, or worse yet, fail to choose at all. He recognized three decision traps that, over and over, stymie even the brightest people in their quest to make not just a living, but a life.
These are three major pitfalls hidden in the road before you. This morning I want to offer you a map, of sorts, that gives you some idea of what to look out for as you navigate, with new independence, the rush to meet your future.
The first warning is that money alone will not make dreams come true.
May, by tradition, is the month when college graduates take their diplomas in hand and go out to conquer the world.
June is when the world counter-attacks.
You are about to face the real world squarely in the face, and the real world will make many demands: money for rent, and car payments, living expenses and paying back student loans. It would seem the most practical thing to do would be to defer those dreams for a while and take any job that pays well. Make your money first and then pursue your dreams.
You can't, of course, argue against necessity. Bills must be paid. But the trap lies in thinking this is an either/or situation, in which paying your bills can only be achieved at the expense of your dreams. It is a trap to think you can earn your money now and pursue your dreams later. Dreams deferred are dreams denied.
How then to resolve this dilemma? Surprisingly enough, the so-called 'dismal science' of economics offers an important insight.
Consider for a moment the person lost in the desert, dying of thirst. To that person, a pitcher of water has enormous value. Life itself depends upon it. And after that pitcher has been consumed, additional pitchers of water would have lesser, but still significant value — but only up to a point. Bring enough pitchers of water to fill a bathtub and there is some value for each; but as you bring measure after measure enough to fill a swimming pool, the need and value of each additional pitcher becomes less and less.
This is what economists call the phenomenon of decreasing marginal value. Simply put, this means the more you have of something, the less you will value it. Most people fail to realize that decreasing marginal value plays out in very important ways in their daily lives. This includes how much money we have. Studies have shown that very poor people — people who have to worry about being thrown out of their homes and must struggle to put food on the table for their children — typically are significantly unhappier than people who have money. This is what we would expect.
But those studies also show that once individuals reach a fairly low economic threshold where their basic needs are covered, then beyond that point additional money brings only small increases in happiness. Eventually the association of more money and greater happiness disappears entirely.
Johns Hopkins alumnus and New York City mayor Michael Bloomberg described this exactly when he wrote: "Once [you] make a fortune, the real question is, what's it for? That sounds ridiculous to the average 'working stiff' daydreaming about the lottery, but after you've accumulated a certain amount of wealth, you've got a serious problem. You can only eat so many meals, have so much domestic help, travel to so many places, and live in so many rooms. You can only sleep in one bed at a time." [End quote.]
Mike Bloomberg is right. Though it's difficult to foresee, having 'enough' is probably closer at hand and easier to achieve than might first seem apparent. The challenge at every stage of your life will be learning to live happily within your means.
Believing that money alone will save you is a trap on one side of the road. On the other side lies the trap of thinking that intelligence alone is going to assure your success.
But like money, the value of intelligence is sometimes over-estimated. This is probably because, being human, most of us dream of getting something for nothing — hence, the nearly universal belief in genius as the underlying cause of great achievement. In this mind-set, genius is a 'gift of the gods' possessed for no apparent reason by random individuals.
Expertise comes through the drudgery of hard work and endless repetitious practice; genius, on the other hand, seems bestowed from above. And it is often to genius that we attribute the truly remarkable human achievements.
Recently though, researchers have begun to question this widely held belief. Thomas Edison — a man who should have certainly known something about genius — famously asserted that genius is '1 percent inspiration and 99 percent perspiration.' A growing number of psychologists are wondering if he wasn't exactly right. This view suggests that talent is overrated. By dint of sheer hard work, geniuses are made, not born.
Mozart, for example, was composing music at the age of 6 — a remarkable achievement clearly indicative of a superior intellect.
But it is important to keep in mind that Mozart's father was an accomplished composer himself, and wanted to be respected as the greatest music teacher of his age. Mozart's early compositions are highly derivative, and often arrangements of works by other composers. The works that demonstrated his genius for composing came only later, after he had worked at his craft for many years.
In fact, a study by John Hayes, of Carnegie Mellon University, found that almost all of the great classical composers took 10 years or more of sustained study before they composed music celebrated today for its greatness and originality. In Mozart's case, none of his truly great compositions appeared before he had been playing and writing music for a dozen years. How did he get to be 'Mostly Mozart' at the Lincoln Arts Center? The same way you or I would get to Carnegie Hall — practice, practice, practice!
Success is hard work. Kemmons Wilson, the founder of Holiday Inns, was once asked to give a commencement speech at the high school he attended.
"I really don't know why I'm here," Wilson told the graduating students. "I never got a degree, and I've only worked half-days my entire life. I guess my advice to you is to do the same. Work half-days every day. And it doesn't matter which half-the first twelve hours or the second twelve hours."
This brings to mind a story told by Donald Coffey, Distinguished Professor of Oncology, Professor of Pharmacology, Pathology and Urology at the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine.
When Don was a young assistant professor, he befriended one of the security guards with whom he chatted whenever he was leaving his laboratory. One day, the security guard said to him, "Dr. Coffee, you will become a full professor here at Johns Hopkins."
Coffey was surprised to think this security guard would have the wisdom to identify talent in such a young faculty member. "Tell me," he asked, "have you been able to observe other young faculty and predict their future promotion?"
"Yes sir," replied the guard. "I predicted Dr. Dan Nathans would go on to become a great Hopkins professor."
I should point out that Dr. Nathans not only became a full professor, he also was awarded the Nobel Prize along with professor Hamilton Smith for their discovery of the restriction enzyme that enabled the biotechnology revolution.
Coffey at this point was both astounded and perplexed at how anyone could predict this. "So, how do you make these predictions?" he inquired.
"It's actually very simple," said the guard. "I work evenings and weekends and I look at the windows of the research laboratories. Those that have the lights on are the labs of the faculty members who will go on to become the full professors."
In the end, a high level of intelligence is needed to get into any intellectually challenging field. But focus, determination, and hard work is what makes all the difference. As University of Washington psychology professor Earl Hunt says of intelligence: "It is important to have enough of it, but having lots and lots does not buy you that much. My regrets to Mensa, but that is the way things are."
Expertise, mastery, and genius are not bestowed; they come through hard work and many long hours of study and practice. But this too suggests the importance of dreams. Geniuses get that way because they work so hard at it. They demonstrate a 'rage to master' their subject matter in no small part because they are daring to follow their dreams.
Which brings me to my final observation, the last upset you should be watching for in the road ahead. It's always important to remember that, more than any of us would like or admit to, we are defined by the company we keep and the environment in which we work. Every organization has its own culture, and each culture is defined by its own unique set of values and concerns. If false praise and flattery are not to your liking, you should probably avoid working in Hollywood. If power and pecking order hold no interest, stay out of Washington, D.C. The value system in your working environment will define in many ways what you see and hear and think about all day.
One of the most common mistakes is failing to recognize how these value systems will shape you.
We all like to think that we can insulate ourselves from our surroundings and remain true to our inner selves. But in fact, that's very nearly impossible to do. We cannot help but be deeply affected in our outlook and ideas by what we see and do on a daily basis.
Europeans are often dismayed by the American habit of asking politely what a stranger does for a living. But that quirk in our national personality comes from an implicit recognition that, at some level, we are what we do.
And so today, and here after as you progress through lives of many careers and many new opportunities, remember to ask yourself not, 'What will I do?' but rather, as Po Bronson suggests, 'Who will I become?'
Today, on behalf of the Johns Hopkins University, it is my privilege to award you honors and degrees certifying you as scientists and physicians, performers and engineers, writers and teachers, inventors and leaders. Nowhere on these diplomas does the word 'dreamers' appear, but my fondest hope today is that each of you will hold that word deep in your hearts. It is not the destination you are choosing that matters, it is the journey to getting there that will count.
To all of you I wish good fortune, great luck, and God Speed. Thank you.
今天是值得庆祝的一天。如果说新一届的毕业生是庆祝时刻的香槟，那我就是开香槟的瓶盖，有幸在此致词，开启这一庆典。
此刻，在你们即将离开以严肃认真而著称的学府，约翰－霍普金斯大学之际，应该听到严肃认真的忠告。此时我想起不久前看到的一名小学生的历史报告。他的作业是写出世界上第一个伟大的乐于给人忠告的学者，他写道：苏格拉底是一个著名的希腊老师。他喜欢到处给人忠告，人们就杀了他。他因为喝太多婚姻（ｗｅｄｌｏｃｋ，应为“ｈｅｍｌｏｃｋ，毒药”此处小学生的误解）而死亡。
尽管短暂，苏格拉底的一生却是充实而丰硕的。同样发人深思的是沃尔夫冈•阿玛迪乌斯•莫扎特的一生。这不仅让我想起，在我的年纪，他已经去世２７年了。他是人类生存的典范：他在短暂的一生完成最伟大的使命；他向世人证明了，正如林肯所言，生命最重要的并非时间的长短而是在此时间内你真正度过的生命。
这就是我今天在这里想对新一届的毕业生谈论的话题。正如著名作家坡•布朗森说的，选择是现代社会给予我们的最大特权。绝大数人都面临着人生的选择：从事什么工作？是否或怎样回报社会抑或向社会索取？在人类历史上，几乎所有的社会形态都没有给人这样的选择权利：每个人从出生起就限定于家庭所承担的职责：出生在农民家庭，你的职责就是种地；出生渔夫家庭，职责就是打鱼；出生皇室，职责就是权掌天下。你无权选择你要扮演的社会角色。
然而今天我们处处面临选择。这既是宝贵的机遇，同时也是巨大的挑战。选择的过程不仅仅是选择如何赚钱糊口，而是选择自我，决定自我。这需要深思熟虑，是艰难的过程。 选择决定人生，布朗森对此深信不疑并花了两年时间，跟踪观察数十人的日常生活，写成《这辈子，你想做什么？寻找人生意义的真实故事》。暑假若有闲暇，读这本书将受益匪浅。布朗森所说的最重要一点在于，尽管我们能选择如何安排自己的人生，但是很多人所做的选择不好，甚至是糟糕的，更有人不能做出选择。他提出了三个选择陷阱，这些陷阱时时阻碍我们生存，甚至生活，再聪明的人也逃不过。他们也隐藏在你们即将面临的人生之路上。在此，我想给你们一张地图，提醒你们在通往未来的航程中能自信满怀，小心谨慎。
第一个忠告，金钱并非万能，实现梦想仅靠金钱是不够的。五月，你们拿到证书，走出校门去征服世界。六月，世界就开始反击。你们不得不直面这个世界，而真实世界让你付出很多：房租，汽车贷款，生活开支及偿还学费贷款。这时，找个赚钱多的工作可能是最现实的，梦想可以搁置一旁。赚钱第一，梦想其次。因为你必须得生存下去，账单必须得付。然而，陷阱就是你认为在这种情况下要支付账单就必须得放弃梦想。陷阱就是你认为可以先赚钱，梦想可以先搁置一会儿，却不知梦想一旦搁置就等于放弃。
如何才能两全其美，既工作赚钱也不放弃梦想？一向被称作“沉闷科学”的政治经济学，却能带来重要的启发，这就是经济学家的“边际效益递减”原则。简单来说，就是一种物品你拥有的越多，从中获得的价值就越小，这也包括钱。很多人从未意识到这一原则在日常生活中的意义。研究表明与有钱人相比，当人极度贫困时，因担心随时可能被赶出家门或为养家糊口而挣扎，他感到最不幸。这也在预料之中。然而，研究也表明，一旦一个人达到了一定的经济水平，能满足基本需求，超过那一定点之后，再多的金钱只能带来很少的幸福感。最终，即使金钱再多，也不会带来幸福感。
这正如校友现任纽约市长迈克尔•布隆伯格所写的，一旦你拥有了财富，真正的问题就在于，做什么用？整天白日做梦想赢头彩的工薪族可能会觉得荒谬，而当你拥有相当的财富时这变成很严肃的问题：你只能吃这么多，用这么多；只能去这么多地方；只能住这么多房间；一次只能睡一张床。布隆伯格是明智的。挣得“足够多”更实际，更容易实现。在人生的每个阶段所面临的挑战都是要尽量学会快乐生活。
认为金钱万能只是人生之路的陷阱之一，另一陷阱就是认为聪明就能成功。与金钱一样，智力的价值往往被过高估价。这可能是由于多数人都希望天上掉馅饼，不付出就有回报，因此，都认为成功的在于天分，天分是“上天赐予的才能”，是随机的，个人的，没有原因的。 通过艰辛的努力，反复的实践会熟能生巧；但天分，却是上天赋予的。我们往往把非凡的成就都归因于天分。然而，近来研究人员开始质疑这一普遍看法。爱迪生—真正了解天分的人—早就坚信天才是百分之一的灵感加百分之九十九的汗水。许多心理学家都怀疑他是否正确，认为他的看法仍然高估了天分。天才不是天生的，而是通过纯粹的刻苦锻造的。专业知识，娴熟和天分都不是上天赋予的，而是通过刻苦的努力，通过长期的学习和实践取得的。但是，这同样也暗含着梦想的重要性。天才之所以成功因为他们为梦想付出了巨大的努力。他们显示了要把握研究对象的狂热精神，因为他们敢于追求梦想。
这就引出我要说的最后一点，值得注意的最后一个陷阱。我们的生活圈子和工作环境决定了我们自身，这一点尤为重要但我们总不愿承认。每个组织都有其独特的文化，每种文化又由其特定的价值观和偏好所决定。假如你不喜欢假心假意的赞扬奉承，最好别在好莱坞工作；假如对权力之争、勾心斗角不甘兴趣，就别呆在华盛顿。你工作环境的价值体系将在很多方面决定你的所见、所闻和所思。
人们最常犯的错误就是忽视这一点。我们总以为可以不受周围环境的影响，能做真正的自己。然而实际上，这根本不可能。我们每天的所见所为不可避免地影响自身的见解和想法。
欧洲人很不理解为什么美国人习惯于礼貌地问陌生人的职业。但这一习惯却意味着我们意识到，在一定程度上，职业如其人。
今天，还有将来，你们将不断进步，经历不同的职业，面临许多机遇，如布朗森所言，你要扪心自问的是：“我将成为什么人”而不是“我将做什么”。
今天，我很荣幸地代表约翰•霍普金斯大学授予你们荣誉和学位，你们会成为真正的科学家、物理学家、表演者、工程师、作家、教师、发明家和领导人。证书上没有“梦想家”这个字眼，但我今天最大的希望就是你们当中的每一个人都能将它深埋在心底。重要的不是你选择的目标，而是到达目标的过程 很有哲理性！ 好东西,谢谢分享 美文，受教育。 很受教育 很漂亮的没问 啊 的确深受启发。
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