世界十大最著名毕业典礼上的演讲:丘吉尔等

http://www.sina.com.cn 2009年05月22日 16:12 沪江英语

Winston Churchill, Harrow School, 1941

Words of Wisdom:

sense.

No leader in history, perhaps, matched Churchill's capacity for blurring the lines between speech and battle cry. This is one of his best. It's an urban legend that the

was what Harrow's students remembered。

Winston Churchill，英国前首相。

George Marshall, Harvard, 1947

Words of Wisdom:

meet today's quota for snappy one-liners。

George Marshall，1880-1959，美国将军、政治家，出任国务卿期间，推出欧洲复兴计

划。

John F. Kennedy, American University, 1963

Words of Wisdom:

are gripped by forces we cannot control。

unsolvable — and we believe they can do it again.

Consider the last time you witnessed an exchange about the thorny issues on today's agenda — pork-barrel spending, say, or instituting universal health care. Chances are the discussion was conducted in weary, whispered tones. Pragmatism is in, and talk of grand solutions is the kiss of death for many a politician. Reading J.F.K.'s 1963 address to American University graduates on the need for world peace is a reminder of how much our political discourse has changed — and, in many ways,

diminished. Say this for the President: he made no small plans。

John F. Kennedy，美国前总统。

Bradley Whitford, Wisconsin, 2006

Words of Wisdom:

stumble.

As an actor, Whitford's most famous character was The West Wing's Josh Lyman, a pragmatic political wonk with a drive to win and no compunction about kneecapping his foes. So it's a little strange to read Whitford's earnest advice for overcoming adversity. But there's no denying that his address makes a heartfelt, inspiring read。

Bradley Whitford，美国著名电影演员。

Barbara Kingsolver, Duke, 2008

Words of Wisdom:

be to convince yourself of the possibilities, and hang on.

At Duke in 2008, Kingsolver, the author of a dozen books (including The Poisonwood Bible)， didn't shy away from weighty matters. Without being preachy, she enumerated the perils of climate change, of the all-consuming need to accumulate wealth and of, in this age of digital connectedness, our increasing isolation from one another. But this beautifully written speech ends on a hopeful note.

to change the world.

Barbara Kingsolver，美国作家。

Stephen Colbert, Knox College, 2006

Words of Wisdom:

for doing jack squat.

Did Knox College invite as its 2006 commencement speaker Stephen Colbert the comedian or Stephen Colbert the invented TV personality? When the political satirist and host of Comedy Central's The Colbert Report took the podium in Galesburg, Ill., no one knew which version of Colbert they would get — not even the man himself.

going to talk and I'm going to let you figure it out.

Colbert rambled about everything from overdue library books to the Dred Scott case, but ended with one piece of earnest advice.

long as you have the strength to, say yes.

Stephen Colbert，美国喜剧演员、电视主持人，主持节目“The Colbert Report”，

擅长政治幽默。

David Foster Wallace, Kenyon, 2005

Words of Wisdom:

Wallace ultimately succumbed。

David Foster Wallace，美国著名小说作家、评论家、幽默作家，代表作《无尽的玩笑》，入选《时代周刊》“百部最佳英文小说”。David Foster Wallace2008年9月13日患抑郁

症自杀家中，享年46岁。

Steve Jobs, Stanford, 2005

Words of Wisdom:

foolish.

loss, the Apple co-founder hit all the right notes。

Steve Jobs，苹果电脑创始人，声名显赫的“计算机狂人”。

Conan O'Brien, Harvard (Class Day), 2000

Words of Wisdom:

of spoiling it in any way。

good。

over.

When Conan O'Brien spoke at Harvard University's 2000 Class Day, he had a lot of things to say — many of them about Harvard. O'Brien graduated from the prestigious university in 1985, and he took at few shots at his alma mater's expense.

if I'm a bit suspicious.

O'Brien also spoke about the difficulties of trying to make it in comedy — first as a writer for Saturday Night Live, then for The Simpsons, and then finally as a late-night talk-show host — and all of the setbacks and failures he endured along

the way. He discussed his bombed television pilot, embarrassingly bad reviews and what it was like to be 28 and unemployed in New York City, proving that no one, not even the man who would one day take over the Tonight Show, escapes disappointment and self-doubt. But despite his stumbles, O'Brien kept going. And he told Harvard's

class of 2000 that they should too。

Conan O'Brien，美国著名脱口秀主持人。

Russell Baker, Connecticut College, 1995

Words of Wisdom:

so utterly shamelessly foolishly。

Baker, a Pulitzer Prize–winning author and columnist, knows how to reach college kids. He's funny and engaging (

Russell Baker，《纽约时报》专栏作家，1982年普利策奖获得者。成名作为个人自传

《成长》。