Who Are you and what are you doing here? Mark Edmundson
你们是谁?来这儿做什么?马克·埃德蒙森
Welcome and congratulations: Getting to the first day of college is a major achievement. You're to be commended, and not just you, but the parents, grandparents, uncles, and aunts who helped get you here.
欢迎并祝贺大家:进入大学的第一天是一项重大成就。你们值得表扬,不仅仅是你们,还包括帮助你们成功进人大学的爸爸妈妈、爷爷奶奶、外公外婆、叔叔婶婶。
It's been said that raising a child effectively takes a village: Well, as you may have noticed, our American village is not in very good shape. We've got guns, drugs, two wars, fanatical religions, a slime-based popular culture, and some politicians who—a little restraint here—aren't what they might be. To merely survive in this American village and to win a place in the entering class has taken a lot of grit on your part. So, yes, congratulations to all.
荷人说培养一个孩子需要整个村庄: 当然,你们也注意到了,我们这个美国村并不是完美无缺,这儿有枪、有毒品、两次战争、狂热宗教分子,还有低俗的流行文化以及一些名不副实的政治家,虽然这样说有些刻薄。仅仅在这个美国村生存下来并且赢得进入这个班级的机会就要付出巨大的努力,因此,是的,恭喜在座的每一位。
You now may think that you've about got it made. Amidst the impressive college buildings, in company with a high-powered faculty,surrounded by the best of your generation, all you need is to keep doing what you've done before: Work hard, get good grades, listen to your teachers, get along with the people around you, and you'll emerge in four years as an educated young man or woman. Ready for life.
现在,你们或许认为自己就要成功了。置身于宏伟壮观的大学建筑之中,在兢兢业业的老师的陪伴下,在最优秀的同龄人的围绕下,你们需要做的就是继续之前所做的事情:努力学习、取得好成绩、认真听讲、和周围的人友好相处,四年后,你们会成为一位受过高等教育的男性或女性,为生活做好了准备。
Do not believe it. It is not true. If you want to get a real education in America you're going to have to fight—and I don't mean just fight against the drugs and the violence and against the slime-based culture that is still going to surround you. I mean something a little more disturbing. To get an education, you're probably going to have to fight against the institution that you find yourself in—no matter how prestigious it may be. (In fact, the more prestigious the school, the more you'll probably have to push.) You can get a terrific education in America now,there are astonishing opportunities at almost every college,but the education will not be presented to you wrapped and bowed. To get it, you'll need to struggle and strive, to be strong, and occasionally even to piss off some admirable people.
别相信这些,都是骗人的。想要在美国获得真正的教育,你们必须战斗——不是和毒品与暴力战斗,也不是和你们周围的低俗文化战斗,而是和某些更加令人烦忧的事物战斗。要获得教育,你们可能要和自己所在的学院战斗——不管它多么权威。(事实上,学院越是权威,你们就更有必要挑战它。)在如今的美国,你们可以获得很好的教育,几乎每一所大学都能提供令人难以置信的好机会,但是教育不会像礼物一样包装好、扎好蝴蝶结送到你们面前。要获得教育,你们需要战斗,你们需要坚强,有的时候甚至需要惹怒自己敬佩的人。