One of my fondest memories of William, one time when he was a little boy, he was at my house, and I used to collect these antique museum quality Sharker boxes, and I walked into the room and William has my one of a kind Sharker boxes and he's stacking them up like Bric A Blocs and knocking them down and going, "Vroom." And I yelled, just— I just started —I said, "No, William, stop!" I think I stunned the boy, because he wasn't used to anybody yelling at him, and he stopped, he put the boxes back on the shelf and he found where he found them and he did not say a word to me. He didn't even cry. And a little later on, he goes up to his mom and he says,"Mom, Auntie O is mean. Can we go home?"
我对威廉最深刻的一次记忆是在他还是个小男孩的时候。他当时在我家做客,我过去常收集一些古董盒子,我走进房间,看见威廉拿着我的一个古董盒子,把它们像堆积木一样堆起来,然后再推到,还发出“呜——呜——”的声音。看见这个,我就开始大声喊了起来,“威廉姆,停下来!”我想我肯定把这孩子给吓着了,因为他不习惯任何人对他大声喊叫,他停了下来,把盒子放回到架子上,一句话也没跟我说。他甚至没有哭。过了一会儿,他走到他妈妈那儿说,“妈妈,奥普拉阿姨太小气了,咱们回家好吗?”
Well, William, Auntei O has some news for you. You're getting those scratchedup boxes for your graduation gift. You can knock them down all you want. But seriously, I don't know a better young man in the world than William Bumpus, and thank you, Duke, for making him an even greater young man. And I have to say he is so kind and do generous of spirit. William, you're the son I wish I'd had, and I'm thrilled to be here for you. Love you, Willzer.
威廉,奥普拉阿姨要告诉你一些消息。我将会把这些有抓痕的盒子作为毕业礼物送给你。你想怎么推到它们都可以。说实话,威廉·彭勃斯是我在这个世界上认识的最优秀的年轻人。感谢杜克大学,让他变得更加优秀了。他真的很善良,很慷慨。威廉,我真希望有你这么一个儿子,所以因为你我来到这里。我感觉很激动。爱你,威廉!