哈佛大学校长德鲁·福斯特在哈佛大学最新范文毕业典礼英语演讲稿（共12页）8100字.docx

哈佛大学校长德鲁·福斯特在哈佛大学最新范文毕业典礼英语演讲稿（共12页）8100字.docx

《哈佛大学校长德鲁·福斯特在哈佛大学最新范文毕业典礼英语演讲稿（共12页）8100字.docx》由会员分享，可在线阅读，更多相关《哈佛大学校长德鲁·福斯特在哈佛大学最新范文毕业典礼英语演讲稿（共12页）8100字.docx（7页珍藏版）》请在冰点文库上搜索。

哈佛大学校长德鲁·福斯特在哈佛大学毕业典礼英语演讲稿

　　Thankyouallandgoodafternoonalumni,graduates,families,friends,honoredguests.Forsevenyearsnow,ithasbeenmyassignmentandmyprivilegetodeliveranannualreporttoouralumni,andtoserveasthewarm-upactforourdistinguishedspeaker.

　　Whetherthisisyourfirstopportunitytobeapartoftheseexercisesoryourfiftieth,itisworthtakingaminutetosoakinthisplace—itsshelteringtrees,itsfamiliarbuildings,itsenduringvoices.InXXXX年,thispartofHarvard’syardwasnamedTercentenaryTheatre,inrecognitionofHarvard’sthreehundredthbirthday.Itisaplacewheregiantshavestood,andhistoryhasbeenmade.

　　WewereremindedthismorningofGeorgeWashington’sadventureshere.AndfromthisstageinXXXX年,WinstonChurchilladdressedanoverflowcrowdthatincluded6,000uniformedHarvardstudentsheadingofftowar.HesaidhehopedtheyoungrecruitswouldcometoregardtheBritishsoldiersandsailorstheywouldsoonfightalongsideastheir“brothersinarms,”andheassuredtheaudiencethat“weshallnevertire,norweaken,butmarchwithyou…toestablishthereignofjusticeandoflaw.”

　　Fouryearslater,fromthissameplace,GeorgeMarshallintroducedaplanthataidedreconstructionacrosswar-strickenEurope,andendedhisspeechbyasking:

“Whatisneeded?

Whatcanbestbedone?

Whatmustbedone?

”

　　Here,inXXXX年,NelsonMandelaaddressedanaudienceof25,000andspokeofoursharedfuture.“Thegreatestsinglechallengefacingourglobalizedworld,”hesaid,“istocombatanderadicateitsdisparities.”EllenJohnsonSirleaf,thefirstfemaleheadofstateinAfrica,stoodhere13yearslaterandencouragedgraduatestoresistcynicismandtobefearless.

　　Here,ontheterribleafternoonofSeptember11,XXXX年,wegatheredunderacloudlessskytoshareoursadness,ourhorror,andourdisbelief.

　　Andhere,justthreeyearsago,wemarkedHarvard’s375thanniversarydancinginthemudofatorrentialdownpour.Here,PresidentFranklinDelanoRoosevelthadcelebratedHarvard’sthreecenturiesofaccomplishmentinacomparablysoakingrain.

　　Here,J.K.Rowlingencouragedgraduatesto“thinkthemselvesintootherpeople’splaces.”AndConanO’Brientoldthemthat“everyfailurewasfreeing.”

　　Here,honorarydegreeshavebeenpresentedtoCarlJungandJeanPiaget,EllsworthKellyandGeorgiaO’Keefe,HelenKellerandMarthaGraham,RaviShankarandLeonardBernstein,JoanDidionandPhilipRoth,EricKandelandElizabethBlackburn,BillGatesandTimBerners-Lee.

　　IrememberfeelingawedbythathistorywhenIspokehereatmyinstallationasHarvard’s28thpresident,andwhenIreflectedonwhathasalwaysseemedtometheessenceofauniversity:

thatamongsociety’sinstitutions,itisuniquelyaccountabletothepastandtothefuture.

　　Ouraccountabilitytothepastisallaroundus:

BehindmestandsMemorialChurch,amonumenttoHarvardianswhogavetheirlivesattheSommeandYpresandVerdunduringWorldWarOne.DedicatedonArmisticeDayinXXXX年,itrepresentsHarvard’slongtraditionofcommitmenttoservice.

　　InfrontofmeisWidenerLibrary,agiftfromabereavedmother,namedinhonorofhersonHarry,whoperishedaboardtheTitanic.Alibrarybuilttoadvancethelearninganddiscoveryenabledbyoneofthemostdiverseandbroadcollectionsintheworld.Widener’stwelvemajesticcolumnssafeguardtextsandmanuscripts—somecenturiesold—thataredeployedeverydaybyscholarstohelpusinterpret—andreinterpret—thepast.

　　ButthisafternoonIwouldliketospendafewminutesconsideringouraccountabilitytothefuture,becausetheseobligationsmustbe“ourcompasstosteerby,”ourcommonpurposeandoursharedcommitment.

　　WhatdoesHarvard—whatdouniversities—owethefuture?

　　First,weowetheworldanswers.

　　Discoveryisattheheartofwhatuniversitiesdo.Universitiesengagefacultyandstudentsacrossarangeofdisciplinesinseekingsolutionstoproblemsthatmayhaveseemedunsolvable,endeavoringtoanswerquestionsthatthreatentoeludeus.ThescientificresearchundertakentodayatHarvard,andtomorrowbythestudentsweeducate,hasacapacitytoimprovehumanlivesinwaysvirtuallyunimaginableevenagenerationago.Inthispastyearalone,HarvardresearchershavesolvedriddlesrelatedtothetreatmentofAlzheimer’s,thecost-effectiveproductionofmalariavaccine,andtheoriginsoftheuniverse.Harvardresearchershaveproposedanswerstochallengesasvariedasnuclearproliferation,Americancompetitiveness,andgovernanceoftheInternet.

　　Wemustcontinuetosupportouranswer-seekers,whoworkatthecrossroadsofthetheoreticalandtheapplied,atthenexusofresearch,publicpolicy,andentrepreneurship.Together,theywillshapeourfutureandenhanceourunderstandingoftheworld.

　　Second,weowetheworldquestions.

　　Justasquestionsyieldanswers,answersyieldquestions.Humanbeingsmaylongforcertainty,but,asOliverWendellHolmesputit,“certaintygenerallyisillusion,andreposeisnotthedestinyofman.”Universitiesproduceknowledge.Theymustalsoproducedoubt.Thepursuitoftruthisrestless.Wesearchforanswersnotbyfollowingprescribedpaths,butbyfindingtherightquestions—byansweringonequestionwithanotherquestion,bynurturingastateofmindthatisflexibleandalert,dissatisfiedandimaginative.Itiswhatuniversitiesaredesignedtodo.InanessayinHarvardMagazine,oneoftoday’sgraduates,CheroneDuggan,wroteaboutseekingwhatshecalled“aneducationofquestions.”Ihopewehaveindeedgivenherthat.

　　Questionsarethefoundationforprogress—forensuringthattheworldtranscendswherewearenow,whatweknownow.

　　Andquestionsarealsothefoundationforathirdobligationthatweasuniversitiesowethefuture:

weowethefuturemeaning.

　　Universitiesmustnurturetheabilitytointerpret,tomakecriticaljudgments,todaretoaskthebiggestquestions,theonesthatreachwellbeyondtheimmediateandtheinstrumental.Wemuststimulatetheappetiteforcuriosity.

　　Wefindmanyofthesequestionsinthehumanities:

Whatisgood?

Whatisjust?

Howdoweknowwhatistrue?

Butwefindtheminthesciencesaswell.Cantherebeanyquestionmoreprofound,morefundamentalthantoaskabouttheoriginsoftheuniverse?

Howdidwegethere?

　　Questionslikethesecanbeunsettling,andtheycanmakeuniversitiesunsettlingplaces.Butthattooisanessentialpartofwhatweowethefuture—thepromisetocombatcomplacency,tochallengethepresentinordertoprepareforwhatistocome.Toshapethepresentinserviceofanuncertainandyetimpatientfuture.

　　Weowethefutureanswers.Weowethefuturequestions.Weowethefuturemeaning.TheHarvardCampaign,launchedlastSeptember,willhelpusfulfilltheseobligations,andpayourdebttothefuture,justasthegiftsofpreviousgenerationsanchorusheretoday.

　　Astoday’sceremoniessopowerfullyremindus,wealsoowethefuturethemenandwomenwhoarepreparedtoaskquestionsandseekanswersandsearchformeaningfordecadestocome.Todaywesendsome6,500graduatesintotheworld,tobeteachersandlawyers,scientistsandphysicians,poetsandplannersandpublicservants,and—asourspeakerthismorningremindedus—tobeintheirownwaysrevolutionaries.Readytotakeoneverythingfromwaterscarcitytovirtualcurrencytocommunitypolicing.Wemustcontinuetoinvestinfinancialaidtoattractandsupportthetalentedstudentswhocanbuildourfuture,andalsowemustinvestinsupportingtheteachingandlearningthatensuresthefullestdevelopmentoftheircapacitiesinarapidlychangingworld.

　　Ifwefulfillourobligation,today’sgraduateswillhavefoundthe“educationofquestions”Cheronedescribed,aplacewhere,assheputit,“ceilingsareonlymadeofsky.”Butlookaroundyou:

wearethere.Thisspaceisa“theatre”withoutwalls,withoutaroof,andwithoutlimits.Itisaplacewhereextraordinaryindividualshaveprecededus,aplacethatmustencourageourgraduates—oftodayandalltheyearspast—toemulatethosewomenandmen,tolookskywardandtosoar.

　　Thankyouverymuch.