毕业典礼演讲稿中英文.docx
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毕业典礼演讲稿中英文
毕业典礼演讲稿(中英文)
NewYork:
Iamhonoredtobewithyoutodayatyourcommencementfromoneofthefinestuniversitiesintheworld.Inevergraduatedfromcollege.Truthbetold,thisistheclosestIveevergottentoacollegegraduation.TodayIwanttotellyouthreestoriesfrommylife.Thatsit.Nobigdeal.Justthreestories.
Thefirststoryisaboutconnectingthedots.
IdroppedoutofReedCollegeafterthefirst6months,butthenstayedaroundasadrop-inforanother18monthsorsobeforeIreallyquit.SowhydidIdropout?
ItstartedbeforeIwasborn.Mybiologicalmotherwasayoung,unwedcollegegraduatestudent,andshedecidedtoputmeupforadoption.ShefeltverystronglythatIshouldbeadoptedbycollegegraduates,soeverythingwasallsetformetobeadoptedatbirthbyalawyerandhiswife.ExceptthatwhenIpoppedouttheydecidedatthelastminutethattheyreallywantedagirl.Somyparents,whowereonawaitinglist,gotacallinthemiddleofthenightasking:
Wehaveanunexpectedbabyboy;doyouwanthim?
Theysaid:
Ofcourse.Mybiologicalmotherlaterfoundoutthatmymotherhadnevergraduatedfromcollegeandthatmyfatherhadnevergraduatedfromhighschool.Sherefusedtosignthefinaladoptionpapers.SheonlyrelentedafewmonthslaterwhenmyparentspromisedthatIwouldsomedaygotocollege.
And17yearslaterIdidgotocollege.ButInaivelychoseacollegethatwasalmostasexpensiveasStanford,andallofmyworking-classparentssavingswerebeingspentonmycollegetuition.Aftersixmonths,Icouldntseethevalueinit.IhadnoideawhatIwantedtodowithmylifeandnoideahowcollegewasgoingtohelpmefigureitout.AndhereIwasspendingallofthemoneymyparentshadsavedtheirentirelife.SoIdecidedtodropoutandtrustthatitwouldallworkoutOK.Itwasprettyscaryatthetime,butlookingbackitwasoneofthebestdecisionsIevermade.TheminuteIdroppedoutIcouldstoptakingtherequiredclassesthatdidntinterestme,andbegindroppinginontheonesthatlookedinteresting.
Itwasntallromantic.Ididnthaveadormroom,soIsleptonthefloorinfriendsrooms,Ireturnedcokebottlesforthe5depositstobuyfoodwith,andIwouldwalkthe7milesacrosstowneverySundaynighttogetonegoodmealaweekattheHareKrishnatemple.Ilovedit.AndmuchofwhatIstumbledintobyfollowingmycuriosityandintuitionturnedouttobepricelesslateron.Letmegiveyouoneexample:
ReedCollegeatthattimeofferedperhapsthebestcalligraphyinstructioninthecountry.Throughoutthecampuseveryposter,everylabeloneverydrawer,wasbeautifullyhandcalligraphed.BecauseIhaddroppedoutanddidnthavetotakethenormalclasses,Idecidedtotakeacalligraphyclasstolearnhowtodothis.Ilearnedaboutserifandsanseriftypefaces,aboutvaryingtheamountofspacebetweendifferentlettercombinations,aboutwhatmakesgreattypographygreat.Itwasbeautiful,historical,artisticallysubtleinawaythatsciencecantcapture,andIfounditfascinating.
Noneofthishadevenahopeofanypracticalapplicationinmylife.Buttenyearslater,whenweweredesigningthefirstMacintoshcomputer,itallcamebacktome.AndwedesigneditallintotheMac.Itwasthefirstcomputerwithbeautifultypography.IfIhadneverdroppedinonthatsinglecourseincollege,theMacwouldhaveneverhadmultipletypefacesorproportionallyspacedfonts.AndsinceWindowsjustcopiedtheMac,itslikelythatnopersonalcomputerwouldhavethem.IfIhadneverdroppedout,Iwouldhaveneverdroppedinonthiscalligraphyclass,andpersonalcomputersmightnothavethewonderfultypographythattheydo.OfcourseitwasimpossibletoconnectthedotslookingforwardwhenIwasincollege.Butitwasvery,veryclearlookingbackwardstenyearslater.
Again,youcantconnectthedotslookingforward;youcanonlyconnectthemlookingbackwards.Soyouhavetotrustthatthedotswillsomehowconnectinyourfuture.Youhavetotrustinsomething-yourgut,destiny,life,karma,whatever.Thisapproachhasneverletmedown,andithasmadeallthedifferenceinmylife.
Mysecondstoryisaboutloveandloss.
Iwaslucky-IfoundwhatIlovedtodoearlyinlife.WozandIstartedAppleinmyparentsgaragewhenIwas20.Weworkedhard,andin10yearsApplehadgrownfromjustthetwoofusinagarageintoa$2billioncompanywithover4000employees.Wehadjustreleasedourfinestcreation-theMacintosh-ayearearlier,andIhadjustturned30.AndthenIgotfired.Howcanyougetfiredfromacompanyyoustarted?
Well,asApplegrewwehiredsomeonewhoIthoughtwasverytalentedtorunthecompanywithme,andforthefirstyearorsothingswentwell.Butthenourvisionsofthefuturebegantodivergeandeventuallywehadafallingout.Whenwedid,ourBoardofDirectorssidedwithhim.Soat30Iwasout.Andverypubliclyout.Whathadbeenthefocusofmyentireadultlifewasgone,anditwasdevastating.
Ireallydidntknowwhattodoforafewmonths.IfeltthatIhadletthepreviousgenerationofentrepreneursdown-thatIhaddroppedthebatonasitwasbeingpassedtome.ImetwithDavidPackardandBobNoyceandtriedtoapologizeforscrewingupsobadly.Iwasaverypublicfailure,andIeventhoughtaboutrunningawayfromthevalley.Butsomethingslowlybegantodawnonme-IstilllovedwhatIdid.TheturnofeventsatApplehadnotchangedthatonebit.Ihadbeenrejected,butIwasstillinlove.AndsoIdecidedtostartover.
Ididntseeitthen,butitturnedoutthatgettingfiredfromApplewasthebestthingthatcouldhaveeverhappenedtome.Theheavinessofbeingsuccessfulwasreplacedbythelightnessofbeingabeginneragain,lesssureabouteverything.Itfreedmetoenteroneofthemostcreativeperiodsofmylife.
Duringthenextfiveyears,IstartedacompanynamedNeXT,anothercompanynamedPixar,andfellinlovewithanamazingwomanwhowouldbecomemywife.Pixarwentontocreatetheworldsfirstcomputeranimatedfeaturefilm,ToyStory,andisnowthemostsuccessfulanimationstudiointheworld.Inaremarkableturnofevents,AppleboughtNeXT,IreturnedtoApple,andthetechnologywedevelopedatNeXTisattheheartofApplescurrentrenaissance.AndLaureneandIhaveawonderfulfamilytogether.
ImprettysurenoneofthiswouldhavehappenedifIhadntbeenfiredfromApple.Itwasawfultastingmedicine,butIguessthepatientneededit.Sometimeslifehitsyouintheheadwithabrick.Dontlosefaith.ImconvincedthattheonlythingthatkeptmegoingwasthatIlovedwhatIdid.Youvegottofindwhatyoulove.Andthatisastrueforyourworkasitisforyourlovers.Yourworkisgoingtofillalargepartofyourlife,andtheonlywaytobetrulysatisfiedistodowhatyoubelieveisgreatwork.Andtheonlywaytodogreatworkistolovewhatyoudo.Ifyouhaventfoundityet,keeplooking.Dontsettle.Aswithallmattersoftheheart,youllknowwhenyoufindit.And,likeanygreatrelationship,itjustgetsbetterandbetterastheyearsrollon.Sokeeplookinguntilyoufindit.Dontsettle.
Mythirdstoryisaboutdeath.
WhenIwas17,Ireadaquotethatwentsomethinglike:
Ifyouliveeachdayasifitwasyourlast,somedayyoullmostcertainlyberight.Itmadeanimpressiononme,andsincethen,forthepast33years,Ihavelookedinthemirroreverymorningandaskedmyself:
Iftodaywerethelastdayofmylife,wouldIwanttodowhatIamabouttodotoday?
AndwhenevertheanswerhasbeenNofortoomanydaysinarow,IknowIneedtochangesomething.
RememberingthatIllbedeadsoonisthemostimportanttoolIveeverencounteredtohelpmemakethebigchoicesinlife.Becausealmosteverything-allexternalexpectations,allpride,allfearofembarrassmentorfailure-thesethingsjustfallawayinthefaceofdeath,leavingonlywhatistrulyimportant.RememberingthatyouaregoingtodieisthebestwayIknowtoavoidthetrapofthinkingyouhavesomethingtolose.Youarealreadynaked.Thereisnoreasonnottofollowyourheart.
AboutayearagoIwasdiagnosedwithcancer.Ihadascanat7:
30inthemorning,anditclearlyshowedatumoronmypancreas.Ididntevenknowwhatapancreaswas.Thedoctorstoldmethiswasalmostcertainlyatypeofcancerthatisincurable,andthatIshouldexpecttolivenolongerthanthreetosixmonths.Mydoctoradvisedmetogohomeandgetmyaffairsinorder,whichisdoctorscodeforpreparetodie.Itmeanstotrytotellyourkidseverythingyouthoughtyoudhavethenext10yearstotelltheminjustafewmonths.Itmeanstomakesureeverythingisbuttonedupsothatitwillbeaseasyaspossibleforyourfamily.Itmeanstosayyourgoodbyes.
Ilivedwiththatdiagnosisallday.LaterthateveningIhadabiopsy,wheretheystuckanendoscopedownmythroat,throughmystomachandintomyintestines,putaneedleintomypancreasandgotafewcellsfromthetumor.Iwassedated,butmywife,whowasthere,toldmethatwhentheyviewedthecellsunderamicroscopethedoctorsstartedcryingbecauseitturnedouttobeaveryrareformofpancreaticcancerthatiscurablewithsurgery.IhadthesurgeryandImfinenow.
ThiswastheclosestIvebeentofacingdeath,andIhopeitstheclosestIgetforafewmoredecades.Havinglivedthroughit,Icannowsaythistoyouwithabitmorecertaintythanwhendeathwasausefulbutpurelyintellectualconcept:
Noonewantstodie.Evenpeoplewhowanttogotoheavendontwanttodietogetthere.Andyetdeathisthedestinationweallshare.Noonehaseverescapedit.Andthatisa