娜塔莉波特曼哈佛毕业典礼英文演讲稿.docx

娜塔莉波特曼哈佛毕业典礼英文演讲稿.docx

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娜塔莉波特曼哈佛毕业典礼英文演讲稿

娜塔莉·波特曼2020年哈佛毕业典礼英文演讲稿

　　Hello,classof2020.I’msohonoredtobeheretoday.

　　DeanKhurana,faculty,parents,andmostespeciallygraduatingstudents,thankyousomuchforinvitingme.TheSeniorClassCommittee,it’sgenuinelyoneofthemostexcitingthingsI’veeverbeenaskedtodo.IhavetoadmitprimarilybecauseIcan’tdenyit.AsitwasleakedintheWikiLeaksreleaseoftheSonyhackthatwhenIwasinvitedIrepliedandIdirectlyquotemyownemail.“;Wow!

Thisissonice!

I’mgonnaneedsomefunnyghostwriters.Anyidea?

”;

　　ThisinitialresponsenowblessedlypublicwasfromtheknowledgethatatmyclassdaywewereluckyenoughtohaveWillFerrelasclassdayspeaker.Andthatmanyofuswerehung-over,orevenfreshlyhigh,mainlywantedtolaugh.SoIhavetoadmitthattoday,even12yearsaftergraduation,I’mstillinsecureaboutmyownworthiness.Ihavetoremindmyselftodayyou’rehereforareason.

　　TodayIfeelmuchlikeIdidwhenIcametoHarvardYardasafreshmanin1999.Whenyouguyswere,tomycontinuedshockandhorror,stillinkindergarten.Ifeelliketherehadbeensomemistake,thatIwasn’tsmartenoughtobeinthiscompany.AndthateverytimeIopenedmymouth,IwouldhavetoprovethatIwasn’tjustadumbactress.SoIstartwithanapology.Thiswon’tbeveryfunny.I’mnotacomedian.AndIdidn’tgetaghostwriter.ButI’mheretotellyoutoday,Harvardisgivingyoualldiplomastomorrow.Youarehereforareason.

　　Sometimesyourinsecuritiesandyourinexperiencemayleadyou,too,toembraceotherpeople’sexpectations.Standards,orvalues.Butyoucanharnessthatinexperiencetocarveoutyourownpath,onethatisfreeoftheburdenofknowinghowthingsaresupposedtobe,apaththatisdefinedbyitsownparticularsetofreasons.

　　TheotherdayIwenttoanamusementparkwithmysoon-to-be4-year-oldson.AndIwatchedhimplayarcadegames.Hewasincrediblyfocused,throwinghisballatthetarget.JewishmotherthatIam,Iskipped20steps,andwasalreadyimagininghimasamajorleagueplayer,withwhatishisaimandhisarmandhisconcentration.ButthenIrealizedwhathewant.Hewasplayingtotradeinhisticketsforthecrappyplastictoys.Theprizewasmuchmoreexcitingthanthegametogetit.Iofcoursewantedtourgehimtotakejoyandthechallengeofthegame,theimprovementuponpractice,thesatisfactionofdoingsomethingwell,andevenfeelingtheaccomplishmentwhenachievingthegame’sgoals.Butalloftheseaspectswereshadebythelittle10centplasticmenwithstickystretchybluearmsthatadheretothewalls.Thatwastheprize.Inachild’snature,weseemanyofourowninnatetendencies.Isawmyselfinhimandperhapsyoudotoo.

　　Prizesserveasfalseidolseverywhere.Prestige,wealth,fame,power.You’llbeexposedtomanyofthese,ifnotall.Ofcourse,partofwhyIwasinvitedtocometospeaktoday,beyondmybeingaproudalumna,isthatI’verecruitedsomeverycovetedtoysinmylife,includinganotsoplastic,notsocrappyone,anOscar.SowebumpupagainstthecommontrollIthinkofthecommencementaddresspeoplewhohaveachievedalottellingyouthatthefruitsoftheachievementarenotalwaystobetrusted.ButIthinkthatcontradictioncanbereconciledandisinfactinstructive.Achievementiswonderfulwhenyouknowwhyyou’redoingit.Andwhenyoudon’tknow,itcanbeaterribletrap.

　　IwenttoapublichighschoolonLongIsland,SyossetHighSchool.Ooh,hello,Syosset!

ThegirlsIwenttoschoolwithhadPradabagsandflat-ironedhair.Andtheyspokewithanaccent,Iwhohadmovedthereatage9fromConnecticutmimickedtofitin.Florida,Oranges,Chocolate,Cherries.SinceI’mancientandtheInternetwasjuststartingwhenIwasinhighschool.Peopledidn’treallypaythatmuchofattentiontothefactthatIwasanactress.IwasknownmainlyatschoolforhavingabackpackbiggerthanIwas,andalwayshavingwhite-outonmyhands.BecauseIhatedseeinganythingcrossedoutinmynotelooks.IwasvotedformysenioryearbookImostlikelytobeancontestantonJeopardy,orcodefornerdiest.

　　WhenIgottoHarvardjustafterthereleaseofStarWars:

Episode1.IknewIwouldbestartingoverintermsofhowpeopleviewedme.IfearedpeoplewouldhaveassumedI’dgotteninjustforbeingfamous,andthattheywouldthinkthatIwasnotworthyoftheintellectualrigorhere.Anditwouldnothavebeenfarfromthetruth.WhenIcamehereIhadneverwrittena10-pagepaperbefore.I’mnotevensureI’vewrittena5-pagepaper.Iwasalarmedandintimidatedbythecalmeyesofafellowstudent,whocameherefromDaltonorExeterwhothoughtthatcomparedtohighschooltheworkloadherewaseasy.Iwascompletelyoverwhelmed,andthoughtthatreading1000pagesaweekwasunimaginable,thatwritinga50-pagethesisisjustsomethingIcouldneverdo.Ihadnoideahowtodeclaremyintentions.Icouldn’tevenarticulatethemtomyself.

　　I’vebeenactingsinceIwas11.ButIthoughtactingwastoofrivolousandcertainlynotmeaningful.Icamefromafamilyofacademics,andwasveryconcernedofbeingtakenseriously.Incontrasttomyinabilitytodeclaremyself,onmyfirstdayoforientationfreshmanyear,fiveseparatestudentsintroducedthemselvestome,bysaying,I’mgoingtobepresident.RememberItoldyouthat.Theirnames,fortherecord,wereBernieSanders,MarcoRubio,TedCruz,BarackObama,andHilaryClinton.Inallseriousness,Ibelievedeveryoneofthem,theirbearingandself-confidencealoneseemedproofoftheirprophecywhereIcouldn’tshakemyself-doubt.IgotinonlybecauseIwasfamous.ThiswashowotherssawmeanditwashowIsawmyself.Drivenbytheseinsecurities,IdecidedIwasgoingtofindsomethingtodoinHarvardthatwasseriousandmeaningfulthatwouldchangetheworldandmakeitabetterplace.

　　Attheageof18,I’dalreadybeenactingfor7years,andassumedIfindamoreseriousandprofoundpathincollege.SofreshmanfallIdecidedtotakeneurobiology,andadvancedmodernHebrewliterature,becauseIwasseriousandintellectual.Needlesstosay,Ishouldhavefailedboth.IgotBs,foryouinformation,andtothisday,everySundayIburnasmalleffigytothepaganGodsofgradeinflation.

　　ButasIwasfightingmywaythroughAlephBetYodY’dshuainHebrew,andthedifferentmechanismsofneuro-response,Isawfriendsaroundmewritingpapersonsailing,andpopculturemagazines,andprofessorsteachingclassesonfairlytalesandTheMatrix.Irealizedthatseriousnessforseriousness’ssakewasitsownkindoftrophy,andadubiousone,aposeIsoughttocountersomehalf-imaginedargumentaboutwhoIwas.TherewasareasonthatIwasanactor.IlovewhatIdo.AndIsawfrommypeersandmymentorsthatitwasnotonlyanacceptablereason,itwasthebestreason.

　　WhenIgottomygraduation,sittingwhereyousittodayafter4yearsoftryingtogetexcitedaboutsomethingelse.IadmittedtomyselfthatIcouldn’twaittogobackandmakemorefilms.Iwantedtotellstories,toimaginethelivesofothers.Ihavefoundorperhapsreclaimedmyreason.Youhaveprizenow,oratleastyouwilltomorrow.TheprizeisaHarvarddegreeinyourhand.Butwhatisyourreasonbehindit?

　　MyHarvarddegreerepresentsforme,thecuriosityandinventionthatwereencouragedhere,thefriendshipsI’vesustained,thewayProfessorGrahamtoldmenottodescribethewaylighthitaflower,butrathertheshadowtheflowercast,thewayProfessorScarrytalkedabouttheatreisatransformativereligiousforce,howProfessorCoslinshowedhowmuchourvisualcortexisactivatedjustbyimagining.Nowgrantedthesethingsdon’tnecessarityhelpmeanswerthemostcommonquestionI’masked:

Whatdesignerareyouwearing?

What’syourfitnessregime?

Anymakeuptips?

ButIhaveneversincebeenembarrassedtomyselfaswhatImightpreviouslyhavethoughtwasstupidquestion.MyHarvarddegreeandotherawardsareemblemsoftheexperienceswhichledmetothem.Thewoodpaneledlecturehalls,thecolorfulfallleaves,thehotvanillaToscaninis,readinggreatnovelsinoverstuffedlibrarychairs,runningthroughdininghallsscreaming:

Ooh!

Ah!

Citysteps!

Citysteps!

Citysteps!

Citysteps!

　　It’seasynowtoromanticizemytimehere.ButIhadsomeverydifficulttimeshereto.Somecombinationofbeing19,dealingwithmyfirstheartbreak,takingbirthcontrolpillsthathavesincebeentakenoffthemarketfortheirdepressivesideeffects,andspendingtoomuchtimemissingdaylightduringwintermonths,ledmetosomeprettydarkmoments.Particularlyduringsophomoreyear,therewereseveraloccasionswhereIstartedcryinginmeetingswithprofessors.OverwhelmedwithwhatIwassupposedtopulloff.WhenIcouldbarelygetmyselfoutofbedinthemorning.MomentwhenItookonthemottoformyschoolwork.Done.Notgood.IfonlyIcouldfinishmywork,evenifittookeatingajumbopackofsourPatchKidstogetmethroughasingle10-pagepaper.IfeltthatI’veaccomplishedagreatfeat.Irepeattomyself.Done.Notgood.

　　Acoupleofyearsago,IwenttoTokyowithmyhusband,andIateatthemostremarkablesushirestaurant.Idon’teveneatfish.I’mvegan.Sothattellsyouhowgooditwas.Evenwithjustvegetables,thissushiwasthestuffyoudreamedabout.Therestauranthassixseats.MyhusbandandImarveledathowanyonecanmakericesosuperiortoallotherrice.Wewon