斯皮尔伯格哈佛大学演讲稿子.docx

斯皮尔伯格哈佛大学演讲稿子.docx

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斯皮尔伯格哈佛大学演讲稿子

Thankyou,thankyou,PresidentFaust,andPaulChoi,thankyousomuch.

It`sanhonorandathrilltoaddressthisgroupofdistinguishedalumniandsupportivefriendsandcavellingparents.We`veallgatheredtoshareinthejoyofthisday,sopleasejoinmeincongratulatingHarvard`sClassof2016.

Icanremembermyowncollegegraduation,whichiseasy,sinceitwasonly14yearsago.Howmanyofyoutook37yearstograduate?

Because,likemostofyou,Ibegancollegeinmyteens,butsophomoreyear,IwasofferedmydreamjobatUniversalStudios,soIdroppedout.Itoldmyparentsifmymoviecareerdidn`tgowell,I`dre-enroll.Itwentallright.Buteventually,Ireturnedforonebigreason.Mostpeoplegotocollegeforaneducation,andsomegofortheirparents,butIwentformykids.I`mthefatherofseven,andIkeptinsistingontheimportanceofgoingtocollege,butIhadn`twalkedthewalk.So,inmyfifties,Ire-enrolledatCalState--LongBeach,andIearnedmydegree.Ijusthavetoadd:

IthelpedthattheygavemecoursecreditinpaleontologyfortheworkIdidonJurassicPark.That`sthreeunitsforJurassicPark,thankyou.

WellIleftcollegebecauseIknewexactlywhatIwantedtodo,andsomeofyouknow,too--butsomeofyoudon`t.Ormaybeyouthoughtyouknewbutarenowquestioningthatchoice.Maybeyou`resittingtheretryingtofigureouthowtotellyourparentsthatyouwanttobeadoctorandnotacomedywriter.

Well,whatyouchoosetodonextiswhatwecallinthemoviesthecharacter-definingmoment.Now,thesearemomentsyou`reveryfamiliarwith,likeinthelastStarWars:

TheForceAwakens,whenReyrealizestheforceiswithher.OrIndianaJoneschoosingmissionoverfearbyjumpingoverapileofsnakes.

Nowinatwo-hourmovie,yougetahandfulofcharacter-definingmoments,butinreallife,youfacethemeveryday.Lifeisonestrong,longstringofcharacter-definingmoments.AndIwasluckythatat18IknewwhatIexactlywantedtodo.ButIdidn’tknowwhoIwas.HowcouldI?

Andhowcouldanyofus?

Becauseforthefirst25yearsofourlives,wearetrainedtolistentovoicesthatarenotourown.Parentsandprofessorsfillourheadswithwisdomandinformation,andthenemployersandmentorstaketheirplaceandexplainhowthisworldreallyworks.

Andusuallythesevoicesofauthoritymakesense,butsometimes,doubtstartstocreepintoourheadsandintoourhearts.Andevenwhenwethink,that`snotquitehowIseetheworld,it`skindofeasiertojusttonodinagreementandgoalong,andforawhile,Iletthatgoingalongdefinemycharacter.BecauseIwasrepressingmyownpointofview,becauselikeinthatNilssonsong,‘Everybodywastalkin’atme,soIcouldn’theartheechoesofmymind.’

Andatfirst,theinternalvoiceIneededtolistentowashardlyaudible,anditwashardlynoticeable--kindoflikemeinhighschool.ButthenIstartedpayingmoreattention,andmyintuitionkickedin.

AndIwanttobeclearthatyourintuitionisdifferentfromyourconscience.Theyworkintandem,buthere`sthedistinction:

Yourconscienceshouts,"here`swhatyoushoulddo",whileyourintuitionwhispers,"here`swhatyoucoulddo."Listentothatvoicethattellsyouwhatyoucoulddo.Nothingwilldefineyourcharactermorethanthat.

BecauseonceIturnedtomyintuition,andItunedintoit,certainprojectsbegantopullmeintothem,andothers,Iturnedawayfrom.

Andupuntilthe1980s,mymoviesweremostly,Iguesswhatyoucouldcall‘escapist.’AndIdon`tdismissanyofthesemovies--noteven1941.Noteventhatone.AndmanyoftheseearlyfilmsreflectedthevaluesthatIcareddeeplyabout,andIstilldo.ButIwasinacelluloidbubble,becauseI`dcutmyeducationshort,myworldviewwaslimitedtowhatIcoulddreamupinmyhead,notwhattheworldcouldteachme.

ButthenIdirectedTheColorPurple.AndthisonefilmopenedmyeyestoexperiencesthatInevercouldhaveimagined,andyetwerealltooreal.Thisstorywasfilledwithdeeppainanddeepertruths,likewhenShugAverysays,‘Everythingwantstobeloved.’Mygut,whichwasmyintuition,toldmethatmorepeopleneededtomeetthesecharactersandexperiencethesetruths.Andwhilemakingthatfilm,Irealizedthatamoviecouldalsobeamission.

Ihopeallofyoufindthatsenseofmission.Don`tturnawayfromwhat`spainful.Examineit.Challengeit.

Myjobistocreateaworldthatlaststwohours.Yourjobistocreateaworldthatlastsforever.Youarethefutureinnovators,motivators,leadersandcaretakers.

Andthewayyoucreateabetterfutureisbystudyingthepast.JurassicParkwriterMichaelCrichton,whograduatedfromboththiscollegeandthismedicalschool,likedtoquoteafavoriteprofessorofhiswhosaidthatifyoudidn’tknowhistory,youdidn’tknowanything.Youwerealeafthatdidn’tknowitwaspartofatree.Sohistorymajors:

Goodchoice,you’reingreatshape...Notinthejobmarket,butculturally.

Therestofushavetomakealittleeffort.Socialmediathatwe’reinundatedandswarmedwithisaboutthehereandnow.ButI’vebeenfightingandfightinginsidemyownfamilytogetallmykidstolookbehindthem,tolookatwhatalreadyhashappened.Becausetounderstandwhotheyareistounderstandwhowerewere,andwhotheirgrandparentswere,andthen,whatthiscountrywaslikewhentheyemigratedhere.Weareanationofimmigrants--atleastfornow.

Sotome,thismeansweallhavetotellourownstories.Wehavesomanystoriestotell.Talktoyourparentsandyourgrandparents,ifyoucan,andaskthemabouttheirstories.AndIpromiseyou,likeIhavepromisedmykids,youwillnotbebored.

Andthat’swhyIsooftenmakemoviesbasedonreal-lifeevents.Ilooktohistorynottobedidactic,‘causethat’sjustabonus,butIlookbecausethepastisfilledwiththegreateststoriesthathaveeverbeentold.Heroesandvillainsarenotliteraryconstructs,butthey’reattheheartofallhistory.

Andagain,thisiswhyit’ssoimportanttolistentoyourinternalwhisper.It’sthesameonethatcompelledAbrahamLincolnandOskarSchindlertomakethecorrectmoralchoices.Inyourdefiningmoments,donotletyourmoralsbeswayedbyconvenienceorexpediency.Stickingtoyourcharacterrequiresalotofcourage.Andtobecourageous,you’regoingtoneedalotofsupport.

Andifyou’relucky,youhaveparentslikemine.Iconsidermymommyluckycharm.AndwhenIwas12yearsold,myfatherhandedmeamoviecamera,thetoolthatallowedmetomakesenseofthisworld.AndIamsogratefultohimforthat.AndIamgratefulthathe’shereatHarvard,sittingrightdownthere.

Mydadis99yearsold,whichmeanshe’sonlyoneyearyoungerthanWidenerLibrary.ButunlikeWidener,he’shadzerocosmeticwork.Anddad,there’saladybehindyou,also99,andI’llintroduceyouafterthisisover,okay?

Butlook,ifyourfamily’snotalwaysavailable,there’sbackup.NeartheendofIt’saWonderfulLife--yourememberthatmovie,It’saWonderfulLife?

ClarencetheAngelinscribesabookwiththis:

“Nomanisafailurewhohasfriends.”AndIhopeyouhangontothefriendshipsyou’vemadehereatHarvard.Andamongyourfriends,Ihopeyoufindsomeoneyouwanttoshareyourlifewith.Iimaginesomeofyouinthisyardmaybeatadcynical,butIwanttobeunapologeticallysentimental.Ispokeabouttheimportanceofintuitionandhowthere’snogreatervoicetofollow.Thatis,untilyoumeettheloveofyourlife.AndthisiswhathappenedwhenImetandmarriedKate,andthatbecamethegreatestcharacter-definingmomentofmylife.

Love,support,courage,intuition.Allofthesethingsareinyourhero’squiver,butstill,aheroneedsonemorething:

Aheroneedsavillaintovanquish.Andyou’reallinluck.Thisworldisfullofmonsters.Andthere’sracism,homophobia,ethnichatred,classhatred,there’spoliticalhatred,andthere’sreligioushatred.

Asakid,Iwasbullied--forbeingJewish.Thiswasupsetting,butcomparedtowhatmyparentsandgrandparentshadfaced,itfelttame.Becausewetrulybelievedthatanti-Semitismwasfading.Andwewerewrong.Overthelasttwoyears,nearly20,000JewshaveleftEuropetofindhigherground.Andearlierthisyear,IwasattheIsraeliembassywhenPresidentObamastatedthesadtruth.Hesaid:

‘Wemustconfronttherealitythataroundtheworld,anti-Semitismisontherise.Wecannotdenyit.’

Myowndesiretoconfrontthatrealitycompelledmetostart,in1994,theShoahFoundation.Andsincethen,we’vespokentoover53,000Holocaustsurvivorsandwitnessesin63countriesandtakenalltheirvideotestimonies.Andwe’renowgatheringtestimoniesfromgenocidesinRwanda,Cambodia,ArmeniaandNanking.Becausewemustneverforgetthattheinconceivabledoesn’thappen--ithappensfrequently.Atrocitiesarehappeningrightnow.Andsowewondernotjust,‘Whenwillthishatredend?

’but,‘Howdiditbegin?

’

Now,Idon’thavetotellacrowdofRedSoxfansthatwearewiredfortribalism.Butbeyondrootingforthehometeam,tribalismhasamuchdarkerside.Instinctivelyandmaybeevengenetically,wedividetheworldinto‘us’and‘them.’Sotheburningquestionmustbe:

Howdoallofustogetherfindthe‘we?

’Howdowedothat?

There’sstillsomuchworktobedone,andsometimesIfeeltheworkhasn’tevenbegun.Andit’snotjustanti-Semitismthat’ssurging--Islamophobia’sontherise,too.Becausethere’snodifferencebetweenanyonewhoisdiscriminatedagainst,whetherit’stheMuslims,ortheJews,orminoritiesontheborderstates,ortheLGBTcommunity--itisallbigonehate.

Andtome,and,Ithink,toallofyou,theonlyanswertomorehateismorehu