奥普拉在斯坦福大学毕业典礼上的演讲.docx

奥普拉在斯坦福大学毕业典礼上的演讲.docx

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奥普拉在斯坦福大学毕业典礼上的演讲

奥普拉在斯坦福大学2008毕业典礼上的演讲

英语2009-07-2212:

18:

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大中小

Thankyou,PresidentHennessy,andtothetrusteesandthefaculty,toalloftheparentsandgrandparents,toyou,theStanfordgraduates.Thankyouforlettingmesharethisamazingdaywithyou.

Ineedtobeginbylettingeveryoneinonalittlesecret.ThesecretisthatKirbyBumpus,StanfordClassof'08,ismygoddaughter.So,IwasthrilledwhenPresidentHennessyaskedmetobeyourCommencementspeaker,becausethisisthefirsttimeI'vebeenallowedoncampussinceKirby'sbeenhere.

Yousee,Kirby'saverysmartgirl.Shewantspeopletogettoknowheronherownterms,shesays.Notintermsofwhosheknows.So,sheneverwantsanyonewho'sfirstmeetinghertoknowthatIknowherandsheknowsme.So,whenshefirstcametoStanfordfornewstudentorientationwithhermom,Ihearthattheyarrivedandeverybodywassowelcoming,andsomebodycameuptoKirbyandtheysaid,"Ohmigod,that'sGayleKing!

"BecausealotofpeopleknowGayleKingasmyBFF[bestfriendforever].

AndsosomebodycomesuptoKirby,andtheysay,"Ohmigod,isthatGayleKing?

"AndKirby'slike,"Uh-huh.She'smymom."

Andsothepersonsays,"Ohmigod,doesitmean,like,youknowOprahWinfrey?

"

AndKirbysays,"Sortof."

Isaid,"Sortof?

Yousortofknowme?

"Well,Ihavephotographicproof.IhavepictureswhichIcane-mailtoyouallofKirbyridinghorseywithmeonallfours.So,Imorethansort-ofknowKirbyBumpus.AndI'msohappytobehere,justhappythatIfinally,afterfouryears,gettoseeherroom.There'sreallynowhereelseI'dratherbe,becauseI'msoproudofKirby,whograduatestodaywithtwodegrees,oneinhumanbioandtheotherinpsychology.Loveyou,KirbyCakes!

That'showwellIknowher.IcancallherCakes.

Andsoproudofhermotherandfather,whohelpedhergetthroughthistime,andherbrother,Will.IreallyhadnothingtodowithhergraduatingfromStanford,buteverytimeanybody'saskedmeinthepastcoupleofweekswhatIwasdoing,Iwouldsay,"I'mgettingreadytogotoStanford."

Ijustlovesaying"Stanford."Becausethetruthis,IknowIwouldhavenevergottenmydegreeatall,'causeIdidn'tgotoStanford.IwenttoTennesseeStateUniversity.ButIneverwouldhavegottenmydiplomaatall,becauseIwassupposedtograduatebackin1975,butIwasshortonecredit.AndIfigured,I'mjustgoingtoforgetit,'cause,youknow,I'mnotgoingtomarchwithmyclass.Becausebythatpoint,Iwasalreadyontelevision.I'dbeenintelevisionsinceIwas19andasophomore.Granted,Iwastheonlytelevisionanchorpersonthathadan11o'clockcurfewdoingthe10o'clocknews.

Seriously,mydadwaslike,"Well,thatnewsisoverat10:

30.Behomeby11."

Butthatdidn'tmattertome,becauseIwasearningaliving.Iwasonmyway.So,Ithought,I'mgoingtoletthiscollegethinggoandIonlyhadonecreditshort.But,myfather,fromthattimeonandforyearsafter,wasalwaysonmycase,becauseIdidnotgraduate.He'dsay,"OprahGail"—that'smymiddlename—"Idon'tknowwhatyou'regonnadowithoutthatdegree."AndI'dsay,"But,Dad,Ihavemyowntelevisionshow."

Andhe'dsay,"Well,Istilldon'tknowwhatyou'regoingtodowithoutthatdegree."

AndI'dsay,"But,Dad,nowI'matalkshowhost."He'dsay,"Idon'tknowhowyou'regoingtogetanotherjobwithoutthatdegree."

So,in1987,TennesseeStateUniversityinvitedmebacktospeakattheircommencement.Bythen,Ihadmyownshow,wasnationallysyndicated.I'dmadeamovie,hadbeennominatedforanOscarandfoundedmycompany,Harpo.ButItoldthem,IcannotcomeandgiveaspeechunlessIcanearnonemorecredit,becausemydad'sstillsayingI'mnotgoingtogetanywherewithoutthatdegree.

So,Ifinishedmycoursework,IturnedinmyfinalpaperandIgotthedegree.

Andmydadwasveryproud.AndIknowthat,ifanythinghappens,thatonecreditwillbemysalvation.

ButIalsoknowwhymydadwasinsistingonthatdiploma,because,asB.B.Kingputit,"Thebeautifulthingaboutlearningisthatnobodycantakethatawayfromyou."AndlearningisreallyinthebroadestsensewhatIwanttotalkabouttoday,becauseyoureducation,ofcourse,isn'tendinghere.Inmanyways,it'sonlyjustbegun.

Theworldhassomanylessonstoteachyou.Iconsidertheworld,thisEarth,tobelikeaschoolandourlifetheclassrooms.AndsometimeshereinthisPlanetEarthschoolthelessonsoftencomedressedupasdetoursorroadblocks.Andsometimesasfull-blowncrises.AndthesecretI'velearnedtogettingaheadisbeingopentothelessons,lessonsfromthegrandestuniversityofall,thatis,theuniverseitself.

It'sbeingabletowalkthroughlifeeagerandopentoself-improvementandthatwhichisgoingtobesthelpyouevolve,'causethat'sreallywhywe'rehere,toevolveashumanbeings.Togrowintomoreofourselves,alwaysmovingtothenextlevelofunderstanding,thenextlevelofcompassionandgrowth.

IthinkaboutoneofthegreatestcomplimentsI'veeverreceived:

IinterviewedwithareporterwhenIwasfirststartingoutinChicago.Andthenmanyyearslater,Isawthesamereporter.Andshesaidtome,"Youknowwhat?

Youreallyhaven'tchanged.You'vejustbecomemoreofyourself."

Andthatisreallywhatwe'realltryingtodo,becomemoreofourselves.AndIbelievethatthere'salessoninalmosteverythingthatyoudoandeveryexperience,andgettingthelessonishowyoumoveforward.It'showyouenrichyourspirit.And,trustme,Iknowthatinnerwisdomismorepreciousthanwealth.Themoreyouspendit,themoreyougain.

So,today,Ijustwanttoshareafewlessons—meaningthree—thatI'velearnedinmyjourneysofar.Andaren'tyouglad?

Don'tyouhateitwhensomebodysays,"I'mgoingtoshareafew,"andit's10lessonslater?

And,you'relike,"Listen,thisismygraduation.Thisisnotaboutyou."So,it'sonlygoingtobethree.

Thethreelessonsthathavehadthegreatestimpactonmylifehavetodowithfeelings,withfailureandwithfindinghappiness.

AyearafterIleftcollege,Iwasgiventheopportunitytoco-anchorthe6o'clocknewsinBaltimore,becausethewholegoalinthemediaatthetimeIwascomingupwasyoutrytomovetolargermarkets.AndBaltimorewasamuchlargermarketthanNashville.So,gettingthe6o'clocknewsco-anchorjobat22wassuchabigdeal.Itfeltlikethebiggestdealintheworldatthetime.

AndIwassoproud,becauseIwasfinallygoingtohavemychancetobelikeBarbaraWalters,whichiswhoIhadbeentryingtoemulatesincethestartofmyTVcareer.So,Iwas22yearsold,making$22,000ayear.Andit'swhereImetmybestfriend,Gayle,whowasaninternatthesameTVstation.Andoncewebecamefriends,we'dsay,"Ohmigod,Ican'tbelieveit!

You'remaking$22,000andyou'reonly22.Imaginewhenyou're40andyou'remaking$40,000!

"

WhenIturned40,Iwassogladthatdidn'thappen.

So,hereIam,22,making$22,000ayearand,yet,itdidn'tfeelright.Itdidn'tfeelright.Thefirstsign,asPresidentHennessywassaying,waswhentheytriedtochangemyname.Thenewsdirectorsaidtomeatthetime,"Nobody'sgoingtorememberOprah.So,wewanttochangeyourname.We'vecomeupwithanamewethinkthatpeoplewillrememberandpeoplewilllike.It'safriendlyname:

Suzie."

Hi,Suzie.Veryfriendly.Youcan'tbeangrywithSuzie.RememberSuzie.Butmynamewasn'tSuzie.And,youknow,I'dgrownupnotreallylovingmyname,becausewhenyou'relookingforyourlittlenameonthelunchboxesandthelicenseplatetags,you'renevergoingtofindOprah.

So,Igrewupnotlovingthename,butonceIwasaskedtochangeit,Ithought,well,itismynameanddoIlooklikeaSuzietoyou?

So,Ithought,no,itdoesn'tfeelright.I'mnotgoingtochangemyname.Andifpeoplerememberitornot,that'sOK.

Andthentheysaidtheydidn'tlikethewayIlooked.Thiswasin1976,whenyourbosscouldcallyouinandsay,"Idon'tlikethewayyoulook."Nowthatwouldbecalledalawsuit,butbackthentheycouldjustsay,"Idon'tlikethewayyoulook."Which,incasesomeofyouintheback,ifyoucan'ttell,isnothinglikeBarbaraWalters.So,theysentmetoasalonwheretheygavemeaperm,andafterafewdaysallmyhairfelloutandIhadtoshavemyhead.Andthentheyreallydidn'tlikethewayIlooked.

BecausenowIamblackandbaldandsittingonTV.Notaprettypicture.

Butevenworsethanbeingbald,Ireallyhated,hated,hatedbeingsenttoreportonotherpeople'stragediesasapartofmydailyduty,knowingthatIwasjustexpectedtoobserve,wheneverythinginmyinstincttoldmethatIshouldbedoingsomething,Ishouldbelendingahand.

So,asPresidentHennessysaid,I'dcoverafireandthenI'dgobackandI'dtrytogivethevictimsblankets.AndIwouldn'tbeabletosleepatnightbecauseofallthethingsIwascoveringduringtheday.

And,meanwhile,IwastryingtositgracefullylikeBarbaraandmakemyselftalklikeBarbara.AndIthought,well,IcouldmakeaprettygoofyBarbara.AndifIcouldfigureouthowtobemyself,IcouldbeaprettygoodOprah.IwastryingtosoundelegantlikeBarbara.AndsometimesIdidn'treadmycopy,becausesomethinginsidemesaid,thisshouldbespontaneous.So,IwantedtogetthenewsasIwasgivingittothepeople.So,sometimes,Iwouldn'treadmycopyanditwouldbe,like,sixpeopleonapileuponI-40.Oh,mygoodness.

AndsometimesIwouldn'treadthecopy—becauseIwantedtobespontaneous—andI'dcomeacrossalistofwordsIdidn'tknowandI'dmispronounce.AndonedayIwasreadingcopyandIcalledCanada"canada."AndIdecided,thisBarbarathing'snotgoingtoow