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Word文件下载.docx

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Word文件下载.docx

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　　Whetherthisisyourfirstopportunitytobeapartoftheseexercisesoryourfiftieth,itisworthtakingaminutetosoakinthisplace&

mdash;

itsshelteringtrees,itsfamiliarbuildings,itsenduringvoices.In1936,thispartofHarvard&

rsquo;

syardwasnamedTercentenaryTheatre,inrecognitionofHarvard&

sthreehundredthbirthday.Itisaplacewheregiantshavestood,andhistoryhasbeenmade.

　　WewereremindedthismorningofGeorgeWashington&

sadventureshere.Andfromthisstagein1943,WinstonChurchilladdressedanoverflowcrowdthatincluded6,000uniformedHarvardstudentsheadingofftowar.HesaidhehopedtheyoungrecruitswouldcometoregardtheBritishsoldiersandsailorstheywouldsoonfightalongsideastheir“brothersinarms,”andheassuredtheaudiencethat“weshallnevertire,norweaken,butmarchwithyou…toestablishthereignofjusticeandoflaw.”

　　Fouryearslater,fromthissameplace,GeorgeMarshallintroducedaplanthataidedreconstructionacrosswar-strickenEurope,andendedhisspeechbyasking:

“Whatisneeded?

Whatcanbestbedone?

Whatmustbedone?

”

　　Here,in1998,NelsonMandelaaddressedanaudienceof25,000andspokeofoursharedfuture.“Thegreatestsinglechallengefacingourglobalizedworld,”hesaid,“istocombatanderadicateitsdisparities.”EllenJohnsonSirleaf,thefirstfemaleheadofstateinAfrica,stoodhere13yearslaterandencouragedgraduatestoresistcynicismandtobefearless.

　　Here,ontheterribleafternoonofSeptember11,2019,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.DedicatedonArmisticeDayin1932,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.