迈克尔杰克逊202X年牛津英语演讲稿.docx
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迈克尔杰克逊202X年牛津英语演讲稿
迈克尔·杰克逊202X年牛津英语演讲稿
HealTheKids–OxfordSpeech
OxfordUniversity,March202XbyMichaelJackson
Thankyou,thankyoudearfriends,fromthebottomofmyheart,forsuchalovingandspiritedwele,andthankyou,MrPresident,foryourkindinvitationtomewhichIamsohonoredtoaccept.IalsowanttoexpressaspecialthankstoyouShmuley,whofor11yearsservedasRabbihereatOxford.YouandIhavebeenworkingsohardtoformHealtheKids,aswellaswritingourbookaboutchildlikequalities,andinallofoureffortsyouhavebeensuchasupportiveandlovingfriend.AndIwouldalsoliketothankTobaFriedman,ourdirectorofoperationsatHealtheKids,whoisreturningtonighttothealmamaterwheresheservedasaMarshallscholar,aswellasMarilynPiels,anothercentralmemberofourHealtheKidsteam.
IamhumbledtobelecturinginaplacethathaspreviouslybeenfilledbysuchnotablefiguresasMotherTheresa,AlbertEinstein,RonaldReagan,RobertKennedyandMalcolmX.I’veevenheardthatKermittheFroghasmadeanappearancehere,andI’vealwaysfeltakinshipwithKermit’smessagethatit’snoteasybeinggreen.I’msurehedidn’tfinditanyeasierbeingupherethanIdo!
AsIlookedaroundOxfordtoday,Icouldn’thelpbutbeawareofthemajestyandgrandeurofthisgreatinstitution,nottomentionthebrillianceofthegreatandgiftedmindsthathaveroamedthesestreetsforcenturies.ThewallsofOxfordhavenotonlyhousedthegreatestphilosophicalandscientificgeniuses–theyhavealsousheredforthsomeofthemostcherishedcreatorsofchildren’sliterature,from.R.TolkientoCSLewis.TodayIwasallowedtohobbleintothedininghallinChristChurchtoseeLewisCarroll’sAliceinWonderlandimmortalizedinthestainedglasswindows.AndevenoneofmyownfellowAmericans,thebelovedDrSeussgracedthesehallsandthenwentontoleavehismarkontheimaginationsofmillionsofchildrenthroughouttheworld.
IsupposeIshouldstartbylistingmyqualificationstospeakbeforeyouthisevening.Friends,Idonotclaimtohavetheacademicexpertiseofotherspeakerswhohaveaddressedthishall,justastheycouldlaylittleclaimatbeingadeptatthemoonwalk–andyouknow,EinsteininparticularwasreallyTERRIBLEatthat.
ButIdohaveaclaimtohavingexperiencedmoreplacesandculturesthanmostpeoplewilleversee.Humanknowledgeconsistsnotonlyoflibrariesofparchmentandink–itisalsoprisedofthevolumesofknowledgethatarewrittenonthehumanheart,chiseledonthehumansoul,andengravedonthehumanpsyche.Andfriends,IhaveencounteredsomuchinthisrelativelyshortlifeofminethatIstillcannotbelieveIamchiseledonly42.IoftentellShmuleythatinsoulyearsI’msurethatI’matleast80–andtonightIevenwalklikeI’m80!
Sopleaseharkentomymessage,becausewhatIhavetotellyoutonightcanbringhealingtohumanityandhealingtoourplanet.
ThroughthegraceofGod,Ihavebeenfortunatetohaveachievedmanyofmyartisticandprofessionalaspirationsrealizedearlyinmylifetime.Butthese,friendsareacplishments,andacplishmentsalonearenotsynonymouswithwhoIam.Indeed,thecheeryfive-year-oldwhobeltedoutRockin’RobinandBentoadoringcrowdswasnotindicativeoftheboybehindthesmile.
Tonight,Iebeforeyoulessasaniconofpop(whateverthatmeansanyway),andmoreasaniconofageneration,agenerationthatnolongerknowswhatitmeanstobechildren.
Allofusareproductsofourchildhood.ButIamtheproductofalackofachildhood,anabsenceofthatpreciousandwondrousagewhenwefrolicplayfullywithoutacareintheworld,baskingintheadorationofparentsandrelatives,whereourbiggestconcernisstudyingforthatbigspellingtesteMondaymorning.
ThoseofyouwhoarefamiliarwiththeJacksonFiveknowthatIbeganperformingatthetenderageoffiveandthateversincethen,Ihaven’tstoppeddancingorsinging.Butwhileperformingandmakingmusicundoubtedlyremainassomeofmygreatestjoys,whenIwasyoungIwantedmorethananythingelsetobeatypicallittleboy.Iwantedtobuildtreehouses,havewaterballoonfights,andplayhideandseekwithmyfriends.ButfatehaditotherwiseandallIcoulddowasenvythelaughterandplaytimethatseemedtobegoingonallaroundme.
Therewasnorespitefrommyprofessionallife.ButonSundaysIwouldgoPioneering,thetermusedforthemissionaryworkthatJehovah’sWitnessesdo.AnditwasthenthatIwasabletoseethemagicofotherpeople’schildhood.
SinceIwasalreadyacelebrity,Iwouldhavetodonadisguiseoffatsuit,wig,beardandglassesandwewouldspendthedayinthesuburbsofSouthernCalifornia,goingdoor-to-doorormakingtheroundsofshoppingmalls,distributingourWatchtowermagazine.IlovedtosetfootinallthoseregularsuburbanhousesandcatchsightoftheshagrugsandLa-Z-BoyarmchairswithkidsplayingMonopolyandgrandmasbaby-sittingandallthosewonderful,ordinaryandstarryscenesofeverydaylife.Many,Iknow,wouldarguethatthesethingsseemlikenobigdeal.Buttometheyweremesmerizing.
IusedtothinkthatIwasuniqueinfeelingthatIwaswithoutachildhood.IbelievedthatindeedtherewereonlyahandfulwithwhomIcouldsharethosefeelings.WhenIrecentlymetwithShirleyTempleBlack,thegreatchildstarofthe1930sand40s,wesaidnothingtoeachotheratfirst,wesimplycriedtogether,forshecouldshareapainwithmethatonlyotherslikemyclosefriendsElizabethTaylorandMcCauleyCulkinknow.
Idonottellyouthistogainyoursympathybuttoimpressuponyoumyfirstimportantpoint:
ItisnotjustHollywoodchildstarsthathavesufferedfromanon-existentchildhood.Today,it’sauniversalcalamity,aglobalcatastrophe.Childhoodhasbeethegreatcasualtyofmodern-dayliving.Allaroundusweareproducingscoresofkidswhohavenothadthejoy,whohavenotbeenaccordedtheright,whohavenotbeenallowedthefreedom,orknowingwhatit’sliketobeakid.
Todaychildrenareconstantlyencouragedtogrowupfaster,asifthisperiodknownaschildhoodisaburdensomestage,tobeenduredandusheredthrough,asswiftlyaspossible.Andonthatsubject,Iamcertainlyoneoftheworld’sgreatestexperts.
Oursisagenerationthathaswitnessedtheabrogationoftheparent-childcovenant.Psychologistsarepublishinglibrariesofbooksdetailingthedestructiveeffectsofdenyingone’schildrentheunconditionallovethatissonecessarytothehealthydevelopmentoftheirmindsandcharacter.Andbecauseofalltheneglect,toomanyofourkidshave,essentially,toraisethemselves.Theyaregrowingmoredistantfromtheirparents,grandparentsandotherfamilymembers,asallaroundustheindestructiblebondthatoncegluedtogetherthegenerations,unravels.
Thisviolationhasbredanewgeneration,GenerationOletuscallit,thathasnowpickedupthetorchfromGenerationX.TheOstandsforagenerationthathaseverythingontheoutside–wealth,success,fancyclothingandfancycars,butanachingemptinessontheinside.Thatcavityinourchests,thatbarrennessatourcore,thatvoidinourcentreistheplacewheretheheartoncebeatandwhichloveonceoccupied.
Andit’snotjustthekidswhoaresuffering.It’stheparentsaswell.Forthemorewecultivatelittle-adultsinkids’-bodies,themoreremovedweourselvesbeefromourownchild-likequalities,andthereissomuchaboutbeingachildthatisworthretaininginadultlife.
Love,ladiesandgentlemen,isthehumanfamily’smostpreciouslegacy,itsrichestbequest,itsgoldeninheritance.Anditisatreasurethatishandeddownfromonegenerationtoanother.Previousagesmaynothavehadthewealthweenjoy.Theirhousesmayhavelackedelectricity,andtheysqueezedtheirmanykidsintosmallhomeswithoutcentralheating.Butthosehomeshadnodarkness,norweretheycold.Theywerelitbrightwiththeglowofloveandtheywerewarmedsnuglybytheveryheatofthehumanheart.Parents,undistractedbythelustforluxuryandstatus,accordedtheirchildrenprimacyintheirlives.
Asyouallknow,ourtwocountriesbrokefromeachotheroverwhatThomasJeffersonreferredtoascertaininalienablerights.AndwhileweAmericansandBritishmightdisputethejusticeofhisclaims,whathasneverbeenindisputeisthatchildrenhavecertaininalienablerights,andthegradualerosionofthoserightshasledtoscoresofchildrenworldwidebeingdeniedthejoysandsecurityofchildhood.
IwouldthereforeliketoproposetonightthatweinstallineveryhomeaChildren’sUniversalBillofRights,thetenetsofwhichare:
1.Therighttobelovedwithouthavingtoearnit
2.Therighttobeprotected,withouthavingtodeserveit
3.Therighttofeelvaluable,evenifyoucameintotheworldwithnothing
4.Therighttobelistenedtowithouthavingtobeinteresting
5.Therighttobereadabedtimestory,withouthavingtopetewiththeeveningnews
6.Therighttoaneducationwithouthavingtododgebulletsatschools
7.Therighttobethoughtofasadorable–(evenifyouhaveafacethatonlyamothercouldlove).
Friends,thefoundationofallhumanknowledge,thebeginningofhumanconsciousness,mustbethateachandeveryoneofusisanobjectoflove.Beforeyouknowifyouhaveredhairorbrown,beforeyouknowifyouareblackorwhite,beforeyouknowofwhatreligionyouareapart,youhavetoknowthatyouareloved.
Abouttwelveyearsago,whenIwasjustabouttostartmyBadtour,alittleboycamewithhisparentstovisitmeathomeinCalifornia.Hewasdyi