苹果CEO库克华盛顿大学毕业英语演讲稿.docx
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苹果CEO库克华盛顿大学毕业英语演讲稿
苹果CEO库克华盛顿大学2019毕业英语演讲稿
ThankyouverymuchPresidentKnappforthatkindintro.Alex,trustees,facultyanddeansoftheuniversity,myfellowhonorees,andespeciallyyoutheclassof2019.Yes.
Congratulationstoyou,toyourfamily,toyourfriendsthatareattendingtoday'sceremony.Youmadeit.It'saprivilege,arareprivilegeofalifetimetobewithyoutoday.AndIthinkthankyouenoughformakingmeanhonoraryColonial.
BeforeIbegintoday,theyaskedmetomakeastandardannouncement.You’veheardthisbefore.Aboutsilencingyourphones.ThoseofyouwithaniPhone,justplaceitinsilentmode.Ifyoudon'thaveaniPhone,pleasepassittothecenteraisle.Applehasaworld‑classrecyclingprogram.
Youknow,thisisreallyanamazingplace.Andforalotofyou,I’msurethatbeinghereinWashington,theverycenterofourdemocracy,wasabigdrawwhenyouwerechoosingwhichschooltogoto.Thisplacehasapowerfulpull.ItwasherethatDr.MartinLutherKingchallengedAmericanstomakerealthepromisesofdemocracy,tomakejusticearealityforallofGod'schildren.
AnditwasherethatPresidentRonaldReagancalledonustobelieveinourselvesandtobelieveinourcapacitytoperformgreatdeeds.I'dliketostartthismorningbytellingyouaboutmyfirstvisithere.Inthesummerof1977‑‑yes,I’malittleold‑‑Iwas16yearsoldandlivinginRobertsdale,thesmalltowninsouthernAlabamathatIgrewupin.AttheendofmyjunioryearofhighschoolI’dwonanessaycontestsponsoredbytheNationalRuralElectricAssociation.Ican'trememberwhattheessaywasabout,whatIdorememberveryclearlyiswritingitbyhand,draftafterdraftafterdraft.Typewriterswereveryexpensiveandmyfamilycouldnotaffordone.
IwasoneoftwokidsfromBaldwinCountythatwaschosentogotoWashingtonalongwithhundredsofotherkidsacrossthecountry.Beforeweleft,theAlabamadelegationtookatriptoourstatecapitolinMontgomeryforameetingwiththegovernor.Thegovernor'snamewasGeorgeC.Wallace.ThesameGeorgeWallacewhoin1963stoodintheschoolhousedoorattheUniversityofAlabamatoblockAfricanAmericansfromenrolling.Wallaceembracedtheevilsofsegregation.Hepittedwhitesagainstblacks,theSouthagainsttheNorth,theworkingclassagainsttheso‑calledelites.Meetingmygovernorwasnotanhonorforme.
MyheroesinlifewereDr.MartinLutherKing,andRobertF.Kennedy,whohadfoughtagainsttheverythingsthatWallacestoodfor.Keepinmind,thatIgrewup,or,whenIgrewup,IgrewupinaplacewhereKingandKennedywerenotexactlyheldinhighesteem.WhenIwasakid,theSouthwasstillcomingtogripswithitshistory.MytextbooksevensaidtheCivilWarwasaboutstates’rights.Theybarelymentionedslavery.
SoIhadtofigureoutformyselfwhatwasrightandtrue.Itwasasearch.Itwasaprocess.ItdrewonthemoralsensethatI’dlearnedfrommyparents,andinchurch,andinmyownheart,andledmeonmyownjourneyofdiscovery.Ifoundbooksinthepubliclibrarythattheyprobablydidn'tknowtheyhad.TheyallpointedtothefactthatWallacewaswrong.Thatinjusticeslikesegregationhadnoplaceinourworld.Thatequalityisaright.
AsIsaid,Iwasonly16whenImetGovernorWallace,soIshookhishandaswewereexpectedtodo.Butshakinghishandfeltlikeabetrayalofmyownbeliefs.Itfeltwrong.LikeIwassellingapieceofmysoul.
FromMontgomeryweflewtoWashington.ItwasthefirsttimeIhadeverbeenonanairplane.InfactitwasthefirsttimethatItraveledoutoftheSouth.OnJune15,1977,Iwasoneof900highschoolersgreetedbythenewpresident,PresidentJimmyCarter,onthesouthlawnoftheWhiteHouse,rightthereontheothersideoftheellipse.Iwasoneoftheluckyones,whogottoshakehishand.CartersawBaldwinCountyonmynametagthatdayandstoppedtospeakwithme.HewantedtoknowhowpeopleweredoingaftertherashofstormsthatstruckAlabamathatyear.Carterwaskindandcompassionate;heheldthemostpowerfuljobintheworldbuthehadnotsacrificedanyofhishumanity.Ifeltproudthathewaspresident.AndIfeltproudthathewasfromtheSouth.Inthespaceofaweek,Ihadcomefacetofacewithtwomenwhoguaranteedthemselvesaplaceinhistory.Theycamefromthesameregion.Theywerefromthesamepoliticalparty.Theywerebothgovernorsofadjoiningstates.Buttheylookedattheworldinverydifferentways.Itwascleartome,thatonewasright,andonewaswrong.Wallacehadbuilthispoliticalcareerbyexploitingdivisionsbetweenus.Carter'smessageontheotherhand,wasthatweareallboundtogether,everyoneofus.Eachhadmadeajourneythatledthemtothevaluesthattheylivedby,butitwasn'tjustabouttheirexperiencesortheircircumstances,ithadtocomefromwithin.
Myownjourneyinlifewasjustbeginning.Ihadn'tevenappliedforcollegeyetatthatpoint.Foryougraduates,theprocessofdiscoveringyourself,ofinventingyourself,ofreinventingyourselfisabouttobegininearnest.It'saboutfindingyourvaluesandcommittingtolivebythem.YouhavetofindyourNorthStar.Andthatmeanschoices.Someareeasy.Somearehard.Andsomewillmakeyouquestioneverything.TwentyyearsaftermyvisittoWashington,Imetsomeonewhomademequestioneverything.Whoupendedallofmyassumptionsintheverybestway.ThatwasSteveJobs.
Stevehadbuiltasuccessfulcompany.Hehadbeensentawayandhereturnedtofinditinruins.Hedidn'tknowitatthetime,buthewasabouttodedicatetherestofhislifetorescuingit,andleadingittoheightsgreaterthananyonecouldeverimagine.Anyone,thatis,exceptforSteve.Mostpeoplehaveforgotten,butin1997andearly1998,Applehadbeenadriftforyears.Rudderless.ButStevethoughtApplecouldbegreatagain.AndhewantedtoknowifI’dliketohelp.
HisvisionforApplewasacompanythatturnedpowerfultechnologyintotoolsthatwereeasytouse,toolsthatwouldhelppeoplerealizetheirdreams.Andchangetheworldforthebetter.IhadstudiedtobeanengineerandearnedanM.B.A.Iwastrainedtobepragmatic,aproblemsolver.NowIfoundmyselfsittingbeforeandlisteningtothisveryanimated40‑somethingguywithvisionsofchangingtheworld.ItwasnotwhatIhadexpected.Yousee,whenitcametomycareer,in1998,Iwasalsoadrift.Rudderless.
IknewwhoIwasinmypersonallife,andIkeptmyeyeonmyNorthStar,myresponsibilitytodogoodforsomeoneelse,otherthanmyself.Butatwork,wellIalwaysfiguredthatworkwaswork.Valueshadtheirplaceand,yes,therewerethingsthatIwantedtochangeabouttheworld,butIthoughtIhadtodothatonmyowntime.Notintheoffice.Stevedidn'tseeitthatway.Hewasanidealist.AndinthatwayheremindedmeofhowIfeltasateenager.Inthatfirstmeetingheconvincedmeifweworkedhardandmadegreatproducts,wetoocouldhelpchangetheworld.Andtomysurprise,Iwashooked.Itookthejobandchangedmylife.It'sbeen17yearsandIhaveneveroncelookedback.
AtApplewebelievetheworkshouldbemorethanjustaboutimprovingyourownself.It'saboutimprovingthelivesofothersaswell.Ourproductsdoamazingthings.AndjustasSteveenvisioned,theyempowerpeopleallovertheworld.Peoplewhoareblind,andneedinformationreadtothembecausetheycan'tseethescreen.Peopleforwhomtechnologyisalifelinebecausetheyareisolatedbydistanceordisability.Peoplewhowitnesstarget=_blankclass=infotextkey>witnessinjusticeandwanttoexposeit,andnowtheycanbecausetheyhaveacameraintheirpocketallthetime.
Ourcommitmentgoesbeyondtheproductsthemselvestohowthey’remade.Toourimpactontheenvironment.Totheroleweplayindemandingandpromotingequality.Andinimprovingeducation.Webelievethatacompanythathasvaluesandactsonthemcanreallychangetheworld.Andanindividualcantoo.Thatcanbeyou.Thatmustbeyou.Graduates,yourvaluesmatter.TheyareyourNorthStar.Andworktakesonnewmeaningwhenyoufeelyouarepointedintherightdirection.Otherwise,it'sjustajob,andlifeistooshortforthat.Weneedthebestandbrightestofyourgenerationtoleadingovernmentandinbusiness.Inthescienceandinthearts.Injournalismandinacademia.Thereishonorinallofthesepursuits.Andthereisopportunitytodoworkthatisinfusedwithmoralpurpose.Youdon'thavetochoosebetweendoinggoodanddoingwell.It'safalsechoice,todaymorethanever.
Yourchallengeistofindworkthatpaystherent,putsfoodonthetable,andletsyoudowhatisrightandgoodandjust.
SofindyourNorthStar.Letitguideyouinlife,andwork,andinyourlife'swork.Now,Isuspectsomeofyouaren'tbuyingthis.Iwon'ttakeitpersonally.It'snosurprisethatpeopleareskeptical,especiallyhereinWashington.Wherethesedaysyou’vegotplentyofreasontobe.Andahealthyamountofskepticismisfine.Thoughtooofteninthistown,itturnstocynicism.Totheideathatnomatterwho’stalkingorwhatthey’resaying,thattheirmotivesarequestionable,theircharacterissuspect,andifyousearchhardenough,youcanprovethattheyarelying.Maybethat'sjusttheworldwelivein.Butgraduates,thisisyourworldtochange.
AsIsaid,IamaproudsonoftheSouth.It'smyhome,andIwillalwaysloveit.Butforthelast17yearsI’vebuiltalifeinSiliconValley;it'saspecialplace.Thekindofplacewherethere’snoproblemthatcan'tbesolved.Nomatterhowdifficultorcomplex,that'spartofitsessentialquality.Averysinceresortofoptimism.Backinthe90s,