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布什在耶魯大學(xué)英語(yǔ)演講稿：人人都可能當(dāng)總統(tǒng)
Everyone Can Be a President
人人都能成為總統(tǒng)——美國(guó)第43任總統(tǒng)喬治·布什在耶魯大學(xué)的演講(中英文)
To those of you who received honors, awards, and distinctions, I say, well done. And to the C students—I say, you, too, can be President of the United States. 對(duì)于那些表現(xiàn)杰出、獲得各種獎(jiǎng)項(xiàng)和榮譽(yù)的同學(xué)，我要說，你們真棒!對(duì)于那些C等生，我要說，你們將來也可以當(dāng)美國(guó)總統(tǒng)!
Remarks by the President in Commencement Address Yale University New Haven, Connecticut Listen to the President's Remarks
THE PRESIDENT: President Levin, thank you very much. Dean Brodhead, fellows of the Yale Corporation, fellow Yale parents, families, and graduates: It's a special privilege to receive this honorary degree. I was proud 33 years ago to receive my first Yale degree. I'm even prouder that in your eyes I've earned this one.
I congratulate my fellow honorees. I'm pleased to share this honor with such a distinguished group. I'm particularly pleased to be here with my friend, the former of Mexico. Senor Presidente, usted es un verdadero lider, y un gran amigo. (Applause.)
I congratulate all the parents who are here. It's a glorious day when your child graduates from college. It's a great day for you; it's a great day for your wallet. (Laughter.)
Most important, congratulations to the class of 2001. (Applause.) To those of you who received honors, awards, and distinctions, I say, well done. And to the C students -- (applause) -- I say, you, too, can be President of the United States. (Laughter and applause.) A Yale degree is worth a lot, as I often remind Dick Cheney -- (laughter) -- who studied here, but left a little early. So now we know -- if you graduate from Yale, you become President. If you drop out, you get to be Vice President. (Laughter.)
I appreciate so very much the chance to say a few words on this occasion. I know Yale has a tradition of having no commencement speaker. I also know that you've carved out a single exception. Most people think that to speak at Yale's commencement, you have to be President. But over the years, the specifications have become far more demanding. Now you have to be a Yale graduate, you have to be President, and you have had to have lost the Yale vote to Ralph Nader. ( Applause.)
This is my first time back here in quite a while. I'm sure that each of you will make your own journey back at least a few times in your life. If you're like me, you won't remember everything you did here. (Laughter.) That can be a good thing. (Laughter.) But there will be some people, and some moments, you will never forget.
Take, for example, my old classmate, Dick Brodhead, the accomplished dean of this great university. (Applause.) I remember him as a young scholar, a bright lad -- (laughter) -- a hard worker. We both put a lot of time in at the Sterling Library, in the reading room, where they have those big leather couches. (Laughter.) We had a mutual understanding -- Dick wouldn't read aloud, and I wouldn't snore. (Laughter.)
Our course selections were different, as we followed our own path to academic discovery. Dick was an English major, and loved the classics. I loved history, and pursued a diversified course of study. I like to think of it as the academic road less traveled. (Laughter.)
For example, I took a class that studied Japanese Haiku. Haiku, for the uninitiated, is a 15th century form of poetry, each poem having 17 syllables. Haiku is fully understood only by the Zen masters. As I recall, one of my academic advisers was worried about my selection of such a specialized course. He said I should focus on English. (Laughter.) I still hear that quite often. ( Laughter.) But my critics don't realize I don't make verbal gaffes. I'm speaking in the perfect forms and rhythms of ancient Haiku. (Applause.)
I did take English here, and I took a class called "The History and Practice of American Oratory," taught by Rollin G. Osterweis. (Applause.) And, President Levin, I want to give credit where credit is due. I want the entire world to know this -- everything I know about the spoken word, I learned right here at Yale. (Laughter.)
As a student, I tried to keep a low profile. It worked. Last year the New York Times interviewed John Morton Blum because the record showed I had taken one of his courses. Casting his mind's eye over the parade of young faces down through the years, Professor Blum said, and I quote, "I don't have the foggiest recollection of him." (Laughter.)
But I remember Professor Blum. And I still recall his dedication and high standards of learning. In my time there were many great professors at Yale. And there still are. They're the ones who keep Yale going after the commencements, after we have all gone our separate ways. I'm not sure I remembered to thank them the last time I was here, but now that I have a second chance, I thank the professors of Yale University. (Applause.)
That's how I've come to feel about the Yale experience -- grateful. I studied hard, I played hard, and I made a lot of lifelong friends. What stays with you from college is the part of your education you hardly ever notice at the time. It's the expectations and examples around you, the ideals you believe in, and the friends you make.
In my time, they spoke of the "Yale man." I was really never sure what that was. But I do think that I'm a better man because of Yale. All universities, at their best, teach that degrees and honors are far from the full measure of life. Nor is that measure taken in wealth or in titles. What matters most are the standards you live by, the consideration you show others, and the way you use the gifts you are given.
Now you leave Yale behind, carrying the written proof of your success here, at a college older than America. When I left here, I didn't have much in the way of a life plan. I knew some people who thought they did. But it turned out that we were all in for ups and downs, most of them unexpected. Life takes its own turns, makes its own demands, writes its own story. And along the way, we start to realize we are not the author.
We begin to understand that life is ours to live, but not to waste, and that the greatest rewards are found in the commitments we make with our whole hearts -- to the people we love and to the causes that earn our sacrifice. I hope that each of you will know these rewards. I hope you will find them in your own way and your own time.
For some, that might mean some time in public service. And if you hear that calling, I hope you answer. Each of you has unique gifts and you were given them for a reason. Use them and share them. Public service is one way -- an honorable way -- to mark your life with meaning.
Today I visit not only my alma mater, but the city of my birth. My life began just a few blocks from here, but I was raised in West Texas. From there, Yale always seemed a world away, maybe a part of my future. Now it's part of my past, and Yale for me is a source of great pride.
I hope that there will come a time for you to return to Yale to say that, and feel as I do today. And I hope you won't wait as long. Congratulations and God bless. (Applause.)
END
人人都可能當(dāng)總統(tǒng)——布什在耶魯大學(xué)的演講
我很榮幸能在這個(gè)場(chǎng)合發(fā)表演講。
我知道，耶魯向來不邀請(qǐng)畢業(yè)典禮演講人，但近幾年來卻有例外。雖然破了例，但條件卻更 加嚴(yán)格――演講人必須同時(shí)具備兩種身份：耶魯校友、美國(guó)總統(tǒng)。我很驕傲在33年前領(lǐng)取 到第一個(gè)耶魯大學(xué)的學(xué)位。此次，我又榮獲耶魯榮譽(yù)學(xué)位感到光榮。
今天是諸位學(xué)友畢業(yè)的日子，在這里我首先要恭喜家長(zhǎng)們：恭喜你們的子女修完學(xué)業(yè)順利畢 業(yè)，這是你們辛勤栽培后享受收獲的日子，也是你們錢包解放的大好日子!最重要的是，我 要恭喜耶魯畢業(yè)生們：對(duì)于那些表現(xiàn)杰出的同學(xué)，我要說，你真棒!對(duì)于那些丙等生，我要 說，你們將來也可以當(dāng)美國(guó)總統(tǒng)!
耶魯學(xué)位價(jià)值不菲。我時(shí)常這么提醒切尼(現(xiàn)任美國(guó)副總統(tǒng)),他在早年也短暫就讀于此.所以 ,我想提醒正就讀于耶魯?shù)妮份穼W(xué)子，如果你們從耶魯順利畢業(yè)，你們也許可以當(dāng)上總統(tǒng); 如果你們中途輟學(xué)，那么你們只能當(dāng)副總統(tǒng)了。
這是我畢業(yè)以來第二次回到這里。不過，一些人，一些事至今讓我念念不忘。舉例來說，我 記得我的老同學(xué)狄克.布洛德翰，如今他是偉大學(xué)校的杰出校長(zhǎng)，他讀書時(shí)的聰明與刻苦至 今讓我記憶猶新。那時(shí)，我們經(jīng)常泡在校圖書館那個(gè)有著大皮沙發(fā)的閱讀室里。我們有個(gè)默 契：他不大聲朗讀課文，我睡覺不打呼嚕。
后來，隨著學(xué)術(shù)探索的領(lǐng)域不同，我們選修的課程也各不相同，狄克主修英語(yǔ)，我主修歷史 。有趣的是，我選修過15世紀(jì)的日本俳句——每首詩(shī)只有17個(gè)音節(jié)，我想其意義只有禪學(xué)大 師才能明了。我記得一位學(xué)科顧問對(duì)我選修如此專精的課程表示擔(dān)憂，他說我應(yīng)該選修英語(yǔ) �，F(xiàn)在，我仍然時(shí)常聽到這類建議。我在其他場(chǎng)合演講時(shí)，在語(yǔ)言表達(dá)上曾被人誤解過，我 的批評(píng)者不明白：我不是說錯(cuò)了字，我是在復(fù)誦古代俳句的完美格式與聲韻呢。
我很感激耶魯大學(xué)給我們提供了這么好的讀書環(huán)境。讀書期間，我堅(jiān)持“用功讀書，努力玩 樂”的思想，雖然不是很出色地完成了學(xué)業(yè)，但結(jié)交了許多讓我終生受益的朋友。也許有的 同學(xué)會(huì)認(rèn)為，大學(xué)只是人生受教育的重要部分，殊不知，“大學(xué)生活”這四個(gè)字的內(nèi)涵十分 深厚，它既包含豐富的學(xué)科知識(shí)和學(xué)術(shù)氛圍，也蘊(yùn)涵著許多支撐人生成敗的觀念，還有那豐 富多彩的生活以及讀多值得結(jié)交的朋友┄┄
大家常說，“耶魯人”，我從不確定那是什么意思。但是我想，這一定是含著無限肯定與景 仰的褒義詞。是的，因?yàn)橐�，因�(yàn)橛辛嗽谝斏钤斓慕?jīng)歷，你、我、他變成了一個(gè)個(gè)更加 優(yōu)秀的人!你們離開耶魯后，我希望你們牢記“我的知識(shí)源自耶魯”，并以你們自己的方式 、自己的時(shí)間、自己的奮斗來體現(xiàn)對(duì)母校的熱愛，聽從時(shí)代的召喚，用信心與行動(dòng)予以積極 響應(yīng)。
你們每個(gè)人都有獨(dú)特的天賦，你們擁有的這些天賦就是你們參與 競(jìng)爭(zhēng)、實(shí)現(xiàn)人生價(jià)值的資 本，好好利用它們，與人分享它們，將它們轉(zhuǎn)化為推進(jìn)時(shí)代前進(jìn)的動(dòng)力吧!人生是要讓我們 去生活、而不是用來浪費(fèi)的，只要肯爭(zhēng)上游，人人都可當(dāng)總統(tǒng)!
這次我不僅回到母校，也是回到我的出生地，我就是在幾條街之外出生的。在那時(shí)，耶魯與 無知的我仿佛要隔了一個(gè)世界之遙，而現(xiàn)在，她是我過去的一部分。對(duì)我而言，耶魯是我知 識(shí)的源泉，力量的源泉，令我極度驕傲的源泉。我希望，將來你們以另外一種身份回到耶魯 時(shí)，能有與我一樣的感受并說出相同的話。我希望你們不要等太久，我也堅(jiān)信耶魯邀請(qǐng)你回 校演講的日子也不會(huì)等太久。
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