2007年NPR美国国家公共电台五月-Every Person Deserve

I believe in mystery.
I believe in family.
I believe in being who I am.
I believe in the power of failure.
And I believe normal life is extraordinary.
This I Believe.

I'm Jay Allison for This I Believe, our weekly series of essays about personal conviction. Today our essay comes from Vint Cerf, the quote "Chief Internet Evangelist" at Google. Cerf is often credited as the "Father of the Internet" though he be quick to call it a team effort. In the 1970s, he helped design the earlier architecture allowing computers to share information and networks which led to the World Wide Web. His belief extends to life on the web, but it begins with a lesson learned in person. Here's Vint Cerf with his essay for This I Believe.

Once I was being driven by limo to a hotel in Palm Springs to give a speech. The driver appeared to be in his 60s and I remembered thinking, "How sad that he has to keep working at this menial job". It turned out, though, that he was the retired¹ CFO of a major Chicago-based corporation who'd gotten bored with golf. He took a part-time job driving the hotel's limo so he could meet people and stay in touch with the world. He even ended up giving some good advice to me, a financially naive² engineer. I believe that every person deserves respect, and that I can learn something new from everyone.

Now I make a point of asking people about their stories. From taxicab drivers to cleaning crews, each person gives me a chance to vicariously visit a place or do a thing that I might never experience on my own. I've found most people are patient with me if I show an interest and respect for what they have to say.

Respect doesn't mean we have to agree, but we should disagree in a civil fashion. My work is in high-speed electronic communication where miscues are common and can lead to serious disputes rooted in misunderstanding and distrust. Even though it's impossible to assure civility in all situations, I can't recall a time when I have been proud of an online conversation that ended in an email nasty-gram. After the heat of the exchange wears off, I feel awkward, embarrassed that I allowed myself to be offensive.

Some people think the Internet isolates³ and dehumanizes us. I don't agree. The net is simply a vehicle for people to communicate. When an online discussion becomes testy⁴, many of us have learnt to move the discussion to face-to-face or at least the telephone so that better social cues can moderate an increasingly angry exchange. Reading words often invites the worst possible interpretation⁵. Understanding this, is key to the world of the web. Whether it's on the web or in person, when I meet new people, if I'm open, curious and civil, I can learn new things. I believe it's imperative⁶, even selfish you might say, to treat every person with respect.

Vint Cerf with his essay for This I Believe. When we recorded him in his library in McLean, Virginia, Cerf was about to go on vacation and was not wearing one of the three-piece suits he's known for. Instead, he was dressed all in black, like Paladin, he said, on the old TV show "Have Gun Will Travel". Cerf couldn't remember the actor's name, so he googled it and it's Richard Boone if you are wondering. As ever, we hope you will consider sending in your own statement of belief at our website npr.org/thisibelieve. You can find all the essays in the series along with information about submitting your own. For This I Believe, I'm Jay Allison.

This I believe is independently produced by Jay Allison, Dan Gediman, John Gregory and Viki Merrick with Emily Botein.

Support for NPR comes from Prudential Retirement⁷, sponsor of This I Believe. Prudential believes every worker can achieve a more secure retirement. Prudential retirement, where beliefs matter.

Support for This I Believe comes from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting.

1 retired   

adj.隐退的，退休的，退役的

参考例句：

• The old man retired to the country for rest.这位老人下乡休息去了。
• Many retired people take up gardening as a hobby.许多退休的人都以从事园艺为嗜好。

2 naive   

adj.幼稚的，轻信的；天真的

参考例句：

• It's naive of you to believe he'll do what he says.相信他会言行一致，你未免太单纯了。
• Don't be naive.The matter is not so simple.你别傻乎乎的。事情没有那么简单。

3 isolates   

v.使隔离( isolate的第三人称单数 )；将…剔出（以便看清和单独处理）；使（某物质、细胞等）分离；使离析

参考例句：

• The transformer isolates the transistors with regard to d-c bias voltage. 变压器可在两个晶体管之间隔离直流偏压。 来自辞典例句
• In regions with certain isolates of TRV, spraining is more prominent. 在具有TRV某些分离物的地区，坏死是比较显著的。 来自辞典例句

4 testy   

adj.易怒的；暴躁的

参考例句：

• Ben's getting a little testy in his old age.上了年纪后本变得有点性急了。
• A doctor was called in to see a rather testy aristocrat.一个性格相当暴躁的贵族召来了一位医生为他检查。

5 interpretation   

n.解释，说明，描述；艺术处理

参考例句：

• His statement admits of one interpretation only.他的话只有一种解释。
• Analysis and interpretation is a very personal thing.分析与说明是个很主观的事情。

6 imperative   

n.命令，需要；规则；祈使语气；adj.强制的；紧急的

参考例句：

• He always speaks in an imperative tone of voice.他老是用命令的口吻讲话。
• The events of the past few days make it imperative for her to act.过去这几天发生的事迫使她不得不立即行动。

7 retirement   

n.退休，退职

参考例句：

• She wanted to enjoy her retirement without being beset by financial worries.她想享受退休生活而不必为金钱担忧。
• I have to put everything away for my retirement.我必须把一切都积蓄起来以便退休后用。