TED演讲：去怀疑的勇气(8)

 　　And yes, there was a lot of conflict and debate and argument,  当然，这其中有很多的矛盾和辩论，

　　but that allowed everyone around the table to be creative, to solve the problem, and to change the device. 不过这使得所有人都变得有创造力，都能去解决问题，去改变这台设备。

　　Joe was what a lot of people might think of as a whistle-blower, except that like almost all whistle-blowers,  Joe有点像是大多数人认为的揭发者那样，只不过像所有揭发者一样，

　　he wasn't a crank at all, he was passionately¹ devoted² to the organization and the higher purposes that that organization served.  他不是在异想天开，他有激情地为组织付出，以及为组织的目标而努力。

　　But he had been so afraid of conflict, until finally he became more afraid of the silence.  不过他对于矛盾太过于惧怕，直到最后沉默对他来说更为可怕。

　　And when he dared to speak, he discovered much more inside himself and much more give in the system than he had ever imagined.  而当他敢于说出口的时候，他发现了更多的自己，以及他从未想象过的对于系统的贡献。

　　And his colleagues don't think of him as a crank. They think of him as a leader. 而且他的同事没觉得他的想法是天方夜谭，他们认为他是个领导者。

　　So, how do we have these conversations more easily and more often?  所以说,我们怎么样才能更简单，更经常地来发起这些对话呢?

　　Well, the University of Delft requires that its PhD students have to submit five statements that they're prepared to defend.  嗯，Delft大学要求，它所有的博士学生必须提交他们已经准备好可以进行辩护的5个陈述。

　　It doesn't really matter what the statements are about, what matters is that the candidates are willing and able to stand up to authority.  这些陈述是什么都无所谓，重要的是这些选手们愿意而且有能力对权威提出挑战。

　　I think it's a fantastic system, but I think leaving it to PhD candidates is far too few people, and way too late in life.  我认为这是一个极棒的系统，不过我觉得毕竟博士生还是少数，而且太晚了。

1 passionately   

ad.热烈地，激烈地

参考例句：

• She could hate as passionately as she could love. 她能恨得咬牙切齿，也能爱得一往情深。
• He was passionately addicted to pop music. 他酷爱流行音乐。

2 devoted   

adj.忠诚的，忠实的，热心的，献身于...的

参考例句：

• He devoted his life to the educational cause of the motherland.他为祖国的教育事业贡献了一生。
• We devoted a lengthy and full discussion to this topic.我们对这个题目进行了长时间的充分讨论。