名校励志英语演讲 177:人人都能成为总统(4)

 　　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 ideals¹ you believe in, and the friends you make.

　　我很感激耶鲁大学给我们提供了这么好的读书环境。读书期间，我坚持“用功读书，努力玩乐”，结交了许多让我终生受益的朋友。大学期间，常陪伴你身边的那些东西是你学习生涯的一部分，但是那时你却从来没有注意过。那时大家对你们的期望，是你身边值得你学习的榜样，是你坚持的理想，以及诸多你结交的朋友...

　　In my time, they spoke² 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 honors³ 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.

　　我那个时代，常常听到大家说“耶鲁人”。我从不确定那是什么意思。但是因为耶鲁，因为有了在耶鲁深造的经历，我变成了一个更加优秀的人！许多大学都在尽力教导学生，学位和荣誉并非衡量人生的一切标准。财富和头衔也不能用来衡量人生。衡量人生的关键在于你的生活准则、你对他人的体恤以及你如何运用你的天赋。

　　Now you leave Yale behind, carrying the written proof⁴ 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 unexpected⁵. 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.

　　现在你们即将低着从这所比美国历史还要悠久的大学获得的证明你们成功的证书离开耶鲁。我从这里毕业时，还没有仔细规划我的人生。我认识一些人，他们认为自己对人生做了规划。但结果表明，生活不可能一帆风顺，人生道路跌宕起伏，免不了会经历坎坷。生活自由轨迹，生活充满挑战，生活谱写着自己的故事，而历经漫漫人生路，我们才开始发现自己并不是这些故事的谱写者。

1 ideals   

n.理想的事物[人]( ideal的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• This terrorists brainwashed him into believing in their ideals. 恐怖分子迫使他相信他们的理想。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• One of his ideals is to become a pianist. 他的理想之一是成为钢琴家。 来自《简明英汉词典》

2 spoke   

n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说

参考例句：

• They sourced the spoke nuts from our company.他们的轮辐螺帽是从我们公司获得的。
• The spokes of a wheel are the bars that connect the outer ring to the centre.辐条是轮子上连接外圈与中心的条棒。

3 honors   

n.礼仪；荣典；礼节； 大学荣誉学位；大学优等成绩；尊敬( honor的名词复数 )；敬意；荣誉；光荣

参考例句：

• He aims at honors. 他力求名誉。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• We did the last honors to his remains. 我们向他的遗体告别。 来自《简明英汉词典》

4 proof   

adj.防...的，耐...的，能防护；n.校样，证据，证明；vt.检验，给...做防护措施

参考例句：

• He is living proof of the wonders of modern medicine.他是当代医学奇迹的活证明。
• The proof was fished up from some old papers.校样在旧文件中被找到了。

5 unexpected   

adj.想不到的，意外的

参考例句：

• I always keep some good wine in for unexpected guests.我总保存些好酒，用来招待不速之客。
• His promotion was unexpected.他的升迁出人意料。