＂我希望你们在未来岁月中，不时遭遇不公的对待……＂家长竟然这样为孩子毕业典礼致辞
在常态的生活中，长辈们对于年轻人的祝福一般都是希望未来一片美好，相信年轻人会拥有锦绣前程。尤其是在中国文化中，这会比较的吉祥、受人欢迎。
然而，最近，一篇不同寻常的毕业演讲在美国社交媒体刷屏。
今年6月初，美国最高法院首席大法官约翰·罗伯茨（John Roberts）来到新罕布什尔州的卡迪根山中学（Cardigan Mountain School），参加儿子的初中毕业典礼，并发表演讲。
这篇演讲当时并没有引起轰动，但近日《华盛顿邮报》（Washington Post）把其中的金句挖掘了出来，竟引发美国媒体和社交网络的疯狂转发。
为什么呢？因为这番演讲和一般毕业典礼演讲嘉宾说的话太不一样了！
他没有祝福毕业生们有个光明美好的未来，却祝愿他们遭遇各种不幸……
From time to time in the years to come, I hope you will be treated unfairly, so that you will come to know the value of justice.
我希望在未来岁月中，你能时不时地遭遇不公，唯有如此，你才能懂得公正的价值。
From time to time in the years to come, I hope you will be treated unfairly, so that you will come to know the value of justice.
我希望在未来岁月中，你能时不时地遭遇不公，唯有如此，你才能懂得公正的价值。
I hope that you will suffer betrayalbecause that will teach you the importance of loyalty.
我希望你尝到背叛的滋味，这样你才能领悟到忠诚之重要。
I hope that you will suffer betrayalbecause that will teach you the importance of loyalty.
我希望你尝到背叛的滋味，这样你才能领悟到忠诚之重要。
Sorry to say, butI hope you will be lonelyfrom time to time so that you don’t take friends for granted.
抱歉，我还希望你们时常感到孤独，唯有如此，你才不会视朋友为理所当然。
Sorry to say, butI hope you will be lonelyfrom time to time so that you don’t take friends for granted.
抱歉，我还希望你们时常感到孤独，唯有如此，你才不会视朋友为理所当然。
I wish you bad luck,again, from time to time so that you will be conscious of the role of chance in life and understand that your success is not completely deserved and that the failure of others is not completely deserved either.
我祝你们偶尔运气不佳，这样你才会意识到机遇在人生中扮演的角色，从而明白你的成功并非天经地义，而他人的失败也不是命中注定。
I wish you bad luck,again, from time to time so that you will be conscious of the role of chance in life and understand that your success is not completely deserved and that the failure of others is not completely deserved either.
我祝你们偶尔运气不佳，这样你才会意识到机遇在人生中扮演的角色，从而明白你的成功并非天经地义，而他人的失败也不是命中注定。
And when you lose, as you will from time to time, I hope every now and then, your opponent will gloat over your failure. It is a way for you to understand the importance of sportsmanship.
当你偶尔失败时，我愿你的对手时不时地会幸灾乐祸。这样你才能懂得互相尊重的竞技精神的重要。
And when you lose, as you will from time to time, I hope every now and then, your opponent will gloat over your failure. It is a way for you to understand the importance of sportsmanship.
当你偶尔失败时，我愿你的对手时不时地会幸灾乐祸。这样你才能懂得互相尊重的竞技精神的重要。
I hope you’ll be ignoredso you know the importance of listening to others.
我希望你被人无视，唯有如此，你才懂得倾听他人有多重要。
I hope you’ll be ignoredso you know the importance of listening to others.
我希望你被人无视，唯有如此，你才懂得倾听他人有多重要。
And I hope you will have just enough painto learn compassion.
我祝你感受足够的痛楚来学会同情。
And I hope you will have just enough painto learn compassion.
我祝你感受足够的痛楚来学会同情。
果然良药苦口，忠言逆耳。这一系列“祝福”发人深思。来看这段视频：
这位大法官与众不同，他比较直接地讲到了生活真实的一面，充满了挑战的艰辛，充满了复杂的人际关系，貌似听起来很难听，但实际上是直言不讳地道出了人间的真相。
这些话貌似不是祝福，事实上是让年轻人有更多的心理准备，去面对一个充满不确定的未来世界。
约翰·罗伯茨还评论了一下演讲嘉宾们爱对毕业生说的一句话：“做自己”（Be yourself）。
Unless you are perfect, it does not mean don’t make any changes.
除非你完美无瑕，那么这句话绝不意味着不去改变自己。
Unless you are perfect, it does not mean don’t make any changes.
除非你完美无瑕，那么这句话绝不意味着不去改变自己。
他鼓励毕业生们思考自己想成为什么样的人，这样才能真正地“做自己”。他引用苏格拉底的话说：
“The unexamined life is not worth living.”
未经自省的人生没有意义。
“The unexamined life is not worth living.”
未经自省的人生没有意义。
约翰·罗伯茨还说了一句大实话，“你们都是享有特权的一批年轻人”：
You are also privileged young men.And if you weren’t privileged when you came here, you are privileged now because you have been here. My advice is: Don’t act like it.
你们也是享有特权的一群年轻人。即使初来此地之时你们并不优人一等，但成为这里的一员，已经使你们比他人享有更多优势。我的建议是，不要表现得高人一等。
You are also privileged young men.And if you weren’t privileged when you came here, you are privileged now because you have been here. My advice is: Don’t act like it.
你们也是享有特权的一群年轻人。即使初来此地之时你们并不优人一等，但成为这里的一员，已经使你们比他人享有更多优势。我的建议是，不要表现得高人一等。
怎样不表现得高人一等？他给了一些具体建议：
When you get to your new school, walk up and introduce yourself to the person who is raking the leaves, shoveling the snow or emptying the trash. Learn their name and call them by their name during your time at the school.
当你来到新学校时，见到那些扫落叶、铲雪、倒垃圾的人，便走上前自我介绍，同时记住他们名字。在学校的日子里，记得称呼他们的名字。
When you get to your new school, walk up and introduce yourself to the person who is raking the leaves, shoveling the snow or emptying the trash. Learn their name and call them by their name during your time at the school.
当你来到新学校时，见到那些扫落叶、铲雪、倒垃圾的人，便走上前自我介绍，同时记住他们名字。在学校的日子里，记得称呼他们的名字。
给完建议，他还不忘开个小玩笑，因为卡迪根山中学是一所男子中学，所以他说：
You’ve been at a school with just boys. Most of you will be going to a school with girls. I have no advice for you.
你们之前在的学校里只有男孩，现在大多数人都将进入有女生的学校。关于这件事，我就不提建议了。
You’ve been at a school with just boys. Most of you will be going to a school with girls. I have no advice for you.
你们之前在的学校里只有男孩，现在大多数人都将进入有女生的学校。关于这件事，我就不提建议了。
当时场下观众一片爆笑，罗伯茨也忍不住笑起来……
最后，约翰·罗伯茨以鲍勃·迪伦1973年写的一首歌，《永远年轻》（Forever Young），作为结语。
这首歌是50年前迪伦在巡演期间思念儿子所做，饱含父母对孩子的美好期盼，罗伯茨说：
The wishes are beautiful, they’re timeless. They’re universal.
这些期盼是美好的、永恒的，也是普世的。
The wishes are beautiful, they’re timeless. They’re universal.
这些期盼是美好的、永恒的，也是普世的。
歌词如下：
May God bless and keep you always,
愿上帝的庇护与你同在
May your wishes all come true,
愿你能够梦想成真
May you always do for others
愿你永远帮助别人
And let others do for you.
也接受别人的恩惠
May you build a ladder to the stars
愿你可以造一把采摘繁星的云梯
And climb on every rung,
稳妥沿它而上
May you stay forever young,
愿你永远年轻
Forever young, forever young,
永远年轻，永远年轻
May you stay forever young.
愿你永远年轻
May you grow up to be righteous,
愿你长大后正直无私
May you grow up to be true,
愿你懂事时真实善良
May you always know the truth
愿你永远了解真理的方向
And see the lights surrounding you.
所到之处都有高灯明照
May you always be courageous,
愿你永远勇敢无畏
Stand upright and be strong,
坚韧不拔，意志坚强
May you stay forever young,
愿你永远年轻
Forever young, forever young,
永远年轻，永远年轻
May you stay forever young.
愿你永远年轻
May your hands always be busy,
愿你总是忙碌充实
May your feet always be swift,
愿你的脚步永远轻盈敏捷
May you have a strong foundation
愿你有一个坚强的信念，屹立不倒
When the winds of changes shift.
当暴风骤雨来临时
May your heart always be joyful,
愿你的心总是充满快乐
May your song always be sung,
愿你的歌曲能够永远被人传唱
May you stay forever young,
愿你永远年轻
Forever young, forever young,
永远年轻，永远年轻
May you stay forever young.
愿你永远年轻
正如罗曼·罗兰的那句名言：世界上只有一种真正的英雄主义，那就是在看清生活的真相后，依然热爱生活。
大法官在“希望”年轻人们未来碰点遭遇后，最后还是为年轻人送上最诚挚美好的祝福。因为有了遭遇和磨难，你才会对生活的馈赠倍感珍惜。
这也提醒着已为人父母的家长们，对于孩子的教育，除了帮助他们走好成长的每一步外，也要提醒他们，生活中除了美好，还有不公、冷漠和恶意。
以及，更要告知他们如何去面对生活的黑暗面：不是一起沦为黑暗，而是以更积极昂扬的姿态去捍卫生活的美好！
【美国首席大法官演讲完整版】
全文翻译：
感谢大家。
Thank you very much.
有人说，雨点，就像来自天堂的彩屑，所以这个早晨，即使天堂也在为我们庆祝，共同加入我们这个非凡的毕业典礼。
Rain, somebody said, is like confetti from heaven. So even the heavens are celebrating this morning, joining the rest of us at this wonderful commencement ceremony.
在我们开始之前，毕业生们，你们有一个非常重要的任务——你们身后的站着的，是你们的父母和监护人。两年、三年或者四年前，他们开车带你们来到这所学校，安顿好你们，然后走出大门，掉头回去。对他们来说，那是一次不同寻常的牺牲。归途中，他们或许泪流满面，而迎接他们的，是一所空荡荡、孤单的房子。他们做出这样的牺牲，是因为他们知道，教育是为了你们，而不是为了他们自己。因为他们的牺牲和付出，你们才能走到今天。所以今天这个早晨不光光是为了你们，同样也是为了他们。我希望你们能够站起来，转过身，为他们鼓掌。
Before we go any further, graduates, you have an important task to perform because behind you are your parents and guardians. Two or three or four years ago, they drove into Cardigan, dropped you off, helped you get settled and then turned around and drove back out the gates. It was an extraordinary sacrifice for them. They drove down the trail of tears back to an emptier and lonelier house. They did that because the decision about your education, they knew, was about you. It was not about them. That sacrifice and others they made have brought you to this point. But this morning is not just about you. It is also about them, so I hope you will stand up and turn around and give them a great round of applause. Please.
（现场全体毕业生起立，为父母鼓掌。）
现在，如果有人问我关于这次演讲的事，我终于可以说我的演讲被掌声打断了。（笑声）
Now when somebody asks me how the remarks at Cardigan went, I will be able to say they were interrupted by applause.
祝贺你们，2017的毕业生。你们来到了一个重要的人生里程碑，度过了人生中非常重要的一个阶段。我很遗憾地告诉你们，那同时也是人生中最容易的阶段，它是在书本里的。当你们身处Cardigan（注：寄宿学校的名字）中，你们同时也成为了一个重要的国际社区的一份子。【用其它各种语言致辞。】
Congratulations, class of 2017. You’ve reached an important milestone. An important stage of your life is behind you. I’m sorry to be the one to tell you it is the easiest stage of your life, but it is in the books. While you’ve been at Cardigan, you have all been a part of an important international community as well. And I think that needs to be particularly recognized.
[Roberts gave brief remarks in other languages.]
如今，在这个国家的大学里、高中里、初中里，毕业典礼致辞嘉宾都会站在不耐烦的毕业生前，说同样的话。他们会说，今天是你们的毕业典礼，但是，这是一个开始，而不是结束，你们应该向前看。我认为这很对，但是，当你们向前看寻找前路的时候，向后回望来途同样重要。当你们回顾你们在Cardigan的第一个下午时，或许你会想起来，自己曾经是孤独的；或许你会想起来，你有一点点害怕和紧张。现在看看你们自己，你们被朋友环绕，你们拥有了很多兄弟，你们自信地面对着下一阶段的求学。
Now around the country today at colleges, high schools, middle schools, commencement speakers are standing before impatient graduates. And they are almost always saying the same things. They will say that today is a commencement exercise. ‘It is a beginning, not an end. You should look forward.’ And I think that is true enough, however, I think if you’re going to look forward to figure out where you’re going, it’s good to know where you’ve been and to look back as well. And I think if you look back to your first afternoon here at Cardigan, perhaps you will recall that you were lonely. Perhaps you will recall that you were a little scared, a little anxious. And now look at you. You are surrounded by friends that you call brothers, and you are confident in facing the next step in your education.
思考一下这种转变从何而来非常有价值。而当你思考的时候，你会感激你的同学们，在课堂中、田径场上、宿舍里对你的各种支持。一个人的自信，不是因为你做的事情全部都成功，而是因为有了朋友的帮助后，你不惧怕失败。当你失败，你会站在来，再次尝试。当你再失败，你会又站起来，再次尝试。而当你又失败——你最好想想找点其它什么事情做。（笑声）但是你要明白，不是成功，而是不惧怕失败，才让你走到了今天。
It is worth trying to think why that is so. And when you do, I think you may appreciate that it was because of the support of your classmates in the classroom, on the athletic field and in the dorms. And as far as the confidence goes, I think you will appreciate that it is not because you succeeded at everything you did, but because with the help of your friends, you were not afraid to fail. And if you did fail, you got up and tried again. And if you failed again, you got up and tried again. And if you failed again, it might be time to think about doing something else. But it was not just success, but not being afraid to fail that brought you to this point.
现在的演讲嘉宾还会给予你们很多祝福，我不打算这么做，我来告诉你们为什么。在未来的岁月里，时不时的，我希望你们受到一点不公正的对待，这样，你们才会知道正义的价值；我希望你们会遭受背叛，这样你们才会了解忠诚的可贵。很抱歉这样说，但我希望你们时不时会体会到孤独，这样你们才不会将友情视作理所当然；我希望你们交点噩运，这样你们才会意识到，自己的成功并非天经地义，别人的失败也不是咎由自取。
Now the commencement speakers will typically also wish you good luck and extend good wishes to you. I will not do that, and I’ll tell you why. From time to time in the years to come, I hope you will be treated unfairly, so that you will come to know the value of justice. I hope that you will suffer betrayal because that will teach you the importance of loyalty. Sorry to say, but I hope you will be lonely from time to time so that you don’t take friends for granted. I wish you bad luck, again, from time to time so that you will be conscious of the role of chance in life and understand that your success is not completely deserved and that the failure of others is not completely deserved either.
当你们失败时，我希望你们的竞争对手时不时地幸灾乐祸一下，这样你们才会领悟体育精神的可贵；希望你们被忽视，这样你们才会知道倾听有多重要。不管以上这些是不是我的希望，它们都会在你们未来的人生中发生，而你们是否会从中获益，完全取决于你们看待人生遭遇的视角。
And when you lose, as you will from time to time, I hope every now and then, your opponent will gloat over your failure. It is a way for you to understand the importance of sportsmanship. I hope you’ll be ignored so you know the importance of listening to others, and I hope you will have just enough pain to learn compassion. Whether I wish these things or not, they’re going to happen. And whether you benefit from them or not will depend upon your ability to see the message in your misfortunes.
现在的演讲嘉宾还会给一些忠告，一些人生忠告，一些有用的技巧。最常见的人生忠告是——做你自己。跟一群穿着一模一样校服的人说，“做你自己”，是件很奇怪的事情，但大家还是要说，“做你自己”。（笑声）但是，你们应该理解这句话背后的意义。除非你是一个完人，否则这句话真的不代表你不需要做任何改变。在有些时候，你不应该做你自己，你应该做一个更好的人。人们说“做自己”是因为他们不希望你们放弃内心的梦想，而屈服于外界的压力。但当我们不知道我们自己是谁的时候，我们不可能做自己；而如果我们不仔细思考自己人生的价值，我们也不可能知道自己是谁。
Now commencement speakers are also expected to give some advice. They give grand advice, and they give some useful tips. The most common grand advice they give is for you to be yourself. It is an odd piece of advice to give people dressed identically, but you should — you should be yourself. But you should understand what that means. Unless you are perfect, it does not mean don’t make any changes. In a certain sense, you should not be yourself. You should try to become something better. People say ‘be yourself’ because they want you to resist the impulse to conform to what others want you to be. But you can’t be yourself if you don't learn who are, and you can’t learn who you are unless you think about it.
古希腊哲学家苏格拉底曾说：“未经检验的人生是不值得活的。”有些时候，“just do it”可能是个很有道理的人生格言，但是，在试图找到你该如何度过未来的人生时，这句话并无价值。当你完全不考虑自己的人生价值时，你不可能找到自己到底是谁。
The Greek philosopher Socrates said, ‘The unexamined life is not worth living.’ And while ‘just do it’ might be a good motto for some things, it’s not a good motto when it’s trying to figure out how to live your life that is before you. And one important clue to living a good life is to not to try to live the good life. The best way to lose the values that are central to who you are is frankly not to think about them at all.
好了，人生忠告到此为止，下面是教你们一些小技巧到高中里去使用。过去几年中，我认识了你们中的不少男生，我知道你们都是优秀的孩子。但是，你们是“有特权”的男生。如果你们没有特权，你们不会来到这个学校，即使你们来之前没有特权，现在你们也有了。我的建议是：不要自视甚高。
So that’s the deep advice. Now some tips as you get ready to go to your new school. Other the last couple of years, I have gotten to know many of you young men pretty well, and I know you are good guys. But you are also privileged young men. And if you weren’t privileged when you came here, you are privileged now because you have been here. My advice is: Don’t act like it.
当你到了新学校后，见到那些扫地的、铲雪的、倒垃圾的人，请你们走上去，介绍自己，也请教对方的名字。记住这些名字，在学校里遇到他们，称呼他们的名字。另一条建议，如果你在路上遇到不认识的人，请你微笑、看着他们的眼睛，跟他们说你好。当你这样做，可能会发生的最坏的事，不过是你从此会得一个“微笑并和人打招呼的小子”这个名声。这可不是一个坏的开始。
When you get to your new school, walk up and introduce yourself to the person who is raking the leaves, shoveling the snow or emptying the trash. Learn their name and call them by their name during your time at the school. Another piece of advice: When you pass by people you don’t recognize on the walks, smile, look them in the eye and say hello. The worst thing that will happen is that you will become known as the young man who smiles and says hello, and that is not a bad thing to start with.
这是一个男校，你们过去只和男生在一起。你们中的大多数将会去一个有女孩的高中，关于这点，我没什么建议好给。（笑声，掌声）
You’ve been at a school with just boys. Most of you will be going to a school with girls. I have no advice for you.
最后的一条建议很简单，但我认为会对你的人生产生巨大的影响。每周一次，你们要写一封信给一个人。不是写email，是在纸上写一封信。这会花费你们一周里的十分钟。找一个成年人问问，什么是邮票。（笑声）你们将把邮票贴在信封上，把信寄出去。再说一次，每周十分钟。我现在就会教你们写你们的第一封信。信上这么说：“亲爱的某某某老师，我到了新学校，英文课在念什么什么书。橄榄球或者足球好难，但我挺喜欢的。感谢你过去在初中的教导。”把信放到信封里，贴上邮票，寄出去。
The last bit of advice I’ll give you is very simple, but I think it could make a big difference in your life. Once a week, you should write a note to someone. Not an email. A note on a piece of paper. It will take you exactly 10 minutes. Talk to an adult, let them tell you what a stamp is. You can put the stamp on the envelope. Again, 10 minutes, once a week. I will help you, right now. I will dictate to you the first note you should write. It will say, ‘Dear [fill in the name of a teacher at Cardigan Mountain School].’ Say: ‘I have started at this new school. We are reading [blank] in English. Football or soccer practice is hard, but I’m enjoying it. Thank you for teaching me.’ Put it in an envelope, put a stamp on it and send it.
这对那些教初中男生的老师很重要，虽然大多数人理解不了为什么重要，（笑声）但这很重要。像我说的，一周十分钟，一学年后，你将寄出去40封信给了40个人。这40个人会因为你做的事情，觉得自己的人生有点特别，同时，他们也会认为你与众不同。
It will mean a great deal to people who — for reasons most of us cannot contemplate — have dedicated themselves to teaching middle school boys. As I said, that will take you exactly 10 minutes a week. By the end of the school year, you will have sent notes to 40 people. Forty people will feel a little more special because you did, and they will think you are very special because of what you did.
忠告都说完了，最后我希望用一些非常有名的歌词来结束我的讲话。我之前引用了苏格拉底，现在我想借用美国哲人Bob Dylan的歌词。这首歌距今已经50年了，是Bob Dylan在旅途中因为思念自己的儿子Jesse而写下的。他列举了一个做父母的，对儿子和女儿的期望。这些期望非常美妙，跨越时空。来自Bob Dylan的歌词，《永远年轻》。
Enough advice. I would like to end by reading some important lyrics. I cited the Greek philosopher Socrates earlier. These lyrics are from the great American philosopher, Bob Dylan. They’re almost 50 years old. He wrote them for his son, Jesse, who he was missing while he was on tour. It lists the hopes that a parent might have for a son and for a daughter. They’re also good goals for a son and a daughter. The wishes are beautiful, they’re timeless. They’re universal. So these are the lyrics from Forever Young by Bob Dylan:
May God bless and keep you always
愿上帝保佑你
May your wishes all come true
愿你的美梦都能成真
May you always do for others
愿你无私助人
And let others do for you
也接受他人馈赠
May you build a ladder to the stars
愿你筑梯摘星
And climb on every rung
步步拾级
May you stay forever young
愿你永远年轻
Forever young, forever young
永远年轻
May you stay forever young.
愿你永远年轻
May you grow up to be righteous
愿你长成正直之人
May you grow up to be true
愿你保持真诚
May you always know the truth
愿你世事洞彻
And see the lights surrounding you
亦不摒弃光明
May you always be courageous
愿你勇往直前
Stand upright and be strong
昂首挺立不惧风险
May you stay forever young
愿你永远年轻
Forever young, forever young
永远年轻
May you stay forever young.
愿你永远年轻
May your hands always be busy
愿你的双手永远充实
May your feet always be swift
愿你的步伐永远轻快
May you have a strong foundation
愿你踏实坚强
When the winds of changes shift
即使世事无常
May your heart always be joyful
愿你的心中欢乐满溢
And may your song always be sung
你的歌谣能永远唱响
May you stay forever young
愿你永远年轻
Forever young, forever young
永远年轻
May you stay forever young.
愿你永远年轻
（歌词翻译来自网络。）
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