精美英文欣赏:比尔·盖茨哈佛大学毕业典礼演讲

Members of the Harvard Family:

哈佛是一个大家庭。

Here in the Yard is one of the great collections of intellectual talent in the world.

这个院子里在场的人们，是全世界最有智力的人类群体之一。

For what purpose?

我们可以做些什么？

There is no question that the faculty¹, the alumni, the students, and the benefactors² of Harvard have used their power to improve the lives of people here and around the world.

毫无疑问，哈佛的老师、校友、学生和资助者，已经用他们的能力改善了全世界各地人们的生活。

But can we do more?

但是，我们还能够再做什么呢？

Can Harvard dedicate its intellect to improving the lives of people who will never even hear its name?

有没有可能，哈佛的人们可以将他们的智慧，用来帮助那些甚至从来没有听到过“哈佛”这个名字的人？

Let me make a request of the deans and the professors-the intellectual leaders here at Harvard:

请允许我向各位院长和教授，提出一个请求:

As you hire new faculty, award tenure³, review curriculum, and determine degree requirements, please ask yourselves:

你们是哈佛的智力领袖，当你们雇用新的老师、授予终身教职、评估课程、决定学位颁发标准的时候，请问你们自己如下的问题：

Should our best minds be dedicated⁴ to solving our biggest problems?

我们最优秀的人才是否在致力于解决我们最大的问题？

Should Harvard encourage its faculty to take on the world's worst inequities?

哈佛是否鼓励她的老师去研究解决世界上最严重的不平等？

Should Harvard students learn about the depth of global poverty…

哈佛的学生是否从全球那些极端的贫穷中学到了什么…

the prence of world hunger…

世界性的饥荒…

the scarcity⁵ of clean water…

清洁的水资源的缺乏…

the girls kept out of school…

无法上学的女童…

the children who die from diseases we can cure?

死于非恶性疾病的儿童…

Should the world's most privileged people learn about the lives of the world's least privileged?

那些世界上过着最优越生活的人们，有没有从那些最困难的人们身上学到东西？

These are not rhetorical questions-you will answer with your policies.

这些问题并非语言上的修辞。你必须用自己的行动来回答它们。

My mother, who was filled with pride the day I was admitted here-never stopped pressing me to do more for others.

我的母亲在我被哈佛大学录取的那一天，曾经感到非常骄傲。她从没有停止督促我，去为他人做更多的事情。

A few days before my wedding, she hosted a bridal event, at which she read aloud a letter about marriage that she had written to Melinda.

在我结婚的前几天，她主持了一个新娘进我家的仪式。在这个仪式上，她高声朗读了一封关于婚姻的信，这是她写给 Melinda 的。

My mother was very ill with cancer at the time,

那时，我的母亲已经因为癌症病入膏肓，

but she saw one more opportunity to deliver her message, and at the close of the letter she said: From those to whom much is given, much is expected.

但是她还是认为这是又一个传播她 的信念的机会。在那封信的结尾，她写道：“对于那些接受了许多帮助的人们，他们还在期待更多的帮助。”

When you consider what those of us here in this Yard have been given-in talent, privilege, and opportunity-there is almost no limit to what the world has a right to expect from us.

想一想吧，我们在这个院子里的这些人，被给予过什么—天赋、特权、机遇—那么可以这样说，全世界的人们几乎有无限的权力，期待我们做出贡献。

1 faculty   

n.才能；学院，系；(学院或系的)全体教学人员

参考例句：

• He has a great faculty for learning foreign languages.他有学习外语的天赋。
• He has the faculty of saying the right thing at the right time.他有在恰当的时候说恰当的话的才智。

2 benefactors   

n.捐助者，施主( benefactor的名词复数 )；恩人

参考例句：

• I rate him among my benefactors. 我认为他是我的一个恩人。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• We showed high respect to benefactors. 我们对捐助者表达了崇高的敬意。 来自辞典例句

3 tenure   

n.终身职位；任期；(土地)保有权，保有期

参考例句：

• He remained popular throughout his tenure of the office of mayor.他在担任市长的整个任期内都深得民心。
• Land tenure is a leading political issue in many parts of the world.土地的保有权在世界很多地区是主要的政治问题。

4 dedicated   

adj.一心一意的；献身的；热诚的

参考例句：

• He dedicated his life to the cause of education.他献身于教育事业。
• His whole energies are dedicated to improve the design.他的全部精力都放在改进这项设计上了。

5 scarcity   

n.缺乏，不足，萧条

参考例句：

• The scarcity of skilled workers is worrying the government.熟练工人的缺乏困扰着政府。
• The scarcity of fruit was caused by the drought.水果供不应求是由于干旱造成的。