名校励志英语演讲 38:如何解决这个世界上最严重的不平等

 　　For a few hours every week, you can use the growing power of the Internet to get informed, find others with the same interests, see the barriers, and find ways to cut through them.

　　每个星期只用几个小时，你就可以通过互联网日益增长的效力得到信息，找到志同道合的朋友，发现困难所在并找到解决它们的途径。

　　Don't let complexity¹ stop you. Be activists². Take on the big inequities. It will be one of the great experiences of your lives.

　　不要让这个世界的复杂性阻碍你前进。要成为一个行动主义者。将解决人类的不平等视为己任。它将成为你生命中最重要的经历之一。

　　You graduates are coming of age in an amazing time. As you leave Harvard, you have technology that members of my class never had. You have awareness³ of global inequity, which we did not have. And with that awareness, you likely also have an informed conscience that will torment⁴ you if you abandon these people whose lives you could change with very small effort. You have more than we had; you must start sooner, and carry on longer.

　　在座的各位毕业生，你们所处的时代是一个神奇的时代。当你们离开哈佛的时候，你们拥有的技术是我们那一届学生所没有的。你们已经了解到了世界上的不平等，而我们那时还不知道这些。了解了这些之后，要是你再弃那些你可以帮助的人们于不顾，就将受到良心的谴责，只需一点小小的努力，你就可以改变那些人们的生活。你们比我们拥有更大的能力；你们必须尽早开始，尽可能长时期坚持下去。

　　Knowing what you know, how could you not?

　　知道了你们所知道的一切，你们怎么可能不采取行动呢？

　　And I hope you will come back here to Harvard 30 years from now and reflect on what you have done with your talent and your energy. I hope you will judge yourselves not on your professional accomplishments⁵ alone, but also on how well you have addressed the world's deepest inequities ... on how well you treated people a world away who have nothing in common with you but their humanity.

　　我希望，30年后你们还会再回到哈佛，想起你们用自己的天赋和能力所做出的一切。我希望，在那个时候，你们用来评价自己的标准，不仅仅是你们的专业成就，还包括你们为改变这个世界深刻的不平等所做出的努力，以及你们如何善待那些远隔千山万水、除了同为人类之外与你们毫无共同之处的人们。

　　Good luck.

　　最后，祝各位同学好运。

　　torment

　　vt. 折磨

　　eg. He was constantly tormented⁶ with headache.

　　他不断受到头痛的折磨。

1 complexity   

n.复杂(性)，复杂的事物

参考例句：

• Only now did he understand the full complexity of the problem.直到现在他才明白这一问题的全部复杂性。
• The complexity of the road map puzzled me.错综复杂的公路图把我搞糊涂了。

2 activists   

n.（政治活动的）积极分子，活动家( activist的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• His research work was attacked by animal rights activists . 他的研究受到了动物权益维护者的抨击。
• Party activists with lower middle class pedigrees are numerous. 党的激进分子中有很多出身于中产阶级下层。 来自《简明英汉词典》

3 awareness   

n.意识，觉悟，懂事，明智

参考例句：

• There is a general awareness that smoking is harmful.人们普遍认识到吸烟有害健康。
• Environmental awareness has increased over the years.这些年来人们的环境意识增强了。

4 torment   

n.折磨；令人痛苦的东西(人)；vt.折磨；纠缠

参考例句：

• He has never suffered the torment of rejection.他从未经受过遭人拒绝的痛苦。
• Now nothing aggravates me more than when people torment each other.没有什么东西比人们的互相折磨更使我愤怒。

5 accomplishments   

n.造诣；完成( accomplishment的名词复数 )；技能；成绩；成就

参考例句：

• It was one of the President's greatest accomplishments. 那是总统最伟大的成就之一。
• Among her accomplishments were sewing,cooking,playing the piano and dancing. 她的才能包括缝纫、烹调、弹钢琴和跳舞。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》

6 tormented   

饱受折磨的

参考例句：

• The knowledge of his guilt tormented him. 知道了自己的罪责使他非常痛苦。
• He had lain awake all night, tormented by jealousy. 他彻夜未眠，深受嫉妒的折磨。