名校励志英语演讲 81:追随自己的心声,你们一定会成功

 　　"Uh, you. The show is about you, sir." Nelson Mandela was so humble¹ that being on the show for a whole hour was not something he expected. "How can such a great man be so humble," I thought. Graduates, if you can proceed through life with just a portion of Nelson Mandela's humility², you will be a huge success.

　　"唔，您啊。这期节目是关于您的啊，先生。"节目进行的整整一个小时时间，纳尔逊都表现得非常谦虚，完全不是制片人原来所料想的那样。我当时想，“这么伟大的人物怎么能如此谦逊呢？”毕业生们，如果你们能在接下来的生活中又纳尔逊·曼德拉的一点谦逊，你们定会大有作为。

　　When I was eight years old, I was at church one day...and a stranger came to me...and a man named John J. Hooker was running for governor at the time, and he had come to our church to campaign. And afterwards, outside as we were leaving the church, his wife, who was then a stranger, her name was Tish Hooker, a beautiful woman with blonde hair, classic cheekbones, flawless skin, saw me standing³ there. And you have to understand at the time I was a little black girl, but we didn't call ourselves black then. Actually, back then we were colored and Negro, but whatever, I was a little girl who didn't think much of herself, but Tish Hooker walked right up to me, as id she knew I needed to hear what she had to say. And she said it only as a Southern woman can. She said, "You know, you're just as pretty as a speckled pup." Now, I didn't know what a speckled pup was, but she then said, "And you have the most beautiful bee-stung lips."

　　我记得我八岁的时候，有一天我去教堂，一个陌生人向我走来。那天恰逢一个名叫约翰·J·胡克的人为竞选执行长官在教堂举行活动。后来，我们走出教堂的时候，他妻子迪斯·胡克看见我站在那儿。她一头金发，颧骨完美、皮肤无暇，当时对我们来说她还是个陌生人。你们要明白当时的我就是一个小小的黑人女孩，当然我们那时候不说自己是黑人。实际上，我们被叫做黑种人、黑鬼，但不管怎样，我就是个没把自己看的很重的小女孩，但是迪斯·胡克径直走向我，就好像知道我想听她说点什么一样。她对我说了只有南方女人才那样说的话，她说：“你知道吗，你像小斑点狗一样漂亮可爱。”我并不知道什么是小斑点狗，她又说：“你有着最漂亮的撅撅嘴。”

　　奥普拉·温弗瑞给我们的启示

　　...the best way to enhance your own life is to contribute to somebody else's.

　　...丰富人生的最好的方式就是为他人的生活做些贡献。

　　You know, we all need makeovers from time to time in our lives, and graduates, I know this, that it you can see the possibility of changing your life, of seeing what you can become and not just what you are, you will be a huge success.

　　你知道，在生活中，每时我们都需要变身的时候。毕业生们，我确定，如果能够发现改变自己生活的可能性，如果能够抛开现在的自己，把眼光放远看到将来的自己，你们定会大有作为。

1 humble   

adj.谦卑的，恭顺的；地位低下的；v.降低，贬低

参考例句：

• In my humble opinion,he will win the election.依我拙见，他将在选举中获胜。
• Defeat and failure make people humble.挫折与失败会使人谦卑。

2 humility   

n.谦逊，谦恭

参考例句：

• Humility often gains more than pride.谦逊往往比骄傲收益更多。
• His voice was still soft and filled with specious humility.他的声音还是那么温和，甚至有点谦卑。

3 standing   

n.持续，地位；adj.永久的，不动的，直立的，不流动的

参考例句：

• After the earthquake only a few houses were left standing.地震过后只有几幢房屋还立着。
• They're standing out against any change in the law.他们坚决反对对法律做任何修改。