娜塔莉波特曼哈佛大学演讲 第4期

 　　In all seriousness, I believed everyone of them, their bearing and self-confidence alone seemed proof of their prophecy where I couldn't shake my self-doubt. 认真来说，我相信他们每一个人，他们的态度和自信本身就足以证明他们的预言。而我却无法摆脱自我怀疑。

　　I got in only because I'm famous. This is how others saw me and it was how I saw myself. 我被录取只是因为知名度。这就是别人对我的看法，我自己也是这么看的。

　　Driven by these insecurities, I decided¹ that I was going to find something to do in Harvard that was serious and meaningful that would change the world and make it a better place. 在不自信的驱使下，我决定要在哈佛找到严肃而有意义的事情来做，以此改变世界，让世界变得更美好。

　　At the age of 18, I'd already been acting² for seven years, and assumed that find a more serious and profound path in college. 在我18岁时，已经演了7年的戏，认为自己该在大学找到一条更严肃深刻的道路。

　　So freshman³ fall, I decided to take neurobiology and advanced modern Hebrew literature because I was serious and intellectual. 所以大一秋季我决定修神经生物学和高等现代希伯来文学，因为我很认真，很有智慧。

　　Needless to say, I should have failed both. 不用说，我两科都应该挂掉。

　　I got Bs, for your information, and to this day, every Sunday I burn a small effigy⁴ to the pagan gods of grade inflation. 顺便说下，我拿了B，而且直至今日，每个礼拜天我都要烧小雕像，供奉保佑成绩膨胀的异教神灵。

　　But as I was fighting my way through Aleph Bet Yod Y'shua in Hebrew and the different mechanisms⁵ of neuro-response, I saw friends around me writing papers on sailing and pop culture magazine, and professors teaching classes on fairy tales and matrix. 但当我为了希伯来语课的abc以及神经应答的不同机制而挣扎时，我看到朋友们写关于帆船的论文，写流行文化杂志，看到教授讲童话故事和黑客帝国。

　　I realized the seriousness for seriousness's sake was its own kind of trophy⁶, and a dubious⁷ one, a pose I sought to counter some half-imagined argument about who I was. 我发现为了严肃而严肃，这本身就是一种虚荣，而且是很模棱两可的，是为了反抗我想象出的自我而采取的一种姿态。

　　There was a reason I was an actor, I love what I do. 我当演员是有原因的，我爱我的职业。

　　And I saw from my peers and mentors⁸ that that was not only an acceptable reason, it was the best reason. 我从我的同伴和导师身上看到这不只是一个可以接受的理由，这是最棒的理由。

　　When I got my graduation, sitting where you sit today, after four years of trying to get excited about something else. 我参加毕业典礼的时候正坐着你们现在正坐的地方，我花了4年时间来寻找其它让我开心的东西。

　　I admitted to myself that I couldn't wait to go back and make more films. 我对自己坦白，我已经等不及去拍更多的电影了。

　　I wanted to tell stories, to imagine the lives of others and help others do the same. 我想要讲述故事，想象别人的生活，并帮助别人做到同样的事。

　　I have found or perhaps reclaimed⁹ my reason. 我找到了，或者说重拾了我的理由。

　　You have a prize now or at least you will tomorrow. 你们现在拿到了奖品，或者说明天。

　　The prize is a Harvard degree in your hand, but what is your reason behind it? 奖品就是你们手中的哈佛毕业证，但这背后的理由是什么？

1 decided   

adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的

参考例句：

• This gave them a decided advantage over their opponents.这使他们比对手具有明显的优势。
• There is a decided difference between British and Chinese way of greeting.英国人和中国人打招呼的方式有很明显的区别。

2 acting   

n.演戏，行为，假装；adj.代理的，临时的，演出用的

参考例句：

• Ignore her,she's just acting.别理她，她只是假装的。
• During the seventies,her acting career was in eclipse.在七十年代，她的表演生涯黯然失色。

3 freshman   

n.大学一年级学生(可兼指男女)

参考例句：

• Jack decided to live in during his freshman year at college.杰克决定大一时住校。
• He is a freshman in the show business.他在演艺界是一名新手。

4 effigy   

n.肖像

参考例句：

• There the effigy stands,and stares from age to age across the changing ocean.雕像依然耸立在那儿，千秋万载地凝视着那变幻无常的大海。
• The deposed dictator was burned in effigy by the crowd.群众焚烧退位独裁者的模拟像。

5 mechanisms   

n.机械( mechanism的名词复数 )；机械装置；[生物学] 机制；机械作用

参考例句：

• The research will provide direct insight into molecular mechanisms. 这项研究将使人能够直接地了解分子的机理。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• He explained how the two mechanisms worked. 他解释这两台机械装置是如何工作的。 来自《简明英汉词典》

6 trophy   

n.优胜旗，奖品，奖杯，战胜品，纪念品

参考例句：

• The cup is a cherished trophy of the company.那只奖杯是该公司很珍惜的奖品。
• He hung the lion's head as a trophy.他把那狮子头挂起来作为狩猎纪念品。

7 dubious   

adj.怀疑的，无把握的；有问题的，靠不住的

参考例句：

• What he said yesterday was dubious.他昨天说的话很含糊。
• He uses some dubious shifts to get money.他用一些可疑的手段去赚钱。

8 mentors   

n.（无经验之人的）有经验可信赖的顾问( mentor的名词复数 )v.（无经验之人的）有经验可信赖的顾问( mentor的第三人称单数 )

参考例句：

• Beacham and McNamara, my two mentors, had both warned me. 我的两位忠实朋友，比彻姆和麦克纳马拉都曾经警告过我。 来自辞典例句
• These are the kinds of contacts that could evolve into mentors. 这些人是可能会成为你导师。 来自互联网

9 reclaimed   

adj.再生的；翻造的；收复的；回收的v.开拓( reclaim的过去式和过去分词 )；要求收回；从废料中回收（有用的材料）；挽救

参考例句：

• Many sufferers have been reclaimed from a dependence on alcohol. 许多嗜酒成癖的受害者已经被挽救过来。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• They reclaimed him from his evil ways. 他们把他从邪恶中挽救出来。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》