有趣的是，在单枪匹马深入战地做了两年的战地报道之后，美国广播公司给我打电话聘请我做记者。当时我只有27岁。我成了他们继几年前聘请的杰宁斯和科佩尔之后最年轻的记者。这对我来说是一个教训：两年前，我曾努力到那里应聘一个基层岗位，曾以为那会是通往职业生涯的道路，因为大家都是这么做的。然而，如果我当时成功得到那份工作，我就不会有后来的这些机会，我就不可能目睹后来所看到的事情。

　　When I was graduating and trying to decide what to do with my life, I really felt paralyzed because I thought I had to figure it out all at once. I had to pick a career and start down a path that I've be on for the rest of my life. I now know that it totally doesn't work that way. It certainly didn't for me. Everyone I know who's successful, professionally and personally, could never have predicted when they graduated from college where they'd actually end up. My friends from Yale who are happiest are the ones who thought less of where they'd be in 10 years and what steps they'd have to do now in order to make partner 10 years from now in a law firm or build their 401K. My friends who are happiest now are the ones who kept taking stpes based on what they felt right and what felt like them at the moment. If I had gotten that job on the set of ABC News there's no telling where I'd be now.

　　当我即将毕业并要决定人生中要做什么时，我真的感到不知所措，因为我曾认为这个问题必须立刻解决。我必须选择一种职业，并要穷其余生为之奋斗。现在我意识到事情根本不是这样的。至少对我来说不是这样的。我所认识的成功人士，无论是在职场上还是在生活中的，在大学毕业时，都未能预见自己的未来。在我所有从耶鲁大学毕业的朋友中，过得最快乐的是那些不去思考如何能在10年后成为律师事务所的合伙人或者如何建立自己的养老金账户的人。相反，他们做的是自己感觉正确的、以及当时想做的事情。如果我当初被聘为美国广播公司的基层职员，那我就说不清自己现在身处何地了。

　　When I started going to wars I had no clear goal in mind. There was no path that promised me success or job security. But I was listening really to myself and followed my passion, and I'm more convinced than ever that if you do that, you will be successful. I'm not talking about rich--perhaps you will be--but you'll be fulfilled, and that's the greatest success that you can have.

　　当我出发去战地时，头脑中并没有很明确的目标。没有什么可以确保我能够取得成功或工作有保障。但我听从内心的声音、追随自己的热情，现在我比以往更加确信，如果你这样做了，你就能够取得成功。我谈论的成功不是指金钱上的富足——也许你们会很富有——而是个人价值的实现，这才是你们能够拥有的最大的成功。

　　I always wince... I'm kind of rushing because I see the skies darkening, which frankly happens wherever I go, so if I whip out my rain slicker, you all are totally screwed. I always wince when someone says that college is the best four years of your life, because, frankly, for me it wasn't. I hope it's not for you either. Every year after college just gets better. Your confidence grows; you're living the life that you've chosen.

　　我时常感到诧异。我现在说话有点急促，因为我看到天阴了，无论我走到哪儿，天都常会变阴，因此如果我突然拿出雨衣，你们一定会惊诧不已。每当听到有人说“大学四年是人生中最美好的岁月”时我都会心里一怔，坦白说，大学对我来说并非如此，希望对你们来说也不是这样的。毕业后生活会一年比一年更好。你们的自信会与日俱增，而且你们会慢慢过上自己想要的生活。

　　重点讲解：

　　1. call up

　　给…）打电话；

　　eg. When I'm in Pittsburgh, I call him up.

　　我每到匹兹堡，都给他打电话。

　　eg. He called up the museum.

　　他给博物馆打了电话。

　　2. end up

　　最终；结果；到头来；

　　eg. If you don't know what you want, you might end up getting something you don't want...

　　如果你不知道自己想要什么，到头来你可能得非所愿。

　　eg. Every time they went dancing they ended up in a bad mood.

　　每次他们去跳舞，都会不欢而散。

　　3. promise sb. sth.

　　答应给予；承诺给予；保证让…得到；

　　eg. In 1920 the great powers promised them an independent state.

　　1920年，列强承诺让他们成为一个独立的国家。

　　eg. You don't necessarily have to promise him anything.

　　你没必要给他许诺什么。

　　4. ever

　　（用于比较级和最高级后表示强调）以往任何时候，曾经；

　　eg. She's got a great voice and is singing better than ever.

　　她的嗓音非常好，现在的唱功比以往任何时候都要好。

　　eg. He feels better than he has ever felt before.

　　他从未感觉这么好过。

　　5. whip out

　　突然拿出；

　　eg. Bob whipped out his notebook.

　　鲍勃迅速掏出他的笔记本。

　　eg. Then she whip out a hairbrush and start to brush her long hair.

　　接著她迅速抽出一把发梳，开始梳理她的长发。

　　名人简介：

　　家庭

　　库珀的父亲为美国20世纪60至70年代的著名作家怀亚特·库珀。

　　母亲为美国一代传奇名媛，艺术家，时尚设计师，同时也是家族女继承人的葛洛丽亚·旺德比尔特。

　　库珀还有两个同母异父的哥哥，1988年7月22日，他的哥哥卡特·库珀跳楼自杀。