大学英文毕业典礼演讲稿（精选5篇）
graduates of yale university, i apologize if you have endured this type of prologue before, but i want you to do something for me. please, take a ood look around you. look at the classmate on your left. look at the classmate on your right. now, consider this: five years from now, 10 years from now, even 30 years from now, odds are the person on your left is going to be a loser. the person on your right, meanwhile, will also be a loser. and you, in the middle? what can you expect? loser. loserhood. loser cum laude.
"in fact, as i look out before me today, i don't see a thousand hopes for a bright tomorrow. i don't see a thousand future leaders in a thousand industries. i see a thousand losers.
"you're upset. that's understandable. after all, how can i, lawrence 'larry' ellison, college dropout, have the audacity to spout such heresy to the graduating class of one of the nation's most prestigious institutions? i'll tell you why. because i, lawrence "larry" ellison, second richest man on the planet, am a college dropout, and you are not.
"because bill gates, richest man on the planet -- for now, anyway -- is a college dropout, and you are not.
"because paul allen, the third richest man on the planet, dropped out of college, and you did not.
"and for good measure, because michael dell, no. 9 on the list and moving up fast, is a college dropout, and you, yet again, are not.
"hmm . . . you're very upset. that's understandable. so let me stroke your egos for a moment by pointing out, quite sincerely, that your diplomas were not attained in vain. most of you, i imagine, have spent four to five years here, and in many ways what you've learned and endured will serve you well in the years ahead. you've established good work habits. you've established a network of people that will help you down the road. and you've established what will be lifelong relationships with the word 'therapy.' all that of is good. for in truth, you will need that network. you will need those strong work habits. you will need that therapy.
"you will need them because you didn't drop out, and so you will never be among the richest people in the world. oh sure, you may, perhaps, work your way up to no. 10 or no. 11, like steve ballmer. but then, i don't have to tell you who he really works for, do i? and for the record, he dropped out of grad school. bit of a late bloomer.
"finally, i realize that many of you, and hopefully by now most of you, are wondering, 'is there anything i can do? is there any hope for me at all?' actually, no. it's too late. you've absorbed too much, think you know too much. you're not 19 anymore. you have a built-in cap, and i'm not referring to the mortar boards on your heads.
"hmm... you're really very upset. that's understandable. so perhaps this would be a good time to bring up the silver lining. not for you, class of '00. you are a write-off, so i'll let you slink off to your pathetic $200,000-a-year jobs, where your checks will be signed by former classmates who dropped out two years ago.
"instead, i want to give hope to any underclassmen here today. i say to you, and i can't stress this enough: leave. pack your things and your ideas and don't come back. drop out. start up.
"for i can tell you that a cap and gown will keep you down just as surely as these security guards dragging me off this stage are keeping me down . . ."
(at this point the oracle ceo was ushered off stage.)
【中文译文】：
耶鲁的毕业生们，我很抱歉——如果你们不喜欢这样的开场。我想请你们为我做一件事。请你---好好看一看周围，看一看站在你左边的同学，看一看站在你右边的同学。
请你设想这样的情况：从现在起5年之后，20xx年之后，或30年之后，今天站在你左边的这个人会是一个失败者;右边的这个人，同样，也是个失败者。而你，站在中间的家伙，你以为会怎样?一样是失败者。失败的经历。失败的优等生。
说实话，今天我站在这里，并没有看到一千个毕业生的灿烂未来。我没有看到一千个行业的一千名卓越领导者，我只看到了一千个失败者。你们感到沮丧，这是可以理解的。为什么，我，埃里森，一个退学生，竟然在美国最具声望的学府里这样厚颜地散布异端?我来告诉你原因。因为，我，埃里森，这个行星上第二富有的人，是个退学生，而你不是。因为比尔-盖茨，这个行星上最富有的人——就目前而言---是个退学生，而你不是。因为艾伦，这个行星上第三富有的人，也退了学，而你没有。再来一点证据吧，因为戴尔，这个行星上第九富有的人——他的排位还在不断上升，也是个退学生。而你，不是。
你们非常沮丧，这是可以理解的。
你们将来需要这些有用的工作习惯。你将来需要这种'治疗'。你需要它们，因为你没辍学，所以你永远不会成为世界上最富有的人。哦，当然，你可以，也许，以你的方式进步到第10位，第11位，就像steve。但，我没有告诉你他在为谁工作，是吧?
根据记载，他是研究生时辍的学，开化得稍晚了些。
现在，我猜想你们中间很多人，也许是绝大多数人，正在琢磨，'我能做什么? 我究竟有没有前途?'当然没有。太晚了，你们已经吸收了太多东西，以为自己懂得太多。你们再也不是19岁了。你们有了'内置'的帽子，哦，我指的可不是你们脑袋上的学位帽。
嗯......你们已经非常沮丧啦。这是可以理解的。所以，现在可能是讨论实质的时候啦——
绝不是为了你们，20xx年毕业生。你们已经被报销，不予考虑了。我想，你们就偷偷摸摸去干那年薪20万的可怜工作吧，在那里，工资单是由你两年前辍学的同班同学签字开出来的。事实上，我是寄希望于眼下还没有毕业的同学。我要对他们说，离开这里。收拾好你的东西，带着你的点子，别再回来。退学吧，开始行动。
我要告诉你，一顶帽子一套学位服必然要让你沦落，就像这些保安马上要把我从这个讲台上撵走一样必然。(此时，larry被带离了讲台)
Madam President Faust， members of the Harvard Corporation and the Board of Overseers，faculty， family， friends， and， most importantly， todays graduates，Thank you for letting me share this wonderful day with you.
I am not sure I can live up to the high standards of Harvard Commencement speakers. Lastyear， J.K. Rowling， the billionaire novelist， who started as a classics student， graced thispodium. The year before， Bill Gates， the mega-billionaire philanthropist and computer nerdstood here. Today， sadly， you have me. I am not wealthy， but at least I am a nerd.
I am grateful to receive an honorary degree from Harvard， an honor that means more to methan you might care to imagine. You see， I was the academic black sheep of my family. Myolder brother has an M.D./Ph.D. from MIT and Harvard while my younger brother has a lawdegree from Harvard. When I was awarded a Nobel Prize， I thought my mother would besatisfied. Not so. When I called her on the morning of the announcement， she replied， "Thatsnice， but when are you going to visit me next." Now， as the last brother with a degree fromHarvard， maybe， at last， she will be satisfied.
Another difficulty with giving a Harvard commencement address is that some of you maydisapprove of the fact that I have borrowed material from previous speeches. I ask that youforgive me for two reasons.
First， in order to have impact， it is important to deliver the same message more than once. Inscience， it is important to be the first person to make a discovery， but it is even more importantto be the last person to make that discovery.
Second， authors who borrow from others are following in the footsteps of the best. Ralph WaldoEmerson， who graduated from Harvard at the age of 18， noted "All my best thoughts werestolen by the ancients." Picasso declared "Good artists borrow. Great artists steal." Why shouldcommencement speakers be held to a higher standard?
I also want to point out the irony of speaking to graduates of an institution that would haverejected me， had I the chutzpah to apply. I am married to "Dean Jean，" the former dean ofadmissions at Stanford. She assures me that she would have rejected me， if given the chance.When I showed her a draft of this speech， she objected strongly to my use of the word"rejected." She never rejected applicants; her letters stated that "we are unable to offer youadmission." I have difficulty understanding the difference. After all， deans of admissions ofhighly selective schools are in reality， "deans of rejection." Clearly， I have a lot to learn aboutmarketing.
My address will follow the classical sonata form of commencement addresses. The firstmovement， just presented， were light-hearted remarks. This next movement consists ofunsolicited advice， which is rarely valued， seldom remembered， never followed. As Oscar Wildesaid， "The only thing to do with good advice is to pass it on. It is never of any use to oneself."So， here comes the advice. First， every time you celebrate an achievement， be thankful tothose who made it possible. Thank your parents and friends who supported you， thank yourprofessors who were inspirational， and especially thank the other professors whose less-than-brilliant lectures forced you to teach yourself. Going forward， the ability to teach yourself is thehallmark of a great liberal arts education and will be the key to your success. To your fellowstudents who have added immeasurably to your education during those late night discussions，hug them. Also， of course， thank Harvard. Should you forget， theres an alumni association toremind you. Second， in your future life， cultivate a generous spirit. In all negotiations， dontbargain for the last， little advantage. Leave the change on the table. In your collaborations，always remember that "credit" is not a conserved quantity. In a successful collaboration，everybody gets 90 percent of the credit.
my dear mr. and misses, my fellows schoolmates,
good morning! as you know and see, it is a sunny bump harvest season. in the city, in our school campus, everywhere is surrounded with roses which we together planted 4 years ago. today may these roses and our friendship as well be together and comfort our excited hearts!
it was four years ago that everyone of us came from every part of china and formed a new collective. as we are young, it’s very easy for us to communicate. it was in the past four years that we were ambitious. it was in the past four years that we worried. it was in the past four years that we were content. it was in the past four years that we were vexed. it was in the past four years that we were friendly and lonely ... and it was in the past fours that we studied, lived and respected each other with genuine and with our ambitions. nothing in the world is more significant than we miss all of these.
we miss you─teachers who are tireless in teaching; we will keep your gestures and your white hairs in our hearts deeply; we will miss the quietness with the lights at night in the classroom; we will miss the race and exercise on the playground; we will miss even the crowds in the dining hall and the quarrel on the beds; we will still miss every green piece and every piece of waste paper flying like flakes in the air ... however, today we will leave nothing but the first rose with our alma mater and our teachers which is entrusted with our love and respect.
4 years seems very long but 4 years seems very short. from now on, we all will go into the society. the society is broad and wide for us. we will shoulder heavy responsibilities; we will work diligently; and we will expect to be informed of good news from one another. now, i beg you all to cherish the occasion; to remember the names, the status, appearance and the character of the person around you. now let’s be hand in hand together; let’s present the rose to each other. may the rose carry our appreciation and blessing! we are very closely linked no matter what the world may be. may the fresh rose in our hands keep its fragrants!
thank you all again!
my dear mr. and misses, my fellows schoolmates,
good morning! as you know and see, it is a sunny bump harvest season. in the city, in our school campus, everywhere is surrounded with roses which we together planted 4 years ago. today may these roses and our friendship as well be together and comfort our excited hearts!
it was four years ago that everyone of us came from every part of china and formed a new collective. as we are young, it’s very easy for us to communicate. it was in the past four years that we were ambitious. it was in the past four years that we worried. it was in the past four years that we were content. it was in the past four years that we were vexed. it was in the past four years that we were friendly and lonely ... and it was in the past fours that we studied, lived and respected each other with genuine and with our ambitions. nothing in the world is more significant than we miss all of these.
When I was in middle school, a poisonous spider bit my right hand. I ran to my mom for help—but instead of taking me to a doctor, my mom set my hand on fire.After wrapping my hand withseveral layers of cotton, then soaking it in wine, she put a chopstick into my mouth,and ignited the cotton. Heat quickly penetrated the cotton and began to roast my hand. The searing pain made me want to scream, but the chopstick prevented it. All I could do was watch my hand burn - one minute, then two minutes –until mom put out the fire.
You see, the part of China I grew up in was a rural village, and at that time pre-industrial. When I was born, my village had no cars, no telephones, no electricity, not even running water. And we certainly didn’t have access to modern medical resources. There was no doctor my mother could bring me to see about my spider bite.
For those who study biology, you may have grasped the science behind my mom’s cure: heat deactivates proteins, and a spider’s venom is simply a form of protein. It’s coolhow that folk remedy actually incorporates basic biochemistry, isn’t itBut I am a PhD student in biochemistry at Harvard, I now know that better, less painful and less risky treatments existed. So I can’t help but ask myself, why I didn’t receive oneat the time.
Fifteen years have passed since that incident. I am happy to report that my hand is fine. But this question lingers, and I continue to be troubled by the unequal distribution of scientific knowledge throughout the world. We have learned to edit the human genome and unlock many secrets of how cancer progresses. We can manipulate neuronal activity literally with the switch of a light. Each year brings more advances in biomedical research-exciting, transformative accomplishments. Yet, despite the knowledge we have amassed, we haven’t been so successful in deploying it to where it’s needed most. According to the World Bank, twelve percent of the world’s population lives on less than $2 a day. Malnutrition kills more than 3 million children annually. Three hundred million peopleare afflicted by malaria globally. All over the world, we constantly see these problems of poverty, illness, and lack of resources impeding the flow of scientific information. Lifesaving knowledge we take for granted in the modern world is often unavailable in these underdeveloped regions.And in far too many places, people are still essentially trying to cure a spider bite with fire.
While studying at Harvard, I saw how scientific knowledge can help others in simple, yet profound ways. The bird flu pandemic in the 20__s looked to my village like a spell cast by demons. Our folk medicine didn’t even have half-measures to offer. What’s more, farmers didn’t know the difference between common cold and flu; they didn’t understand that the flu was much more lethal than the common cold. Most people were also unaware that the virus could transmit across different species.So when I realized that simple hygiene practices like separating different animal species could contain the spread of the disease, and that I could help make this knowledge available to my village, that was my first ―Aha‖ moment as a budding scientist. But it was more than that: it was also a vital inflection point in my own ethical development, my own self-understanding as a member of the global community.
Harvard dares us to dream big, to aspire to change the world. Here on this Commencement Day, we are probably thinking of grand destinations and big adventures that await us. As for me, I am also thinking of the farmers in my village. My experiencehere reminds me how important it is for researchersto communicateour knowledge to those who need it. Because by using the sciencewe already have, we
could probably bring my village and thousands like it into the world you and I take for granted every day. And that’s an impact every one of us can make!
But the question is, will we make the effort or not
More than ever before,our society emphasizes science and innovation. But an equally important emphasis should be on distributing the knowledge we have to where it’s needed. Changing the world doesn’t mean thateveryone has to find the next big thing. It can be as simple as becoming better communicators, and finding more creative ways to pass on the knowledge we have to people like my mom and the farmers in their local community. Our society also needs to recognize that the equal distribution of knowledge is a pivotal step of human development, and work to bring this into reality.
And if we do that, then perhaps a teenager in rural China who is bitten by a spider will not have to burn his hand, but will know to seek a doctor instead.