部分小詞沒有聽出已作標(biāo)記，不影響整體理解

早上好！致所有Eli Whitney項(xiàng)目的學(xué)生、轉(zhuǎn)校生、訪問(wèn)國(guó)際學(xué)生和耶魯大學(xué)的大一新生：歡迎來(lái)到耶魯！首先很高興今天在這里見到你們。

Good morning! To all Eli Whitney students, transfer students, visiting international students, and first-year Yale College students: Welcome to Yale! Let me begin by saying it is good, really good to see you here today.

許多親朋好友此時(shí)正在線上觀看今天的開學(xué)典禮。無(wú)論你現(xiàn)在身在何處，我謹(jǐn)代表臺(tái)上的同事及整個(gè)耶魯大學(xué)，向每一位加入耶魯大家庭的同學(xué)致以熱烈的歡迎。

Many families and loved ones are watching today’s ceremonies online. On behalf of my colleagues here on stage and the entire Yale community, I want to extend a warm greeting to everyone joining us, wherever you are right now.

這是一個(gè)重要的時(shí)刻——無(wú)論對(duì)你們這些新生，還是對(duì)耶魯而言。很高興我們相遇于此。

This is a big moment—for you, our newest students, and for Yale. I am so glad you are here.

以下為演講正文：

“當(dāng)世界身陷火海，持續(xù)學(xué)習(xí)的意義在哪里？”

51年前，耶魯大學(xué)校長(zhǎng)金曼·布魯斯特（Kingman Brewster Jr.）發(fā)表開學(xué)演講，歡迎本科新生來(lái)到耶魯，正如我現(xiàn)在歡迎你們一樣。

Fifty-one years ago, university president Kingman Brewster delivered an address to the entering class of new undergraduates, welcoming them to Yale, just as I am doing now.

那時(shí)，耶魯經(jīng)歷了非比尋常的一年。我們可以把當(dāng)下和1970年5月聯(lián)系起來(lái)。彼時(shí)，成千上萬(wàn)的人從美國(guó)各地來(lái)到紐黑文、來(lái)到耶魯，抗議對(duì)黑豹黨（Black Panther Party）領(lǐng)袖修伊·牛頓（Huey Newton）和西爾（Bobby Seale）被控謀殺罪的審判。

At the time, the university was coming out of a very unusual year. We can relate. Just a few months earlier, in May 1970, tens of thousands of people from across the country had come to New Haven—and to Yale—to protest the trials of Bobby Seale and Ericka Huggins, leaders of the Black Panther Party, who were being tried for murder.

由于預(yù)計(jì)抗議活動(dòng)很可能會(huì)演變?yōu)楸┝κ录?，?shù)千名國(guó)民警衛(wèi)隊(duì)被提前部署在這里。局勢(shì)緊張，一觸即發(fā)。幸運(yùn)的是，理智占了上風(fēng)，抗議活動(dòng)基本保持和平，無(wú)人受重傷，更無(wú)人死亡。

Thousands of National Guard troops had been deployed to the city, as some expected the protests to turn violent. The situation was extremely tense. Fortunately, reason prevailed, the protests remained largely peaceful, and no one was seriously injured, let alone killed.

管如此，這件事還是震撼了耶魯校園。那時(shí)，戰(zhàn)爭(zhēng)在東南亞肆虐，民權(quán)運(yùn)動(dòng)和女權(quán)運(yùn)動(dòng)正朝著新的方向發(fā)展，整個(gè)社會(huì)似乎都在經(jīng)歷新舊更迭。

Still, these events rocked Yale’s campus. War was raging in Southeast Asia. Movements for civil rights and women’s rights were heading in new directions, and across society it seemed like a younger generation was rising up to challenge the old guard.

在此背景下，很多人開始思考耶魯大學(xué)的未來(lái)——身處瞬息萬(wàn)變、不可預(yù)知的社會(huì)里，大學(xué)的價(jià)值和意義究竟是什么。

Against this backdrop, many people were wondering about Yale’s future. They were uncertain about the university’s role—its purpose—in a rapidly changing and unpredictable society.

如今站在這里，我有著和布魯斯特校長(zhǎng)在1970年時(shí)同樣的感觸。彼時(shí)，布魯斯特校長(zhǎng)看著臺(tái)下聚集的新生，他深知他們的焦慮；他知道他們對(duì)耶魯生活以及未來(lái)畢業(yè)后進(jìn)入社會(huì)感到迷茫。

Standing here today, I am feeling many of the same emotions that President Brewster must have felt in 1970. Looking out over that gathering of new students, he knew many of them were anxious; he knew they had questions about what they would do at Yale and many more about the kind of society they would encounter when they graduated.

然而，在布魯斯特校長(zhǎng)的演講中，他沒有要求學(xué)生們?nèi)W(xué)習(xí)、去圖書館、寫論文、做實(shí)驗(yàn)。他只要求他們做好一名學(xué)生。

Yet, in his speech, he was asking them to study, to go to the library, to write papers, to conduct experiments. He was asking them to be students.

他提出了一個(gè)縈繞在很多人心頭已久、也是如今我想問(wèn)你們的問(wèn)題：“當(dāng)世界身處一片火海，一心只讀圣賢書的意義何在？”

And so he gave voice to a question that was probably on the minds of many, a question I also pose to you today. He asked, these were his words, “Where then is the purpose which makes patient learning supportable when the world is on fire?” [repeat once]

今天，這個(gè)世界似乎再次深陷火?！獰o(wú)論從字面上還是比喻意義來(lái)看。美國(guó)正處在9·11以來(lái)最大的危機(jī)之中。我們?cè)谂c全球疫情斗爭(zhēng)，這對(duì)于我們中的很多人來(lái)說(shuō)，或許將成為一生中最重要的地緣政治事件，或許也是一些人生命中的不可承受之重。

Today, again, it seems like the world is on fire, literally and metaphorically. The United States is in the midst of its greatest crisis since 9/11. We are fighting a global pandemic, which will be, for many of us, the most significant geopolitical, and perhaps personal event, of our lives.

但這還并非全部。今年夏天，我們目睹了全球多處可怕的野火、干旱和洪水。你們中的一些人甚至親歷了這些氣候?yàn)?zāi)難。

But that is not all. This summer we have witnessed terrible wildfires, drought, and flooding in many corners of the globe. Some of you have experienced these climate disasters firsthand.

不僅是氣候變化，還有種族主義、極端主義、不斷擴(kuò)大的貧富差距——這些復(fù)雜的挑戰(zhàn)，都在呼吁我們采取緊急和協(xié)調(diào)一致的行動(dòng)。

Not only climate change but also racism, extremism, the widening gulf between the rich and poor—these are complex challenges that call out for urgent and concerted action.

當(dāng)世界深陷火海，我們不得再一次捫心自問(wèn)，讀書的意義何在？我們?nèi)绾文莒o下心來(lái)，兩耳不聞窗外事，一心只讀圣賢書？

The world is on fire, and again we ask, what is our purpose here? And how do we learn—patiently, seriously, and rigorously, as I sincerely hope you will—in times such as these?

在思考這個(gè)問(wèn)題的答案時(shí)，我想起了穆薩爾運(yùn)動(dòng)（Musar），這場(chǎng)猶太運(yùn)動(dòng)于19世紀(jì)興起于立陶宛，那里離我的猶太拉比祖先很近。

In thinking about the answer to this question, I was reminded of Musar, a nineteenth-century Jewish movement that came out of Lithuania, very close to where my ancestors were rabbis.

穆薩爾運(yùn)動(dòng)——以及猶太教以外類似的宗教和倫理實(shí)踐，其核心思想是：我們必須先提升自己，然后再向外尋求改變整個(gè)社會(huì)的機(jī)會(huì)。我們必須審視自己的價(jià)值觀，擴(kuò)展知識(shí)，培養(yǎng)同理心和想像力。

The central idea of the Musar movement—and of similar religious and ethical practices beyond Judaism—is that we must improve ourselves before looking outward at society seeking to change it. We must examine our values, expand our knowledge, and develop empathy and imagination.

據(jù)說(shuō)當(dāng)時(shí)一位智者講過(guò)這個(gè)故事：“我曾經(jīng)試圖改變世界，但失敗了。于是我決定縮小自己的努力范圍，只試著影響波蘭的猶太社區(qū)，但我也失敗了。于是我將目標(biāo)聚焦在我的家鄉(xiāng)拉?。≧adin，現(xiàn)位于白俄羅斯）社區(qū)，依然所獲甚微。后來(lái)，我竭盡全力改變我的家庭，還是失敗了。最終，我決定改變自己，這就是我改變世界的方式?！?/p>

One of the rabbis of the time is said to have told this story: “I set out to try to change the world, but I failed. So I decided to scale back my efforts and only try to influence the Jewish community of Poland, but I failed there, too. So I targeted the community in my hometown of Radin, but achieved no greater success. Then I gave all my effort to changing my own family and failed at that as well. Finally, I decided to change myself, and that’s how I had such an impact on the…world.”

如同這位智者，我們來(lái)到耶魯是為了對(duì)我們的社區(qū)和世界產(chǎn)生影響。但首先，我們必須先從自我提升開始。你將用大學(xué)時(shí)光去發(fā)揮自己的優(yōu)勢(shì)和天賦，用一切皆有可能的方式挑戰(zhàn)自己，汲取知識(shí)和思想，探索未知。

Much like this sage, we are here to make an impact on our communities and on the world. Don't get me wrong. But first we must start by improving ourselves. Your college years are a time to develop your strengths and talents; to challenge yourself in ways you did not think possible; to gain knowledge and understanding; and to explore.

在耶魯，你將接觸到各種新鮮的觀點(diǎn)，遇到來(lái)自五湖四海的同學(xué)。你將開啟智慧的冒險(xiǎn)，從宇宙結(jié)構(gòu)到小說(shuō)結(jié)構(gòu)，一切皆可追問(wèn)。

Here at Yale, you will encounter new ideas and engage with people from different backgrounds and walks of life. You will take intellectual risks, and ask questions about everything from the structure of the cosmos to the structure of a novel.

提升自我意味著離開你的舒適區(qū)。去報(bào)名一門聽上去有趣但不熟悉的課程；去拜訪有些令人生畏的教授——你將會(huì)對(duì)你們之間展開的對(duì)話感到驚訝。

Improving yourself means leaving your comfort zone. Signing up for a class that sounds interesting but unfamiliar. Going to office hours with slightly intimidating professors; you may be surprised by the conversation that unfolds.

去參加一些與你觀點(diǎn)不同的演講者的演講，認(rèn)真聆聽他們的觀點(diǎn)。無(wú)論你今后學(xué)什么、加入什么社團(tuán)，我保證你離開耶魯時(shí)將煥然一新。你將被耶魯改變和重塑。

Attending talks by speakers whose views are different than yours—and really listening to their arguments. Regardless of what you study or the clubs you join, I promise that you will not leave Yale the same person you are today. You will be changed, transformed, by Yale.

我們知道你們已經(jīng)準(zhǔn)備好迎接這些挑戰(zhàn)，我們也期待你們將為耶魯所做的貢獻(xiàn)。在接下來(lái)的幾天、幾周和幾年里，你們將如何在我們共同的歷史中書寫新的篇章？

We know that you are ready for these challenges, and we are excited to see what contributions you will make to Yale; how you will write new chapters in our shared history in the coming days, weeks, and years.

回首1970年那個(gè)春天，我想起四位耶魯大學(xué)的學(xué)生，他們和其他人在一起在抗議活動(dòng)中發(fā)揮了關(guān)鍵作用：庫(kù)爾特·施莫克（Kurt Schmoke）、拉爾夫·道森（Ralph Dawson）、比爾·法利（Bill Farley）和格倫·德·夏伯（Glenn de Chabert）。

Thinking back to that spring of 1970, I am reminded of four Yale College students who, with others, played a pivotal role in the May Day events: Kurt Schmoke, Ralph Dawson, Bill Farley, and Glenn de Chabert.

他們都是認(rèn)真嚴(yán)謹(jǐn)?shù)膶W(xué)生，積極建立并領(lǐng)導(dǎo)了耶魯?shù)暮谌藢W(xué)生聯(lián)盟；其中兩人被授予羅德學(xué)者（Rhodes Scholars）。那個(gè)春天，與校長(zhǎng)金曼·布魯斯特、校長(zhǎng)特助山姆·昌西（Sam Chauncey）以及其他耶魯大學(xué)的管理人員一起，這些學(xué)生在危機(jī)時(shí)刻表現(xiàn)出了堪稱楷模的領(lǐng)導(dǎo)力，在幫助維護(hù)校園秩序方面發(fā)揮了重要作用，甚至可能拯救了無(wú)數(shù)生命。

They were serious students and active in founding and leading the Black Student Alliance at Yale. Two would be named Rhodes Scholars. That spring, along with Kingman Brewster, his special assistant Sam Chauncey, and other administrators, these students showed exemplary leadership during a time of crisis. They were instrumental in helping keep the peace on campus, and most likely, saving lives.

世界曾深陷火海，但他們?cè)谝數(shù)臍q月，讓他們做好了畢業(yè)后應(yīng)對(duì)重要挑戰(zhàn)的準(zhǔn)備。其中一名學(xué)生成為大城市的市長(zhǎng)和大學(xué)校長(zhǎng)，其他人則成為了杰出的律師。他們都成了影響周圍的人。正如歷屆校友一樣，這群耶魯人堅(jiān)定地致力于提升自我、讓學(xué)校更美好、讓世界更美好的使命。

The world was on fire, but their time at Yale prepared them to tackle important challenges then, and after graduation: one as a big-city mayor and university president, others as distinguished attorneys; all as engaged community members. Like generations of alumni, these Yalies were deeply committed to making themselves better, making the university better, and making the world better.

你們也在這樣一個(gè)歷史性時(shí)刻加入了耶魯這個(gè)大家庭。此刻我們四周仍被大大小小的火海包圍。我想象不出有比此時(shí)在耶魯學(xué)習(xí)更好的時(shí)機(jī)了。我們將在新的學(xué)年繼續(xù)踐行承諾，培育這所大學(xué)及大學(xué)中的每一個(gè)人。

You, too, are joining the Yale community at a historic moment. We are surrounded on all sides by fires, small and large. And yet I can think of no better moment to be at Yale. We begin this academic year with a renewed commitment to nurture this community and the people in it.

你很快就會(huì)發(fā)現(xiàn)，耶魯人熱愛學(xué)習(xí)。他們尋求新的體驗(yàn)，全身心投入于他們所做的一切。在耶魯，你可以和頂級(jí)公共衛(wèi)生專家學(xué)習(xí)，他們?yōu)檎峁?yīng)對(duì)疫情的建議。

Yalies, you will soon discover, love to learn. They seek out new experiences, and they immerse themselves fully in everything they do. At Yale, you can study with top public health experts who are advising governments on the pandemic response.

你可以和普利策獎(jiǎng)得主、研究弗雷德里克·道格拉斯（Frederick Douglass）的歷史學(xué)家或研究約翰·彌爾頓（John Milton）的權(quán)威泰斗一起參加研討會(huì)；你可以和校園里1200多個(gè)實(shí)驗(yàn)室的教員一起進(jìn)行研究。

You can take a seminar with a Pulitzer Prize-winning historian of Frederick Douglass or a leading authority on John Milton. You can conduct research alongside faculty members in over 1,200 laboratories.

耶魯大學(xué)的強(qiáng)大之處，一如既往地在于我們互相學(xué)習(xí)、彼此激勵(lì)。盡管我們來(lái)自不同的地方，但我們有一個(gè)共同的目標(biāo)：完善自己，從而改善世界。

Yale’s great strength—now, as always—is that we learn from and are inspired by one another. Although we come from different places, we share a common purpose: and that is to improve ourselves, so that we can improve the world.

耶魯?shù)氖姑员磉_(dá)了我們的最高抱負(fù)，其中包括：“耶魯致力于改善世界，為當(dāng)下也為后人”，以及“耶魯以為培養(yǎng)全球各界的領(lǐng)袖為己任”。

Yale’s mission statement expresses our highest ambitions. It says, in part, “Yale is committed to improving the world today and for future generations,” and [這里沒聽出來(lái)] “Yale educates aspiring leaders worldwide who serve all sectors of society.”

你們正是那群志向遠(yuǎn)大的領(lǐng)袖，這項(xiàng)使命也是我們對(duì)布魯斯特校長(zhǎng)在50多年前所提問(wèn)題的答案。我相信布魯斯特校長(zhǎng)所說(shuō)的“潛心學(xué)習(xí)”意味著深入學(xué)習(xí)，意味著挑戰(zhàn)你們的想法和信念，意味著擴(kuò)大知識(shí)的邊界——你自己的、以及世界的。

You, you are those aspiring leaders, and this mission is our answer to the question my predecessor asked over fifty years ago. I believe the “patient learning” President Brewster spoke of means deep engagement in your studies; it means challenging your thoughts and beliefs; it means expanding the frontiers of knowledge—your own, and then the world’s.

它意味著你將用在耶魯?shù)臅r(shí)光迎接未來(lái)的考驗(yàn)。從這個(gè)意義上來(lái)說(shuō)，如果我們要完成耶魯大學(xué)的使命、真正改善世界，潛心學(xué)習(xí)不僅是有益的，甚至是必不可少的。

It means using your time at Yale to prepare for the trials ahead. In this sense, patient learning is not only supportable but essential if we are to fulfill Yale’s mission and indeed, improve the world.

我將以我最愛的民謠歌手之一——伍迪·格思里（Woody Guthrie）在其歌曲《當(dāng)世界深陷火?！罚╓orld’s on Fire）中所寫的歌詞作為結(jié)語(yǔ)。他的話非常適用于當(dāng)下：”當(dāng)天空正在放晴，我們的夢(mèng)想蘇醒，從廢墟中重建我們的城市?！?/p>

I will end with lyrics written by one of my favorite folk singers, Woody Guthrie, in his song, “World’s on Fire.” His words are only too applicable: “While the skies they’re clearing / We’ll rise up dreaming; / Build our city from the ashes.”

是的，世界此時(shí)深陷火海。但就在我面前，我看到了許多令人樂(lè)觀的理由。從今天起，你們將成為耶魯?shù)囊粏T，一起筑夢(mèng)，一起建設(shè)，為未來(lái)領(lǐng)導(dǎo)和服務(wù)社會(huì)的使命而做好準(zhǔn)備。歡迎來(lái)到耶魯！

Yes, the world is on fire, but right in front of me, I see many reasons for optimism. Together, as part of this community, you will dream, you will build, and you will prepare for lives of leadership and service. Welcome, to Yale!