朱棣文简介：美籍华人、美国能源部长、诺贝尔奖获得者。
本文转自：
http://www.ruanyifeng.com/blog/2009/06/remarks_of_stenven_chu_in_harvard_commencement_2009.html
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Madam President Faust, members of the Harvard Corporation and the
Board of Overseers, faculty, family, friends, and, most importantly,
today's 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. Last year, J.K. Rowling, the billionaire
novelist, who started as a classics student, graced this podium. The
year before, Bill Gates, the mega-billionaire philanthropist and
computer nerd stood 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 me than you might care to imagine. You see, I was
the academic black sheep of my family. My older brother has an
M.D./Ph.D. from MIT and Harvard while my younger brother has a law
degree from Harvard. When I was awarded a Nobel Prize, I thought my
mother would be pleased. Not so. When I called her on the morning of
the announcement, she replied, "That's nice, but when are you going to
visit me next." Now, as the last brother with a degree from Harvard,
maybe, at last, she will be satisfied.
Another difficulty with giving a Harvard commencement address is that
some of you may disapprove of the fact that I have borrowed material
from previous speeches. I ask that you forgive me for two reasons.
First, in order to have impact, it is important to deliver the same
message more than once. In science, it is important to be the first
person to make a discovery, but it is even more important to be the
last person to make that discovery.
Second, authors who borrow from others are following in the footsteps
of the best. Ralph Waldo Emerson, who graduated from Harvard at the
age of 18, noted "All my best thoughts were stolen by the ancients."
Picasso declared "Good artists borrow. Great artists steal." Why
should commencement speakers be held to a higher standard?
I also want to point out the irony of speaking to graduates of an
institution that would have rejected me, had I the chutzpah to apply.
I am married to "Dean Jean," the former dean of admissions 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 you
admission." I have difficulty understanding the difference. After all,
deans of admissions of highly selective schools are in reality, "deans
of rejection." Clearly, I have a lot to learn about marketing.
My address will follow the classical sonata form of commencement
addresses. The first movement, just presented, were light-hearted
remarks. This next movement consists of unsolicited advice, which is
rarely valued, seldom remembered, never followed. As Oscar Wilde said,
"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 to those who made it
possible. Thank your parents and friends who supported you, thank your
professors 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 the hallmark
of a great liberal arts education and will be the key to your success.
To your fellow students who have added immeasurably to your education
during those late night discussions, hug them. Also, of course, thank
Harvard. Should you forget, there's an alumni association to remind
you. Second, in your future life, cultivate a generous spirit. In all
negotiations, don't bargain 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.
Jimmy Stewart, as Elwood P. Dowd in the movie "Harvey" got it exactly
right. He said: "Years ago my mother used to say to me, 'In this
world, Elwood, you must be … she always used to call me Elwood … in
this world, Elwood, you must be oh so smart or oh so pleasant.'" Well,
for years I was smart. ... I recommend pleasant. You may quote me on
that.
My third piece of advice is as follows: As you begin this new stage of
your lives, follow your passion. If you don't have a passion, don't be
satisfied until you find one. Life is too short to go through it
without caring deeply about something. When I was your age, I was
incredibly single-minded in my goal to be a physicist. After college,
I spent eight years as a graduate student and postdoc at Berkeley, and
then nine years at Bell Labs. During that my time, my central focus
and professional joy was physics.
Here is my final piece of advice. Pursuing a personal passion is
important, but it should not be your only goal. When you are old and
gray, and look back on your life, you will want to be proud of what
you have done. The source of that pride won't be the things you have
acquired or the recognition you have received. It will be the lives
you have touched and the difference you have made.
After nine years at Bell labs, I decided to leave that warm, cozy
ivory tower for what I considered to be the "real world," a
university. Bell Labs, to quote what was said about Mary Poppins, was
"practically perfect in every way," but I wanted to leave behind
something more than scientific articles. I wanted to teach and give
birth to my own set of scientific children.
Ted Geballe, a friend and distinguished colleague of mine at Stanford,
who also went from Berkeley to Bell Labs to Stanford years earlier,
described our motives best:
"The best part of working at a university is the students. They come
in fresh, enthusiastic, open to ideas, unscarred by the battles of
life. They don't realize it, but they're the recipients of the best
our society can offer. If a mind is ever free to be creative, that's
the time. They come in believing textbooks are authoritative, but
eventually they figure out that textbooks and professors don't know
everything, and then they start to think on their own. Then, I begin
learning from them."
My students, post doctoral fellows, and the young researchers who
worked with me at Bell Labs, Stanford, and Berkeley have been
extraordinary. Over 30 former group members are now professors, many
at the best research institutions in the world, including Harvard. I
have learned much from them. Even now, in rare moments on weekends,
the remaining members of my biophysics group meet with me in the ether
world of cyberspace.
I began teaching with the idea of giving back; I received more than I
gave. This brings me to the final movement of this speech. It begins
with a story about an extraordinary scientific discovery and a new
dilemma that it poses. It's a call to arms and about making a
difference.
In the last several decades, our climate has been changing. Climate
change is not new: the Earth went through six ice ages in the past
600,000 years. However, recent measurements show that the climate has
begun to change rapidly. The size of the North Polar Ice Cap in the
month of September is only half the size it was a mere 50 years ago.
The sea level which been rising since direct measurements began in
1870 at a rate that is now five times faster than it was at the
beginning of recorded measurements. Here's the remarkable scientific
discovery. For the first time in human history, science is now making
predictions of how our actions will affect the world 50 and 100 years
from now. These changes are due to an increase in carbon dioxide put
into the atmosphere since the beginning of the Industrial Revolution.
The Earth has warmed up by roughly 0.8 degrees Celsius since the
beginning of the Revolution. There is already approximately a 1 degree
rise built into the system, even if we stop all greenhouse gas
emissions today. Why? It will take decades to warm up the deep oceans
before the temperature reaches a new equilibrium.
If the world continues on a business-as-usual path, the
Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change predicts that there is a
fifty-fifty chance the temperature will exceed 5 degrees by the end of
this century. This increase may not sound like much, but let me remind
you that during the last ice age, the world was only 6 degrees colder.
During this time, most of Canada and the United States down to Ohio
and Pennsylvania were covered year round by a glacier. A world 5
degrees warmer will be very different. The change will be so rapid
that many species, including Humans, will have a hard time adapting.
I've been told for example, that, in a much warmer world, insects were
bigger. I wonder if this thing buzzing around is a precursor.
We also face the specter of nonlinear "tipping points" that may cause
much more severe changes. An example of a tipping point is the thawing
of the permafrost. The permafrost contains immense amounts of frozen
organic matter that have been accumulating for millennia. If the soil
melts, microbes will spring to life and cause this debris to rot. The
difference in biological activity below freezing and above freezing is
something we are all familiar with. Frozen food remains edible for a
very long time in the freezer, but once thawed, it spoils quickly. How
much methane and carbon dioxide might be released from the rotting
permafrost? If even a fraction of the carbon is released, it could be
greater than all the greenhouse gases we have released to since the
beginning of the industrial revolution. Once started, a runaway effect
could occur.
The climate problem is the unintended consequence of our success. We
depend on fossil energy to keep our homes warm in the winter, cool in
the summer, and lit at night; we use it to travel across town and
across continents. Energy is a fundamental reason for the prosperity
we enjoy, and we will not surrender this prosperity. The United States
has 3 percent of the world population, and yet, we consume 25 percent
of the energy. By contrast, there are 1.6 billion people who don't
have access to electricity. Hundreds of millions of people still cook
with twigs or dung. The life we enjoy may not be within the reach of
the developing world, but it is within sight, and they want what we
have.
Here is the dilemma. How much are we willing to invest, as a world
society, to mitigate the consequences of climate change that will not
be realized for at least 100 years? Deeply rooted in all cultures, is
the notion of generational responsibility. Parents work hard so that
their children will have a better life. Climate change will affect the
entire world, but our natural focus is on the welfare of our immediate
families. Can we, as a world society, meet our responsibility to
future generations?
While I am worried, I am hopeful we will solve this problem. I became
the director of the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, in part
because I wanted to enlist some of the best scientific minds to help
battle against climate change. I was there only four and a half years,
the shortest serving director in the 78-year history of the Lab, but
when I left, a number of very exciting energy institutes at the
Berkeley Lab and UC Berkeley had been established.
I am extremely privileged to be part of the Obama administration. If
there ever was a time to help steer America and the world towards a
path of sustainable energy, now is the time. The message the President
is delivering is not one of doom and gloom, but of optimism and
opportunity. I share this optimism. The task ahead is daunting, but we
can and will succeed.
We know some of the answers already. There are immediate and
significant savings in energy efficiency and conservation. Energy
efficiency is not just low-hanging fruit; it is fruit lying on the
ground. For example, we have the potential to make buildings 80
percent more efficient with investments that will pay for themselves
in less than 15 years. Buildings consume 40 percent of the energy we
use, and a transition to energy efficient buildings will cut our
carbon emissions by one-third.
We are revving up the remarkable American innovation machine that will
be the basis of a new American prosperity. We will invent much
improved methods to harness the sun, the wind, nuclear power, and
capture and sequester the carbon dioxide emitted from our power
plants. Advanced bio-fuels and the electrification of personal
vehicles make us less dependent on foreign oil.
In the coming decades, we will almost certainly face higher oil prices
and be in a carbon-constrained economy. We have the opportunity to
lead in development of a new, industrial revolution. The great hockey
player, Wayne Gretzky, when asked, how he positions himself on the
ice, he replied," I skate to where the puck is going to be, not where
it's been." America should do the same.
The Obama administration is laying a new foundation for a prosperous
and sustainable energy future, but we don't have all of the answers.
That's where you come in. In this address, I am asking you, the
Harvard graduates, to join us. As our future intellectual leaders,
take the time to learn more about what's at stake, and then act on
that knowledge. As future scientists and engineers, I ask you to give
us better technology solutions. As future economists and political
scientists, I ask you to create better policy options. As future
business leaders, I ask that you make sustainability an integral part
of your business.
Finally, as humanists, I ask that you speak to our common humanity.
One of the cruelest ironies about climate change is that the ones who
will be hurt the most are the most innocent: the worlds poorest and
those yet to be born.
The coda to this last movement is borrowed from two humanists.
The first quote is from Martin Luther King. He spoke on ending the war
in Vietnam in 1967, but his message seems so fitting for today's
climate crisis:
"This call for a worldwide fellowship that lifts neighborly concern
beyond one's tribe, race, class, and nation is in reality a call for
an all-embracing and unconditional love for all mankind. This oft
misunderstood, this oft misinterpreted concept, so readily dismissed
by the Nietzsches of the world as a weak and cowardly force, has now
become an absolute necessity for the survival of man … We are now
faced with the fact, my friends, that tomorrow is today. We are
confronted with the fierce urgency of now. In this unfolding conundrum
of life and history, there is such a thing as being too late."
The final message is from William Faulkner. On December 10th, 1950,
his Nobel Prize banquet speech was about the role of humanists in a
world facing potential nuclear holocaust.
"I believe that man will not merely endure: he will prevail. He is
immortal, not because he alone among creatures has an inexhaustible
voice, but because he has a soul, a spirit capable of compassion and
sacrifice and endurance. The poet's, the writer's, duty is to write
about these things. It is his privilege to help man endure by lifting
his heart, by reminding him of the courage and honor and hope and
pride and compassion and pity and sacrifice which have been the glory
of his past."
Graduates, you have an extraordinary role to play in our future. As
you pursue your private passions, I hope you will also develop a
passion and a voice to help the world in ways both large and small.
Nothing will give you greater satisfaction.
Please accept my warmest congratulations. May you prosper, may you
help preserve and save our planet for your children, and all future
children of the world.
尊敬的Faust校长，哈佛集团的各位成员，监管理事会的各位理事，各位老师，各位家长，各位朋友，以及最重要的各位毕业生同学，
感谢你们，让我有机会同你们一起分享这个美妙的日子。
我不太肯定，自己够得上哈佛大学毕业典礼演讲人这样的殊荣。去年登上这个讲台的是，英国亿万身家的小说家J.K.
Rowling女士，她最早是一个古典文学的学生。前年站在这里的是比尔?盖茨先生，他是一个超级富翁、一个慈善家和电脑高手。今年很遗憾，你们的演讲人是我，虽然我不是很有钱，但是至少我也算一个高手。
我很感激哈佛大学给我荣誉学位，这对我很重要，也许比你们会想到的还要重要。要知道，在学术上，我是我们家的不肖之子。我的哥哥在麻省理工学院得到医学博士，在哈佛大学得到哲学博士；我的弟弟在哈佛大学得到一个法律学位。我本人得到诺贝尔奖的时候，我想我的妈妈会高兴。但是，我错了。消息公布的那天早上，我给她打电话，她听了只说："这是好消息，不过我想知道，你下次什么时候来看我？"如今在我们兄弟当中，我最终也拿到了哈佛学位，我想这一次，她会感到满意。
在哈佛大学毕业典礼上发表演讲，还有一个难处，那就是你们中有些人可能有意见，不喜欢我重复前人演讲中说过的话。我要求你们谅解我，因为两个理由。
首先，为了产生影响力，很重要的方法就是重复传递同样的信息。在科学中，第一个发现者是重要的，但是在得到公认前，最后一个将这个发现重复做出来的人也许更重要。
其次，一个借鉴他人的作者，正走在一条前人开辟的最佳道路上。哈佛大学毕业生、诗人爱默生曾经写下："古人把我最好的一些思想都偷走了。"画家毕加索宣称"优秀的艺术家借鉴，伟大的艺术家偷窃。"那么为什么毕业典礼的演说者，就不适用同样的标准呢？
我还要指出一点，向哈佛毕业生发表演说，对我来说是有讽刺意味的，因为如果当年我斗胆向哈佛大学递交入学申请，一定会被拒绝。我的妻子Jean当过斯坦福大学的招生主任，她向我保证，如果当年我申请斯坦福大学，她会拒绝我。我把这篇演讲的草稿给她过目，她强烈反对我使用"拒绝"这个词，她从来不拒绝任何申请者。在拒绝信中，她总是写："我们无法提供你入学机会。"我分不清两者到底有何差别。在我看来，那些大热门学校的招生主任与其称为"准许你入学的主任"，还不如称为"拒绝你入学的主任"。很显然，我需要好好学学怎么来推销自己。
毕业典礼演讲都遵循古典奏鸣曲的结构，我的演讲也不例外。刚才是第一乐章――轻快的闲谈。接下来的第二乐章是送上门的忠告。这样的忠告很少被重视，几乎注定被忘记，永远不会被实践。但是，就像王尔德说的："对于忠告，你所能做的，就是把它送给别人，因为它对你没有任何用处。"所以，下面就是我的忠告。第一，取得成就的时候，不要忘记前人。要感谢你的父母和支持你的朋友，要感谢那些启发过你的教授，尤其要感谢那些上不好课的教授，因为他们迫使你自学。从长远看，自学能力是优秀的文理教育中必不可少的，将成为你成功的关键。你还要去拥抱你的同学，感谢他们同你进行过的许多次彻夜长谈，这为你的教育带来了无法衡量的价值。当然，你还要感谢哈佛大学。不过即使你忘了这一点，校友会也会来提醒你。第二，在你们未来的人生中，做一个慷慨大方的人。在任何谈判中，都把最后一点点利益留给对方。不要把桌上的钱都拿走。在合作中，要牢记荣誉不是一个守恒的量。成功合作的任何一方，都应获得全部荣誉的90%。
电影《Harvey》中，Jimmy Stewart扮演的角色Elwood P.
Dowd，就完全理解这一点。他说："多年前，母亲曾经对我说，'Elwood，活在这个世界上，你要么做一个聪明人，要么做一个好人。'"我做聪明人，已经做了好多年了。……但是，我推荐你们做好人。你们可以引用我这句话。
我的第三个忠告是，当你开始生活的新阶段时，请跟随你的爱好。如果你没有爱好，就去找，找不到就不罢休。生命太短暂，如果想有所成，你必须对某样东西倾注你的深情。我在你们这个年龄，是超级的一根筋，我的目标就是非成为物理学家不可。本科毕业后，我在加州大学伯克利分校又待了8年，读完了研究生，做完了博士后，然后去贝尔实验室待了9年。在这些年中，我关注的中心和职业上的全部乐趣，都来自物理学。
我还有最后一个忠告，就是说兴趣爱好固然重要，但是你不应该只考虑兴趣爱好。当你白发苍苍、垂垂老矣、回首人生时，你需要为自己做过的事感到自豪。你的物质生活和得到的承认，都不会产生自豪。只有那些你出手相助、被你改变过的人和事，才会让你产生自豪。
在贝尔实验室待了9年后，我决定离开这个温暖舒适的象牙塔，走进我眼中的"真实世界"――大学。我对贝尔实验室的看法，就像别人形容电影Mary
Poppins的话，"实际上完美无缺"。但是，我想为世界留下更多的东西，不只是科学论文。我要去教书，培育我自己在科学上的后代。
我在斯坦福大学有一个好友兼杰出同事Ted Geballe。他也是从伯克利分校去了贝尔实验室，几年前又离开贝尔实验室去了斯坦福大学。他对我们的动机做出了最佳描述：
"在大学工作，最大的优点就是学生。他们生机勃勃，充满热情，思想自由，还没被生活的重压改变。虽然他们自己没有意识到，但是他们是这个社会中你能找到的最佳受众。如果生命中曾经有过思想自由和充满创造力的时期，那么那个时期就是你在读大学。进校时，学生们对课本上的一字一句毫不怀疑，渐渐地，他们发现课本和教授并不是无所不知的，于是他们开始独立思考。从那时起，就是我开始向他们学习了。"
我教过的学生、带过的博士后、合作过的年轻同事，都非常优秀。他们中有30多人，现在已经是教授了。他们所在的研究机构有不少是全世界第一流的，其中就包括哈佛大学。我从他们身上学到了很多东西。即使现在，我偶尔还会周末上网，向现在还从事生物物理学研究的学生请教。
我怀着回报社会的想法，开始了教学生涯。我的一生中，得到的多于我付出的，所以我要回报社会。这就引出了这次演讲的最后一个乐章。首先我要讲一个了不起的科学发现，以及由此带来的新挑战。它是一个战斗的号令，到了做出改变的时候了。
过去几十年中，我们的气候一直在发生变化。气候变化并不是现在才有的，过去60万年中就发生了6次冰河期。但是，现在的测量表明气候变化加速了。北极冰盖在9月份的大小，只相当于50年前的一半。1870年起，人们开始测量海平面上升的速度，现在的速度是那时的5倍。一个重大的科学发现就这样产生了。科学第一次在人类历史上，预测出我们的行为对50~100年后的世界有何影响。这些变化的原因是，从工业革命开始，人类排放到大气中的二氧化碳增加
了。这使得地球的平均气温上升了0.8摄氏度。即使我们立刻停止所有温室气体的排放，气温仍然将比过去上升大约1度。因为在气温达到均衡前，海水温度的上升将持续几十年。
如果全世界保持现在的经济模式不变，联合国政府间气候变化专门委员会（IPCC）预测，本世纪末将有50%的可能，气温至少上升5度。这听起来好像不多，但是让我来提醒你，上一次的冰河期，地球的气温也仅仅只下降了6度。那时，俄亥俄州和宾夕法尼亚州以北的大部分美国和加拿大的土地，都终年被冰川覆盖。气温上升5度的地球，将是一个非常不同的地球。由于变化来得太快，包括人类在内的许多生物，都将很难适应。比如，有人告诉我，在更温暖的环境中，昆虫的个头将变大。我不知道现在身旁嗡嗡叫的这只大苍蝇，是不是就是前兆。
我们还面临另一个幽灵，那就是非线性的"气候引爆点"，这会带来许多严重得多的变化。"气候引爆点"的一个例子就是永久冻土层的融化。永久冻土层经
过千万年的累积形成，其中包含了巨量的冻僵的有机物。如果冻土融化，微生物就将广泛繁殖，使得冻土层中的有机物快速腐烂。冷冻后的生物和冷冻前的生物，它
们在生物学特性上的差异，我们都很熟悉。在冷库中，冷冻食品在经过长时间保存后，依然可以食用。但是，一旦解冻，食品很快就腐烂了。一个腐烂的永久冻土层，将释放出多少甲烷和二氧化碳？即使只有一部分的碳被释放出来，可能也比我们从工业革命开始释放出来的所有温室气体还要多。这种事情一旦发生，局势就失控了。
气候问题是我们的经济发展在无意中带来的后果。我们太依赖化石能源，冬天取暖，夏天制冷，夜间照明，长途旅行，环球观光。能源是经济繁荣的基础，我
们不可能放弃经济繁荣。美国人口占全世界的3%，但是我们消耗全世界25%的能源。与此形成对照，全世界还有16亿人没有电，数亿人依靠燃烧树枝和动物粪便来煮饭。发展中国家的人民享受不到我们的生活，但是他们都看在眼里，他们渴望拥有我们拥有的东西。
这就是新的挑战。全世界作为一个整体，我们到底愿意付出多少，来缓和气候变化？这种付出至少在100年内，都不会有明显效果。代际责任深深植根于所有文化中。家长努力工作，为了让他们的孩子有更好的生活。气候变化将影响整个世界，但是我们的天性使得我们只关心个人家庭的福利。我们能不能把全世界看作一个整体？能不能为未来的人们承担起责任？
虽然我忧心忡忡，但是还是对未来抱乐观态度，这个问题将会得到解决。我同意出任劳伦斯?伯克利国家实验室主任，部分原因是我想招募一些世界上最好的科学家，来研究气候变化的对策。我在那里干了4年半，是这个实验室78年的历史中，任期最短的主任，但是当我离任时，在伯克利实验室和伯克利分校，一些非常激动人心的能源研究机构已经建立起来了。
能够成为奥巴马施政团队的一员，我感到极其荣幸。如果有一个时机，可以引导美国和全世界走上可持续能源的道路，那么这个时机就是现在。总统已经发出
信息，未来并非在劫难逃，而是乐观的，我们依然有机会。我也抱有这种乐观主义。我们面前的任务令人生畏，但是我们能够并且将会成功。
我们已经有了一些答案，可以立竿见影地节约能源和提高能源使用效率。它们不是挂在枝头的水果，而是已经成熟掉在地上了，就看我们愿不愿意捡起来。比
如，我们有办法将楼宇的耗电减少80%，增加的投资在15年内就可以收回来。楼宇的耗电占我们能源消费的40%，节能楼宇的推广将使我们二氧化碳的释放减
少三分之一。
我们正在加速美国这座巨大的创新机器，这将是下一次美国大繁荣的基础。我们将大量投资有效利用太阳能、风能、核能的新方法，大量投资能够捕获和隔离电厂废气中的二氧化碳的方法。先进的生物燃料和电力汽车将使得我们不再那么依赖外国的石油。
在未来的几十年中，我们几乎肯定会面对更高的油价和更严厉的二氧化碳限制排放政策。这是一场新的工业革命，美国有机会充当领导者。伟大的冰上曲棍球选手Wayne
Gretzky被问到，他如何在冰上跑位，回答说："我滑向球下一步的位置，而不是它现在的位置。"美国也应该这样做。
奥巴马政府正在为美国的繁荣和可持续能源，打下新的基础。但是我们无法为所有问题都找到答案。这就需要你们的参与。在本次演讲中，我请求在座各位哈佛毕业生加入我们。你们是我们未来的智力领袖，请花时间加深理解目前的危险局势，然后采取相应的行动。你们是未来的科学家和工程师，我要求你们给我们更好的技术方案。你们是未来的经济学家和政治学家，我要求你们创造更好的政策选择。你们是未来的企业家，我要求你们将可持续发展作为你们业务中不可分割的一部分。
最后，你们是人道主义者，我要求你们为了人道主义说话。气候变化带来的最残酷的讽刺之一，就是最受伤害的人，恰恰就是最无辜的人――那些世界上最穷的人们和那些还没有出生的人。
这个最后乐章的完结部是引用两个人道主义者的话。
第一段引语来自马丁?路德?金。这是1967年他对越南战争结束的评论，但是看上去非常适合用来评论今天的气候危机。
"我呼吁全世界的人们团结一心，抛弃种族、肤色、阶级、国籍的隔阂；我呼吁包罗一切、无条件的对全人类的爱。你会因此遭受误解和误读，信奉尼采哲学的世人会认定你是一个软弱和胆怯的懦夫。但是，这是人类存在下去的绝对必需。……我的朋友，眼前的事实就是，明天就是今天。此刻，我们面临最紧急的情况。在变幻莫测的生活和历史之中，有一样东西叫做悔之晚矣。"
第二段引语来自威廉?福克纳。1950年12月10月，他在诺贝尔奖获奖晚宴上发表演说，谈到了世界在核战争的阴影之下，人道主义者应该扮演什么样的角色。
"我相信人类不仅能忍耐，而且会获胜。人类是不朽的，这不是因为万物当中仅仅他会无穷尽的呼喊，而是因为他有一个灵魂，有同情心、牺牲精神和忍耐力。诗人和作家的责任就是写这些东西。他们的特权正是通过鼓舞人类，唤起人类原有的荣耀――勇气、荣誉、希望、自尊、怜悯之心和牺牲精神，去帮助人类学会忍耐。"
各位毕业生同学，你们在我们的未来中扮演举足轻重的角色。当你们追求个人的志向时，我希望你们也会发扬奉献精神，积极发声，在大大小小各个方面帮助改进这个世界。这会给你们带来最大的满足感。
最后，请接受我最热烈的祝贺。希望你们成功，也希望你们保护和拯救我们这个星球，为了你们的孩子，以及未来所有的孩子。
===============================================================
附：翻译勘误表
http://www.ruanyifeng.com/blog/2009/06/errata_of_steven_chus_harvard_commencement_speech.html
1.
The year before, Bill Gates, the mega-billionaire philanthropist and
computer nerd stood here. Today, sadly, you have me. I am not wealthy,
but at least I am a nerd.
[原译] 前年站在这里的是比尔・盖茨先生，他是一个超级富翁、一个慈善家和电脑天才。今年很遗憾，你们的演讲人是我，虽然我不是很有钱，但是至少我是一个书呆子。
[现译] 前年站在这里的是比尔・盖茨先生，他是一个超级富翁、一个慈善家和电脑高手。今年很遗憾，你们的演讲人是我，虽然我不是富翁，但是至少我也算一个高手。
[笔记] 原译没有体现出nerd一词的幽默效果，现在的译法好一点。但是遗憾的是，原文中nerd在比尔・盖茨身上是褒义，在朱棣文身上则是自我调侃，汉语中很难用同一个词译出这两种味道。
2.
I was the academic black sheep of my family.
[原译] 在学术上，我是我们家的异类。
[现译] 在学术上，我是我们家的不肖之子。
[笔记] 朱棣文在这里是自嘲，将black sheep译成"不肖之子"更准确。
3.
All my best thoughts were stolen by the ancients.
[原译] 我最好的一些思想，都是从古人那里偷来的。
[现译] 古人把我最好的一些意思都偷走了。
[笔记] 真不好意思，我起先没注意到这句话是被动。
4.
After all, deans of admissions of highly selective schools are in
reality, "deans of rejection."
[原译] 不过，那些大热门学校的招生主任总是很现实的，堪称"拒绝他人的主任"。
[现译] 在我看来，那些大热门学校的招生主任与其称为"准许你入学的主任"，还不如称为"拒绝你入学的主任"。
[笔记] admission在英语中是"准许入内"的意思，所以跟rejection（拒绝入内）形成对照，原译没有体现出这种差别。另外，in
reality（实际上）译成"在现实中"，也是很让人脸红的。
5.
This next movement consists of unsolicited advice, which is rarely
valued, seldom remembered, never followed.
[原译] 接下来的第二乐章是送上门的忠告。这样的忠告很少有价值，几乎注定被忘记，永远不会被实践。
[现译] 接下来的第二乐章是送上门的忠告。这样的忠告很少被重视，几乎注定被忘记，永远不会被实践。
[笔记] 这一句真是低级错误，我把valued看成名词了。
6.
Going forward, the ability to teach yourself is the hallmark of a
great liberal arts education and will be the key to your success.
[原译] 从整体看，自学能力是优秀的文科教育中必不可少的，将成为你成功的关键。
[现译] 从长远看，自学能力是优秀的文理教育中必不可少的，将成为你成功的关键。
[笔记] 将liberal arts译成"文科"是错误，它指的是大学分科之前的基础教育。西方各个大学都有liberal arts
college，通行的译法是"文理学院"，所以我改用了这个译法。
7.
The source of that pride won't be the things you have acquired or the
recognition you have received.
[原译] 物质生活和你实现的占有欲，都不会产生自豪。
[现译] 你的物质生活和收到的酬劳，都不会产生自豪。
[笔记] recognition有酬劳的意思，这是查了字典才知道的。
8.
It will be the lives you have touched and the difference you have made.
[原译] 只有那些受你影响、被你改变过的人和事，才会让你产生自豪。
[现译] 只有那些你出手相助、被你改变过的人和事，才会让你产生自豪。
[笔记] touch指的是主动伸出手接触，原译"影响"没有体现这种主动性。
9.
Bell Labs, to quote what was said about Mary Poppins, was "practically
perfect in every way," but I wanted to leave behind something more
than scientific articles.
[原译] 我对贝尔实验室的看法，可以引用Mary Poppins的话，"实际上十全十美"。 但是，我想离开那种仅仅是科学论文的生活。
[现译] 我对贝尔实验室的看法，就像别人形容电影Mary Poppins的话，"实际上完美无缺"。但是，我想为世界留下更多的东西，不只是科学论文。
[笔记] 这句我错得比较离谱，汗颜啊。
10.
If a mind is ever free to be creative, that's the time.
[原译] 如果生命中只有一段时间是思想自由和充满创造力，那么那段时间就是你在读大学。
[现译] 如果生命中曾经有过思想自由和充满创造力的时期，那么那个时期就是你在读大学。
[笔记] 虽说原译不能算错，但是ever还是改成"曾经"，更符合原文。
11.
During this time, most of Canada and the United States down to Ohio
and Pennsylvania were covered year round by a glacier.
[原译] 那时，俄亥俄州和费城以下的大部分美国和加拿大的土地，都终年被冰川覆盖。
[现译] 那时，俄亥俄州和宾夕法尼亚州以北的大部分美国和加拿大的土地，都终年被冰川覆盖。
[笔记] down to有南下的意思，与说话人的位置有关。而哈佛大学所在的波士顿，确实是在俄亥俄州和宾夕法尼亚州的北面。另外，不好意思的是，我把Pennsylvania看成Philadelphia了。
12.
How much are we willing to invest, as a world society, to mitigate the
consequences of climate change that will not be realized for at least
100 years?
[原译] 全世界作为一个整体，我们到底愿意付出多少，来缓和气候变化？这种变化在100年前，根本没人想到过。
[现译] 全世界作为一个整体，我们到底愿意付出多少，来缓和气候变化？这种付出至少在100年内，都不会有明显效果。
[笔记] 这句也是低级错误。不知为什么，我看到realize这个词，第一反应总是"认识到"，而不是"实现"。
13.
The Obama administration is laying a new foundation for a prosperous
and sustainable energy future, but we don't have all of the answers.
[原译] 奥巴马政府正在为美国的繁荣和可持续能源，打下新的基础。但是我们还有很多不知道的地方。
[现译] 奥巴马政府正在为美国的繁荣和可持续能源，打下新的基础。但是我们无法为所有问题都找到答案。
[笔记] 反复思考后，我觉得we don't have all of the answers还是直译比较好。
