MrRogers大学演说稿摘抄

WhenIwasatDartmouthinthelate1940s,thetuition,room,andboardalladdedupto$1,100ayear.Nobodyownedahomecomputer,andhardlyanyonehadatelevisionset.Andthosewhodid,therewasachoiceofthreechannels.I’mnotsureifJeanneShaheenwasevenbornyet,butveryfewpeoplewouldhaveguessedthatwithin50years,awomanwouldbegovernororNewHampshire.Yes.WhenIwashere,thefirstwordofthealmamaterwas“Men.MenofDartmouthgivearouse.”Well,nowthefirstwordisquot;Dear.quot;Somethingschangeforthebetter.Duringmyfirstyearhere,Ilivedrightoverthereat101MiddleMass.AndIhadtworoommates.Ihadaprofessor,overthere,whodidhisbesttoscareeveryoneinhisclass,andhegavemethelowestgradethatIeverhadinanyschoolanywhere.ButIalsohadanastronomyprofessor,GeorgeDimitrov,wholookedforandfoundwhatwasbestineachofhisstudents.WhenIlookatthenightsky,Istillthinkofthatextraspecial,kindman.Dartmouthismanythingstoeachofus,andIx27;mgratefultoJimandSusanWrightforallthattheyhavedoneforthisschool.AndI’mgratefultomyoldfriend,ChickKoop,forallthathehasdoneforallofus.AndIcongratulateeveryoneofyouwhoisbeinghonoredinanywayduringthisCommencementweekend.Ourworldhangslikeamagnificentjewelinthevastnessofspace.Everyoneofusisapartofthatjewel.Afacetofthatjewel.Andintheperspectiveofinfinity,ourdifferencesareinfinitesimal.Weareintimatelyrelated.Mayweneverevenpretendthatwearenot.HaveyouheardmyfavoritestorythatcamefromtheSeattleSpecialOlympics?Well,forthe100-yarddash,therewereninecontestants,allofthemso-calledphysicallyormentallydisabled.Allnineofthemassembledatthestartingline,andatthesoundofthegun,theytookoff.Butnotlongafterward,onelittleboystumbledandfell,andhurthiskneeandbegantocry.Theothereightchildrenheardhimcrying.Theysloweddown,turnedaround,andranbacktohim.Everyoneofthemranbacktohim.OnelittlegirlwithDownSyndromebentdownandkissedtheboy,andsaid,“Thisx27;llmakeitbetter.”Thelittleboygotup,andheandtherestoftherunnerslinkedtheirarmstogether,andjoyfullywalkedtothefinishline.Theyallfinishedtheraceatthesametime.Andwhentheydid,everyoneinthatstadiumstoodup,andclapped,andwhistled,andcheeredforalong,longtime.Peoplewhoweretherearestilltellingthisstorywithgreatdelight.Andyouknowwhy.Becausedeepdown,weknowthatwhatmattersinthislifeismorethanwinningforourselves.Whatreallymattersishelpingotherswin,too.Evenifitmeansslowingdownandchangingourcoursenowandthen.AniciusManliusSeverinusBoethius—whataname—wasthelastofthegreatRomanphilosophers,andthefirstofthescholasticsoftheMiddleAges.Fifteenhundredyearsago,Boethiuswrotethissentence,“Ohappyraceofmortals,ifyourheartsareruledasistheuniverse,byLove.”IwasonceinvitedtositinonamasterclassofsixyoungcellistsfromthePittsburghYouthSymphonyOrchestra.ThemasterteacherwasYo-YoMa.Now,Yo-Yoisthemostother-orientedgeniusI’veeveryknown.Hismusiccomesfromaverydeepplacewithinhisbeing.Andduringthatmasterclass,Yo-Yogentlyledthoseyoungcellistsintounderstandingsabouttheirinstruments,theirmusic,andtheirselves,whichsomeofthemtoldmelater,they’dcarrywiththemforever.IcanstillseethefaceofoneyoungmanwhohadjustfinishedplayingamovementofBrahms’CelloSonata,whenYo-Yosaid,“Nobodyelsecanmakethesoundyoumake.”Ofcourse,hemeantthatasacomplimenttotheyoungman.Nevertheless,hemeantthatalsoforeveryoneintheclass.Nobodyelsecanmakethesoundyoumake.Nobodyelsecanchoosetomakethatparticularsoundinthatparticularway.I’mverymuchinterestedinchoices,andwhatitis,andwhoitis,thatenableushumanbeingstomakethechoiceswemakeallthroughourlives.Whatchoicesleadtoethniccleansing?Whatchoicesleadtohealing?Whatchoicesleadtothedestructionoftheenvironment,theerosionoftheSabbath,suicidebombings,orteenagersshootingteachers.Whatchoicesencourageheroisminthemidstofchaos?Ihavealotofframedthingsinmyoffice,whichpeoplehavegiventomethroughtheyears.AndonmywallsareGreek,andHebrew,andRussian,andChinese.Andbesidemychair,isaFrenchsentencefromSaint-Exupery’sLittlePrince.Itreads,“L’essentialestinvisiblepourlesyeux.”Whatisessentialisinvisibletotheeye.Well,whatisessentialaboutyou?Andwhoarethosewhohavehelpedyoubecomethepersonyouare?Anyonewhohasevergraduatedfromacollege,anyonewhohaseverbeenabletosustainagoodwork,hashadatleastoneperson,andoftenmany,whohavebelievedinhimorher.Wejustdon’tgettobecompetenthumanbeingswithoutalotofdifferentinvestmentsfromothers.I’dliketogiveyouallaninvisiblegift.Agiftofasilentminutetothinkaboutthosewhohavehelpedyoubecomewhoyouaretoday.Someofthemmaybehererightnow.Somemaybefaraway.Some,likemyastronomyprofessor,mayevenbeinHeaven.Butwherevertheyare,ifthey’velovedyou,andencouragedyou,andwantedwhatwasbestinlifeforyou,they’rerightinsideyourself.AndIfeelthatyoudeservequiettime,onthisspecialoccasion,todevotesomethoughttothem.So,let’sjusttakeaminute,inhonorofthosethathavecaredaboutusallalongtheway.Onesilentminute.Whomeveryou’vebeenthinkingabout,imaginehowgratefultheymustbe,thatduringyoursilenttimes,yourememberhowimportanttheyaretoyou.It’snotthehonorsandtheprizes,andthefancyoutsidesoflifewhichultimatelynourishoursouls.It’stheknowingthatwecanbetrusted.Thatweneverhavetofearthetruth.Thatthebedrockofourlives,fromwhichwemakeourchoices,isverygoodstuff.There’saneighborhoodsongthatismeantforthechildineachofus,andI’dliketogiveyouthewordsofthatsongrightnow.“It’syouIlike,it’snotthethingsyouwear.It’snotthewayyoudoyourhair,butit’syouIlike.Thewayyouarerightnow,thewaydowndeepinsideyou.Notthethingsthathideyou.Notyourcapsandgowns,they’rejustbesideyou.Butit’syouIlike.Everypartofyou.Yourskin,youreyes,yourfeelings.Whetheroldornew,Ihopethatyouremember,evenwhenyoux27;refeelingblue,thatit’syouIlike.It’syou,yourself,it’syou.It’syouIlike.”Andwhatthatultimatelymeans,ofcourse,isthatyoudonx27;teverhavetodoanythingsensationalforpeopletoloveyou.WhenIsayit’syouIlike,I’mtalkingaboutthatpartofyouthatknowsthatlifeisfarmorethananythingyoucaneversee,orhear,ortouch.Thatdeeppartofyou,thatallowsyoutostandforthosethings,withoutwhichhumankindcannotsurvive.Lovethatconquershate.Peacethatrisestriumphantoverwar.Andjusticethatprovesmorepowerfulthangreed.So,inallthatyoudoinallofyourlife,Iwishyouthestrengthandthegracetomakethosechoiceswhichwillallowyouandyourneighbortobecomethebestofwhoeveryouare.Congratulationstoyouall.