美国首席大法官的最佳毕业演讲：我祝你不幸并且痛苦

I Wish You Bad Luck

John G. Roberts, Jr.

第一遍阅读：全英文

Rain, somebody said, is like confetti from heaven. So even the heavens are celebrating this morning, joining the rest of us at this wonderful commencement ceremony.

Before we go any further, graduates, you have an important task to perform because behind you are your parents and guardians. Two or three or four years ago, they drove into Cardigan, dropped you off, helped you get settled and then turned around and drove back out the gates. It was an extraordinary sacrifice for them. They drove down the trail of tears back to an emptier and lonelier house.  They did that because the decision about your education, they knew, was about you. It was not about them. That sacrifice and others they made have brought you to this point. But this morning is not just about you.  It is also about them, so I hope you will stand up and turn around and give them a great round of applause. Please.

Now when somebody asks me how the remarks at Cardigan went, I will be able to say they were interrupted by applause. Congratulations, class of 2017. You’ve reached an important milestone. An important stage of your life is behind you. I’m sorry to be the one to tell you it is the  easiest stage of your life, but it is in the books. While you’ve been at Cardigan, you have all been a part of an important international community as well. And I think that needs to be particularly recognized.

 [Roberts gave brief remarks in other languages.]

Now around the country today at colleges, high schools, middle schools, commencement speakers are standing before impatient graduates. And they are almost always saying the same things. They will say that today is a commencement exercise. ‘It is a beginning, not an end. You should look forward.’ And I think that is true enough, however, I think if you’re going to look forward to figure out where you’re going, it’s good to know where you’ve been and to look back as well. And I think if you look back to your first afternoon here at Cardigan, perhaps you will recall that you were lonely. Perhaps you will recall that you were a little scared, a little anxious. And now look at you. You are surrounded by friends that you call brothers, and you are confident in facing the next step in your education.

It is worth trying to think why that is so. And when you do, I think you may appreciate that it was because of the support of your classmates in the classroom, on the athletic field and in the dorms. And as far as the confidence goes, I think you will appreciate that it is not because you succeeded at everything you did, but because with the help of your friends, you were not afraid to fail. And if you did fail, you got up and tried again. And if you failed again, you got up and tried again. And if you failed again, it might be time to think about doing something else. But it was not just success, but not being afraid to fail that brought you to this point. 

Now the commencement speakers will typically also wish you good luck and extend good wishes to you. I will not do that, and I’ll tell you why. From time to time in the years to come, I hope you will be treated unfairly, so that you will come to know the value of justice. I hope that you will suffer betrayal because that will teach you the importance of loyalty. Sorry to say, but I hope you will be lonely from time to time so that you don’t take friends for granted. I wish you bad luck, again, from time to time so that you will be conscious of the role of chance in life and understand that your success is not completely deserved and that the failure of others is not completely deserved either. And when you lose, as you will from time to time, I hope every now and then, your opponent will gloat over your failure. It is a way for you to understand the importance of sportsmanship. I hope you’ll be ignored so you know the importance of listening to others, and I hope you will have just enough pain to learn compassion. 

Whether I wish these things or not, they’re going to happen.  And whether you benefit from them or not will depend upon your ability to see the message in your misfortunes. 

Now commencement speakers are also expected to give some advice. They give grand advice, and they give some useful tips. The most common grand advice they give is for you to be yourself. It is an odd piece of advice to give people dressed identically, but you should — you should be yourself. But you should understand what that means. Unless you are perfect, it does not mean don’t make any changes. In a certain sense, you should not be yourself. You should try to become something better.  People say ‘be yourself’ because they want you to resist the impulse to conform to what others want you to be. But you can’t be yourself if you don't learn who are, and you can’t learn who you are unless you think about it. The Greek philosopher Socrates said, ‘The unexamined life is not worth living.’ And while ‘just do it’ might be a good motto for some things, it’s not a good motto when it’s trying to figure out how to live your life that is before you. And one important clue to living a good life is to not to try to live the good life. The best way to lose the values that are central to who you are is frankly not to think about them at all. So that’s the deep advice. 

Now some tips as you get ready to go to your new school. Other the last couple of years, I have gotten to know many of you young men pretty well, and I know you are good guys. But you are also privileged young men. And if you weren’t privileged when you came here, you are privileged now because you have been here. My advice is:  Don’t act like it. When you get to your new school, walk up and introduce yourself to the person who is raking the leaves, shoveling the snow or emptying the trash. Learn their name and call them by their name during your time at the school. 

Another piece of advice: When you pass by people you don’t recognize on the walks,  smile, look them in the eye and say hello. The worst thing that will happen is that you will become known as the young man who smiles and says hello, and that is not a bad thing to start with. You’ve been at a school with just boys. Most of you will be going to a school with girls. I have no advice for you. The last bit of advice I’ll give you is very simple, but I think it could make a big difference in your life. Once a week, you should write a note to someone. Not an email. A note on a piece of paper. It will take you exactly 10 minutes. Talk to an adult, let them tell you what a stamp is.  You can put the stamp on the envelope. Again, 10 minutes, once a week. I will help you, right now. I will dictate to you the first note you should write. It will say, ‘Dear [fill in the name of a teacher at Cardigan Mountain School].’ Say: ‘I have started at this new school. We are reading [blank] in English. Football or soccer practice is hard, but I’m enjoying it. Thank you for teaching me.’ Put it in an envelope, put a stamp on it and send it. It will mean a great deal to people who —  for reasons most of us cannot contemplate — have dedicated themselves to teaching middle school boys. As I said, that will take you exactly 10 minutes a week. By the end of the school year, you will have sent notes to 40 people. Forty people will feel a little more special because you  did, and they will think you are very special because of what you did.  No one else is going to carry that dividend during your time at school. 

Enough advice. I would like to end by reading some important lyrics. I cited the Greek philosopher Socrates earlier. These lyrics are from the great American philosopher, Bob Dylan. They’re almost 50 years old. He wrote them for his son, Jesse, who he was missing while he was on tour. It lists the hopes that a parent might have for a son and for a daughter.  They’re also good goals for a son and a daughter. The wishes are beautiful, they’re timeless. They’re universal. They’re good and true, except for one: It is the wish that gives the song its title and its refrain. That wish is a parent’s lament. It’s not a good wish. So these are the lyrics from Forever Young by Bob Dylan: 

May God bless you and keep you always May your wishes all come true May you always do for others And let others do for you May you build a ladder to the stars And climb on every rung And may you stay forever young May you grow up to be righteous May you grow up to be true May you always know the truth And see the lights surrounding you May you always be courageous Stand upright and be strong And may you stay forever young May your hands always be busy May your feet always be swift May you have a strong foundation When the winds of changes shift May your heart always be joyful May your song always be sung And may you stay forever young.

Thank you.

 

 第二遍阅读：英汉对照

Rain, somebody said, is like confetti from heaven. So even the heavens are celebrating this morning, joining the rest of us at this wonderful commencement ceremony. Before we go any further, graduates, you have an important task to perform because behind you are your parents and guardians. Two or three or four years ago, they drove into Cardigan, dropped you off, helped you get settled and then turned around and drove back out the gates. It was an extraordinary sacrifice for them. They drove down the trail of tears back to an emptier and lonelier house. They did that because the decision about your education, they knew, was about you. It was not about them. That sacrifice and others they made have brought you to this point. But this morning is not just about you. It is also about them, so I hope you will stand up and turn around and give them a great round of applause. Please.

人们说，雨就像天上来的五彩纸屑。今天早上，天堂的天使们也正在我们这个精彩的毕业庆典中。同学们，在我们进一步演讲之前，有一个重要的任务需要完成，在你的身后是你们的父母和监护人。两年、三年、或四年之前，他们送你们来Cardigan 学校，帮助你安顿下来，然后转身又默默离开了大门。对家人而言，意味着莫大的牺牲。他们或许沿着泪的痕迹，回到空洞和孤独的房子。这样做是因为，他们知道你的教育，最终是关乎你的。并不是关乎他们的。为了帮你实现这一点，他们愿意做出牺牲，以及其他任何的帮助。然而今天早上不只是关于你，也关于他们，所以我希望你能站起来，转过身来，并请给他们一个热烈的掌声。

Now when somebody asks me how the remarks at Cardigan went, I will be able to say they were interrupted by applause. Congratulations, class of 2017. You’ve reached an important milestone. An important stage of your life is behind you. I’m sorry to be the one to tell you it is the easiest stage of your life, but it is in the books. While you’ve been at Cardigan, you have all been a part of an important international community as well. And I think that needs to be particularly recognized.

当有人问我对Cardigan 学校的评价如何时，我可以说他们会被掌声打断（大家自觉地笑了，并鼓掌）。祝贺你们，2017届的毕业生。这是你们人生的一个重要里程碑。人生重要的阶段，其实还在你们身后。我很抱歉地告诉你，书本其实是你生命中最容易的阶段（大家会心一笑）。当你们在Cardigan的时候，同时也是国际社会的重要组成部分。我认为这需要特别认知。

「Roberts gave brief remarks in other languages.」

（罗伯茨用其他语言，发表了简短的讲话。）

Now around the country today at colleges, high schools, middle schools, commencement speakers are standing before impatient graduates. And they are almost always saying the same things. They will say that today is a commencement exercise. ‘It is a beginning, not an end. You should look forward.’ And I think that is true enough, however, I think if you’re going to look forward to figure out where you’re going, it’s good to know where you’ve been and to look back as well. And I think if you look back to your first afternoon here at Cardigan, perhaps you will recall that you were lonely. Perhaps you will recall that you were a little scared, a little anxious. And now look at you. You are surrounded by friends that you call brothers, and you are confident in facing the next step in your education.

现在全国各地，在大学/高中/中学，毕业典礼的嘉宾们站在不耐烦的毕业生面前，几乎总是说同样的话。他们会说，「今天的毕业只是一个开始，而不是结束。你们应该向前看。」我认为这也足够真实，但是，如果你想弄清楚往哪里去，最好回头看看在哪一步了，然后决定哪里才是你要去的。回想一下当你来到Cardigan 的第一个下午，也许你曾感到孤独。或许你还会记得，曾有过一点害怕和焦虑。现在看看你自己，身边有很多称兄道弟的朋友，你也有了信心面对下一阶段的教育。

It is worth trying to think why that is so. And when you do, I think you may appreciate that it was because of the support of your classmates in the classroom, on the athletic field and in the dorms. And as far as the confidence goes, I think you will appreciate that it is not because you succeeded at everything you did, but because with the help of your friends, you were not afraid to fail. And if you did fail, you got up and tried again. And if you failed again, you got up and tried again. And if you failed again, it might be time to think about doing something else. But it was not just success, but not being afraid to fail that brought you to this point.

值得去思考为什么会这样？当你这样做的时候，我想你可能会理解，这是因为同学们在教室里、运动场上、和宿舍里给予的支持。就信心而言，我想你会明白，并不是因为你做的每件事都成功了，而是因为在朋友的帮助下，你便不再害怕失败。如果你失败了，你站起来再试一次。如果你又失败了，你站起来再试一次。如果你再次又失败了，也许是时候考虑做别的事情了（大家砰然大笑）。你们之所以走到今天，不仅是因为你们的成功，而是因为你们不害怕失败。

Now the commencement speakers will typically also wish you good luck and extend good wishes to you. I will not do that, and I’ll tell you why. From time to time in the years to come, I hope you will be treated unfairly, so that you will come to know the value of justice. I hope that you will suffer betrayal because that will teach you the importance of loyalty. Sorry to say, but I hope you will be lonely from time to time so that you don’t take friends for granted.

通常，毕业典礼的演讲嘉宾都会向你们表示祝贺，并向你们致以真挚的祝愿。我不会这么做，让我来告诉你为什么。在未来的岁月里，我希望你会遭遇不公正的对待，这样你才会明白正义的价值。我希望你会遭受背叛，那样你才会懂得忠诚的重要。很抱歉我这么说。我还希望你会时常有孤独感，如此你才不会把良朋益友视为理所当然的。

Iwish you bad luck, again, from time to time so that you will be conscious of the role of chance in life and understand that your success is not completely deserved and that the failure of others is not completely deserved either. And when you lose, as you will from time to time, I hope every now and then, your opponent will gloat over your failure. It is a way for you to understand the importance of sportsmanship. I hope you’ll be ignored so you know the importance of listening to others, and I hope you will have just enough pain to learn compassion. Whether I wish these things or not, they’re going to happen. And whether you benefit from them or not will depend upon your ability to see the message in your misfortunes.

我再次地祝愿你不幸，这样你才会意识到机遇在人生中的角色，并能明白你们的成功并非命中注定，别人的失败也非天经地义。当你偶尔遭遇失败时，希望你的对手会因为你的失败而幸灾乐祸，如此你才能意识到有风度的竞争精神的重要性。希望你会被别人忽视，这样你才能意识到倾听别人的重要性，同时希望你有足够的同情心去学习同情。不论我愿不愿意，这些迟早都会发生。而你是否从中受益，取决于你能否参透人生苦难所带来的价值。

Now commencement speakers are also expected to give some advice. They give grand advice, and they give some useful tips. The most common grand advice they give is for you to be yourself. It is an odd piece of advice to give people dressed identically, but you should — you should be yourself. But you should understand what that means. Unless you are perfect, it does not mean don’t make any changes. In a certain sense, you should not be yourself. You should try to become something better. People say ‘be yourself’ because they want you to resist the impulse to conform to what others want you to be. But you can’t be yourself if you don't learn who are, and you can’t learn who you are unless you think about it.

如今，毕业典礼嘉宾们也会提出一些建议。有些建议很宏大，有些建议很实用。他们给你最普遍的忠告，就是「做你自己」。给你们都是一样的建议，是一个很奇怪的建议（全场大笑）。除了你必须做你自己外，更需要知道其中的真意。从某种意义上说，你不应该是你自己，而是你应该努力成为更好的自己。除非你是完美的，否则不需要做出任何改变。人们常说「做你自己」，是因为他们希望你抵制按他人意愿随波逐流的冲动。如果你都不知道自己想成为什么样的人，你是不可能「做你自己」的。如果不好好思考，你也不可能知道自己想成为什么样的人。

The Greek philosopher Socrates said, ‘The unexamined life is not worth living.’ And while ‘just do it’ might be a good motto for some things, it’s not a good motto when it’s trying to figure out how to live your life that is before you. And one important clue to living a good life is to not to try to livethegood life. The best way to lose the values that are central to who you are is frankly not to think about them at all.

希腊哲学家苏格拉底曾说，「未经审视的人生是没有意义的」。对某些事而言，「Just do it」，或许是一个不错的座右铭，但在你还未想明白要过怎样的人生之前，这个座右铭其实并不怎么样。拥有美好人生的一个最好的路径，就是不要试图过轻松的人生。如果你们不思考，就会丢掉对自己至关重要的价值观。

So that’s the deep advice. Now some tips as you get ready to go to your new school. Other the last couple of years, I have gotten to know many of you young men pretty well, and I know you are good guys. But you are also privileged young men. And if you weren’t privileged when you came here, you are privileged now because you have been here. My advice is: Don’t act like it.

这便是深刻的建议。现在给一些你们准备去新学校的建议。在过去的几年里，我很了解你们其中的年轻人，我知道你们都做得非常棒。你们是非常幸运的年轻人。如果你们来这里时还没有特权，现在已拥有了某种特权。正是因为来到了这里，便拥有了某种特权。我的忠告是：请不要表现出有特权的样子。

When you get to your new school, walk up and introduce yourself to the person who is raking the leaves, shoveling the snow or emptying the trash. Learn their name and call them by their name during your time at the school. Another piece of advice: When you pass by people you don’t recognize on the walks, smile, look them in the eye and say hello. The worst thing that will happen is that you will become known as the young man who smiles and says hello, and that is not a bad thing to start with.

当你来到新学校时，请走上前向那个正在扫树叶、铲雪或倒垃圾的人介绍自己。学习他们的名字，在学校的时候叫他们的名字。另一条忠告：当你走过那些你不认识的人的时候，微笑着看着他们的眼睛，向他们问好。最糟糕的情况无外乎，你会成为一个微笑着向别人打招呼的年轻人（全场微笑），这并不是一件坏事。

You’ve been at a school with just boys. Most of you will be going to a school with girls. I have no advice for you.

目前你们在一所男校，很多人未来将会去一间有女生的学校。在此，我无法给你们建议（全场爆笑，并热烈鼓掌）。

The last bit of advice I’ll give you is very simple, but I think it could make a big difference in your life. Once a week, you should write a note to someone. Not an email. A note on a piece of paper. It will take you exactly 10 minutes. Talk to an adult, let them tell you what a stamp is. You can put the stamp on the envelope. Again, 10 minutes, once a week. I will help you, right now.

I will dictate to you the first note you should write. It will say, ‘Dear「fill in the name of a teacher at Cardigan Mountain School」.’ Say: ‘I have started at this new school. We are reading 「blank」 in English. Football or soccer practice is hard, but I’m enjoying it. Thank you for teaching me.’ Put it in an envelope, put a stamp on it and send it. It will mean a great deal to people who — for reasons most of us cannot contemplate — have dedicated themselves to teaching middle school boys. As I said, that will take you exactly 10 minutes a week. By the end of the school year, you will have sent notes to 40 people. Forty people will feel a little more special because you did, and they will think you are very special because of what you did. No one else is going to carry that dividend during your time at school.

我给你们的最后一点建议很简单，但我认为它会给你的生活带来很大的改变。一周一次，你应该给某人写封信。不是电子邮件。一张写在纸上的便条。你只需要10分钟。学会跟大人说话，让他们告诉你邮票是什么。你可以把邮票贴在信封上。10分钟，每周一次。

我现在就教你，应该写的第一张便条。譬如：“亲爱的「填上学校老师的名字」：“从这所新学校开始。我们正在用英语阅读「空白处填写」。足球和足球训练都很难，但我很享受。谢谢您教我。” 把它放在信封里，贴上邮票寄出去。这些对于为了献身中学教育的人来说意义重大（爆笑）。就像我说的，你每周只需要10分钟。到学年结束的时候，你会给40个人寄信条。40个人会因为你做到了，觉得你很特别。在你上学的时候，没有人会带着这种红利。

Enough advice. I would like to end by reading some important lyrics. I cited the Greek philosopher Socrates earlier. These lyrics are from the great American philosopher, Bob Dylan. They’re almost 50 years old. He wrote them for his son, Jesse, who he was missing while he was on tour. It lists the hopes that a parent might have for a son and for a daughter. They’re also good goals for a son and a daughter. The wishes are beautiful, they’re timeless. They’re universal. They’re good and true, except for one: It is the wish that gives the song its title and its refrain. That wish is a parent’s lament. It’s not a good wish.

最后，我想用一段歌词来结束今天的致辞。之前，我引用了希腊哲学家苏格拉底的名言。下面，则来自伟大的美国音乐哲人鲍勃·迪伦的歌词。这些歌词，都快超过50年的历史了。在当年巡演期间，他为失踪的儿子杰西写了这些信，歌词呈现了父母对子女的深切期盼。这些期盼是美好，是永恒的，也是普世的。

So these are the lyrics from Forever Young by Bob Dylan:

这就是鲍勃·迪伦的《永远年轻》

May God bless you and keep you alwaysMay your wishes all come trueMay you always do for othersAnd let others do for youMay you build a ladder to the starsAnd climb on every rungAnd may you stay forever young

May you grow up to be righteousMay you grow up to be trueMay you always know the truthAnd see the lights surrounding youMay you always be courageousStand upright and be strongAnd may you stay forever young

May your hands always be busyMay your feet always be swiftMay you have a strong foundationWhen the winds of changes shiftMay your heart always be joyfulMay your song always be sungAnd may you stay forever young

愿上帝祝福你，并常与你同在愿你美梦成真愿你善待他人，并与他们相互扶持愿你建立仰望群星的天梯，并稳行高处

愿你永远年轻愿你成为正直之人愿你拥抱真理愿你永远认识真理，真光永远照耀你

愿你勇敢无惧，坚强又可靠愿你永远年轻愿你双手永远忙碌，愿你脚步永远轻盈愿你根基稳固，在暴风雨来临之际

愿你心中永远快乐愿你歌声永远嘹亮愿你永远年轻

（文/丹尼尔，微信公众号/丹尼尔先生，ID/MRDANIEL777）

（翻译：丹尼尔先生）

第三遍阅读：中文译文，试着自己翻译成英文

 

演讲全文：

人们说，雨就像天堂洒下的五彩纸屑。所以今早，连天堂也在和我们一起庆祝这个美妙的毕业典礼。

在我继续下去之前，毕业生们，你们有一个重要任务要做。在你们身后是你们的父母和家长。

两年、三年或四年前，他们驱车送你们来到卡迪根山中学，帮你们安顿妥当，然后又开车离去。他们做出了很大的牺牲。他们一路含泪回到那更加空荡荡、更加寂寞的家。

他们这样做，因为这个关于教育的决定，实际上，更是关于你们本身。是他们做出的牺牲，以及各种奉献，成就了你们的今天。但今天早上你们不是唯一的主角，今天也是他们的大日子，所以，我希望大家能起立、转身，为自己的家人送上热烈鼓掌。

好了，现在如果有人问我卡迪根的演讲进行得怎么样，我就可以说，掌声如雷，把演讲都打断了。

祝贺你们，2017届毕业生。你们来到了一个重要的里程碑，人生中的一个重要阶段已经过去。但很抱歉，我要告诉你们，这是你们人生中最简单的一个阶段，但它已告一段落。你们就读于卡迪根山中学时，同时也成为了国际社会中的一员，我觉得大家尤其应当认识到这一点。

今天，在全国各地的大学、高中、初中，有很多的毕业演讲者正站在一群躁动不安的毕业生面前，他们讲的话大同小异。他们会说，今天是一个崭新开端的提前演练，“这是一个开始，而不是结束。你们应当向前看。”

他们说的很对，然而，我觉得如果你要向前看，找到自己的方向，那么清楚自己走过的路，回头看看，也同样有益。

我想，如果你们回顾自己来到卡迪根第一天的那个午后，你们也许会记起自己当时有多孤独，也许还有些害怕、忐忑不安。然而看看现在的你们，身边满是朋友，彼此成为兄弟，信心满满地迎接下一教育阶段。

想一想，为什么会有这样的变化，这是很有意义的。我想你们也许会感谢同学们在课堂上、运动场上、宿舍里给予的帮助。而信心是哪里来的呢，也许你们要感激的不仅是自己的成功，还要感激因为朋友的相助，你们不再害怕失败。

如果失败了，你们爬起来重新来过。如果再次失败，你们爬起来再来一次。如果这次还是失败了，也许是时候想想做点别的事了。但并不仅仅是成功，还有不惧失败的勇气让你们走到了今天。

现在，毕业典礼的演讲嘉宾照例要祝你们好运并送上祝福了。我不会这样做，让我来告诉你为什么。

我希望在未来岁月中，你能时不时地遭遇不公，唯有如此，你才能懂得公正的价值。

我希望你尝到背叛的滋味，这样你才能领悟到忠诚之重要。

抱歉，我还希望你们时常感到孤独，唯有如此，你才不会视朋友为理所当然。

我祝你们偶尔运气不佳，这样你才会意识到机遇在人生中扮演的角色，从而明白你的成功并非天经地义，而他人的失败也不是命中注定。

当你偶尔失败时，我愿你的对手时不时地会幸灾乐祸。这样你才能懂得互相尊重的竞技精神的重要。

我希望你常被人无视，唯有如此，你才能懂得倾听他人有多重要。也祝你感受切肤之痛，从而学会同情。

无论我祝愿与否，这些事都会发生。而你能否从中获益，则取决于你能否参透这些苦难中传递的信息。

毕业典礼演讲嘉宾还要给出一些忠告。他们会说一些宏大的建议或实用的技巧。而他们最常说的宏大建议就是，做自己。给一群穿着整齐划一的人提出这样的建议有点奇怪，不过你们确实应该做自己。但你们要明白这句话的真正含义。

除非你完美无瑕，那么这句话绝不意味着不去改变自己。从某种意义上来说，你不应当做自己。你应当努力成为更好的人。人们说“做自己”，因为他们希望你不要屈服于他人的意愿随波逐流。但如果你自己都不了解自己，那么你就无法“做自己”，而你只有思考了，才能清楚自己想成为怎样的人。

古希腊哲学家苏格拉底曾说过，“未经自省的人生没有意义”。对某些事来说，“放胆去做”也许是句金玉良言，但当你在思考未来人生将如何度过时，这却不是一句好的格言。不要为了所谓的“好生活”而生活。如果你从来不思索生活的意义，那你很容易就会迷失自我。

以上是一些深刻的忠告。接下来的建议是给即将步入新学校的你们。过去几年里，我已经熟识你们当中很多年轻人，也知道你们都是好青年。但你们也是享有特权的一群年轻人。即使初来此地之时你们并不优人一等，但成为这里的一员，已经使你们比他人享有更多优势。我的建议是，不要表现得高人一等。

当你来到新学校时，见到那些扫落叶、铲雪、倒垃圾的人，便走上前自我介绍，同时记住他们名字。在学校的日子里，记得称呼他们的名字。另外一条建议是：当你在路上遇见陌生人时，看着他们眼睛并微笑致意。这样做最糟糕的结果不过是，人们会记住你这个爱笑爱打招呼的年轻人，这是个不错的开头。你们之前在的学校里只有男孩，现在大多数人都将进入有女生的学校。关于这件事，我没有建议。

最后一条建议十分简单，但是却会对你的人生产生很大的影响：每周给一些人写一封信。不是电子邮件，而是写在一张纸上，只要花你10分钟。问一位长辈，让他告诉你邮票是什么，然后你就可以给信封贴邮票了。再说一遍，一周只花10分钟哦。

我现在就可以教你怎样做。我告诉你第一张便条写什么。称呼是“亲爱的卡迪根山中学某老师”，然后写“我们已经开始了新学期，最近正在学某本书，足球对我来说很困难，但我很喜欢。谢谢您的教诲。”

然后把你的便条装进信封，贴好邮票后寄出。这对那些把生命奉献给教育初中小男孩的中学老师们来讲意义非凡。如我所说，每周只需要花十分钟。当学年结束时，你差不多给40位老师寄出过便条。这40位老师会因为你做的这件事而感到自己很特殊，同时也会对你另眼相看。在学校的时光里，这是你一人独享的一份红利。

忠告说得够多了。下面我将引用一段著名的歌词结束我的致辞。刚才，我引用了希腊哲人苏格拉底的名言，而这些歌词，则来自伟大的美国哲人鲍勃·迪伦。这些歌词已有50年历史，是迪伦巡回演出期间，思子心切，写给儿子杰西的。歌词表达了家长对子女的美好期盼。同时也可作为子女们的奋斗目标。这些期盼是美好的、永恒的，也是普世的。

整体来说都很好，除了有一条，即歌名和副歌里表达的愿望。那只能算是家长们的扼腕叹息，算不得美好的愿望。

这就是鲍勃迪伦的《永远年轻》的歌词：

愿上帝的庇护与你同在

愿你能够梦想成真

愿你永远帮助别人

也接受别人的恩惠

愿你可以造一把采摘繁星的云梯

稳妥沿它而上

愿你永远年轻

愿你长大后正直无私

愿你懂事时真实善良

愿你永远了解真理的方向

所到之处都有高灯明照

愿你永远勇敢无畏

坚韧不拔，意志坚强

愿你永远年轻

愿你总是忙碌充实

愿你脚步永远轻盈

愿你根基牢固

在变故横生之时

愿你的心总是充满快乐

愿你的歌曲能够永远被人传唱

愿你永远年轻

        约翰 罗伯茨（John G. Roberts Jr）， 1955年1月27日生于纽约州水牛城，在印第安纳州长大。父亲是一名小职员，家中共有4个孩子，家境拮据。

　　1971年罗伯茨考入哈佛大学，1976年以第一名的成绩从哈佛法学院毕业，1979年获得哈佛法学院法学博士学位。曾担任《哈佛法律评论》的执行总编。

　　2005年9月，罗伯茨被时任美国总统布什提名，随后获参议院通过，成为第17任美国最高法院首席大法官，年仅50岁，成为美国历史上最年轻的首席大法官。