撒贝宁：各位好，欢迎收看中国电视荧屏上首个电视青年公开课《开讲啦》，我是主持人撒贝宁。在每期节目当中我们都会请来一位有分量的嘉宾，和我们的年轻人共同来分享一场有温度、有思想的演讲。今天我们的这位演讲嘉宾非常地了不起，在她的人生旅途当中，她成功地敲开了一扇又一扇在很多人看来是幸运的大门，让她一次又一次地获得认同和成功，以至于她的人生如此的丰富多彩。我们一起来看一下大屏幕。

【短片】 2001年1月11日，一张东方女性的面孔出现在美国电视荧屏，她被小布什总统提名为美国第二十四任劳工部部长，因此成为美国内阁第一位亚裔女性，及第一位华裔内阁成员，她就是赵小兰！这一政坛传奇引发世界范围华人族群的骄傲和关注，从一个移民美国时连英语单词都不会的小女孩，到最年轻的“白宫学者”，被老布什誉为“危机管理能手”。赵小兰凭借自信、乐观不断敲开机遇之门，她的奋斗历程堪称理智典范。她说我总是学习，总是准备好，因为机遇随时可能降临。她愿用她的人生智慧与年轻人分享——永远不要将门关上！

撒贝宁：掌声有请我们今天的演讲嘉宾——赵小兰女士，有请！

赵小兰：你好，你好！

撒贝宁：您好，赵女士，欢迎您！

赵小兰：Hi,everyone.Nice to see you all.Thank you.（大家好，很高兴看到你们，谢谢。）

撒贝宁：谢谢各位，谢谢，在赵女士开始演讲之前，我知道您一直也对中国的传统文化抱着很浓厚的兴趣，我想让您在大屏幕上看几个人，看看您认识他们当中的哪些？请看：诸葛亮、李世民、宋江、郑和、花木兰、穆桂英、王熙凤、孙悟空、葫芦娃，您认识他们当中的哪些？

赵小兰：因为我的母亲是木兰，赵朱木兰，而且我有五个妹妹，她们都是知道这个花木兰的，花木兰的故事她们都是了解的，而且是很鼓励的，所以从小我们都知道花木兰的。

撒贝宁：所以您觉得您最亲切地感到，最亲切的就是中间这个花木兰？

赵小兰：对！

撒贝宁：哎呀，现在的年轻人除了孙悟空和葫芦娃，其他的几个可能也都不认识！

赵小兰：真的？哎呀，怎么会这样子呢？

撒贝宁：开玩笑，开玩笑！花木兰，赵女士的母亲的名字当中就有木兰两个字。

赵小兰：对对对。

撒贝宁：而且赵女士一家六个女儿！中国人常说三个女人一台戏，在赵女士家里平平常常地都在上演两台戏，这还没算上您母亲，算上你母亲家里七位女性，只有您父亲一个男士。

赵小兰：对。

撒贝宁：让我们用掌声欢迎赵小兰女士，这个舞台留给赵小兰女士，有请您开讲。

赵小兰：好。

I want to thank you very much for the chance to be here.It's wonderful to see all of you,so please have a sit.I'm here in China,because I just got back from Xinjiang and also Gansu.（我非常感谢能有机会让我来到这儿，见到你们很开心，所以大家请坐吧。我现在在中国，因为我刚从新疆和甘肃回来。）

所以这一次，我是陪我的父亲到新疆而且到那个甘肃去。因为我的父母他们常常，在好久以前他们想要访问这两个地方，可是他们都没有机会，我的母亲是8月2号，2007年的时候她就走了，可是她生病以前，她生病的时候，她常跟我父亲讲，因为她是个文化人，她说如果我有机会的话，我身体好一点的话，我们一定肯定要到新疆去，而且到甘肃去。所以虽然我母亲这一次没有机会到那个新疆或者是甘肃，那我的父亲还是要来，所以是我陪他，而且在我母亲的精神（鼓励下），我们是代表她看看新疆和甘肃。

Someone asked me one time: “How did you get started in the government? ” And I would say to them that I didn’t really expect to start in the government.（曾经有些人问我，你是怎样开始的，怎样开始从事政府工作的？每当问到这样的问题时，我会这样回答，其实我一开始并没有做好打算要直接从政。）

So, I started in America, as, you know, a third grader, I came to United States when I was about eight years old. I started third grade. I didn’t speak English. And it was very very difficult, with my parents as well.（我到美国那时候上小学三年级，那时候是8岁，刚到美国，那时候一句英文也不会讲，非常困难，我父母的日子也很难过。

We didn’t know the language in America, we didn’t understand the food. We didn’t understand the tradition, the culture. So I’m still very Chinese that way.（我们当时不了解美国人的语言，不理解他们吃什么东西，也不理解美国人的传统。其实问我的想法，我还是很中国的。）

People asked me what prepares you to success? What motivates you? And for me, I’d say，No.1,I want to make my parents proud. Because they sacrifice so much for the children; No.2,I always want to work for a bigger purpose than just for myself. So I always want to be able to contribute and to help other people.（如果有人问我你成功的驱动因素是什么？是什么激励你走向成功？那我会回答：第一，我想让我的父母以我为骄傲，因为他们为孩子牺牲了太多。第二，我一直想服务于一个更大的使命，而不仅仅是为了小我而工作。所以我一直想贡献自己的力量去帮助别人。）

So, if you were to ask me what were my career goes? I didn’t have any, which in retrospect was a good thing. Because our community at that time was so small.（所以如果你要问我的职业目标是什么？其实我没有什么职业目标。今天回头来看，这样的想法反倒帮上了我的大忙，因为我们的社会在那个时代是非常小的。）

我们是移民的，所以我们是好多事情对美国都不了解的，如果那时候我有个目标的话，我想那个目标也不是太高的。目标说不定是在底下的。

So, for me, when I graduated from school, I was serious. I had very simple goals: one, is to get a job; two, it is basically to get an apartment, so I can be independent.（所以对我来说，当我从学校毕业时，我是很认真地告诉大家，我的人生目标很简单：第一，找到一份工作；第二，弄一套房子，这个我就可以出来独立了。）

And then I went to Harvard, Business school. I graduated from Harvard Business school. And because my family was in business, I decided to go into banking, to get some experience in banking. I didn’t understand so much of what was banking was all about, but I learned.（后来我又上了哈佛商学院，从哈佛商学院毕业的时候，因为我的家庭都是从商的，所以我决定去银行工作，从那儿得到些经验。当时我不怎么了解银行业，但我一步一步去学。）

So I worked for Citi Group. And then when I was in the middle of working for Citi Group after 4 years, I had the opportunity to work at the White House. Because Citi Group has a special program. They selected outstanding performers within the bank, and gave them an opportunity to support them for an intern in the government. （当时我是给花旗银行集团工作，我在给花旗工作了四年以后，突然有一个机会去白宫实习，因为花旗当时有个特别的项目，他专门选那些比较优秀的银行职员，给这些银行职员一个机会，也是给他们一个支持，让他们去白宫做实习生。）

 So I was selected as a White House fellow. And I worked at the White House for one year.It was a difficult time, it’s not easy. But I was so excited. It was so interesting. Because there were no Chinese, no Asians at the White House at that time. So I felt that I was blazing new trails for other Asian Americans. And then I was learning a lot to be a better leader for the future.（所以我当时就是这样子，叫白宫记者, 我当时在白宫工作了一年。当时是非常难的做白宫学者，但是我非常兴奋，我觉得特别好玩，因为之前从来没有华人或者亚洲人被选去白宫做白宫学者。对我来说，可以说是给其他的亚裔美国人开辟了一条新的可能的路径，在这个过程中，我学到了很多东西，为未来做一个好的领导人打下了基础。）

So I worked at the White House for a year. And the President at that time, Ronald Reagan was from Califorlia. I grew up in New York. I’ve never been to California, so I decided that I wanted to go to California. So I found a job with Bank of America in California and moved to California. I didn’t know anybody, I didn’t have any friends there but I was so excited. I just wanted to see what California was like.（那做白宫学者做了一年，当时在任的总统是里根，他是来自加利福尼亚州的，而我是在纽约成长的，以前从来没有去过加利福尼亚州。当时我觉得要去加利福尼亚州看看，我又找到了一份美洲银行，提供给我的在加利福尼亚州工作的机会。那我就搬到了加利福尼亚州。当时谁也不认识，也没有朋友，但我特别兴奋，我就是想看一看加利福尼亚州是什么样子的。）

So I was in California for about 3 years and then one day I got a phone call, from Secretary Elizabeth Doll. And she was the secretary of transportation. And she needed someone who understood banking, which I had gained in experience from Citi Bank. And she also needed someone who understood shipping, which I also had gained from Bank of America. So the two expertise really helped me to get the job that she had in mind.（ 我在加利福尼亚州住了三年,有一天有人给我打电话了，给我打电话的是当时的交通部部长伊丽莎白。希望找到一个了解银行业的人，那我之前在花旗工作过，此外她还要求这个人了解航运业，我在给美洲银行工作时积累了航运业的工作经验。这两个专业领域帮上了我的忙，让我拿到了一份工作，使得当时的交通部长给我打电话了。）

She had a portfolio in the department of transportation that was loosing 1.8 billion dollars a year. And she needed a banker to go and clean it up. So within one weekend, I flew back from California, found an apartment in Washington DC, and started work on Monday. And then from, this was the maritime administration. I worked there for 2 years, learned a great deal about the government.（当时在交通部这里有一个组合每年亏损18亿美金，她需要一个真正有银行银行经验的人来把这个组合清理好。所以有一个周末，我就从加利福尼亚州飞回到华盛顿，在那开始工作，礼拜一就正式走马上任。这个是海事署，我在海事署工作了两年，学到了有关政府的方方面面。）

And around, um, 2 years later, I was appointed the chairman of the Federal Maritime Commission. And the reason why I was appointed was because the previous chairman of the Federal Maritime Commission had passed away suddenly. （两年以后，我被任命为联邦海事委员会主席，我为什么会被任命呢？主要是因为前任主席突然去世了。）

So they needed the government, they needed someone who understood shipping, who had been in the government in shipping, who can be the chairman. So once again, my particular background in shipping, transportation, banking was very important. And, so I was chairman for about a year.（这时候政府需要一位既了解船运又在政府从事过航运工作的人，来做联邦海事委员会主席。由于我碰巧满足这三方面的要求——航运、运输、银行，正好有这样的一个组合。满足他们对于人选的需要，我就被任命为主席了，工作了一年。）

And then a new president came in. And it was President, the first President Bush, and so he asked me to be the Deputy Secretary of the Department of Transportation. And at that time, I was, um, I must’ve been only 35. Still older than you, but very very young. （后来新总统上任，这回是老布什总统，老布什总统任命我为交通部副部长，当时我是35岁，虽然比各位年长，但还算是年轻的。）

 I was one of the youngest deputy secretaries, um, in the whole government. And I was also the only, the first Asian American Deputy Secretary in United States government.（我当时是老布什总统内阁里最年轻的副部长。此外我还是第一个亚裔美国人进入内阁。）

And then in 1992, that was 22 years ago, so many, such a long time ago, um, President Bush lost his re-election. So when he loses a re-election, what happens in America is everybody who’s with him goes. （又做了一段时间，那就到了1992年了，22年前好久以前的事了。当时老布什总统在竞选连任时败北，第二任没有赢之后，他的竞选班子的人都离开了，我也离开了。）

So I joined United way of America. And United Way is the No.1 charity in America. I was there for 4 years. I had a little bit of time to get married, at the age of 39. It was very late.（我就加入了美国最大的慈善机构组织——美国联合慈善基金会。我在那工作了四年，后来39岁刚过，我就结婚了，39岁才结婚也还可以。）

My husband as you um know, is the, um, leader in the, um, Congress, He’s very, he is a very good husband. He does his own laundry, he cooks, and he helps me with the house, too.（我的先生是国会共和党的领袖，他是非常好的丈夫，他自己的衣服自己洗，自己做饭，而且家务事他也愿意和我分担。）

He is very encouraging on women, um, and I think it’s really important, to find someone who is going to be your life partner. Because they will help you adapt to your life, and they will help you adapt to your career as well.（他对女人很尊重、很鼓励，我觉得这个很重要，如果你能找到人生的另一半，他一辈子愿意和你做朋友，他愿意和你一起去适应生活，他也会帮助你去适应你的职业，这很重要。）

And so in 1996, I wanted to have a break, so I joined a THINK TANK where I took some time to study and learn more about the American political system, how to get ideas across. （到了1996年我想休息一下，所以我就加入了一个智库组织，也就是说我花了一些时间去研究和学习有关美国的政治制度，如何把很多好的想法去传播。）

Because America is a very confrontational society. You know people are arguing all the time. So some people are saying this, some people are saying that. And it’s OK, so there’s a lot of fighting, back and forth.（因为美国社会其实充满着对抗，人们总是就很多话题展开无止境的争吵。有人说要这样，有人说要那样，这也是可以的，所以有很多来来回回的争吵。）

And then in um, 2000, President George W. Bush, was getting ready for his presidential bid, and I had known him before, because I had campaigned with his, um, with him for his father and I had known him because he is also form Harvard Business School. Um, President George W. Bush was the class of 1971, and I was class of 1979. So we knew each other from that as well.（那就到了2000年，当时小布什总统准备竞选，我之前就认识小布什先生，因为我曾经和他一道为他的父亲竞选美国总统工作。我们在哈佛也是校友，他是71年那届，我是79年那届哈佛学生，我们是校友。）

And you’ll be interested to know that I actually was supposed to get, I thought, the Department of Transportation, but, no nominee got the Department of Transportation. （此外我以为他们会任命我做交通运输部部长，但是他们没有任命我。）

And so I was very disappointed and I think it tells you a lesson in that if you are faced with disappointment: No.1, you must always think of the long term, so even if though it could be a disappointment, don’t be discouraged. If you handle the disappointment well, and there will be lots of other opportunities.（当时我还挺失望的。那么至少在这可以告诉大家一个教训，如果你遇到了失望的事情，第一，永远把眼光放长远，哪怕从目前来看这个好事没有落到你头上，但是你不要灰心丧气。如果你能应对好这次沮丧，那么从长远来看会有更多的机会等着你。）

And so, indeed, I was, um, originally, um, not offered, but I was indicated that Secretary of Labor was the position that they wanted for me. And I wasn’t really very familiar, um, with labor as much as I was familiar with transportation. So I was hoping to be appointed to transportation. （因此，一开始我确实听到这样的说法，就是劳工部长想要我来做，但是对于劳工事务我并没有像交通事务那么擅长，因此我当时还很希望自己能当交通部长。）

But when that did not happen, you know, I was very calm, and I thanked the President and his team for considering me, I wished them well in their new administration, thinking that I was not going to be a part of it.（然而交通部长人选旁落他人的时候，我非常地镇定，我也感谢总统和他的团队考虑我，我希望他们在新的内阁能够取得成功。）

And then 2 weeks afterwards, the President’s nominee for the Secretary of Labor position encountered difficulties in her confirmation hearing. In the United States, the President proposes a secretary and then the Congress, the Senet approves.（结果两个星期之后总统本来的劳工部部长人选在他的确认听证会举行的时候，遇到了一些困难。在美国是这样，总统提名一个部长人选，但是议会要同意。）

So the original choice for the Secretary of Labor encountered difficulties in her confirmation process and she had to drop out. So they, the White House and the President needed to find a new Secretary of Labor, someone they trusted, someone who they know can clear, and gain the approval of the Senet, who had no blemish on their record so they can go through the confirmation process very easily. （所以原来的劳工部长人选在听证会的时候，他的确认程序遇到了困难，所以他被迫退出。那这个时候白宫还有总统需要找一个新的劳工部长，他们要信任这个人，这个人他们要了解，可以来解决问题，而且能获得国会的批准，以前的历史都是非常好，这样可以很顺利通过国会的程序。）

 And so, they approached me again, and asked whether I would be interested in applying, in um, accepting the position of the Secretary of Labor. And so that was how I became the Secretary of Labor. So, I wasn’t the first choice.（然后他们再次来找我，问我是否愿意担任这个职务，接受劳工部长这个任命，这就是我成为劳工部长的过程，所以我并不是第一人选。）

But I think life is so interesting. You, it’s hard to plan every little step. You must plan but you can’t plan every little step. And it’s very very hard to, um, know all the opportunities.So,I think the ability to have a good attitude, the ability to always be confident, to be optimistic and to look ahead is very important.（但是我觉得生活是很有意思的，你很难把每一步都精心计划，你可以有一个大的规划，但是很难精心计划。每一步怎么走，而且也很难知道所有的机会到底在什么地方。我觉得要有一个好的态度，要能够有信心、乐观，并且向前看。）

So, when I talk about my career, you know each of the step is very interesting, but I never planed for it. It just happened. Because I was hard working, I was always trying to do more than what was asked of me, and people noticed. So, when the opportunities came, my name always came to the surface, always came to the top.（所以当我讲我的事业的时候，每一步都非常有意思，但是我从没有精心设计过，它就自然而然发生了。因为什么呢？因为我努力，我总是超越对我的要求，而其他人会注意到当有机会来的时候，我的名字他们马上就想到了。）

So I think the most important thing is it’s important to plan but you can’t plan every step. The most important thing is you have to have some inner confidence, that you really like what you are doing. You are interested.（所以我觉得最重要的就是人生需要规划，但你不能规划到每一步，关键要对自己有自信，要热爱自己从事的工作，对它有真实的兴趣。）

So, when I first entered Washington, I was interested, I was motivated. I wanted to find out what makes America run. I’m an immigrant to America, I didn’t understand the government, so that is why I wanted to enter the government, I wanted to see how does American government work. And I got in.（当我第一次走进华盛顿的时候，我非常有兴趣，非常有热情，我想去发现美国的工作机制到底是什么？像我第一次来到美国，我不了解美国政府的工作机制，我想到政府里去看看，它的工作机制是什么？所以我就进入了政府。）

And then once I got in, one door opened; I went in, and then another door opened; and I went in there and then another door opened. None of these doors I could have known about from the very beginning, because my world at that time was so small. And there were so few Asian Americans. In the government at that time that there was no guide, no one to tell me what to expect.（当我进入了美国政府以后，一扇门打开了，我进去之后，又一扇门为我打开了，我又进去了，又一扇门随之打开。这些为我打开的门不是我之前可以预见的，因为当时我的视野是那么狭小。当时有很少的亚裔美国人在政府工作，没有榜样，没有人和我说未来的职业路径。）

But what I did find helpful, and this is again what my parents taught me, is you have to have courage, and interest and curiosity. （但是后来我发现这个反倒是帮上了我的忙，因为父母常和我说，人要有勇气，要有热情，要有好奇心。）

I think if there is one thing that my parents taught me a great deal of, it’s curiosity. You have to have interest, you have to have curiosity. And if you are curious, you will go on and seek more doors and more opened. And these doors will open if you have persistence, if you plan ahead and if you have the will to proceed.（我想有一件事是我父母反复和我强调的，那就是人不能没有好奇心，要有对某个事物的兴趣，有了好奇心才能不断的成功，才能推开一扇又一扇的门。这些门会为你打开，只要你有这种坚持的精神，之前做好规划，又有这样的毅力坚持下去。）

The world is changing so rapidly, so you’ll have the same kind of opportunities as well. There are so many opportunities for you. I can’t tell you what these opportunities are, but if you have the interest, and you have the will, and you have the confidence, you will have a lot of opportunities. That’s all.（那今天在我们面前都存在这样的机会，机会非常多，我没有办法讲具体的展现形式，只要你对事物有好奇心，有坚强的意志，对自己有信心，就一定会抓住很多很多的机会。）