星期天回到北京，已快一个星期了，可恼人的时差还没有过去。周四凌晨三点左右醒来后，就怎么也无法再入睡了。尝试了各种催眠的办法包括数羊都无济于事。我决定放弃。从舒适的威斯汀酒店的大床上起来，坐到了书桌前，开始上网。一个朋友, (http://t.sina.com.cn/jinjune) 转发的另一个朋友李开复（http://t.sina.com.cn/kaifulee) 的微博吸引了我的注意力。开复在他的微博里罗列了几个最让人难忘的演讲：乔布斯在2005年斯坦福大学毕业典礼上的讲话，(http://tinyurl.com/dfbkvo), JK罗琳在哈佛大学2008年毕业典礼上的讲话(http://tinyurl.com/5wtgfa) 以及蓝迪.帕沃斯教授的“最后的演讲” (http://www.cmu.edu/randyslecture)。

我此前听过苹果电脑公司创始人乔布斯的演讲，当然也知道罗琳的畅销小说哈利波特系列，但是我还没有听过她的演讲；让我不好意思的是我对帕沃斯教授和他的演讲一无所知。于是先在网上看了罗琳在哈佛大学毕业典礼的讲话的视频。我曾经听过不少类似的失败乃成功之母的故事，所以罗琳的演讲《失败：焉知非福》，并没有任何出乎意料之处，但我必须承认，她的演讲风格很引人入胜，她特殊的经历也更能打动人心。如果你有时间需要消磨，她的演讲很值得一听。

我随后打开了帕沃斯教授“最后的演讲”的视频，屏幕上提示该演讲长度105分钟。这时候，天已经快亮了，所以我不确定我是否愿意再花近两个小时听另外一场演讲。出乎意料的是，帕沃斯教授的演讲开始后不到一分钟我就彻底醒了：帕沃斯一一实现自己儿时梦想的故事深深地震撼了我。我觉得我的文字表达不足以准确描述帕沃斯教授的演讲，所以我在这里引用一个专门为纪念帕沃斯教授和他的最后一次演讲而建立的网站, www.thelastlecture.com上的一段话：

“2007年9月18号，计算机科学教授蓝迪帕沃斯走进卡耐基梅龙大学的演讲大厅，面对400多位观众做他平生最后一场演讲《真正实现儿时的梦想》。他背后的大屏幕上播放的是他本人的CT扫描图片。蓝迪告诉听众，他已经是胰腺癌晚期，将在几个月后被胰腺癌夺去生命。那天站在讲台上的蓝迪看起来年轻、富有活力、英俊潇洒，常常表现出乐天的甚至有点灰色的幽默，他看起来是那样的不可战胜。”

帕沃斯教授的“最后的演讲“发生在2007年9月18日，在几个星期前，他刚刚得知自己来日无多，将在几个月之内走到生命的尽头（帕沃斯教授在 2008年7月25日离开了这个世界）。他在演讲中提到了很多令人鼓舞、让人难忘的事，其中有几段故事令我终生难忘。我们当中很多人都像帕沃斯教授一样有过儿时的梦想，但是很少有人能够自豪地说，我们一步一步地像帕沃斯一样实现了自己的梦想（即包括那些宏大的梦想也包括那些微小的）：他介绍了自己如何进入卡耐基.梅隆大学、如何加盟迪斯尼的幻想工程团队、如何实现无重力飞行、如何在游乐园赢得绒毛玩具等等；当他自己还没有解决终身教职的时候，他却在系主任面前用自己前途力保自己的一个学生（这个故事尤其让我感动）；当他获得终身教职时，自己出资邀请身边的学生和同事到迪斯尼乐园度过了一个星期的美好时光；他在演讲中还请他的太太上台，庆祝她的生日，以补偿前一天没能给太太正式过生日的遗憾。帕沃斯教授演讲结束后，全场起立鼓掌超过一分钟，我的内心被强烈地震撼了。当我看到他的朋友和同事在帕沃斯教授演讲结束后上台表达对帕沃斯教授的敬意时，我再也无法阻止自己的眼泪了。

我关上了电脑，重新回到了床上，不想让夫人看到自己的眼泪。脑海中一直在思考着帕沃斯教授的一生，令我深感激动的，是他的勇气、他的幽默和他在人生最黯淡的困境面前所表现出的坚定和沉着。他的生命虽然短暂，却炫丽多彩，他是一个了不起的老师，堪称伟大的人生楷模。仔细想来，帕沃斯教授是一个伟大的科学家和极其杰出的创新领袖，但是他最伟大的成就和留给我们的精神遗产，应该是他对学生的巨大的影响以及对全世界几百万观看或聆听过他最后的演讲的人们的影响。我相信，当你看完帕沃斯教授的“最后的演讲”你会同意我的感受。

我在这里郑重地向大家推荐他的演讲并期待着各位的观感和评论。

祝好！

The Last Lecture of Professor Pausch

After nearly one week in Beijing, my jetleg was finally caught up with me.  I found myself woke up at around 3:30am.  Trying desperately to go back to sleep for more than an hour including "counting sheep", I decided to give up the fight and moved from the rather comfortable Westin hotel bed to the less attractive desk.  I started browsing the internet.  One retweet by a friend, (http://t.sina.com.cn/jinjune) of another friend and former colleague, Kai-Fu Lee (http://t.sina.com.cn/kaifulee) caught my eyes which listed some of the most memorable speeches: Steve Jobs' Stanford Convocation Speech in 2005(http://tinyurl.com/dfbkvo), JK Rowling's Commencement Speech at Harvard 2008 (http://tinyurl.com/5wtgfa); and Professor Randy Pausch's Last Lecture (http://www.cmu.edu/randyslecture). 

I had heard the talk from the Apple Computer's Founder, Steve Jobs.  I was, of course, aware of Rowling's best-selling Harry Potter book series, but have not heard her speech before.  To my embarrassment, I did not know anything about Professor Pausch or his last lecture.  So, I watched Rowling's commencement address first.  I have heard similar stories that failure is often the best motivation for success, so Rowling's "the Fringe Benefits of Failure" was within my expectation as far as an inspirational speech goes.  I must admit though her speech is more entertaining and somehow, seemed closer to heart.  It is definitely worthwhile to watch if you have some free time to kill.

I then turned to Professor Pausch's Last Lecture.  I saw the video of Professor Pausch's lecture was 105 minutes long and, realizing that at this point I was up for some time in the wee hours, so I was not sure if I want to spend another two hours on a speech. Little did I know, within one minute of Professor's talk, I was widely awake and fascinated by how he achieved his childhood dreams.  I don't think that I can do justice to describe the lecture so I am borrowing one from www.thelastlecture.com , a website dedicated to the Professor Pausch and his Last Lecture: 

On September 18, 2007, computer science professor Randy Pausch stepped in front of an audience of 400 people at Carnegie Mellon University to deliver a last lecture called “Really Achieving Your Childhood Dreams.” With slides of his CT scans beaming out to the audience, Randy told his audience about the cancer that is devouring his pancreas and that will claim his life in a matter of months. On the stage that day, Randy was youthful, energetic, handsome, often cheerfully, darkly funny. He seemed invincible.

The Last Lecture was delivered in September 18, 2007, a few weeks after learning he had just months to live. Professor Pauch passed away in July 25, 2008.  There are so many things in his lecture that are inspiring and memorable, but several will stay with me for a long time.  Many of us had childhood dreams like Professor Pausch but few can claim to have fulfilled our dreams, big and small, like he did step by step and one by one: how he got accepted into CMU, to Walter Disney Imagineering team, flying weightlessly, and winning stuffed animals.  I was very moved by his stories when he vowed for one of his students in front of the dean before his own tenure, when he took his students and colleagues to Disney for a week after he made tenure, and when he celebrated his wife's birthday on stage to make up for missing proper celebration the day before.  After his speech, there were more than 1 minutes standing ovation, I was truly touched.  When his friends and colleagues were paying tributes to him after his speech, it became impossible to hold my tears... 

I closed the computer and went back to my bed, trying to hide tears from my wife.  But I could not stop thinking about Professor Pausch's life.  What I was struck the most is his courage, his sense of humor and his perseverance in the face of greatest difficulty known to men.  What a life, what a teacher, and what a role model he is!  Come to thinking of it, Professor Pausch is clearly a brilliant scientist and innovator of highest standing but his greatest achievement and legacy is probably his impacts on his students and millions around the world who read and watched his Last Lecture.  I know that you would agree with me once you watch his Last Lecture.  I highly recommend it and look forward to hearing your comments and reflections.