徐小平纯英文毕业演讲：生命因给予而繁盛

满怀着挚爱之情，我想起我的研究生导师 David Kaplan 博士的仁爱胸怀。认识他的人，都会感到认识他是一种幸运。他是音乐系的创始人。对于我们外国留学生而言，他是淙淙流淌的友谊、帮助和鼓励的源泉。Kaplan 博士是我生命中一盏明灯，指引着我像他帮助我一样去帮助别人。

With special affection， I recall the generous spirit of Dr. David Kaplan. If you knew him， it was a privilege.  He was the founder of the music department. To many foreign students， he was a source of constant help， friendship， and encouragement. Often in my life， Dr. Kaplan’s example has shined before me， a reminder to share with others as he shared with me.

学校给予我的一切是如此美好，但校园外的生活可并不总是那么阳光明媚。毕业不久我就意识到，做一名音乐人难以维持生计。人们虽然喜欢听莫扎特和巴赫的音乐，但他们并不急着聆听我的演奏(笑声)。我成立了自己的音乐公司，但公司生意惨淡。我谱写并录制民谣，但它们只在谣言里存在(笑声)。

I received so much from the University in those years， but life beyond campus was not nearly as forgiving. Upon graduation， it didn't take long for me to realize that I would not make my fortune as a performing musician. As much as the world loves the sounds of Mozart and Bach， the world was not waiting to hear them from my violin. I started my own music business， but business was slow. I wrote and recorded folksongs， but the folks were not listening.

这段时间对于我来说的确是举步维艰。我在家看孩子，靠我妻子教书养家。我也尝试做过各种各样的工作，其中一种工作，对速度节奏和交割时效要求极高——在座如果有人在 1995 年叫过必胜客披萨的外卖，我们很可能曾经有缘相逢(笑声)。

It was truly a difficult period for me. I watched our children at home while my wife taught school. I took various jobs， including one job that involved fast-paced and time-sensitive transactions. If anyone here received a delivery from Pizza Hut in 1995， there is a good chance we have met before.

如果能够避免，我不建议大家刻意去经历这样一段时期。不过，有时候这种事情确实也无法避免。但它不应该成为休止符，它甚至可能是“大器晚成”的预兆，就像我自己的经历一样。即使在我最艰难的日子里，我也从未失去自我，没有丧失信心。我屡战屡败，但屡败屡战。我深信，天降大任于斯人，我来到世界，尚有使命未达，更有好梦未成。我不会让失败带走我的信念。

I do not recommend a period like that in your own careers， if you can avoid it. But sometimes it happens anyway. That doesn’t have to be the end.  It can even mark a late beginning， as it did for me. Even in my darkest moments， I had a sense of who I was and what I could do. More than once I failed， but I refused to give up. I knew in my heart that I was here on earth to achieve good and meaningful things. I never let any failure take that conviction away.

在这种信念的支持下，我回到了中国，加入了一个名叫新东方的英语学校。中国正进入改革开放的大潮，很多年轻人渴望走出去，看看外面的世界。我如痴似醉地投入到了帮助他们实现留学梦想的工作中。面对那些求知若渴的莘莘学子，我竭尽了自己一切所知，耗干了自己的全部精力。

Sustained by this feeling， I went back to China and joined a small English school in Beijing called New Oriental. China had opened up and many young people were eager to see the world. I threw myself into the work of helping them find opportunities to study abroad. I shared everything I knew to serve them in every way I could.

十年转眼过去，随着新东方在美国上市，我们很多学生也开始从海外学成归国。他们找到我，想让我为他们的创业想法寻找资金。那时的中国，天使投资还是一个比较罕见的事情。我非常理解这些年轻人，因为我深知胸有大志、阮囊羞涩是什么滋味。于是我开始资助他们的创业梦，并在不知不觉间成为了一名天使投资人。

（编辑：财气旺网 - 海宁网）

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