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感謝Schlissel校長及校董會,大家早安。我聽不見,大家早安!好多了。很榮幸來到這所歷史悠久的卓越學府,很榮幸追隨傑拉德.福特、詹姆斯.厄爾.瓊斯、劉玉玲和湯姆.布雷迪的足跡。我聽說湯姆.布雷迪是史上打入超級盃次數最多的四分衛,為了防止萬一現場有紐約人,我只談他與巨人隊對抗的兩場比賽。為了我家鄉的外交著想,我不記得誰贏得這兩場比賽。
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Thank you, President Schlissel, and to the Board of Regents. Good morning, everyone!It’s a real honor to be on this great campus where so much history has been made. And it’s a thrill to walk in the footsteps of Gerald Ford, James Earl Jones, Lucy Loo, and Tom Brady! I’m told that no quarterback has played in more Super Bowls than Tom Brady and in case there are any New Yorkers here, I would just note that he played against the Giants in two of them.
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很榮幸受邀為全體教職員、行政人員、校友演講,最重要的是傑出的2016年畢業生。我不想草率對待這項任務,我真的想瞭解唸這所大學的感覺,因此我做了功課。為了準備今天的演講,我昨晚抵達,直接前往Rick’s點了Mind Probe(雞尾酒),然後在Pizza House買了派和乳酪麵包,在Zingerman's買了三明治;貴得連我都差點買不起。然後我前往Cube溜了個冰,在Diag廣場上塗岩石、做了點瑜珈,然後刺了狼獾刺青(狼獾代表密西根大學),但並非普通的狼獾,我的刺青是狼獾正在吃斯巴達人(斯巴達人代表密西根州立大學)。然後我開回校園尋找停車位,找了好幾小時,我心想:這就是密西根。今早我精神抖擻的起床,直接走來這裡,但途中經過我唸大學時絕對沒有的東西:醫用大麻藥房。我不吸大麻,但老兄,不知為何我感到放鬆極了。我發誓以上所言全是事實,所以幫我一下,Harbaugh(密西根大學橄欖球隊教練)。
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I’m honored to have been asked to speak to all of the faculty, administrators, alumni, and most of all, to the great class of 2016!
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在所有讓我感覺像真正的密西根人儀式之後,我已準備好祝賀你們。你們歷盡艱辛達成此刻成就,包括極地渦漩;你們在線上等待數小時,只為了加入Maize Rage(密西根大學啦啦隊),跟上身塗成藍色的傢伙一起加油。因此畢業生們,這是個偉大的日子,但現場還有另一群人也值得熱烈的掌聲:你們的父母和家人。舉起你們的手為他們鼓掌,我看見他們滿臉自豪地坐在那裡,甚至不曾想過為了讓你們擁有此刻他們付出多少代價,或你們不久就會搬回家中地下室的可能性。當然,還有許多人在這個過程中幫助過你,因此當你收到文憑、在人生旅程中闖出名堂後,記住你最偉大的成就-例如今天-都得感謝周遭人的傾力相助。
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So, graduates: This is a great day, but there’s another group here that also deserves a big round of applause: your parents and families.Of course, there were many other people who helped you on your journey, so after you receive your diploma, and as you make your way in the world, remember that your greatest achievements – like today’s – will owe an awful lot to the people around you.
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如果說有除了努力和好運之外的成功祕訣,那就是多提「我們」、少提「我」,就能在成功的路上走得更遠。這是Harbaugh教練告訴橄欖球隊的話,也是最傑出的領導者知曉並牢記於心的話。記住:人生中幾乎沒有任何事能獨力完成。事實上你們今天離開時帶走的最重要知識,例如團隊合作的重要性,與你們的專業無關,而是關於如何學習、如何合作、如何仔細聆聽、如何進行批判性思考、如何藉由理性化解衝突,換句話說就是與他人合作。這些是職場上最重要的技能,這也是為何大學總是讓學生接觸各種挑戰與令人不適的觀點。如今一些大學董事會與行政部門迫於壓力讓學生遠離那些觀點,藉由「安全空間」、「隱語」及「觸發警報」等方式,在我看來這是大錯特錯的做法。大學的整體目標在於學習如何因應困境而非逃避困境,「微侵略」是指「微弱」的侵略,但以宏觀意義而言,大學校園裡最危險的場所之一是所謂的「安全空間」,因為它營造出一種假像,讓我們以為能將持不同觀點的人隔離在外。我們做不到,也不應嘗試這麼做,無論在政治上或職場上。畢業生們,在全球經濟與民主社會中,開放的心胸是你能擁有的最寶貴的資產。
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If there’s a secret to success beyond hard work and good luck, it’s that the more you say ‘we’, and the less you say ‘I’, the farther you’ll go. It’s something that the most effective leaders understand and take to heart. Remember: There is almost nothing we do in life that we do alone. The most useful knowledge that you leave here with today, like the importance of teamwork, has nothing to do with your major. It’s about how to study, how to cooperate, how to listen carefully, how to think critically, and how to resolve conflicts through reason. Those are the most important skills in the working world and it’s why colleges have always exposed students to challenging and uncomfortable ideas. The fact that some university boards and administrations now bow to pressure and shield students from these ideas through ‘safe spaces,’ ‘code words,’ and ‘trigger warnings’ is, in my view, a terrible mistake. The whole purpose of college is to learn how to deal with difficult situations – not run away from them.A micro-aggression is exactly that: micro! But in a macro-sense, one of the most dangerous places on a college campus is a safe space because it creates the false impression that we can insulate ourselves from those who hold different views. We can’t – and we shouldn’t try, not in politics, or in the workplace. In the global economy, and in a democratic society, an open mind is the most valuable asset you can possess.
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今天我想稍微談談為何這是真理。基於我在職業生涯中獲得的經驗,我們從全球經濟談起。我以在座許多人即將進入的就業市場為例,這是人類歷史上第一次生活在已開發國家的大多數人必須仰賴頭腦、而非體力維生。三千年來,人類的經濟以農業為基礎:翻土、播種與收成;很辛苦,但很容易學會。三百年前開始,我們的經濟以工業為基礎:鑄造零件、轉動曲柄、組裝產品;很辛苦,但也不難學。如今我們的經濟以資訊為基礎:獲取知識、加以分析、發揮創造力;很辛苦,也不容易學。即使你掌握了這門知識,也需要時時不斷地重新學習。讓我給你們一個忠告:無論現在或將來,如果你有幸擁有不止一個工作機會,別選擇薪水最高的工作,選擇能教導你最多東西的工作,別擔心周遭的人看起來比你靈敏或比你聰明。就個人而言,我總是試著與一些智商或技能勝於我的人共事。你如何跟他們競爭?你可以花比他們多的時間工作,沒人能每天工作24小時,最糟的情況不過是過勞死。在我的公司,我總是將最複雜、最重要的項目給最忙的員工。為什麼?因為他們是最努力、最敬業的人;他們是辦公室裡第一個上班、最後一個下班的人;他們是午休時間最短、休假最少的人。
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Today, I’d like to talk a little bit about why that’s true based on the lessons I’ve learned over the course of my career. Let’s start with the global economy, and let me put in perspective the job market many of you are entering. For the first time in human history, the majority of people in the developed world are being asked to make a living with their minds, rather than their muscles. For 3,000 years, humankind had an economy based on farming: till the soil, plant the seed, harvest the crop. Hard to do, but fairly easy to learn.Then, for 300 years, we had an economy based on industry: mold the parts, turn the crank, assemble the product. Hard to do, but also fairly easy to learn.Now, we have an economy based on information: acquire the knowledge, apply the analytics, use your creativity. Hard to do, hard to learn, and even once you’ve mastered it, you’ll have to start learning all over again, pretty much every day.If you have the luxury of more than one job offer – now or in the future – don’t pick the one that pays the most; pick the one that teaches you the most and don’t worry if the people around you seem quicker or smarter. You can’t control that, but you can decide that you’re going to outwork them.In my company, I always give the most complex and important projects to our busiest employees. Why? Because they are the hardest-working and most dedicated. They’re the first ones in the office and the last to leave. They’re the ones who take the shortest lunch breaks and the least vacation.
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聽起來或許不是很有趣,但最終你必須設定你的優先目標。我無法做任何保證,但成功的秘訣並非高深的科學,成功只需要真正的投入與多做一點的意願,還有一點運氣。但我再次強調:努力與運氣成正比。無論你從事哪一行,主動爭取新任務,即使是你不擅長的領域。主動學習與發展新技能,與能在人生道路上幫助你的人建立聯繫。何時是學習的終點?這麼說吧!據我所知,沒有任何諾貝爾獎得主就此止步、不再學習。在資訊經濟時代,每個人,無論是白領或藍領階級,都必須不斷充實知識、因應科技變革、跟上科技變革的腳步。或許看似容易,當你老了後,或許孩子眼中的Facebook和Instagram就像現在你們眼中的傳呼機和隨身聽。正式聲明一下,我確實註冊了Instagram,它讓我花了點時間才弄懂,但花了我更多時間才說服女兒允許我的追蹤。
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It may not sound like great fun, but in the end, you have to set your priorities. The secret to success is not rocket science. It just requires true dedication and a willingness to go the extra mile. Whatever your field, volunteer to take on new assignments even if they’re outside your comfort zone. Take the initiative on your own to learn and develop new skills and build contacts who can help you down the road. When will you have learned enough? Let’s put it this way: I know of no Nobel Prize winner who has stopped studying. And in the information economy, everyone – in both white collar and blue collar jobs – will have to keep deepening their knowledge and adapting to technological change.
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我的人生是對職業與科技保持開放心胸之重要性的極佳範例。大學畢業後我跑去唸商學院,希望能在工廠獲得中階主管職位,我不知道不久後全國工廠將面臨關廠潮,沒有任何人料到,最後我在華爾街一家公司找到工作。我熱愛那份工作,不久後我對管理工廠的興趣消失無蹤,之後我以為我會一輩子待在那家公司。本來是可能的,只是出了點小意外:我被炒了魷魚。當時我38歲,這令我難以接受,但也是我職業生涯中最棒的一件事,這導致我成立一家提供電腦化即時金融資訊的科技公司。現在聽起來很簡單,但當時是1981年,電腦時代才剛起步。我們試著發明沒人想用的電腦、尚不存在的技術,這是創新的典型範例。大家都說我瘋了,也許他們是對的。我的電腦知識有限,我不曾創立或經營過任何公司,但藉由一些才華洋溢、野心勃勃的人的傾力相助,我們的成就遠超過我們最瘋狂的夢想。因此其中的經驗教訓是:無論你現在認為夢寐以求的工作是什麼,別太執著於此。若這份工作15年後仍然存在,很可能變得大不相同,你或許已擁有其他追求。
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My life is a perfect example of how important it is to keep an open mind about careers and technology. After college, I went to business school in hopes of landing a middle management job in a factory. I had no idea that factories would soon be closing all across the country, and neither did anyone else. I ended up finding a job at a Wall Street firm. I loved the job, and soon, my interest in managing a plant disappeared. I thought I’d stay at the firm forever. And I might have – except for one small thing: I got fired.I was 38 years old, and it was a bitter pill to swallow, but it was also the best thing that ever happened to my career. It led me to start a tech company to computerize real-time financial data. It sounds simple now, but this was 1981 – the dawn of the computer age. We were trying to invent a computer that no one wanted with technology that didn’t exist – a classic example of innovation. Everyone said I was crazy, and maybe they were right. I had only a limited background in computers, and I had never started or run a company, but with a lot of help from some very talented and driven people, we succeeded beyond our wildest dreams. So the lesson is: Whatever you think your dream job is today, don’t get too attached to it. Chances are, if the job still exists in 15 years, it will be very different – and you may have found other passions.
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對新想法保持開放心態對事業上的成功來說至關緊要,對民主社會的共同未來而言也同樣重要,這是另一個我今天想與你們分享的經驗教訓。在我有幸擔任紐約市長的12年中,我目睹令人憂心的變化-謝謝。我目睹美國政治本質中令人憂心的變化:極端黨派偏見與無法包容他人觀點的現象日趨嚴重。我是無黨派人士,但過去,出於非意識形態的原因,我加入過共和黨,也加入過民主黨,因此我可以告訴各位,兩黨都有其獨到的好觀點,兩黨都以偏頗不實的方式妖魔化彼此。這並非新鮮事,但如今情況已發展到危險的新高度。1796年,喬治.華盛頓在告別演說中一再警告美國人:「對抗黨派之爭」,他稱政黨為民主政府「最可怕的敵人」。他寫說,以自然趨勢而言,政黨必須推舉出一位領袖,他的權力建立於-根據華盛頓所言,政黨領袖的權力建立於「公眾自由的廢墟」。
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Keeping an open mind to new ideas will be essential to your professional success, and it will be just as crucial to our collective future as a democratic society.That’s the other lesson I’ve learned that I’d like to share with you today. During the 12 years I had the honor of serving as Mayor of New York City, I witnessed a disturbing change in the nature of American politics: a rise in extreme partisanship and intolerance for other views.
I’m a political independent, but over the course of my life, for non-ideological reasons, I’ve been a Republican and a Democrat. So I can tell you: Neither party has a monopoly on good ideas; each demonizes the other unfairly and dishonestly. This is not a new phenomenon – but it has reached a dangerous new level.In 1796, George Washington spent much of his farewell address warning Americans against political parties, which he called ‘the worst enemy’ of democratic governments. He wrote of the natural tendency parties have to elevate a single leader who seeks power, in his words, ‘on the ruins of public liberty.’
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今天,在這個政治季節,值得我們回顧一下華盛頓說過的話,因此容我唸一小段他的告別演說內容。華盛頓寫道,黨派之爭「往往干擾公眾會議的進行並削弱公眾行政管理能力,它在社會中引起毫無根據的猜忌與莫須有的驚恐,點燃仇恨,挑撥黨派對立,有時還引起騷動與叛亂。這把火不需熄滅,但需要一致警惕,防止它越燃越烈,以免它無法供人取暖,而是造成傷害。」說得好,喬治,你在哪裡?我們需要你。如今我們能安然度過200多年的政黨政治,主要原因在於開國元勳創造了制衡機制,遏止黨派之爭的烈焰。當然,開國元勳也將大多數美國人排除在他們的民主願景之外,因為他們憂心民主可能導致的情況。但過去兩個世紀,經歷眾多民權領袖與鬥士的犧牲,平等權的承諾已在收入、信仰、種族、性別和性取向等層面實現。我們仍有很長的路要走,認為我們的進步不可逆轉是錯誤的想法,或認為華盛頓的警告是歷史遺跡。這兩種想法都不是事實,也永遠不會是事實。民主與公民權需要我們時時保持警惕,警惕那些以消費我們的方式煽動黨派對立火焰、導致「公眾自由的廢墟」成真的人。
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In this political season, it’s worth remembering what Washington had to say. And so, allow me to read a brief passage from his farewell address.Partisanship, Washington wrote, ‘serves always to distract the Public Councils, and enfeeble the Public Administration. It agitates the Community with ill-founded jealousies and false alarms; kindles the animosity of one part against another, and foments occasionally riot and insurrection… A fire not to be quenched, it demands a uniform vigilance to prevent its bursting into a flame… lest, instead of warming, it should consume.’Well said, George. We have survived more than 200 years of political parties largely because the Founding Fathers created checks and balances to temper the fires of partisanship. Of course, they also excluded most Americans from their vision of democracy because they feared what democracy might produce. But over the past two centuries, through the sacrifices of so many civil rights leaders and soldiers, the promise of equal rights has spread across income, religion, race, gender, and sexual orientation. We still have a long way to go, and it would be a mistake to think that our progress is irreversible or that Washington’s warning is a relic of history. Neither is true and never will be. Democracy and citizenship will always require constant vigilance against those who fan the flames of partisanship in ways that consume us and lead to the ruins of public liberty.
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我們肯定在兩黨中都見過這樣的人物。1930年代有路易斯安那州專制的休伊.朗;距此僅數英哩之遙的迪爾伯恩,考福林神父指責「猶太陰謀家」造成美國的麻煩;隨後有40年代的查爾斯.林白;50年代的喬.麥卡錫;60年代的喬治.華萊士;以及近期的帕特.布坎南。每一代都會遭遇當代的煽動者,每一代都挺身而出,讓他們遠離白宮,至少目前為止。現在輪到你們了。在今年的總統大選中,在今年的總統大選中,我們在兩黨目睹的煽動情況遠勝於我畢生所見。我國正面臨嚴峻的挑戰,但兩黨候選人並未提出實際的解決方案,而是將我們的問題歸咎於容易引發仇恨的靶子上。共和黨的靶子是墨西哥非法移民和穆斯林,民主黨的靶子是有錢人和華爾街。事實是:我們無法藉由指責任何人解決我們面臨的問題。我們都在同一條船上,我們必須成為解決問題的一份子。美國在世上的力量並非來自我們築起的高牆,而是來自我們敞開的大門;不是來自我們摧毀的-不是來自我們摧毀的成功,而是來自我們打造的機會。
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We have certainly seen such figures before, in both parties. In the 1930s, there was the despotic Huey Long in Louisiana, and just a few miles up the road in Dearborn Father Coughlin blamed ‘Jewish conspirators’ for America’s troubles. Then came Charles Lindbergh in the 40s, Joe McCarthy in the 50s, George Wallace in the 60s, and Pat Buchanan in the 90s.Every generation has had to confront its own demagogues and every generation has stood up and kept them away from the White House, at least so far. Now, it’s your turn.In this year’s presidential election, we’ve seen more demagoguery from both parties than I can remember in my lifetime. Our country is facing serious and difficult challenges, but rather than offering realistic solutions, candidates in both parties are blaming our problems on easy targets who breed resentment. For Republicans, it’s Mexicans here illegally and Muslims, and for Democrats, it’s the wealthy and Wall Street.The truth is: We cannot solve the problems we face by blaming anyone. We are all in this together, and we all must be part of the solution. America’s power in the world comes not from the walls we build, but the doors we open, and it comes not from tearing down success, but building up opportunity.
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美國的公民權不需要我們花太多心思,我國並未實施徵兵,沒有義務兵役,沒有強制性投票。相較於歐洲,我國的稅收相當低,但我們的投票率相當糟,尤其是年輕人族群。今年你們能改變這種情況,投票是阻止煽動者的唯一途徑。從一開始就阻止煽動者的最佳方式,從一開始就阻止煽動者的最佳方式,就是選出勇於面對現實、做出艱難決定、在前方引導、而非在後方追隨的領導者。隨著時間推移,這越來越難做到,讓我分享一個任職於市政廳時發生的故事說明其中原因。2002年,我們在紐約市的酒吧和餐廳全面禁菸,引起強烈的反彈。我們收到許多憤怒的電話和信件,我走在街上時很多人向我比中指。但隨著時間推移,事實證明這項禁令對酒吧和餐廳的生意來說是巨大的福音,令人驚訝萬分。紐約市的吸菸率下降了將近30%,使紐約市民的平均壽命比全國平均值多兩歲。事實上,我很高興地說,這項政策十分受歡迎,全球城市與州縣競相效仿。
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American citizenship does not require much of us. We have no military draft; no mandatory national service; no compulsory voting. Our taxes, compared to Europe, are relatively low. And yet, our voting rates are terrible, and they’re especially low among young people. This year, you can help change that.Voting is the only way to stop demagogues. But the best way to stop demagogues from rising in the first place is to elect leaders with the courage to face reality, make tough decisions, and lead from the front, rather than following from behind. That has become harder over time. Let me share a story from my time in City Hall that illustrates why.In 2002, we banned smoking in New York City’s bars and restaurants, and it caused a huge backlash. We got a lot of angry letters and phone calls, and I got a lot of one-fingered waves when I walked down the street. But as time went by, the ban proved to be a huge boon to the bar and restaurant business – surprise, surprise – and smoking rates in our city went down by nearly 30 percent, helping to increase life expectancy for New Yorkers two years above the national average. In fact, I’m glad to say, the policy became so popular that cities and states all over the world copied it.
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如今,民選官員決定支持爭議性政策時仍會收到憤怒的信件、電話和傳真,如果他們還有傳真機的話。當然,現在他們還會收到數百萬憤怒的推特訊息和臉書貼文,盡可能以最尖銳的措辭譴責他們,這就是民主的實踐。但那種即時的譴責也使一些民選官員不敢做他們心中認為正確的事,因此事實上民主的實踐可能導致大量的不作為,我們每天都能在華盛頓特區與其他各級政府單位看見這種情形。當政府無法解決人民的需求,兩黨的選民將憤怒不已,一些政客藉由提供替罪羊、而非提出解決方案來利用群眾的憤怒。如果我們想阻止煽動者,就得重新開始掌控局面,這需要我們更加文明,支持那些勇於承擔風險的政治家,獎勵那些跨越分歧、尋求妥協的人。現在我知道這麼做並不容易,部分原因在於改變公民對話方式的不僅是社群媒體,不斷轟炸我們手機、電腦和電視的新聞讓我們自以為正在獲取知識,然而許多訊息來源、事實和解讀,或是充滿疑點、或是充滿黨派色彩、或是謊話連篇。
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Today, elected officials who decide to support a controversial policy will also get angry letters, phone calls, and faxes, if they still have fax machines. And for sure, they will now get millions of angry Tweets and Facebook posts denouncing them in the harshest possible terms. That’s democracy in action. But that kind of instant condemnation also makes some elected officials afraid to do things that, in their heart of hearts, they know are right.So democracy in action can actually produce a lot of inaction, which we see every day in Washington, D.C., and other levels of government, too. When governments fail to address the needs of the people, voters in both parties get angry and some politicians exploit that anger by offering scapegoats instead of solutions.If we want to stop demagogues, we have to start governing again, and that requires us to be more civil; to support politicians who have the courage to take risks; and to reward those who reach across the aisle in search of compromise. Now I know doing this won’t be easy, and that’s partly because it’s not just social media that has changed the civic dialogue. The constant bombardment of news that we see on our phones, computers, and TVs gives us the impression we are acquiring knowledge. Yet many of the sources, facts, and interpretations are either dubious, or colored by partisanship, or outright lies.
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身為媒體公司老闆,我目睹市場轉變的過程。如今人們選擇符合他們政治觀點的有線電視頻道和網站,而非能啟發與挑戰他們政治信仰的媒體。我們在政治上變得越來越封閉、越來越無法包容持不同觀點的人。思考一下,1960年,民主黨與共和黨只有4%至5%的人表示,如果家人與對立黨派成員結婚,他們會感到失望。2010年,根據同樣的研究,約40%兩黨成員表示反對這樣的婚姻。換句話說,1960年時大多數人決不會相信跨黨派婚姻會面臨如此大的阻力。跨種族婚姻與同性婚姻會獲得如此程度的接納,對於所有我們在文化包容度上取得的進步-談到政治包容度時,我們正朝著錯誤的方向前進。我們目睹這種缺乏政治包容度的趨勢正在全國蔓延,競選造勢活動演變成暴力場面,社群媒體用語變得尖酸刻薄,甚至在大學校園裡,學生與教職員也試圖審查政治對立者。我知道今天有位畢業生Omar Mahmood曾面臨威脅與恐嚇,因為他膽敢在《密西根日報》撰寫關於身為左翼人士的政治諷刺文,他拒絕為此道歉。Omar,無論你在哪裡,我很高興你堅持自己的立場,我並非因為本身也是左翼人士才這麼說。
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I say that as the owner of a media company who has seen how the marketplace has shifted. Today, people choose cable TV channels and websites that affirm their own political beliefs rather than ones that inform and challenge their beliefs. As a result, we have grown more politically cloistered and more intolerant of those who hold different opinions. Think about this: In 1960, only four to five percent of Democrats and Republicans said they would be upset if a member of their family married someone from the opposing party. In 2010, one in three Democrats, and one in two Republicans, said they would disapprove of such a marriage. In 1960, most people would never have believed that inter-party marriage would attract such resistance, while inter-racial marriage and same-sex marriage would gain such acceptance. For all the progress we have made on cultural tolerance, when it comes to political tolerance, we are moving in the wrong direction. We see this trend of political intolerance across the country: At campaign rallies that turn violent; on social media threads that turn vitriolic; and even on college campuses, where students and faculty have attempted to censor political opponents. I know that one of today’s graduates, Omar Mahmood, has faced threats and intimidation because he dared to write political satire about being left-handed in the Michigan Daily and he refused to apologize for it. Omar, wherever you are out there, I’m glad you stood your ground.
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千萬別害怕為自認正確的事挺身而出,無論多麼不受歡迎,或多少人試著要你閉嘴。同樣重要的是:千萬別猶豫捍衛他人表達自我觀點的權利及行使他們的權利,無論多麼不受歡迎。確保你擁有表達自我權利的唯一途徑就是保護他人表達自我的權利。2010年,我發現自己身處與自由表達權有關的巨大爭議中心,在距世貿中心幾個街區興建清真寺的提議引起舉國嘩然。兩黨成員抨擊這個計劃相當於對9/11事件受害者的侮辱,即使是以防止宗教歧視為宗旨的反污名化聯盟也反對這個想法。但他們都忘了一點:恐怖分子襲擊的不僅是建築物,他們襲擊了我們根據本身信仰與價值觀選擇之生活與禱告的自由。自由女神在紐約港高舉的火炬為擁有不同信仰與觀點的人照亮道路,它照亮這片偉大土地上每一處城市與社區角落。任何宗教都不應面臨對自身權利的特殊限制,無論是興建崇拜場所或獲得簽證。
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Never be afraid to stand up for what you believe is right, no matter how unpopular it may be or how many people try to shout you down. And just as importantly: Never hesitate to stand up for the rights of others to express their views and exercise their rights, no matter how unpopular that may be. The only way to ensure your right to express yourself is to protect others’ rights to express themselves.In 2010, I found myself in the middle of a huge debate over free expression. There was a national uproar over a proposal to build a mosque several blocks from the World Trade Center. Members of both parties attacked the plan as an affront to the victims of the 9/11 attacks. Even the Anti-Defamation League, whose mission is to protect against religious discrimination, opposed the idea. But they had all forgotten: the terrorists didn’t just attack buildings, they attacked our freedom to live and pray as we choose according to our own beliefs and values, equally.The torch that Lady Liberty holds aloft in the New York Harbor lights the way for people of every faith and philosophy, and it shines down on every corner of the city and every community across this great land. No religion should ever face special restrictions on their rights, whether it concerns building a house of worship or getting a visa.
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儘管美國政府體系十分強韌,儘管美國政府體系十分強韌,民主卻十分脆弱。煽動者總是虎視眈眈,當班.富蘭克林離開制憲會議時,一位女士走向他,問道:「博士,我們得到了什麼-共和制還是君主制?」富蘭克林回答:「共和制,如果你們守得住的話。」畢業生們,現在守護這個體制成了你們的責任,這項任務始於保持開放的心胸、參與投票,要求政治家提出實際的解決方案,而非尋找替罪羊或開空頭支票。1928年,共和黨承諾「人人有肉吃,家家有車開」,他們贏得國會與白宮的控制權一年後,人們得到的不是肉和車,而是經濟大蕭條。如今,當一位民粹主義候選人承諾免費大學、免費醫療和一匹小馬,或另一位候選人承諾讓其他國家為我們的需求買單時,記住:那些承諾你免費午餐的人必定會把你當成早餐吃掉。
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As durable as the American system of government has been, democracy is fragile – and demagogues are always lurking. When Ben Franklin was leaving the Constitutional Convention, a woman approached him and asked him: ‘Well, doctor – what have we got: a republic or a monarchy?’ Franklin replied, ‘A republic – if you can keep it.’Well, graduates: It is now your responsibility to keep it. That starts with keeping an open mind, voting, and demanding that politicians offer practical solutions, not scapegoats or pie-in-the-sky promises. In 1928, Republicans promised ‘a chicken in every pot and a car in every backyard.’ They won control of Congress and the White House – and a year later, instead of a chicken and a car, we got the Great Depression. Today, when a populist candidate promises free college, free health care, and a pony, or another candidate promises to make other countries pay for our needs – remember: those who promise you a free lunch will invariably eat you for breakfast.
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如果複雜的問題有簡單的解決方案,我們就不會有這些問題。我樂觀地認為各位畢業生將挺身而出,幫助我們共和國對抗煽動者帶來的危險,以及華盛頓在220年前警告我們的黨派對立火焰。我相信你們,我支持你們,我將在這場戰鬥中與你們並肩,直到生命終點。我的子孫將和我一樣,因美國對自由和平等的貢獻感到自豪。對你們來說今天是值得慶祝的日子,因此請細細品味,享受每一刻。今晚喝下最後一杯或兩杯Mind Probe或Charley's的魚缸雞尾酒,當你明天起床、準備邁向人生旅程,請記住:無論發生什麼事,無論未來是什麼情形,你都能因你們所有人的共同點感到自豪,那就是:你沒去唸密西根州立大學!恭喜!加油,密西根人!
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If there were simple solutions to complex problems, we wouldn’t have those problems.I’m optimistic that you graduates will rise to the occasion and help protect our Republic against the dangers of demagogues and the fires of partisanship that Washington warned us about 220 years ago. I believe in you. I support you. And I will stand with you in this battle to the end of my days so that my children and grandchildren can be as proud of America’s devotion to freedom and equality as I am.As for today: this is a day of celebration, so relish it; enjoy every minute.Congratulations and Go Blue!