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十分感謝。(歡呼聲)(掌聲)
謝謝Powers校長、Fenves教務長、各位院長、全體教職員、家屬和朋友,還有最重要的-2014年畢業生。(歡呼聲)(掌聲)
十分榮幸今晚能來到這裡。我從德州大學畢業已將近37年,我對畢業那天依然記憶猶新。我記得前晚的派對令我頭痛欲裂。(歡呼聲)(掌聲)我記得我有位認真交往的女友,她後來成為我的妻子;順帶一提,這是很重要的一點。我記得那天我即將入海軍服役,但在所有記憶中,我不記得當晚畢業典禮演講者是誰,當然也不記得他們所說的內容。因此這讓我意識到,如果我無法使這場畢業演講令人難忘,至少也該試著長話短說。
本校校訓是「改變世界,從這裡開始」。我必須承認-我還蠻喜歡這個校訓:「改變世界,從這裡開始」。今晚超過八千名學生即將從本校畢業,根據Ask.Com的嚴謹分析,一位美國人一生平均會遇見一萬人。一萬人,相當多。但如果每個人能改變十個人的生活,這十個人又改變另外十個人的生活-依此類推,那麼五個世代-125年後,2014年畢業生將改變八億人的生活。八億人。思考一下,超過美國人口的兩倍。再前進一個世代,你們將能改變全世界人類的生活-八十億人。
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以下為系統擷取之英文原文
About this Talk
McRaven was the speaker at the University of Texas at Austin, and he focused on the 10 most important lessons that stuck with him as a result of getting through the notoriously difficult SEAL training program.
About the Speaker
William Harry McRaven (born November 6, 1955) is a retired United States Navy admiral who last served as the ninth commander of the United States Special Operations Command from August 8, 2011, to August 28, 2014. He previously served from June 13, 2008, to August 2011 as Commander, Joint Special Operations Command and from June 2006 to March 2008 as Commander, Special Operations Command Europe.
Transcript
The following are the remarks by Naval Adm. William H. McRaven, ninth commander of U.S. Special Operations Command, at the University-wide Commencement at The University of Texas at Austin on May 17:
President Powers, Provost Fenves, Deans, members of the faculty, family and friends and most importantly, the class of 2014. Congratulations on your achievement.
It’s been almost 37 years to the day that I graduated from UT.
I remember a lot of things about that day.
I remember I had throbbing headache from a party the night before. I remember I had a serious girlfriend, whom I later married—that’s important to remember by the way—and I remember that I was getting commissioned in the Navy that day.
But of all the things I remember, I don’t have a clue who the commencement speaker was that evening and I certainly don’t remember anything they said.
So…acknowledging that fact—if I can’t make this commencement speech memorable—I will at least try to make it short.
The University’s slogan is,
“What starts here changes the world.”
I have to admit—I kinda like it.
“What starts here changes the world.”
Tonight there are almost 8,000 students graduating from UT.
That great paragon of analytical rigor, Ask.Com says that the average American will meet 10,000 people in their life time.
That’s a lot of folks.
But, if every one of you changed the lives of just ten people—and each one of those folks changed the lives of another ten people—just ten—then in five generations—125 years—the class of 2014 will have changed the lives of 800 million people.
800 million people—think of it—over twice the population of the United States. Go one more generation and you can change the entire population of the world—8 billion people.
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如果你認為很難改變十個人的生活,永遠改變他們的生活,那你就錯了。我在伊拉克和阿富汗每天目睹這種事發生。一位年輕軍官決定沿巴格達某條道路左側而非右側前進,與他同行的十名士兵因此免於遭受近距離伏擊。在阿富汗坎達哈省,一名女子戰鬥隊士官察覺某些異常,指揮步兵排避開一顆500磅的土製炸彈,拯救了十幾名士兵的生命。但如果你思考一下,一個人的決定不僅拯救了這些士兵的生命,他們的子女及後代子孫也因此得救,一個人的決定拯救了數代子孫。
任何人在任何地方都能改變世界,因此我們確實能從這裡開始改變世界。但問題是,世界改變後會變成什麼模樣?我相信它會變得更好。但如果你們能容忍我這個老水兵囉嗦一會兒,我有一些建議,或許能幫助你們邁向更美好的世界。雖然這些經驗是從軍旅生涯中獲得,我可以保證,這與你們是否服役過無關,與性別、種族、宗教信仰、性向或社會地位無關。所有人在這個世界上遇見的挑戰都是類似的,克服挑戰、向前邁進改變自我及周遭世界的體驗也都相同。
我在海豹部隊服役了36年,這始於我離開德州大學、前往加州科羅納多進行海豹部隊基本訓練。基本訓練為期六個月,包括在軟沙地上痛苦的長跑,午夜在聖地牙哥海岸冰冷的水中游泳,障礙越野訓練,無止盡的健身操,幾天不睡覺,總是處於寒冷、潮濕和痛苦中。六個月當中飽受訓練有素的老兵折磨,他們試著找出你身心的弱點,將你從海豹部隊淘汰。但這種訓練也是為了找出能在持續的壓力、混亂、失敗和艱苦中發揮領導能力的學員。在我看來,海豹部隊基本訓練相當於將一生的挑戰濃縮到六個月當中,以下是我從海豹部隊基本訓練中獲得的十項教訓,希望對你們未來人生旅程有所幫助。
在海豹部隊基本訓練中,每天早晨我的教官們-當時全是越戰老兵-他們會來到我的營房宿舍,第一件事就是檢查我的床。如果做的正確,被子會疊得有稜有角,床單拉得平平整整,枕頭放在床頭板下正中的位置,多餘的毯子整齊疊放在床腳下。這是一項簡單的任務,平淡無奇,但每天早上我們必須將床鋪得完美無缺。當時這看起來似乎有些荒唐,尤其對我們這些立志成為真正戰士的人來說-千錘百鍊的海豹部隊成員。但我已無數次親身體會這個簡單行為所蘊含的智慧。如果你每天早上整理床鋪,相當於完成當天第一個任務,這會帶給你小小的成就感,激勵你執行一個又一個任務。一天結束時,這項任務的完成將導致你完成許多其他任務。整理床鋪也進一步證明一個事實:生活中的小事至關緊要,如果小事做不好,你永遠無法成就大事業。如果某天你過得不順利,回家後還有一張鋪好的床等著你,你親手鋪的,這張鋪好的床能鼓舞你期待明天會更好。如果你想改變世界,就從整理床鋪開始。
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If you think it’s hard to change the lives of ten people—change their lives forever—you’re wrong.
I saw it happen every day in Iraq and Afghanistan.
A young Army officer makes a decision to go left instead of right down a road in Baghdad and the ten soldiers in his squad are saved from close-in ambush.
In Kandahar province, Afghanistan, a non-commissioned officer from the Female Engagement Team senses something isn’t right and directs the infantry platoon away from a 500 pound IED, saving the lives of a dozen soldiers.
But, if you think about it, not only were these soldiers saved by the decisions of one person, but their children yet unborn—were also saved. And their children’s children—were saved.
Generations were saved by one decision—by one person.
But changing the world can happen anywhere and anyone can do it.
So, what starts here can indeed change the world, but the question is…what will the world look like after you change it?
Well, I am confident that it will look much, much better, but if you will humor this old sailor for just a moment, I have a few suggestions that may help you on your way to a better a world.
And while these lessons were learned during my time in the military, I can assure you that it matters not whether you ever served a day in uniform.
It matters not your gender, your ethnic or religious background, your orientation, or your social status.
Our struggles in this world are similar and the lessons to overcome those struggles and to move forward—changing ourselves and the world around us—will apply equally to all.
I have been a Navy SEAL for 36 years. But it all began when I left UT for Basic SEAL training in Coronado, California.
Basic SEAL training is six months of long torturous runs in the soft sand, midnight swims in the cold water off San Diego, obstacles courses, unending calisthenics, days without sleep and always being cold, wet and miserable.
It is six months of being constantly harassed by professionally trained warriors who seek to find the weak of mind and body and eliminate them from ever becoming a Navy SEAL.
But, the training also seeks to find those students who can lead in an environment of constant stress, chaos, failure and hardships.
To me basic SEAL training was a life time of challenges crammed into six months.
So, here are the ten lesson’s I learned from basic SEAL training that hopefully will be of value to you as you move forward in life.
Every morning in basic SEAL training, my instructors, who at the time were all Vietnam veterans, would show up in my barracks room and the first thing they would inspect was your bed.
If you did it right, the corners would be square, the covers pulled tight, the pillow centered just under the headboard and the extra blanket folded neatly at the foot of the rack—rack—that’s Navy talk for bed.
It was a simple task—mundane at best. But every morning we were required to make our bed to perfection. It seemed a little ridiculous at the time, particularly in light of the fact that were aspiring to be real warriors, tough battle hardened SEALs—but the wisdom of this simple act has been proven to me many times over.
If you make your bed every morning you will have accomplished the first task of the day. It will give you a small sense of pride and it will encourage you to do another task and another and another.
By the end of the day, that one task completed will have turned into many tasks completed. Making your bed will also reinforce the fact that little things in life matter.
If you can’t do the little things right, you will never do the big things right.
And, if by chance you have a miserable day, you will come home to a bed that is made—that you made—and a made bed gives you encouragement that tomorrow will be better.
If you want to change the world, start off by making your bed.
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海豹部隊訓練期間,學員被分成幾個船隊,每隊七名學員,小橡皮艇兩側各三名,和一名幫助導航的舵手。每天隊員們會在沙灘上整隊,接受指示穿越碎波帶,並沿海岸划行數英哩。聖地牙哥冬季的海浪可高達8至10英呎,穿越猛烈的大浪十分困難,除非大家同心協力揮槳,每支槳都必須與舵手的揮槳指令同步,每個人必須使用相同的力氣,否則船就會轉向,被海浪毫不留情地推回岸邊。為了讓船駛向目的地,每個人都得努力划槳。你無法獨自改變世界,你需要他人的幫助。從起點到目的地,需要朋友、同事、陌生人的善意以及優秀舵手的指引。如果想改變世界,請找個人幫你划槳。
經過短短幾周的艱苦訓練,我參與的海豹資格訓從最初的150人縮減為42人。現在剩下六個船隊,每隊七人。我和一些高個子在同一隊,但其中最佳的船隊由小個子組成。我們稱他們為矮子隊,其中沒人超過5呎5吋。矮子隊當中有一名印第安人,一名非裔美國人,一名波蘭裔、一名希臘裔、一名義大利裔美國人,還有兩名來自中西部的壯漢。無論划船、跑步、游泳,他們都勝過其他船隊。其它船隊裡的大個子總喜歡對這些小個子開開善意的玩笑,說他們每次游泳前都將小巧的腳蹼穿在小腳上。但不知何故,這些來自美國和世界各個角落的小個子總是能笑到最後。比其他人游得快,比其他人更早抵達岸邊。海豹部隊的訓練相當公平,重要的只有成功的意志,膚色、種族背景、教育程度、社會地位都無關緊要。如果你想改變世界,請用心胸寬廣程度來衡量一個人,而非腳蹼的大小。
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During SEAL training the students are broken down into boat crews. Each crew is seven students—three on each side of a small rubber boat and one coxswain to help guide the dingy.
Every day your boat crew forms up on the beach and is instructed to get through the surfzone and paddle several miles down the coast.
In the winter, the surf off San Diego can get to be 8 to 10 feet high and it is exceedingly difficult to paddle through the plunging surf unless everyone digs in.
Every paddle must be synchronized to the stroke count of the coxswain. Everyone must exert equal effort or the boat will turn against the wave and be unceremoniously tossed back on the beach.
For the boat to make it to its destination, everyone must paddle.
You can’t change the world alone—you will need some help— and to truly get from your starting point to your destination takes friends, colleagues, the good will of strangers and a strong coxswain to guide them.
If you want to change the world, find someone to help you paddle.
Over a few weeks of difficult training my SEAL class which started with 150 men was down to just 35. There were now six boat crews of seven men each.
I was in the boat with the tall guys, but the best boat crew we had was made up of the the little guys—the munchkin crew we called them—no one was over about 5-foot five.
The munchkin boat crew had one American Indian, one African American, one Polish American, one Greek American, one Italian American, and two tough kids from the mid-west.
They out paddled, out-ran, and out swam all the other boat crews.
The big men in the other boat crews would always make good natured fun of the tiny little flippers the munchkins put on their tiny little feet prior to every swim.
But somehow these little guys, from every corner of the Nation and the world, always had the last laugh— swimming faster than everyone and reaching the shore long before the rest of us.
SEAL training was a great equalizer. Nothing mattered but your will to succeed. Not your color, not your ethnic background, not your education and not your social status. If you want to change the world, measure a person by the size of their heart, not the size of their flippers.
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每週有幾次,教官會讓學員排隊進行儀容檢查。檢查相當徹底,帽子必須相當筆挺,制服必須燙得沒有一絲皺褶,皮帶扣必須閃閃發亮,沒有任何污跡。但無論你費多大功夫讓帽子變得筆挺,或熨燙制服、擦亮皮帶扣,似乎總是不夠好,教官總是能挑出毛病。儀容檢查不合格的學員必須穿戴整齊,跑到碎波帶,從頭到腳濕透地在沙灘上翻滾,直到身體所有部分都沾滿沙子,這被稱為「糖屑餅乾」效應。當天接下來的時間你都得穿著這件又冷又濕、沾滿沙子制服。許多學員無法接受所有努力都白費的事實,無論他們花多少功夫整理儀容都無法獲得讚賞。這些學員無法通過訓練,這些學員無法理解訓練的目的。你永遠無法成功、你永遠無法擁有完美儀容、教官根本不打算讓你及格。有時,無論你準備得多麼充分,或表現得多麼優異,最後依然會成為「糖屑餅乾」。有時生活就是如此。如果你想改變世界,別在乎是否變成「糖屑餅乾」,繼續前進吧!
每天的訓練都會面臨多重體能挑戰:長跑、長泳、障礙越野訓練、數小時健身操,一些旨在測試耐力的項目。每個項目都有標準,你必須在時限內達成,如果無法達成標準,你的名字就會登上名單。一天結束後,登上名單的人會受邀進行「馬戲表演」。「馬戲表演」是指額外兩小時的健身操,旨在耗盡你的體力、擊垮你的意志、迫使你退訓。沒人想進行「馬戲表演」,「馬戲表演」意味著當天你未達標準,「馬戲表演」意味著更加疲憊,更加疲憊意味著隔天會更難熬、更可能列入「馬戲表演」名單。但有時在海豹部隊訓練中,每個人-每一個人-都會被列入「馬戲表演」名單,但有趣的事發生在那些經常被列入名單的人身上。隨著時間推移,那些進行兩小時額外健身操的學員變得越來越強,「馬戲表演」的痛苦培養了內心的堅強與身體的韌性。生活中充滿各種「馬戲表演」。你可能失敗,失敗可能如家常便飯,這令人痛苦、令人沮喪,有時這是對你最本質的檢驗。如果你想改變世界,別害怕「馬戲表演」。
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Several times a week, the instructors would line up the class and do a uniform inspection. It was exceptionally thorough.
Your hat had to be perfectly starched, your uniform immaculately pressed and your belt buckle shiny and void of any smudges.
But it seemed that no matter how much effort you put into starching your hat, or pressing your uniform or polishing your belt buckle—- it just wasn’t good enough.
The instructors would fine “something” wrong.
For failing the uniform inspection, the student had to run, fully clothed into the surfzone and then, wet from head to toe, roll around on the beach until every part of your body was covered with sand.
The effect was known as a “sugar cookie.” You stayed in that uniform the rest of the day—cold, wet and sandy.
There were many a student who just couldn’t accept the fact that all their effort was in vain. That no matter how hard they tried to get the uniform right—it was unappreciated.
Those students didn’t make it through training.
Those students didn’t understand the purpose of the drill. You were never going to succeed. You were never going to have a perfect uniform.
Sometimes no matter how well you prepare or how well you perform you still end up as a sugar cookie.
It’s just the way life is sometimes.
If you want to change the world get over being a sugar cookie and keep moving forward.
Every day during training you were challenged with multiple physical events—long runs, long swims, obstacle courses, hours of calisthenics—something designed to test your mettle.
Every event had standards—times you had to meet. If you failed to meet those standards your name was posted on a list and at the end of the day those on the list were invited to—a “circus.”
A circus was two hours of additional calisthenics—designed to wear you down, to break your spirit, to force you to quit.
No one wanted a circus.
A circus meant that for that day you didn’t measure up. A circus meant more fatigue—and more fatigue meant that the following day would be more difficult—and more circuses were likely.
But at some time during SEAL training, everyone—everyone—made the circus list.
But an interesting thing happened to those who were constantly on the list. Overtime those students-—who did two hours of extra calisthenics—got stronger and stronger.
The pain of the circuses built inner strength-built physical resiliency.
Life is filled with circuses.
You will fail. You will likely fail often. It will be painful. It will be discouraging. At times it will test you to your very core.
But if you want to change the world, don’t be afraid of the circuses.
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每周至少兩次,學員必須接受障礙越野訓練。障礙越野訓練包含25項障礙,包括10英呎高的牆、30英呎的吊網,以及爬行用的鐵絲網等。但最具挑戰性的障礙是逃生索。一端是30英呎高的三層塔台,另一端是一座一層塔台,兩者之間是一條200英呎長的繩索。你必須爬上三層高的塔臺,一旦爬上頂端,你得抓住繩索,吊在繩索下方,雙手交替地讓身體向前移動,直到抵達另一端。我們班在1977年開訓時,障礙訓練記錄已保持多年。記錄看似無法打破,直到有一天,一名學員決定以頭部朝前的方式滑下逃生索。他並非吊在繩索下方,緩緩向前移動,而是勇敢地攀到繩索上方,猛然向前衝出。這是危險的舉動,看似愚蠢,充滿風險,失敗可能意味著受傷和退訓。這名學員毫不猶豫地滑下繩索,速度極快,並非花了幾分鐘,而是僅花了一半時間。課程結束時,他打破了紀錄。如果你想改變世界,有時必須以頭朝下的方式從障礙上滑下。
陸戰訓練階段,學員們飛往聖地牙哥海岸外的聖克萊門特島,聖克萊門特島近海水域是大白鯊繁殖區。通過海豹部隊訓練必須完成一系列長泳,其中之一是夜泳。游泳之前,教官會愉悅地向受訓學員簡介所有棲息在聖克萊門特島近海區域的鯊魚種類,不過他們會向你保證,至少在他們記憶中,沒有任何學員被鯊魚吃掉過。但他們也會告訴你,如果鯊魚開始繞著你打轉,必須待在原地,不要游開,不要表現出膽怯。如果這隻饑餓的鯊魚想吃宵夜,向你衝來,你得使出全身力氣,朝牠的鼻子重重一擊,牠會轉身游開。世上有很多鯊魚,如果你想完成游泳,就得設法對付牠們。如果你想改變世界,遇見鯊魚時千萬別退縮。
身為海豹隊員,我們的任務之一是從水下襲擊敵人的船隻。訓練期間,我們大量練習這種技術。船隻攻擊任務的內容是,兩名海豹部隊潛水員在敵人港口外下水,然後在水下游兩英哩,僅藉由深度計和指南針抵達目標。儘管整個游泳過程都在水面下進行,仍有一些光能夠通過,知道上方是開闊水域令人感到欣慰。但當你接近停靠碼頭的船隻時,光線開始減弱,船隻的鋼結構會遮蔽月光,遮蔽周圍街燈的光芒,周遭所有光線都會被遮蔽。為了成功完成任務,你必須游到船底找到龍骨,也就是船的中心線和最深的部分。這是你的目標,但龍骨也是整條船最暗的部分。那裡暗得伸手不見五指,船的機器運轉聲震耳欲聾,你很容易迷失方向,導致失敗。每個海豹隊員都知道,在龍骨下,在任務中最黑暗的時刻,正是必須冷靜、必須沉著之時。此時所有戰略技巧、體力和精神力都得派上用場。如果你想改變世界,必須在最黑暗的時刻展現最佳狀態。
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At least twice a week, the trainees were required to run the obstacle course. The obstacle course contained 25 obstacles including a 10-foot high wall, a 30-foot cargo net, and a barbed wire crawl to name a few.
But the most challenging obstacle was the slide for life. It had a three level 30 foot tower at one end and a one level tower at the other. In between was a 200-foot long rope.
You had to climb the three tiered tower and once at the top, you grabbed the rope, swung underneath the rope and pulled yourself hand over hand until you got to the other end.
The record for the obstacle course had stood for years when my class began training in 1977.
The record seemed unbeatable, until one day, a student decided to go down the slide for life—head first.
Instead of swinging his body underneath the rope and inching his way down, he bravely mounted the TOP of the rope and thrust himself forward.
It was a dangerous move—seemingly foolish, and fraught with risk. Failure could mean injury and being dropped from the training.
Without hesitation—the student slid down the rope—perilously fast, instead of several minutes, it only took him half that time and by the end of the course he had broken the record.
If you want to change the world sometimes you have to slide down the obstacle head first.
During the land warfare phase of training, the students are flown out to San Clemente Island which lies off the coast of San Diego.
The waters off San Clemente are a breeding ground for the great white sharks. To pass SEAL training there are a series of long swims that must be completed. One—is the night swim.
Before the swim the instructors joyfully brief the trainees on all the species of sharks that inhabit the waters off San Clemente.
They assure you, however, that no student has ever been eaten by a shark—at least not recently.
But, you are also taught that if a shark begins to circle your position—stand your ground. Do not swim away. Do not act afraid.
And if the shark, hungry for a midnight snack, darts towards you—then summons up all your strength and punch him in the snout and he will turn and swim away.
There are a lot of sharks in the world. If you hope to complete the swim you will have to deal with them.
So, If you want to change the world, don’t back down from the sharks.
As Navy SEALs one of our jobs is to conduct underwater attacks against enemy shipping. We practiced this technique extensively during basic training.
The ship attack mission is where a pair of SEAL divers is dropped off outside an enemy harbor and then swims well over two miles—underwater—using nothing but a depth gauge and a compass to get to their target.
During the entire swim, even well below the surface there is some light that comes through. It is comforting to know that there is open water above you.
But as you approach the ship, which is tied to a pier, the light begins to fade. The steel structure of the ship blocks the moonlight—it blocks the surrounding street lamps—it blocks all ambient light.
To be successful in your mission, you have to swim under the ship and find the keel—the centerline and the deepest part of the ship.
This is your objective. But the keel is also the darkest part of the ship—where you cannot see your hand in front of your face, where the noise from the ship’s machinery is deafening and where it is easy to get disoriented and fail.
Every SEAL knows that under the keel, at the darkest moment of the mission—is the time when you must be calm, composed—when all your tactical skills, your physical power and all your inner strength must be brought to bear.
If you want to change the world, you must be your very best in the darkest moment.
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訓練的第九周被稱為「地獄周」,六天不能睡覺,持續的身體和心理折磨,還有在「泥灘」度過特別的一天。泥灘是位於聖地牙哥和提華納之間的區域,水源流失後成為提華納濕地,一個沼澤遍布的區域,其中的淤泥能將你吞噬。地獄周的週三,你必須划船進入泥灘,之後15個小時盡力在冰冷刺骨的淤泥中求生,承受呼嘯的狂風和教官不斷慫恿你退出的壓力。週三傍晚,太陽即將下山時,我們班被認定「嚴重違反紀律」,受命進入淤泥中。淤泥吞沒了每一個人,只剩頭部露在外面。教官告訴我們,只要五個人退訓,我們就能離開這片淤泥。只要五個人,僅僅五個人,我們就能脫離刺骨的寒冷。環顧四周,顯然有些學員打算放棄。距太陽升起還有8小時,8小時刺骨的寒冷。學員們牙齒打顫和顫抖的呻吟如此響亮,幾乎無法聽見任何其他聲音。此時,一個聲音開始在夜空中迴盪-一陣歌聲。歌聲嚴重走調,卻熱情洋溢。一個聲音變成兩個,兩個變成三個,不久後,班上所有人都開始放聲高歌。教官威脅我們,如果繼續唱,就得在淤泥中待更久,但歌聲不曾間斷。不知何故,淤泥似乎溫暖了些,風似乎弱了些,黎明似乎不再那麼遙遠。如果說我周遊世界時曾經學到什麼,那就是希望的力量。一個人的力量-華盛頓、林肯、金恩博士、曼德拉,甚至巴基斯坦少女馬拉拉-藉由希望,一個人就能改變世界。如果你想改變世界,當淤泥浸過頸部時,請開始歌唱。
最後,海豹訓練營有個銅鐘,一個掛在訓練場中央、所有學員都能看見的銅鐘。如果想退訓,只要敲響銅鐘。只要敲響銅鐘,就不必在早上5點起床;只要敲響銅鐘,就不必在刺骨的水裡游泳;只要敲響銅鐘,就不必參加跑步障礙、越野訓練和體能訓練;你再也不必忍受訓練的艱苦。如果想退訓,只要敲響銅鐘。如果你想改變世界,千萬別敲響銅鐘。
2014年畢業生,你們即將畢業,即將展開人生旅程,即將加入改變世界的行列,使世界更美好。這並非易事,但你們是2014年畢業生,你們將在下個世紀影響八億人的生命。每天從完成一個任務開始,尋找在人生旅程中幫助你的人。尊敬每一個人,瞭解人生並不公平,失敗乃家常便飯。但如果你勇於冒險,在最艱難的時刻勇往直前、不畏強權、對抗壓迫、永不放棄。如果你能做到這些,下一代及之後的世世代代就能生活在遠比現今更美好的世界。我們從這裡開始的起步必定能改變世界,使世界更美好。
十分感謝,加油。
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The ninth week of training is referred to as “Hell Week.” It is six days of no sleep, constant physical and mental harassment and—one special day at the Mud Flats—the Mud Flats are area between San Diego and Tijuana where the water runs off and creates the Tijuana slue’s—a swampy patch of terrain where the mud will engulf you.
It is on Wednesday of Hell Week that you paddle down to the mud flats and spend the next 15 hours trying to survive the freezing cold mud, the howling wind and the incessant pressure to quit from the instructors.
As the sun began to set that Wednesday evening, my training class, having committed some “egregious infraction of the rules” was ordered into the mud.
The mud consumed each man till there was nothing visible but our heads. The instructors told us we could leave the mud if only five men would quit—just five men and we could get out of the oppressive cold.
Looking around the mud flat it was apparent that some students were about to give up. It was still over eight hours till the sun came up—eight more hours of bone chilling cold.
The chattering teeth and shivering moans of the trainees were so loud it was hard to hear anything and then, one voice began to echo through the night—one voice raised in song.
The song was terribly out of tune, but sung with great enthusiasm.
One voice became two and two became three and before long everyone in the class was singing.
We knew that if one man could rise above the misery then others could as well.
The instructors threatened us with more time in the mud if we kept up the singing—but the singing persisted.
And somehow—the mud seemed a little warmer, the wind a little tamer and the dawn not so far away.
If I have learned anything in my time traveling the world, it is the power of hope. The power of one person—Washington, Lincoln, King, Mandela and even a young girl from Pakistan—Malala—one person can change the world by giving people hope.
So, if you want to change the world, start singing when you’re up to your neck in mud.
Finally, in SEAL training there is a bell. A brass bell that hangs in the center of the compound for all the students to see.
All you have to do to quit—is ring the bell. Ring the bell and you no longer have to wake up at 5 o’clock. Ring the bell and you no longer have to do the freezing cold swims.
Ring the bell and you no longer have to do the runs, the obstacle course, the PT—and you no longer have to endure the hardships of training.
Just ring the bell.
If you want to change the world don’t ever, ever ring the bell.
To the graduating class of 2014, you are moments away from graduating. Moments away from beginning your journey through life. Moments away starting to change the world—for the better.
It will not be easy.
But, YOU are the class of 2014—the class that can affect the lives of 800 million people in the next century.
Start each day with a task completed.
Find someone to help you through life.
Respect everyone.
Know that life is not fair and that you will fail often, but if take you take some risks, step up when the times are toughest, face down the bullies, lift up the downtrodden and never, ever give up—if you do these things, then next generation and the generations that follow will live in a world far better than the one we have today and—what started here will indeed have changed the world—for the better.
Thank you very much. Hook ’em horns