约翰·罗伯茨（John G. Roberts Jr），1955 年 1 月 27 日出生于纽约州布法罗市的一个中产阶级家庭。1971 年考入哈佛大学，成绩优异，曾担任《哈佛法律评论》的执行总编。1976 年，以第一名的成绩从哈佛法学院毕业，1979 年，在哈佛法学院获得法学博士学位。
约翰·罗伯茨于2005 年 9 月由小布什总统提名，参议院批准通过，就任美国联邦最高法院的第 17 任首席大法官，成为美国两个世纪以来最年轻的首席大法官。
大法官罗伯茨与妻子简妮领养了一儿一女，他的儿子杰克·罗伯茨即将从位于新罕布什尔州的卡迪根山中学（Cardigan Mountain School）毕业。
7 月 3 日，约翰·罗伯茨在儿子的初中毕业典礼上进行了致辞。
致辞中，他没有提及任何关于法律或最高法院的内容，而是更多谈及孩子们的未来，甚至给出了「孩子们，我希望你们交点噩运」这样的建议。但对于这番致辞，《华盛顿邮报》的评价是：
首席大法官 Roberts 在刚刚结束的一期里，写了 8 份意见书和 2 份反对意见，但没有一份比他在一个雨天学校里的毕业演讲更有意义。
普通人会说，孩子我祝你好运，罗伯茨说，我希望你们交点噩运；一般鸡汤讲，你要做自己，罗伯茨讲，你们不应该做自己。而最让我感动的，是作为美国「最聪明的脑袋」，他教给这个贵族寄宿制学校孩子的，是到新学校后，要记住扫地员工的名字表示尊重，要写信给初中的老师表达感激。
又到了一年一度各位师长致辞刷屏的毕业季，美国最高法院首席大法官的这番演讲，确实有点与众不同。在一个微妙的意义上，平民高校鼓励向上走，贵族学校则在鼓励向尘土里看。
附上虎皮妈翻译的中英对照全文，希望对大家能有所启发。
感谢大家。
Thank you very much.
有人说，雨点，就像来自天堂的彩屑，所以这个早晨，即使天堂也在为我们庆祝，共同加入我们这个非凡的毕业典礼。
Rain, somebody said, is like confetti from heaven. So even the heavens are celebrating this morning, joining the rest of us at this wonderful commencement ceremony.
在我们开始之前，毕业生们，你们有一个非常重要的任务——你们身后的站着的，是你们的父母和监护人。两年、三年或者四年前，他们开车带你们来到这所学校，安顿好你们，然后走出大门，掉头回去。对他们来说，那是一次不同寻常的牺牲。归途中，他们或许泪流满面，而迎接他们的，是一所空荡荡、孤单的房子。他们做出这样的牺牲，是因为他们知道，教育是为了你们，而不是为了他们自己。因为他们的牺牲和付出，你们才能走到今天。所以今天这个早晨不光光是为了你们，同样也是为了他们。我希望你们能够站起来，转过身，为他们鼓掌。
Before we go any further, graduates, you have an important task to perform because behind you are your parents and guardians. Two or three or four years ago, they drove into Cardigan, dropped you off, helped you get settled and then turned around and drove back out the gates. It was an extraordinary sacrifice for them. They drove down the trail of tears back to an emptier and lonelier house. They did that because the decision about your education, they knew, was about you. It was not about them. That sacrifice and others they made have brought you to this point. But this morning is not just about you. It is also about them, so I hope you will stand up and turn around and give them a great round of applause. Please.
（现场全体毕业生起立，为父母鼓掌。）
现在，如果有人问我关于这次演讲的事，我终于可以说我的演讲被掌声打断了。（笑声）
Now when somebody asks me how the remarks at Cardigan went, I will be able to say they were interrupted by applause.
祝贺你们，2017 的毕业生。你们来到了一个重要的人生里程碑，度过了人生中非常重要的一个阶段。我很遗憾地告诉你们，那同时也是人生中最容易的阶段，它是在书本里的。当你们身处 Cardigan（注：寄宿学校的名字）中，你们同时也成为了一个重要的国际社区的一份子。【用其它各种语言致辞。】
Congratulations, class of 2017. You’ve reached an important milestone. An important stage of your life is behind you. I’m sorry to be the one to tell you it is the easiest stage of your life, but it is in the books. While you’ve been at Cardigan, you have all been a part of an important international community as well. And I think that needs to be particularly recognized.
[Roberts gave brief remarks in other languages.]
如今，在这个国家的大学里、高中里、初中里，毕业典礼致辞嘉宾都会站在不耐烦的毕业生前，说同样的话。他们会说，今天是你们的毕业典礼，但是，这是一个开始，而不是结束，你们应该向前看。我认为这很对，但是，当你们向前看寻找前路的时候，向后回望来途同样重要。当你们回顾你们在 Cardigan 的第一个下午时，或许你会想起来，自己曾经是孤独的；或许你会想起来，你有一点点害怕和紧张。现在看看你们自己，你们被朋友环绕，你们拥有了很多兄弟，你们自信地面对着下一阶段的求学。
Now around the country today at colleges, high schools, middle schools, commencement speakers are standing before impatient graduates. And they are almost always saying the same things. They will say that today is a commencement exercise. ‘It is a beginning, not an end. You should look forward.’ And I think that is true enough, however, I think if you’re going to look forward to figure out where you’re going, it’s good to know where you’ve been and to look back as well. And I think if you look back to your first afternoon here at Cardigan, perhaps you will recall that you were lonely. Perhaps you will recall that you were a little scared, a little anxious. And now look at you. You are surrounded by friends that you call brothers, and you are confident in facing the next step in your education.
思考一下这种转变从何而来非常有价值。而当你思考的时候，你会感激你的同学们，在课堂中、田径场上、宿舍里对你的各种支持。一个人的自信，不是因为你做的事情全部都成功，而是因为有了朋友的帮助后，你不惧怕失败。当你失败，你会站在来，再次尝试。当你再失败，你会又站起来，再次尝试。而当你又失败——你最好想想找点其它什么事情做。（笑声）但是你要明白，不是成功，而是不惧怕失败，才让你走到了今天。
It is worth trying to think why that is so. And when you do, I think you may appreciate that it was because of the support of your classmates in the classroom, on the athletic field and in the dorms. And as far as the confidence goes, I think you will appreciate that it is not because you succeeded at everything you did, but because with the help of your friends, you were not afraid to fail. And if you did fail, you got up and tried again. And if you failed again, you got up and tried again. And if you failed again, it might be time to think about doing something else. But it was not just success, but not being afraid to fail that brought you to this point.
现在的演讲嘉宾还会给予你们很多祝福，我不打算这么做，我来告诉你们为什么。在未来的岁月里，时不时的，我希望你们受到一点不公正的对待，这样，你们才会知道正义的价值；我希望你们会遭受背叛，这样你们才会了解忠诚的可贵。很抱歉这样说，但我希望你们时不时会体会到孤独，这样你们才不会将友情视作理所当然；我希望你们交点噩运，这样你们才会意识到，自己的成功并非天经地义，别人的失败也不是咎由自取。
Now the commencement speakers will typically also wish you good luck and extend good wishes to you. I will not do that, and I’ll tell you why. From time to time in the years to come, I hope you will be treated unfairly, so that you will come to know the value of justice. I hope that you will suffer betrayal because that will teach you the importance of loyalty. Sorry to say, but I hope you will be lonely from time to time so that you don’t take friends for granted. I wish you bad luck, again, from time to time so that you will be conscious of the role of chance in life and understand that your success is not completely deserved and that the failure of others is not completely deserved either.
当你们失败时，我希望你们的竞争对手时不时地幸灾乐祸一下，这样你们才会领悟体育精神的可贵；希望你们被忽视，这样你们才会知道倾听有多重要。不管以上这些是不是我的希望，它们都会在你们未来的人生中发生，而你们是否会从中获益，完全取决于你们看待人生遭遇的视角。
And when you lose, as you will from time to time, I hope every now and then, your opponent will gloat over your failure. It is a way for you to understand the importance of sportsmanship. I hope you’ll be ignored so you know the importance of listening to others, and I hope you will have just enough pain to learn compassion. Whether I wish these things or not, they’re going to happen. And whether you benefit from them or not will depend upon your ability to see the message in your misfortunes.
现在的演讲嘉宾还会给一些忠告，一些人生忠告，一些有用的技巧。最常见的人生忠告是——做你自己。跟一群穿着一模一样校服的人说，「做你自己」，是件很奇怪的事情，但大家还是要说，「做你自己」。（笑声）但是，你们应该理解这句话背后的意义。除非你是一个完人，否则这句话真的不代表你不需要做任何改变。在有些时候，你不应该做你自己，你应该做一个更好的人。人们说「做自己」是因为他们不希望你们放弃内心的梦想，而屈服于外界的压力。但当我们不知道我们自己是谁的时候，我们不可能做自己；而如果我们不仔细思考自己人生的价值，我们也不可能知道自己是谁。
Now commencement speakers are also expected to give some advice.They give grand advice, and they give some useful tips. The most common grandadvice they give is for you to be yourself. It is an odd piece of advice togive people dressed identically, but you should — you should be yourself. Butyou should understand what that means. Unless you are perfect, it does not meandon’t make any changes. In a certain sense, you should not be yourself. Youshould try to become something better. People say ‘be yourself’ because theywant you to resist the impulse to conform to what others want you to be. Butyou can’t be yourself if you don't learn who are, and you can’t learn who youare unless you think about it.
古希腊哲学家苏格拉底曾说：「未经检验的人生是不值得活的。」有些时候，「just do it」可能是个很有道理的人生格言，但是，在试图找到你该如何度过未来的人生时，这句话并无价值。当你完全不考虑自己的人生价值时，你不可能找到自己到底是谁。
The Greek philosopher Socrates said, ‘The unexamined life is notworth living.’ And while ‘just do it’ might be a good motto for some things,it’s not a good motto when it’s trying to figure out how to live your life thatis before you. And one important clue to living a good life is to not to try tolive the good life. The best way to lose the values that are central to who youare is frankly not to think about them at all.
好了，人生忠告到此为止，下面是教你们一些小技巧到高中里去使用。过去几年中，我认识了你们中的不少男生，我知道你们都是优秀的孩子。但是，你们是「有特权」的男生。如果你们没有特权，你们不会来到这个学校，即使你们来之前没有特权，现在你们也有了。我的建议是：不要自视甚高。
So that’s the deep advice. Now some tips as you get ready to go toyour new school. Other the last couple of years, I have gotten to know many ofyou young men pretty well, and I know you are good guys. But you are alsoprivileged young men. And if you weren’t privileged when you came here, you areprivileged now because you have been here. My advice is: Don’t act like it.
当你到了新学校后，见到那些扫地的、铲雪的、倒垃圾的人，请你们走上去，介绍自己，也请教对方的名字。记住这些名字，在学校里遇到他们，称呼他们的名字。另一条建议，如果你在路上遇到不认识的人，请你微笑、看着他们的眼睛，跟他们说你好。当你这样做，可能会发生的最坏的事，不过是你从此会得一个「微笑并和人打招呼的小子」这个名声。这可不是一个坏的开始。
When you get to your new school, walk up and introduce yourself tothe person who is raking the leaves, shoveling the snow or emptying the trash.Learn their name and call them by their name during your time at the school.Another piece of advice: When you pass by people you don’t recognize on thewalks, smile, look them in the eye and say hello. The worst thing that willhappen is that you will become known as the young man who smiles and sayshello, and that is not a bad thing to start with.
这是一个男校，你们过去只和男生在一起。你们中的大多数将会去一个有女孩的高中，关于这点，我没什么建议好给。（笑声，掌声）
You’ve been at a school with just boys. Most of you will be goingto a school with girls. I have no advice for you.
最后的一条建议很简单，但我认为会对你的人生产生巨大的影响。每周一次，你们要写一封信给一个人。不是写 email，是在纸上写一封信。这会花费你们一周里的十分钟。找一个成年人问问，什么是邮票。（笑声）你们将把邮票贴在信封上，把信寄出去。再说一次，每周十分钟。我现在就会教你们写你们的第一封信。信上这么说：「亲爱的某某某老师，我到了新学校，英文课在念什么什么书。橄榄球或者足球好难，但我挺喜欢的。感谢你过去在初中的教导。」把信放到信封里，贴上邮票，寄出去。
The last bit of advice I’ll give you is very simple, but I thinkit could make a big difference in your life. Once a week, you should write anote to someone. Not an email. A note on a piece of paper. It will take youexactly 10 minutes. Talk to an adult, let them tell you what a stamp is. Youcan put the stamp on the envelope. Again, 10 minutes, once a week. I will helpyou, right now. I will dictate to you the first note you should write. It willsay, ‘Dear [fill in the name of a teacher at Cardigan Mountain School].’ Say:‘I have started at this new school. We are reading [blank] in English. Footballor soccer practice is hard, but I’m enjoying it. Thank you for teaching me.’Put it in an envelope, put a stamp on it and send it.
这对那些教初中男生的老师很重要，虽然大多数人理解不了为什么重要，（笑声）但这很重要。像我说的，一周十分钟，一学年后，你将寄出去 40 封信给了 40 个人。这 40 个人会因为你做的事情，觉得自己的人生有点特别，同时，他们也会认为你与众不同。
It will mean a great deal to people who — for reasons most of uscannot contemplate — have dedicated themselves to teaching middle school boys.As I said, that will take you exactly 10 minutes a week. By the end of theschool year, you will have sent notes to 40 people. Forty people will feel alittle more special because you did, and they will think you are very specialbecause of what you did.
忠告都说完了，最后我希望用一些非常有名的歌词来结束我的讲话。我之前引用了苏格拉底，现在我想借用美国哲人 Bob Dylan 的歌词。这首歌距今已经 50 年了，是 Bob Dylan 在旅途中因为思念自己的儿子 Jesse 而写下的。他列举了一个做父母的，对儿子和女儿的期望。这些期望非常美妙，跨越时空。来自 Bob Dylan 的歌词，《永远年轻》。
Enough advice. I would like to end by reading some importantlyrics. I cited the Greek philosopher Socrates earlier. These lyrics are fromthe great American philosopher, Bob Dylan. They’re almost 50 years old. Hewrote them for his son, Jesse, who he was missing while he was on tour. Itlists the hopes that a parent might have for a son and for a daughter. They’realso good goals for a son and a daughter. The wishes are beautiful, they’retimeless. They’re universal. So these are the lyrics from Forever Young by Bob Dylan:
May God bless and keep you always
愿上帝保佑你
May your wishes all come true
愿你的美梦都能成真
May you always do for others
愿你无私助人
And let others do for you
也接受他人馈赠
May you build a ladder to the stars
愿你筑梯摘星
And climb on every rung
步步拾级
May you stay forever young
愿你永远年轻
Forever young, forever young
永远年轻
May you stay forever young.
愿你永远年轻
May you grow up to be righteous
愿你长成正直之人
May you grow up to be true
愿你保持真诚
May you always know the truth
愿你世事洞彻
And see the lights surrounding you
亦不摒弃光明
May you always be courageous
愿你勇往直前
Stand upright and be strong
昂首挺立不惧风险
May you stay forever young
愿你永远年轻
Forever young, forever young
永远年轻
May you stay forever young.
愿你永远年轻
May your hands always be busy
愿你的双手永远充实
May your feet always be swift
愿你的步伐永远轻快
May you have a strong foundation
愿你踏实坚强
When the winds of changes shift
即使世事无常
May your heart always be joyful
愿你的心中欢乐满溢
And may your song always be sung
你的歌谣能永远唱响
May you stay forever young
愿你永远年轻
Forever young, forever young
永远年轻
May you stay forever young.
愿你永远年轻
感谢大家。
Thank you.
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