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1、DavidFosterWallace-CommencementSpeechatKenyonCollegeTranscriptionofthe2005KenyonCommencementAddress-May21,2005DavidFosterWallace-KenyonCollege毕业典礼致辞(2005年5月21日)(Ifanybodyfeelslikeperspiring,I’dadviseyoutogoahead,becauseI’msuregoingto.InfactI’mgonna[mum
2、bleswhilepullinguphisgownandtakingoutahandkerchieffromhispocket].)Greetings[“parents”?]andcongratulationstoKenyon’sgraduatingclassof2005.(如果你感觉热的汗都要下来了,我建议你就让汗水尽情流淌吧,反正我打算这么干了。实际上,我要[喃喃着撩起学士服,掏出手绢]。欢迎[*各位家长们*?],并且祝贺Kenyon05界毕业生们。Therearethesetwoyoungfi
3、shswimmingalongandtheyhappentomeetanolderfishswimmingtheotherway,whonodsatthemandsays“Morning,boys.How’sthewater?”Andthetwoyoungfishswimonforabit,andtheneventuallyoneofthemlooksoverattheotherandgoes“Whatthehelliswater?”有两条年轻的鱼迎面遇到一条老鱼。老鱼点头打招呼道“早上好呀,孩子们
4、。这水怎么样?“两条年轻的鱼继续游了一会儿,终于其中一条忍不住看看另一条说道”什么他妈的是‘水’呀?“ThisisastandardrequirementofUScommencementspeeches,thedeploymentofdidacticlittleparable-ishstories.Thestory[“thing”]turnsouttobeoneofthebetter,lessbullshittyconventionsofthegenre,butifyou’reworriedthat
5、Iplantopresentmyselfhereasthewise,olderfishexplainingwhatwateristoyouyoungerfish,pleasedon’tbe.Iamnotthewiseoldfish.Thepointofthefishstoryismerelythatthemostobvious,importantrealitiesareoftentheonesthatarehardesttoseeandtalkabout.StatedasanEnglishsente
6、nce,ofcourse,thisisjustabanalplatitude,butthefactisthatinthedaytodaytrenchesofadultexistence,banalplatitudescanhavealifeordeathimportance,orsoIwishtosuggesttoyouonthisdryandlovelymorning.美国大学毕业典礼演讲标准的开场通常是一个富于教育意义的小故事。这种故事比起毕业典礼上常见的说教,算是不那么扯淡的。但是请不要以为我
7、视自己为这条老而智慧的鱼,来向你们这些小鱼儿传道什么是水。这个故事只是想说:最明显、最重要的现实往往最不易被察觉或讨论的。当然,这么说出来也只是老生常谈。但是事实是,成年人日复一日的生活中,老生常谈确是关乎生死。这就是我想在这个爽快美好的早晨于你们分享的一点想法。OfcoursethemainrequirementofspeecheslikethisisthatI’msupposedtotalkaboutyourliberalartseducation’smeaning,totrytoexplain
8、whythedegreeyouareabouttoreceivehasactualhumanvalueinsteadofjustamaterialpayoff.当然这类演讲的主要目的在于我应该给你们讲讲博雅教育(译者:即liberalartseducation)的意义,给你们解释,为何你们-+马上要拿到的学位有着实在的人本价值,而非仅仅物质上的回报。Solet’stalkaboutthesinglemostpervasiveclichéinthecommencemen