十篇著名的大学毕业典礼演讲

10FamousandNoteworthyCollegeCommencementSpeechs

Mostcollegecommencementspeechesconsistofbadjokesandblandadvice,butthereareafewthataremadememorablebygenuinewitandwisdom.Beloware10noteworthycommencementspeechesofferingworldlyadvicefromfamouscomedians,authors,politicians,entrepreneursandevenaprisoninmate.

WinstonChurchill(HarrowSchool)

Memorablequote:'Nevergivein.Nevergivein.Never,never,never,never--innothing,greatorsmall,largeorpetty--nevergivein,excepttoconvictionsofhonorandgoodsense.Neveryieldtoforce.Neveryieldtotheapparentlyoverwhelmingmightoftheenemy.'

ThecommencementspeechWinstonChurchillgavetohisoldpreparatoryschoolin1941isn'tjustfamousbecausehe'sWinstonChurchill-itisalsotheshortestsuchspeechonrecord.Infact,theabovequotehasbeenusedbyawholeslewofpeoplewhocouldn'tcomeupwithanyotherwaytoclosetheirowncommencementspeeches.

SteveJobs(StanfordUniversity)

Memorablequote:'Yourtimeislimited,sodon'twasteitlivingsomeoneelse'slife.Don'tbetrappedbydogma--whichislivingwiththeresultsofotherpeople'sthinking.Don'tletthenoiseofothers'opinionsdrownoutyourowninnervoice.Andmostimportant,havethecouragetofollowyourheartandintuition.Theysomehowalreadyknowwhatyoutrulywanttobecome.'

Appleco-founderandfamedcollegedropoutSteveJobsgaveahighlyrespectedcommencementspeechtoStanfordUniversitystudentsin2005.Heworehistrademarkbluejeansandsandalsandsharedthreeofthemostpivotalpointsinhislife.Jobsalsoencouragedstudentstopursuetheirdreamsanddodgetheobstaclesthatholdthemback.Hisspeechclosedwiththesign-offquotefromthefinalissueofTheWholeEarthCatalog:'StayHungry.StayFoolish.'

JonStewart(CollegeofWilliamandMary)

Memorablequote:'I'msuremyfellowdoctoralgraduates--whohavespentsolongtoilinginacademia,sinkingintodebt,sacrificingGodknowshowmanyyearsofwhat,intruth,isapieceofparchmentthat,intruth,hasbeensodevaluedbyourinstantgratificationcultureastohavebeenrenderedmeaningless--willjoinincongratulatingme.'

OneofthemosthumorouscommencementspeechesinrecentyearswasthespeechcomedianJonStewartgavein2004attheCollegeofWilliamandMary.HebeganbyassuringtheparentsinthecrowdthattheywouldnothearanylanguagethatwasnotcommonataTourette'sconventionorprofanityseminar.Theentirespeechwaspepperedwithjokes,butStewartalsodishedoutvaluableadvicetograduatesneartheend,tellingthemto'lovewhatyoudo'and'getgoodatit.'

TheodorGeisel(LakeForestCollege)

Memorablequote:'Asyoupartakeoftheworld'sbilloffare,that'sdarnedgoodadvicetofollow.Doalotofspittingoutthehotair.Andbecarefulwhatyouswallow.'

In1977,thebelovedTheodorGeisel(a.k.a.Dr.Seuss)waschosenasthecommencementspeakerforLakeForestCollege.Boththestudentsandfacultyweresurprised(yetpleased)whenhestoodupandrecitedanoriginalpoemcalledMyUncleTerwilligerontheArtofEatingPopoversinplaceofatraditionalspeech.

MumiaAbu-Jamal(EvergreenStateCollege)

Memorablequote:Outofthemanyhereassembled,itistheheartofheorshethatIseekwholooksatalifeofvapidmaterialism,ofcapitalistexcess,andfindsitsimplyintolerable.Itmaybeonehundredofyou,orfifty,oreventen,orevenoneofyouwhomakesthatchoice.Iamheretohonorandapplaudthatchoiceandtowarnyouthat,thoughthesufferingmayindeedbegreat,itisnothingtothejoyofdoingtherightthing.'

In1999,MumiaAbu-JamalgaveacontroversialcommencementspeechtoEvergreenStateCollegeviaaudiotape.ThespeechwascontroversialbecauseAbu-Jamalwasadeathrowinmateconvictedofmurderingapoliceofficer.Students,lawenforcementofficers,thepoliceman'swidow,CongressmanTomDeLayandanumberofothersprotestedtheschool'schoiceofspeakers,butAbu-Jamal'sspeechwasdeliverednevertheless.The13-minuteaudiotapeincludedcommentsonracialoppressionandliberationaswellasadviceforgraduatingstudents.

RussellBaker(ConnecticutCollege)

Memorablequote:'ThebestadviceIcangiveanybodyaboutgoingoutintotheworldisthis:Don'tdoit.Ihavebeenoutthere.Itisamess.'

Americancolumnist,PulitzerPrize-winningauthorandpoliticalsatiristRussellBakeramusedConnecticutCollegestudentswithhisshort,butmemorable,commencementspeechin1995.ThebackboneofthespeechwasBaker'slistof'tenwaystoavoidmuckinguptheworldmorethanitalreadyis.'Hisadviceincluded'sleepinthenude'and'don'ttakeyourguntotown.'

WillFerrell(HarvardUniversity)

Memorablequote:'Aftermonthsofsecretnegotiations,severalhundredsecretballots,andaweekendretreatwithVicePresidentDickCheneyinhissecretmountainbunker,aClassDayspeakerwaschosen,anditwasme.Youobviouslyhavemadeagraveerror.Butit'stoolatenow.Solet'sjustgowithit.'

Lovehimorhatehim,actorWillFerrellisresponsibleforoneofthefunniestandmostunorthodoxspeechesevermadeataHarvardcommencement.The2003ClassDayspeechwasfullofjokesandincludedanuncannyGeorgeBushimpersonation.

StephenColbert(KnoxCollege)

Memorablequote:'Ihavetwolastpiecesofadvice.First,beingpre-approvedforacreditcarddoesnotmeanyouhavetoapplyforit.Andlastly,thebestcareeradviceIcangiveyouistogetyourownTVshow.Itpayswell,thehoursaregood,andyouarefamous.'

StephenColbert's2006commencementspeechatKnoxCollegeisoneofthemostoft-readspeechesontheInternet.Colbert'sspeechfeatureshistrademarkhumorandcandidadviceforcollegegrads.HealsoshowsoffhisabilitytoaskforaMcDonald'sHappyMealinfivedifferentlanguages.

DavidFosterWallace(KenyonCollege)

Memorablequote:'Twentyyearsaftermyowngraduation,Ihavecomegraduallytounderstandthattheliberalartsclicheaboutteachingyouhowtothinkisactuallyshorthandforamuchdeeper,moreseriousidea:learninghowtothinkreallymeanslearninghowtoexercisesomecontroloverhowandwhatyouthink.Itmeansbeingconsciousandawareenoughtochoosewhatyoupayattentiontoandtochoosehowyouconstructmeaningfromexperience.Becauseifyoucannotexercisethiskindofchoiceinadultlife,youwillbetotallyhosed.'

In2005,acoupleofyearsbeforehistragicsuicide,influentialpostmodernauthorDavidFosterWallacedeliveredthecommencementspeechatKenyonCollege.Bothwittyandwise,thespeechexploredthevalueofaliberalartseducationandofferedsomeverypracticaladviceonsurvivingth