魏文彬在哈弗上的讲话j.k.罗琳2008哈佛毕业典礼演讲presidentfaust,membersoftheharvardcorporationandtheboardofoverseers,membersofthefaculty,proudparents,and,aboveall,graduates.thefirstthingiwouldliketosayis‘thankyou.’notonlyhasharvardgivenmeanextraordinaryhonour,buttheweeksoffearandnauseaihaveenduredatthethoughtofgivingthiscommencementaddresshavemademeloseweight.awin-winsituation。nowallihavetodoistakedeepbreaths,squintattheredbannersandconvincemyselfthatiamattheworld’slargestgryffindorreunion.deliveringacommencementaddressisagreatresponsibility;orsoithoughtuntilicastmymindbacktomyowngraduation.thecommencementspeakerthatdaywasthedistinguishedbritishphilosopherbaronessmarywarnock.reflectingonherspeechhashelpedmeenormouslyinwritingthisone,becauseitturnsoutthatican’trememberasinglewordshesaid.thisliberatingdiscoveryenablesmetoproceedwithoutanyfearthatimightinadvertentlyinfluenceyoutoabandonpromisingcareersinbusiness,thelaworpoliticsforthegiddydelightsofbecomingagaywizard.yousee。ifallyourememberinyearstocomeisthe‘gaywizard’joke,i’vecomeoutaheadofbaronessmarywarnock.achievablegoals:thefirststeptoselfimprovement.actually,ihavewrackedmymindandheartforwhatioughttosaytoyoutoday.ihaveaskedmyselfwhatiwishihadknownatmyowngraduation,andwhatimportantlessonsihavelearnedinthe21yearsthathaveexpiredbetweenthatdayandthis.ihavecomeupwithtwoanswers.onthiswonderfuldaywhenwearegatheredtogethertocelebrateyouracademicsuccess,ihavedecidedtotalktoyouaboutthebenefitsoffailure.andasyoustandonthethresholdofwhatissometimescalled‘reallife’,iw第1页共9页anttoextolthecrucialimportanceofimagination.thesemayseemquixoticorparadoxicalchoices,butpleasebearwithme.lookingbackatthe21-year-oldthatiwasatgraduation,isaslightlyuncomfortableexperienceforthe42-year-oldthatshehasbecome.halfmylifetimeago,iwasstrikinganuneasybalancebetweentheambitionihadformyself,andwhatthoseclosesttomeexpectedofme.iwasconvincedthattheonlythingiwantedtodo,ever,wastowritenovels.however,myparents,bothofwhomcamefromimpoverishedbackgroundsandneitherofwhomhadbeentocollege,tooktheviewthatmyoveractiveimaginationwasanamusingpersonalquirkthatwouldneverpayamortgage,orsecureapension.iknowthattheironystrikeswiththeforceofacartoonanvil,now.sotheyhopedthatiwouldtakeavocationaldegree;iwantedtostudyenglishliterature.acompromisewasreachedthatinretrospectsatisfiednobody,andiwentuptostudymodernlanguages.hardlyhadmyparents’carroundedthecornerattheendoftheroadthaniditchedgermanandscuttledoffdowntheclassicscorridor.icannotremembertellingmyparentsthatiwasstudyingclassics;theymightwellhavefoundoutforthefirsttimeongraduationday.ofallthesubjectsonthisplanet,ithinktheywouldhavebeenhardputtonameonelessusefulthangreekmythologywhenitcametosecuringthekeystoanexecutivebathroom.iwouldliketomakeitclear,inparenthesis,thatidonotblamemyparentsfortheirpointofview.thereisanexpirydateonblamingyourparentsforsteeringyouinthewrongdirection;themomentyouareoldenoughtotakethewheel,responsibilitylieswithyou.whatismore,icannotcriticisemyparentsforhopingthatiwouldneverexperiencepoverty.theyhadbeenpoorthemselves,andihavesincebeenpoor,andiquiteagreewiththemthatiti第2页共9页snotanennoblingexperience.povertyentailsfear,andstress,andsometimesdepression;itmeansathousandpettyhumiliationsandhardships.climbingoutofpovertybyyourownefforts,thatisindeed...