耶鲁大学校长开学日演讲：当世界身处一片火海，年轻人读书的意义何在？（附视频&演讲稿）

“当世界身处一片火海（on fire），年轻人读书求学的意义何在？”

这是耶鲁大学校长苏必德 (Peter Salovey) 在2021年耶鲁大学（Yale University）新生入学典礼上追问学生的一个问题，想必也是很多年轻人当下的迷思。

演讲中，他用犹太教里的一个小故事启发学生，年轻人在向外寻求改变社会，影响世界之前，必须先提升自身修为，从改变自己开始。耶鲁作为全球顶尖大学之一，其为学生提供了学习、师资、校友等丰富资源，学生应趁象牙塔时期，尽快汲取充分养料，储备以后面对世界解决棘手问题的知识和历练。

苏必德校长举了一个犹太教里的小故事：“一开始，我想要改变世界，但我失败了。我决定缩小我的梦想，只试着影响波兰的犹太人社群，我在那里失败了。后来，我把目标聚焦在我的家乡雷丁，也没有取得很大的成功。于是，我把所有的精力都用来改变我自己的家庭，然而又失败了。最后，我决定改变自己，这也是为什么我对世界产生了如此大的影响。”

的确，耶鲁大学走出了包括威廉·杰斐逊·克林顿、乔治·布什在内的5位美国总统、19位美国最高法院大法官、65位诺贝尔奖得主等影响美国历史的领导者，也走出了像中国近代史上第一位留学生、“中国留学生之父”容闳、中国“铁路之父”詹天佑、清华大学首任校长唐国安等数位影响中国发展的领导人物。

耶鲁倡导一种什么样的领导力？他们又是如何培养学生的领导才能？

↓↓↓ 上下滑动，查看双语演讲稿 ↓↓↓

Good morning, everyone! To all Eli Whitney students, transfer students, visiting international students, and first-year Yale College students: Welcome to Yale!

Let me begin by saying it is good, really good, to see you here today.

And many families and loved ones are watching today’s ceremonies online. And on behalf of my colleagues here on stage and the entire Yale community, I want to extend a warm greeting to everyone joining us, wherever you are right now.

This is a big moment – for you, our newest students, and for Yale.

I am so glad you are here.

Fifty-one years ago, university President Kingman Brewster delivered an address to the entering class of new undergraduates, welcoming them to Yale, just as I am doing now. At the time, the university was coming out of a very unusual year. (We can relate!) Just a few months earlier, in May 1970, tens of thousands of people from across the country had come to New Haven – and to Yale – to protest the trials of Bobby Seale and Ericka Huggins, leaders of the Black Panther Party, who were being tried for murder. Thousands of National Guard troops had been deployed to the city as some expected the protests to turn violent. The situation was extremely tense. Fortunately, reason prevailed, the protests remained largely peaceful, and no one was seriously injured, let alone killed.

Still, these events rocked Yale’s campus. War was raging in Southeast Asia. Movements for civil rights and women’s rights were heading in new directions, and across society, it seemed like a younger generation was rising up to challenge the old guard. Against this backdrop, many people were wondering about Yale’s future. They were uncertain about the university’s role – its purpose – in a rapidly changing and unpredictable society.

Standing here today, I’m feeling many of the same emotions that President Brewster must have felt in 1970. Looking out over that gathering of new students, he knew many of them were anxious; he knew they had questions about what they would do at Yale and many more about the kind of society they would encounter when they graduated. Yet, in his speech, he was asking them to study, to go to the library, to write papers, to conduct experiments. He was asking them to be students.

And so he gave voice to a question that was probably on the minds of many, a question I also pose to you today. He asked, and these are his words, “Where then is the purpose which makes patient learning supportable when the world is on fire?” … “Where then is the purpose which makes patient learning supportable when the world is on fire?”

Today, again, it seems like the world is on fire, literally and metaphorically. The United States is in the midst of its greatest crisis since 9/11. We are fighting a global pandemic, which will be, for many of us, the most significant geopolitical, and perhaps personal, event of our lives.

But that is not all. This summer, we have witnessed terrible wildfires, drought, and flooding in many corners of the globe. Some of you have experienced these climate disasters firsthand. Not only climate change, but also racism, extremism, the widening gulf between the rich and poor – these are complex challenges that call out for urgent and concerted action.

The world is on fire, and again we asked, what is our purpose here? And how do we learn – patiently, seriously, and rigorously, as I sincerely hope you will – in times such as these?

In thinking about the answer to this question, I was reminded of Musar, sometimes called Mussar in English, a nineteenth-century Jewish movement that came out of Lithuania, very close to where my ancestors were rabbis. The central idea of the Musar movement – and of similar religious and ethical practices beyond Judaism – is that we must improve ourselves before looking outward at society seeking to change it. We must examine our values, expand our knowledge, and develop our empathy and imagination.

One of the rabbis of the time is said to have told this story: “I set out to try to change the world, but I failed. So I decided to scale back my efforts and only try to influence the Jewish community of Poland, but I failed there, too. So I targeted the community in my hometown of Radin, but achieved no greater success. Then I gave all my effort to changing my own family and failed at that as well. Finally, I decided to change myself, and that’s how I had such an impact on the…world.”

Much like this sage, we are here to make an impact on our communities and on the world. Don’t get me wrong. But first, we must start by improving ourselves. Your college years are a time to develop your strengths and talents; to challenge yourself in ways you did not think possible; to gain knowledge and understanding; and to explore. Here at Yale, you will encounter new ideas and engage with people from different backgrounds and walks of life. You will take intellectual risks, and ask questions about everything from the structure of the cosmos to the structure of a novel.

Improving yourself means leaving your comfort zone. Signing up for classes that sound interesting but unfamiliar. Going to office hours with slightly intimidating professors; you may be surprised by the conversation that unfolds. Attending talks by speakers whose views are different than yours – and really listening to their arguments. Regardless of what you study or the clubs you join, I promise you that you will not leave Yale the same person you are today. You will be changed, transformed, by Yale.

We know that you are ready for these challenges, and we are excited to see what contributions you will make to Yale; how you will write new chapters in our shared history in the coming days, weeks, and years.

Thinking back to that spring of 1970, I’m reminded of four Yale College students who, with others, played a pivotal role in the May Day events: Kurt Schmoke, Ralph Dawson, Bill Farley, Glenn de Chabert. They were serious students and active…and active in founding and leading the Black Student Alliance at Yale. Two would be named Rhodes Scholars. That spring, along with Kingman Brewster, his special assistant Sam Chauncey, and other administrators, these students showed exemplary leadership during a time of crisis. They were instrumental in helping keep the peace on campus, and most likely, saving lives.

The world was on fire, but their time at Yale prepared them to tackle important challenges then and after graduation: one as a big-city mayor and university president, others as distinguished attorneys; all as engaged community members. Like generations of alumni, these Yalies were deeply committed to making themselves better, making the university better, and making the world better.

You, too, are joining the Yale community at a historic moment. We are surrounded on all sides by fires small and large. And yet I can think of no better moment to be at Yale. We begin this academic year with a renewed commitment to nurture this community and the people in it. Yalies, you will soon discover, love to learn. They seek out new experiences, and they immerse themselves fully in everything they do. At Yale, you can study with top public health experts who are advising governments on the pandemic response. You can take a seminar with a Pulitzer Prize-winning historian of Frederick Douglass or a leading authority on John Milton. You can conduct research alongside faculty members in over 1,200 laboratories.

Yale’s great strength – now, as always – is that we learn from and are inspired by one another. Although we come from different places, we share a common purpose, and that is to improve ourselves, so that we can improve the world. Yale’s mission statement expresses our highest ambitions. It says, in part, “Yale is committed to improving the world today and for future generations.” It goes on to say, “Yale educates aspiring leaders worldwide who serve all sectors of society.”

You, you are those aspiring leaders, and this mission is our answer to the question my predecessor asked over fifty years ago. I believe the “patient learning” President Brewster spoke of means deep engagement in your studies; it means challenging your thoughts and beliefs; it means expanding the frontiers of knowledge – your own, and then the world’s. It means using your time at Yale to prepare for the trials ahead. In this sense, patient learning is not only supportable but essential if we are to fulfill Yale’s mission and, indeed, improve the world.

I will end with lyrics written by one of my favorite folk singers, Woody Guthrie, in his song, “World’s on Fire.” His words are only too applicable: “While the skies they’re clearing / We’ll rise up dreaming; / Build our city from the ashes.”

Yes, the world is on fire, but right in front of me, I see many reasons for optimism. Together, as part of this community, you will dream, you will build, and you will prepare for lives of leadership and service.

Welcome to Yale!

大家好！

所有大一新生们、转校生、来访的国际交换生、Eli Whitney项目的学生们：欢迎来到耶鲁，很高兴今天在这里见到你们。此时，也有许多亲朋好友在线上观看我们的开学典礼。无论你现在身在何处，我代表台上的同事及整个耶鲁大学，向大家表示热烈的欢迎。这对你，我们的新同学，对耶鲁来说，都是一个重要的时刻。很高兴大家相遇于此！

当世界身处一片火海，年轻人读书意义何在？

51年前，耶鲁大学校长金曼·布鲁斯特（Kingman Brewster Jr.）给新生做了一场开学演讲。就像我现在正在欢迎你们来到耶鲁一样，当时，这所大学经历了非同寻常的一年。

1970年5月，成千上万的人从全国各地来到纽黑文，来到耶鲁，抗议对黑豹党领导人Bobby Seale和Ericka Huggins被控谋杀罪的审判。甚至有人预计，抗议活动可能会演变为暴力运动，伤亡不可避免。数千名国民警卫队士兵（National Guard troops）提前紧急部署到纽黑文，临阵待命。幸运的是，千钧一发时刻，理智（Reason）占了上风。抗议活动基本上比较温和，没有人严重受伤，更没有死亡发生。

尽管如此，耶鲁校园仍不平静。那时，越南战争在东南亚肆虐，民权运动和女权运动正朝着新的方向发展。整个社会，新旧更迭，似明似暗。在这样的晃动中，许多人开始担心耶鲁大学的未来。身处瞬息万变、未知明日的境况里，学生们也开始看不清一所大学存在的价值及意义。

回望当下，我有着和1970年代布鲁斯特校长一样的感受。彼时，看着台下聚集的大一新生，布鲁斯特校长打心眼里理解他们，体量他们的焦虑，洞察他们对耶鲁生活及未来毕业进入社会的迷茫。然而，在他的演讲中，他并没有直接回答这些困惑，而只是要求学生们去学习，去图书馆，写论文，做实验。他要求学生们好好去“成为”一名学生（to be students）。

他提出了一个盘旋在学生心头，久久无法解答的问题，“当世界身处一片火海（on fire），又让在火海中的这群人（patient）读书求学的动力何在？”

今天，我同样想把这个问题抛给你们。

无论从字面上，还是隐喻上来看，今天我们所处的世界似乎再次深陷一片火海（on fire）。美国正处于9.11以来最严重的危机。我们正在与新型冠状病毒（COVID-19）搏斗。这次全球疫情或将成为我们生命里最重要的地缘政治事件，或许也是一些个人生命的不可承受之重。

但这还不是全部。今年夏天，我们目睹了全球多处可怕的野火、干旱和洪水灾害。你们中的一些人甚至亲身经历了这些气候灾难。不仅仅是气候变化，还有种族主义、极端主义、不断扩大的贫富差距——这些复杂的挑战，都在呼吁人类采取紧急和协调一致的行动。

世界身处一片火海。此情此景，我们不得不再一次追问，当下年轻人读书的意义何在?年轻人又该如何静下心来，两耳不闻窗外事，一心只读圣贤书？

向外寻求领导社会、改变世界之前，我们必须先学会领导我们自身。当我试图去思考这个问题的答案时，我想起了穆萨尔运动(Musar)，一个19世纪的犹太运动。它起源于立陶宛（Lithuania），离我的犹太祖先很近。穆萨尔运动，及犹太教以外的类似宗教和伦理实践，它们的核心理念是：在我们向外寻求领导社会、改变世界之前，我们必须先学会领导我们自身。我们必须先弄清楚、弄明白自己有着什么样的价值追求，自己是否已经具备足够的知识储备，自己是否已经具备了领导者所需要具备的同情心和想象力。

据说当时的一位拉比讲述了这样一个故事，“一开始，我想要改变世界，但我失败了。我决定缩小我的梦想，只试着影响波兰的犹太人社区，但在那里，我也失败了。后来，我把目标聚焦在我的家乡雷丁（Radin，现在在Belarus），也没有取得很大的成功。于是，我把所有的精力都用来改变我自己的家庭，但也失败了。最后，我决定改变自己，这也是为什么我对世界产生了如此大的影响。”

就像这位前辈一样，我们求学耶鲁，是为了对我们的世界，对我们的社会有所贡献。但首先，我们必须从提升自身开始！大学时光，无比珍贵。你需要找到你的优势和天赋，用一切皆有可能的方式挑战自己，求知若渴地获取新知新思，去探索未来世界。

在耶鲁，你会和来自五湖四海的同学相聚在一起，接触到各种各样新鲜的观点，你们可以从宇宙大爆炸一路探索讨论到一本小说的结构，体会知识无边际漫游的智力冒险，去追问宇宙万物一切未知问题。

提升自我意味着离开你的舒适区。去报名一些听起来有趣但并不熟悉的课程，去和令人敬仰又充满学识的教授一起对话，去参加一些与你观点不同的演讲者的演讲，倾听他们的观点。不管你学了什么，不管你加入什么样的社团，我保证你不会以此刻的状态离开耶鲁。耶鲁文化会重新塑造你们每一个人。

我知道你们已经准备好迎接这些挑战。我们也很期待未来的日子里，你们将为耶鲁做出什么样的贡献，你们又将如何为我们接下来的相处时光描绘新的篇章？

我想起了1970年春天那四位耶鲁大学的学生，他们和其他人一起在当时的抗议活动中发挥了关键作用：库尔特·施莫克（Kurt Schmoke）、拉尔夫·道森（Ralph Dawson）、比尔·法利（Bill Farley）和格伦·德·夏伯（Glenn de Chabert）。他们都是严谨认真的学生，他们积极建立并领导着耶鲁大学的黑人学生联盟。其中两人即将被评定为罗德奖学金获得者。

那年春天，这些学生与校长金曼·布鲁斯特、校长特别助理山姆·昌西(Sam Chauncey)、其他耶鲁大学的管理人员一起，在维护校园治安方面发挥了重要作用。他们在危机时刻表现出了堪称楷模的领导力，甚至可能拯救了无数生命。

是的，世界身处一片火海。但他们在耶鲁的学习，为他们毕业后应对更重大挑战备足了能量。其中一个后来成了一个城市的市长和大学校长，另一些成了杰出的律师。所有人都是耶鲁大学的成员。就像历届校友一样，这群耶鲁人坚定不移地践行着独善其身，又兼济天下的使命。

世界正在燃烧，未来世界等待你们谋划

此刻，我们仍身处一片火海。你们在这样一个历史性时刻加入了耶鲁，我想象不出有比此刻在耶鲁学习更好的时机了。在新学年开始之际，我们再次承诺践行大学责任，培育这所大学及大学里的每一个成员。

你很快就会发现，耶鲁人热爱学习。他们寻求新的体验，他们专注于他们所从事的每一件事业中。在耶鲁，你可以跟随为政府提供应对大流行建议的顶级公共卫生专家学习，你可以和普利策奖得主、写作历史学家弗雷德里克·道格拉斯（Frederick Douglass）的作者或者研究约翰·弥尔顿（John Milton）的权威人士一起参加研讨会。你可以和校园1200多个实验室里的教员一起进行研究。

耶鲁的强大之处在于我们互相学习，互相激励。虽然我们来自世界各处，但我们有一个共同的信念：改变自己，进而改变世界。耶鲁的使命宣言表达了我们最高的抱负，“耶鲁致力于改善世界，为今天也为后人”，以及“耶鲁以为社会各界和全球各地区培养领袖为己任。” 

你们是志向远大的领导者。这一使命也是我们对布鲁斯特校长五十多年前提出读书意义问题的回答。我相信布鲁斯特校长所说的“在火海中学习”（‘patient learning’）意味着你们不是一心只读圣贤书，更要关心天下事。

这意味着你要不断去挑战你的使命和愿景，这意味着你的大脑要不断去扩充知识的疆界——关于你自己，以及世界的。这意味着你要珍惜耶鲁的学习时光，好好为未来谋划。从这个意义上说，如果我们要完成耶鲁使命，改善世界的话，“在火海中学习”不仅是有益的，而且是必不可少的。

我将以我最喜欢的民谣歌手之一伍迪·格思里(Woody Guthrie)在他的歌曲《当世界身处一片火海》(World’s on Fire)中所写的歌词作为结尾。

这句话的言语非常贴切：“当天空正在放晴，梦想苏醒，从废墟中重建我们的城市。” 

是的，世界身处一片火海。但看到你们，我仍对未来葆以乐观和热情。作为耶鲁大学的一员，从今天开始，你们将一起筑梦，一起建设，你们将开始谋划你们未来领导和公共服务的使命。

欢迎你们加入耶鲁！

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