演講人 Larry. Ellison是Oracle的CEO。 Larry. Ellison在耶魯大學2000屆畢業典禮上發表了以下世人看來最為狂妄、不受歡迎但又是現實真實狀況的演講。

Graduates of Yale University, I apologize if you have endured this type of prologue before, but I want you to do something for me. Please, take a ood look around you. Look at the classmate on your left. Look at the classmate on your right. Now, consider this: five years from now, 10 years from now, even 30 years from now, odds are the person on your left is going to be a loser. The person on your right, meanwhile, will also be a loser. And you, in the middle? What can you expect? Loser. Loserhood. Loser Cum Laude.

耶魯的畢業生們，我很抱歉——如果你們不喜歡這樣的開場。我想請你們為我做一件事。請你---好好看一看周圍，看一看站在你左邊的同學，看一看站在你右邊的同學。請你設想這樣的情況：從現在起5年之后，10年之后，或30年之后，今天站在你左邊的這個人會是一個失敗者；右邊的這個人，同樣，也是個失敗者。而你，站在中間的家伙，你以為會怎樣？一樣是失敗者。失敗的經歷。失敗的優等生。

"You're upset. That's understandable. After all, how can I, Lawrence 'Larry' Ellison, college dropout, have the audacity to spout such heresy to the graduating class of one of the nation's most prestigious institutions? I'll tell you why. Because I, Lawrence "Larry" Ellison, second richest man on the planet, am a college dropout, and you are not.

你們感到沮喪，這是可以理解的。為什么，我，埃里森，一個退學生，竟然在美國最具聲望的學府里這樣厚顏地散布異端？我來告訴你原因。因為，我，埃里森，這個行星上第二富有的人，是個退學生，而你不是。

"Because Bill Gates, richest man on the planet -- for now, anyway -- is a college dropout, and you are not.

因為比爾·蓋茨，這個行星上最富有的人——就目前而言---是個退學生，而你不是。

"Because Paul Allen, the third richest man on the planet, dropped out of college, and you did not。

因為艾倫，這個行星上第三富有的人，也退了學，而你沒有。

"And for good measure, because Michael Dell, No. 9 on the list and moving up fast, is a college dropout, and you, yet again, are not.

再來一點證據吧，因為戴爾，這個行星上第九富有的人——他的排位還在不斷上升，也是個退學生。而你，不是。

"Hmm . . . you're very upset. That's understandable.

......你們非常沮喪，這是可以理解的。

So let me stroke your egos for a moment by pointing out, quite sincerely, that your diplomas were not attained in vain. Most of you, I imagine, have spent four to five years here, and in many ways what you've learned and endured will serve you well in the years ahead. You've established good work habits. You've established a network of people that will help you down the road. And you've established what will be lifelong relationships with the word 'therapy.' All that of is good. For in truth, you will need that network.

現在，讓我打擊你一下。我要相當誠摯地指出：你們的文憑不是白拿的。你們中的大多數，我猜，已經在這里花費了4、5年時光，你們將以各種方式在未來使用你所學的東西。 你們已經確立了好的工作習慣。你們已經建立了能幫你沿這條路前進的人際網。 你們已經將自己這輩子與"therapy（治療）"這個詞建立了一種

聯系。 事實上，你們需要這些。

You will need those strong work habits. You will need that therapy.

你們將來需要這些有用的工作習慣。你將來需要這種'治療'。

"You will need them because you didn't drop out, and so you will never be among the richest people in the world. Oh sure, you may, perhaps, work your way up to No. 10 or No. 11, like Steve Ballmer. But then, I don't have to tell you who he really works for, do I? And for the record, he dropped out of grad school. Bit of a late bloomer.

你需要它們，因為你沒輟學，所以你永遠不會成為世界上最富有的人。哦，當然，你可以，也許，以你的方式進步到第10位，第11位，就像Steve。但，我沒有告訴你他在為誰工作，是吧？根據記載，他是研究生時輟的學，開化得稍晚了些。

"Finally, I realize that many of you, and hopefully by now most of you, are wondering, 'Is there anything I can do? Is there any hope for me at all?' Actually, no. It's too late. You've absorbed too much, think you know too much. You're not 19 anymore. You have a built-in cap, and I'm not referring to the mortar boards on your heads.

現在，我猜想你們中間很多人，也許是絕大多數人，正在琢磨，'我能做什么？我究竟有沒有前途？'當然沒有。太晚了，你們已經吸收了太多東西，以為自己懂得太多。你們再也不是19歲了。你們有了'內置'的帽子，哦，我指的可不是你們腦袋上的學位帽。

"Hmm... you're really very upset. That's understandable. So perhaps this would be a good time to bring up the silver lining.

嗯......你們已經非常沮喪啦。這是可以理解的。所以，現在可能是討論實質的時候啦——

Not for you, Class of '2000. You are a write-off, so I'll let you slink off to your pathetic $200,000-a-year jobs, where your checks will be signed by former classmates who dropped out two years ago.

絕不是為了你們，2000年畢業生。你們已經被報銷，不予考慮了。我想，你們就偷偷摸摸去干那年薪20萬的可憐工作吧，在那里，工資單是由你兩年前輟學的同班同學簽字開出來的。

"Instead, I want to give hope to any underclassmen here today. I say to you, and I can't stress this enough: leave. Pack your things and your ideas and don't come back. Drop out. Start up.

事實上，我是寄希望于眼下還沒有畢業的同學。我要對他們說，離開這里。收拾好你的東西，帶著你的點子，別再回來。退學吧，開始行動。

"For I can tell you that a cap and gown will keep you down just as surely as these security guards dragging me off this stage are keeping me down . . ."

我要告訴你，一頂帽子一套學位服必然要讓你淪落......就像這些保安馬上要把我從這個講臺上攆走一樣必然......

(At this point The Oracle CEO was ushered off stage.)

(此時，Larry被帶離了講臺)