奥普拉哈佛大学20xx年毕业典礼演讲

当地时间5月31日，脱口秀女王奥普拉·温弗瑞（Oprah Winfrey） 在哈佛的毕业典礼上为毕业生们献上了一场精彩励志演讲。"There is no such thing as failure. Failure is just life trying to move us in another direction."

"Oh my goodness! I'm at Haaaaaarvard!" That's how Oprah Winfrey began her speech at Harvard University graduation ceremony—in her spirited, signature way. Winfrey also received an honorary Doctor of Law degree from the university before taking to the podium。“OMG，我竟然在哈??佛！”奥普拉·温弗瑞以这样富有

激情的标志性方式开始了自己在哈佛大学毕业典礼上的演讲。上台前，她还获得了哈佛大学授予的荣誉法学博士学位。

Winfrey had plenty of inspiring words for the Class of 2013, and also touched on political issues like gun control, immigration, and public education. But the media mogul spent most of her 30-minute speech advising the new graduates on how best to navigate the next chapter of their lives. "My one hope today is that I can be a source of some inspiration," she said. "I'm going to address my remarks to anybody who's ever felt inferior, disadvantaged or screwed by life."温弗瑞用了许多励志的话语鼓励这批20xx年毕业的学生，偶尔也谈到枪支管制、移民[微博]、公共教育等一些政治话题。但是在30分钟左右的演讲里，这位传媒大亨大部分时间都在告诉刚刚毕业的学生们如何走好人生的下一段征程。“我今天有个心愿，就是能带给你们一些鼓舞，”她说，“我将要说的这些话献给所有曾感到卑微、弱势或生活一片狼藉的人。”

Four most inspiring quotes from Winfrey's speech温弗瑞演讲中4条最励志的语录

1. On the good that came come from failure。谈失败的好处

"It doesn't matter how far you might rise. At some point, you are bound to stumble. If you're constantly pushing yourself higher and higher, the law of averages predicts that you will at some point fall. And when you do, I want you to remember this: There is no such thing as failure. Failure is just life trying to move us in another direction. Now, when you're down there in the hole, it looks like failure. When that moment comes, it's okay to feel bad for a little while. Give yourself time to mourn what you think you may have lost. But then, here's the key: Learn from every mistake, because every experience, particularly your mistakes, are there to teach you and force you into being more who you are."

There is no such thing as failure. Failure is just life trying to move us in another direction。世间并不存在“失败”，那不过是生活想让我们换条道走走罢了。

Learn from every mistake, because every experience, particularly your mistakes, are there to teach you and force you into being more who you are。要从错误中吸取教训，因为你的每一次经历、尤其是你犯下的错误，都将帮助你、推动你更好地做自己。

2. On her own biggest personal failure。谈自身最大的失败

"The Oprah Winfrey Show was number one in our spot for 21 years, and I have to tell you, I became pretty comfortable with that level of success. But a couple of years ago, I decided, as you will at some point, that it was time to recalculate, find new territory, and break new ground. So I ended the show and launched OWN, the Oprah Winfrey Network. One year later, after launching OWN, nearly every media outlet had proclaimed that my new venture was a flop ... I can still remember the day I opened up USA Today and read the headline, 'Oprah: Not Quite Standing On Her OWN' ... It really was the worst period in my professional life. I was stressed and I was frustrated, and quite frankly, I was embarrassed ... Then the words came to me, 'trouble don't last always,' from an old hymn. This too shall pass. And I thought, I am going to turn this thing around and I will be better for it. And I am here to tell you that I have turned that network around."

Then the words came to me, 'trouble don't last always,' from an old hymn. This too shall pass. And I thought, I am going to turn this thing around and I will be better for it。我突然想到某首古老赞美诗中的一句话：“困难只是暂时的”，我遇到的麻烦同样会有结束的一天。然后我想，我会将这一页翻过去，我会好起来的。

3. On the common thread of all the interviews she's conducted during her career。谈职业生涯所做访谈的共同性

"The single most important lesson I learned in 25 years talking every single day to people, was that there's a common denominator in our human experience. The common denominator I found in every single interview is we want to be validated. We want to be understood. I've done over 35,000 interviews in my career. And as soon as that camera shuts off, and inevitably in their own way, everyone asks this question: 'Was that okay?' I heard it from President Bush, I heard it from President Obama, I've heard it from heroes and from housewives, I've heard it from victims and perpetrators of crimes. I even heard it from Beyonce in all her Beyonce-ness ... They all want to know: 'Was that okay? Did you hear me? Did you see me? Did what I said mean anything to you?'"

The common denominator I found in every single interview is we want to be validated. We want to be understood。我发现，我所有的访谈有一个共同性，那就是人人都希望自己被认可、被理解。

They all want to know: 'Was that okay? Did you hear me? Did you see me? Did what I said mean anything to you?'我的采访对象都想知道：“我的表现OK吗？你听到我看到我吗？我说的话对你有价值吗？”

4. On the key to success and happiness。谈成功和快乐的关键

"You will find true success and happiness if you have only one goal. There really is only one, and that is this: To fulfill the highest, most truthful expression of yourself as a human being. You want to max out your humanity by using your energy to lift yourself up, your family, and the people

around you. Theologian Howard Thurman said it best. He said, 'Don't ask yourself what the world needs. Ask yourself what makes you come alive and go do that, because what the world needs is people who have come alive.'"

You will find true success and happiness if you have only one goal. There really is only one, and that is this: To fulfill the highest, most truthful expression of yourself as a human being。如果你只认准一个目标，那你就能获得真正的成功和快乐。人生确实只有一个目标，那就是：最大程度地、最真实地展现自己。

'Don't ask yourself what the world needs. Ask yourself what makes you come alive and go do that, because what the world needs is people who have come alive.'“不要问自己世界需要什么，问问是什么让你充满活力地活着，然后就去做，因为世界所需要的就是一个个朝气蓬勃的人。”

第二篇：20xx-5-31 奥普拉哈佛大学毕业演讲

当地时间20xx年5月31日，脱口秀女王奥普拉·温弗瑞（Oprah Winfrey） 在哈佛的毕业典礼上为毕业生们献上了一场精彩励志演讲。"There is no such thing as failure. Failure is just life trying to move us in another direction."

Oprah Winfrey, talk show host and media entrepreneur, addresses graduates at Harvard's 362nd Commencement on May 30, 2013. Oh my goodness! I'm at Harvard! Wow! To President Faust, my fellow honorands [n. 荣获名誉学位之人], Carl that was so beautiful, thank you so much, and James Rothenberg, Stephanie Wilson, Harvard faculty [n. 科，系；能力；全体教员] with a special bow to my friend Dr. Henry Lewis Gates. All of you alumni[[?'l?mna?] 男校友；男毕业生] with a special bow to the class of '88, your hundred fifteen million dollars.

And to you, members of the Harvard class of 2013! Hello!

I thank you for allowing me to be a part of the conclusion of this chapter of your lives and the commencement[[k?'mensm(?)nt] 开始，发端；毕业典礼] of your next chapter. To say that I'm honored doesn't even begin to quantify the [荣誉博士] from Harvard. Not too many little girls from rural Mississippi have made it all the way here to Cambridge. And I can tell you that I consider today as I sat on the stage this morning getting teary[['t??r?] 哭泣的，悲伤的；易流泪的]

[典型的里程碑] in a very long and a blessed journey. My one hope today is that I can be a source of some inspiration. I'm going to address my remarks to anybody who has ever felt inferior[[?n'f??r??] 差的；自卑的；下级的，下等的] or felt disadvantaged, felt screwed[[skru?d] 螺丝状的；用螺丝拧紧的；喝醉了的] by life, this is a speech for the quad.

Actually I was so honored I wanted to do something really special for you. I wanted to be able to have you look under your seats and there would be free master and doctor degrees but I see you got that covered already. I will be honest with you. I felt a lot of pressure over the past few weeks to come up with something that I could share with you that you hadn't heard before because after all you all went to Harvard, I did not. But then I [强迫型A型性格]. But it helps. And while I may not have graduated from here I admit that my personality is about as Harvard as they come. You know my television career began

unexpectedly. As you heard this morning I was in the Miss Fire Prevention contest. That was when I was 16 years old in Nashville[那什维尔（美国田纳西州首府）], Tennessee and you had the requirement of having to have red hair in order to win up until the year that I entered. So they were doing the question and answer period because I knew I wasn't going to win under the swimsuit competition. So during the question and answer

period the question came "Why, young lady, what would you like to be when you grow up?" And by the time they got to me all the good answers were gone. So I had seen Barbara Walters on the Today Show that

morning so I answered "I would like to be a journalist. I would like to tell other people's stories in a way that makes a difference in their lives and the world." And as those words were coming out of my mouth I went whoa! This is pretty good! I would like to be a journalist. I want to make a difference. Well I was on television by the time I was 19 years old. And in 1986 I launched my own television show with a relentless[[r?'lentl?s] 无情的；残酷的；不间断的] determination to succeed at first. I was nervous about the competition and then I became my own competition raising the bar every year, pushing, pushing, pushing myself as hard as I knew. Sound familiar to anybody here? Eventually we did make it to the top and we stayed there for 25 years.

The Oprah Winfrey Show was number one in our time slot[位置] for 21 years and I have to tell you I became pretty comfortable with that level of success. But a few years ago I decided as you will at some point, that it was time to recalculate, find new territory[['ter?t(?)r?] 领土，领域；范围；地域；版图], break new ground. So I ended the show and launched OWN, the Oprah Winfrey Network. The initials just worked out for me. So one year later after launching OWN nearly every media outlet had proclaimed that my [新创企业] was a flop[失败]. Not just a flop but a big bold flop

they call it. I can still remember the day I opened up USA Today and read the headline "Oprah, not quite standing on her OWN." I mean really, USA Today? Now that's the nice newspaper! It really was this time last year the worst period in my professional life. I was stressed and I was frustrated and quite frankly I was actually I was embarrassed. It was right around that time that President Faust called and asked me to speak here and I thought you want me to speak to Harvard graduates? What could I possibly say to Harvard graduates, some of the most successful graduates in the world in the very moment when I had stopped succeeding? So I got off the phone with President Faust and I went to the shower. It was either that or a bag of Oreos. So I chose the shower. And I was in the shower a long time and as I was in the shower the words of an old hymn[赞美诗；圣歌；欢乐的歌] came to me. You may not know it. It's "By and by, when the morning comes." And I started thinking about when the morning might come because at the time I thought I was stuck in a hole. And the words came to me "Trouble don't last always" from that hymn, "this too shall pass." And I thought as I got out of the shower I am going to turn this thing around and I will be better for it. And when I do, I'm going to go to Harvard and I'm going to speak the truth of it! So I'm here today to tell you I have turned that network around!

And it was all because I wanted to do it by the time I got to speak to you all so thank you so much. You don't know what motivation you were for

me, thank you. I'm even prouder to share a fundamental truth that you might not have learned even as graduates of Harvard unless you studied the ancient Greek hero with Professor Nagy. Professor Nagy as we were coming in this morning said "Please Ms. Winfrey, walk decisively[adv. 果断地；决然地]."

I shall walk decisively. This is what I want to share. It doesn't matter how far you might rise. At some point you are bound to stumble [vi. 踌躇，蹒跚；失足；犯错] because if you're constantly doing what we do, raising the bar [更上一层楼]. If you're constantly pushing yourself higher, higher the law of [伊卡洛斯神话] predicts that you will at some point fall. And when you do I want you to know this,

remember this: there is no such thing as failure. Failure is just life trying to move us in another direction. Now when you're down there in the hole, it looks like failure. So this past year I had to spoon feed those words to myself. And when you're down in the hole, when that moment comes, it's really okay to feel bad for a little while. Give yourself time to mourn[[m??n] 哀悼；忧伤；服丧] what you think you may have lost but then here's the key, learn from every mistake because every experience, encounter[vt.遭遇；邂逅；遇到], and particularly your mistakes are there to teach you and force you into being more who you are. And then figure out what is the next right move. And the key to life is to develop an internal moral emotional G.P.S. that can tell you which way to go. Because now and

forever more when you Google yourself your search results will read [名片] because I can tell you as one who employs a lot of people when I see "Harvard" I sit up a little straighter and say "Where is he or she? Bring them in." it's an impressive calling card that can lead to even more impressive bullets in the years ahead: lawyer, senator [参议员；（古罗马的）元老院议员；评议员，理事], C.E.O., scientist, physicist, winners of Nobel and Pulitzer Prizes or late night talk show host. But the challenge of life I have found is to build a resume[[r?'zju?m] 摘要；履历，简历] that doesn't simply tell a story about what you want to be but it's a story about who you want to be. It's a resume that doesn't just tell a story about what you want to accomplish but why. A story that's not just a collection of titles and positions but a story that's really about your purpose. Because when you inevitably[不可避免的] stumble and find yourself stuck in a hole that is the story that will get you out. What is your true calling? What is your dharma[['dɑrm?] 佛教中的）达摩（指佛的教法、佛法、一切事物和现象）；（印度教的）法则]? What is your purpose? For me that discovery came in 1994 when I interviewed a little girl who had decided to collect pocket change in order to help other people in need. She raised a thousand dollars all by herself and I thought well if that little 9 year old girl with a bucket and big heart could do that I wonder what I could do? So I asked for our viewers to take up their own change [几个小

钱；几笔零钱] we raised more than three million dollars that we used to send one student from every state in the United States to college. That was the beginning of the Angel Network.

And so what I did was I simply asked our viewers "Do what you can wherever you are, from wherever you sit in life. Give me your time or your talent your money if you have it." And they did. Extend yourself in kindness to other human beings wherever you can. And together we built 55 schools in 12 different countries and restored nearly 300 homes that [被破坏；被压倒] hurricanes Rita and Katrina. So the Angel Network I have been on the air for a long time, but it was the Angel

Network that actually focused my internal G.P.S. It helped me to decide that I wasn't going to just be on TV every day but that the goal of my shows, my interviews, my business, my philanthropy [[f?'l?nθr?p?] 博爱，慈善；慈善事业] all of it, whatever ventures I might pursue would be to make clear that what unites us is ultimately [['?lt?m?tl?] 最后；根本；基本上] far more redeeming [履行；挽回；补救] and compelling [强迫；以强力获得] than anything that separates me. Because what had become clear to me and I want you to

know it isn't always clear in the beginning because as I said I had been on television since I was 19 years old. But around '94 I got really clear. So don't expect the clarity[['kl?r?t?] 清楚，明晰；透明] to come all at once to know your purpose right away, but what became clear to me was that I was here on earth to use television and not be used by it; to use television to

illuminate the transcendent[[tr?n's?nd?nt] 卓越的；超常的；出类拔萃的] power of our better angels. So this Angel Network, it didn't just change the lives of those who were helped, but the lives of those who also did the helping. It reminded us that no matter who we are or what we look like or what we may believe it is both possible and more importantly it becomes powerful to come together in common purpose and common effort. I saw

something on the Bill Moore Show recently that so reminded me of this point. It was an interview with David and Francine Wheeler. They lost their 7 year old son, Ben in the Sandy Hook tragedy. And even though gun safety legislation[立法；法律] to strengthen background checks had just been voted down in Congress at the time that they were doing this

interview they talked about how they refused to be discouraged. Francine said this, she said "Our hearts are broken but our spirits are not. I'm going to tell them what it's like to find a conversation about change that is love, and I'm going to do that without fighting them." And then her husband David added this, "You simply cannot demonize or vilify[vt.诽谤；中伤；轻视；贬低] someone who doesn't agree with you, because the minute you do that, your discussion is over. And we cannot do that any longer. The problem is too enormous [adj. 庞大的，巨大的；凶暴的，极恶的]. There has to be some way that this darkness can be banished [vt. 放逐；驱逐] with light." In our political system and in the media we often see the reflection of a country that is polarized [vt. （使）极化；（使）偏振；（使）两极分化vi. 极化；偏振；两极分化], that is paralyzed[瘫

痪的；麻痹的] and is self-interested. And yet, I know you know the truth. We all know that we are better than the cynicism [n. 玩世不恭，愤世嫉俗；犬儒主义；冷嘲热讽] and the pessimism [n. 悲观，悲观情绪；厌世主义] that is regurgitated throughout Washington and the 24-hour cable news cycle. Not my

channel, by the way. We understand that the vast majority of people in this country believe in stronger background checks because they realize [赞成第二次修正案] and also reduce the violence that is robbing us of our children. They don't have to be incompatible [adj. 不相容的；矛盾的；不能同时成立的]. And we understand that most Americans believe in a clear path to

citizenship for the 12,000,000 undocumented immigrants who reside in this country because it's possible to both enforce[实施] our laws and at the same time embrace the words on the Statue of Liberty that have [世代的拥挤大众] to our shores. We can do both.

? And we understand. I know you do because you went to Harvard.

There are people from both parties and no party believe that indigent[adj. 贫困的；贫穷的] mothers and families should have access to healthy food and a roof over their heads and a strong public education because here in the richest nation on earth we can afford a basic level of security and

opportunity. So the question is what are we going to do about it? Really

what are you going to do about it? Maybe you agree with these beliefs. Maybe you don't. Maybe you care about these issues and maybe there are other challenges that you, class of 2013, are passionate about. Maybe you want to make a difference by serving in government. Maybe you want to launch your own television show. Or maybe you simply want to collect some change. Your parents would appreciate that about now. The point is your generation is charged with this task of breaking through what the body politic has thus far made impervious [adj. 不受影响的，无动于衷的；不能渗透的] to change. Each of you has been blessed with this enormous opportunity of attending this prestigious [adj. 有名望的；享有声望的] school. You now have a chance to better your life, the lives of your neighbors and also the life of our country. When you do that let me tell you what I know for sure. That's when your story gets really good. Maya Angelou always says "When you learn, teach. When you get, give. That my friends are what gives your story purpose and meaning." So you all have the power in your own way to develop your own Angel Network and in doing so your class will be armed with more tools of influence and empowerment [n. 许可，授权] than any other generation in history. I did it in an analog world. I was blessed with a platform that at its height reached nearly 20,000,000 viewers a day. Now here in a world of Twitter and Facebook and

YouTube and Tumbler, you can reach billions in just seconds. You're the generation that rejected predictions about your detachment [n. 分离，拆开；超然；

分遣；分遣队] and your disengagement [脱离；分开] by showing up to vote in record numbers in 2008. And when the pundits[权威] said they said they talked about you, they said you'd be too disappointed, you'd be too dejected[adj. 沮丧的，灰心的] to repeat that same kind of turnout in 2012 election and you proved them wrong by showing up in even greater numbers. That's who you are. This generation your generation I know has developed a finely honed[磨光的；亚光] radar for B.S. Can you say "B.S." at Harvard? The spin[旋转；疾驰] and phoniness[虚假][人造污秽] that saturates[使饱和] so much of our national debate. I know you all understand better than most that real progress requires authentic [adj. 真正的，真实的；可信的] - an authentic way of being, honesty, and above all empathy [n. 神入；移情作用]. I have to say that the single most important lesson I learned in 25 years talking every single [公分母] in our human experience. Most of us I tell you we don't want to be divided. What we want, the common denominator that I found in every single interview, is we want to be validated[确认]. We want to be understood. I have done over 35,000 interviews in my career and as soon as that camera shuts off everyone always turns to me and inevitably in their own way asks this question "Was that okay?" I heard it from President Bush, I heard it from President Obama. I've heard it from heroes and from housewives. I've heard it from victims and perpetrators [n. 犯罪者；作恶者；行凶者] of crimes. I

even heard it from Beyonce and all of her Beyonceness. She finishes performing, hands me the microphone and says "Was that okay?" Friends and family, yours, enemies, strangers in every argument in every

encounter, every exchange I will tell you they all want to know one thing: was that okay? Did you hear me? Do you see me? Did what I say mean anything to you? And even though this is a college where Facebook was born my hope is that you would try to go out and have more face-to-face conversations with people you may disagree with.

? That you'll have the courage to look them in the eye and hear their point of view and help make sure that the speed and distance and anonymity[n. 匿名；匿名者；无名之辈] of our world doesn't cause us to lose our ability to stand in somebody else's shoes and recognize all that we share as a people. This is imperative [adj. 必要的，势在必行的；命令的；紧急的] for you as an individual and for our success as a nation. "There has to be some way that this darkness can be banished with light," says the man whose little boy was massacred[['m?s?k?] 残杀；彻底击败] on just an ordinary Friday in December. So whether you call it soul or spirit or higher self, intelligence, there is I know this, there is a light inside each of you all of us that illuminates[阐释] your very human beingness[存在的性质] if you let it. And as a young girl from rural Mississippi I learned long ago that being myself was much easier than pretending to be Barbara Walters. Although when I first started because I had Barbara in my head I would try to sit like Barbara,

talk like Barbara, move like Barbara and then one night I was on the news reading the news and I called Canada Can-a-da, and that was the end of me being Barbara. I cracked myself up on TV. Couldn't stop laughing and my real personality came through and I figured out oh gee[向右转], I can be a much better Oprah than I could be a pretend Barbara. I know that you all might have a little anxiety now and hesitation about leaving the comfort of college and putting those Harvard credentials[证书；文凭] to the test. But no matter what challenges or setbacks[挫折] or disappointments you may encounter along the way you will find true success and happiness if you have only one goal, there really is only one and that is this: to fulfill the highest most truthful expression of yourself [得最高分] your humanity by using your energy to lift yourself up, your family and the people around you. Theologian[神学者] Howard Thurman said it best. He said "Don't ask

yourself what the world needs. Ask yourself what makes you come alive and then go do that because what the world needs is people who have come alive." The world needs-

People like Michael Stolzenberg from Fort Lauderdale[劳德代尔堡]. When Michael was just 8 years old Michael nearly died from a bacterial

infection that cost him both of his hands and both of his feet. And in an instant this vibrant [adj. 振动的；充满生气的；响亮的；战栗的] little boy became a

[四肢截除] and his life was changed forever. But in losing who he once was Michael discovered who he wanted to be. He refused to sit in that wheelchair all day and feel sorry for himself so with prosthetics

[n. [外科] 修复学，修补学；弥补术] he learned to walk and run and play again. He joined his middle school lacrosse [n. 长曲棍球] team and last month when he learned that so many victims of the Boston Marathon bombing would become new amputees [n. 截肢（患）者；肢体切除者（amputee的复数）] Michael decided to banish[vt. 放逐；驱逐] that darkness with light. Michael and his brother Harris created Mikeysrun.com to raise 1,000,000 dollars for other

amputees. By the time Harris runs the 2014 Boston Marathon. More than 1,000 miles away from here these two young brothers are bringing people together to support this Boston community the way their community came together to support Michael. And when this 13 year old man was asked about his fellow amputees he said this "First they will be sad. They're losing something they will never get back and that's scary [adj. 提心吊胆的；引起惊慌的；胆小的]. I was scared. But they'll be okay. They just don't know that yet." We might not always know it. We might not always see it, or hear it on the news or even feel it in our daily lives but I have faith that no matter what class of 2013 you will be okay and you will make sure our country is okay. I have faith because of that 9 year old girl who went out and collected the change. I have faith because of David and Francine Wheeler, I have faith because of Michael and Harris Stolzenberg and I

have faith because of you, the network of angeles sitting here today. One of them Kadija Williams who came to Harvard four years ago. Kadija had [垃圾袋] amongst [妓男和妓女] and drug dealers, homeless, going in to department stores, Wal-Mart in the morning to bathe herself so that she wouldn't smell in front of her classmates and today she graduates as a member of the Harvard class of 2013.

From time to time you may stumble fall, you will for sure count in this no doubt, you will have questions and you will have doubts about your path but I know this, if you're willing to listen to be guided by that still small voice that is the G.P.S. within yourself, to find out what makes you come alive you will be more than okay. You will be happy, you will be

successful, and you will make a difference in the world. Congratulations class of 2013, congratulations to your family and friends, good luck and thank you for listening. Was that okay?