“Welcome to the New East Side High!”

 “Welcome to the New East Side High!”

I want all of you to take a good look at these people [some 300 students] on the risers behind me. These people have been here up to five years and done absolutely nothing. These people are drug dealers 1 and drug users. They have taken up space; they have 1)disrupted this school; they have 2)harassed your teachers; and they have 3)intimidated you. Well, times are about to change. You will not be bothered in Joe Clark’s school. These people are 4)incorrigible 4. And since none of them could graduate anyway, you [turning to the 300 students] are all 5)expurgated. You are dismissed! You are out of here forever! I wish you well... [the 300 are unwillingly 5 escorted out by Clark’s security team]

[Turning to the students in the assembly]

Next time it may be you. If you do no better than they did, next time it will be you. They said this school was dead, like the cemetery 6 it’s built on. But we call our East Side teams “Ghosts,” don’t we? And what are ghosts? Ghosts are spirits that rise from the dead. I want you to be my ghosts. You are going to lead our 6)resurrection by 7)defying the expectation that all of us are doomed 7 to failure. My motto is simple: “If you do not succeed in life, I don’t want you to blame your parents; I don’t want you to blame the white man; I want you to blame yourselves.” The responsibility is yours!

In two weeks we have a practice exam and a minimum basic skills test on April 13th. That’s a hundred and ten school days from now. But it’s not just about those test scores. If you do not have these basic skills, you will find yourselves 8)locked out! Locked out of that “American Dream” that you see advertised on TV — that they tell you is so easy to get.

You are here for one reason — one reason only: To learn, to work for what you want. The alternative is to waste your time and to fall into the trap of crime, drugs, and death. Does everyone understand that? Do all of you understand me? Then welcome to the new East Side High!

Jack 8’s Addresses to His Graduation Class

Woodruff (announcer): Ladies and gentlemen, our class 9)valedictorian, Jack Charles Howell.

Eric (Jack’s friend): Yo, Jack, go get ‘em.

Howell: I got it, Eric. I’m cool... my speech. I don’t have very much time these days, so I’ll make it quick—like my life. You know, as we come to the end of this phase of our life, we find ourselves trying to remember the good times and trying to forget the bad times. And we find ourselves thinking about the future. We start to worry, thinking, “What am I gonna do? Where am I gonna be in ten years?”

But I say to you, “Hey, look at me.” Please, don’t worry so much, ‘cause in the end none of us have very long on this earth. Life is fleeting 9. And if you’re ever distressed 10, cast your eyes to the summer sky, when the stars are 10)strung across the 11)velvety 11 night. And when a 12)shooting star 13)streaks through the blackness turning night into day — make a wish; think of me. And make your life 14)spectacular. I know I did.

I made it, Mom. I’m a grown-up.

Thank you.

Elle’ Graduation Speech at Harvard Law School

Professor Stromwell: I am, personally, very honored to introduce this year’s class-elected speaker. After getting off to a quite interesting start here at Harvard, she graduates today with an invitation to join one of Boston’s most prestigious 13 law firms. I am sure we are going to see great things from her. Ladies and Gentlemen: Elle Woods.

Woods: On our very first day at Harvard, a very wise professor quoted Aristotle: ’The law is reason free from passion.’ Well, no offense 14 to Aristotle, but in my three years at Harvard I have come to find that passion is a key 15)ingredient to the study and practice of law—and of life. It is with passion, courage of 16)conviction, and strong sense of self that we take our next steps into the world, remembering that first impressions are not always correct. You must always have faith in people. And most importantly, you must always have faith in yourself.

Congratulations class of 2004—we did it!

注释：
1) disrupt [dis5rQpt] v. 使陷于混乱, 破坏
2) harass 2 [hE5rAst] v. 骚扰，使苦恼
3) intimidate 3 [intimi5deit] v. 威胁，恐吓
4) incorrigible [in5kCridVEbl] a. 无药可救的, 不能被纠正的
5) expurgate [5ekspE:^eit] v. 删除
6) resurrection [7rezE5rekFEn] n. 复苏
7) defy [di5fai] v. 公然反抗，违抗
8) lock out 把……关在门外
9) valedictorian [7vAlidik5tC:riEn] n. 致告别辞者，告别演说者
10) string [striN] v. 连成线状
11) velvety [5velviti] a. 象天鹅绒的, 柔软的
12) shooting star 流星
13) streak 12 [stri:k] v.飞跑，闪现
14) spectacular [spek5tAkjulE] a. 引人入胜的, 壮观的
15) ingredient [in5^ri:diEnt] n. 成分，因素
16) conviction [kEn5vikFEn] n. 深信，确信

“欢迎到新东区高中来！”

    我想让大家好好地看看站在我后面的活动台上的这些人（约300名学生）。这些人已经在这里呆了整整五年，却完全无所作为。这些人都是毒贩、吸毒者。他们霸占地方，扰乱校园，骚扰老师，还恐吓学生。然而，时代要改变了。在我的校园，没有人会再找你们的麻烦。这帮人已是无可救药了。既然不管怎么说他们都无人能毕业，你们（转向那300名学生）都被除名了，你们被开除了！你们要永远地离开这里！我希望你们走好……（那300人不情愿地在克拉克的保安队的陪同下离场）
    （转向会场的学生）
    下一次可能就是你们了。要是你们的表现不比他们好，下次就会是你们了。他们说，这所学校已经死了，就如同它作地基的这片坟地一样。但我们自称我们的校队为“鬼魂”，不是吗？而什么是“鬼魂”呢？鬼魂就是从死亡之物上升腾起来的灵魂。我希望你们成为我的鬼魂。你们要推翻我们注定失败的预言，以此引领我们重振旗鼓。我的格言很简单：“如果你们的人生没有获得成功，我不想你们责怪自己的父母，不想你们责怪白人，而是责怪自己。”责任在你们自己身上！
    两星期后，我们会有一次练习考试和一次安排在4月13号的基本技能测验。距离现在还有110个上课日。但是我们为的不仅仅是那些测验的分数。电视上人们鼓吹“美国梦”，并且把它说成唾手可得，然而如果你们没有掌握这些基本技能，你们会发现自己被拒之门外，被拒之于这“美国梦”之外。
    你们在这里的原因有一个——只有一个：为你梦寐以求的一切而学习、工作。而另外一个选择就是浪费自己的光阴，掉进犯罪、吸毒和死亡的泥潭。你们每个人都听明白我的话了吗？全部都明白了吗？要是那样的话，欢迎到“新”东区高中来!

“超龄插班生”杰克的毕业发言

伍德夫(主持)：女士们，先生们，我们的告别辞演说者，杰克·查尔斯·霍威尔。
埃尔克(杰克的朋友)： 唷，杰克，去演讲吧。

霍威尔：我知道了，埃尔克。我真酷……我的致词。如今我没剩下多少时间了，所以我力求简短——就好像我的生命一样。大家知道，当我们人生的这一阶段快要走到尽头的时候，我们会发现自己想要尽力去记住美好的时光,同时尽力去忘记艰难的时候。我们发觉自己遥想未来。我们开始担心，想着：“我要干吗？未来十年我要去哪？”
    但是，我跟你们说: “嘿，瞧瞧我吧。”请不要担心太多，因为最终我们没有谁会在地球上逗留太久。人生稍纵即逝。要是你有忧虑的话，在夏天的晚上，当夜幕似绒、群星满布之时，举目遥望天空吧。当某颗流星闪电般划过黑暗，转夜为昼之时，许个心愿吧——想想我。让你的人生辉煌绚丽吧。我知道我做到了。
我成功了，妈妈，我长大了。
谢谢。

“律政俏佳人”艾莉的哈佛毕业演讲

斯特姆威尔教授：我十分荣幸地向大家介绍今年的班选发言人。她曾经在哈佛有一个非常有意思的开始，今天她毕业了，并被邀请加盟波士顿其中一所最有名望的法律事务所。我确信我们将会看到她大有作为。女士们，先生们：有请艾莉·伍兹。

伍兹：就在我们进入哈佛的第一天，一个睿智的教授引用亚里斯多德的话说：“法律是远离激情的理性。”哦，我可不是要冒犯亚里斯多德，但在哈佛的三年里我却最终发现激情是研究和实践法律——以及人生的关键因素。正是有了激情、坚信的勇气和强烈的自我意识，铭记住第一印象并非总是正确的，我们才一步步地步入世界。你必须保持对人的信任——而且最重要的是，你必须保持对自己的信任。

祝贺2004级的同学——我们成功了！