【英语语言学习】副总统拜登的私人演讲
时间:2018-12-28 作者:英语课 分类:英语语言学习
英语课
THE VICE 1 PRESIDENT: Hello, Yale! (Applause.) Great to see you all. (Applause.) Thank you very, very much.
Jeremy and Kiki, the entire Class of 2015, congratulations and thank you for inviting 2 me to be part of this special day. You’re talented. You’ve worked hard, and you’ve earned this day.
Mr. President, faculty 4, staff, it’s an honor to be here with all of you.
My wife teaches full-time 5. I want you to know that — at a community college, and has attended 8,640 commencements and/or the similar versions of Class Day, and I know they can hardly wait for the speaker to finish. (Laughter.) But I’ll do my best as quickly as I can.
To the parents, grandparents, siblings 7, family members, the Class of 2015 — congratulations. I know how proud you must be. But, the Class of 2015, before I speak to you — please stand and applaud the ones who loved you no matter what you’re wearing on your head and who really made this day happen. (Laughter and applause.) I promise you all this is a bigger day for them than it is for you. (Laughter.)
When President Obama asked me to be his Vice President, I said I only had two conditions: One, I wouldn’t wear any funny hats, even on Class Day. (Laughter.) And two, I wouldn’t change my brand. (Applause.)
Now, look, I realize no one ever doubts I mean what I say, the problem occasionally is I say all that I mean. (Laughter.) I have a bad reputation for being straight. Sometimes an inappropriate times. (Laughter.) So here it goes. Let’s get a couple things straight right off the bat: Corvettes are better than Porsches; they’re quicker and they corner as well. (Laughter and applause.) And sorry, guys, a cappella is not better than rock and roll. (Laughter and applause.) And your pundits 8 are better than Washington pundits, although I’ve noticed neither has any shame at all. (Laughter and applause.) And all roads lead to Toads 9? Give me a break. (Laughter and applause.) You ever tried it on Monday night? (Laughter.) Look, it’s tough to end a great men’s basketball and football season. One touchdown away from beating Harvard this year for the first time since 2006 — so close to something you’ve wanted for eight years. I can only imagine how you feel. (Laughter.) I can only imagine. (Applause.) So close. So close.
But I got to be honest with you, when the invitation came, I was flattered, but it caused a little bit of a problem in my extended family. It forced me to face some hard truths. My son, Beau, the attorney general of Delaware, my daughter, Ashley Biden, runs a nonprofit for criminal justice in the state, they both went to Penn. My two nieces graduated from Harvard, one an all-American. All of them think my being here was a very bad idea. (Laughter.)
On the other hand, my other son, Hunter, who heads the World Food Program USA, graduated from Yale Law School. (Applause.) Now, he thought it’s a great idea. But then again, law graduates always think all of their ideas are great ideas. (Laughter.)
By the way, I’ve had a lot of law graduates from Yale work for me. That’s not too far from the truth. But anyway, look, the truth of the matter is that I have a lot of staff that are Yale graduates, several are with me today. They thought it was a great idea that I speak here.
As a matter of fact, my former national security adviser 10, Jake Sullivan, who is teaching here at Yale Law School, trained in international relations at Yale College, edited the Yale Daily News, and graduated from Harvard — excuse me, Freudian slip — Yale Law School. (Laughter.) You’re lucky to have him. He’s a brilliant and decent and honorable man. And I miss him. And we miss him as my national security adviser.
But he’s not the only one. My deputy national security adviser, Jeff Prescott, started and ran the China Law Center at Yale Law School. My Middle East policy adviser and foreign policy speechwriter, Dan Benaim, who is with me, took Daily Themes — got a B. (Laughter.) Now you know why I go off script so much. (Laughter and applause.)
Look, at a Gridiron Dinner not long ago, the President said, I — the President — “I am learning to speak without a teleprompter, Joe is learning to speak with one.” (Laughter.) But if you looked at my speechwriters, you know why.
And the granddaughter of one of my dearest friends in life — a former Holocaust 11 survivor 12, a former foreign policy adviser, a former Chairman of the House Committee on Foreign Affairs, Congressman 13 Tom Lantos — is graduating today. Mercina, congratulations, kiddo. (Applause.) Where are you? You are the sixth — she’s the sixth sibling 6 in her immediate 14 family to graduate from Yale. Six out of 11, that’s not a bad batting average. (Laughter.) I believe it’s a modern day record for the number of kids who went to Yale from a single family.
And, Mercina, I know that your mom, Little Annette is here. I don’t know where you are, Annette. But Annette was part of the first class of freshman 15 women admitted to Yale University. (Applause.)
And her grandmother, Annette, is also a Holocaust survivor, an amazing woman; and both I’m sure wherever they are, beaming today. And I know one more thing, Mercina, your father and grandfather are looking down, cheering you on.
I’m so happy to be here on your day and all of your day. It’s good to know there’s one Yalie who is happy I’m being here — be here, at least one. (Laughter.) On “Overheard at Yale,” on the Facebook page, one student reported another student saying: I had a dream that I was Vice President and was with the President, and we did the disco funk dance to convince the Congress to restart the government. (Laughter.)
Another student commented, Y’all know Biden would be hilarious 16, get funky 17. (Laughter.)
Well, my granddaughter, Finnegan Biden, whose dad went here, is with me today. When she saw that on the speech, I was on the plane, Air Force Two coming up, she said, Pop, it would take a lot more than you and the President doing the disco funk dance. The Tea Party doesn’t even know what it is. (Laughter.)
Look, I don’t know about that. But I’m just glad there’s someone — just someone — who dreams of being Vice President. (Laughter and applause.) Just somebody. I never had that dream. (Laughter.) For the press out there, that’s a joke.
Actually, being Vice President to Barack Obama has been truly a great honor. We both enjoy getting out of the White House to talk to folks in the real America — the kind who know what it means to struggle, to work hard, to shop at Kiko Milano. (Laughter and applause.) Great choice. (Laughter.)
I just hope to hell the same people responsible for Kiko’s aren’t in charge of naming the two new residential 18 colleges. (Laughter and applause.)
Now, look, folks, I spent a lot of time thinking about what I should day to you today, but the more I thought about it, I thought that any Class Day speech is likely to be redundant 19. You already heard from Jessie J at Spring Fling. (Laughter.) So what in the hell could I possibly say. (Laughter.)
Look, I’m deeply honored that Jeremy and Kiki selected me. I don’t know how the hell you trusted them to do that. (Laughter.) I hope you agree with their choice. Actually I hope by the end of this speech, they agree with their choice. (Laughter.)
In their flattering invitation letter, they asked me to bring along a sense of humor, speak about my commitment to public service and family, talk about resiliency, compassion 20, and leadership in a changing world. Petty tall order. (Laughter.) I probably already flunked 21 the first part of the test.
But with the rest let me say upfront, and I mean this sincerely, there’s nothing particularly unique about me. With regard to resilience and compassion, there are countless 22 thousands of people, maybe some in the audience, who’ve suffered through personal losses similar to mine or much worse with much less support to help them get through it and much less reason to want to get through it.
It’s not that all that difficult, folks, to be compassionate 23 when you’ve been the beneficiary of compassion in your lowest moments not only from your family, but from your friends and total strangers. Because when you know how much it meant to you, you know how much it mattered. It’s not hard to be compassionate.
I was raised by a tough, compassionate Irish lady named Catherine Eugenia Finnegan Biden. And she taught all of her children that, but for the grace of God, there go you — but for the grace of God, there go you.
And a father who lived his motto that, family was the beginning, the middle, and the end. And like many of you and your parents, I was fortunate. I learned early on what I wanted to do, what fulfilled me the most, what made me happy — my family, my faith, and being engaged in the public affairs that gripped my generation and being inspired by a young President named Kennedy — civil rights, the environment, trying to end an incredibly useless and divisive war, Vietnam.
The truth is, though, that neither I, nor anyone else, can tell you what will make you happy, help you find success.
You each have different comfort levels. Everyone has different goals and aspirations 24. But one thing I’ve observed, one thing I know, an expression my dad would use often, is real. He used to say, it’s a lucky man or woman gets up in the morning — and I mean this sincerely. It was one of his expressions. It’s a lucky man or woman gets up in the morning, puts both feet on the floor, knows what they’re about to do, and thinks it still matters.
I’ve been lucky. And my wish for all of you is that not only tomorrow, but 20 and 40 and 50 years from now, you’ve found that sweet spot, that thing that allows you to get up in the morning, put both feet on the floor, go out and pursue what you love, and think it still matters.
Some of you will go to Silicon 25 Valley and make great contributions to empower individuals and societies and maybe even design a life-changing app, like how to unsubscribe to Obama for America e-mail list — (laughter) — the biggest “pan-list” of all times.
Some of you will go to Wall Street and big Wall Street law firms, government and activism, Peace Corps 26, Teach for America. You’ll become doctors, researchers, journalists, artists, actors, musicians. Two of you — one of whom was one of my former interns 27 in the White House, Sam Cohen, and Andrew Heymann — will be commissioned in the United States Navy. Congratulations, gentlemen. We’re proud of you. (Applause.)
But all of you have one thing in common you will all seek to find that sweet spot that satisfies your ambition and success and happiness.
I’ve met an awful lot of people in my career. And I’ve noticed one thing, those who are the most successful and the happiest — whether they’re working on Wall Street or Main Street, as a doctor or nurse, or as a lawyer, or a social worker, I’ve made certain basic observation about the ones who from my observation wherever they were in the world were able to find that sweet spot between success and happiness. Those who balance life and career, who find purpose and fulfillment, and where ambition leads them.
There’s no silver bullet, no single formula, no reductive list. But they all seem to understand that happiness and success result from an accumulation of thousands of little things built on character, all of which have certain common features in my observation.
First, the most successful and happiest people I’ve known understand that a good life at its core is about being personal. It’s about being engaged. It’s about being there for a friend or a colleague when they’re injured or in an accident, remembering the birthdays, congratulating them on their marriage, celebrating the birth of their child. It’s about being available to them when they’re going through personal loss. It’s about loving someone more than yourself, as one of your speakers have already mentioned. It all seems to get down to being personal.
That’s the stuff that fosters relationships. It’s the only way to breed trust in everything you do in your life.
Let me give you an example. After only four months in the United States Senate, as a 30-year-old kid, I was walking through the Senate floor to go to a meeting with Majority Leader Mike Mansfield. And I witnessed another newly elected senator, the extremely conservative Jesse Helms, excoriating 29 Ted 3 Kennedy and Bob Dole 30 for promoting the precursor 31 of the Americans with Disabilities Act. But I had to see the Leader, so I kept walking.
When I walked into Mansfield’s office, I must have looked as angry as I was. He was in his late ‘70s, lived to be 100. And he looked at me, he said, what’s bothering you, Joe?
I said, that guy, Helms, he has no social redeeming 32 value. He doesn’t care — I really mean it — I was angry. He doesn’t care about people in need. He has a disregard for the disabled.
Majority Leader Mansfield then proceeded to tell me that three years earlier, Jesse and Dot Helms, sitting in their living room in early December before Christmas, reading an ad in the Raleigh Observer, the picture of a young man, 14-years-old with braces 33 on his legs up to both hips 28, saying, all I want is someone to love me and adopt me. He looked at me and he said, and they adopted him, Joe.
I felt like a fool. He then went on to say, Joe, it’s always appropriate to question another man’s judgment 34, but never appropriate to question his motives 36 because you simply don’t know his motives.
It happened early in my career fortunately. From that moment on, I tried to look past the caricatures of my colleagues and try to see the whole person. Never once have I questioned another man’s or woman’s motive 35. And something started to change. If you notice, every time there’s a crisis in the Congress the last eight years, I get sent to the Hill to deal with it. It’s because every one of those men and women up there — whether they like me or not — know that I don’t judge them for what I think they’re thinking.
Because when you question a man’s motive, when you say they’re acting 37 out of greed, they’re in the pocket of an interest group, et cetera, it’s awful hard to reach consensus 38. It’s awful hard having to reach across the table and shake hands. No matter how bitterly you disagree, though, it is always possible if you question judgment and not motive.
Senator Helms and I continued to have profound political differences, but early on we both became the most powerful members of the Senate running the Foreign Relations Committee, as Chairmen and Ranking Members. But something happened, the mutual 39 defensiveness 40 began to dissipate. And as a result, we began to be able to work together in the interests of the country. And as Chairman and Ranking Member, we passed some of the most significant legislation passed in the last 40 years.
All of which he opposed — from paying tens of millions of dollars in arrearages to an institution, he despised, the United Nations — he was part of the so-called “black helicopter” crowd; to passing the chemical weapons treaty, constantly referring to, “we’ve never lost a war, and we’ve never won a treaty,” which he vehemently 41 opposed. But we were able to do these things not because he changed his mind, but because in this new relationship to maintain it is required to play fair, to be straight. The cheap shots ended. And the chicanery 42 to keep from having to being able to vote ended — even though he knew I had the votes.
After that, we went on as he began to look at the other side of things and do some great things together that he supported like PEPFAR — which by the way, George W. Bush deserves an overwhelming amount of credit for, by the way, which provided treatment and prevention HIV/AIDS in Africa and around the world, literally 43 saving millions of lives.
So one piece of advice is try to look beyond the caricature of the person with whom you have to work. Resist the temptation to ascribe motive, because you really don’t know — and it gets in the way of being able to reach a consensus on things that matter to you and to many other people.
Resist the temptation of your generation to let “network” become a verb that saps the personal away, that blinds you to the person right in front of you, blinds you to their hopes, their fears, and their burdens.
Build real relationships — even with people with whom you vehemently disagree. You’ll not only be happier. You will be more successful.
The second thing I’ve noticed is that although you know no one is better than you, every other persons is equal to you and deserves to be treated with dignity and respect.
I’ve worked with eight presidents, hundreds of senators. I’ve met every major world leader literally in the last 40 years. And I’ve had scores of talented people work for me. And here’s what I’ve observed: Regardless of their academic or social backgrounds, those who had the most success and who were most respected and therefore able to get the most done were the ones who never confused academic credentials 44 and societal sophistication with gravitas and judgment.
Don’t forget about what doesn’t come from this prestigious 45 diploma — the heart to know what’s meaningful and what’s ephemeral; and the head to know the difference between knowledge and judgment.
But even if you get these things right, I’ve observed that most people who are successful and happy remembered a third thing: Reality has a way of intruding 46.
I got elected in a very improbable year. Richard Nixon won my state overwhelmingly. George McGovern was at the top of the ticket. I got elected as the second-youngest man in the history of the United States to be elected, the stuff that provides and fuels raw ambition. And if you’re not careful, it fuels a sense of inevitability 47 that seeps 48 in. But be careful. Things can change in a heartbeat. I know. And so do many of your parents.
Six weeks after my election, my whole world was altered forever. While I was in Washington hiring staff, I got a phone call. My wife and three children were Christmas shopping, a tractor trailer broadsided them and killed my wife and killed my daughter. And they weren’t sure that my sons would live.
Many people have gone through things like that. But because I had the incredible good fortune of an extended family, grounded in love and loyalty 49, imbued 50 with a sense of obligation imparted to each of us, I not only got help. But by focusing on my sons, I found my redemption.
I can remember my mother — a sweet lady — looking at me, after we left the hospital, and saying, Joey, out of everything terrible that happens to you, something good will come if you look hard enough for it. She was right.
The incredible bond I have with my children is the gift I’m not sure I would have had, had I not been through what I went through. Who knows whether I would have been able to appreciate at that moment in my life, the heady moment in my life, what my first obligation was.
So I began to commute 51 — never intending to stay in Washington. And that’s the God’s truth. I was supposed to be sworn in with everyone else that year in ’73, but I wouldn’t go down. So Mansfield thought I’d change my mind and not come, and he sent up the secretary of the Senate to swear me in, in the hospital room with my children.
And I began to commute thinking I was only going to stay a little while — four hours a day, every day — from Washington to Wilmington, which I’ve done for over 37 years. I did it because I wanted to be able to kiss them goodnight and kiss them in the morning the next day. No, “Ozzie and Harriet” breakfast or great familial thing, just climb in bed with them. Because I came to realize that a child can hold an important thought, something they want to say to their mom and dad, maybe for 12 or 24 hours, and then it’s gone. And when it’s gone, it’s gone. And it all adds up.
But looking back on it, the truth be told, the real reason I went home every night was that I needed my children more than they needed me. Some at the time wrote and suggested that Biden can’t be a serious national figure. If he was, he’d stay in Washington more, attend to more important events. It’s obvious he’s not serious. He goes home after the last vote.
But I realized I didn’t miss a thing. Ambition is really important. You need it. And I certainly have never lacked in having ambition. But ambition without perspective can be a killer 52. I know a lot of you already understand this. Some of you really had to struggle to get here. And some of you have had to struggle to stay here. And some of your families made enormous sacrifices for this great privilege. And many of you faced your own crises, some unimaginable.
But the truth is all of you will go through something like this. You’ll wrestle 53 with these kinds of choices every day. But I’m here to tell you, you can find the balance between ambition and happiness, what will make you really feel fulfilled. And along the way, it helps a great deal if you can resist the temptation to rationalize.
My chief of staff for over 25 years, one of the finest men I’ve ever known, even though he graduated from Penn, and subsequently became a senator from the state of Delaware, Senator Ted Kaufman, every new hire, that we’d hire, the last thing he’d tell them was, and remember never underestimate the ability of the human mind to rationalize. Never underestimate the ability of the human mind to rationalize — her birthday really doesn’t matter that much to her, and this business trip is just a great opportunity; this won’t be his last game, and besides, I’d have to take the redeye to get back. We can always take this family vacation another time. There’s plenty of time.
For your generation, there’s an incredible amount of pressure on all of you to succeed, particularly now that you have accomplished 54 so much. You’re whole generation faces this pressure. I see it in my grandchildren who are honors students at other Ivy 55 universities right now. You race to do what others think is right in high school. You raced through the bloodsport of college admissions. You raced through Yale for the next big thing. And all along, some of you compare yourself to the success of your peers on Facebook, Instagram, Linked-In, Twitter.
Today, some of you may have found that you slipped into the self-referential bubble that validates 56 certain choices. And the bubble expands once you leave this campus, the pressures and anxiousness, as well — take this job, make that much money, live in this place, hang out with people like you, take no real risks and have no real impact, while getting paid for the false sense of both.
But resist that temptation to rationalize what others view is the right choice for you — instead of what you feel in your gut 57 is the right choice — that’s your North Star. Trust it. Follow it. You’re an incredible group of young women and men. And that’s not hyperbole. You’re an incredible group.
Let me conclude with this. I’m not going to moralize about to whom much is given, much is expected, because most of you have made of yourself much more than what you’ve been given. But now you are in a privileged position. You’re part of an exceptional generation and doors will open to you that will not open to others. My Yale Law School grad son graduated very well from Yale Law School. My other son out of loyalty to his deceased mother decided 58 to go to Syracuse Law School from Penn. They’re a year and a day apart in their age. The one who graduated from Yale had doors open to him, the lowest salary offered back in the early ‘90s was $50,000 more than a federal judge made. My other son, it was a struggle — equally as bright, went on to be elected one of the youngest attorney generals in the history of the state of Delaware, the most popular public official in my state. Big headline after the 2012 election, “Biden Most Popular Man in Delaware — Beau.” (Laughter.)
And as your parents will understand, my dad’s definition of success is when you look at your son and daughter and realize they turned out better than you, and they did. But you’ll have opportunities. Make the most of them and follow your heart. You have the intellectual horsepower to make things better in the world around you.
You’re also part of the most tolerant generation in history. I got roundly criticized because I could not remain quiet anymore about gay marriage. The one thing I was certain of is all of your generation was way beyond that point. (Applause.)
Here’s something else I observed — intellectual horsepower and tolerance 59 alone does not make a generation great: unless you can break out of the bubble of your own making — technologically 61, geographically 62, racially, and socioeconomically — to truly connect with the world around you. Because it matters.
No matter what your material success or personal circumstance, it matters. You can’t breathe fresh air or protect your children from a changing climate no matter what you make. If your sister is the victim of domestic violence, you are violated. If your brother can’t marry the man he loves, you are lessened 63. And if your best friend has to worry about being racially profiled, you live in a circumstance not worthy 64 of us. (Applause.) It matters.
So be successful. I sincerely hope some of you become millionaires and billionaires. I mean that. But engage the world around you because you will be more successful and happier. And you can absolutely succeed in life without sacrificing your ideals or your commitments to others and family. I’m confident that you can do that, and I’m confident that this generation will do it more than any other.
Look to your left, as they say, and look to your right. And remember how foolish the people next to you look — (laughter) — in those ridiculous hats. (Laughter.) That’s what I want you to remember. I mean this. Because it means you’ve learned something from a great tradition.
It means you’re willing to look foolish, you’re willing to run the risk of looking foolish in the service of what matters to you. And if you remember that, because some of the things your heart will tell you to do, will make you among your peers look foolish, or not smart, or not sophisticated. But we’ll all be better for people of your consequence to do it.
That’s what I want you to most remember. Not who spoke 65 at the day you all assembled on this mall. You’re a remarkable 66 class. I sure don’t remember who the hell was my commencement speaker. (Laughter.) I know this is not officially commencement. But ask your parents when you leave here, who spoke at your commencement? It’s a commencement speaker aversion of a commencement speaker’s fate to be forgotten. The question is only how quickly. But you’re the best in your generation. And that is not hyperbole. And you’re part of a remarkable generation.
And, you — you’re on the cusp of some of the most astonishing breakthroughs in the history of mankind — scientific, technological 60, socially – that’s going to change the way you live and the whole world works. But it will be up to you in this changing world to translate those unprecedented 67 capabilities 68 into a greater measure of happiness and meaning — not just for yourself, but for the world around you.
And I feel more confident for my children and grandchildren knowing that the men and women who graduate here today, here and across the country, will be in their midst. That’s the honest truth. That’s the God’s truth. That’s my word as a Biden.
Congratulations, Class of 2015. And may God bless you and may God protect our troops. Thank you.
Jeremy and Kiki, the entire Class of 2015, congratulations and thank you for inviting 2 me to be part of this special day. You’re talented. You’ve worked hard, and you’ve earned this day.
Mr. President, faculty 4, staff, it’s an honor to be here with all of you.
My wife teaches full-time 5. I want you to know that — at a community college, and has attended 8,640 commencements and/or the similar versions of Class Day, and I know they can hardly wait for the speaker to finish. (Laughter.) But I’ll do my best as quickly as I can.
To the parents, grandparents, siblings 7, family members, the Class of 2015 — congratulations. I know how proud you must be. But, the Class of 2015, before I speak to you — please stand and applaud the ones who loved you no matter what you’re wearing on your head and who really made this day happen. (Laughter and applause.) I promise you all this is a bigger day for them than it is for you. (Laughter.)
When President Obama asked me to be his Vice President, I said I only had two conditions: One, I wouldn’t wear any funny hats, even on Class Day. (Laughter.) And two, I wouldn’t change my brand. (Applause.)
Now, look, I realize no one ever doubts I mean what I say, the problem occasionally is I say all that I mean. (Laughter.) I have a bad reputation for being straight. Sometimes an inappropriate times. (Laughter.) So here it goes. Let’s get a couple things straight right off the bat: Corvettes are better than Porsches; they’re quicker and they corner as well. (Laughter and applause.) And sorry, guys, a cappella is not better than rock and roll. (Laughter and applause.) And your pundits 8 are better than Washington pundits, although I’ve noticed neither has any shame at all. (Laughter and applause.) And all roads lead to Toads 9? Give me a break. (Laughter and applause.) You ever tried it on Monday night? (Laughter.) Look, it’s tough to end a great men’s basketball and football season. One touchdown away from beating Harvard this year for the first time since 2006 — so close to something you’ve wanted for eight years. I can only imagine how you feel. (Laughter.) I can only imagine. (Applause.) So close. So close.
But I got to be honest with you, when the invitation came, I was flattered, but it caused a little bit of a problem in my extended family. It forced me to face some hard truths. My son, Beau, the attorney general of Delaware, my daughter, Ashley Biden, runs a nonprofit for criminal justice in the state, they both went to Penn. My two nieces graduated from Harvard, one an all-American. All of them think my being here was a very bad idea. (Laughter.)
On the other hand, my other son, Hunter, who heads the World Food Program USA, graduated from Yale Law School. (Applause.) Now, he thought it’s a great idea. But then again, law graduates always think all of their ideas are great ideas. (Laughter.)
By the way, I’ve had a lot of law graduates from Yale work for me. That’s not too far from the truth. But anyway, look, the truth of the matter is that I have a lot of staff that are Yale graduates, several are with me today. They thought it was a great idea that I speak here.
As a matter of fact, my former national security adviser 10, Jake Sullivan, who is teaching here at Yale Law School, trained in international relations at Yale College, edited the Yale Daily News, and graduated from Harvard — excuse me, Freudian slip — Yale Law School. (Laughter.) You’re lucky to have him. He’s a brilliant and decent and honorable man. And I miss him. And we miss him as my national security adviser.
But he’s not the only one. My deputy national security adviser, Jeff Prescott, started and ran the China Law Center at Yale Law School. My Middle East policy adviser and foreign policy speechwriter, Dan Benaim, who is with me, took Daily Themes — got a B. (Laughter.) Now you know why I go off script so much. (Laughter and applause.)
Look, at a Gridiron Dinner not long ago, the President said, I — the President — “I am learning to speak without a teleprompter, Joe is learning to speak with one.” (Laughter.) But if you looked at my speechwriters, you know why.
And the granddaughter of one of my dearest friends in life — a former Holocaust 11 survivor 12, a former foreign policy adviser, a former Chairman of the House Committee on Foreign Affairs, Congressman 13 Tom Lantos — is graduating today. Mercina, congratulations, kiddo. (Applause.) Where are you? You are the sixth — she’s the sixth sibling 6 in her immediate 14 family to graduate from Yale. Six out of 11, that’s not a bad batting average. (Laughter.) I believe it’s a modern day record for the number of kids who went to Yale from a single family.
And, Mercina, I know that your mom, Little Annette is here. I don’t know where you are, Annette. But Annette was part of the first class of freshman 15 women admitted to Yale University. (Applause.)
And her grandmother, Annette, is also a Holocaust survivor, an amazing woman; and both I’m sure wherever they are, beaming today. And I know one more thing, Mercina, your father and grandfather are looking down, cheering you on.
I’m so happy to be here on your day and all of your day. It’s good to know there’s one Yalie who is happy I’m being here — be here, at least one. (Laughter.) On “Overheard at Yale,” on the Facebook page, one student reported another student saying: I had a dream that I was Vice President and was with the President, and we did the disco funk dance to convince the Congress to restart the government. (Laughter.)
Another student commented, Y’all know Biden would be hilarious 16, get funky 17. (Laughter.)
Well, my granddaughter, Finnegan Biden, whose dad went here, is with me today. When she saw that on the speech, I was on the plane, Air Force Two coming up, she said, Pop, it would take a lot more than you and the President doing the disco funk dance. The Tea Party doesn’t even know what it is. (Laughter.)
Look, I don’t know about that. But I’m just glad there’s someone — just someone — who dreams of being Vice President. (Laughter and applause.) Just somebody. I never had that dream. (Laughter.) For the press out there, that’s a joke.
Actually, being Vice President to Barack Obama has been truly a great honor. We both enjoy getting out of the White House to talk to folks in the real America — the kind who know what it means to struggle, to work hard, to shop at Kiko Milano. (Laughter and applause.) Great choice. (Laughter.)
I just hope to hell the same people responsible for Kiko’s aren’t in charge of naming the two new residential 18 colleges. (Laughter and applause.)
Now, look, folks, I spent a lot of time thinking about what I should day to you today, but the more I thought about it, I thought that any Class Day speech is likely to be redundant 19. You already heard from Jessie J at Spring Fling. (Laughter.) So what in the hell could I possibly say. (Laughter.)
Look, I’m deeply honored that Jeremy and Kiki selected me. I don’t know how the hell you trusted them to do that. (Laughter.) I hope you agree with their choice. Actually I hope by the end of this speech, they agree with their choice. (Laughter.)
In their flattering invitation letter, they asked me to bring along a sense of humor, speak about my commitment to public service and family, talk about resiliency, compassion 20, and leadership in a changing world. Petty tall order. (Laughter.) I probably already flunked 21 the first part of the test.
But with the rest let me say upfront, and I mean this sincerely, there’s nothing particularly unique about me. With regard to resilience and compassion, there are countless 22 thousands of people, maybe some in the audience, who’ve suffered through personal losses similar to mine or much worse with much less support to help them get through it and much less reason to want to get through it.
It’s not that all that difficult, folks, to be compassionate 23 when you’ve been the beneficiary of compassion in your lowest moments not only from your family, but from your friends and total strangers. Because when you know how much it meant to you, you know how much it mattered. It’s not hard to be compassionate.
I was raised by a tough, compassionate Irish lady named Catherine Eugenia Finnegan Biden. And she taught all of her children that, but for the grace of God, there go you — but for the grace of God, there go you.
And a father who lived his motto that, family was the beginning, the middle, and the end. And like many of you and your parents, I was fortunate. I learned early on what I wanted to do, what fulfilled me the most, what made me happy — my family, my faith, and being engaged in the public affairs that gripped my generation and being inspired by a young President named Kennedy — civil rights, the environment, trying to end an incredibly useless and divisive war, Vietnam.
The truth is, though, that neither I, nor anyone else, can tell you what will make you happy, help you find success.
You each have different comfort levels. Everyone has different goals and aspirations 24. But one thing I’ve observed, one thing I know, an expression my dad would use often, is real. He used to say, it’s a lucky man or woman gets up in the morning — and I mean this sincerely. It was one of his expressions. It’s a lucky man or woman gets up in the morning, puts both feet on the floor, knows what they’re about to do, and thinks it still matters.
I’ve been lucky. And my wish for all of you is that not only tomorrow, but 20 and 40 and 50 years from now, you’ve found that sweet spot, that thing that allows you to get up in the morning, put both feet on the floor, go out and pursue what you love, and think it still matters.
Some of you will go to Silicon 25 Valley and make great contributions to empower individuals and societies and maybe even design a life-changing app, like how to unsubscribe to Obama for America e-mail list — (laughter) — the biggest “pan-list” of all times.
Some of you will go to Wall Street and big Wall Street law firms, government and activism, Peace Corps 26, Teach for America. You’ll become doctors, researchers, journalists, artists, actors, musicians. Two of you — one of whom was one of my former interns 27 in the White House, Sam Cohen, and Andrew Heymann — will be commissioned in the United States Navy. Congratulations, gentlemen. We’re proud of you. (Applause.)
But all of you have one thing in common you will all seek to find that sweet spot that satisfies your ambition and success and happiness.
I’ve met an awful lot of people in my career. And I’ve noticed one thing, those who are the most successful and the happiest — whether they’re working on Wall Street or Main Street, as a doctor or nurse, or as a lawyer, or a social worker, I’ve made certain basic observation about the ones who from my observation wherever they were in the world were able to find that sweet spot between success and happiness. Those who balance life and career, who find purpose and fulfillment, and where ambition leads them.
There’s no silver bullet, no single formula, no reductive list. But they all seem to understand that happiness and success result from an accumulation of thousands of little things built on character, all of which have certain common features in my observation.
First, the most successful and happiest people I’ve known understand that a good life at its core is about being personal. It’s about being engaged. It’s about being there for a friend or a colleague when they’re injured or in an accident, remembering the birthdays, congratulating them on their marriage, celebrating the birth of their child. It’s about being available to them when they’re going through personal loss. It’s about loving someone more than yourself, as one of your speakers have already mentioned. It all seems to get down to being personal.
That’s the stuff that fosters relationships. It’s the only way to breed trust in everything you do in your life.
Let me give you an example. After only four months in the United States Senate, as a 30-year-old kid, I was walking through the Senate floor to go to a meeting with Majority Leader Mike Mansfield. And I witnessed another newly elected senator, the extremely conservative Jesse Helms, excoriating 29 Ted 3 Kennedy and Bob Dole 30 for promoting the precursor 31 of the Americans with Disabilities Act. But I had to see the Leader, so I kept walking.
When I walked into Mansfield’s office, I must have looked as angry as I was. He was in his late ‘70s, lived to be 100. And he looked at me, he said, what’s bothering you, Joe?
I said, that guy, Helms, he has no social redeeming 32 value. He doesn’t care — I really mean it — I was angry. He doesn’t care about people in need. He has a disregard for the disabled.
Majority Leader Mansfield then proceeded to tell me that three years earlier, Jesse and Dot Helms, sitting in their living room in early December before Christmas, reading an ad in the Raleigh Observer, the picture of a young man, 14-years-old with braces 33 on his legs up to both hips 28, saying, all I want is someone to love me and adopt me. He looked at me and he said, and they adopted him, Joe.
I felt like a fool. He then went on to say, Joe, it’s always appropriate to question another man’s judgment 34, but never appropriate to question his motives 36 because you simply don’t know his motives.
It happened early in my career fortunately. From that moment on, I tried to look past the caricatures of my colleagues and try to see the whole person. Never once have I questioned another man’s or woman’s motive 35. And something started to change. If you notice, every time there’s a crisis in the Congress the last eight years, I get sent to the Hill to deal with it. It’s because every one of those men and women up there — whether they like me or not — know that I don’t judge them for what I think they’re thinking.
Because when you question a man’s motive, when you say they’re acting 37 out of greed, they’re in the pocket of an interest group, et cetera, it’s awful hard to reach consensus 38. It’s awful hard having to reach across the table and shake hands. No matter how bitterly you disagree, though, it is always possible if you question judgment and not motive.
Senator Helms and I continued to have profound political differences, but early on we both became the most powerful members of the Senate running the Foreign Relations Committee, as Chairmen and Ranking Members. But something happened, the mutual 39 defensiveness 40 began to dissipate. And as a result, we began to be able to work together in the interests of the country. And as Chairman and Ranking Member, we passed some of the most significant legislation passed in the last 40 years.
All of which he opposed — from paying tens of millions of dollars in arrearages to an institution, he despised, the United Nations — he was part of the so-called “black helicopter” crowd; to passing the chemical weapons treaty, constantly referring to, “we’ve never lost a war, and we’ve never won a treaty,” which he vehemently 41 opposed. But we were able to do these things not because he changed his mind, but because in this new relationship to maintain it is required to play fair, to be straight. The cheap shots ended. And the chicanery 42 to keep from having to being able to vote ended — even though he knew I had the votes.
After that, we went on as he began to look at the other side of things and do some great things together that he supported like PEPFAR — which by the way, George W. Bush deserves an overwhelming amount of credit for, by the way, which provided treatment and prevention HIV/AIDS in Africa and around the world, literally 43 saving millions of lives.
So one piece of advice is try to look beyond the caricature of the person with whom you have to work. Resist the temptation to ascribe motive, because you really don’t know — and it gets in the way of being able to reach a consensus on things that matter to you and to many other people.
Resist the temptation of your generation to let “network” become a verb that saps the personal away, that blinds you to the person right in front of you, blinds you to their hopes, their fears, and their burdens.
Build real relationships — even with people with whom you vehemently disagree. You’ll not only be happier. You will be more successful.
The second thing I’ve noticed is that although you know no one is better than you, every other persons is equal to you and deserves to be treated with dignity and respect.
I’ve worked with eight presidents, hundreds of senators. I’ve met every major world leader literally in the last 40 years. And I’ve had scores of talented people work for me. And here’s what I’ve observed: Regardless of their academic or social backgrounds, those who had the most success and who were most respected and therefore able to get the most done were the ones who never confused academic credentials 44 and societal sophistication with gravitas and judgment.
Don’t forget about what doesn’t come from this prestigious 45 diploma — the heart to know what’s meaningful and what’s ephemeral; and the head to know the difference between knowledge and judgment.
But even if you get these things right, I’ve observed that most people who are successful and happy remembered a third thing: Reality has a way of intruding 46.
I got elected in a very improbable year. Richard Nixon won my state overwhelmingly. George McGovern was at the top of the ticket. I got elected as the second-youngest man in the history of the United States to be elected, the stuff that provides and fuels raw ambition. And if you’re not careful, it fuels a sense of inevitability 47 that seeps 48 in. But be careful. Things can change in a heartbeat. I know. And so do many of your parents.
Six weeks after my election, my whole world was altered forever. While I was in Washington hiring staff, I got a phone call. My wife and three children were Christmas shopping, a tractor trailer broadsided them and killed my wife and killed my daughter. And they weren’t sure that my sons would live.
Many people have gone through things like that. But because I had the incredible good fortune of an extended family, grounded in love and loyalty 49, imbued 50 with a sense of obligation imparted to each of us, I not only got help. But by focusing on my sons, I found my redemption.
I can remember my mother — a sweet lady — looking at me, after we left the hospital, and saying, Joey, out of everything terrible that happens to you, something good will come if you look hard enough for it. She was right.
The incredible bond I have with my children is the gift I’m not sure I would have had, had I not been through what I went through. Who knows whether I would have been able to appreciate at that moment in my life, the heady moment in my life, what my first obligation was.
So I began to commute 51 — never intending to stay in Washington. And that’s the God’s truth. I was supposed to be sworn in with everyone else that year in ’73, but I wouldn’t go down. So Mansfield thought I’d change my mind and not come, and he sent up the secretary of the Senate to swear me in, in the hospital room with my children.
And I began to commute thinking I was only going to stay a little while — four hours a day, every day — from Washington to Wilmington, which I’ve done for over 37 years. I did it because I wanted to be able to kiss them goodnight and kiss them in the morning the next day. No, “Ozzie and Harriet” breakfast or great familial thing, just climb in bed with them. Because I came to realize that a child can hold an important thought, something they want to say to their mom and dad, maybe for 12 or 24 hours, and then it’s gone. And when it’s gone, it’s gone. And it all adds up.
But looking back on it, the truth be told, the real reason I went home every night was that I needed my children more than they needed me. Some at the time wrote and suggested that Biden can’t be a serious national figure. If he was, he’d stay in Washington more, attend to more important events. It’s obvious he’s not serious. He goes home after the last vote.
But I realized I didn’t miss a thing. Ambition is really important. You need it. And I certainly have never lacked in having ambition. But ambition without perspective can be a killer 52. I know a lot of you already understand this. Some of you really had to struggle to get here. And some of you have had to struggle to stay here. And some of your families made enormous sacrifices for this great privilege. And many of you faced your own crises, some unimaginable.
But the truth is all of you will go through something like this. You’ll wrestle 53 with these kinds of choices every day. But I’m here to tell you, you can find the balance between ambition and happiness, what will make you really feel fulfilled. And along the way, it helps a great deal if you can resist the temptation to rationalize.
My chief of staff for over 25 years, one of the finest men I’ve ever known, even though he graduated from Penn, and subsequently became a senator from the state of Delaware, Senator Ted Kaufman, every new hire, that we’d hire, the last thing he’d tell them was, and remember never underestimate the ability of the human mind to rationalize. Never underestimate the ability of the human mind to rationalize — her birthday really doesn’t matter that much to her, and this business trip is just a great opportunity; this won’t be his last game, and besides, I’d have to take the redeye to get back. We can always take this family vacation another time. There’s plenty of time.
For your generation, there’s an incredible amount of pressure on all of you to succeed, particularly now that you have accomplished 54 so much. You’re whole generation faces this pressure. I see it in my grandchildren who are honors students at other Ivy 55 universities right now. You race to do what others think is right in high school. You raced through the bloodsport of college admissions. You raced through Yale for the next big thing. And all along, some of you compare yourself to the success of your peers on Facebook, Instagram, Linked-In, Twitter.
Today, some of you may have found that you slipped into the self-referential bubble that validates 56 certain choices. And the bubble expands once you leave this campus, the pressures and anxiousness, as well — take this job, make that much money, live in this place, hang out with people like you, take no real risks and have no real impact, while getting paid for the false sense of both.
But resist that temptation to rationalize what others view is the right choice for you — instead of what you feel in your gut 57 is the right choice — that’s your North Star. Trust it. Follow it. You’re an incredible group of young women and men. And that’s not hyperbole. You’re an incredible group.
Let me conclude with this. I’m not going to moralize about to whom much is given, much is expected, because most of you have made of yourself much more than what you’ve been given. But now you are in a privileged position. You’re part of an exceptional generation and doors will open to you that will not open to others. My Yale Law School grad son graduated very well from Yale Law School. My other son out of loyalty to his deceased mother decided 58 to go to Syracuse Law School from Penn. They’re a year and a day apart in their age. The one who graduated from Yale had doors open to him, the lowest salary offered back in the early ‘90s was $50,000 more than a federal judge made. My other son, it was a struggle — equally as bright, went on to be elected one of the youngest attorney generals in the history of the state of Delaware, the most popular public official in my state. Big headline after the 2012 election, “Biden Most Popular Man in Delaware — Beau.” (Laughter.)
And as your parents will understand, my dad’s definition of success is when you look at your son and daughter and realize they turned out better than you, and they did. But you’ll have opportunities. Make the most of them and follow your heart. You have the intellectual horsepower to make things better in the world around you.
You’re also part of the most tolerant generation in history. I got roundly criticized because I could not remain quiet anymore about gay marriage. The one thing I was certain of is all of your generation was way beyond that point. (Applause.)
Here’s something else I observed — intellectual horsepower and tolerance 59 alone does not make a generation great: unless you can break out of the bubble of your own making — technologically 61, geographically 62, racially, and socioeconomically — to truly connect with the world around you. Because it matters.
No matter what your material success or personal circumstance, it matters. You can’t breathe fresh air or protect your children from a changing climate no matter what you make. If your sister is the victim of domestic violence, you are violated. If your brother can’t marry the man he loves, you are lessened 63. And if your best friend has to worry about being racially profiled, you live in a circumstance not worthy 64 of us. (Applause.) It matters.
So be successful. I sincerely hope some of you become millionaires and billionaires. I mean that. But engage the world around you because you will be more successful and happier. And you can absolutely succeed in life without sacrificing your ideals or your commitments to others and family. I’m confident that you can do that, and I’m confident that this generation will do it more than any other.
Look to your left, as they say, and look to your right. And remember how foolish the people next to you look — (laughter) — in those ridiculous hats. (Laughter.) That’s what I want you to remember. I mean this. Because it means you’ve learned something from a great tradition.
It means you’re willing to look foolish, you’re willing to run the risk of looking foolish in the service of what matters to you. And if you remember that, because some of the things your heart will tell you to do, will make you among your peers look foolish, or not smart, or not sophisticated. But we’ll all be better for people of your consequence to do it.
That’s what I want you to most remember. Not who spoke 65 at the day you all assembled on this mall. You’re a remarkable 66 class. I sure don’t remember who the hell was my commencement speaker. (Laughter.) I know this is not officially commencement. But ask your parents when you leave here, who spoke at your commencement? It’s a commencement speaker aversion of a commencement speaker’s fate to be forgotten. The question is only how quickly. But you’re the best in your generation. And that is not hyperbole. And you’re part of a remarkable generation.
And, you — you’re on the cusp of some of the most astonishing breakthroughs in the history of mankind — scientific, technological 60, socially – that’s going to change the way you live and the whole world works. But it will be up to you in this changing world to translate those unprecedented 67 capabilities 68 into a greater measure of happiness and meaning — not just for yourself, but for the world around you.
And I feel more confident for my children and grandchildren knowing that the men and women who graduate here today, here and across the country, will be in their midst. That’s the honest truth. That’s the God’s truth. That’s my word as a Biden.
Congratulations, Class of 2015. And may God bless you and may God protect our troops. Thank you.
1 vice
n.坏事;恶习;[pl.]台钳,老虎钳;adj.副的
- He guarded himself against vice.他避免染上坏习惯。
- They are sunk in the depth of vice.他们堕入了罪恶的深渊。
2 inviting
adj.诱人的,引人注目的
- An inviting smell of coffee wafted into the room.一股诱人的咖啡香味飘进了房间。
- The kitchen smelled warm and inviting and blessedly familiar.这间厨房的味道温暖诱人,使人感到亲切温馨。
3 ted
vt.翻晒,撒,撒开
- The invaders gut ted the village.侵略者把村中财物洗劫一空。
- She often teds the corn when it's sunny.天好的时候她就翻晒玉米。
4 faculty
n.才能;学院,系;(学院或系的)全体教学人员
- He has a great faculty for learning foreign languages.他有学习外语的天赋。
- He has the faculty of saying the right thing at the right time.他有在恰当的时候说恰当的话的才智。
5 full-time
adj.满工作日的或工作周的,全时间的
- A full-time job may be too much for her.全天工作她恐怕吃不消。
- I don't know how she copes with looking after her family and doing a full-time job.既要照顾家庭又要全天工作,我不知道她是如何对付的。
6 sibling
n.同胞手足(指兄、弟、姐或妹)
- Many of us hate living in the shadows of a more successful sibling.我们很多人都讨厌活在更为成功的手足的阴影下。
- Sibling ravalry has been common in this family.这个家里,兄弟姊妹之间的矛盾很平常。
7 siblings
n.兄弟,姐妹( sibling的名词复数 )
- A triplet sleeps amongst its two siblings. 一个三胞胎睡在其两个同胞之间。 来自《简明英汉词典》
- She has no way of tracking the donor or her half-siblings down. 她没办法找到那个捐精者或她的兄弟姐妹。 来自时文部分
8 pundits
n.某一学科的权威,专家( pundit的名词复数 )
- The pundits disagree on the best way of dealing with the problem. 如何妥善处理这一问题,专家众说纷纭。 来自辞典例句
- That did not stop Chinese pundits from making a fuss over it. 这并没有阻止中国的博学之士对此大惊小怪。 来自互联网
9 toads
n.蟾蜍,癞蛤蟆( toad的名词复数 )
- All toads blink when they swallow. 所有的癞蛤蟆吞食东西时都会眨眼皮。 来自《简明英汉词典》
- Toads have shorter legs and are generally more clumsy than frogs. 蟾蜍比青蛙脚短,一般说来没有青蛙灵活。 来自辞典例句
10 adviser
n.劝告者,顾问
- They employed me as an adviser.他们聘请我当顾问。
- Our department has engaged a foreign teacher as phonetic adviser.我们系已经聘请了一位外籍老师作为语音顾问。
11 holocaust
n.大破坏;大屠杀
- The Auschwitz concentration camp always remind the world of the holocaust.奥辛威茨集中营总是让世人想起大屠杀。
- Ahmadinejad is denying the holocaust because he's as brutal as Hitler was.内贾德否认大屠杀,因为他像希特勒一样残忍。
12 survivor
n.生存者,残存者,幸存者
- The sole survivor of the crash was an infant.这次撞车的惟一幸存者是一个婴儿。
- There was only one survivor of the plane crash.这次飞机失事中只有一名幸存者。
13 Congressman
n.(美)国会议员
- He related several anecdotes about his first years as a congressman.他讲述自己初任议员那几年的几则轶事。
- The congressman is meditating a reply to his critics.这位国会议员正在考虑给他的批评者一个答复。
14 immediate
adj.立即的;直接的,最接近的;紧靠的
- His immediate neighbours felt it their duty to call.他的近邻认为他们有责任去拜访。
- We declared ourselves for the immediate convocation of the meeting.我们主张立即召开这个会议。
15 freshman
n.大学一年级学生(可兼指男女)
- Jack decided to live in during his freshman year at college.杰克决定大一时住校。
- He is a freshman in the show business.他在演艺界是一名新手。
16 hilarious
adj.充满笑声的,欢闹的;[反]depressed
- The party got quite hilarious after they brought more wine.在他们又拿来更多的酒之后,派对变得更加热闹起来。
- We stop laughing because the show was so hilarious.我们笑个不停,因为那个节目太搞笑了。
17 funky
adj.畏缩的,怯懦的,霉臭的;adj.新式的,时髦的
- The kitchen smelled really funky.这个厨房有一股霉味。
- It is a funky restaurant with very interesting art on the walls.那是一家墙上挂着很有意思的绘画的新潮餐馆。
18 residential
adj.提供住宿的;居住的;住宅的
- The mayor inspected the residential section of the city.市长视察了该市的住宅区。
- The residential blocks were integrated with the rest of the college.住宿区与学院其他部分结合在了一起。
19 redundant
adj.多余的,过剩的;(食物)丰富的;被解雇的
- There are too many redundant words in this book.这本书里多余的词太多。
- Nearly all the redundant worker have been absorbed into other departments.几乎所有冗员,都已调往其他部门任职。
20 compassion
n.同情,怜悯
- He could not help having compassion for the poor creature.他情不自禁地怜悯起那个可怜的人来。
- Her heart was filled with compassion for the motherless children.她对于没有母亲的孩子们充满了怜悯心。
21 flunked
v.( flunk的过去式和过去分词 );(使)(考试、某学科的成绩等)不及格;评定(某人)不及格;(因不及格而) 退学
- I flunked math in second grade. 我二年级时数学不及格。
- He flunked out (of college) last year. 他去年(从大学)退学了。 来自《简明英汉词典》
22 countless
adj.无数的,多得不计其数的
- In the war countless innocent people lost their lives.在这场战争中无数无辜的人丧失了性命。
- I've told you countless times.我已经告诉你无数遍了。
23 compassionate
adj.有同情心的,表示同情的
- She is a compassionate person.她是一个有同情心的人。
- The compassionate judge gave the young offender a light sentence.慈悲的法官从轻判处了那个年轻罪犯。
24 aspirations
强烈的愿望( aspiration的名词复数 ); 志向; 发送气音; 发 h 音
- I didn't realize you had political aspirations. 我没有意识到你有政治上的抱负。
- The new treaty embodies the aspirations of most nonaligned countries. 新条约体现了大多数不结盟国家的愿望。
25 silicon
n.硅(旧名矽)
- This company pioneered the use of silicon chip.这家公司开创了使用硅片的方法。
- A chip is a piece of silicon about the size of a postage stamp.芯片就是一枚邮票大小的硅片。
26 corps
n.(通信等兵种的)部队;(同类作的)一组
- The medical corps were cited for bravery in combat.医疗队由于在战场上的英勇表现而受嘉奖。
- When the war broke out,he volunteered for the Marine Corps.战争爆发时,他自愿参加了海军陆战队。
27 interns
n.住院实习医生( intern的名词复数 )v.拘留,关押( intern的第三人称单数 )
- Our interns also greet our guests when they arrive in our studios. 我们的实习生也会在嘉宾抵达演播室的时候向他们致以问候。 来自超越目标英语 第4册
- The interns work alongside experienced civil engineers and receive training in the different work sectors. 实习生陪同有经验的国内工程师工作,接受不同工作部门的相关培训。 来自超越目标英语 第4册
28 hips
abbr.high impact polystyrene 高冲击强度聚苯乙烯,耐冲性聚苯乙烯n.臀部( hip的名词复数 );[建筑学]屋脊;臀围(尺寸);臀部…的
- She stood with her hands on her hips. 她双手叉腰站着。
- They wiggled their hips to the sound of pop music. 他们随着流行音乐的声音摇晃着臀部。 来自《简明英汉词典》
29 excoriating
v.擦伤( excoriate的现在分词 );擦破(皮肤);剥(皮);严厉指责
- He listened to her excoriating on the telephone. 他听到电话里她在叫骂。 来自互联网
30 dole
n.救济,(失业)救济金;vt.(out)发放,发给
- It's not easy living on the dole.靠领取失业救济金生活并不容易。
- Many families are living on the dole since the strike.罢工以来,许多家庭靠失业救济金度日。
31 precursor
n.先驱者;前辈;前任;预兆;先兆
- Error is often the precursor of what is correct.错误常常是正确的先导。
- He said that the deal should not be seen as a precursor to a merger.他说该笔交易不应该被看作是合并的前兆。
32 redeeming
补偿的,弥补的
- I found him thoroughly unpleasant, with no redeeming qualities whatsoever. 我觉得他一点也不讨人喜欢,没有任何可取之处。
- The sole redeeming feature of this job is the salary. 这份工作唯其薪水尚可弥补一切之不足。
33 braces
n.吊带,背带;托架( brace的名词复数 );箍子;括弧;(儿童)牙箍v.支住( brace的第三人称单数 );撑牢;使自己站稳;振作起来
- The table is shaky because the braces are loose. 这张桌子摇摇晃晃,因为支架全松了。
- You don't need braces if you're wearing a belt! 要系腰带,就用不着吊带了。
34 judgment
n.审判;判断力,识别力,看法,意见
- The chairman flatters himself on his judgment of people.主席自认为他审视人比别人高明。
- He's a man of excellent judgment.他眼力过人。
35 motive
n.动机,目的;adv.发动的,运动的
- The police could not find a motive for the murder.警察不能找到谋杀的动机。
- He had some motive in telling this fable.他讲这寓言故事是有用意的。
37 acting
n.演戏,行为,假装;adj.代理的,临时的,演出用的
- Ignore her,she's just acting.别理她,她只是假装的。
- During the seventies,her acting career was in eclipse.在七十年代,她的表演生涯黯然失色。
38 consensus
n.(意见等的)一致,一致同意,共识
- Can we reach a consensus on this issue?我们能在这个问题上取得一致意见吗?
- What is the consensus of opinion at the afternoon meeting?下午会议上一致的意见是什么?
39 mutual
adj.相互的,彼此的;共同的,共有的
- We must pull together for mutual interest.我们必须为相互的利益而通力合作。
- Mutual interests tied us together.相互的利害关系把我们联系在一起。
40 defensiveness
防御性
- The fear of being sued for malpractice has magnified physicians' defensiveness. 担心因医疗事故而被起诉的恐惧加剧了医生们的防卫心理。
- This outbreak of defensiveness embodies one paradox and several myths. 排外行动的爆发,体现了一个矛盾和几个“神话”。
41 vehemently
adv. 热烈地
- He argued with his wife so vehemently that he talked himself hoarse. 他和妻子争论得很激烈,以致讲话的声音都嘶哑了。
- Both women vehemently deny the charges against them. 两名妇女都激烈地否认了对她们的指控。
42 chicanery
n.欺诈,欺骗
- We will continue to see such chicanery in the future.在往后的日子我们仍将看到这样的骗局持续上演。
- Why do you give me so much chicanery as a explanation?你为什么给我那么多狡辩的解释?
43 literally
adv.照字面意义,逐字地;确实
- He translated the passage literally.他逐字逐句地翻译这段文字。
- Sometimes she would not sit down till she was literally faint.有时候,她不走到真正要昏厥了,决不肯坐下来。
44 credentials
n.证明,资格,证明书,证件
- He has long credentials of diplomatic service.他的外交工作资历很深。
- Both candidates for the job have excellent credentials.此项工作的两个求职者都非常符合资格。
45 prestigious
adj.有威望的,有声望的,受尊敬的
- The young man graduated from a prestigious university.这个年轻人毕业于一所名牌大学。
- You may even join a prestigious magazine as a contributing editor.甚至可能会加入一个知名杂志做编辑。
46 intruding
v.侵入,侵扰,打扰( intrude的现在分词);把…强加于
- Does he find his new celebrity intruding on his private life? 他是否感觉到他最近的成名侵扰了他的私生活?
- After a few hours of fierce fighting,we saw the intruding bandits off. 经过几小时的激烈战斗,我们赶走了入侵的匪徒。 来自《简明英汉词典》
47 inevitability
n.必然性
- Evolutionism is normally associated with a belief in the inevitability of progress. 进化主义通常和一种相信进步不可避免的看法相联系。
- It is the tide of the times, an inevitability of history. 这是时代的潮流,历史的必然。
48 seeps
n.(液体)渗( seep的名词复数 );渗透;渗出;漏出v.(液体)渗( seep的第三人称单数 );渗透;渗出;漏出
- Water seeps through sand. 水渗入沙中。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
- Water seeps out of the wall. 水从墙里沁出。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
49 loyalty
n.忠诚,忠心
- She told him the truth from a sense of loyalty.她告诉他真相是出于忠诚。
- His loyalty to his friends was never in doubt.他对朋友的一片忠心从来没受到怀疑。
50 imbued
v.使(某人/某事)充满或激起(感情等)( imbue的过去式和过去分词 );使充满;灌输;激发(强烈感情或品质等)
- Her voice was imbued with an unusual seriousness. 她的声音里充满着一种不寻常的严肃语气。
- These cultivated individuals have been imbued with a sense of social purpose. 这些有教养的人满怀着社会责任感。 来自《简明英汉词典》
51 commute
vi.乘车上下班;vt.减(刑);折合;n.上下班交通
- I spend much less time on my commute to work now.我现在工作的往返时间要节省好多。
- Most office workers commute from the suburbs.很多公司的职员都是从郊外来上班的。
52 killer
n.杀人者,杀人犯,杀手,屠杀者
- Heart attacks have become Britain's No.1 killer disease.心脏病已成为英国的头号致命疾病。
- The bulk of the evidence points to him as her killer.大量证据证明是他杀死她的。
53 wrestle
vi.摔跤,角力;搏斗;全力对付
- He taught his little brother how to wrestle.他教他小弟弟如何摔跤。
- We have to wrestle with difficulties.我们必须同困难作斗争。
54 accomplished
adj.有才艺的;有造诣的;达到了的
- Thanks to your help,we accomplished the task ahead of schedule.亏得你们帮忙,我们才提前完成了任务。
- Removal of excess heat is accomplished by means of a radiator.通过散热器完成多余热量的排出。
55 ivy
n.常青藤,常春藤
- Her wedding bouquet consisted of roses and ivy.她的婚礼花篮包括玫瑰和长春藤。
- The wall is covered all over with ivy.墙上爬满了常春藤。
56 validates
v.证实( validate的第三人称单数 );确证;使生效;使有法律效力
- Other research validates that when it comes to chocolate, type does matter. 其他的研究也证实了不同种类的巧克力确实功效不同。 来自互联网
- Trouble shoots equipment, review and validates data and complete reports. 管理错误描述设备,审查并确认试验数据,完成试验报告。 来自互联网
57 gut
n.[pl.]胆量;内脏;adj.本能的;vt.取出内脏
- It is not always necessary to gut the fish prior to freezing.冷冻鱼之前并不总是需要先把内脏掏空。
- My immediate gut feeling was to refuse.我本能的直接反应是拒绝。
58 decided
adj.决定了的,坚决的;明显的,明确的
- This gave them a decided advantage over their opponents.这使他们比对手具有明显的优势。
- There is a decided difference between British and Chinese way of greeting.英国人和中国人打招呼的方式有很明显的区别。
59 tolerance
n.宽容;容忍,忍受;耐药力;公差
- Tolerance is one of his strengths.宽容是他的一个优点。
- Human beings have limited tolerance of noise.人类对噪音的忍耐力有限。
60 technological
adj.技术的;工艺的
- A successful company must keep up with the pace of technological change.一家成功的公司必须得跟上技术变革的步伐。
- Today,the pace of life is increasing with technological advancements.当今, 随着科技进步,生活节奏不断增快。
61 technologically
ad.技术上地
- Shanghai is a technologically advanced city. 上海是中国的一个技术先进的城市。
- Many senior managers are technologically illiterate. 许多高级经理都对技术知之甚少。
62 geographically
adv.地理学上,在地理上,地理方面
- Geographically, the UK is on the periphery of Europe. 从地理位置上讲,英国处于欧洲边缘。 来自辞典例句
- All these events, however geographically remote, urgently affected Western financial centers. 所有这些事件,无论发生在地理上如何遥远的地方,都对西方金融中心产生紧迫的影响。 来自名作英译部分
63 lessened
减少的,减弱的
- Listening to the speech through an interpreter lessened its impact somewhat. 演讲辞通过翻译的嘴说出来,多少削弱了演讲的力量。
- The flight to suburbia lessened the number of middle-class families living within the city. 随着迁往郊外的风行,住在城内的中产家庭减少了。
64 worthy
adj.(of)值得的,配得上的;有价值的
- I did not esteem him to be worthy of trust.我认为他不值得信赖。
- There occurred nothing that was worthy to be mentioned.没有值得一提的事发生。
65 spoke
n.(车轮的)辐条;轮辐;破坏某人的计划;阻挠某人的行动 v.讲,谈(speak的过去式);说;演说;从某种观点来说
- They sourced the spoke nuts from our company.他们的轮辐螺帽是从我们公司获得的。
- The spokes of a wheel are the bars that connect the outer ring to the centre.辐条是轮子上连接外圈与中心的条棒。
66 remarkable
adj.显著的,异常的,非凡的,值得注意的
- She has made remarkable headway in her writing skills.她在写作技巧方面有了长足进步。
- These cars are remarkable for the quietness of their engines.这些汽车因发动机没有噪音而不同凡响。
67 unprecedented
adj.无前例的,新奇的
- The air crash caused an unprecedented number of deaths.这次空难的死亡人数是空前的。
- A flood of this sort is really unprecedented.这样大的洪水真是十年九不遇。
68 capabilities
n.能力( capability的名词复数 );可能;容量;[复数]潜在能力
- He was somewhat pompous and had a high opinion of his own capabilities. 他有点自大,自视甚高。 来自辞典例句
- Some programmers use tabs to break complex product capabilities into smaller chunks. 一些程序员认为,标签可以将复杂的功能分为每个窗格一组简单的功能。 来自About Face 3交互设计精髓