The-Fringe-Benefits-of-Failure

TheFringeBenefitsofFailure,andtheImportanceofImagination失败的好处和想象的重要性------JK·罗琳2008年哈佛大学毕业演讲PresidentFaust,membersoftheHarvardCorporationandtheBoardofOverseers,membersofthefaculty,proudparents,and,aboveall,graduates.福斯特校长，哈佛集团的各位成员，监管理事会的各位理事，各位老师，各位自豪的家长，以及最重要的各位毕业生同学，ThefirstthingIwouldliketosayis'thankyou.'NotonlyhasHarvardgivenmeanextraordinaryhonour,buttheweeksoffearandnauseaIhaveenduredatthethoughtofgivingthiscommencementaddresshavemademeloseweight.Awin-winsituation!NowallIhavetodoistakedeepbreaths,squintattheredbannersandconvincemyselfthatIamattheworld'slargestGryffindorreunion.我想说的第一句话，就是谢谢。不仅因为哈佛给了我这样非同一般的荣誉，还因为为了构思今天的演讲，我忍受了几个星期的担惊受怕、茶饭不思的生活，使得我体重减轻。这真可谓双赢啊！现在，我唯一要做的就是深呼吸，偷偷看一眼四周飘扬的红色旗帜，让自己相信真的来到了世界上最大的格兰芬多聚会。Deliveringacommencementaddressisagreatresponsibility;orsoIthoughtuntilIcastmymindbacktomyowngraduation.ThecommencementspeakerthatdaywasthedistinguishedBritishphilosopherBaronessMaryWarnock.Reflectingonherspeechhashelpedmeenormouslyinwritingthisone,becauseitturnsoutthatIcan'trememberasinglewordshesaid.ThisliberatingdiscoveryenablesmetoproceedwithoutanyfearthatImightinadvertentlyinfluenceyoutoabandonpromisingcareersinbusiness,thelaworpoliticsforthegiddydelightsofbecomingagaywizard.在毕业典礼上发表演讲，是一项巨大的责任，令我倍感压力。直到我回忆起了自己的毕业典礼，才稍稍放松。那一次的演讲嘉宾是杰出的英国哲学家玛丽·沃诺克。回想她的演讲，极大地帮助我写作自己的演讲稿，因为我发现一点也不记得她的任何一句话了。这个发现让我如释重负，不再害怕自己在不经意间就对你们产生影响，让你们放弃在商业、法律、政治方面的大好前途，去追求成为一个快乐巫师的那种令人眩晕的愉悦。Yousee?Ifallyourememberinyearstocomeisthe'gaywizard'joke,I'vecomeoutaheadofBaronessMaryWarnock.Achievablegoals:thefirststeptoselfimprovement.你们明白吗？如果多年以后，你们只记得我讲的这个快乐巫师的笑话，我就已经超过玛丽·沃诺克了。可以实现的目标，是自己改进的第一步。Actually,IhavewrackedmymindandheartforwhatIoughttosaytoyoutoday.IhaveaskedmyselfwhatIwishIhadknownatmyowngraduation,andwhatimportantlessonsIhavelearnedinthe21yearsthathaveexpiredbetweenthatdayandthis.实际上，我真的是绞尽脑汁，思索今天自己到底应该讲什么。我问自己，当年我毕业的时候，希望知道哪些事情；以及21年后的今天，我又从人生中得到哪些重要的经验教训。Ihavecomeupwithtwoanswers.Onthiswonderfuldaywhenwearegatheredtogethertocelebrateyouracademicsuccess,Ihavedecidedtotalktoyouaboutthebenefitsoffailure.Andasyoustandonthethresholdofwhatissometimescalled'reallife',Iwanttoextolthecrucialimportanceofimagination.我得到了两个回答。这个美妙的日子，我们聚集一堂，庆祝你们在学业上的成功，但是我决定跟你们说说失败的好处。以及当你们站在所谓真实世界的门槛之上的时候，我要颂扬想象力的重要性。Thesemayseemquixoticorparadoxicalchoices,butpleasebearwithme.这样的主题可能看上去有点异想天开和自相矛盾，但是请听下去。Lookingbackatthe21-year-oldthatIwasatgraduation,isaslightlyuncomfortableexperienceforthe42-year-oldthatshehasbecome.Halfmylifetimeago,IwasstrikinganuneasybalancebetweentheambitionIhadformyself,andwhatthoseclosesttomeexpectedofme.对于一个42岁的妇女来说，回想自己21岁毕业时的情景，是一种稍稍令人不安的经历。回到21年之前，我正遭受煎熬，不知道在自己内心的追求与父母对我的期望之间，应该如何平衡。IwasconvincedthattheonlythingIwantedtodo,ever,wastowritenovels.However,myparents,bothofwhomcamefromimpoverishedbackgroundsandneitherofwhomhadbeentocollege,tooktheviewthatmyoveractiveimaginationwasanamusingpersonalquirkthatwouldneverpayamortgage,orsecureapension.Iknowthattheironystrikeswiththeforceofacartoonanvil,now.当时，我确信自己一生中唯一想做的事情，就是去写小说。但是，我的父母出身贫寒，没有受过大学教育。他们认为，我那些不安分的想象力只是一种怪癖，根本不能用来还房贷，或者挣来养老金。我现在知道，这种人生的反讽，有着卡通片里大铁砧般的巨大打击力。SotheyhopedthatIwouldtakeavocationaldegree;IwantedtostudyEnglishLiterature.Acompromisewasreachedthatinretrospectsatisfiednobody,andIwentuptostudyModernLanguages.Hardlyhadmyparents'carroundedthecornerattheendoftheroadthanIditchedGermanandscuttledoffdowntheClassicscorridor.他们希望我再去读个职业学位，而我想去研究英国文学。最后，达成了一个双方都不甚满意的妥协：我改学语言学。可是等到父母的车消失在公路的转角，我就立刻抛掉了德语，奔向古典文学的道路。IcannotremembertellingmyparentsthatIwasstudyingClassics;theymightwellhavefoundoutforthefirsttimeongraduationday.Ofallthesubjectsonthisplanet,IthinktheywouldhavebeenhardputtonameonelessusefulthanGreekmythologywhenitcametosecuringthekeystoanexecutivebathroom.我不记得将这事告诉了父母。他们可能是在毕业典礼那一天才发现的。我想，在全世界的所有专业中，他们也许认为，不会有比研究希腊神话更没用的专业了，根本无法换来一间独立的宽敞卫生间。Iwouldliketomakeitclear,inparenthesis,thatIdonotblamemyparentsfortheirpointofview.Thereisanexpirydateonblamingyourparentsforsteeringyouinthewrongdirection;themomentyouareoldenoughtotakethewheel,responsibilitylieswithyou.Whatismore,IcannotcriticisemyparentsforhopingthatIwouldneverexperiencepoverty.Theyhadbeenpoorthemselves,andIhavesincebeenpoor,andIquiteagreewiththemthatitisnotanennoblingexperience.Povertyentailsfear,andstress,andsometimesdepression;itmeansathousandpettyhumiliationsandhardships.Climbingoutofpovertybyyourownefforts,thatisindeedsomethingonwhichtoprideyourself,butpovertyitselfisromanticisedonlybyfools.我要申明，我并不责怪父母有这种看法。父母只在一段时间内，对你的人生方向负责；当你长大以后，你自己就控制了人生方向，必须自己承担责任。而且，他们只是希望我不要过穷日子，我不能批评他们。他们自己很穷，我后来一度也很穷，所以我很理解他们，贫穷是一种悲惨的经历。它带来恐惧、压力、有时还有抑郁。它意味着许许多多的羞辱和艰辛。靠自己的努力摆脱贫穷，确实让人自豪，但是只有傻瓜才会将贫穷本身浪漫化。Ameresevenyearsaftermygraduationday,Ihadfailedonanepicscale.我毕业后只过了7年，就失败得一塌糊涂。Anexceptionallyshort-livedmarriagehadimploded,andIwasjobless,aloneparent,andaspoorasitispossibletobeinmodernBritain,withoutbeinghomeless.Thefearsmyparentshadhadforme,andthatIhadhadformyself,hadbothcometopass,andbyeveryusualstandard,IwasthebiggestfailureIknew.短命的婚姻闪电般地破裂，我还失业了，成了一个艰难的单身母亲。除了流浪汉，我是当代英国最穷的人之一，真的一无所有。我父母对我的担忧，我对自己的担忧，都变成了现