Develop your own compass，and trust it.Take risks，dare to fail，remember the first person through the wall always gets hurt.My junior and senior years at Syracuse，I shared a five-bedroom apartment at the top of East Adams with four roommates，one of whom was a fellow，theater major，named Chris.Chris was a sweet guy with a sly sense of humor and a sunny stage presence.He was born out of his time and would have felt most at home playing Mickey Rooney’s sidekick in“Babes on Broadway”.I had subscriptions back then to Time and Newsweek.Chris used to enjoy making fun of what he felt was an odd interest in world events that had nothing to do with the arts.I lost touch with Chris after we graduated and so I‘m not quite certain when he died.But I remember about a year and a half after the last time I saw him，I read an article in Newsweek about a virus that was burning its way across the country.The Centers for Disease Control was calling it“Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome”or AIDS for short.And they were asking the White House for$35million for research，care and cure.The White House felt that$35million was way too much money to spend on a disease that was only affecting homosexuals，and they passed.Which I’m sure they wouldn‘t have done if they’d known that$35million was a steal compared to the$2billion it would cost only 10years later.Am I saying that Chris would be alive today if only he‘d read Newsweek？Of course not.But it seems to me that more and more we’ve come to expect，less and less of each other，and that‘s got to change.Your friends，your family，this school expect more of you than vocational success.
Today is May 13th and today you graduate and the rules are about to change，and one of them is this：Decisions are made by those who show up.Don’t ever forget that you‘re a citizen of this world，and there are things you can do to lift the human spirit，things that are easy，things that are free，things that you can do every day.Civility，respect，kindness，character.You’re too good for schadenfreude，you‘re too good for gossip and snarky，you’re too good for intolerance—and since you‘re walking into the middle of a presidential election，it’s worth mentioning that you‘re too good to think people who disagree with you are your enemy.Unless they went to Georgetown，in which case，they can go to hell.
Don’t ever forget that a small group of thoughtful people can change the world.It‘s the only thing that ever has.Rehearsal’s over.You‘re going out there now，you’re going to do this thing.How you live matters.You‘re going to fall down，but the world doesn’t care how many times you fall down as long as it‘s one fewer than the number of times you get back up.
For the class of 2012，I wish you joy.I wish you health and happiness and success，I wish you a roof，four walls，a floor and someone in your life that you care about more than you care about yourself.Someone who makes you start saying“we”where before you used to say“I”and“us”where you used to say“me”.I wish you the quality of friends I have and the quality of colleagues I work with.Baseball players say they don’t have to look to see if they hit a home run，they can feel it.So I wish for you a moment—a moment soon—when you really put the bat on the ball，when you really get a hold of one and drive it into the upper deck，when you feel it.When you aim high and hit your target，when just for a moment all else disappears，and you soar with wings as eagles.The moment will end as quickly as it came，and so you‘ll have to have it back，and so you’ll get it back no matter what the obstacles.A lofty prediction，to be sure，but I flat out guarantee it.
Today is May 13th and today is your graduate，my friends，thank you.Congratulations！
译文参考
勇于冒险、不怕失败
——阿伦·索尔金在雪城大学的演讲
谢谢，非常感谢。
校长夫人、校董会委员、所有教职员、各位家长和朋友、各位来宾和毕业生，感谢你们今天邀请我在这个盛大的毕业典礼上演讲。
我先讲一个关于一对夫妇的故事，某天晚餐时，妻子转过头对丈夫说：“你知道吗？40年前，我们结婚那天，你对我说你爱我，自此之后你就不曾说过了。”沉默了许久之后，丈夫终于开口说道：“如果我改变注意了，一定会让你知道的。”
我像你们这么大坐在台下好像是很久之前的事情了，我还记得当时的自己满怀着敬佩、感激和喜爱的复杂心情看着台上的老师，当时的有些老师今天还坐在那里。我想让他们知道的是，我对他们的感情从未改变。
再讲一个故事。在医院的育儿室里并排躺着两个新生儿，他们彼此看了一眼。90年后，在一个不可思议的巧合下，两人同时躺在一家医院的病房里。他们看着对方，其中一位问道：“你感觉如何？”
当然你们还要很久才需要回答这个问题，但是物转星移，时光流逝。这点只要问一下你们的父母就能知道。我向你们保证，现在他们的思绪也乱成一团，因为他们好像上个月才将你们从产房抱回家，上周才教会你走路。但是他们不明白的是怎么今天你们就要大学毕业了。他们肯定是一路上听着“摇篮里的猫”来到这里的。
我想告诉各位家长的是，我在写这篇演讲稿时才领悟到的：你们孩子大学里最后一位老师将会是我。这个念头令我胆战心惊。说实话，你们也应该有相同的感觉。但作为一个11岁女孩的父亲，我能了解你们今天到底有多骄傲；你们子女的点点滴滴让你们多么自豪；他们确实是上周才会走路；而你永远不会千里迢迢来参加他们的毕业典礼；他们永远无法知道你究竟有多么爱他；无论他们的学历有多高，他们永远是孩子。
没错，你们确实是笨蛋。你们是一群受过良好教育的笨蛋。我也经历过这个阶段，我们大家都经历过这个阶段。你们几乎无法做什么大事，因为总是有一些愚蠢的想法影响你的决定，我希望我能告诉你们如何避开那些想法，但是你依然无法逃避。生命无法预知，而你变得超级愚蠢。
今天是5月13日，你们毕业的日子。成长过程中，每隔几年我就会标注一下我人生的时间轴。每当我走过一个里程碑，就可以得到更多的自由和奖励。当我拿到驾照时，生活是这样的；当我上了高中时，生活是那样的；当我步入大学时，生活是这样的；当我搬出宿舍时，生活是这样的；终于到了毕业，毕业那天，我只剩下一个目标了，那就是成为专业的演员。而在这一点上我们是一致的，我们都希望能够从事自己感兴趣的工作，无论是作家、数学家、工程师、建筑师、屠夫、面包师或烛台制造商，你们都希望能够登上属于自己的舞台。
今天是5月13日，你们毕业的日子，我相信我懂的道理你们也明白。想要达成心愿，就要有更好的表现；希望获得成功，就必须有超乎寻常的表现。或许你能侥幸，但大多时候失败在所难免；大多的情况你无法掌控。
当我的第一部电影《军官与魔鬼》开拍时，剧组成员中有一个10个月前刚刚修完加州大学洛杉矶分校戏剧表演课程的演员。他很讨人喜欢，在剧中饰演一个不是很重要，但是很显眼的角色——一位傻气但很讨喜的海军下士。这位演员曾干过10个月Domino披萨的送货员，所以能够获得第一次出演的机会令他倍感兴奋。而这部电影是由Rob Reiner导演，汤姆·克鲁斯和杰克·尼克逊主演。这是影视圈经常发生的情况，你还没准备好前，成名的机会就接踵而来了。一周后，这个演员的经纪人给剧组打电话，说米洛斯·福尔曼一部尚未命名的电影邀请这位演员担任主角。他感到欣喜若狂，虽然他认为应该对第一个机会表示忠诚，但是毕竟那部电影是个主角。于是我们回复他说，我们了解，没问题，祝你好运。于是我们用了替补演员，我们确实这么做的。2周以后，米洛斯·福尔曼这部影片停拍了，我们的替补演员因此得到了他职业生涯中的第一次机会，而这位演员叫做Noah Wyle。Noah之后成为电视《急诊室的春天》主角之一，至今仍在演艺圈大放异彩。我不知道第一位演员现况如何，甚至也想不起他的名字。所以有时候，就在你以为自己已安全上垒时，却只能回到Domino送披萨。欢迎来到野蛮世界。