美国甲骨文的CEO拉里.埃利森耶鲁大学演讲（附英文）

 美国甲骨文的CEO拉里.埃利森被邀在耶鲁大学2000届毕业典礼上的演讲，

    耶鲁的毕业生们，我很抱歉——如果你们不喜欢这样的开场。我想请你们为我做一件事。请你好好看一看周围，看一看站在你左边的同学，看一看站在你右边的同学。
    请你设想这样的情况：从现在起5年之后，10年之后，或30年之后，今天站在你左边的这个人会是一个失败者，右边的这个人，同样，也是个失败者。而你，站在中间的家伙，你以为会怎样？一样是个失败者。失败的经历，失败的优等生。
    说实话，今天我站在这里，并没有看到1000个毕业生的灿烂未来。我没有看到1000个行业的1000名卓越领导者，我只看到了1000个失败者。你们感到沮丧，这是可以理解的，为什么，我，埃利森，一个退学者，竟然在美国最具声望的学府里这样厚颜地散布异端！我来告诉你原因。因为，我，埃利森，这个星球上第二富有的人，是个退学生，而你不是。因为比尔.盖茨，这个星球上最富有的人，就目前来说，是个退学生，而你不是。因为艾伦，这个星球上第三富有的人，也退了学，而你没有。再来一点证据吧，因为戴尔，这个星球上第九富有的人，他的排位还在不断上升，也是个退学生，而你不是。
    ......你非常沮丧，这是可以理解的
    你们将来需要这些有用的工作习惯，你将来需要这种“治疗”。你需要它们，因为你没有辍学，所以你永远不会成为世界上最富有的人，哦，当然，你可以，也许，以你自己的方式进步到第十位，第十一位，就像Steve。但，我没有告诉你，他在为谁工作，是吧？
    根据记载，他是研究生时辍学的，开化得稍晚了些。
    现在，我猜想你们中间很多人，也许是绝大多数人，正在琢磨，“我能做什么？我究竟有没有前途？”当然没有。太晚了，你们已经吸收了太多东西，以为自己懂得太多。你们再也不是19岁了，你们有了“内置”的帽子，哦，我指的可不是你们脑袋上的学位帽。                                   恩......你们已经非常沮丧啦。这是可以理解的。所以，现在可能是讨论实质问题的时候啦——      决不是为了你们2000年毕业生。你们已经被报销，不予考虑了，我想你们就偷偷摸摸去干那年薪20万的可怜工作吧，在那里，工资单是由你两年前辍学的同班同学签字开出来的。事实上，我是寄希望于眼下还没有毕业的同学。我要对他们说，离开这里。收拾好你的东西，带着你的点子，别再回来了。退学吧，开始行动.    我要告诉你，一顶帽子，一套学位服必然要让你沦落......就像这些保安马上要把我从这个讲台上撵走一样的必然.......（此时，被带离了讲台） 
    这可能是一篇狂妄而偏激的演讲，但他说的却是事实。确实，这个世界上最富有的几个人都没有高学历。所以，千万不要在乎自己的学历，不要因为自己没有学历而自卑，更不要因为自己的高学历而沾沾自喜。

 

［演讲内容－英文］  
  Graduates   of   Yale   University,   I   apologize   if   you   have   endured   this   type   of   prologue   before,   but   I   want   yo    
  u   to   do   something   for   me.   Please,   take   a   ood   look   around   you.   Look   at   the   classmate   on   your   left.   Look   at   the   classmate   on   your   right.   Now,   consider   this:   five   years   from   now,   10   years   from   now,   even   30   years   from   now,   odds   are   the   person   on   your   left   is   going   to   be   a   loser.   The   person   on   your   right,   meanwhile,   will   also   be   a   loser.   And   you,   in   the   middle?   What   can   you   expect?   Loser.   Loserhood.   Loser   Cum   Laude.    
   
  　　"In   fact,   as   I   look   out   before   me   today,   I   don't   see   a   thousand   hopes   for   a   bright   tomorrow.   I   don't   see   a   thousand   future   leaders   in   a   thousand   industries.   I   see   a   thousand   losers.    
   
  　　"You're   upset.   That's   understandable.   After   all,   how   can   I,   Lawrence   'Larry'   Ellison,   college   dropout,   have   the   audacity   to   spout   such   heresy   to   the   graduating   class   of   one   of   the   nation's   most   prestigious   institutions?   I'll   tell   you   why.   Because   I,   Lawrence   "Larry"   Ellison,   second   richest   man   on   the   planet,   am   a   college   dropout,   and   you   are   not.    
   
  　　"Because   Bill   Gates,   richest   man   on   the   planet   --   for   now,   anyway   --   is   a   college   dropout,   and   you   are   not.    
   
  　　"Because   Paul   Allen,   the   third   richest   man   on   the   planet,   dropped   out   of   college,   and   you   did   not.    
   
  　　"And   for   good   measure,   because   Michael   Dell,   No.   9   on   the   list   and   moving   up   fast,   is   a   college   dropout,   and   you,   yet   again,   are   not.    
   
  　　"Hmm   .   .   .   you're   very   upset.   That's   understandable.   So   let   me   stroke   your   egos   for   a   moment   by   pointing   out,   quite   sincerely,   that   your   diplomas   were   not   attained   in   vain.   Most   of   you,   I   imagine,   have   spent   four   to   five   years   here,   and   in   many   ways   what   you've   learned   and   endured   will   serve   you   well   in   the   years   ahead.   You've   established   good   work   habits.   You've   established   a   network   of   people   that   will   help   you   down   the   road.   And   you've   established   what   will   be   lifelong   relationships   with   the   word   'therapy.'   All   that   of   is   good.   For   in   truth,   you   will   need   that   network.   You   will   need   those   strong   work   habits.   You   will   need   that   therapy.    
   
  　　"You   will   need   them   because   you   didn't   drop   out,   and   so   you   will   never   be   among   the   richest   people   in   the   world.   Oh   sure,   you   may,   perhaps,   work   your   way   up   to   No.   10   or   No.   11,   like   Steve   Ballmer.   But   then,   I   don't   have   to   tell   you   who   he   really   works   for,   do   I?   And   for   the   record,   he   dropped   out   of   grad   school.   Bit   of   a   late   bloomer.    
   
  　　"Finally,   I   realize   that   many   of   you,   and   hopefully   by   now   most   of   you,   are   wondering,   'Is   there   anything   I   can   do?   Is   there   any   hope   for   me   at   all?'   Actually,   no.   It's   too   late.   You've   absorbed   too   much,   think   you   know   too   much.   You're   not   19   anymore.   You   have   a   built-in   cap,   and   I'm   not   referring   to   the   mortar   boards   on   your   heads.    
   
  　　"Hmm...   you're   really   very   upset.   That's   understandable.   So   perhaps   this   would   be   a   good   time   to   bring   up   the   silver   lining.   Not   for   you,   Class   of   '00.   You   are   a   write-off,   so   I'll   let   you   slink   off   to   your   pathetic   $200,000-a-year   jobs,   where   your   checks   will   be   signed   by   former   classmates   who   dropped   out   two   years   ago.    
   
  　　"Instead,   I   want   to   give   hope   to   any   underclassmen   here   today.   I   say   to   you,   and   I   can't   stress   this   enough:   leave.   Pack   your   things   and   your   ideas   and   don't   come   back.   Drop   out.   Start   up.    
   
  　　"For   I   can   tell   you   that   a   cap   and   gown   will   keep   you   down   just   as   surely   as   these   security   guards   dragging   me   off   this   stage   are   keeping   me   down   .   .   ."    
   
  　　(At   this   point   The   Oracle   CEO   was   ushered   off   stage。