Remarks by First Lady Dr. Jill Biden for George Mason University’s Spring 2021 Commencement
May 14th, 2021
美国第一夫人吉尔·拜登乔治梅森大学2021年毕业典礼演讲
2021 年 5 月 14 日
Thank you, President Washington, for the invitation to speak today and for the honorary degree. This school is special to me for several reasons – many of my own students at NOVA transfer here. But another reason is the leadership George Mason showed when we launched Joining Forces so many years ago. This college was one of the first to join “Operation Educate the Educators” to better equip teachers helping military-connected students…And you remain committed to serving our military community and their families.
So, I’m excited to be able to address the Class of 2021.
因此，我很高兴能够向2021届学生发表演讲。
Though there is no crowd of friends and family to see you cross a stage today – sitting beside you or watching from far away, there are so many people cheering you on.
虽然今天没有众多朋友和家人坐在你身边或从远处看着你们跨过舞台，但有无数的人在为你加油。
It might be your mom or dad – or that person who feels like a mom or dad – your siblings, your teachers, your friends. They’re feeling excitement. Relief. But most of all, pride. Chest-swelling, cheek-aching pride.
Now, I know that commencement speeches are usually life lessons from the speaker.
我知道毕业典礼演讲通常是演讲者的生活教训。
But instead, I want to talk about you today.
但今天我想谈谈你们。
I want you to look back on everything you’ve accomplished here at GMU – especially in this last year.
我想让你们回顾一下你在这里所收获的一切——特别是在去年。
For some, that will be harder than for others. But I want you to think about the moments that made you just laugh out loud…When you felt deeply grateful for the people in your life…
Picture the times when the beauty of the world stopped you in your tracks…An act of kindness that caught you off guard…
想象一下，在你前行的路上被美景吸引停下脚步的时候......一种让你措手不及的善举......
Or a morning when the leaves glowed greener than you thought that they could, and the sun shone just right, and you knew that things would be OK.
或者一个早晨，树叶比你想象的更绿，阳光正好照耀着，你知道一切都会好起来的。
You see, trials like the last year can teach us a lot about ourselves. They can show us what matters most and strip away those things that only seemed important.
We see that joy can be found, even in the worst of times.
我们看到即使在最糟糕的时候，也能找到快乐。
We see the strength that has always been in us.
我们看到我们身上一直拥有的力量。
And we realize our limitations as well.
我们也意识到我们的局限。
A few years ago, I had to tell my class that I would miss the next session for personal reasons.
几年前，我不得不告诉全班同学，由于个人原因，我会错过下一段课程。
Now, my students have never suffered from a lack of curiosity. So, they immediately began shouting, “Dr. B, Dr. B, where’re you going?”
而我的学生从未缺乏好奇心。因此，他们立即开始大喊：“拜登博士，拜登博士，你要去哪里？”
Well, my sister was having the first of her cancer treatments, and she would be in a hospital room for six weeks. I tried to explain with as much composure as I could muster, but the words caught in my throat. So, I turned to face the whiteboard, hoping to hold back my emotions.
And when I turned back around, my entire class was standing. And they lined up and they gave me a hug, one by one.
再当我转身时，我整个班级的学生都站起来了。他们排成一队，一个个地拥抱我。
Until that moment, I didn’t realize how much I was struggling, or how much I needed their strength.
直到那一刻，我才意识到我有多挣扎，或者我有多需要他们的力量。
Sooner or later, we all suffer heartaches – some unimaginable. Some that we might think we can’t survive.
我们总会有心痛的时候——有些甚至难以想象，甚至认为自己无法承受。
In my life, I never could have imagined the ways my heart would be shattered.
在我的一生中，我从未想过我的心会破碎。
Sometimes our strength comes from within us… and sometimes it can’t.
有时我们的力量来自我们内心......有时不能。
Sometimes we carry the weight of our lives…and sometimes our knees buckle beneath us.
有时我们负着生命的重担......有时我们的膝盖弯曲在我们脚下。
But in those moments, remember: You’re not alone. Let the people who love you help carry that weight.
但在这些时刻，请记住：你并不孤单。让爱你的人帮助承担这个重担。
And never hesitate to be that strength in return.
永远不要犹豫，成为那种回报的力量。
There are times when the most courageous thing we can do is lean on someone else.
有时，我们所能做的最勇敢的事情就是依靠别人。
It’s a gift that we give each other: our vulnerability; our brokenness; and the chance to lift up our loved ones when they need it most.
这是我们彼此赠送的礼物：我们的脆弱，我们的破碎，以及在我们所爱的人最需要的时候鼓励他们的机会。
What you’ve accomplished this year is different from the graduating classes that came before you.
你今年取得的成就与以往的毕业班不同。
Historians will study this time. Generations will wonder what it was like.
历史学家会好好研究这个时期。未来的几代人会想知道现在的我们是什么感觉。
Our world has been changed in ways we don’t even know yet.
我们的世界已经以我们甚至不知道的方式发生了变化。
But here’s what we do know: You, class of 2021, not only survived this year – you have achieved something that will change your life forever.
但我们知道的是：你，2021届学生，不仅今年活了下来——而且取得了一些将永远改变你生活的成就。
And that’s just the latest chapter of your journey.
这只是你们旅程的最新章节。
Students at this school come from all different backgrounds. Almost one third of you will be first-generation graduates. You know what it means to overcome challenges.
这所学校的学生来自各种背景。你们中几乎三分之一的人将是第一代毕业生。你知道克服挑战意味着什么。
This year, each of you walked through the fire of a global pandemic and you made it to the other side. You found connections despite social distancing. You found the strength to keep going.
Remember how you rose to this moment and never underestimate the magnitude of that accomplishment.
记住你是如何提升到这一刻的，永远不要低估这一成就的力量。
Remember that, in a time of sickness and sorrow, there was joy and laughter, too.
记住，在病痛的时代，也有欢笑。
Remember that life is made of small moments that change us more than we know – a hug when we need it most, a kind word, the decision to show up for someone who’s falling behind.
