Requiring scholars and commencement speakers,for that matter

因此 要求学者和毕业典礼发言者

to conform to certain political standards

遵循特定政治标准

undermines the whole purpose of a university

会侵蚀整个大学的存在意义

This spring

今年春

it has been disturbing to see a number of college commencement speakers withdraw

很让人不安的是 很多大学毕业典礼演讲者都被撤销了

or have their invitations rescinded

甚至连邀请函都被撤回了

after protests from students and to me, shockingly

仅仅因为学生 甚至资深教职团队和管理者的反对

from senior faculty and administrators who should know better

我很吃惊 学生姑且不论 其他人显然应当更明事理一些

It happened at Brandeis, Haverford, Rutgers, and Smith

这发生在布兰代斯 哈弗福德 罗格斯 史密斯等院校

Last year, it happened at Swarthmore and Johns Hopkins, I'm sorry to say

去年还发生在斯沃斯莫尔和约翰霍普金斯 我很遗憾

In each of these cases

这些例子中

liberals silenced a voice and they denied an honorary degree

自由派都希望让不喜欢的声音无法发出

to individuals they deemed politically objectionable

政治上不被其认同的人会被拒绝授予荣誉学位

This is an outrage and we must not let it continue

这太让人愤怒了 我们不应当让它继续发生

If a university

如果一所大学

thinks twice before inviting a commencement speaker

在邀请一位毕业典礼演讲嘉宾时

because of his or her politics

还要因为政治立场再三斟酌

censorship and conformity the mortal enemies of freedom win out

审查和一致这些自由的死敌就会胜出

And sadly, it is not just commencement season when speakers are censored

很悲哀的是 并不只有毕业季的演讲嘉宾会被审查

Last fall, when I was still in City Hall

去年秋 我还在担任市长的时候

our Police Commissioner was invited

市警察局长受邀

to deliver a lecture at another Ivy League institution

到另一所常春藤盟校进行演讲

but he was unable to do so because students shouted him down

结果他的演讲却因学生大声抗议而无法进行

Isn't the purpose of a university to stir discussion, not silence it?

比起让讨论沉默 大学的意义不应当是激起讨论吗

What were the students afraid of hearing?

学生到底害怕听到什么

Why did administrators not step in to prevent the mob from silencing speech?

为什么管理者不采取措施 避免暴民干扰演讲

And did anyone consider that it is morally and pedagogically wrong

难道其他想听演讲的学生

to deprive other students the chance to hear the speech?

机会就应当被这样剥夺吗