Graduates of Yale University, I apologize if you have endured this type of prologue before, but I want you 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.

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?一样是失败者。失败的经历。失败的优等生。

"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.

你们感到沮丧，这是可以理解的。为什么，我，埃里森，一个退学生，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，埃里森，这个行星上第二富有的人，是个退学生，而你不是。

"Because Bill Gates, richest man on the planet -- for now, anyway -- is a college dropout, and you are not.

因为比尔·盖茨，这个行星上最富有的人——就目前而言---是个退学生，而你不是。

"Because Paul Allen, the third richest man on the planet, dropped out of college, and you did not.

因为艾伦，这个行星上第三富有的人，也退了学，而你没有。

"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.

再来一点证据吧，因为戴尔，这个行星上第九富有的人——他的排位还在不断上升，也是个退学生。而你，不是。

"Hmm . . . you're very upset. That's understandable.

......你们非常沮丧，这是可以理解的。

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.

现在，让我打击你一下。我要相当诚挚地指出：你们的文凭不是白拿的。你们中的大多数，我猜，已经在这里花费了4、5年时光，你们将以各种方式在未来使用你所学的东西。 你们已经确立了好的工作习惯。你们已经建立了能帮你沿这条路前进的人际网。 你们已经将自己这辈子与"therapy(治疗)"这个词建立了一种

联系。 事实上，你们需要这些。