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哈佛大学校长就职演讲

要有问“为什么”的勇气

"为什么"

Why is a question

是人们很早就会问的问题

that comes to us early in life.

如果你认识一个小孩子

If you know a young child,

你就很清楚这一点

you know this well.

我们为什么在这里?

Why are we here?

为什么月亮不在白天出来?

Why is the moon out during the day?

为什么我早餐不能吃冰淇淋?

Why can't l eat ice cream for breakfast?

为什么她还在说话?

Why is she still talking?

当我们接受周围默认的答案时

We may be tempted to stop asking why

我们会停止问为什么

when we accept the default answers around us

直到有事情

until something sparks us

激发我们质疑这些答案

to question those answers.

哈佛一直是

Harvard has always been

一个追问“为什么"的地方

a place to ask why.

它为我们的研究和教学注入了活力

It animates our research and teaching.

"为什么"是科学突破

Why is the question of scientific breakthroughs,

探索成就和追求知识本身的问题

archival discoveries,

新颖的艺术形式

fresh artistic forms,

身体和社会弊病的新疗法

new remedies for physical and social ills.

为什么是对的 为什么是错的

Why rights wrongs,

这些都颠覆了传统智慧

overturns conventional wisdom,

激发了人们追求和可能性

and opens the blue sky of human pursuit and possibility.

“为什么?"这就是师生们

Why is how students and faculty

如何迈向发现

move toward discovery

相互挑战

and challenge each other

将理解和洞察力

to push to the next levels

推向更高水平的原因

of understanding and insight.

这个简单的问题正是学术生活的基础

This simple query is the very basis of academic life.