徐小平老師以自己留學的親身經歷告訴同學們：不管他們未來的職業規劃與新的機遇相距多遠，對於新的機遇，還是應該保持開放的心態。不要奢求工作完美無缺，而要鞭策自身追求卓越。

畢業不是終點，而是起點。只有找到自己的使命感和真正熱愛的事情，才能擁抱無悔人生。祝所有學子畢業快樂！

​徐小平2018上海紐約大學畢業演講​

以下是徐小平2018上海紐約大學畢業演講內容：

謝謝！謝謝大家。俞校長，雷蒙副校長，漢密爾頓校長，伯克利主席，全體教職員工，家長們，朋友們，以及全體畢業生們：能夠參與並見證上海紐約大學 2018 屆畢業典禮，我倍感榮幸。請允許我對每一位畢業生說：祝賀你們！畢業快樂！

Thank you – you are very kind. Chancellor Yu, Vice Chancellor Lehman, President Hamilton, Chairman Berkley...members of the faculty...families, friends, and all of you in the graduating class: What a privilege to join in this wonderful occasion, and to celebrate your great achievement. May I say to each one of you graduates: well done, and congratulations.

幾年前，我在曼哈頓的紐約大學參加了我兒子的畢業典禮。在座的各位家長一定能理解我當時的心情：那是我人生中最自豪的一天……那一天也是我最快樂時刻——我終於不用再替我兒子交學費啦！（笑）子女的成長離不開父母的培育，在座畢業生取得的成績，也有家長一份的功勞——在此，我想同樣對家長們說：祝賀你們！

A few years ago, at NYU in Manhattan, I watched my son receive his diploma. In a way every mother and father here will understand, I count that day as among the proudest and happiest in my life as I’ m finally done with paying his tuition ! And this moment here at NYU Shanghai would not feel complete without recognizing all the parents who made this day possible: You, too, have done well. Congratulations.

演講一角

俞校長授予了我“校長榮譽獎章”，我十分感激。但說句實話，你們聽到的關於我所取得的事業成就，讓我感到有點惶恐不安。我慶幸關於我的介紹只包括了我職業生涯的亮點，但我必須誠實地告訴大家，真實的情況並不如大家聽到的那麼輝煌。

Chancellor Yu has honored me today with this Medal, and I am deeply grateful. The complimentary words you have heard about my professional attainments leave me, I confess, a little embarrassed. Happily for me, the introduction focused on my career high points. Honesty requires me to note that the story is not quite as impressive as it might sound.

和你們在座許多人一樣，我年輕時對出國留學也充滿嚮往。 在加拿大求學期間，我的理想是成為一位著名音樂家。雖然這個理想並沒有足夠的才華來支撐，但我當年的鴻鵠之志還是值得肯定的。整整七年，我沉浸在音樂學的知識海洋裡，掙到了兩個學位。小提琴和吉他成為我度過閒暇時光的最佳伴侶，我寫歌、練琴……我幾乎擁有成功音樂家需要的一切東西——除了觀眾和收入。

Like many of you, I dreamed of studying abroad, only my journey took me all the way to Canada. My great ambition at the time was to become a famous musician. It was not to be, but you have to give me credit for aiming high. For seven years, I immersed myself in the study of musicology, earning two degrees. I played my violin and guitar at every spare moment. I wrote my own songs, and practiced my performances. I had everything a hugely successful musician needs – everything except an audience and an income.

一邊等待著世界發現我的音樂才華，一邊我不得不到處打工補貼家用。當我快到 40 歲的時候，我無法再回避內心的質疑：如果我的理想是創作風靡華夏大地的音樂，那我此刻在異國他鄉當個外賣小哥又算怎麼一回事呢？

While waiting for the world to discover me, I worked in different jobs to support my patient wife and two young sons. At a certain point, as I neared the age of 40, there was no escaping the question: If the whole plan was to become a music sensation in China, what was I doing delivering pizzas in Canada?

1996 年，我回到中國，加入了處在發展早期的新東方。我的新工作是幫助新東方學生申請出國留學。我幹得不錯，但我總是覺得我是一個從事著無關行業失敗的音樂家。

By 1996 I was back in China, in the early stages of New Oriental. My new job was to help Chinese students go abroad for higher education. I was doing fine, but I kept thinking that I was a failed musician doing an irrelevant job.

這個念頭揮之不去、令人沮喪。直到有一天，一則新聞讓我眼前一亮：這是一個關於兩位美國律師的故事，他們因為贏得了一個轟動全美的官司成了家喻戶曉名人：而這兩位律師在成為律師之前都追逐過跟法律風馬牛不相及的夢想：其中一位想當演員，另一位要做爵士音樂家！儘管二人出師不利，但他們卻在第二職場上取得了巨大成功。

It was a depressing thought. But I remember one day reading a little news item that caught my attention. The story was about two American lawyers who became famous by winning a very high-profile court case. It turned out that both of these men had set out on other careers before studying law. One had planned to be an actor, the other a jazz musician. And yet here they were, flourishing in their second choice of a career.

我從這則新聞裡獲得極大的啟發：頃刻間，我都所有自我懷疑煙消雲散。我開始以一個全新的角度看待我在新東方的工作：這是我的人生使命。我不再是一個失敗的音樂家，而是一個聽到了上帝召喚的命運寵兒。我之前在音樂領域的困頓挫折不再是虛度的年華——恰恰因為那些日子，我能夠設身處地為尋求我幫助的學生著想，幫他們避免不必要的挫折和失望。

Somehow, for me, this moment was like a revelation. Suddenly my mind was at ease. I began to see my situation differently. I saw this work for what it was – my vocation. I was not a failed musician accepting my fate in another line of work. I was a man drawing close to his true calling. My disappointments in music no longer felt like wasted years. On the contrary: because of these, I was able to help others avoid disappointments of their own.

全程英文演講

也許你的職業與你在上海紐約大學的專業完全對口——因為“你們的課堂就是整個世界”。也許相反。我的建議是：不管你的職業規劃與新的機遇相距多遠，對於新的機遇，你還是應該保持儘可能開放的心態。本科四年教育已經為你打下了紮實的人文功底。無論從事什麼工作，你的獨立思考能力和綜合素質都是你應對挑戰的強大實力。無論在多麼陌生的領域，你們都能夠迅速學會、融入並取得成功。

Maybe your career will be in exactly the field you have majored in at NYU Shanghai, because “the world is your major”. Or maybe not. My advice is to stay open to new possibilities, however far they might be from the original plan. You can always be confident that your time here has set you on a very solid foundation. To any pursuit, you will bring the irreplaceable asset of a well-trained mind. Even in fields far beyond what you have studied, you have what it takes to learn, to adapt, to thrive.

我發現命運有著自身的邏輯。有時候，我們渴求的快速通道不一定是最好的人生之路。那些不如人意的事態雖然會給我們帶來失望，但它們是人生中無法迴避的一部分。那些灑落在人生路上失敗的眼淚，同時也播下了成功的種子。雖然我也希望自己的事業一帆風順，但回看來路，所有挫折都不是絕境，它們只是通往成功的必由之路。

I have found that life has its own logic, and the straightest path is not always the best path. Even with all the disappointments they can involve, the unexpected turns are sometimes just what we need. Disappointments, in fact, have been my true teachers. As unwelcome as they were in my career, I see now that they did not postpone success, rather, they prepared the way.

錦瑟無端五十弦，一弦一柱思華年。看到你們，我想自己青春年少時另外一段野心勃勃的時光。

It was much the same with an ambition I cherished when I was your age. I remember the very moment when the idea first came to me.

演講風采

當我還是中央音樂學院的大一學生時，有一段時間我十分焦慮和迷茫。我不知道自己將來拿著音樂學的文憑能找到一份什麼工作。有一天，一位老師跟我們談起音樂系學生的職業選擇。40 年過去，他說的每字每句依舊令我記憶猶新：“音樂學畢業生可以在高校任教或從事音樂研究，也可以做音樂編輯、製作人、經紀人，對了……”，老師漫不經心地補充了一句：“你們也可以去文化部工作。”

Early in my studies at the Central Conservatory of Music, I was feeling anxious about my future and a little bit lost. I wondered what I could ever do with the degree I was seeking in musicology. One day in class, a teacher spoke of our career options. What he said is still as vivid as it was almost 40 years ago: As a musicology graduate, you could become a teaching fellow or pursue a Ph.D. in that field. Or you could become a music editor, producer, or manager. “Or , by the way,” the teacher added, “you could also work in China’ s ministry of culture”.

電光火石間，我彷彿看到了自己的歸宿：我要去文化部工作，我會平步青雲，最終成為文化部部長！

In a flash, I saw my destiny: I would work in China’ s ministry of culture. I would rise in the ranks. I would become the minister of culture myself!

學生認真聽演講

我想象：在這個令人敬畏的職位上，我能做的事情太多了：我能復興中華文化藝術，我能弘揚中國偉大傳統……或者，退一萬步講，至少我能叫賈斯汀比伯別再唱歌了（笑）。長話短說，我的部長夢也沒有實現。所幸的是，這個夢想背後的精神一直伴隨我至今。這種精神直接影響了我的一生。

In such an august position, there was no end to the good I could do. I would lead a renaissance in Chinese culture and revive China' s finest traditions, or at the very least ask Justin Bieber to stop singing. In the short version of the story, however, this, too, did not work out. And yet something of the idea always stayed with me. It has shaped my life to this day.

從那時起，“成為部長”，就成了我的某種人生指引。“部長”一詞，在我心中從一個具體的職務，變成了一個廣泛的隱喻——他代表著我想要成為的那種人。我意識到，我們不需要一個很高的頭銜來對自己提出一個很高的要求，在任何位置上，你都能夠改變世界。

At every turn in those early years, “becoming the minister” was a kind of guiding star. It was a metaphor representing the kind of person I wanted to be. In every job or pursuit, I began to realize, we didn’ t need to be in a high position to have high standards and capacity for doing good.

即便是在我從事體力勞動的日子裡，我每天都會帶著使命感起床。我真的享受在必勝客送披薩嗎？說實話並不。儘管如此，我每次外送，都似乎有關世界的未來（當然也包括我的小費）；在美國一家叫“春捲先生”的餐館洗碗打工時，我會盡心盡力把每個盤子擦得鋥光閃亮——在“春捲先生”，我成了“春捲部長”；在新東方，我為學生提供出國規劃，每次都要求自己的建議經得起歲月的考驗；在真格基金，我跟創業新手們對話，對他們的敬畏猶如面對未來商業巨頭。

Even when I held lowly positions, I woke up and went to work with a sense of purpose, treating every job as my mission. Did I love that job at Pizza Hut? To be honest, I didn’ t. Even so, I made my deliveries as if the world depended on it, not just my tips! Working at a restaurant in the U.S. called Mister Egg Roll, I washed dishes with extra care, giving each the shine of a job done with pride. At Mister Egg Roll, I became Minister Egg Roll. At New Oriental, when I spoke with students, I gave each my utmost attention, as if a word from me could make or break their future. At ZhenFund, I meet with start up entrepreneurs as if I were having meetings with top business leaders.

有趣有益受益匪淺

態度決定習慣，習慣決定成敗。我要求自己做一個有價值的人。如果你給自己設立一個高遠的自我期許，這種自我期許一定能讓你走得更遠。不要奢求工作完美無缺，而要鞭策自身追求卓越。如果你能這樣要求自己，我保證，機會遲早就會降臨。

Attitudes settle into habits. I wanted mine to be the habits of a person of consequence. If you have a vision of yourself as the kind of man or woman you aspire to be, that alone will carry you far. Think less about finding the ideal job, and more about making yourself the ideal person. When that is your outlook, opportunity, I promise, has a way of finding you.

十來年的天使投資生涯能夠改變一個人的思維方式，這也是為什麼當我看著畢業班的同學，彷彿看到了 300 個潛在的創業者。說到這裡，我想給你們最後一個建議。

Twelve years as an angel investor can change your way of thinking. So you will understand why, looking out on this graduating class, I see 300 or so potential startups. And this brings to mind one last suggestion before you collect your degree and go your way.

在真格基金投資的那些公司裡，有些經過努力並失敗，有些則長成了獨角獸。創業活動充滿了不確定性，但初創企業的發展速率和成長體量令人眼花繚亂。風險投資百花齊放，創業生態日趨完善成熟，公共政策也積極助力著創業創新。

In our ZhenFund portfolio, we have seen some companies try and fail, and other companies attain valuations in the billions. Nothing is certain except the incredible volume and pace of startup activity. Venture capital is so abundant, the start-up ecosystems so well developed, with public policy working in its favor.

聽上去挺激動人心的。但另一方面，創業潮的興起讓我們的職業選擇變得更加難以取捨。你可以走一條傳統的職業大道，在大公司一步步等待著加薪提職；但你也可以衝進充滿風險但更加刺激的創業叢林。

Sound exciting? Actually, it can add stress and complexity to each choice we make. Do you take the traditional path of going to a corporation with a big, well-established name and begin moving up the ladder? Or do you make your way in the far less certain but more adventurous world of fledgling companies?

敢問路在何方？只有你自己知道答案。我承認，創業並不適合每一個人。但是，我願意給大家提供一個看問題的嶄新視角：其實，進入職場的每一個人，本質上加入的都是一家“初創公司”——唯一的不同是：有人是在這家“初創公司”成長壯大之後中途上車；有人是則是在未來巨頭呱呱落地之際就陪伴它一起變大變強。

You alone will know the answer. It’ s true that startups are not for everyone. But may I recommend one way of looking at it. In a sense , every last one of you – indeed, each and every person entering the workforce – will be joining a startup company. The only question is whether you join years afterward, when that startup company has already seen its great rise to prominence...or whether you will be present at the creation, and rise along with something new.

沉迷其中

有時候，對我們事業發展最大的桎梏就來自於我們自身。要對新機會保持敏感和警醒，讓你的精神和想象力引導你前進。在今日這個瞬息萬變、無數商業模式帶來無數發展機會的時代，“喜新厭舊”能讓你比“循規蹈矩”走得更遠。保持對新事物的敏感與好奇，你一定會找到你心所屬的事業平臺。

Sometimes the only real limitations on how far we go are those we impose on ourselves. In a period of so much change, with so many new business models and the opportunities they bring, don’ t limit yourself. Stay alert to all your options, especially to new ones, and go where your mind and imagination lead you. In today ’ s dynamic environment, curiosity can be a better career guide than caution. You will always find something, somewhere, that answers your inner calling.

保持強大的自信心。從上海紐約大學這所優秀學校學成畢業，你們的才華會獲得萬千僱主們青睞。 我此刻就想到有 500 家會歡迎你們的企業：我說的不是財富 500 強，雖然這些大公司一定會期待你們的加入——我心裡想的是“真格 500 強”，即這些年來真格投資的那些創業公司。每個真格的創業公司，都需要你們。而真格投資的企業，只不過是中國機會海洋中的一小部分。彼岸迷人的景色，呼喚著你揚帆遠航。

Be confident, too, in the asset you have acquired today – a degree from this excellent university. It will command the respect of companies everywhere, and offhand I can think of some 500 such enterprises, I’ m not talking about the Fortune 500- though of course you have fine prospects with them. I’ m referring to the ZhenFund 500, the companies we’ ve invested over the years. They all need young men and women exactly like you. And here is even better news: these are just drops of water in the ocean of opportunity that is yours to navigate.

I have met so many people who have turned away from conventional thinking and dared to try something original, different, and difficult. Some of them abandoned one career to go in another direction, led by an inner light. Sometimes they have succeeded, sometimes they have failed. But no matter the result, I can tell you this: The future belongs to those who leave safe paths and embrace the new. And the happiest people are those who strive in doing what they are called to do. I have never met anyone who regretted following their heart.

goodluck

說到幸福，這才是我們事業與人生的終極追求。這也是我們在場的每一位親友師長，對你們每一位畢業生的衷心祝福。願你們在上海紐約大學的時光僅僅是你們人生冒險和收穫的開始；願你們在追求理想的路上收穫一切美好；願你們無論去往何處，都給世界帶來正義與善良。帶著對你們的無比驕傲，上海紐約大學 2018 屆畢業班同學們，我祝各位前途暢達，幸福快樂！

Happiness, after all, is the return we are all really seeking in a career, and in a life. And speaking for everyone in this audience, that is our great wish for each of you. May your time here mark only the beginning of adventure and fulfillment. May good things always come your way, and may you always be a force for good, wherever you go. With enormous pride in the NYU Shanghai class of 2018, we send you off today, and in all things we wish you well.

歡迎評論轉發。

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關鍵字: 初創 徐小平 新東方學校