Finding a way to say "yes" to things

　　Yes is a tiny word that can do big things. Say it often. There's a second thing I want youto do: Do not be afraid to fail. And DO NOT be afraid to succeed.

　　——Eric Emerson Schmidt

　　“Yes”是一个很短的词，但是它能让大事件变得可能。要经常说“Yes”。我对你们还有一个要求，不要害怕失败，更不要害怕成功。

　　——埃里克·施密特

　　背景资料

　　Google公司（英语：Google Inc.），是一家美国的跨国科技企业，致力于互联网搜索、云计算、广告技术等领域。Google是由当时在斯坦福大学攻读理学博士的拉里·佩奇和谢尔盖·布林共同创建。1998年9月4日，Google以私营公司的形式创立，设计并管理一个互联网搜索引擎“Google搜索”，Google网站则于1999年下半年启用。2004年8月19日，Google公司的股票在纳斯达克上市，2010年谷歌退出中国大陆市场。2013年Google在世界经济500强排名第189名。

　　埃里克·施密特（Eric Emerson Schmidt），1955年出生。是一位电脑工程师，他拥有普林斯顿大学电子电气工程师学士学位，同时有加州大学伯克利分校的计算机科学学士学位和博士学位。2001年到2011年4月十年间担任Google CEO。2001年Google创始人拉里·佩奇（Larry Page）和谢尔盖·布林（Sergey Brin）从Novell公司聘请其担任这一职务，此前他在Novell公司任董事长兼首席执行官，负责公司的战略规划、管理和技术发展。也曾是苹果公司董事会成员。同时他亦为卡内基梅隆大学和普林斯顿大学理事会托管者。

　　本文节选自埃里克·施密特2012年波士顿大学演讲。

　　Finding a way to say "yes" to things

　　——Eric Emerson Schmidt

　　The future doesn't just happen. It's not etched or written or coded anywhere. There's noalgorithm or formula that says something will do X or Y to occur. Technology doesn't work onits own. It's just a tool. You are the ones who harness its power. And that requires innovation andentrepreneurship .

　　Innovation is disruptive ; one thing I'll tell you: you know you are innovating when peopleare worried about you! Graduates, please make people worry, not your parents. Entrepreneurshipis the lifeblood of a new economy, and a more prosperous society, the engine that keepscommunities growing. Two-thirds of the new jobs created are in small businesses, and you allshould try now to create a small business, or be part of one…and, of course, I would recommendyou use all the products Google has to offer to set it up.

　　You all have a chance to make an original contribution. Don't just be a shepherd followingsomebody else's vision and ideas. New models, new forms, new thinking—that's what we needfrom you. You don't need to become an aid worker or a teacher (though, I obviously applaud thosewho do). You don't need to be an engineer (though, I'm pretty sure I'd support that, too). Everyone,all of you, can make their mark by creating new standards of brilliance and innovation. And thosestandards can spread, can scale, they can scale in ways once unimaginable. The collectiveintelligence of our society, our version of the Borg, is really quite different. Think of this as a newsociety, with shared norms and values, that crosses continents and unites all of us. Theempowerment of each of us empowers all of us; and the distinctive feature of your new world isthat you can be unique while being completely connected has never been possible before—a truefulfillment of the American Dream. You see, computers can do amazing things. Those things inyour pockets；they contain power inside them that your proud parents, your grandparents in theaudience never could have possibly imagined. These computers, they have speed. They havememory. They have intricately complicated wiring and unfathomably complex circuitry . Buthere's one thing they don't have. What they don't have-is heart.

　　All of these connections you forge, the digital ties that bind our humanity together, that's notpossible without technology. But it's also not possible without you, without a heart. You have theheart. And the future will not beat without you. Now, don't get me wrong: I believe fully in thepower of technology to change the world for the better. And I believe even more fully in theability of your generation to use that power to great effect to rule technology. But you can't lettechnology rule you.

　　Remember to take at least one hour a day and turn that thing off. Do the math, 1/24th. Godark. Shut it down. Learn where the OFF button is. Take your eyes off the screen and look into theeyes of that person you love. Have a conversation, a real conversation-with the friends who makeyou think, with the family who makes you laugh. Don't just push a button saying I "Like"something. Actually tell them. What a concept! Engage with the world around you … feel … andtaste … and smell … and hug what's there, right in front of you, not what's a click away. Life isnot lived in the glow of a monitor. Life is not a series of status updates. Life is not about yourfriend count, it's about the friends you can count on. Life is about who you love, how you live, it'sabout who you travel through the world with. Your family, your collaborators , your friends. Lifeis a social experience first, and the best aspects of that experience are not lonely ones, they arespent in the company of others. Our modern landscape has changed, yes, but our humanity willalways remain, and that, above all else, is what makes us who we are, and who YOU are, is aproud, talented group of BU Terriers. Here you have all come to know extraordinary people. Lookaround-a few years ago you started off on the road with these people, knowing them as boys andgirls, wandering around campus, dazed and overwhelmed. Now you are all extraordinary men andwomen, in total control of your destinies, ready to make your mark not on history, but on thefuture. And the friendships you forged when the times were good, when the times were bad, andwhen you realized you just overslept your lecture and needed someone's notes to catch up with,those are the friendships that will matter for life.

　　The people you have met here will be some of the strongest friends and closest allies you willever meet in your lives. It's been that way for me. When you leave here, don't leave them behind.

　　Don't leave you behind. Stay close and stay strong. Take them with you wherever you go, andtogether, connected, go and change the world. At times it may have seemed like the road aheadwas an impossible slog, incredible . But today, I have the distinct honor of telling you: you havemade it.

　　Now that you're here, I want you to do another thing: Find a way to say "Yes" to things.

　　Say yes to invitations to a new country, say yes to meet new friends, say yes to learn a newlanguage, picking up a new sport.

　　Yes is how you get your first job, and your next job.

　　Yes is how you find your spouse , and even your kids. Even it is a bit edgy, a bit out of yourcomfort zone, saying yes means that you will do something new, meet someone new, and make adifference in your life, and likely in others' lives as well.

　　Yes lets you stand out in a crowd, to be the optimist, to stay positive, to be the one everyonecomes to for help, for advice, or just for fun. Yes is what keeps us all young.

　　Yes is a tiny word that can do big things.

　　Say it often.

　　There's a second thing I want you to do: Do not be afraid to fail. And DO NOT be afraid tosucceed.

　　There's an old Italian phrase I like, it's used to describe especially daring circus performersthey do the salto mortale. It means they do a somersault, on a tightrope, without a net. Graduates,do to do this. Be brave. Work without a net. I promise you, you will land on your feet.

　　For those who say you're thinking too big … be smart enough not to listen. For those who saythe odds are too small … be dumb enough to give it a shot. And for those who ask, how can youdo that?… look them in the eyes and say, I will figure it out.

　　Above all else, be an "adorer of life". No further explanation necessary.

　　I, to be very clear, am happy to have you join us as adults, and the quicker we can have youlead, the better. Time to throw out all us aging baby boomers and replace us with those best-equipped to lead us into a new age, march us all to a better day.

　　The power and possibility-the intellectual energy and human electricity-seat in this stadiumdirectly in front of me, and in stadiums and auditoriums like this around the country, yourgeneration will break a new day.

　　Your vast knowledge will seed a new era. Your new ideas will shape a new reality. Youragile minds will inspire a new dawn. You will give our future a heartbeat. And that beat will bestronger than ever, because of you. From my perspective looking at this class, you all have thepotential to reach higher than any class-than any generation-that came before you. You can reachas high as the face of life itself.

　　Thank you, and congratulations to you all.

　　参考译文

　　学会对生活说YES

　　——埃里克·施密特

　　未来不会自己发生。它并不是已经在那里刻好了或编写好了。没有任何算法或公式会告诉你如果做了X，Y就一定会发生。科技本身不能产生效用。它只是一种工具，需要你们去驾驭。而这就需要创新和企业家的精神。

　　创新是具有破坏性的。有一点我可以告诉大家，当别人为你担心时，你就知道自己在创新！毕业生们，让人们为你担心吧。当然是让父母以外的其他人担心。企业家精神是新经济和繁荣社会的命脉，它是促进社会发展的动力源泉。三分之二的新工作来自于小企业。你们都应该尝试去创办一家小企业，或者成为小企业的一份子。当然，我建议你使用谷歌的产品来创办你们的企业。

　　现今，你们都有机会做出原创性的贡献。不要只做一个追随别人愿景或思想的牧羊人。新模式、新形态、新思维，这些是我们对你们的期望。你们未必要做救援人员或教师，尽管这些职业也都很好。你们未必要做工程师，尽管我显然会很喜欢，我们谷歌就很喜欢工程师。你们每一个人都能通过创新和才华留下自己的印记。而且这些新标准可以发展壮大，而且会以从未想到过的方式壮大。社会的集体智慧，我们当代的进化确实是不寻常的，我们可以将它想象为一个新型社会，拥有共同的标准和价值，每个人的壮大让我们所有人都更壮大。这个新世界的特殊之处就在于你既能保持自我，又同时可以与外界保持全面联系。这在以前是不可能的事。我想这才是美国梦的真正实现。你知道，电脑能处理各种惊人的任务。它们就在你的口袋中，蕴藏着包括你的父辈和祖父辈们在内的听众中从未想到过的巨大力量。这些电脑既能运算又有记忆。它们内部走线纵横，电路复杂。但是有一样东西是它们没有的。那就是关爱的心。

　　所有你们建立起来的联系，所有我先前提到的事情，人与人之间建立的数字化关系，如果没有科技，都不可能发生。但是如果没有人，没有一颗关爱的心，这一切也同样不可能发生。你们有关爱的心，未来因为你们才会生机勃勃。不过请不要误会我的意思，我完全相信科技的力量能让世界变得更美好，这是显然的。而且我对你们这代人驾驭这种科技的能力更有信心。发挥它的作用，也就是掌控科技。但你不能让科技掌控你。

　　记住，我希望你们记住这点。这是我演讲里你需要记住的一点。每天抽出至少一个小时，关闭手机。算算吧，这才是一天的1/24啊。关掉，完全关掉它。找到关闭按钮在哪里。将你的眼睛从屏幕上移开，去和你所爱的人对视吧。去和你的朋友倾心交谈，因为是他们让你思考。去和你的家人交流感情，因为是他们带给你微笑。不要简单地点击“赞”这个按钮，而要亲口告诉他们。多“新”的概念啊！融入你周围的环境，去触摸，去品尝，去感受，去拥抱你眼前的世界，而不是那个网络上一次点击之外的天地。生活不应该聚焦在电脑屏的光照下，生活也不是一系列的状态更新，生活里重要的也不是你的朋友数量，而是关键时候能让你依靠的朋友们。生活在于去爱别人，去体验。在于同谁一起周游世界。

　　在于你的家人、合作伙伴和你的朋友。生活首先是一种社交经历，其中最美好的时光都不是一个人过的，而是和朋友、亲人们一起。没错，时代不同了。但是，我们人性的部分是永远不变的。而就是它造就了我们。而且也造就了你们这样一届有才华有傲骨的波士顿大学毕业生。在这里你们认识了这些杰出的同学。回顾一下吧——几年前，你同这些人一起开始大学生涯，一群青涩的小男生小女生相知相识，游荡在校园之中，茫然而又不知所措。现在你们都成了杰出的男人和女人，完全掌控自己的命运，时刻准备着在未来留下自己的印记。那份友谊就建立在你得意又或是失意的时候，在你意识到睡过头错过了讲座，要借别人的笔记来赶上进度时，又或是其他点点滴滴。

　　这是会让你一生受益匪浅的友谊。在大学里遇到的朋友，将会成为你生活中最铁的哥们和最亲密的盟友，对我就是如此。当你离开这里时，不要忘记他们，也不要被他们忘记。保持紧密的联系，保持牢固的友情。无论你去哪儿，都带上那份情，始终保持联系。

　　一起去改变世界。有时候，前方的道路似乎异常艰难，但在今天，我很荣幸地告诉你们：

　　你们成功了。

　　既然你们已经走到了这里，我希望你们再做一件事。我希望你们每个人都学会对生活说“Yes”。

　　对去一个国家的邀请说“Yes”。对结交新朋友说“Yes”。对学一门新语言，学一项新运动说“Yes”。

　　说“Yes”是你得到第一份工作的方法，也是你得到下一份工作的方法。

　　说“Yes”帮你找到你的伴侣，甚至你将来的子女。哪怕这让人有些紧张，有点让人不知所措。说“Yes”意味着你在尝试新鲜事物。结识新朋友，为你的生活增添新的精彩。而对其他人的生活也是如此。

　　说“Yes”会让你脱颖而出，保持乐观、积极的人生态度，让你成为别人需要帮助，寻求指导，或者一起去玩乐时首先想到的那个人。说“Yes”让我们永葆青春。

　　“Yes”是一个很短的词，但是它能让大事件变得可能。

　　要经常说“Yes”。

　　我对你们还有一个要求，不要害怕失败，也不要害怕成功。

　　意大利有个俗语我非常喜欢，是用来描述勇敢的马戏演员的，叫salto mortale，意思是说他们在绷紧的绳索上翻筋斗，且没有安全网。毕业生们，这是你们要做的。要勇敢，大胆地去工作。我敢保证，你会站稳脚跟的。

　　对于那些说你异想天开的人，聪明点，别听他们的话。对于那些说成功机会渺茫的人，糊涂点，勇敢地去尝试。对于那些质疑你该怎么做的人，看着他们眼睛自信地说我会找到办法的。

　　总之，做一个“崇尚生活的人”吧。我想任何其他解释都是多余的。

　　显而易见我很高兴有你们加入成人的行列。你们越早能成为领袖越好。时间将抛弃我们这些逐渐老去的婴儿潮时期出生的一代人，将让你们这些知识能力兼备的人引领我们走入新时代，走向更美好的时代。

　　你们的力量和想象，你们的智力和活力，就在我眼前，在这个体育场里，还有其他学校即将毕业的学生们，你们这一代人将会开启新篇章。

　　你们拥有的知识会孕育新时代。你们的新思想会塑造出新世界。你们的敏锐会迎来新黎明。你们会给我们的未来带来新的活力。因为有你们，这种活力将更胜从前。在我看来，你们均有潜力比你们之前的任何一届毕业生或任何一代人飞得更高。你们能够更好地生活。

　　感谢你们听我演讲，我向你们每一个毕业生和你们的家人致以真挚的祝贺。