Graduates of the class of 2023, family members and friends, it gives me great pleasure to welcome you and to offer a few words this morning.

2023 届毕业生、家人和朋友们，今天早上我很高兴欢迎你们，并发表讲话。

First, there is a wonderful Gale tradition that I'd like to honor right now.

首先，我现在想尊重一个很棒的 Gale 传统。

So, may I ask all of the families and friends who are here today to rise and to recognize We are pleased to recognize the outstanding and graduating members of the class of 2023!

所以，我可以请今天在场的所有家人和朋友站起来表彰我们很高兴表彰 2023 届的杰出毕业生！

And now, may I ask the class of 2023 to consider all those who have supported your arrival at this milestone and to please rise and recognize Them.

现在，我可以请 2023 届毕业生考虑所有支持你们到达这一里程碑的人，请站起来认可他们。

Hey, that concludes the aerobic exercise portion of our program.

嘿，我们计划的有氧运动部分到此结束。

Today, as we assemble at an inflection point in your lives between the shortest, gladdest years of life and exciting new chapters that lie beyond them, I want to discuss the importance of community engagement here in New Haven and in your future.

今天，当我们聚集在你们生命中最短暂、最快乐的岁月和超越它们的激动人心的新篇章之间的转折点时，我想讨论社区参与在纽黑文和你们未来的重要性。

So raise your hand if you participated in a service organization on campus or in our It's a lot of hands, but I'm not surprised because I know that nearly all of you have immersed yourself in the work of civic betterment in one form or another over the past four years.

所以，如果你参加过校园或我们的服务组织， 请举手。 很多人举手，但我并不感到惊讶， 因为我知道几乎所有人都以某种形式投入到公民改善工作中在过去的四年里。

Despite the rigors of your studies, you have promoted literacy with New Haven Reads, brought You've taught the basics of computer science to public school classrooms through Codehaven, and tutored immigrants for whom English is not a first language as Bridges ESL volunteers.

尽管学习艰苦， 但您通过 New Haven Reads 提高了识字率，通过 Codehaven 将计算机科学基础知识教授到公立学校教室，并作为 Bridges ESL 志愿者为英语不是第一语言的移民提供辅导。

You've likewise helped us to alleviate housing and food insecurity through the Yale Hunger and Homelessness Action Project, supported your student neighbors as Walden Pier counselors, And engaged in remedial climate action with the Urban Resources Initiative.

您同样通过耶鲁饥饿和无家可归者行动项目帮助我们缓解了住房和粮食不安全问题，作为瓦尔登码头顾问支持您的学生邻居，并通过城市资源倡议参与了气候补救行动。

Even on the heels of final exams last week, many of you volunteered in Yale Day of Service activities.

即使在上周期末考试之后，你们中的许多人也自愿参加了耶鲁服务日活动。

You have, collectively, pursued unfinished work in our society and affirmed what Coretta Professor Scott King observed on this campus in 1969 that students want to start today on the world of tomorrow.

你们一起在我们的社会中追求未完成的工作，并肯定了 Coretta 教授 Scott King 1969 年在这个校园里观察到的，即学生们希望今天开始明天的世界。

Although not necessarily learned in the classroom, this spirit of service is every bit a part of what makes a Yale education distinctive.

虽然不一定是在课堂上学到的，但这种服务精神是耶鲁教育与众不同的一部分。

And in all, we estimate that you and your classmates contributed a remarkable 150,000 hours each year, each year you were here, to community-based causes.

总而言之，我们估计您和您的同学每年为社区事业贡献了 150,000 小时，这是您在这里的每一年。

Rather than reflect on how your work in this community will reverberate long after you exit Phelps Gate, I want to implore you to replicate it, no matter where you go next.

与其反思你在这个社区的工作在你离开 Phelps Gate 后很长一段时间内会产生怎样的反响，我想恳求你复制它，无论你下一步去哪里。

For several years now, even before the COVID-19 pandemic, this country has seen a decline in social capital and the value we derive from positive connections with other people.

几年来， 甚至在 COVID-19 大流行之前，这个国家的社会资本和我们从与他人的积极联系中获得的价值就已经下降。

Political scientist Robert Putnam diagnosed this decay through something that actually used to be fairly common in my time as a teenager in Buffalo, New York, bowling leagues.

政治学家罗伯特·普特南（Robert Putnam）通过一些在我十几岁时在纽约州布法罗保龄球联赛中非常普遍的事情来诊断这种衰退。

Putnam, an eminent Yale alumnus, observed that more Americans are bowling, but fewer in organized leagues.

著名的耶鲁校友帕特南观察到， 越来越多的美国人打保龄球，但在有组织的联盟中却更少。

So he used the vivid metaphor of bowling alone to represent the breakdown of traditional social networks in contemporary society.

于是他用打保龄球这个形象形象的比喻，来代表当代社会传统社交网络的崩溃。

As a touchstone of his thesis, Putnam pointed to a reduction in membership among organizations like PTAs, the Red Cross, Lions Clubs, from its mid-20th century peak.

作为他论文的试金石，Putnam 指出 PTA、红十字会、狮子会等组织的成员数量从 20 世纪中叶的高峰期开始减少。

He found, in short, that we are dropping out in droves from organized community life.

简而言之，他发现我们正在成群结队地退出有组织的社区生活。

In the two decades since Bowling Alone's publication, U.S. census data have similarly depicted a sharp decrease in community involvement.

自 Bowling Alone 出版以来的二十年里，美国人口普查数据同样显示社区参与度急剧下降。

The hours donated annually by volunteers, for example, halved between the start of the century and your first year at Yale.

例如，从本世纪初到你在耶鲁的第一年，志愿者每年捐赠的时间减半。

And the national volunteering rate dropped an additional seven percentage points by the time you were a junior.

到你大三的时候，全国志愿服务率又下降了 7 个百分点。

So what happens when social ties weaken?

那么当社会关系减弱时会发生什么？

Certainly, something is lost in our communities.

当然，我们的社区失去了一些东西。

But we also retreat into ourselves.

但我们也退缩到自己身上。

We become isolated, and we feel lonely.

我们变得孤立，我们感到孤独。

Surveys indicate the alarming prevalence of these feelings.

调查表明这些情绪的普遍程度令人震惊。

60% of Americans, including a full 75% of younger people like yourselves, now struggle with loneliness.

60% 的美国人， 包括整整 75% 的像你们一样的年轻人，现在都在与孤独作斗争。

Some weeks ago, this frayed social fabric compelled U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy, also a Yale alumnus, to declare a loneliness epidemic in America.

几周前，这种磨损的社会结构迫使美国外科医生 Vivek Murthy（也是耶鲁大学的校友）宣布孤独在美国流行。

The ramifications for our health and well-being are wide-ranging, he says, but an antidote is within reach.

他说， 这对我们的健康和福祉的影响是广泛的，但解毒剂触手可及。

As Dr. Murthy remarked last semester here at Yale, community service activities connect us with somebody deeply on something that matters, but also reaffirm to us that we have value to bring to the world.

正如穆尔蒂博士上学期在耶鲁大学所说的那样，社区服务活动将我们与那些对重要事情有深刻认识的人联系在一起，同时也向我们重申， 我们可以为世界带来价值。

They help us to rebuild that esteem which gets shredded when we are lonely.

他们帮助我们重建那种在我们孤独时被撕碎的自尊。

Of course, service activities are as salutary for society as they are for ourselves.

当然，服务活动对社会和对我们自己一样有益。

Social capital can contribute to positive outcomes in education, children's welfare, the safety of our neighborhoods, economic prosperity, and even democracy itself.

社会资本可以为教育、儿童福利、社区安全、经济繁荣甚至民主本身带来积极成果。

Our civic and social lives form the mortar of American society and a pillar of public health.

我们的公民和社会生活构成了美国社会的基石和公共卫生的支柱。

We must, therefore, redouble our resolve to rescue them.

因此，我们必须加倍决心拯救他们。

In doing so, we should be mindful of a distinction articulated by philosopher John Dewey, on whom Yale bestowed an honorary degree in 1951. Many social reformers, he lamented, however noble their intentions, have failed to meet their ambitions because they were committed to doing good for, rather than with, others.

在这样做的时候，我们应该注意哲学家约翰·杜威（John Dewey）所阐明的一个区别，他在 1951 年被耶鲁大学授予荣誉学位。他感叹，许多社会改革者，无论他们的意图多么高尚，都未能实现他们的抱负，因为他们致力于为他人而不是与他人一起做好事。

So for our part, we aspire to make Yale the most civically engaged university by strengthening the ties that bind us to our host city, New Haven.

因此，就我们而言， 我们希望通过加强我们与主办城市纽黑文的联系， 使耶鲁成为最具公民参与度的大学。

Like most of you, I arrived in New Haven as a visitor.

和你们大多数人一样，我作为访客来到纽黑文。

I remember my first days at Yale as an entering graduate student in 1981. I was blown away by the beauty of the stone buildings and by the tastiness of the local pizza.

我记得 1981 年我在耶鲁大学的第一天，当时我是一名研究生。我被石头建筑的美丽和当地比萨饼的美味所震撼。

Over the next four decades, I discovered that New Haven is a fascinating and vibrant community in which to live.

在接下来的四十年里，我发现纽黑文是一个迷人而充满活力的社区，适合居住。

The Elm City quickly became my and Marta's home and an integral part of our identities.

榆树城很快成为我和玛尔塔的家，成为我们身份不可或缺的一部分。

Your time here may well be shorter than ours, although I urge you to consider adding your talents to the rich mix of what makes this a great place to work and live.

你在这里的时间可能比我们的时间短，尽管我敦促你考虑将你的才能添加到使这里成为工作和生活的好地方的丰富组合中。

But whether you remain in New Haven or not after graduation, we all experience a distinct bond between Yale and our host city.

但无论你毕业后是否留在纽黑文，我们都会感受到耶鲁和我们所在城市之间的独特联系。

And the depth of that relationship was reflected most recently by the historic pledge to extend our lead as the institution that makes the largest annual voluntary financial contribution of any U.S. college or university to its home city.

这种关系的深度最近反映在历史性的承诺中，即扩大我们的领先地位，成为美国任何学院或大学对其家乡城市做出最大年度自愿财政捐助的机构。

But a university's responsibility to its host city goes beyond financial contributions, what Dewey might have deemed worthwhile ends.

但是大学对其所在城市的责任超出了财政捐助，杜威可能认为这是值得的。

It should also be intellectual.

它也应该是知识分子。

It should be innovative.

它应该是创新的。

It should be human.

它应该是人类。

It should be with as well as for.

它应该是with 以及for。

The metaphor of the ivory tower walled off from its surroundings and at Yale protected by moats and gates is no longer apt.

象牙塔与周围环境隔绝的比喻以及在耶鲁被护城河和大门保护的比喻不再恰当。

What is real instead is a social contract in which we willingly and readily obligate ourselves to the welfare of one another.

相反，真正的是一种社会契约，在这种契约中，我们愿意并愿意为彼此的福利承担义务。

So our task, even as we increase our voluntary payments, is to reinforce our culture of engagement.

因此，即使我们增加自愿付款，我们的任务也是加强我们的参与文化。

Alumni such as Patricia Melton exemplify this ideal, a native of Cleveland, Ohio, a 1983 graduate of Yale College, and with similar to about 20% of you, the first in her family to attend college, Patricia has dedicated her career to helping young people in our community.

帕特里夏·梅尔顿（Patricia Melton）等校友就是这一理想的典范，她出生于俄亥俄州克利夫兰， 1983 年毕业于耶鲁大学，与你们中约 20% 的人相似，她是家里第一个上大学的人，帕特里夏致力于帮助年轻人我们社区的人。

For over a decade, she has led New Haven Promise, a Yale-funded scholarship and career development program that is one of our most treasured collaborations.

十多年来，她领导了 New Haven Promise，这是一项由耶鲁大学资助的奖学金和职业发展计划， 是我们最珍贵的合作项目之一。

Patricia's inspired work delivers the dream of college for scores of young people who otherwise wouldn't be able to afford it.

帕特里夏（Patricia）富有灵感的作品为数十名否则负担不起的年轻人实现了上大学的梦想。

Importantly, the Promise program encourages college students to return to New Haven following graduation just as she did.

重要的是，Promise 计划鼓励大学生像她一样在毕业后返回纽黑文。

The results have been superb.

结果非常好。

By the end of this decade, we expect to have welcomed back thousands of Promise alumni who will accelerate the renaissance well underway in our city alongside many other Yale initiatives such as the recently established Pennington Fellowship and the Center for Inclusive Growth.

到这个十年结束时，我们预计将迎来成千上万的 Promise 校友回归，他们将与许多其他耶鲁计划一起加速我们城市正在进行的复兴，例如最近成立的彭宁顿奖学金和包容性增长中心。

And we also look forward to joining the mayor's recently announced tutoring program for New Haven school children.

我们也期待加入市长最近宣布的纽黑文学童辅导计划。

It is heartening to consider these extraordinary community partnerships that alumni like Patricia unleash and as Yale's newest graduates, you can soon enrich.

考虑到像帕特里夏这样的校友发起的这些非凡的社区合作伙伴关系令人振奋， 作为耶鲁大学的最新毕业生，你们很快就会充实起来。

Before we say farewell, I wish to hearken back to when we first met.

在我们说再见之前，我想听听我们第一次见面的时候。

You may recall that four years ago, I penned an open letter to welcome the class of 2023. In it, I asked you to consider a series of questions.

大家可能还记得， 四年前，我写了一封欢迎 2023 届毕业生的公开信。在信中，我让你们思考一系列问题。

Among them, why are we here?

其中，我们为什么在这里？

Why is Yale here?

为什么耶鲁在这里？

What is our purpose?

我们的目的是什么？

Of course, improving the world through research and education is Yale's mission.

当然，通过研究和教育改善世界是耶鲁大学的使命。

The crises that surround us, pressing in nature and often planetary in scale, compel the class of 2023 to mobilize its unique gifts for a world in need.

围绕在我们身边的危机在自然界中迫在眉睫， 而且规模往往是全球性的，迫使 2023 届毕业生动员其独特的天赋， 为有需要的世界服务。

And the liberal education you've acquired at Yale has prepared you well to do so.

你在耶鲁大学获得的自由教育已经为你做好了准备。

Look closely, though, and you will see that in a pithy mission statement dedicated to articulating our university's entire purpose, Yale puts equal emphasis on where we hope to achieve it.

仔细观察，虽然，你会发现在一份精炼的使命宣言中， 耶鲁大学致力于阐明我们大学的全部宗旨，同样强调我们希望实现它的地方。

Indeed, we devote ourselves to improving the world.

事实上，我们致力于改善世界。

As we do that, we retain our focus on the interdependent community in which this work is advanced, ever attuned to our immediate social surroundings.

当我们这样做时， 我们将继续关注相互依存的社区， 在这个社区中推进这项工作，永远适应我们直接的社会环境。

As Justice Sonia Sotomayor said to Yale Day of Service participants some years ago, our tradition of civic work is expressed in many ways, including in city halls, in state houses, in Congress, in the cabinet, and yes, even on the Supreme Court.

正如索尼娅·索托马约尔法官几年前对耶鲁服务日参与者所说，我们的公民工作传统以多种方式表达，包括在市政厅、州议会大厦、国会、内阁，是的，甚至在最高法院.

But this tradition of service, she continued, is also powerfully expressed daily by countless Yale graduates fired by a spirit of generosity, by relief workers amidst disasters, mentors in urban schools, volunteers in parks, libraries, and museums, and so many other roles.

但她继续说，这种服务传统每天都在无数被慷慨解雇的耶鲁毕业生、灾难中的救援人员、城市学校的导师、公园、图书馆和博物馆的志愿者以及许多其他角色中有力地表达出来.

I think, for instance, of a former student, Caroline Tanby Smith, whose love for this city was catalyzed by her president's public service fellowship.

例如，我想起以前的学生卡罗琳·坦比·史密斯（Caroline Tanby Smith），她对这座城市的热爱是由她的总统公共服务奖学金催化的。

Caroline stayed in New Haven after graduating from Yale College, and in 2017, she co-founded a nonprofit community accelerator dedicated to making entrepreneurship more accessible, particularly for low-income community members, women, and people of color, helping them to create new jobs and generate millions of dollars in revenue for this region.

Caroline 从耶鲁大学毕业后留在纽黑文，并于 2017 年与他人共同创立了一家非营利性社区加速器， 致力于让创业更容易，特别是针对低收入社区成员、女性和有色人种，帮助他们创造新的就业机会， 并为该地区创造数百万美元的收入。

Those efforts, your efforts, Justice Sotomayor said, may not make headlines, but they most surely make a difference.

Sotomayor 法官说，这些努力，你们的努力可能不会成为头条新闻，但它们肯定会有所作为。

Indeed, your efforts as students engaged in service showcase why the where of Yale's mission statement matters.

事实上，作为学生，你们为服务所做的努力展示了为什么耶鲁大学使命宣言的重要性。

Your efforts show that the transformative is within reach, that there is marvelous grandeur in the constellation of seemingly small acts of service with and for each other that together constitute a thriving civic life on this campus.

你们的努力表明， 变革触手可及，看似微不足道的服务行为汇集在一起， 共同构成了这个校园里繁荣的公民生活。

The sum of your contributions has brought immense pride to Yale and an equal measure of progress to our community.

你们的贡献总和为耶鲁带来了巨大的自豪感，也为我们的社区带来了同等程度的进步。

Here you have heeded Bob Dylan and strapped yourself to a tree with roots and nourished them.

在这里，您听取了鲍勃·迪伦（Bob Dylan）的意见，将自己绑在一棵有根的树上，滋养了它们。

Of course, we hope some of you will consider his next refrain also.

当然，我们希望你们中的一些人也会考虑他的下一个副歌。

You ain't going nowhere, and that you join us right here in New Haven.

你哪儿也不去，你就在纽黑文这里加入我们。

But for those of you who will soon disperse around the globe, also a fine outcome, we hope too that you will reprise what you have done here.

但对于你们这些很快将分散到全球各地的人来说，这也是一个很好的结果， 我们也希望你们能重复你们在这里所做的事情。

We hope that you will be known as much for your curiosity of mind as your generosity of spirit.

我们希望您的好奇心和慷慨的精神一样广为人知。

We hope that wherever it is upon life's sea you sail, you will arrive there not only as proud alumni of this university, but as emissaries of its ethos.

我们希望， 无论您在人生的海上航行到哪里，您都将不仅作为这所大学的骄傲校友，而且作为其精神的使者到达那里。

Ready once again to raise your hand and engage.

再次准备好举手参与。

Congratulations class of 2023.

祝贺 2023 届毕业生。