Young people...

年輕人……

Craig Wilson ■姜凡 選注

每年的畢業演說都少不了亮麗的詞句和善意的謊言。而一位35年前的畢業生，用親身體驗道出了一番獨特的畢業贈言。

Scanning through my e-mails the other day, one in particular jumped out at me. The subject line read: "Note from Lyndonville Central School."

Since I graduated from that fine institution of learning what seems like 147 years ago, I opened it first. It was from a man who teaches math there now, a man who was a few grades behind me, a man who was inviting me, on behalf of the student council, to speak at Class Day1 in June.

"I would like to invite you 'back home,' " he wrote. "What do you think?"

What do I think?

I don't know.

The last time I spoke at Lyndonville Central School was graduation night of 1967. I can't remember exactly what I said that warm June evening, but I fear I proclaimed, among other things, that I was going to change the world, make it a better place for mankind, cure cancer and stop the spread of the leisure suit, the fashion faux pas2 that was sweeping the country.

I came through only on3 the leisure suit promise. It was on the road to extinction by the following spring.
But people will cut you some slack4 when you're 17. I distinctly remember applause. Perhaps they were just happy that I finally shut up, I don't know. At the time, I took it as a positive response, grabbed my diploma and got out of town. Never looked back, as they say.5

And now western New York was calling me home.

If I go, what would I say this time around? What would I share with these kids who were me 35 years ago, sitting there in the bleachers, eager to get on with life?6

I've always been wary of adults bearing advice.7 Any adult who has ever tried to give me any over the years will vouch for that. (Not that I consider myself an adult, but I look like one now, so I can infiltrate places adults frequent and pass for one if I must.)8

Would I fall into that cliche9 pool of graduation speeches? Follow your dreams! Climb every mountain! Go out there and make a difference! Carpe diem!10

Or would I be brutally11 honest and tell them they'll be working for the next 50 years, have children who will think them fools and more than likely have as little hair as I do? And when all that's over, there will be no Social Security Check12 for them, because I will have already spent it.

Actually, I'm not sure it really matters what I'd say.

I'm sure there's a Class Day　picnic they'll be itching to get to, a girl or boyfriend they'll be flirting with across the auditorium, a school's-almost-out daydream that will happily occupy their thoughts the whole time I might be speaking13.

I should know. I don't have a clue what any of my end-of-high-school speakers said. All I remember is they were old, rambled on14 for far too long and all looked like someone I would hope I'd never become.

And now I have.

1. Class Day：畢業紀念日。
2. faux pas：（法）不檢點的話（或行為）
3. come through on sth.：成功、實現。
4. cut sb. some slack：對某人表示理解。
5. 當時，在自以為是贊許的掌聲中，我一把拿過畢業證，象他們說的那樣頭也不回地離開了鎮子，。
6. 這些孩子們恍如35年前的我，和他們我能談些什么呢？他們就坐在露天看臺上，一副對生活躍躍欲試的樣子。bleacher：（美）運動場的露天座位。
7. 我一向對諄諄教誨的大人們心存戒備。be wary of : 提防，小心。
8. 過去幾年，凡是試圖忠告我的成年人都可以證明這一點。我沒把自己當成年人，但因為我長得像，所以必要時我能經?；燠E于成人場合并被當作其中的一員。
9. cliche 陳詞濫調、套話。
10. carpe diem：size the day（拉）及時行樂，這里指珍惜大好時光。
11. brutally：殘酷的、不中聽的。
12. Social Security Check：社會保險支票。（美國的）社會保障制度（1935年美國政府通過“社會保障條例”，據此對老年人或殘疾人員，以及貧苦兒童、失業工人給予最低額救濟金）。Social Security Number:社會保險號碼。
13. be itching to：渴望去做。　to flirt with：調情、賣俏?！chool's-almost-out：全校傾巢而出。我想一定會有一個盼望已久的畢業紀念日野餐，一個女孩或許正和她的男朋友在會場里調笑、可能自始至終我一邊演講，臺下的學生們滿腦子裝的卻都是全校外出日的美夢。
14. ramble on： 漫談，文中指嘮叨個沒完。

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