胡適留學日記卷四三九、記本校畢業式

卷四三九、記本校畢業式

　　（六月十七日）

　　余雖於去年夏季作完所需之功課，惟以大學定例，須八學期之居留，故至今年二月始得學位，今年夏季始與六月卒業者同行畢業式。畢業式甚繁，約略記之。

　　六月十四日，星期，禮拜堂有「畢業講演」（Baccalaureate Sermon）。講演之牧師為紐約The Rev. William Pierson Merrill，D. D. ，題為「So speak ye，and so do，as men that are to be judged by a law of liberty」（James Ⅱ：12），略言今人推翻一切權勢，無複有所宗仰，惟凡人處權力之下易也，而處自由之下實難，前此種種之束縛，政治法律宗教各有其用，今一一掃地以盡，吾人將何以易之乎？其言甚痛切。

　　十五日，往觀大學象戲會（Cornell Masque）演英大劇家Bernard Shaw之諷世劇「You Never Can Tell」。

　　十六日謂之「畢業班之日」，畢業生及其戚友會于山坡草地上，行畢業日演藝。是夜白特生夫人延余餐於其家。以予客處，無家人在此觀予畢業，故夫人相招以慰吾寂寥，其厚意可感也。

　　十七日為畢業日，英名Commencement，譯言肇始也，夫畢業也而名之曰肇始者，意以為學業之終而入世建業之始，其義可思也。是日畢業可九百人，皆禮服，各以學科分列成雙行。禮服玄色，方冠。冠有旒，旒色以學科而異，如文藝院生白旒，農院黃旒，律院紫旒是也。鐘十一下，整隊行，校董前行，校長院長次之，教長教員又次之，學生則文藝院生居先列，而工科生為最後。畢業場在山坡草地上，設帳為壇。壇上坐校董以次至教員。壇前設座數千，中為畢業生，外為觀者，蓋到者不下三千人。坐定，樂隊奏樂。有牧師率眾祈禱。校長頒給學位，畢業生起立，旒垂左額；既得學位，則以手移旒於右額。複坐，又奏樂。樂終，校長致畢業訓詞。校長休曼先生（Jacob Gould Schurman）本演說大家，此日所演尤動人，略言諸生學成用世，有數事不可少：

　　一、健全之身體，二、專一之精神，三、科學之知識，四、實地之經驗。

　　其結語尤精警動人，語時諸生皆起立。其言如下：

　　Ladies and gentlemen of the graduation classes: If what I have been saying is correct—and I think it is—I may draw a conclusion of great encouragement for every one of you. The life you are about to enter is indeed a race; but it is a race in which not merely one, but every one, may win the prize. For each of you is called on to serve the community; and if, like the members of the crew or team, you each play your part well, you will have won the only prize that is open to you. If the life of men were a mere struggle for each one to get his head above everybody else, then of course the only victor would be the financial magnate, the political potentate, or the gourmond or insatiate sensualist. But if life really means faithful service in and for the community—as religion and reflection agree in declaring—then all honest work, all loyal effort, brings its own reward.

　　"Act well your part,

　　There all the honor lies. "

　　If life is a game。it is a rivalry in generous service to the community of which we are all members. College graduates because of their superior education should be able to render better service than others. The public has a right to expect it of us. My dearest hope, my most earnest prayer, for each and all of you is that you may rise to the height of your opportunities and win the noblest prize open to human beings—the crown of high character, of intellectual attainment, and of loyal service to your day and generation.

　　〔中譯〕

　　諸位畢業之女士及先生們：

　　如果我剛才所說的話是對的，那麼我將以它來勉勵在座的各位。你們即將進入的人生定為一場激烈的競賽。但此競賽，金牌不止一枚，人人皆可得獎。社會向你們召喚，召喚諸位去服務人生。各位正好比一名船員，或一名隊員，盡可扮演好自己的角色，必定會得到那一份為你所設的獎賞。假如奮鬥只是為了出人頭地，那麼將來的成功無非只是當一名金融巨頭，或是官場顯要，或是貪吃的老饕，抑或是一好色之徒而已。各位若是認定人生本是誠實地得之於社會，用之於社會——就像宗教和反思所認定的那樣——那就請各位熱誠工作，忠實奉獻，這些將給你帶來應得的回報。

　　「暢演人生，
　　光榮屬你。」

　　假如人生是一場競賽，那麼人人都力爭慷慨地去為這個社會服務，因為我們都是社會一份子。大學畢業生受過優良的教育，理應比一般人更優秀地去服務社會，公眾有權寄厚望於他們。我最深切地希望，最熱誠地祈禱，祝在座諸位一定振臂而起，抓住良機，贏得這頂向各位招手的桂冠，即高尚的品格，智識的成就，忠誠的服務於時代。

　　演說既畢，全體合唱《母校》之歌。有哽咽不成聲者。蓋諸生居此四年，一旦休業，臨此莊肅之會，聞贈別之辭，唱《母校》之歌，正自有難堪者在，蓋人情也。

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