正是这份渴望让这所大学拥有了生命
the same hunger that defined so many of our parents and grandparents
正是这份渴望定义了我们的父辈和祖辈
including my own
包括我自己也是如此
You see, my parents never went to college
我父母从未上过大学
but they were determined to see me and my brother and all the kids in our neighborhood
但他们致力于让我 我弟弟以及附近所有的小孩
get a good education
获得良好教育
So my mother volunteered at my school
我母亲因此在学校去做义工
helping out every day in the front office
帮助办公室处理日常事务
making sure our teachers were doing their jobs
确保我们的老师尽到了他们的职责
holding their feet to the fire if she thought they were falling short
我母亲如果觉得他们不合格 就会向他们施压
I'd walk by the office and there she'd be
我从办公室走过 她在那里
I'd leave class to go to the bathroom, there she'd be again
我从教室出来去上洗手间 她又在那里
roaming the halls, looking in the classrooms
她会在教学楼游荡 往教室里看
And of course, as a kid, I have to say, that was a bit mortifying
当然 作为孩子 我不得不承认 这很让人痛苦
having your mother at school all the time
母亲总在学校盯着你
But looking back, I have no doubt that my classmates
但回头想想 毫无疑问 我和我的同学们
and I got a better education because she was looking over those teachers' shoulders
能够获得良好教育 都得益于她对教师工作的监督
You see, my mom was not a teacher or a principal or a school board member
我母亲既不是老师 也不是校长或校董成员
But when it came to education, she had that hunger
但对于教育 她有这种渴望
So she believed that our education was very much her business
她坚信 我们的教育就是她的事业
And we need more people who think and act like my mother
我们需要更多像我母亲这样思考和行动的人
and all those mothers out there
在座的母亲们肯定也都是如此
because the education of our young people is all of our business
因为对年轻人的教育就是我们的事业
That's what Emperor Williams thought
皇帝·威廉姆斯也是这样想的
That's what the folks here in New Orleans thought as
卡特里娜之后重建校园的新奥尔良人也是这样想的
they worked to rebuild this campus after Katrina
卡特里娜之后重建校园的新奥尔良人也是这样想的
And as graduates of Dillard University
作为迪拉德大学毕业生
that's how we need you to think every single day for the rest of your lives
这也是你们在人生旅途的每一天中都不能忘记的
You all have opportunities and skills and education
你们获得了机会 技能和教育
that so many folks who came before you never could have dreamed of
这是很多前人做梦都无法想象的
So just imagine the kind of impact that you're going to make
永远不要低估你能产生的影响
Imagine how you can inspire those around you
你也能够鼓舞身边的人
to reach higher and complete their own education
让他们立志高远并完成自己的教育
And you can start small
你可以从小事做起
