做自己尊重的人
北京大學 2015年 本科生畢業典禮
教師代表致辭
在祝福裹著告誡呼嘯而來的畢業季，請原諒我不敢祝願每一位畢業生都成功、都幸福；
因為歷史不幸地記載著有人成功的代價是喪失良知，幸福的代價是損害他人。
從物理學來說，無機的原子逆熱力學第二定律出現生物是奇蹟；
從生物學來說，按進化規律產生遺傳資訊指導組裝人類是奇蹟。
超越化學反應結果的每一位畢業生都是值得珍惜的奇蹟；
超越動物慾望總和的每一位畢業生都應做自己尊重的人。
過去、現在、將來，能夠完全知道個人行為和思想的只有自己；
世界很多文化藉助宗教信仰來指導人們生活的信念和世俗行為；
而對無神論者——也就是中國大多數人——來說，自我尊重是重要的正道。
在你們加入社會後看到各種離奇現象，知道自己更多弱點和缺陷，可能還遇到大災小難後，如何在誘惑和艱難中保持人性的尊嚴、贏得自己的尊重並非易事，但卻很值得。
這不是：
自戀、自大、自負、自誇、自欺、自閉、自縛、自憐；
而是：
自信、自豪、自量、自知、自省、自贖、自勉、自強。
自尊支撐
自由的精神、
自主的工作、
自在的生活。
我祝願：
退休之日，你覺得職業中的自己值得尊重；
遲暮之年，你感到生活中的自己值得尊重。
不要問我如何做到，50年後返校時告訴母校你如何做到：
在你所含全部原子再度按熱力學第二定律迴歸自然之前，
它們
既經歷過物性的神奇，
也產生過人性的可愛。
2015年7月12日
做自己尊重的人
—北大2015年畢業典禮教師代表致辭
在祝福裹著告誡呼嘯而來的畢業季，請原諒我不敢祝願每一位畢業生都成功、都幸福；因為歷史不幸地記載著有人成功的代價是喪失良知，幸福的代價是損害他人。
從物理學來說，無機的原子逆熱力學第二定律出現生物是奇蹟；
從生物學來說，按進化規律產生遺傳資訊指導組裝人類是奇蹟。
超越化學反應結果的每一位畢業生都是值得珍惜的奇蹟；
超越動物慾望總和的每一位畢業生都應做自己尊重的人。
過去、現在、將來，能夠完全知道個人行為和思想的只有自己；
世界很多文化藉助宗教信仰來指導人們生活的信念和世俗行為；
而對無神論者——也就是中國大多數人——來說，自我尊重是重要的正道。
在你們加入社會後看到各種離奇現象，知道自己更多弱點和缺陷，可能還遇到小難大災後，如何在誘惑和艱難中保持人性的尊嚴、贏得自己的尊重並非易事，但卻很值得。
這不是：
自戀、自大、自負、自誇、自欺、自閉、自縛、自憐；
而是：
自信、自豪、自量、自知、自省、自贖、自勉、自強。
自尊支撐
自由的精神、
自主的工作、
自在的生活。
我祝願：
退休之日，你覺得職業中的自己值得尊重；
遲暮之年，你感到生活中的自己值得尊重。
不要問我如何做到，50年後返校時告訴母校你如何做到：在你所含全部原子再度按熱力學第二定律迴歸自然之前，它們
既經歷過物性的神奇，
也產生過人性的可愛。
Becoming a Person You Respect Tremendously
The 2015 Commencement of Peking University
Yi Rao
In the season with well-wishes sweeping across every campus, forgive me for not offering every one of you success or happiness, because history has unfortunately recorded that the successes of some graduates have cost basic human conscience, and their happiness have been built on the suffering of fellow human beings.
It is worth remembering that every one of you is a miracle worth treasuring and cherishing.
From the perspective of physics, the emergence of living organisms against the second law of thermodynamics is a miracle;
From the perspective of biology, the assembly of individuals from food according to genetic information is a miracle.
I hope that every one of you will become a person whom you respect tremendously.
In the past, the present and the future, the only person who knows all your behaviors and thoughts is you and only you. Because of that, you are the best and most knowledgeable judge of your own character. Many cultures across the globe have leaned on religion and faith as a compass to guide human choices. What course is there for the atheist, that is, the vast majority of Chinese? It is not easy to earn tremendous respect from yourself, while knowing all your faults and deficiencies, facing societal influences capable of distracting you from decency, and perhaps finding difficulties in maintaining human dignity during hardship. But in your life, seeking self-respect is certainly among the most worthy.
Self-respect does not come from self-indulging, self-aggrandizing, self-serving, self-bragging, self-deceiving, self-limiting, self-pitying or self-mutilating;
Self-respect results from self-criticizing, self-understanding, self-disciplining, self-saving, self-standing, self-moderating, self-comforting and self-inspiring.
Self-respect underlies independence in your profession and supports freedom in your life.
Though it may feel distant at your age, you will get to my age and understand my following wish：
On the day you retire, you will feel yourself to be a person you respected tremendously during your career;
In the time of your waning, you will find yourself to be a person you respected tremendously during your life.
Ask me not how you achieve self-respect, but tell your alma mater upon your 50threunion how, before all the atoms constituting you return to nature, you have made sure they have experienced natural wonder and human loveliness.
