平凡与卓越之间

The Journey to Brilliance

 ——在苏州大学2017级本科生开学典礼上的讲话

A Speech to the New Undergraduate Students of Soochow at the 2017 University Opening Ceremony

熊思东 校长

By President Xiong Sidong

（2017年9月23日）

(September 23rd, 2017)

同学们、老师们：

Dear Students and Teachers,

今天，我们在这里集会，隆重举行2017级本科生开学典礼，共同欢迎来自15个国家和我国34个省、市、自治区、香港特别行政区、澳门特别行政区的6587名新同学。你们的到来，让百年苏大更加生机盎然。在此，我代表学校向全体新同学表示热烈的欢迎！苏大欢迎你们！

We congregate here today to hold the 2017 Opening Ceremony for the New Undergraduates of Soochow University. Now, on behalf of the university, I’d like to extend my cordial welcome to the 6578 new students from 15 foreign countries and 34 Chinese provinces, municipalities and autonomous regions, and the Hong Kong and Macao special administrative regions. Your enrollment brings new brilliance to Soochow University, a prestigious institute with a history of over a hundred years.  

今天，我们在雨中举行开学典礼，别有一番情趣。再大的雨，也掩饰不住各位同学雨披下这颗跳动的心。

I think the rain today is making this opening ceremony more special and memorable for everyone on this ground; but I also believe that the rain can never overcast or outplay your passion and vision at this moment.

两个月前的昨天，7月22日，我们从苏州十梓街1号向各位发出了诚挚的邀请，如今你们应约而至。前几天，我在学校官微上看到许多同学晒出了自己的录取通知书和灿烂的笑脸，从那一刻起你们已“情定”苏大，苏大也将成为你们的第二个家。迎新时，我了解到，今年苏大录取的理科生有4470位、文科生有1602位、体育艺术生有515位，全校男女生比例为1:1.2，总体平衡，但遗憾的是阳澄湖校区的男女生比例还是呈现出结构性的矛盾。

Two months ago, on the day of July 22nd, we sent the invitation to you with our utmost sincerity. Now you’re here as a positive response to the invitation. A few days ago, when I saw some young faces together with their offers on the official Weibo of Soochow University, I felt pleased, for I knew that from then on, you settled your “engagement” with this university, and were prepared to take it as your second home. I learned on the day of your arrival that this year we have 4470 students majoring in sciences, 1602 in liberal arts, and 515 in physical education and arts, with a male-female gender ratio of 1:1.2, which is balanced in general. However, as the proverb goes, “every rule has its exception”, the conventional and structural gender imbalance in Yangcheng Lake Campus has occurred again this year, which concerns me a lot.

我了解到，材化部的肖子恒同学在9月9日清晨5点18分就刷卡报到，成为苏大2017级新生报到的“第一人”，希望肖子恒同学戒骄戒躁，在今后的学习生活中继续勇夺第一；商学院的赵君巧同学，你还要再过72小时才满15周岁，你是今年我校最小的新生，希望你年小志高，在未来的学习中始终保持敢为人先的劲头；

According to the information I have collected, on the morning of September 9th, Mr. Xiao Zhiheng of the College of Chemistry, Chemical Engineering and Material Sciences swiped his student card at 5:18 am, which made him the first registered new undergraduate of Soochow University in 2017. I hope Mr. Xiao will keep taking initiatives and always achieve the first place in the future study and life. Miss Zhao Junqiao of the Finance and Economics School, as the youngest fresh student this year, you’ll be a 15-year-old girl 72 hours later. Young as you are, I hope you will keep aiming high and always stand out with superiority. 

管理学院的张风同学和材化部的张帆同学，你们兄弟二人以相同的分数考入苏大，希望你们兄弟俩继续携手并肩、风雨同行；

Zhang Feng of the School of Political Science and Public Administration, and Zhang Fan of the College of Chemistry, Chemical Engineering and Material Sciences, as bothers from the same family and peers with the same scores in the College Entrance Examination, I hope you two will cherish the brotherhood no matter in sorrows or happiness along the university journey. 

物理科学与技术学院的许致文同学，就是代表新生向各位致辞的许致文同学，你在填报高考志愿时放弃了其他所有的学校，把全部的高考志愿都填写为苏州大学，感谢你如此信任苏大，希望你不忘初心、一往无前、不虚此行；

Mr. Xu Zhiwen of the School of Physic and Technology, also the Xu Zhiwen who delivered the speech as the representative of the new students, ignored all the other institutions when filling out the application for college preference. You made Soochow the first and the only choice for yourself. Thanks so much for your trust and faith in this university. Hopefully you will maintain your original aspiration that has led you to success and prove your choice to be rewarding and worthwhile.

敬文书院的朱伊人同学，感谢你和你的父亲当年一样义无反顾地选择了苏大，希望你青出于蓝而胜于蓝、苏大之行别样精彩；

Miss Zhu Yiren of the C.W. Chu College, thanks for following the footsteps of your father by joining Soochow University without hesitation. We also hope you will excel your father yet experience different wonders during your own university life. 

来自巴西的Domingo（多明戈）同学，你从圣保罗出发，途经荷兰、德国、西班牙、迪拜、香港、上海，历经34个小时又45分钟、横穿了大半个地球终于抵达苏州，世界这么大，感谢你只选择了苏大。我还了解到，有位同学的名字很励志，她是文学院的展望未来同学，希望在座的同学与她一起，放下手中的“王者荣耀”，共同展望未来！

Mr. Domingo from Brazil, thanks for choosing Soochow University among all the international universities. I know that your trip to this institute took you 34 hours and 45 minutes—— you set off from São Paulo, transferred at Netherlands, Germany, Spain, Dubai, HK and Shanghai, and finally arrived at Suzhou. I also noticed a special yet very encouraging name on the roster of newcomers, Miss Zhan Wangweilai of the School of Humanity. Bearing the meaning of “looking forward to the future”, your name, I believe, will always remind you of your expectations . I hope all the youngsters present today will join in with Miss Zhan to foster a better future instead of better gaming skills. 

同学们，今天是你们人生道路上的新起点，当你们第一次踏入苏大校园，一定会被中西合璧的建筑所吸引。这里曾是苏州大学的起点。1900年，苏州大学的前身东吴大学在此创立，她融中西文化之菁华，首开我国西式教育之先河，率先开办了法学教育和研究生教育。

Dear students, today is a new start point in your life. Upon your arrival at this campus, you must have been astonished by its classic architectures with blended characteristics of Chinese and Western cultures. This was also the start point of Soochow University, established on the ground under your feet in 1900. By integrating the essence of both Chinese and Western traditions, the university set a precedent for bringing modern education and initiated the law studies and postgraduate education. 

从那时起，回荡在校园里的悠扬钟声，唤醒了学子们读书的热望；从那时起，奋斗在创校初期的大师先贤，留下了弥足珍贵的东吴精神；从那时起，走过艰难曲折道路的新式学府，与国家的命运紧密相连。一个多世纪以来，一代代苏大人在追寻先辈教育理想的道路上奋力前行，谱写了无数精彩的苏大之歌。

From then on, the ringing of the bell in the campus have been awaking the passions of students toward studies; the pioneers fighting for the survival and development of the university have left us countless and valuable spirits; and the new-style institute connected its destiny with the nation after conquering formidable hardships. Over a century has passed, generations of teachers and students of Soochow have inherited the spirits of the founders and made their own contributions to the development of this institute. 

在这里，每座大门、每幢楼宇、每处雕塑、每条小路、每棵大树，都在向我们诉说着苏大人奋发图强的故事。

In this university, you will find numerous stories on the road of fighting for rejuvenation and prosperity. These stories are left by generations of Soochow people and they have been embedded in every single gate, every ancient building, every memorial statue, every winding path and every towering tree.

徐志摩、林语堂、胡适、章太炎等先贤曾在这古色古香的阁楼里传道授业，留下了豪气与才情；杨绛、钱仲联、金庸等大师曾在这片草坪上谈古论今、激扬文字，写下了一段段佳话；费孝通、雷洁琼、赵朴初、孙起孟、李政道、谈家桢等校友曾在这参天的香樟树下惜取光阴、籍书枕经，终成一代大家；向哲浚、倪征日奥（yù）、高文彬等十余位师生曾临危受命，赴日本参与东京审判，以自己的智慧和勇气将日本战犯绳之以法，捍卫了人类的良知和正义。在这里，更有无数学子沐浴着方塔晨辉，在尊师桥畔、沁心亭旁、敬贤堂边埋头苦读，成长为社会的精英、国家的栋梁。

In the past, the university witnessed outstanding scholars contributing their wisdom to the institute and the nation. Masters like Xu Zhimo, Lin Yutang, Hu Shi and Zhang Taiyan lingered in these charming building to enlighten students; scholars like Yang Jiang, Qian Zhonglian, and Louis Cha scrutinized their studies on this greensward to illuminate the human thoughts; alumni including Fei Xiaotong, Lei Jieqiong, Zhao Puchu, Sun Qimeng, Tsung-Dao Lee and Tan Jiazhen, explored the mysteries in the shadow of these camphor trees and made themselves great scholars with diligence and determinations; entrusted with the mission to sentence those criminals in WWII, over ten teachers and students of the Law School, including Xiang Zhejun, Ni Zhengyu, and Gao Wenbin, left this campus for Tokyo and guarded the conscience and justice of us human beings by convicting those Japanese war criminals with wisdom and courage. As the dawn light sheds over the top of the squared tower, you could notice many peers cloistering themselves away with books besides the Homage Bridge, the Refreshing Pavilion and the Sage Auditorium, and fighting for their dreams to become elites and pillars of communities and the nation.

回眸过往岁月，我们苏大人在追求卓越的路上从未止步。2016年，苏大被国际权威杂志（《Nature Index》）称为“全球上升最快的大学”。如今，百年苏大正呈现出前所未有的发展活力，站在全新的、更高的起点上。

Although we boast a glorious history, our pursuit for excellence never gears down. In the year of 2016, Soochow University was selected as a most-improved university by Nature Index, an international authoritative journal. Now, with a greater new starting point, the university, based on the achievements made in the past, is developing with unprecedented vigor and passion.  

在这里，你们可以感悟到“养天地正气，法古今完人”的深沉力量；在这里，你们有机会在图书馆里博览群书，在国家级实验室进行科学探究，在开放的研讨课中探求真理，在丰富的社会实践活动中增长阅历；在这里，你们可以在数百个社团中寻找志趣相投的伙伴，在创业科技园里实现创客梦想；在这里，你们将有机会与诺贝尔奖获得者、两院院士、教学名师进行对话和交流，你们将有机会赴哈佛、斯坦福、牛津、剑桥等著名学府交流学习；在这里，你们还将与来自天南海北的同学结成伙伴，共同感受千年姑苏城的文化底蕴。

Here in the university, you can savor the underlying power of the university motto: unto a full-grown man: You can read extensively in those well-equipped libraries, make scientific researches in state level laboratories, explore the secrets of knowledge in open seminars, and enrich yourself with various extra-curricular practices. Here in this university, you can find the birds of your feather in the hundreds of student clubs, and realize the dream of being a maker in the science park. Here in the university, you can communicate with and learn from famous scholars, Nobel-Prize winners, and the academicians of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and the Chinese Academy of Engineering. You also have the chance to visit and study in global top universities like Harvard, Stanford, Oxford and Cambridge. Accompanied by peers from different places of the world, you can touch and enjoy the unique culture of this time-honored city. 

我相信，在苏大的校园里还有更多意想不到的人和风景等待着你们去发现、去探寻；我期待，某一天在校园里与你们相遇，看见的是你们更加自信的笑容。

I believe that there are always unexpected encounters and sceneries for you to discover in Soochow University; and I also hope that one day, I will see the confident smiles on your faces whenever and wherever I meet you on campus. 

各位来到苏大，将在这里度过人生中最为重要、最为关键和最为美好的一段青春时光。能否通过四年或略长些的时光的学习有所收获、有所长成，进而走向卓越，这关乎同学们的未来、学校的未来和国家的未来。正如路遥先生在《平凡的世界》一书中写道：“其实我们每个人的生活都是一个世界，即使最平凡的人也要为他生活的那个世界而奋斗”，虽然我们源自平凡，但我们却心向卓越，平凡与卓越之间可能只有一步之遥。这一步之遥：

In the university, you’ll spend the most important, most crucial and most beautiful four years of your life. Your success or failure in making achievements on the journey to brilliance concerns not only your own future, but also the future of the university and the future of the Chinese nation. As is described in The Ordinary World by Mr. Lu Yao, “Actually, the world hides beneath the life of everyone, and one should fight for the good of the world he lives however ordinary he might be”. Although we may have been born ordinary, we can, and we should, always aim at brilliance and I believe that the journey from ordinary to brilliance may be just one step away.

我以为，平凡与卓越之间，是一次“仰望”的距离。“仰望”，就是仰望星空，树立远大志向。习近平总书记曾指出，“人的一生只有一次青春，青春是用来奋斗的；……青少年要敢于有梦、勇于追梦、勤于圆梦。”一个人能走多远，不要问他的双脚，要问他的梦想，而大学就是离梦想最近的地方。

This one step, the journey to brilliance, in my opinion, is the setting of great expectations. President Xi Jinping once pointed out, “everyone has one and only one youth period, which should be used for striving … youngsters should dare to have dreams, pursue dreams, and realize dreams”. How far a person can reach is never determined by the body but by the dream; and university is the place closest to the dreams.  

离我校独墅湖校区不足一百米的地方，有一家名为“同程网”的公司，它是由我校社会学院1999届毕业生吴志祥和他的四个伙伴一起创办。他们梦想的起点就在那里，就在距离钟楼不足百米的一间九平米的宿舍。场地虽然小，梦想却很大。短短十五年，同程网已发展成为中国最大的在线旅游企业之一。正如吴志祥校友所说，“有梦想，有奋斗，一切美好的东西都能够创造出来。”同学们，大学时代是敢于有梦、勇于追梦的时代，希望你们时时仰望星空，以梦为马，不负韶华，让苏大也成为你们梦想的起点。

Less than a hundred meters away from the Dushu Lake campus locates a company named “Tongcheng Network”. Originated from a nine-square meter dormitory next to the bell tower, this company, bearing the dreams of Wu Zhixiang, an alumnus graduated in 1999, and his four buddies, has become one of the biggest online travel agencies in China after 15 years’ development. “You can create all those beautiful things as long as you can fight for your dreams.” Here I quote these words of Wu Zhixiang to encourage you to start your own dreams at Soochow University, and fight for your own expectations with a salute to the irreversible youth. 

我以为，平凡与卓越之间，是一次“转身”的距离。“转身”，就是要转变角色，适应新的大学生活。进入大学，你们远离了父母、告别了好友，需要独自面对全新的生活环境和人际关系，希望你们用心去感受，用真情去交流，找到志同道合的好友，收获影响一生的友谊。进入大学，没有了按部就班的课表、没有了固定的座位、没有了老师父母的耳提面命，取而代之的是灵活的时间安排、自主的课程选择，希望你们学会主动学习、培养独立思考的能力，在自主探究中享受学习的快乐。大学之前，你们面对的是一道道“填空题”，只需填上精准的答案；进入大学之后，你们面对的将是一道道的“思考题”，没有标准答案，需要你们自我发现、自我探索，寻找属于自己的最佳答案。

The journey to brilliance, in my opinion, calls for a “turn-around”, which means the determination to change roles and the adaptation to college life. Upon entering the university, you are expected to handle a brand-new environment and different interpersonal relations independently. Without the accompaniment of parents and old peers, you’re encouraged to find friends with the same interests and win the friendships with a lifelong impact through frank and sincere communication. There will be no fixed seat or school timetable any more. You have to plan your own timetable and choose your own courses instead of having everything prepared by parents or teachers. You’re supposed to learn positively and explore the happiness in self-studies using through independent thinking. There will not be any blank-filling for your life or study from now on and there will be no precise or standard answers to the questions around either. Instead, you should find out the best solutions for yourself via constant self-discovery and self-exploration. 

我以为，平凡与卓越之间，是一次“抬头”的距离。“抬头”，就是拓宽视野。英国思想家Whitehead（怀特海）曾说：“在中学阶段，学生伏案学习；在大学里，就应该站立起来，四面瞭望。”大学里我们不仅要学好专业知识，还要多读经典，与先贤智者交流对话，从中获得有益的指引和启迪。同时，还应该培养一点兴趣，它将让生活更加富有诗意。

The journey to brilliance, in my opinion, means “lifting your head”. That is, you should expand your horizons. A.N. Whitehead, the famous English philosopher, once said, “during the school period, the student has been mentally bending over a desk; at the university, he should stand up and look around…”. Whitehead’s words highlight the importance and significance to broaden the visions for college students. Indeed, here in the university, we should not only better the expertise in professional fields, but read as many classics as we can. By communicating with great sages and brilliant brains, we can always obtain enlightenments and inspirations. Meanwhile, we should also develop some hobbies to enrich our life to be fun and poetic. 

刚才致辞的我校杰出校友詹启敏院士，他既是一位卓越的科学家，一位有思想的教育家，也是一位才华横溢的诗人、音乐人、舞者，由他谱写和演唱的毕业歌在校园里广为传唱。

In this case, Academician Zhan Qimin who delivered the speech just now should be a perfect example. As an outstanding alumnus, Mr. Zhan is not only an excellent scientist and an influential educator, he is also a talented poet, musician and dancer. The Song of Graduation composed and performed by him is widely sung in every corner of the campus.

同学们，你们在拓宽知识视野的同时，还要拓展国际视野。我们的祖国已走向世界舞台的中央，迫切需要更多通晓国际规则、能够参与国际竞争的高素质人才，希望你们以更加开放、包容的态度来看待这个世界，培养全球意识，从容自信地与世界各国青年一起学习和交流，努力成为具有中国情怀、国际视野的引领者。

My dear young ladies and gentlemen, I urge you to develop an international horizon while broadening the visions in different areas. Under the spotlight of the international arena, China is calling for more high-quality talents with the mastery of relevant rules so as to be competitive in various international events. Therefore, I hope you can grow into patriotic leaders with international horizons through communicating with and learning from the youngsters from different countries and interpreting the world with open attitudes and global awareness. 

我以为，平凡与卓越之间，是一次“俯身”的距离。“俯身”，就是降低人生重心，为奔跑积蓄力量。力量的积蓄，离不开奋斗，离不开积累，更离不开坚持。你们的学长孙杨，他是两届奥运会冠军。比赛中，我们看到的是他在泳池里的矫健身姿，却不知道短短几百米赛程的背后是超过5万公里的训练里程；颁奖时，我们看到的是他在领奖台上的王者风范，却不知道金牌背后是长达20年的坚持不懈。希望同学们能像孙杨一样，为了心中的梦想默默坚守，凭奋斗的汗水兑现青春的无悔，借执着的力量奔向美好的未来。

The journey to brilliance, in my opinion, requires you to “bend yourself”. That means you have to start from low and accumulate strengths. The unfailing perseverance, ceaseless struggles, and accumulation of strength have won Sun Yang, your predecessor at the university, the championships in two Olympic Games. His excellent performs in the hundred-meter games resulted from his painstaking efforts in the over 50 kilometer swimming trainings. The confidence and pride on the medal-giving podium is the reward for his strenuous efforts sustained for 20 years. I hope that, by following the steps of Sun Yang, you will also accumulate strengths for the dreams in the depth of your heart, and fight for a bright future with tears and sweat of youth during the your era.  

我以为，平凡与卓越之间，是一次“跨越”的距离。“跨越”，就是脚踏实地，拥有强大的行动力。英国历史学家Thomas Carlyle（托马斯·卡莱尔）说过“要迎着晨光实干，不要对着晚霞幻想。”希望你们更加珍惜时光，因为迟一步，自习教室里的位子可能就没有了；慢一拍，脑袋里灵光一现的idea可能就会被别人付诸实践。汪国真先生曾说“再长的路，一步步也能走完，再短的路，

迈开双脚也无法到达。”希望同学们不要做“键盘侠”，要做“行动派”，从每一件小事做起，上好每一节课，做好每一次实验，写好每一篇小论文，踏踏实实去做、一步一个脚印去走，在实践中绽放梦想之花。

The journey to brilliance, in my opinion, should be realized through a “cross”. To cross means you should have solid preparations and powerful executive capacity. Thomas Carlyle urged the youngsters that they should “cherish every minute with the comparison between the efforts under the sunrise and one’s fantasies in the sunset”. Like Carlyle, I also attach great importance to early preparation, for I know that a minute late in the self-study classroom means no seat is available; and a delay in action may result in the vanishment of great ideas. As what Mr. Wang Guozhen once emphasized, “one could eventually conquer the long journey step by step, while nobody could arrive at the destination if not willing to take the first step”. In this case, I hope you will become a practitioner instead of a talker. Always bearing in mind that the flower of dream only blossoms on the tree of practice, you are expected to treat each trivial task in your study and research seriously.

同学们，100和120，是你们在苏大将会遇到的两个重要数字。到2020年，我们的祖国将实现第一个百年奋斗目标的“中国梦”，同时，苏州大学也将迎来建校120周年。希望同学们打起120分的精神，付出百分之百的努力，奋力书写你们的青春故事！我相信四年之后，你们一定会发现一个不一样的自己，一个卓越的自己！

Dear students, you should keep two important numbers in mind: 100 and 120. By 2020, our country will have fulfilled the Chinese Dream set as the objective of the first one hundred year rejuvenation project. By that time, Soochow University will also witness her 120th anniversary. Hence, I hereby sincerely encourage you to devote yourself to the development of our country, and spare no effort to create your own miracles. I firmly believe that after the four years’ study at Soochow University, you will eventually make an brilliant talent out of yourself!

人生如箭，开弓向前。同学们，美好的大学生活已经拉开帷幕，新世界的大门就在眼前，你们的心有多大，苏大交给你们的舞台就有多大。我衷心希望你们能够在仰望、转身、抬头、俯身、跨越之间挥洒青春、追求卓越，祝愿你们与苏大的这场相约，成为你们人生中最精彩、最难忘的篇章！也愿你们，莫忘来时路，不负少年心！

The arrow would never return once it is shot. Your time has come and the key to the new world is in your hand. Soochow University will provide you with a stage as big as you can dream for you to perform. It is my fervent hope that you can make great achievements along the journey to brilliance by setting great expectations, adapting yourself to the new environment, expanding your horizons, accumulating necessary strengths, making solid preparations and executing with determinations. It is also my hope that you will have the most valuable and memorable experience in this university, keep your original inspirations and dreams, and prove yourselves in the prime time of your life.

最后，我要特别邀请我校党委江涌书记，与全体校领导，携全校5196位教职员工、47233位在校本科生和研究生，共同为今天生日的14位新同学送上最诚挚的祝福！

Finally, I’d like to invite Secretary Jiang Yong of the Party Committee, all the leaders presented, 5196 staffs of the university and the 47233 enrolled undergraduates and graduates, to join in with me to send our best wishes to the 14 newcomers on the date of their birthday!

They are:

他们是：

轨道交通学院的李磊同学、李太雷同学！

Mr. Li Lei and Li Tai Lei of the School of Railway Transportation;

商学院的周怡廷同学、纺织学院的秦烯瑗同学！

Miss Zhou Yiting of the Finance and Economics School, and Miss Qin Xiyuan of the College of Textile;

电子信息学院的陈俊同学、机电学院的周天睿同学！

Mr. Chen Jun of the School of Electronic and Information Engineering, and Mr. Zhou Tianrui of the School of Mechanical and Electric Engineering;

计算机学院的吴海洋同学、体育学院的裴烽帆同学！

Mr. Wu Haiyang of the School of Computer Science and Technology, and Mr. Pei Fengfan of the Physical Education College;

数学学院的翁新越同学、外国语学院的包成阳同学！

Mr. Weng Xinyue of the School of Mathematical Sciences and Mr. Bao Chengyang of the School of Foreign Languages;

医学部的陆仲逸、王丹同学！

Mr. Lu Zhongyi and Miss Wang Dan of the Medical College;

管理学院的季家俊同学、医学部的蒙文子同学！

Mr. Ji Jiajun of the School of Political Science and Public Administration; and Miss Meng Wenzi of the Medical College.

让我们以热烈的掌声祝福他们生日快乐！

Let’s wish them a happy birthday with the warmest applauses!

谢谢大家！

Thanks you!

转自：苏州大学