評論
打印
Requiring scholars and commencement speakers, for that matter
因此 要求學者和畢業典禮發言者
to conform to certain political standards
遵循特定政治標準
undermines the whole purpose of a university
會侵蝕整個大學的存在意義
This spring
今年春
it has been disturbing to see a number of college commencement speakers withdraw
很讓人不安的是 很多大學畢業典禮演講者都被撤銷了
or have their invitations rescinded
甚至連邀請函都被撤回了
after protests from students and to me, shockingly
僅僅因為學生 甚至資深教職團隊和管理者的反對
from senior faculty and administrators who should know better
我很吃驚 學生姑且不論 其他人顯然應當更明事理一些
It happened at Brandeis, Haverford, Rutgers, and Smith
這發生在布蘭代斯 哈弗福德 羅格斯 史密斯等院校
Last year, it happened at Swarthmore and Johns Hopkins, I'm sorry to say
去年還發生在斯沃斯莫爾和約翰霍普金斯 我很遺憾
In each of these cases
這些例子中
liberals silenced a voice and they denied an honorary degree
自由派都希望讓不喜歡的聲音無法發出
to individuals they deemed politically objectionable
政治上不被其認同的人會被拒絕授予榮譽學位
This is an outrage and we must not let it continue
這太讓人憤怒了 我們不應當讓它繼續發生
If a university
如果一所大學
thinks twice before inviting a commencement speaker
在邀請一位畢業典禮演講嘉賓時
because of his or her politics
還要因為政治立場再三斟酌
censorship and conformity the mortal enemies of freedom win out
審查和一致這些自由的死敵就會勝出
And sadly, it is not just commencement season when speakers are censored
很悲哀的是 并不只有畢業季的演講嘉賓會被審查
Last fall, when I was still in City Hall
去年秋 我還在擔任市長的時候
our Police Commissioner was invited
市警察局長受邀
to deliver a lecture at another Ivy League institution
到另一所常春藤盟校進行演講
but he was unable to do so because students shouted him down
結果他的演講卻因學生大聲抗議而無法進行
Isn't the purpose of a university to stir discussion, not silence it?
比起讓討論沉默 大學的意義不應當是激起討論嗎
What were the students afraid of hearing?
學生到底害怕聽到什么
Why did administrators not step in to prevent the mob from silencing speech?
為什么管理者不采取措施 避免暴民干擾演講
And did anyone consider that it is morally and pedagogically wrong
難道其他想聽演講的學生
to deprive other students the chance to hear the speech?
機會就應當被這樣剝奪嗎
