At the same time, today, the actions, and inaction, of human beings imperil not only life on the planet, but the very life of the planet.

與此同時，今天，人類所做的及沒能做到的事情，不僅危害到這個星球上的生命，也危害到該星球的壽命。

Globalization is making the world smaller, faster and richer. Still, 9/11, avian flu, and Iran remind us that a smaller, faster world is not necessarily a safer world.

全球化正在使地球變得愈來愈小、愈來愈快和愈來愈富有。盡管如此，9/11、禽流感及伊朗提醒我們，更小更快的世界決不意味著其更安全。

Our world is bursting with knowledge - but desperately in need of wisdom. Now, when sound bites are getting shorter, when instant messages crowd out essays, and when individual lives grow more frenzied, college graduates capable of deep reflection are what our world needs.

我們正處于一個知識爆炸的世界之中，不過，迫切需要智慧。現(xiàn)在，在（新聞采訪的）原聲摘要播出變得愈來愈短，即時信息淘汰了雜記文，個人生活變得如癡如狂之際，這個世界還是需要能夠深思的大學(xué)生。

For all these reasons I believed - and I believe even more strongly today - in the unique and irreplaceable mission of universities.

考慮到這些理由，我過去信仰，而今天甚至更加強烈地信仰大學(xué)獨特的、無可取代的使命。

Universities are where the wisdom we cannot afford to lose is preserved from generation to generation. Among all human institutions, universities can look beyond present norms to future possibilities, can look through current considerations to emergent opportunities.

大學(xué)是人類把不可或缺的智慧世代流傳的殿堂。就人類所有公共機構(gòu)而言，僅僅大學(xué)，能夠超越當前的準則，注意到未來的可能性；能通過目前的判斷，注意到突發(fā)的機遇。

And among universities, Harvard stands out. With its great tradition, its iconic reputation, its remarkable network of 300,000 alumni, Harvard has never had as much potential as it does now.

哈佛在大學(xué)中間，鶴立雞群。憑其偉大的傳統(tǒng)、因襲聲譽及其非凡的300000校友網(wǎng)，哈佛的潛力前所未有。

And yet, great and proud institutions, like great and proud nations at their peak, must surmount a very real risk: that the very strength of their traditions will lead to caution, to an inward focus on prerogative and to a complacency that lets the world pass them by.

可是，就像偉大和自豪的國家在其鼎盛時期一樣，它們必須克服一個完全不能掉以輕心的危險因素：它們傳統(tǒng)的絕對強勢將會導(dǎo)致謹小慎微、追求內(nèi)部特權(quán)及自滿，這將使它們不能與時俱進.

And so I say to you that our University today is at an inflection point in its history. At such a moment, there is temptation to elevate comfort and consensus over progress and clear direction, but this would be a mistake. The University’s matchless resources - human, physical, financial - demand that we seize this moment with vision and boldness. To do otherwise would be a lost opportunity. We can spur great deeds that history will mark decades and even centuries from now. If Harvard can find the courage to change itself, it can change the world.

今天，哈佛正處于其歷史的轉(zhuǎn)折點。此時此刻的自然傾向是，把貪圖舒適和隨波逐流留凌駕于進步和方向性之上，但，這可能是錯誤的。大學(xué)無與倫比的資源 ——人力、物力、財力——要求我們遠見卓識和勇敢地抓住這個時機，否則，將會坐失良機。我們能推動將會被歷史永世銘記的偉大的事業(yè)。如果哈佛能找到勇氣來改變自己，它就能改變世界。