回顾今年6月的毕业典礼上，毕业生代表的演讲收获了阵阵掌声及赞赏，在场的所有人无不被华附国际部毕业学子的思想深度及广度所折服。

这只是我们所收集的多篇毕业演讲致辞的其中一篇。

每年的毕业季，华附国际部都面向全体毕业生征集毕业生代表演讲致辞。每一篇都宛如夜空中的星，闪烁着属于作者本人独一无二的思想之光。此次应广大家长们的要求，本公众号现将所收集到的部分2020届毕业生演讲稿整理成合集并发布。

感谢2020届毕业生在毕业之际仍积极踊跃地参与学校事务！

同时我们也不忘祝福2020届的孩子们！

衷心祝福我们的学生及校友，未来在更高的学术殿堂及领域里都能如愿获得其所愿。

最后，感谢各位华附国际部铁粉持续不断的支持！

（以下演讲稿件按姓氏首字母排序）

2020毕业生演讲稿选集

Yuki Chen

入读院校：University of Chicago

Dear teachers, fellow classmates, parents, good afternoon.

Today, I am honored to be here and give this speech.

Many say that this era is full of challenges.

We were born right at the beginning of a new millennium. Right after we were born, we witnessed SARS without remembering anything; This year, when we are going to graduate from high school, we witness the COVID-19, knowing every single subversive change that happen in the world.

I believe we are indeed extraordinary.

During the COVID-19, some of us donated masks and other medical equipment to those in need, or simply helped advocate for scientific knowledge about the virus and asked people to protect themselves and the others on social media.

With gender inequality and even sexual assault still existing today, some of us stand up to voice what it is they believe, even when they know others may not share your perspective.

Although there is still a great gap between education levels across regions in China, some of us use Internet and technology to share what they know, creating new opportunity for those who are less fortunate.

Looking at the immediate community, we have also achieved a lot. We can chat about philosophy in the meeting room, discuss about psychology with friends who have common interests, and make our voices heard at coffee talks. Yes, I am really proud of the coffee talks.

To be sure, there is much in this world that rightly troubles us. But there's even more that gives us cause for hope. Although we are not saviors, we are able to make a difference in our own community.

Exactly at HFI, we learn how to cope with challenges.

In the three years at HFI, every seemingly trivial moment can be called a challenge.

For SAT and TOEFL, we not only memorize thousands of vocabularies in the early morning, work on endless practices throughout the night, but also went on trips to countries that we have never imagined ourselves in. Some of us flied to the US at 2 in the morning, and some of us found our way through crowds of motorbikes in Vietnam or Burma.

In the 55-minute classes (I know right, they are really long compared to our junior high school classes), we either suppressed our strong desire for sleep and listened to Mary's Physics or had US History or Economics fun time with Jerry. Academic challenges do not only occur in class: in the small conference room, there can be heated discussions in math, philosophy, psychology, and so on, sparking new ideas in different voices.

In those non-academic clubs, we also have a lot of unforgettable memory. In Cuisine and Coffee Club, I was once bombarded by tons of orders; in several major events, such as the Christmas party, our live team was once trapped because of technical problems; clubs like Fusion、Muse、OXA、A Cappella must have also stuck because of failures of coordination in rehearsals.

The several thousands of funds raised on International Day are not raised immediately. From purchasing 5 kilograms of beef, to designing the stalls, to standing behind the stall for 5 hours on the day of the event, to the final parts of cleaning the stalls, nothing is easy.

Involved in all these different clubs, almost all of us have faced the problem of balancing academic and extracurricular activities.

I believe all of you must once have had those times, when you sighed and complained that: I can't do it anymore.

So here is the question: now that we know it is so hard, why do we still go on?

Because after all these challenges, what we reap is sense of achievement, the delight that we solve a problem, or simply, the smile when I bake a cake or brew a cup of coffee.

You must know this kind of feeling: the exciting shout when you make the numbers on the two sides of the equal sign really equal; how you wipe your tears when you read a brilliant sentence in a book when no one is around; how proud you are when you finish a fund-raising activity or a performance; how relieved you are when you finally see the number of fund you raise on International Day.

Everything that I looked forward to before I entered HFI, now becomes my real experience.

Five year ago, I first came to the International Day. It was raining so hard, and everyone complained why International Days were always held in water. I still remember the students who worked hard behind each stall, the loud calling in order to sell more, and the smiles on their faces when they received the money for donation. All these vivid details are no way different from those that I experience in my own three International Days.

Five years ago, I attended the EAP graduation party; three years ago, I first went to the club fair. I still remember the speech the President of Cuisine Club gave on the graduation party, and I am sure you must remember how excellent the past Presidents of the other clubs were when you first met them. Our own high school life, was just like those in our memory, challenging yet vigorous.

In many years in time, every class of HFI students is connected to each other, each class aiming to achieve more. In this way, the spirit of HFI is prolonged and will never perish. When we wander in our universities in the fall, hopefully, we will also become the alumni that the following classes look up to. They will follow the trace we left, toil through similar challenges that we once experienced, and rush towards their own future.

Someone may ask, what about our future?

To be honest, I don't know yet.

In a year fraught with uncertainty, the only thing I am certain about is that our future will not lack challenges.

We will have to face all the possible danger when we help the world with COVID-19, even though we may only able to make a small change, and the fact that we are holding such a graduation ceremony itself may be dangerous.

We will have to face discrimination simply because of our skin color as we travel out of China to pursue our academic path. We will have to face all those indifferent looks and unfair treatment, especially when there is an invisible war between China and the US.

We will have to be responsible for our own lives and decide what is really important for us: what academic field we would like to dedicate ourselves into, what kind of career we want to pursue, what values we want to live by. This may be the scariest of all that I have mentioned given the current situation of the world. But all the same, we are now independent individuals.

We will have to ponder about who we are, who we want to be, what we are going to give to the world around us. Frankly, I personally do not know the answers yet. I am still confused: I once aspired to go beyond the length of my own life and leave something significant, no matter how trivial it may be, for the world that I live in. However, I had then to admit that no matter how much effort you pay, you are a tiny grain of dust in the universe after all.

But have you ever been under the vast night sky or by the seaside, where you can see no boundary nor horizon? I believe many of you still remember the “sublimity” from a SAT passage that Delia walked us through. When we are placed in the pure sublimity of the Nature, instead of being intimated by it, we feel empowered.

We have to take up all these challenges.

Confusion is inherent in teenage years. However, confusion should never be the excuse for not moving forward. We may not be able to figure out what we want to pursue, but we can go forward step by step, chasing the light that guides us in the dark, no matter it is a person, a very specific goal, or just the feeling that we should not give up.

Walking out of HFI, we are individuals who are capable of thinking independently.

We need to continually explore: long for truth, pursue truth, or even construct our own truth from the reality that may be distorted.

We need to commit to excellence. In the infinite potential of math, science, and engineering, we seek the approaches that we can use to cure the world.

We need to work constantly to remind each other of our common humanity. When we read how Oscar Wilde defied faulty social expectations, how Martin Luther King Jr. used peaceful protests to make a difference, and how Plato was against defected democracy, we examine their wisdom, hoping to find a way to solve inequality, lack of democracy, and violence.

We need to find what we love, and dedicate ourselves for whatever it may be.

Everyone has a different pace at HFI. Some of us have figured out their future career, but some of us, including myself, don't even know what I am going to major in. Some of us have a detailed plan of our future four years, but some of us haven't figured out our direction.

Don't panic. You don't need to catch up with anyone, neither do you need to slow down and hesitate. We are in our own time zone, waiting to seize our own opportunity.

Time zone does not equal comfort zone. Even with our own pace, we are always on our way.

Look out of the window, the fire-like Phoenix flowers are blooming. Without saying goodbye, we are going to embrace our brand-new start.

I would like to use a quote by Oscar Wilde to end today's speech: Live! Live the wonderful life that we deserve. Be afraid of nothing!

Thank you, and congratulations, Class of 2020.

中文翻译（供参考）

亲爱的老师、同学、家长、来宾们，大家下午好。

很荣幸今天能作为毕业生代表站在这里做毕业演讲。

很多人说我们这一个时代是富于挑战的。

我们生于世纪之初，刚出生就遇上非典。而今年，在新冠疫情的爆发下，我们毕业了。

我相信我们的确是不平凡的：在新冠疫情之下，我们之中很多同学捐赠口罩、捐赠医疗用品，或者仅仅是在社交媒体上宣传疫情相关知识就已经足够。

在性别不平等甚至性侵犯依旧存在的今天，很多同学站出来为自己的信念发声，即使我们知道可能他人并不认同。

虽然中国地区之间的教育水平还存在一定的差异，很多同学用科技和网络分享自己的知识，给一些不幸处在较落后的地区的小朋友打开了新的一扇门。

小到社区，我们能够在小会议室里畅谈哲学，可以和同样热爱心理的伙伴们讨论学术，可以在落地窗前喝着咖啡畅所欲言。

可以肯定的是，这个世界上还有很多需要治愈的地方。但是，这个世界上还有更多的让我们去努力作出改变的原因。我们不是能够拯救世界的万世巨星，但我们每个人都在我们小小的世界里掀起过令人难忘的波澜。

正是在HFI，我们学会面对种种挑战。

在HFI三年沿路走来，看似平凡的时间里，每一个细节都值得被称作挑战。

对于标化考试，我们付出的努力不仅仅是每天清晨翻开的单词书、深夜里一份又一份的SAT真题，还有从未想过踏足的国家里的奇妙旅程。有的同学凌晨赶往美国，有的在缅甸、越南的摩托车大军间穿行，只是为了在考场发挥出真正的水平。

每一节长达55分钟的课堂里，我们抑或强忍着睡意听着玛丽姐的物理，抑或跟着Jerry在美国历史和经济中收获无限的乐趣。面临学术挑战的瞬间不仅仅在课堂之内：小小的会议室里也可以有数学社、哲学社、理心社等等学术社团热烈的讨论，在你一言我一语之中迸发出思维的火花。

在非学术社团的活动里，我们也有太多值得追忆。在烹饪社和咖啡社里我自己曾因为售卖时人手不足而面对大量的订单手足无措；在各大活动里我们的直播团队曾因为技术故障而身陷困境；等等亦曾因为排练中的种种困难而暂时停滞不前。

一年一度的国际日，几万善款的背后从来都不是轻而易举。从后勤的采购，走遍各大超市只是为了买够烤肉的材料，到摊位的策划设计，到当天站了几个小时的现场运营，到最后的收拾摊位，每一个身影都不容易。

在不同的社团里穿梭，我们都曾经纠结过课内学业和课外活动的平衡。

我相信在座的你们，都一定有过很难很难的时候。

那么我想问，既然都这么难了，为什么我们总是在继续呢？

因为在经历了这样接踵而至的挑战之后，我们每个人收获的都是细微而又确切的幸福和成就。

我们一定曾经因为解开等号两头的困惑或者得出一个数字而兴奋地惊呼，因为读到文学作品里一句撼动心灵的话而湿了眼眶，因为完成一次表演、成功组织一次售卖无比骄傲，因为看到国际日统计善款表格上的数字而会心一笑。

曾经我对HFI憧憬的种种，在走过了非常充实的三年后，都得到了实现。

五年前，我第一次参观国际日。那天下着暴雨，大家都抱怨着为什么每年的国际日都在水里进行。我仍记得那天每个摊位后面努力的身影，记得学长学姐大声的吆喝，记得收到善款他们脸上上扬的弧度，与我自己高中三年里的国际日，在我的记忆里重叠了。

五年前，我第一次来到HFI参加学术英语课程；三年前，我第一次参加社团招新活动。我仍记得结业趴上烹饪社社长的发言，相信大家也记得第一次参加社团招新时看到喜欢的社团时学长学姐的优秀，这一切的一切，与我们自己的高中三年，完美重叠了。

在辽阔的时空里，有一条若隐若现的细线，串连了HFI每一届的学子。当我们将来流连于大学校园的时候，我们也将是以后的学弟学妹们抬头仰望的学长学姐。他们也将会循着我们大致的足迹，走过我们跋涉过的路，去奔向他们的未来。

可能有人会问了，那我们的未来呢？

说实话，我还不知道。

在现如今充斥着不确定的时代里，我唯一能确定的是，未来一定也是同样充满挑战的。

当我们作出微薄努力去治愈这个世界时，我们会面临有关疫情各种各样的危险。即使我们只能为这个世界做出一点点贡献，我们也在所不辞。虽然说，这个毕业典礼本身可能就是一个聚集性的活动。

当我们走出国门追求知识，我们会因为黄皮肤而遭受歧视。尤其因为中美之间这一场无形的战争，我们会面临他人的冷眼相对甚至是不公平对待。

我们要面临种种选择：要在什么学术领域继续我们的学习？将来要做什么职业？要带着怎样的价值观看待这个世界？在现在整个世界的不确定之下，这些问题可能是最令人害怕、焦虑的。但是不管怎样，我们已经是独立的个体了。

我们会面临对人生的思考：我们是谁？我们想成为谁？我们要给这个世界留下什么？

说实话，我自己还不知道这些问题的答案。

我还在彷徨：我曾经有着远大的梦想，想要跨越个体生命的长度，给这个世界留下哪怕一点点能够超越空间和时间的痕迹，但是现在却不得不承认，就算一个人再努力，也不过是宇宙里一颗再渺小不过的尘埃罢了。

你们曾置身在寂静的夜空下、辽阔的大海边吗？

我相信这是很多人都能感同身受的瞬间——当你站在无边无际的天地间，你感觉被包容了。那是自然界的壮丽，是天地在诉说你的渺小；但是漂浮在这样的苍穹之下，你能够汲取到力量。

我们接受挑战！

迷茫本就是青春的常态，但是这从来不是停滞不前的挡箭牌。我们也许还无法想通我们到底想要什么，但是我们一步一个脚印，在凛冽的青春里追光前行。

走出HFI，我们已经是一个个独立的个体，更有着独立思考的能力。

我们需要不懈探索，追寻真相甚至是构建真相，寻找能够指引我们走向更好的光。

去追求卓越，在理工的技术里窥探通向光明未来的路，用科技去治愈世界。

去思索共同人性的光辉，在王尔德、马丁路德金、柏拉图的智慧中探寻解决现代社会中不平等、不民主、不和谐的方法。

去寻觅我们真正热爱的东西，并为之奉献光阴。

我们每个人总有着不同的节奏。有的人已经想好了未来的职业方向，但有的人，比如我自己，可能还没决定下来专业。有的人为自己的未来四年定好了计划，但有的人还不知道往哪走。

不要担心，无需盲目追赶，也无需犹豫放慢，我们都在自己的时区里好好地长大着。

时区不代表舒适区，即使我们有着自己的节奏，我们也可以一直在奔跑，一直在路上。

看看窗外，凤凰花又开了。不说再见，我们一起去拥抱全新的、滚烫的人生吧。

2020毕业生演讲稿选集

Emma Chen

入读院校：University of Chicago

Dear teachers, parents, and all students from the Class of 2020,

Today is our high school graduation ceremony. It is my honor to be the valedictorian of this class and address you today. This is already the fourth graduation ceremony in my life: kindergarten, primary school, junior high school, and high school. In every graduation season, the flowers on flame trees bloom like festive fireworks, congratulating us for our progress on an important stage of growth—graduation is joyous; yet, when we say goodbye to our teachers and friends，when we get packed up, leaving the empty classroom or dormitory, the sorrow of parting breed like fragrant grass... The taste of graduation, should be the taste of growth. This graduation ceremony, is more like a sailing-off ceremony than any one in the past: after graduating from high school, we officially become an adult, leaving the shelter of our parents, and independently explore the ocean of our career, entering social life.

Being an adult means self-discipline. Studying abroad, entering a whole new society, we must face lots of challenges and lure. When our teachers and parents are not by our side to supervise us, how do we independently complete the heavy academic tasks, handle daily chores, and stay both physically and mentally heavy... Our life will be unimaginable without self-discipline. I think the three years in HFI, especially our learning mode which emphasis openness, freedom and independence, is very helpful for getting us prepared for future study life abroad.

Being an adult means assumption. A few days ago, a senior tells said to me: “Before, your role is a child and a student. Your home and your school are all of your world. However, university is like a zone of transition before you enter society — there, you will not only learn the knowledge and skill you need to get on with your pursuit, but also learn how to choose your career, plan for your life, handle your interpersonal relationships, and deal with lots of unexpected problems... There will be time when you are confused, anxious, and overwhelmed... When that happens, remember to seek help from your teachers, family, and friends, but at the same time do not try to escape. You should be dare to face and overcome difficulties, and learn to judge, and take the consequences of your own choices — especially, learn how to accept failure and learn from failure.” These words inspire me a lot, so I decide to share it today. “Assumption,” is the ability to deal with stress, and the courage to take challenges!

Being an adult means fortitude. Leaving our native language environment, entering a foreign country is hard, and rafting on the sea of knowledge, exploring the unknown is even harder! When I receive the offer from Mathematics Department of UChicago, I was so exciting, but at the same time I was a bit perturbed: there are so many great masters in UChicago, what if I cannot understand the abstruse subjects they are discussing? What if I get confused by those abstract and complicated concepts? What if I get stuck on questions that other students have solved with ease... What could I do in these situations? I thought over and over again, and realize that there is only one way: adjust my attitude, and study assiduously. Such was the experience of Fields-Medal-winner Wu Baozhu. He said when he just started his course in mathematics department, he felt like he was completely lost at sea. Yet he still brace himself to listen, and force himself to comprehend a bit more content everyday, and finally one day he became enlightened... Indeed, life is not the game of a little baby. Every progress is promoted by toil and patience.

Being an adult means social responsibility. Some people compare the society to a complicated machine, and each of us is just a component of it — oh, that is too “mechanical materialism!” I prefer comparing human society to ocean or forest, a huge, complex ecosystem, and each of us is a subtle and lively organism in it: we create the society, and the society shapes us. Someone says: “if you are bright, then the world is no longer dark!” I am deeply touched by this quote, but I also find it to optimist. From this COVID 9 outbreak, and all other natural and man-made calamities in history, I realize that both individuals and societies will experience some “darkest hour,” which cannot be overcome by blind optimism and naïve enthusiasm — that’s Disney's fairy tale. To overcome the “darkest hour,” we need professional knowledge, actions, clear reason, and moral courage. During this difficult time, brightening the cloud of sorrow are the 6th generation of rapid test technology, AI diagnosis system, antiviral drugs that are being clinically tested, and vaccine developed by revolutionary technologies... Good news like these inspire me! Indeed, mankind is weak and impact, and sometimes will make horrible mistakes. Yet mankind is wise. We can overcome difficulties and move toward the light as long as each of us do our best and corporate with each other. I have faith that I will be able to use math to serve mankind in the future.

Last but not least, even an adult should maintain a heart of an innocent child! Translator Fu Lei says that great artists should have a pure heart without any distracting thoughts; they are so dedicated to their pursuit in arts that they are free from wants. Such a state of mind cannot be easily understood by the general public, so these people might be lonely in real life. Actually, everyone that has pursuit in his career should be like this. Even though there are few companion in their field of study, but the beautiful spiritual realms of mankind communicate with each other and are and immortal, so devoted people are not lonely—when they are lonely, they will create a whole new world and lots of spiritual friends!

Let me end this speech with a song that I really enjoy when I was a kid, as an encouragement:

A kind and steady heart can make a grey sky blue，

And a task that seems impossible is quite possible for you； 

A kind and steady heart, can conquer doubt and fear，

A little courage goes a long, long way
Gets you a little bit farther down the road each day

Thank you all for listening, and congratulations on graduation! I wish a bright future for us all!

中文翻译（供参考）

亲爱的老师、家长、2020届的全体同学们，

今天是我们的高中毕业典礼，今天有机会站在这个讲台上发言，是我这个毕业生的荣幸。我算了一下，这是自己经历的第四次毕业典礼了：幼儿园、小学、初中、高中。每逢毕业季，凤凰树开得花团锦簇，像欢庆的烟花一般，祝贺我们在一个个重要的成长阶段的努力进步——毕业是快乐的；可是，当我们和朝夕相伴的师友互道珍重告别、当我们收拾好书本、行李，从逐渐腾空的教室、宿舍转身离开的时候，离愁又如芳草、雨水，绵绵滋生……毕业的滋味，就是成长的滋味吧？而这场毕业典礼，与以前相比更像一个启航仪式：高中毕业后，我们开始以成年人的身份离开父母的羽翼，独立在事业的海天中探索，进入社会生活中去。

成年意味着自律。到国外留学，进入一个全新的社会环境，需要面对种种挑战与诱惑，当身边不再有家长、老师的严格规管，我们要怎样独力完成繁重的课业任务、自行解决每天的起居琐事、保持身心健康……缺乏自律是不可想象的。我觉得在HFI这几年的学习经历，尤其我们这种强调开放、自由、自主的学习模式，对我们更快更好地适应留学生活是非常有益的。

成年意味着承担。几天前，一个前辈对我说，以前，你的角色是孩子、中学生，家庭和校园几乎就是你的全部世界；而大学呢，更像是我们进入社会的一个过渡地带——在那里，你不但要学到今后安身立命的本领，还要学会择业、人生规划、处理人际关系、处理种种意想不到的问题……你会困惑、焦虑、不知所措……这时候，记得向亲人师友寻求慰藉帮助，但不能畏难推搪，要敢于面对困难、解决困难，学习去判断，并承担自己选择的后果——尤其是，学会怎样接受失败、在失败中总结教训……这番话给我很大的启迪，所以在这里我也和大家分享。“承担”，是一种处理压力的能力，更是一份接受挑战的勇气！

成年意味着坚韧。离开母语环境、进入异国他乡固然不易，学海泛舟、探索未知就更难！当我拿到芝加哥大学数学系录取通知书那一刻自是欣喜，欣喜过后却又不免有点忐忑：大学里大师云集、高才荟萃，他们研讨的艰深课题我万一听不懂咋办？被那些抽象、繁难的概念绕晕了咋办？人家轻松解答的难题，我却经年累月苦思冥想而毫无头绪……咋办？！想来想去，只有放平心态、刻苦钻研一途。菲尔兹奖得主数学家吴宝珠的经验就是如此，他说刚进数学系时，听课如同坠入五里迷雾，却仍硬着头皮听、逼自己每天多听懂一点，终有茅塞顿开的一天……确实，人生不是娇宝宝的游戏，每一点进步都是血汗与耐心促成的。

成年意味着社会责任。有人把社会比作一部复杂的机器，我们就是其中的一个个零部件——哦，那太“机械唯物论”了！我更愿意把人类社会比作海洋、森林，一个极其博大、复杂的生态系统，我们都是其中一个微妙而生动有机体：我们汇合、创造了这个社会，同时社会也影响、塑造着我们。有人说：“你若光明，这世界就不黑暗！”这句话让我非常感动，但又不免觉得似乎太乐观了。从这次疫情，到历书上不绝如缕的天灾人祸，我开始感到：无论个人、家国总有一些难以逾越的“至暗时刻”，并不是仅凭盲目乐观、天真热情就可以战胜一切的——那是迪士尼童话。要冲破这种“至暗时刻”，需要专业的知识、行动力、清明的理性和道德勇气。在疫情肆虐的愁云惨雾中，是短期更新到第六代的病毒快筛技术、AI诊断系统、大规模临床测试抗病毒药物和用革命性技术开发疫苗……这样好消息让我振奋起来！是啊，人是脆弱的、有弱点的，有时会犯可怕的错误，但人终归是智慧的，当我们各尽其力、互助合作，就能克服一个个困难，迈向光明……我有信心日后自己也能运用数学能力为人类服务。

最后，成年了仍要保有一份赤子之心！翻译家傅雷说大艺术家应当内心纯洁，不含私心杂念，执着于对艺术的追求，因而没有欲望纷争。这种境界也许不为一般世人理解，在现实生活中不免孤独。其实，对事业有追求的人都应该是这样的吧，尽管研究的领域和者寥寥，但人类美好的精神领域是相通而永存的，所以赤子是不孤独的——赤子孤独了，会创造一个世界，创造许多心灵的朋友！

让我要以小时候喜欢的一首儿歌作为结语吧，也是共勉：

A kind and steady heart can make a grey sky blue，

And a task that seems impossible is quite possible for you；

A kind and steady heart, can conquer doubt and fear，

A little courage goes a long, long way

Gets you a little bit farther down the road each day

谢谢大家，恭喜大家顺利毕业！希望同学们都拥有一个光明灿烂的未来！！

2020毕业生演讲稿选集

Paul Dai

入读院校：New York University

Distinguished principal, dear teachers and schoolmates,

As the valedictorian this year, I am privileged to speak here. Right now, I'm filled with mixed feelings, including the unwillingness to bid farewell, the joy of graduation, and the yearning and desire for the future.

I am so fortunate to have spent six years here at the Affiliated High School of SCNU. Looking back on this period of youth, especially the three years of happiness and enrichment in the International Department, I am as grateful as all the other graduates here. I would like to thank the school for raising me up to who I am today, and thank my teachers for their meticulous care. I also want to thank my classmates for their help and trust, and thank my parents for their encouragement and love! For more than two thousand days and nights, Huafu has been what I call “Happy Harbor and Warm Home”. I can't forget every discussion inside or outside the classroom, every drop of sweat in the sports field, every friendly and lovely smiling face, every ordinary but beautiful moment on campus, all of which have become the softest and most precious memory deep in my heart. I will miss the bright lights in the classroom, the smell of meat and vegetables in the school canteen, the determined eye contact of Mr. Sheldon Smith, Chelsea's rigor, Mathew's humor and Yuki Kim's patience and kindness! I will miss everything and everybody here.

Time flies and seasons change. The past three years have witness our hard work, and now it's time to graduate. For most students, graduation is the best season in their academic lives. Upon graduation, we cheer together, sprint together, and harvest together. Since the first day at HFI three years ago, I have been telling myself that all my endeavors will be rewarded, all my efforts will pay off, and all the time and energy I've devoted is worthwhile! Graduating from HFI is the greatest affirmation and prize for us! Wherever I go in the future, I will be proud to say that in June 2020, I graduated from the International Department of Huafu!

However sad and reluctant we are to leave, we have to eventually embark on the journey and be on our way separately. I will always bear in mind our school motto: independence, exploration, erudition, talent, love, communication, responsibility, and challenge. Being the best spiritual food, these values have helped me overcome countless difficulties and win numerous honors, and they will continue to accompany me to the world faraway, where I will attend world-famous universities. The school motto will benefit me all my life. I will also always remember the mission entrusted by HFI: to become global citizens and to serve the future society! To some extent, the future has come, thanks to the progress of science and technology and the popularization of education, which have enabled us to live so fortunately in an unprecedented beautiful era. Not perfect though it is, we must adapt ourselves to it with our sufficient courage, wisdom and ability. The sudden outbreak of COVID-19, for instance, did not deprive humans of faith. Faced with the epidemic, I believe that we love our lives more, attach more importance to our family and friendships, and make better use of our time. As the famous cartoonist Mr. Cai Zhizhong said, the way we get through this epidemic will be exactly the same way we live the rest of our life. There will still be uncertainties in the future, but in any case, we must embrace tomorrow and make our contribution to creating a more peaceful and prosperous world!

In this great time, we start off towards the seas and the stars, and we aim for a better future! As graduates from HFI, we must dream big and strive for our dreams! Let's fight for them when we are young!

中文翻译（供参考）

尊敬的校长，亲爱的老师们、同学们：

大家好！

作为毕业生代表在此发言，我无比荣幸！此时此刻，我百感交集，既有离别的不舍，也有毕业的喜悦，更有对未来的向往和渴望！

我有幸在华附求学六载，回望这段青春岁月，尤其是在国际部这三年快乐充实的时光，我和在座的全体毕业生一样，内心充满感激之情！感谢母校育我成材，感谢老师们无微不至的关怀，感谢同学们对我的帮助与信赖，感谢父母给我的鼓励和爱！两千多个日日夜夜，华附是我幸福的港湾，温暖的家园。我无法忘怀，每一场课堂内外的学习讨论，每一次运动场上的挥汗如雨，每一张阳光友善的可爱笑脸，每一个平凡而又美好的校园瞬间。这一切，都已成为我内心深处最柔软最珍贵的记忆。我会想念教室里明亮的灯光，我会想念学校饭堂肉菜飘香，我会想念斯密斯校长坚毅的目光，我会想念Chelsea的严谨、Mathew的幽默以及Yuki金老师的耐心与善良！我会想念这里的一草一木，这里的同学和师长！

寒来暑往，秋去春还；三年勤学，一朝毕业。对于莘莘学子而言，毕业是学生生涯中最美丽的季节。在毕业季，我们一起加油，一起冲刺，一起收获。三年来，我一直告诉自己，拼搏必定有回报，付出不会被辜负，一切的努力都是值得的！今天，从这里毕业就是对我们最大的肯定和嘉奖！将来无论去到世界哪个角落，我都会自豪地说：2020年6月，我从华附国际部毕业了！

纵有千般不舍，万分留恋，我们终须踏上征程，各自离散。我将始终牢记校训：独立、探索、博学、多才、爱心、沟通、责任、挑战。这些价值观是最好的精神食粮，曾助我克服种种困难、赢得诸多荣誉，也将继续陪伴我走向远方，走进世界名校殿堂，令我终身受益。我也一直铭记母校赋予我们的使命：成为世界公民，服务未来社会！未来已来，科技进步与教育普及让我们有幸生活在一个前所未有的美好时代，尽管不完美，但我们要有足够的勇气、智慧和能力去面对。例如，突如其来的新冠疫情并未让人类失去信念。在疫情期间，相信大家和我一样，对生命更加热爱，对亲情和友情更加珍惜，对时间更为善用。正如著名漫画家蔡志忠所言：我们如何度过这场疫情，亦将以同样的方式度过我们此生。未来还将有很多不确定性，但无论如何，我们都要拥抱明天，为创造一个更加和平与繁荣的世界做出我辈的贡献！

在这个伟大的时代，我们的征途是星辰大海，我们的目标是更加美好的未来！作为华附国际部的毕业生，我们要怀揣梦想，并为之奋斗！让我们以梦为马，不负韶华！

谢谢大家！

2020毕业生演讲稿选集

Wilson Fang

入读院校：University of Cambridge

Good afternoon parents, teachers, honorable guests, and my fellow graduates of Class of 2020. I am thrilled and honored to be here today.

 

First of all, I want to congratulate all of my fellow classmates that among the terrible global pandemic, and even more terribly, among the deadlines, summatives, chronic stress, senioritis, and sleep deprivation, we all survive! Congratulation!

 

The global pandemic forces us to appreciate the privilege that we took for granted, and we finally realize that survival and graduation in HFI are indeed great achievements. We made it.

 

Graduation is a transition. And there are many ways we could look at it.

 

We may choose to look at graduation as the loss of high school innocence; or, more optimistically, we can look at it as a symbol of maturity.

 

We may choose to look at graduation as a starting point of our lovely summer vacation; or, it can also where we truly start taking our social responsibilities, follow our independent minds, and strive for our dreams.

 

We may choose to look at graduation as a final and successful escape from the “torture” of GPA and standardized exams; or, we may end up realizing that we are simply “too young, too naïve.”

 

All in all, I am saying that we have the options in our hands, and we get to choose the lives we want to live. For our young and lucky HFIers graduating with promising futures, life is a truly matter of choices.

 

Even in this time of pandemic, we have a lot of choices. We may choose whether to be indulgent and become “an international and cross-cultural disseminator of the virus”, or to follow the rules and keep ourselves safe.

 

We may choose whether to submit to discriminative bias and xenophobia, or to remain open-minded, unprejudiced, and be friendly to our friends around the world.

 

We may choose whether to be cynical and complain about the messy world of uncertainty, or to be optimistic and do our best to improve the international community that we are in.

 

In terms of learning, we may choose whether to turn off our ZOOM cameras and employ sophisticated techniques to pretend that we are listening to the class; or, we can also choose to be more self-disciplined and really listen to the class.

 

At essence, the choice we have to make is whether to act based on the “instant gratification monkey in our brain”, or to act based on our dream — based on what will truly make us happy and make the world happy in the long run.

 

So talented and hard-working are our HFIers that I am confident that we will make the right choice!

 

Actually, our educations here have already prepared us to make the right choice.

 

Wearing the HFI uniforms “that we all like,” we gained the enviable privileges to use smartphones and laptops, to leave campus for Starbarks, and to order a great diversity of takeaways ranging from “Gong Tea” to “Royal Tea” to “Hey Tea” to “奈雪的Tea.” With all these freedom and choices, we learned how to make a wise decision between a productive evening and a “salty-fishing, water-ful night.”

 

With all these choices, we have learned to firmly resist the evil temptation of high-fat, high-sugar bubble tea near the back door — we will only drink “low-fat, low-sugar” bubble tea, (hopefully no more than twice every day).

 

We have been spending time socializing, meeting people around the world, and using Google and YouTube “wisely” to better understand the world around us.

 

So, although it may sound intimidating for us to suddenly leave our lovely parents--and Chinese foods--and begin to struggle for GPA in a brand-new environment, we are not unprepared!

 

We are actually quite excited : )

 

We need to be grateful for the difficulties, the ups and downs, that we have gone through in the past three years, whether it’s Delia’s vocabulary quizzes, Geoff’s fancy vector’s finger-tricks—as printed in our pillow as tall as Geoff himself (ps:I would like to show the pillow in the actual ceremony if appropriate)--or the existential crisis when we write, revise, and finally decide to rewrite, our personal statements.

 

Just as Roman poet Horace teaches us, “Adversity has the effect of eliciting talents which in prosperous circumstances would have lain dormant,” or, in modern English: “deadlines create productivity.”

 

Have we never gone through Grade 10's physics class, we would never believe in the massive number of physics formulas and “Mary's papers” that we can cram into our brain just the Wednesday night before the exam.

 

Have we never gone through the RD applications, we would never believe in our enormous “essay production rate” within 24 hours.

 

Similarly, the global pandemic is the adversity that will stimulate our fullest potential. We now have the chance to prove to the world that even without classroom teaching and private tutoring—even when we may be taking exams with our drowsy brains at 2 or 4 a.m.—we, HFIers, will still excel.

Besides our outstanding academic achievement, we also need to appreciate, and be grateful for, how adaptable and collaborative our HFI students are when dealing with our dramatic high school lives full of twists and turns.

 

HFI is always a supportive community full of vigor. Facing the challenge of social distancing, we quickly figured out novel ways and technologies to “collaborate” on our homework and study guide.

 

We are also the community that reaches out beyond our campus. During these days, there is wonderful classmate around us who helped gather face masks for Guangzhou’s sanitation workers, classmates who share study skills free online, and classmates raising money for Wuhan.

 

I believe that it’s exactly these vigor, resilience, adaptability, and creativity that defined our HFI students, and I believe, when everybody is facing those changes and uncertainties at the same time, we, HFIers, are there to lead the future world.

 

Of course, we could never graduate without our lovely teachers and parents. Standing here as a student, I want to tell all our teachers and parents that despite we students' daily complaints on social media—despite all the squabbles about everything during the past three years—our dearest teachers and parents, we love you all.

 

Actually, it's fair to say that our complaints, or 吐槽, are usually just our pop-cultural, healthy, and stress-relieving fashion of entertainment. We do sometimes craft creative jokes about some of our school facilities, but, when we go out, when we go studying abroad, and at this point when we graduate, we realize that this is the school that we love and belong. That's school pride, my HFIers.

 

Thank you all!

中文翻译（供参考）

尊敬的来宾，家长，老师和2020届毕业生，下午好！很荣幸能在这里代表2020届给出我的毕业演讲。

首先，我要祝贺大家。在新冠全球大流行的情况下，在经过三年deadlines，考试，慢性压力,高三综合征，与睡眠剥夺的考验下--我们仍然成功毕业了！

这次疫情让我们认识到我们的许多幸福来之不易，也让我们同样认识到：在HFI生存下来并成功毕业也是一个了不起的成就。我们做到了!

毕业本身就意味着一次过渡。对此我们可以有多种的理解角度。

我们可以选择悲观地把毕业理解成少年童真的流逝，也可以选择乐观地把毕业理解成我们成熟的标志。

我们可以选择简单地去把毕业理解成我们愉快假期的开始，也可以选择把毕业理解成我们开始肩负起社会使命，跟随内心去追逐梦想的一个时刻。

我们可以选择把毕业理解成逃出高中GPA和标化的魔爪；当然我们会最终意识到自己或许太过天真（too young too naive）.

总而言之，我想说的是，生命的选择权在于我们自己。正当年少，带着一身才华告别高中，我们的未来的充满了选择和无限的可能。

即便是在这样一个充满未知的时代，我们仍然有选择的自由。我们可以选择是放纵自己去做一个“国际且跨文化的病毒传播者，” 还是遵纪守法为抗疫作贡献。

我们可以选择到底是要抱着狭隘的民族偏见郁郁此生，还是要保持包容开放的心态走向世界，

我们可以选择到底是要开始愤世嫉俗，抱怨这个世界的混乱，还是要乐观积极地去改变这个世界，让世界充满美好与和平。

在学习方面，我们可以选择到底要是每天上网课时把摄像头关掉并采取高科技去假装听课，还是要严于律己，真的好好听课。

关键就在于，我们现在要选择到底是屈服于眼前的小利和欲望，还是坚定我们长远的崇高理想和价值—--坚定于真正给我们带来长久喜悦的东西。

我们HFI学子如此努力，聪敏且俱国际视野；我相信在这样一个人生的十字路口我们都能做出正确的选择。

事实上，我们的教育已经给予了我们足够的能力与判断力去做明智的抉择。

只要穿上我们一致喜爱的HFI校服，我们就有了令人羡慕的使用手机电脑的权利，去后门买星巴克的权利，以及点外卖喝“贡茶，皇茶，喜茶，还有奈雪的茶”的权利。从这些自由与权利中，我们知道如何在“划水闲鱼”和努力准备考试的矛盾中周转自如。

三年来，我们都明白大是大非，在面临后门高糖，高脂肪的奶茶的诱惑时，我们都会依然拒绝—然后选择低糖，减脂的奶茶 (而且每天不超过两杯)。

三年来，我们活跃于社团与社会活动，与世界各地的老师同学交流，通过谷歌和油管了解了整个世界。因此，虽然跑到一个完全陌生的环境去读大学一定会是一个挑战，但我们并非毫无准备。（其实还有点兴奋）

我们应该感谢我们这三年来的挣扎与困难，不管是Delia的单词考试，Geoff的“手指向量法则”—就像抱枕上画的那样 （此时可以展示）--还是申请季时的存在主义危机。

孟子曾说：“人生于忧患而死于安乐。” 用白话文来解释就是：“deadline（截止日期）是第一生产力。”

如果没上过许老师的物理课，我们无法知道自己在考前一晚可以死记硬背下多少公式与“玛丽卷”。

如果不是经历了美本RD申请，我们无法相信自己惊人的“文书产率”。

同样，这次疫情激发了我们的潜能。现在，我们有机会向全世界证明：即便没有线下教学以及补习机构，即便用我们困倦的大脑在凌晨4点考试AP，我们HFI学子仍然会交出一份令人满意的答卷。

除了我们超卓的学术成就之外，我们同样要看到我们HFI学子在一波三折的高中生涯中展现出的的强大的适应力与合作能力。

HFI一向是一个充满活力，互帮互助的团体。疫情期间，我们马上研究出了用小程序在线上小组合作（共产）完成作业的办法。

HFI同时也是个融入社会的团体。这些天来, 我们有热心的同学为广州的环卫工人筹集口罩，有同学在免费在网上传授学习心得，也有同学集资支援武汉。

在我看来，正是我们遇到困难时的韧劲与创造力，定义了我们HFI学子的出色。我相信，当大家同样面临未知的挑战时，我们将会站出来引领世界。

当然，我们的成功离不开我们亲爱的老师和家长。代表学生，我想对老师和家长表达，尽管我们学生常喜欢在微信上吐槽，尽管三年来有过不少争吵，我们还是爱你们的！

其实可以说，吐槽往往是我们一种时尚健康的减压娱乐项目。三年来我们不时开关于学校设施的玩笑，但当我们走出国门，当我们毕业时，我们意识到这栋小楼才是我们真正的家与避风港。或许这就是母校吧，一个“只允许自己吐槽的地方”。

谢谢大家！

2020毕业生演讲稿选集

Bill Lai

入读院校：University of Chicago

Good afternoon, distinguished guests, parents, teachers, and fellow graduates of class of 2020.

I am honored to be here today.

Three years ago, I was a typical student raised by the traditional Chinese education system.

My parents and teachers told me to score high in tests so that I would be successful. I carried such conception with me as I entered HFI.

I remember at the third week of school, before which I had done pretty well in many subjects we learnt, when Rachel asked me, “What do you think of your first three weeks at HFI?”, I arrogantly told her that I was more than satisfied, that I had thought my classmates would be excellent but they were actually not “that” excellent.

For me, grade was power; it was the sole criteria of evaluation.

I found myself so wrong later on.

My schoolmates shocked me by excelling at so many fields – photography, calligraphy, cooking, chess, math, social activism… on which I hardly had skills or knowledge.

As I saw that many of them finally made their excellence into careers, into paths to great universities, into enthusiasm in life, I could no longer hold my complacency.

I gradually learnt that towards success there are unlimited possible ways, and I had never been qualified to be satisfied merely because my grades were good.

So I was inspired to explore things other than grades – to find my passion, build my characters, explore my interests, and plan my career.

HFI revolutionized my cognition.

 

I believe in the knowledge system of each of us, there exists something called “norm.”

Lives, ideas, and events have unlimited possibilities, but our limited imagination and prejudice allows us to see only some of them – these constitute our norms. The rest, we cannot expect or conceive – they are outside our norms.

For me, possible ways to succeed other than grade lay outside my norm, and HFI prompted me to finally see them, and incorporate them into my norm.

This is what we call growth – to discover, to normalize possibilities in lives beyond our expectation. In this process, our norms expand.

 

When I think of how exactly HFI helped me expand my norm, I believe it is through its diversity. Here, each of us is so unique, and, under the liberal atmosphere and large degree of freedom, our individuality is allowed to stand out for itself.

When we think of a firm environmentalist and social activist who helped implement garbage classification in school, and who volunteered for the health of sanitation workers during the COVID-19 crisis, we know who she is.

When we think of a charitable math genius who won the gold prize in economic modeling at Yau Science Awards, and who established foundation to support scientific researches by high school students, we know who he is.

When we think of an energetic scientist who has as if unbounded enthusiasm in knowledge, and who can always bring positive energy to all of us through the Rubik's cube mosaic masterpieces, we know who he is.

I believe, in the last three years, by staying with such people of individuality and living in such a community of diversity, we all have experienced cognitive revolution.

We have learnt that homosexuality is not abnormal; that we are entitled to protest against rules set for us, such as those about uniform; that the reality is much more complicated than what we learnt in politics class at middle school.

We have been guided to see what is outside our norms. We have grown up.

So here, I want to represent all of us to thank all of us, as well as our teachers and parents, for our contribution to each other's growth and maturity.

 

I believe that like individuals, society also has a norm, and there are seen possibilities inside and unseen ones outside. While insistence on the social norm keeps stability, discovery outside of it leads to progress.

Here we again see the importance of individuality: it ensures diverse perspective, we thereby always having both people who maintain the norm within, and people who guide us to see what is outside. So we gain both stability and progress.

So far in 2020, we have been overwhelmed by the bad news from all around the world – we call it the worst year ever.

However, it is from us, students at HFI, that I am sure that the future can still be looked forward to, because we are people with individuality – we are people who promise the world stability and progress.

We crave for personal liberty. We do justice to social minorities. We dare to challenge our teachers. We see the world outside and inside the wall. We discuss opinions on politics and society. We see the established order from critical perspectives.

We hold distinct characters and values, and we are always prepared to voice them out.

Some of us protest against the noise from the construction of swimming pool. Some of us like reading and pondering Kant and Camus. Some of us strive to present the most splendid Voice of HFI.

So let's stick to our individuality and be who we want to be. To resist sexual abuse. To figure out secrets inside human brains. To lead the fashion in gaming. To write a poem under the tranquil night sky. To call for legislative reforms to promote economic equality.

As we explore these new possibilities in lives, we make not only self-improvement, but also progress of our civilization – we are expanding the social norm.

 

But, meanwhile, let's don't forget communication. To cast down our obstinacy and rebelliousness. To be patient and tolerant. To comprehend the mindsets of those with opposite opinions. To talk about politics and morality with parents. To tell stories about how we finally come up with supporting communism, or liberalism, or social Darwinism.

Through communication we see new possibilities and expand our norms. Through communication we reflect on our own ideas and values, so that we become more assured in their correctness, and more confident to carry them in the rest of lives.

But most importantly, through communication we see nuances. We will see those supporting abortion support for different reasons, those quarreling about the Fang Fang's Wu Han Diary form judgements based on similar values, those opposing censorship oppose at different degrees.

So that we won't call each other by “left” or “right,” “progressive” or “conservative,” but by his or her own name. We will be recognized as individuals, distinct and powerful. This is the best for ourselves, as we preserve our individuality, and the best for the society, as it attains diversity.

 

On May 4th, Bilibili published the speech “Waves Behind”. Despite the numerous critics it draws, there is one thing we cannot deny: we, the waves behind, will one day become the waves at the front, taking the nuclear positions at the functioning of the magnificent social machine, and deciding the direction it moves towards.

So let us ask ourselves, when that day arrives, what a world will it be?

 

Thank you and congratulations class of 2020.

中文翻译（无）

2020毕业生演讲稿选集

Daugherty Mao

入读院校：Kenyon College

Before I head down to my main speech, I want to first share a short personal episode.

One night, I was sitting at the dinner table, contemplating on a dish of green vegetables. I suddenly realized that, for 18 years, I still couldn't tell the difference between Amaranth and Watercress, two types of leaf-like vegetables all of you must have eaten before.

I've been in school for 12 years. Though not especially proficient in any of the subjects, I think at least I've known a lot thing like solving a mathematic function and analyzing a literary prose. But I’ve never realized that I don't even know the difference between Amaranth and Watercress, something my mom said she had known when she was seven. And, as expected, my brother also can't as I pushed the dish in front of him who considered for a long time and finally decided that it was watercress because Amaranth was red. His innocence, however, was demonstrated through my mom's merciless laugh as she told him that there was green Amaranth out there.

Though my mom largely attributes our ignorance to our laziness for not helping her on house chores and I have to sincerely apologize for that (we should help with the housework more often), the piece-of-dish instance reveals a common truth underlying all human beings.

That we are all ignorant.

If not watercress and amaranth, then “jellycress” and “pepsicress” .

In the past, at present, in the future, we have been and will always be ignorant in some ways or another.

However, we most often forget that.

Today, we are gathering here, 140 students, graduating from one of the best international schools in the South China region and will be attending top universities around world. So many crowns and qualifications are put on us. We are submerged under admiration, appreciations, and expectations from our peers, parents and teachers. We are proud of what we have done and are excited of what we will be doing and what we are capable of doing. We have every belief and confidence in ourselves that we are going be great, because we are, as our teachers and headmaster will be saying, the best students from the best schools to the best colleges.

It's very easy, under such circumstances, that we become inflated with hollow praises, falling into something Psychology terms as “overconfidence”. We may start to believe more than we can hold. We may be infiltrated with a sense of superiority. We may research about black hole and dark matter and forget about Amaranth and Watercress. We may look at the sky and forget the ground. Our eyes will be blurred and our heart will be stretched. All of those are the results of the oblivion of our ignorance.

Right now, is the time our long-term education will enter the stage and play a role, bringing rationality into place.

We are born to be emotional animals. We are born to have instincts and weaknesses. We are born to have desire for food, for love, for being approved, and for being admired. Rationality is only achieved through later cultivation.

Remember all those times we spent at HFI: submitting essays at the last minute before ddl, finishing a whole new novel in one day, arguing with teachers for hours for an addition of one single point. Through all those endless debates and discussions, we internalize rationality in our mind.

Right now is the time for our pearl to shine. It's at this time, when we are facing waves of applause and expectations, that we should keep in mind the difference between Amaranth and Watercress and remind ourselves constantly that we are still ignorant.

Ignorance isn't a bliss. It's a bless. With ignorance, we learn to be humble, to lower our head, and to acknowledge our weaknesses. With ignorance, we will not be crushed down by hollow praises, but remain alert and rational. With ignorance, we will be on the stage of constant learning and innovating.

 

There will always be green Amaranth out there; please always remember our ignorance.

 

Next, I'm going to share another story about hiking.

Once when our family is going hiking, we step onto a narrow dirt road in the middle of the forest, with spider webs on our face, fallen leaves at our feet and insects dancing around our head. We can't see the way ahead because several tree trunks block it. My parents suggest going back, but my brother crouches down and squeezes through the gap between trees, opening a way out for himself. As I imitate his movement and crouch down myself, I suddenly realize that—potential roads are actually everywhere. They are always present. With a little change in our scope, they will be discovered.  

With only the lowering of our head, a slight bending of our waist, or a bit clearing of the weeds, outlets can be found everywhere.

The society is the same.

The society is like a forest with trees, dead leaves, spider webs, weeds and insects all in a mess. Into this tremendous forest, we may get lost, meet a dead end or be blocked by the trees and disturbed by the flies, but there will always be roads ahead.

Just lower your head, bend down your waist or push aside the leaves, you will find that—

Roads are everywhere.

It's not difficult to lower one's head, to admit one's weaknesses, and to ask for other's help. All it takes is the realization of Amaranth and Watercress—that we are always ignorant.

The realization of our ignorance will allow the lowering of our head. The lowering of our head will then allow new ways to be found. 

Always standing upright may not be good for one's waist, sometimes a little bending will feel more comfortable.

After today, we will be going into a new country, meeting new people and learning new things we haven't had thought of before. But, no matter how high we've climbed, how many goals we have achieved, how many praises we have received and how many secrets of the universe we have discovered, I hope we can always remember the difference between Amaranth and Watercress and the roads in the forest. I hope we will always be aware of our ignorance and be willing to lower our head. Always humble, always curious and always seeking for new knowledge.

Thank you

中文翻译（供参考）

某天晚上，我盯着桌上一盘苋菜，发现我突然想不起西洋菜的样子和味道了，并且意识到十八年来我大概从未分清西洋菜和苋菜的区别。

想一想，我这人上了十二年的学，语文数学英语地理历史政治物理化学生物，虽然没哪样是拿得出手的，但总觉得自己懂得也不算少吧。结果,现在突然发现自己甚至不知道西洋菜和苋菜的区别，这种我妈说她七岁就了然于心的常识。

我妈呢，把这一切归咎于我平素懒惰不洗菜的恶劣行径，并一脸义正严辞地决定易主洗菜任务的主要负责人（不要误会，我不是什么家务白痴，我是洗碗的）。我一听，立马把我弟--现任洗菜官--拉了过来，一脸严肃地质问他面前这盘青绿的菜名。他想了一会，艰难地决定：这一定是西洋菜，因为苋菜是红的。

事实证明，即使是经常洗菜的人，也会不知道有绿色苋菜的存在。并且苋菜不光有绿的，红的，还有彩的，白的。

虽是一件关乎小菜一碟的事，却揭露了一直以来我们忽略的一个常识。

我们都是无知的。

即使不是西洋菜和苋菜，也会有南洋菜和北洋菜。

过去，现在，未来，总有东西是我们不知道的，我们总会是无知的。

很不幸的是，或许是生活太忙学习不幸，大部分人从没想到过这一点。

今天，我们全体高三一百多名学生，聚集在这里。我们来自华南地区最好的国际学校之一，并且将要去往世界顶尖名校。我们被赋予了太多的光环和期待。我们被无数的赞美淹没，甚至连我们自己都为着自己过去的努力感到骄傲，并为我们将来所要展现的潜力蠢蠢欲动。

相信自己，你们是最棒的。

这话耳熟吗？

这话从小学开始就萦绕在我的耳边，并且我相信今天我们大概率还会再听到一次。

在这种情况下，面对山一般的赞美和鼓励，人们下意识的反应就是膨胀，这几乎是必然的。你要不膨胀，都对不起你这十八九岁的意气风发，这青葱的少年时代。

所以我们会膨胀，会充满自信，会想上天，会想下地，会觉得自己高人一等，会觉得天塌下来也可以给撑住。

但是过于膨胀，过于自信，我们会忘了自己来时的路，忘了自己扎根的泥土，忘了自己其实连苋菜和西洋菜的区别都不知道。

这种时候，教育的作用就显现出来了。

我们生来就渴望爱，渴望赞美，渴望膨胀。我们生来就是感性的，被情感和冲动所支配，理性只是后天修行所得。

理性，是教育带来的。

我们在HFI的学习让我们学会思考，学会批判，开始从多方面看待事物，开始辩证地考虑问题。

通过教育，我们获得了理性，通过理性，我们开始理解自己，审视自己，寻找自己的不足和弱点，并为之补救和提升。

在HFI三年的教育，那些激烈讨论的日子，那些肝essay的日子，那些个seminar和debate，会让我们在被无边的美誉淹没之时，时刻谨记着自己的无知，时刻想起那天那个晚上桌上的那盘苋菜。

有人说，无知是福，但我觉得无知更是一种警戒。无知会让我们清醒，会让我们保持谦逊，会让我们低头弯腰，会让我们在追求知识的道路上砥砺前行。

 

请记住我们的无知。

 

接下来要说的事儿和爬山有关。我们家人有个特点，爬山总是不走正道，喜欢寻些犄角旮旯的泥路钻来钻去。

有一次，就走到一片特别茂盛的森林里，前有蜘蛛网后有树杈上有飞虫下有落叶，我爸妈觉得看不到路就说回头吧。但是歪一歪头，低一低腰，跨过一些树干，拨开一下杂草，我发现前后左右都是潜在的路。

只要觉得有点空，有机会，就到处都是路。

其实社会也是一样。

可能会觉得前有拦路虎后有地头蛇，上面天井盖下面铁栅栏。但是低一低头弯一弯腰就会发现——

其实出路总是有的。

其实低头并不难，挺直腰杆站久了腰也会累的。适当的时候也要放下自尊，低下头弯下腰，承认错误，虚心向别人请教。

世界之大，总是有我们所不知道的。我们也许会解方程，但却不会清洁厕所。我们也许会欣赏文学，但却不会开火车。

时刻谨记自己的无知，低头便不是什么难事儿，而低了头，就会发现出路。

谢谢大家！

2020毕业生演讲稿选集

Jack Wang

入读院校：University of California, Berkeley

Greetings fellow guests, parents and students of the 2020 graduate class. It is my honor today to present to you my own piece of insight upon graduation.

I am an ordinary student, and like any ordinary person, I am imperfect.

 

And it's fine to be imperfect. Delia doesn't meet students to answer their questions if they are perfect. Mr. Bender would never have urged students not to procrastinate if his students were all perfect. We wouldn't even be here if we are perfect. Even Pac-Man isn't considered as a “round character”.

 

Remember the amount of joy and satisfaction you experienced while protecting your eggs from breaking from a 5-floor drop in first year physics, even though your eggs would break after all your efforts to protect it? Remember how you tried so hard to beckon those fat cats to come towards you, when they simply ignored your efforts?

 

All those times that we wanted fill up our gaps but found that we couldn't never managed to obliterate our confidence.

 

It's not the imperfection that defines our performance. It is the strength of motive and determination to change ourselves that measures performance.

We all want to be perfect, or at least want to seem perfect. Or else, why would an endless line be in front of Ms. Xu's office late at 9 in order to consult her? Why would we even care about improving our SAT and TOEFL scores if we knew that it was almost impossible to get full marks on both? Why would people want to wear makeup when they know that they won't resemble famous actors when ironically, those people aren't perfect either?

 

Our desire to improve, to make us “round” and complete is what drives us to pursue our dreams. And it is perfectly fine to say that you are imperfect, as long as you don't give up in the process of making yourself perfect.

 

Reflecting back on each of your 3 years spent in HFI, I'd like to ask: why is it that you chose to do everything you did? Why not avoid it, and not touch it for eternity?

 

The answer is simple: because we are restless animals constantly desiring change.

 

We compete against each other to differentiate ourselves from others, to achieve a greater degree of perfection than others. We aren't satisfied with our current situations, so we dive into action to change our futures. It is that simple.

 

And it is that same simple reason that drove me to persistence and perseverance in these three years. Despite being behind almost everyone, I never stopped short in improving myself.

 

Yeah, especially in dancing. My dorm constantly has dance showdowns in which we do ugly and weird dancing half naked, like some cannibal's island ritual or cult, in attempt to improve our dancing skills to prepare for the upcoming prom.

 

We are composed of imperfect cells of all sorts, which precisely fit together, form bodies of flesh with cognitive functions and conscience in attempt to perceive the world around us.

 

It's kind of like how groups in your General English classes are made up of people that can't fit together to respond to some silly TOEFL question about a person's dilemma choosing a shirt over another, but still trying to come with a logical answer.

 

To a physicist, our strive for perfection is the race of light with the expansion of the universe;

To a mathematician, our actions are a logarithmic curve that infinitely curves towards 0;

To a biologist, our ambitions resemble the blood brain barrier in blocking compounds;

To an artist, our desire is the precise expression of emotion and thought on canvas;

To a philosopher, our longing is the balance between reality and theory.

 

But light will never reach the edge of the universe, logarithmic curves will never reach the value of 0, blood brain barriers will never be 100% effective in preventing unwanted passage of molecules, visual representations will never accurately portray the thoughts and emotions of their creators, nor will there be a tangible equilibrium that exists between truth and ideology.

 

So, we accepted that fact that we aren't gods. And then we moved on.

 

We invented space probes and scopes to explore the cosmos, we invented calculus to model the functions of the natural and artificial worlds, we invented drugs to enhance the blockage of the human membranes, we created billions pieces of artwork in attempt to explore our inner minds, and we developed countless theories to model ideal societies and worlds for entire mankind to live in.

 

Perfection is out of reach, yet our ancestors were never afraid to explore and exploit their knowledge to approach perfection. For millennia we have not changed in our stubbornness and grudge to change and improve the world around us.

 

Now as young adults, we have the foundation of knowledge to put that grudge against perfection into action. Whether it is studying rocket science or literature in the future, we all have the sparks of our ancestors in us that prompts us to improve.

 

Like them, we must cherish that spark of persistence, protect it with our faith, and feed it with our knowledge to let it become a blaze. It is that very fire that drives us to reach into the unknown and grasp what we can with our knowledge.

 

We are small beings with great minds and great potential, and started all from school and education.

 

If one day you were to come close to the asymptote of perfection and feel that it is in your reach, don’t forget to stand still and gaze back at the line you drew.

If one day you manage to reach the edge of the universe, don’t forget to turn back and look at your trail through the cosmos.

If one day humans are truly cured of their diseases, don’t forget to review the memoirs of the researchers that dedicated their lives for others’.

If one day art and expression adjoin accurately, don’t forget to review all the works created before the final masterwork that so eagerly wanted to be accurate mediums of emotion and vision.

If one day ideology and reality exactly overlap, don’t forget to turn back and interpret the varying theories that slowly pulled these two worlds together.

 

You came this far, with the fire of dedication and desire flaring in you, guiding you through your journey. Though your results were satisfying, your journey seeking perfection was even magnificent and elegant.

 

So, until you reach perfection, continue in your pursuit of dreams. Never let your fire be hindered by the meager troubles in life; for it is that fire, which can be small as a spark or great as a wildfire, that drives us all to continue in our journeys. But do remember to look back into the process that you experienced.

 

And upon your glance back into your journey, you will find a place like a starting point along the path. And that, would be HFI.

 

中文翻译（无）

（End）