喬布斯演講稿英文版

Thankyou.I'mhonoredtobew

it

hyoutodayforyourcommencementfrom

one

ofthefinestuniversitiesintheworld.Truthbetold,InevergraduatedfromcollegeandthisistheclosestI'veevergottentoacollegegraduation.

TodayIwanttotellyouthreestoriesfrommylife.That'sit.Nobigdeal.Justthreestories.Thefirststoryisaboutconnectingthedots.

IdroppedoutofReedCollegeafterthefirstsixmonthsbutthenstayedaroundasadrop-inforan

other

eighteenmonthsorsobeforeIreallyquit.SowhydidIdropout?ItstartedbeforeIwasborn.Mybiologicalmotherwasayoung,unwedgraduatestudent,andshedecidedtoputmeupforadoption.ShefeltverystronglythatI

should

beadoptedbycollegegraduates,soeverythingwasallsetformetobeadoptedatbirthbyalawyerandhiswife,exceptthatwhenIpoppedout,theydecidedatthelastminutethattheyreallywantedagirl.Somyparents,whowereonawaitinglist,gotacallinthemiddleofthenightasking,"We'vegotanunexpectedbabyboy.Doyouwanthim?"Theysaid,"Ofcourse."Mybiologicalmotherfoundoutlaterthatmymotherhadnevergraduatedfromcollegeandthatmyfatherhadnevergraduatedfromhighschool.Sheref

usedto

signthefinaladoptionpapers.SheonlyrelentedafewmonthslaterwhenmyparentspromisedthatI

would

gotocollege.

Thiswasthestartinmylife.Andseventeenyearslater,Ididgotocollege,butIna?velychoseacollegethatwasalmostasexpensiveasStanford,andallofmyworking-classparents'savingswerebeingspentonmycollegetuition.Aftersixmonths,Icouldn'tseethevalueinit.IhadnoideawhatIwantedtodowithmylife,andnoideaofhowcollegewasgoingtohelpmefigureitout,andhereIwas,spendingallthemoneymyparentshadsavedtheirentirelife.SoIdecidedtodropoutandtrustthatitwouldallworkoutOK.Itwasprettyscaryatthetime,butlookingback,itwasoneofthebestdecisionsIevermade.TheminuteIdroppedout,Icouldstoptakingtherequiredclassesthatdidn'tinterestmeandbegindroppinginontheonesthatlookedfarmoreinteresting.

Itwasn'tallromantic.Ididn'thaveadormroom,soIsleptonthefloorinfriends'rooms.IreturnedCokebottlesforthefive-centdepositstobuyfoodwith,andIwouldwalkthesevenmilesacrosstowneverySundaynighttogetonegoodmealaweekattheHareKrishnatemple.Ilovedit.AndmuchofwhatIstumbledintobyfollowingmycuriosityandintuitionturnedouttobepricelesslateron.Letmegiveyouoneexample.

ReedCollegeatthattimeofferedperhapsthebestcalligraphyinstructioninthecountry.Throughoutthecampuseveryposter,everylabeloneverydrawerwasbeautifullyhand-calligraphed.BecauseIhaddroppedoutanddidn't

haveto

takethenormalclasses,Idecidedtotakeacalligraphyclasstolearnhowtodothis.Ilearnedaboutserifandsans-seriftypefaces,aboutvaryingtheamountofspacebetweendifferentlettercombinations,aboutwhatmakesgreattypographygreat.Itwasbeautiful,historical,artisticallysubtleinawaythatsciencecan'tcapture,andIfounditfascinating.

Noneofthishadevenahopeofanypracticalapplicationinmylife.ButtenyearslaterwhenweweredesigningthefirstMacintoshcomputer,itallcamebacktome,andwedesigneditallintotheMac.Itwasthefirstcomputerwithbeautifultypography.IfIhadneverdroppedinonthatsinglecourseincollege,theMacwouldhaveneverhadmultipletypefacesorproportionallyspacedfonts,andsinceWindowsjustcopiedtheMac,it'slikelythatnopersonalcomputerwouldhavethem.

IfIhadneverdroppedout,Iwouldhaveneverdroppedinonthatcalligraphyclassandpersonalscomputers

might

nothavethewonderfultypographythattheydo.

OfcourseitwasimpossibletoconnectthedotslookingforwardwhenIwasincollege,butitwasvery,veryclearlookingbackwards10yearslater.Again,youcan'tconnectthedotslookingforward.Youcanonlyconnectthemlookingbackwards,soyouhavetotrustthatthedots

will

somehowconnectinyourfuture.Youhavetotrustinsomething--yourgut,destiny,life,karma,whatever--becausebelievingthatthedotswillconnectdowntheroadwillgiveyoutheconfidencetofollowyourheart,evenwhenitleadsyouoffthewell-wornpath,andthatwillmakeallthedifference.

Mysecondstoryisaboutloveandloss.Iwaslucky.IfoundwhatIlovedtodoearlyinlife.WozandIstartedAppleinmyparents'garagewhenIwastwenty.Weworkedhardandintenyears,Applehadgrownfromjustthetwoofusinagarageintoa$2billioncompanywithover4,000employees.We'djustreleasedourfinestcreation,theMacintosh,ayearearlier,andI'djustturnedthirty,andthenIgotfired.Howcanyougetfiredfromacompanyyoustarted?Well,asApplegrew,wehiredsomeonewhoIthoughtwasverytalentedtorunthecompanywithme,andforthefirstyearorso,thingswentwell.Butthenourvisionsofthefuturebegantodiverge,andeventuallywehadafallingout.Whenwedid,ourboardofdirectorssidedwithhim,andsoatthirty,Iwasout,andverypubliclyout.Whathadbeenthefocusofmyentireadultlifewasgone,anditwasdevastating.Ireallydidn'tknowwhattodoforafewmonths.IfeltthatIhadletthepreviousgenerationofentrepreneursdown,thatIhaddroppedthebatonasitwasbeingpassedtome.ImetwithDavidPackardandBobNoyceandtriedtoapologizeforscrewingupsobadly.

idealistic,overflowingw