Young people英文詩詞

　　Young people

每年的畢業都少不了亮麗的詞句和善意的謊言。而一位35年前的畢業生，用親身體驗道出了一番獨特的畢業。

Scanning through my e-mails the other day, one in particular jumped out at me. The subject line read: "Note from Lyndonville Central School."

Since I graduated from that fine institution of learning what seems like 147 years ago, I opened it first. It was from a man who teaches math there now, a man who was a few grades behind me, a man who was inviting me, on behalf of the student council, to speak at Class Day<注1> in June."I would like to invite you 'back home,' " he wrote. "What do you think?"

What do I think?

I don't know.

The last time I spoke at Lyndonville Central School was graduation night of 1967. I can't remember exactly what I said that warm June evening, but I fear I proclaimed, among other things, that I was going to change the world, make it a better place for mankind, cure cancer and stop the spread of the leisure suit, the fashion faux pas<注2> that was sweeping the country.

I came through only on<注3> the leisure suit promise. It was on the road to extinction by the following spring.

But people will cut you some slack<注4> when you're 17. I distinctly remember applause. Perhaps they were just happy that I finally shut up, I don't know. At the time, I took it as a positive response, grabbed my diploma and got out of town. Never looked back, as they say.<注5>

And now western New York was calling me home.

If I go, what would I say this time around? What would I share with these kids who were me 35 years ago, sitting there in the bleachers, eager to get on with life?<注6>

I've always been wary of adults bearing advice.<注7> Any adult who has ever tried to give me any over the years will vouch for that. (Not that I consider myself an adult, but I look like one now, so I can infiltrate places adults frequent and pass for one if I must.)<注8>

Would I fall into that cliche<注9> pool of graduation speeches? Follow your dreams! Climb every mountain! Go out there and make a difference! Carpe diem!<注10>

Or would I be brutally<注11> honest and tell them they'll be working for the next 50 years, have children who will think them fools and more than likely have as little hair as I do? And when all that's over, there will be no Social Security Check<注12> for them, ause I will have already spent ally, I'm not sure it really matters what I'd say.

I'm sure there's a Class Day picnic they'll be itching to get to, a girl or boyfriend they'll be flirting with across the auditorium, a school's-almost-out daydream that will happily occupy their thoughts the whole time I might be speaking<注13>.

I should know. I don't have a clue what any of my end-of-high-school speakers said. All I remember is they were old, rambled on<注14> for far too long and all looked like someone I would hope I'd never ome.

And now I have.

1. Class Day：畢業紀念日。

2. faux pas：（法）不檢點的話（或行為）

3. come through on sth.：成功、實現。

4. cut sb. some slack：對某人表示理解。

5. 當時，在自以為是讚許的掌聲中，我一把拿過畢業證，象他們説的那樣頭也不回地離開了鎮子，。

6. 這些孩子們恍如35年前的我，和他們我能談些什麼呢？他們就坐在露天看台上，一副對生活躍躍欲試的樣子。bleacher：（美）運動場的露天座位。

7. 我一向對諄諄教誨的.大人們心存戒備。be wary of : 提防，小心。

8. 過去幾年，凡是試圖忠告我的成年人都可以證明這一點。我沒把自己當成年人，但因為我長得像，所以必要時我能經常混跡於成人場合並被當作其中的一員。

9. cliches：陳詞濫調、套話。

10. carpe diem：size the day（拉）及時行樂，這裏指珍惜大好時光。

11. brutally：殘酷的、不中聽的。

12. Social Security Check：社會保險支票。（美國的）社會保障制度（1935年美國政府通過“社會保障條例”，據此對老年人或殘疾人員，以及貧苦、失業工人給予最低額救濟金）。Social Security Number:社會保險號碼。

13. be itching to：渴望去做。 to flirt with：調情、賣俏。 school's-almost-out：全校傾巢而出。我想一定會有一個盼望已久的畢業紀念日野餐，一個女孩或許正和她的男朋友在會場裏調笑、可能自始至終我一邊，台下的學生們滿腦子裝的卻都是全校外出日的美夢。

14. ramble on： 漫談，文中指嘮叨個沒完。