International High School Graduation Ceremony 高中国际课程部2017届高三毕业典礼

新航道2017/7/18 17:56:29

六月天，毕业季。

又是一年芳草绿，萋萋离别情意绵。

上个礼拜，西外高中国际课程部学生

迎来了只属于自己的毕业典礼。

当天，家长、教师、学生汇聚一堂，共同庆祝这最值得纪念的一刻。总校长林敏博士、执行校长王永和、国际课程部主任Monika、德育主任郑大强都表达了自己对学生深深的祝福。

虽然大家即将各奔东西，但每个人脸上都洋溢着自信的笑容。三年的学习和成长，他们已经可以坦然面对未来的求学之路了。更加美好和更具有挑战性的生活在不远处等着他们。毕业典礼上，国际课程部外方校长Enrico Piccinini发言祝福学生。他借助自己真实的经历，鼓励学生迎接一切未知的挑战。

Embracing the Unknown

Students, parents, fellow teachers, distinguished guests – thank you for being here today. And to the young men and women of the Xiwai International High School Class of 2017, may I first say: Congratulations on your achievement! You worked very hard to get here, and this day belongs to you. I hope you will remember and cherish it always.

Today’s ceremony is a very special one for me personally, for two reasons. First, it gives every teacher great pride to see his students graduate, knowing that they are ready for the many challenges that lie ahead. But more than that, your class entered Grade 10 at the same time that I began serving as Principal of our High School. So you are the first Xiwai class to complete your entire high school career under my leadership. And I have not only been your principal; I’ve also been your subject teacher and homeroom teacher. So I feel a very special bond with you, and I’m extremely proud of all of you.

Today, of course, we celebrate. But what about tomorrow? All of you know where you’re going at the end of this summer; but how many of you know what you’ll be doing once you get there? What lies in your future? When faced with this question, I have no doubt that most of you will respond in the same way that you responded to many, many, many questions that I asked you in my History class: “I don’t know.”

When I was your age, and sitting – as you all are today – at my own high school graduation ceremony, I did know. I knew exactly what I was going to do with my future.

First, I was going to become fluent – and I mean native-level fluent – in at least two difficult foreign languages. Then, once I finished university, I was going to go back to Washington, my hometown. I was going to take the foreign service exam – one of the most difficult exams in the world – and I was going to pass with flying colors. I was going to become a diplomat, and travel the world in the service of my country. I was going to negotiate with leaders from Europe, the Middle East, and yes, China! I was going to have a brilliant career in government. And even though I was just eighteen at the time, I was extremely confident that all of this would come to pass.

Well, absolutely none of those things happened. And there were many reasons they didn’t happen. In some cases, I was too lazy. Mastering a foreign language took up too much time, and it also hurt my eyes! In other cases, I lost interest, and my attention was drawn to new interests instead.

But for the most part, it was the experience of being at university itself that changed me. I formed friendships with people whose goals were totally different from mine, and I started to rethink what I wanted to do with my life. I had teachers who recommended interesting books to read, and these books gave me new and different perspectives. I argued and debated with people – friends, classmates, even professors – often into the early hours of the morning. I became bored with some of the topics I studied, and obsessed with others. I joined new clubs and took part in new activities. I worked part-time, and I did internships to gain professional experience. I traveled around Europe. All in all, it was an experience I’d never had before, and have never had since.

By the time I graduated from university, I had no idea what I was going to do with the rest of my life. That confidence that I’d had when I’d finished high school was long gone. But I did have a much better sense of who I was, as a person, and what kind of life would make me happy. And at the end of the day, that is the most important thing that an education can give you.

So to the Class of 2017, I say: There’s nothing wrong with not knowing. None of you, and none of us, really knows what lies in your future. What happens in life is a combination of planning, action, and random chance. Some things are within our control; many things are not. I promise you: Wherever you end up ten or twenty years from now, it will be very different from where you now imagine you’ll be.

So don’t worry too much about that. What you should be focused on instead is this: For the next four years, you will have an opportunity like you’ve never had before. Never again in your life will you have the chance to meet so many new and different people, be able to learn so much and try so many new things, and have so many resources available to you as you will at university. This is your time to explore, to challenge yourself, to figure out who you are, what you love, and what you want from yourself. Seize that opportunity! Take these next four years of your life and make them yours – because they’ll be gone before you know it.

Seventeen years ago, as the day of my high school graduation drew near, some of my friends and I were talking about what we would do when we were all grown up. One of my classmates said: “Enrico is going to be a teacher.” And I remember thinking: “Yeah, right.” And yet here I am, speaking to you today at your graduation ceremony, as your teacher, your principal, and your friend. I love what I do – and I hope that many years from now, all of you will be able to say the same about yourselves.

Congratulations, and all the best as you go forward into the future. Thank you!

拥抱未知的未来

学生们，家长们，老师们和尊敬的来宾们--感谢你们今天的光临。对于西外2017届国际课程部的少男少女们，首先我想说的是：祝贺你们的成就。你们十分努力，今天是属于你们的!我希望你们能永远记住并珍惜今天。

对于我来说，今天的典礼格外特别，有两个原因：首先，每位教师都非常骄傲地能看到自己的学生毕业，并且学生们已经准备好去应对未来将要面对的许多困难。但更重要的是，你们走进高一之时，也是我开始担任高中部校长的时候。因此，你们是第一届在我的领导之下完成整个高中生涯的学生。我不仅仅是你们的校长，也是你们的任课老师和班主任。我觉得我和你们亲密无间，并为你们所有人深感自豪。

今天，我们当然要好好庆祝一下。但明天呢?你们都知道你们这个暑假后将会去向何方，但你们当中的多少人又知道当你们到了那儿，将会做些什么呢?未来将会怎样呢?面对这个问题的时候，我毫不怀疑，你们大多数人将会说“我不知道”，就像在我的历史课上，我许多次问你们的时候，你们所给我的回答都一样。

当我和你们一样大的时候，就像你们今天坐在这里一样--在我自己的高中毕业典礼上，我非常明白，我明确地知道我将来将要做什么。首先，我将会非常流利地--我是指达到母语水平的流利程度--掌握至少两门外语。 然后，当我上完大学，我将会回到我的家乡-华盛顿。接着参加外派考试(世界上最难的考试之一)，我会非常顺利地通过考试，然后成为一名外交官，以祖国的名义环游全世界。我将和来自欧洲，中东以及中国的领导人会晤，将会在政府机构里走上光辉的职业道路。虽然我那时只有18岁，但我非常地自信，这所有的一切都将会发生。

不过，由于许许多多的原因，这一切并没有发生。从某方面来说，我太懒了。掌握一门外语占据了我太多的时间，也损伤了我的眼睛!从其他方面来说，我失去了之前的兴趣，我的注意力已经转移到新的兴趣上了。

但最主要的是，大学时期的这段经历改变了我。我收获了来自他人的友谊，他们的目标和我完全不一样。我开始重新思考我以后想要做什么。我的老师们推荐了非常有趣的书籍供我阅读，这些书籍给了我全新的视角。在早上的时候，我与朋友们、同学们、甚至教授们展开辩论。我开始对一些所学的东西感到厌倦，并对其他东西着迷。我参加了新的俱乐部，参与了新的活动，开始了兼职工作。为了得到专业的经验，我做了一些实习并在欧洲旅游过。总而言之，这是我以前从未有过的体验，并且之后也不会再有的体验。

毕业之后，我不知道接下来该怎么办。高中时我所拥有的自信早就没有了。然而，我确确实实地对“我是谁”“什么样的生活能使我开心”有了更好的理解。在今天快要结束的时候，这就是我能给予你们最最重要的教育。

对2017届同学，我想说：无知并没有错。你们之中，我们之中都没有人能真正知道你们的未来将会怎么样。生活总是由计划、行动和偶然的机会所组成的集合。有些东西我们可以控制，但很多东西并不由己。我确信：无论你在哪儿，从现在开始的十年二十年之后，你的未来将会与你现在所设想的大不相同。

所以别太担心。你应该关注的是：未来四年，你会有一个前所未有的机会。在你的生命中再也不会有机会去认识这么多不同的人，能学到那么多东西，尝试这么多

新鲜事物，并且你也可以在大学里学到很多东西。这是你自己的时间去探索，去挑战自己，找出你是谁，你爱什么，你自己想要什么。抓住机会，把握未来的四年，把它变成属于自己的四年!因为这四年会在不知不觉中悄悄溜走。

十七年前，当我高中毕业的日子临近的时候，我和我的一些朋友在谈论我们长大后要做什么。我的一个同学说：“Enrico将成为一名教师。”，我想：“是的，对啊!”然后，我在这里，今天在你的毕业典礼上，作为你的老师，你的校长，你的朋友，对你们说：我热爱我所做的!我希望从现在起，你们所有人也都能对自己说同样的话。

恭喜你们，祝你们在即将踏入的未来之中一切顺利!谢谢!

任翔宇同学作为学生代表进行发言。他把自己高中三年的生活比作画画，娓娓道来。从一张白纸到如今多姿多彩的画作，他有趣而充满回忆的高中生活令在场的学生和家长会心一笑。

Good morning, dear teachers and parents, and our special guests from Grade 11. Before I start my speech, I would first like to thank my parents who sent me here, and my teachers and friends. Thank you – because without you, I wouldn’t be where I am today. I’m honored to be here, in this position, representing my class at our graduation ceremony.

Three years ago, we started our new lives at Xiwai. I can still remember the first time I met and talked to my classmates, and the first classes that I had with my new teachers. And now, we are about to leave. Looking back, I would say that our time in high school has been like the process of painting a picture. I’m not good at drawing or painting at all, but I will use this as my example.

Our first year was like a blank paper. We were nervous, anxious, and a little scared as we tried to figure out how to fit into this little community. And then, one day, we were ready – ready to study and live in our new environment. We became less concerned with trivial things, and much more concerned with who we were and what we would do with our time here. But we still didn’t really know how to paint yet, so we often looked up to the upperclassmen, who were already good at painting. When you paint, you have to plan your painting, or it will turn out a mess. By the end of our first year, we were ready to paint our pictures.

In our second year, we started sketching on our canvases. Now we knew what high school was all about. Moreover, now we were upperclassmen, so we became leaders instead of followers. We took TOEFL and IELTS classes and then took the tests. But there were so many things to do, and that second year was incredibly busy. It was hard to focus on one thing at a time. So the pictures that we painted were often good, but also messy. They reflected the energy of the year, but also the challenges and stresses.

Time passed quickly, and before long we were in Grade 12, the last year of high school. By this time, many of us had finished our paintings, while a few were still working on theirs. In Grade 12, there were new challenges, like AP exams and the SAT. And we started to really learn and understand our responsibilities. We wanted our paintings to be perfect, so we sought help with our pictures – removing useless lines, making the colors look more beautiful. Soon, everyone finished their paintings, and there was only one thing left to do – apply to college.

Applying to college is like finding someone to marry. It’s a very important decision, and you want it to be great, so you don’t want to rush into it. You search for years, from college to college, and finally, you think you’ve found the perfect one for you. You give yourself a deadline to make your proposal, so you don’t waste time. And as the day draws closer, you start to get nervous, and wonder if you’ve prepared enough. Then, you propose, and just like that, everything is over. If your dream school says yes, then it’s wonderful. But if not, then you know it’s not the right school for you – and there are better ones out there waiting for you. You will find your place eventually.

Congratulations to the Xiwai International High School Class of 2017, and thank you so much to all those who helped us get there. To my fellow graduates: good luck, and may all our futures be bright!

任翔宇的英语发言赢得满堂喝彩，这才是国际课程部的学生应有的国际范儿!

早上好，亲爱的老师们、家长们以及来自11年级的特别来宾们。在我开始演讲之前，我首先要感谢我的父母，是他们把我送到这里。然后我要感谢我的老师和朋友们，谢谢你们，因为没有你们，我今天将不会站在这里。我很荣幸来到这里，站在这个位置，代表我们班在我们的毕业典礼上致辞。

三年前，我们在西外开始了新的生活。我还记得我第一次见到同学的时候，还记得新老师们上的第一节课。现在，我们即将离开。回首过去，我会说，我们在高中的时光就像画画的过程一样。虽然我不擅长绘画，但我想用这个来举例子。

我们的第一年就像一张白纸。我们紧张，焦虑，也有点害怕，因为我们试着去适应高中。然后，有一天，我们准备好了----准备在我们的新环境中学习和生活。我们越来越不关心琐碎的事情，更关心的是我们是谁，在这里的时间内我们会做些什么。但是我们仍然不知道如何“作画”，所以我们经常向高年级看齐，因为他们已经擅长”作画”。当你作画的时候，你必须计划你的画，否则它会变成一团糟。到第一年结束的时候，我们已经准备好画我们的画了。

在第二年，我们开始进行油画写生。现在我们已经完全知道高中是什么。此外，我们现在是高年级学生，所以我们成为了领导者，而不是之前的追随者。我们上了托福和雅思课程，然后参加了这些考试。但我们仍然有很多事情要做，这使得第二年异常繁忙。这一年里，一次只专注于一件事是困难的。所以我们画的”画“虽然好，但也凌乱。这些画儿反映出我们这一年充满了能量，但同时也反映出我们面临着的挑战和压力。

时间过得很快，不久我们就上了12年级，高中的最后一年。到这个时候，我们中的许多人已经完成了我们的画，而一些仍然在继续他们的工作。在12年级，有新的挑战，如AP考试和SAT考试，我们开始真正地了解和理解我们的责任。我们希望我们的“画”是完美的，所以我们为我们的“画”寻求帮助--删除无用的线条，使颜色看起来更漂亮。很快，每个人都完成了他们的绘画，只剩下一件事---申请大学。

申请大学就像结婚一样，是一个非常重要的决定，你希望它尽善尽美，所以你并不急。你寻找了很多年，从一个大学到另一个大学，最后，你觉得你找到了对你来说最完美的大学。你给自己制定最后期限，这样你就不会浪费时间了。随着日子越来越近，你开始紧张起来，想知道你是否已经做好准备。然后，你”求婚”了，就这样，一切都结束了。如果你梦寐以求的学校点头说“是”，那是最好不过的。但如果不是，那它对你来说就不是最好的学校----还有更好的学校在等着你。最终，你一定会找到你的位置。

祝贺2017届西外国际高中课程部，谢谢你们，这么多帮助我们的人们。致我的毕业生们：祝你们好运，愿我们所有人的未来都是一片光明!

编者语：三年学习生涯转瞬即逝，未来，有很多未知的东西在等着这群孩子们，小编在这里也想送他们一句祝福的话：

愿你有高跟鞋也有跑鞋，喝茶也喝酒。 愿你有勇敢的朋友，有牛逼的对手。

愿你对过往的一切情深意重，但从不回头。 愿你特别美丽，特别平静，特别凶狠，也特别温柔。

自信人生两百年，会当击水三千里!