以下是哈佛大學校長德魯・吉爾平・福斯特（Drew Gilpin Faust）於2017年對新生的演講致詞（僅部分引用，全文請參看網頁英文部分），其中引用了該校藝術與科學學院前院長傑里米·諾爾斯的話：「高等教育最重要目標就是：確保畢業的學生能分辨有人在胡說八道」，也因校長的引用，此話因而廣為流傳，值得大家仔細參閱並思考。

Freshman Convocation Address to the Class of 2021
August 29, 2017

DREW GILPIN FAUST，TERCENTENARY THEATRE, CAMBRIDGE, MASS.

（追求真理）這要求我們具備勇敢、寬容和謙遜的品質，願意參與到知識社群的辯論，願意包容他人的想法，並願意基於理性和證據改變自己的觀點。不過，這些不僅僅是我們希望在你們每個人身上培養的重要智力技能，它們還是至關重要的基本能力——即做出判斷和評估事實的能力，以及在新事實面前虛心學習和自我成長的意願。

This requires all of us to work with courage and generosity and humility — to be willing to engage in the great debate that is an intellectual community, open to others’ ideas and willing to change our views based on reason and evidence. But these are not just important intellectual skills that we hope to nurture in each of you. These are critical human capacities as well — the ability to make judgments, to evaluate facts, and the willingness to be open to learning and growth as new truths unfold.

也正是在這個一年一度的歡迎新生大會上，前藝術與科學學院院長，已故的傑里米·諾爾斯（Jeremy Knowles），曾經形容他所認為的高等教育最重要目標就是，「確保畢業的學生能分辨有人在胡說八道」。你會在不斷地挑戰和被挑戰中學到了這種能力，在面對各種分歧和異議中找到自己的方向。

It was on this annual occasion of welcoming the incoming College class that a former dean of the Faculty of Arts and Sciences, the late Jeremy Knowles, described what he saw as the most important goal of higher education: it was, he said, to ensure that graduates can recognize when “someone is talking rot.” You learn this through challenging and being challenged, through being confronted by disagreement and difference and amidst it all finding your way.

我們興奮地歡迎你們，2021屆的學生們。你們註定會教導彼此，當然你們也會教給我們一些東西，而這正是因為你們身份和經歷的多元性。當哈佛招生辦公室決定錄取你們時，是因為我們希望聽到你們的聲音，希望你們為這種創造性的不和諧音調做出貢獻。所以，請不要沉默無聲。（還有，請不要在網路虛擲光陰，彷彿你不曾來過這裡！）融入到其他人之中。

We are excited to welcome you, Class of 2021, because you are in yourselves a great educational machine — destined to teach one another — and, of course, teach us as well — because of the variety of who you are and what you bring. When the admissions office decided on you, it was because they wanted your voice, your contribution as part of this creative cacophony. So don’t be silent. (And please don’t live your life online as if you weren’t here at all!) Engage with one another.

盡可能的多多發言，這樣別人才能從你們身上學到東西。你們還要盡可能地多傾聽，這樣你們才能從其他人那裡學到東西。不要害怕承擔犯錯的風險，不要害怕承認自己是錯的，這是學習和成長的最佳方式。同時，寬容地傾聽其他人的聲音，這樣他們也才有可能進行和你一樣的冒險。

Talk a lot so others can learn from you. Listen even more so that you can learn from them. Don’t be afraid to take the risk of being wrong. Don’t be afraid to admit you are wrong. It is the best way to learn and grow. And listen generously to others so that they may take risks too.

資料來源：

https://www.thenewslens.com/article/79306?fbclid=IwAR1O7tqyCnPDqKuAh01ybetxKJpUY0zsWFDO1mmWAy8qGk4zmaUi6wX8Xwg

Source: 

https://www.harvard.edu/president/speech/2017/freshman-convocation-address-to-class-2021