十篇著名的大学毕业典礼演讲

10 Famous and Noteworthy College Commencement Speechs

Most college commencement speeches consist of bad jokes and bland advice, but there are a few that are made memorable by genuine wit and wisdom. Below are 10 noteworthy commencement speeches offering worldly advice from famous comedians, authors, politicians, entrepreneurs and even a prison inmate.

1. Winston Churchill (Harrow School)

Memorable quote: 'Never give in. Never give in. Never, never, never, never--in nothing, great or small, large or petty--never give in, except to convictions of honor and good sense. Never yield to force. Never yield to the apparently overwhelming might of the enemy.'

The commencement speech Winston Churchill gave to his old preparatory school in 1941 isn't just famous because he's Winston Churchill - it is also the shortest such speech on record. In fact, the above quote has been used by a whole slew of people who couldn't come up with any other way to close their own commencement speeches.

2. Steve Jobs (Stanford University)

Memorable quote: 'Your time is limited, so don't waste it living someone else's life. Don't be trapped by dogma--which is living with the results of other people's thinking. Don't let the noise of others' opinions drown out your own inner voice. And most important, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition. They somehow already know what you truly want to become.'

Apple co-founder and famed college dropout Steve Jobs gave a highly respected commencement speech to Stanford University students in 2005. He wore his trademark blue jeans and sandals and shared three of the most pivotal points in his life. Jobs also encouraged students to pursue their dreams and dodge the obstacles that hold them back. His speech closed with the sign-off quote from the final issue of The Whole Earth Catalog: 'Stay Hungry. Stay Foolish.'

3. Jon Stewart (College of William and Mary)

Memorable quote: 'I'm sure my fellow doctoral graduates--who have spent so long toiling in academia, sinking into debt, sacrificing God knows how many years of what, in truth, is a piece of parchment that, in truth, has been so devalued by our instant gratification culture as to have been rendered meaningless--will join in congratulating me.'

One of the most humorous commencement speeches in recent years was the speech comedian Jon Stewart gave in 2004 at the College of William and Mary. He began by assuring the parents in the crowd that they would not hear any language that was not common at a Tourette's convention or profanity seminar. The entire speech was peppered