CNN 2012-05-19

 

 

Commencement also marks the end of time in school. At commencement ceremonies around the country, college graduates are hearing words of encouragement as they begin the next phase of their lives. Here's some advice from a few of this year's more well known commencement speakers.

You see education is transformative, it literally¹ changes lives. That is why people work so hard to become educated. And that is why education has always been the key to human beings and their dreams.

But if you are honest with yourself, you know you didn't get here alone.

My dad did not have the chance to attend college himself. But he and my mum, they saved and they sacrificed, they poured everything they had in me and my brother because they wanted us to get an education they could only dream of.

Even though job oppotunities are scarce in this economy, it's not for nothing that you spent this time preparing.

And you get out of college, but..so never bother because everything is like school anyway.

For America to remain a great nation of incredible destiny, your generation must step forward and embrace the model of this university that I may served.

Often it is only through serving others that we find what's been missing in our own lives.

Oppotunities for you to serve in meaningful ways may come at inconvenient² times. But that will make them all the more precious.

Congratulations 2012.

Congratulations again on everything that you've achieved.

God bless you, and God bless the United States of America.

At end after graduation, there's a lot of advice going around. We're turning the tables a bit today on our blog. We want you seniors of underclassmen to be the advisors³. What words of wisdom would you share with the graduating class of 2012. Tell us on our blog at CNNstudentnews.com and please use only your first names.

We are sticky with graduation for today's Before We Go segment.

The ceremony was going smoothly⁴ at an American university on Monday. But when Sara Cooper walked accross the stage, she was met with a unique proposal. Marriage! Sara and her boyfriend Sam Miller⁵, who also graduated this year, were told by her parents they couldn't get engaged until after college. So Sam waited, until now 5 seconds after Sara had her diploma. She said yes, considering that's going to be his mother-in-law we were talking about, he was wise to make that diploma-tic choice.

Class graduating and getting engaged in the same ten seconds, plus a nice ring to it, that's a perfect story to tell on the weds⁶ day.

1 literally   

adv.照字面意义，逐字地；确实

参考例句：

• He translated the passage literally.他逐字逐句地翻译这段文字。
• Sometimes she would not sit down till she was literally faint.有时候，她不走到真正要昏厥了，决不肯坐下来。

2 inconvenient   

adj.不方便的，令人感到麻烦的

参考例句：

• You have come at a very inconvenient time.你来得最不适时。
• Will it be inconvenient for him to attend that meeting?他参加那次会议会不方便吗？

3 advisors   

n.顾问，劝告者( advisor的名词复数 )；（指导大学新生学科问题等的）指导教授

参考例句：

• The governors felt that they were being strung along by their advisors. 地方长官感到他们一直在受顾问们的愚弄。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
• We will consult together with advisors about her education. 我们将一起和专家商议她的教育事宜。 来自互联网

4 smoothly   

adv.平滑地，顺利地，流利地，流畅地

参考例句：

• The workmen are very cooperative,so the work goes on smoothly.工人们十分合作，所以工作进展顺利。
• Just change one or two words and the sentence will read smoothly.这句话只要动一两个字就顺了。

5 miller   

n.磨坊主

参考例句：

• Every miller draws water to his own mill.磨坊主都往自己磨里注水。
• The skilful miller killed millions of lions with his ski.技术娴熟的磨坊主用雪橇杀死了上百万头狮子。

6 weds   

v.嫁，娶，（与…）结婚( wed的第三人称单数 )

参考例句：

• Confetti showered down on the newly-weds. 彩屑撒在一双新人身上。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The newly-weds are head over heels in love. 这对新婚夫正情溶意蜜。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》