is something a little different than what's scheduled.

與日程表中編排的有點兒不一樣的事。

Foreign policy, you can figure that out

要知道外交政策的話，你大抵看看，

by watching, I don't know, Rachel Maddow or somebody,

我不知道，雷切爾·瑪多 (Rachel Maddow) 或某誰，

but — (Laughter) —

就可以了，不過 — (眾笑) —

I want to talk about young people and structure,

我想談談年青人和結構，

young people and structure.

年青人及結構。

This was last Wednesday afternoon

上星期三的下午，

at a school in Brooklyn, New York,

我在紐約市布魯克林區的一所學校，

at Cristo Rey High School, run by the Jesuits.

是由耶穌會營辦的 Cristo Rey 高中。

And I was talking to this group of students, and take a look at them.

我與這一班學生對話，並觀察他們。

They were around me in three directions.

他們從三個方向面對着我。

You'll noticed that almost all of them are minority.

你會注意到他們幾乎所有人都是少數族裔。

You'll notice that the building is rather austere.

你會注意到建築物頗為簡樸。

It's an old New York school building, nothing fancy.

那是個老舊的紐約市校舍建築，絕無花巧。

They still have old blackboards and whatnot.

那裏仍有老舊的黑板，諸如此類。

And there are about 300 kids in this school,

而這所學校，有約 300 名小孩子就讀，

and the school's been going now for four years,

開辦迄今已有四年了，

and they're about to graduate their first class.

而首屆學生亦即將畢業。

Twenty-two people are graduating,

有二十二人將會畢業，

and all 22 are going to college.

而當中全部人都會升讀大學。

They all come from homes where there is, for the most part,

二十二位來自的家庭，大部份

just one person in the home,

家中只有一位親人，

usually the mother or the grandmother, and that's it,

通常是母親或祖母，就沒別人了，

and they come here for their education

而他們來這裏，是為了接受教育，

and for their structure.

以及他們的結構。

Now I had this picture taken, and it was put up

拍了這幅照片之後，在上星期就放上了

on my Facebook page last week,

我的 Facebook 頁面，

and somebody wrote in,

有人寫道：

"Huh, why does he have him standing at attention like that?"

「唔，為何包先生讓孩子這樣的向他立正？」

And then they said, "But he looks good." (Laughter)

他們接着寫道：「但孩子看起來挺不錯的。」 (眾笑)

He does look good, because kids need structure,

他的確頗好看，因為小孩子需要結構，

and the trick I play in all of my school appearances

而每次我到訪學校，必定會耍個把戲，

is that when I get through with my little homily to the kids,

就是當我與小孩子說完道理後，

I then invite them to ask questions,

我就會邀請他們發問，

and when they raise their hands, I say, "Come up,"

而當他們舉起手時，我就說：「上來」，

and I make them come up and stand in front of me.

並讓他們排好隊在我面前站立。

I make them stand at attention like a soldier.

我讓他們像士兵一樣立正。

Put your arms straight down at your side,

雙手垂放在側，

look up, open your eyes, stare straight ahead,

抬起頭，睜大眼睛，直視前方，

and speak out your question loudly so everybody can hear.

大聲說出你的問題，讓每個人都能聽到。

No slouching, no pants hanging down, none of that stuff.

不要曲起背，不要把褲子穿成大褲襠，不要碎唸。

(Laughter)

(眾笑)

And this young man, his name is -- his last name Cruz --

而這位年青人，名字是 -- 他姓 Cruz -- 他很喜歡這樣。

he loved it. That's all over his Facebook page and it's gone viral.

並在 Facebook 上說個不停，就像病毒般流傳。

(Laughter)

(眾笑)

So people think I'm being unkind to this kid.

所以，人們以為我對這小子苛刻。

No, we're having a little fun.

不，其實我們在享受一點兒樂趣。

And the thing about it, I've done this for years,

而我想提一提，我這樣做已有多年了，

the younger they are, the more fun it is.

小孩子年紀愈小，就愈有趣。

When I get six- and seven-year-olds in a group,

當我有一班六、七歲的小孩子時，

I have to figure out how to keep them quiet.

我要想辦法讓他們安靜下來。

You know that they'll always start yakking.

你知道他們經常吵個不停。

And so I play a little game with them

因此我與他們先玩個小遊戲

before I make them stand at attention.

才讓他們立正。

I say, "Now listen. In the army,

我說：「聽着。在軍隊裏，

when we want you to pay attention,

當我們想引起你注意時，

we have a command. It's called 'at ease.'

我們有個命令。就是叫「稍息」。

It means everybody be quiet and pay attention. Listen up.

意思是每個人都安靜並留心。聽好。

Do you understand?"

明白嗎？」

"Uh-huh, uh-huh, uh-huh." "Let's practice. Everybody start chatting."

「唔，唔，唔。」「練習一下吧。大家開始聊天。」

And I let them go for about 10 seconds, then I go, "At ease!"

之後我讓他們吵約十秒鐘，然後我說：「稍息！」

"Huh!" (Laughter)

「唔！」(眾笑)

"Yes, General. Yes, General."

「是，將軍。是，將軍。」

Try it with your kids. See if it works. (Laughter)

不妨跟你的孩子試試。看看是否湊效。 (眾笑)

I don't think so.

我想未必。

But anyway, it's a game I play, and it comes obviously

無論如何，這是個我玩的遊戲，而且很明顯

from my military experience.

是來自我的軍事經驗。

Because for the majority of my adult life,

因為我成人的生命裏，大部分時間

I worked with young kids, teenagers with guns, I call them.

我都與年青小伙子一起工作，我叫他們「持槍少年」。

And we would bring them into the army,

而我們將他們帶進軍隊裏，

and the first thing we would do is to put them

我們第一件會做的事，就是將他們

in an environment of structure, put them in ranks,

放進有結構的環境裏，將他們放進軍階中，

make them all wear the same clothes,

讓他們全都穿相同的衣服，

cut all their hair off so they look alike,

剃光頭髮，讓他們看來都很相似，

make sure that they are standing in ranks.

確保他們是按軍階站立。

We teach them how to go right face, left face,

我們教導他們怎樣將頭往右、往左步操，

so they can obey instructions and know

好讓他們懂得服從指示，

the consequences of not obeying instructions.

並學懂不服從指示的後果。

It gives them structure.

這給予他們結構。

And then we introduce them to somebody who they come to hate immediately, the drill sergeant.

之後我們向他們介紹一個他們立即就會討厭的人，教官。

And they hate him.

而他們討厭他。

And the drill sergeant starts screaming at them,

教官開始向他們大聲呼喊，

and telling them to do all kinds of awful things.

並指令他們做各種難為的事情。

But then the most amazing thing happens over time.

但最奇妙的事情，隨着時間慢慢發生。

Once that structure is developed,

當那種結構發展出來時，

once they understand the reason for something,

當他們明白事情背後的理由，

once they understand, "Mama ain't here, son.

當他們明白：「媽媽不在這裏，小子。

I'm your worst nightmare. I'm your daddy and your mommy.

我是你最壞的惡夢。我是你的爸爸和媽媽。

And that's just the way it is. You got that, son?

而這就是這裏的方式。收到嗎，小子？

Yeah, and then when I ask you a question, there are only three possible answers:

沒錯，然後當我問你一條問題時，只有三種可能答案：

yes, sir; no, sir; and no excuse, sir.

『是，長官』；『不是，長官』；和『沒有理由，長官』。

Don't start telling me why you didn't do something.

不要開始告訴我，為何你沒做到。儘管說

It's yes, sir; no, sir; no excuse, sir."

『是，長官』；『不是，長官』；『沒有理由，長官』。」

"You didn't shave." "But sir —"

「你沒有刮鬍子。」「但是長官 —」

"No, don't tell me how often you scraped your face this morning.

「不，不要告訴我今早你怎樣不斷刮傷臉皮。

I'm telling you you didn't shave."

我在告訴你，你沒有刮鬍子。」

"No excuse, sir." "Attaboy, you're learning fast."

「沒有理由，長官。」「不錯，真是快上手。」

But you'd be amazed at what you can do with them

但你會驚訝，當你將他們放進那種結構中時，

once you put them in that structure.

你能讓他們做到的事情。

In 18 weeks, they have a skill. They are mature.

在十八週內，他們學到技巧。變得成熟。

And you know what, they come to admire the drill sergeant

而你知道嗎？他們開始欽羡教官，

and they never forget the drill sergeant.

然後他們永遠難忘教官。

They come to respect him.

他們開始敬佩他。

And so we need more of this kind of structure and respect

所以我們需要將多些這類型的結構和敬佩

in the lives of our children.

放進我們兒女的生命中。

I spend a lot of time with youth groups,

我有不少時間，常常與青年人一起，

and I say to people, "When does the education process begin?"

而我對人們說：「教育的過程從何時開始？」

We're always talking about, "Let's fix the schools.

我們常常在說：「讓我們來改善學校。

Let's do more for our teachers. Let's put more computers in our schools.

為教師提供更多配套。在學校安裝更多電腦。

Let's get it all online."

讓所有事物都步上軌道。」

That isn't the whole answer. It's part of the answer.

那不是答案的全部。僅只包含一小部分。

But the real answer begins with bringing a child to the school

但真正的答案，是從帶小孩上學開始，

with structure in that child's heart and soul to begin with.

從那小孩心靈中的結構開始。

When does the learning process begin? Does it begin in first grade?

學習的過程從何時開始？是從一年級開始嗎？

No, no, it begins the first time

不，不，它的開始

a child in a mother's arms

是小孩第一次在母親臂中

looks up at the mother

仰視母親時，

and says, "Oh, this must be my mother.

心想：「噢，這一定是我的母親。

She's the one who feeds me.

她是哺養我的人。

Oh yeah, when I don't feel so good down there,

沒錯，當我覺得有點兒不舒服的時候，

she takes care of me.

她會照料我。

It's her language I will learn."

我會學她的語言。」

And at that moment they shut out all the other languages

而那個時候，他們就會將所有其他

that they could be learning at that age,

那個年紀時可以學習的語言都拒諸門外，

but by three months, that's her.

而首三個月，她就是一切。

And if the person doing it, whether it's the mother

如果那個人，不管是母親

or grandmother, whoever's doing it,

還是祖母，不管是誰做這件事，

that is when the education process begins.

那就是教育過程的開始。

That's when language begins.

那是語言的開始。

That's when love begins. That's when structure begins.

那是愛的開始。那是結構的開始。

That's when you start to imprint on the child

那是你開始在小孩中烙印

that "you are special,

「你是特別的，

you are different from every other child in the world.

你與世界上任何其他一位小孩都不同。

And we're going to read to you."

而我們將會向你朗讀。」

A child who has not been read to

得不到朗讀的小孩，

is in danger when that child gets to school.

當小孩上學時可能會有風險。

A child who doesn't know his or her colors

一個小孩，不知道自己的膚色，

or doesn't know how to tell time, doesn't know how to tie shoes,

或者不知道如何報時間，不知道怎樣綁鞋帶，

doesn't know how to do those things,

不知道怎樣做那些事情，

and doesn't know how to do something that

也不知道如何去做那件

goes by a word that was drilled into me as a kid: mind.

自小就紮根我的腦海中的字眼：注意。

Mind your manners! Mind your adults! Mind what you're saying!

注意你的言行舉止！當心身邊的大人！小心你所說的話！

This is the way children are raised properly.

這是正確養育兒童的方式。

And I watched my own young grandchildren now come along

我現在看着自己年幼的孫兒，

and they're, much to the distress of my children,

他們真令我的兒女頭疼，

they are acting just like we did. You know? You imprint them.

他們就像我們當年一樣。你知道嗎？你要去烙印他們。

And that's what you have to do to prepare children for education and for school.

而那就是你要做的事，去準備兒童接受教育和上學。

And I'm working at all the energy I have

現在我正盡全力

to sort of communicate this message that

希望將這個訊息宣揚：

we need preschool, we need Head Start,

我們需要學前教育，我們需要「啟蒙計劃」，

we need prenatal care.

我們需要產前檢查。

The education process begins even before the child is born,

教育的過程，早在小孩誕生之前已經開始，

and if you don't do that, you're going to have difficulty.

若你不這樣做的話，就可能會面對困難。

And we are having difficulties in so many of our communities

而我們在很多社區中都面對困難，

and so many of our schools where kids are coming

很多學校接收一年級新生，

to first grade and their eyes are blazing,

那些學童雙眼發亮，

they've got their little knapsack on and they're ready to go,

他們收拾好小背包準備上學，

and then they realize they're not like the other first graders

然後他們發覺自己不像其他一年級生，

who know books, have been read to, can do their alphabet.

其他人懂書，有人朗讀給他們聽，懂得英文字母。

And by the third grade, the kids who didn't have

而到了三年級，那些一開始

that structure and minding in the beginning

缺乏那種結構和思維的小孩子，

start to realize they're behind, and what do they do?

開始發覺他們落後了，然後他們怎樣做？

They act it out. They act it out, and they're on their way

他們行為出位。他們表現出來，然後他們就要

to jail or they're on their way to being dropouts.

邁向一條鋃鐺入獄或是中途綴學的道路。

It's predictable.

預料得到。

If you're not at the right reading level at third grade,

若你到了三年級，閱讀能力不達標，

you are a candidate for jail at age 18,

你就是十八歲時入獄的候選了，

and we have the highest incarceration rate

而我們有最高的監禁率，

because we're not getting our kids the proper start in life.

因為我們沒有讓我們的小孩子在生命中得到妥當的起步。

The last chapter in my book is called

我的著作中最後一章，名為

"The Gift of a Good Start."

「一份好的開始的禮物」。

The gift of a good start. Every child ought to have a good start in life.

一份好的開始的禮物。每個小孩生命中都應該有個好開始。

I was privileged to have that kind of good start.

我有幸能夠有這種好的開始。

I was not a great student.

昔日的我不是個傑出的學生。

I was a public school kid in New York City,

我是紐約市一個讀公立學校的學生，

and I didn't do well at all.

而我各方面的表現都不好。

I have my entire New York City Board of Education transcript

我從紐約市教育局拿到一副

from kindergarten through college.

從幼稚園到大學的完整成績單。

I wanted it when I was writing my first book.

我想索取的原因是，當時我在寫我第一本書。

I wanted to see if my memory was correct,

我想看看我的記憶是否正確，

and, my God, it was. (Laughter)

結果是，老天，果然沒錯。 (眾笑)

Straight C everywhere.

各科一律都是 C。

And I finally bounced through high school,

而我終於在高中時期翻身，

got into the City College of New York

以平均分 78.3 進了紐約市立學院，

with a 78.3 average, which I shouldn't have been allowed in with,

以這種分數我是無法被錄取的，

and then I started out in engineering,

之後我專攻工程學，

and that only lasted six months. (Laughter)

而這只維持了六個月。 (眾笑)

And then I went into geology, "rocks for jocks." This is easy.

之後我轉攻地理學，「基礎地理學」。很簡單。

And then I found ROTC.

之後我發現了預備軍官訓練團 (ROTC)。

I found something that I did well and something that I loved doing,

我發現了一樣我做得好，同時喜歡做的事情，

and I found a group of youngsters like me who felt the same way.

我也發現了一群年青人，像我一樣有相同的感覺。

And so my whole life then was dedicated to ROTC and the military.

自此之後，我的人生就奉獻給預備軍官訓練團和軍方。

And I say to young kids everywhere, as you're growing up

而我到處都跟年輕小伙子說，隨着你長大，

and as this structure is being developed inside of you,

隨着這個結構在你身上發展時，

always be looking for that which you do well and that which you love doing,

永遠試着找尋你做得好的事，以及你熱愛做的事，

and when you find those two things together, man, you got it.

而當你能將兩者結合時，老兄，你找對了。

That's what's going on. And that's what I found.

這是一路發生的過程。而我就找到了那一樣事物。

Now the authorities at CCNY were getting tired of me being there.

此時，紐約市立學院當局開始厭倦我在那兒讀書了。

I'd been there four and a half going on five years,

我在那兒讀了四年半，將近五年，

and my grades were not doing particularly well,

而我的成績等級不太理想，

and I was in occasional difficulties with the administration.

我中間與校方也有些過不去。

And so they said, "But he does so well in ROTC.

之後他們說：「但他在預備軍官訓練團做得很好。

Look, he gets straight A's in that but not in anything else."

看，他在那兒全部奪 A，但其他就完全沒有了。」

And so they said, "Look, let's take his ROTC grades

之後他們說：「看，不如取他在預備軍官訓練團的成績，

and roll them into his overall GPA and see what happens."

一併計進整體成積均點 (Overall GPA)，看看如何。」

And they did, and it brought me up to 2.0. (Laughter)

他們照做，結果讓我攀升到 2.0。 (眾笑)

Yep. (Laughter) (Applause)

對。(眾笑) (掌聲)

They said, "It's good enough for government work.

他們說：「這個成績足以打政府工。

Give him to the army. We'll never see him again. We'll never see him again."

將他送給軍隊吧。我們不會再見到他了。我們不會再見到他了。」

So they shipped me off to the army,

就此他們將我送到軍隊裏，

and lo and behold, many years later,

時移世易，眾多年後，

I'm considered one of the greatest sons the City College of New York has ever had. (Laughter)

我獲認為紐約市立學院歷屆最傑出的舊生之一。(眾笑)

So, I tell young people everywhere,

所以，我四處都對年青人說，

it ain't where you start in life, it's what you do with life

不是你在生命中的起點，而是你用生命做甚麼，

that determines where you end up in life,

決定你人生的目的地，

and you are blessed to be living in a country that,

而你生活在這個國家，實在是個祝福，

no matter where you start, you have opportunities

無論你在哪裏起步，你都會有機會，

so long as you believe in yourself,

只要你相信自己，

you believe in the society and the country,

相信社會和國家，

and you believe that you can self-improve

相信你可以自我提升

and educate yourself as you go along.

並沿途可以教育你自己。

And that's the key to success.

而那就是成功的關鍵。