By+Elaine+L.Chao

Thank you， President Bottoms. Its wonderful to see all of the new construction on campus… thank you for your fine leadership.

Graduating seniors， parents， trustees， faculty， friends， and family… I am delighted to join you today for the 163rd commencement of this fine university.1

Congratulations to all of the honorary degree recipients and a special hello to my fellow Kentuckians in the audience.2

Ive heard so many wonderful things about DePauw from Kris Iverson who serves as the Assistant Secretary for Congressional and Intergovernmental Affairs at the Department of Labor.3 Shes a proud DePauw alumna4 and never lets us forget it.

DePauw is one of the nations top liberal arts5 universities. You count among your many illustrious alumni， former Vice President Dan Quayle， with whom I served in President George H. W. Bush Administration.6

Graduating seniors， your liberal arts education at DePauw has given you an avenue to uncommon success. It will open many doors. But， it has also given you a responsibility.

A responsibility not just to obey the law and pay your taxes， but a responsibility to lead.

One of the most impressive aspects at DePauw University is its outstanding tradition of community service.

As a former head of the Peace Corps， and late President and CEO of United Way of America，7 I care deeply about the uniquely American spirit of volunteering and community service.

My professional experience in volunteer and charitable organizations arose out of my own experience as an immigrant to this country. That time in my early life helped me realize， in a very personal way， the great value of giving to your neighbors.

When my family arrived here from Asia， I was eight years old. We did not speak English and were not familiar with American customs. The kindness， the helping hands of strangers—soon to be our friends and neighbors—helped to smooth our transition to this wonderful new country.

As a country， it is， indeed， through service to our neighbors and communities that we build on the momentum of a million acts of kindness and decency.8

The horrific attacks on our country of September 11th reminded us of the value of our freedom and our ties to one another as Americans. It also opened our hearts to a new spirit of service in America—one that asks，“What can I do to help？”

More Americans are learning， every day， the value of community service. DePauws Hartman Center for Civic Education is a monument to9 it， and I know that as DePauw students you have been encouraged to give of yourself throughout your career here. And now， as you leave the safe haven of DePauw， it is time to think about carrying a commitment to service forward into your post-graduate life.10

The habit of service you have formed here at DePauw is as important to our nations future as the knowledge you have acquired in the classroom. Not only that， but DePauws lasting legacy is to produce leaders. You will not only serve， you will need to lead. We need your generation of “can-do” Americans. We need citizens who can analyze issues and problems， design solutions， build coalitions of support， and motivate others.11

Take the time and make a commitment to sharing your time and your talents—share what you have learned here wherever you go next. There is still much to do. There is a need for every volunteer. If you have accounting skills， you can help small community organizations with their finances.

If you have communications skills， you can help with fundraising12 for charitable groups.

If you are good with your hands， you can build or repair community centers or peoples homes.

If you have an interest in health care， you can help in a clinic.

You have a unique opportunity to make a real impact on our country and our world， and a chance to make your generation the new “greatest generation.” You will do that in thousands of ways， but I challenge you， as you think about how to make your impact， to change your community， your country and your world one heart at a time.

Twenty-one percent of young people who choose to serve say they do so， “because it makes a difference.” They couldnt be more right. When you change one persons life， you are changing the world.

Most people also say that they volunteer because they were asked to do so. And so， this afternoon， Im here to ask you to volunteer to serve your community， your nation， and your world.

As a graduate of DePauw University， you are already part of a great tradition of community service. My hope is that you will join a long national tradition of service.

Let me leave with you a few key things that are important to keep in mind as you carry on the tradition：

One， community service is not an item on a list to be checked off. Like a life-long commitment to your own physical health， it is a lifelong commitment to your spiritual health and the health of the world you live in. It is something you do not for public recognition， but because it is right and good for our world.

Two， discard the notion that dealing with Big Problems like peace in the Middle East or eradicating hunger in Africa are somehow more noble than something like helping one child to read.13 All acts of kindness are great.

Three， the only way that freedom and opportunity can prosper is when Americans take responsibility not only for their own actions， but to care for their neighbors as well. A nation that depends solely on its government to establish order， enforce good behaviors， or to be the exclusive14 provider of services or benefits is a nation that has lost its moral grounding.

……

So as you venture forth15， please do not forget to use your life not only to do well， but also to do good.

Thank you. May God bless you， and may God bless America.

1. trustee： （公司或學院等的）董事，理事；faculty： 全體教員；commencement： 畢業(yè)典禮。

2. recipient： 接受者；Kentuckian： 肯塔基人。

3. DePauw： 迪堡大學，創(chuàng)立于1837年的美國頂尖私立文理學院之一，位于印第安納州；Congressional and Intergovernmental Affairs： 國會與政府間事務；Department of Labor： 美國勞工部。

4. alumna： 女校友。

5. liberal arts： 人文科學。

6. 在諸多著名校友里，有前副總統(tǒng)丹·奎爾，我曾和他一起供職于老布什政府。illustrious： 杰出的；alumni： 校友，alumnus的復數形式；George H. W. Bush：喬治·赫伯特·沃克·布什，前美國總統(tǒng)，常稱為老布什，以便與其子小布什總統(tǒng)作區(qū)別。

7. Peace Corps： 和平隊，1961年成立的一個志愿服務組織，向第三世界國家提供教師、醫(yī)生、技術人員等資源，借此輸出美國文化及價值觀念，是美國對外關系的“軟實力”；late： 剛卸任的，前任的；United Way of America： 美國聯合勸募會，是一個以社區(qū)為基礎的系統(tǒng)，旨在將政府及社會各階層的人士團結起來，共同討論人類的健康和福利問題，并且提出解決之道。

8. momentum： 勢頭；decency： 正派，得體。

9. be a monument to sth.：是某事物的見證。

10. safe haven： 庇護所，安全港；commitment： 承諾，承擔的義務。

11. coalition： 聯合，聯盟；motivate： 激發(fā)……積極性。

12. fundraising： 資金募集。

13. 第二，要摒棄這樣的想法：解決中東和平或消除非洲的饑餓問題這樣的大事會比幫助一個孩子閱讀更崇高。discard：拋棄，丟棄；eradicate：根除。

14. exclusive： 獨有的。

15. venture forth： 勇敢地出發(fā)。