美国亿万富豪毕业典礼演讲现场发钱

近日，美国Granite Telecommunications公司创始人兼CEO小罗伯特·黑尔（Robert Hale, Jr.）在马萨诸塞大学达特茅斯分校（University of Massachusetts Dartmouth）2024年毕业典礼上发表演讲。

演讲结束，黑尔给在场毕业生每人送上了一份难忘的毕业礼物。每位毕业生收到两个信封，各有500美元。他说，他和妻子一生中最大的快乐源于施予他人。他要求毕业生们每人留下500美元，而将剩下的500美元捐出去。（One says gift. One says give. The first is our gift to you. The second is a gift for you to give.）

🤔️小作业：

1. Which of the following statements is TRUE about the tradition of cash giveaways started by Rob Hale?

A.Itstarted during thepandemic.

B.It began as a response to the economic downturn in 2002.

C. It was initially intended to support local students.

D. It was first introduced at UMass Dartmouth.

2. How does the author support the idea that Rob Hale's gift was a surprise to the students?

A. By describing the reactions of the students and quoting one of them.

B. By detailing the security measures taken to transport the money.

C. By explaining the logistics of how the money was distributed.

D. By providing the history of Hale's previous philanthropic efforts.

无注释原文：

Billionaire gives UMass graduates $1,000 each—but they have to give half of it away

From: Fortune

The clouds weren't alone in making it rain on the commencement ceremony at the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth last week. On stage, billionaire philanthropist Rob Hale surprised the graduating class of more than 1,000 by pointing to a nearby truck holding envelopes stuffed with cash.

Huddling under ponchos and umbrellas at the soggy ceremony, the graduates yelled and cheered, their mouths agape, as Hale announced he was showering money upon them. Security guards then lugged the cash-filled duffel bags onto the stage.

Hale told the students each would get $1,000. But there was a condition: They were to KEEP $500 and give the rest away.

Hale said the greatest joy he and his wife Karen had experienced in their lives had come from the act of giving.

“We want to give you two gifts. The first is our gift to you,” Hale told the students. “The second is the gift of giving. These trying times have heightened the need for sharing, caring and giving. Our community needs you, and your generosity, more than ever.”

The founder and chief executive of Granite Telecommunications, Hale is estimated by Forbes to have a net worth of $5.4 billion. He owns a minority stake in the Boston Celtics.

It's the fourth year in a row that he has given a similar gift to a group of graduating students. Last year it was to students at UMass Boston, and before that it was to students at Roxbury Community College and Quincy College.

But the students at UMass Dartmouth had no idea in advance Hale would be speaking — let alone giving away money.

“I was very surprised,” said Joshua Bernadin, who graduated with a chemistry degree. “Everybody around me was in shock for a few seconds, and then they were all so happy.”

Bernadin said he, too, was very happy to get the money. He hasn't yet decided what to do with his $500, although it could go toward paying down his student loans. He plans to donate the other $500 to the theater company and gospel choir he was involved in at the university.

He said he liked the idea of being compelled to donate.

“I feel like a lot of people, especially in my generation, are very, like, ‘I need to take this, I need to take that.'”

He said that attitude was somewhat justified given the difficulty in getting established in today's world, but it was also important to remember those who had helped along the way and to give back.

Hale told students his path to success had been rocky, after his previous company Network Plus filed for bankruptcy in 2002, during the dotcom crash.

Have you ever met someone who lost a billion dollars before? Hale said, as he joked about giving the students career advice. “I may be the biggest loser you ever met, and you have to sit in the rain and listen to me.”

In an interview Monday with The Associated Press, Hale said part of the message he wanted to get across was that it was okay to take chances in life and fail.

He said he and his wife had started the tradition of cash giveaways in the thick of the pandemic when students had little to celebrate.

The most impactful part of it was hearing the heartfelt messages from those who had benefited from the students' gifts, he said, from struggling local organizations to families that could suddenly afford Christmas gifts.

Graduating students that didn't attend the ceremony missed out on the money. Hale said he hears from some afterward every year, with a variety of reasons for their absences.

“We say to them, one of the messages is, you've got to show up,” Hale said.

He said local elementary schools personalize the two envelopes given to each of the students. One says “Gift” and one says “Give” and each contains $500. He acknowledged there was no way to ensure the students give away half the money.

“But I believe that the vast majority do the right thing and then are joyful because of it,” he said.

Hale is — unsurprisingly — in hot demand as a commencement speaker, and he said he plans to give away more cash next year. But which commencement he will attend will again remain a surprise.

- ◆ -

注：完整题目见本文开头；中文文本为机器翻译并非一一对应，仅供参考

含注释全文：

Billionaire gives UMass graduates $1,000 each—but they have to give half of it away

From: Fortune

The clouds weren't alone in making it rain on thecommencementceremony at the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth last week. On stage, billionairephilanthropistRob Hale surprised the graduating class of more than 1,000 by pointing to a nearby truck holding envelopesstuffedwith cash.

上周，马萨诸塞大学达特茅斯分校（University of Massachusetts Dartmouth）的毕业典礼上，不只是天空在“下雨”，亿万富翁、慈善家小罗伯特·黑尔也在台上制造了一场“现金雨”。他指着旁边一辆装满现金信封的卡车，给1000多名毕业生带来了意外的惊喜。

commencement

commencement /kəˈmens.mənt/ 1）表示“学位授予典礼；毕业典礼”，英文解释为“a ceremony at which students formally receive their degrees”

2）表示“开始；开端”，英文解释为“the beginning of something”举个🌰：Would passengers please turn off their mobile phones before the commencement of the flight. 请乘客们在飞机起飞前关闭手机。

philanthropist

philanthropist /fɪˈlænθrəpɪst/ 表示“慈善家”，英文解释为“A philanthropist is someone who freely gives money and help to people who need it.”

stuff

stuff /stʌf/ 作动词，表示“装满，填满，塞满”，英文解释为“to completely fill a container with something”举个🌰：Under her bed, they found a bag stuffed with money. 他们在她床下找到了一个装满钞票的袋子。

Huddlingunderponchosand umbrellas at thesoggyceremony, the graduatesyelledand cheered, their mouthsagape, as Hale announced he wasshoweringmoney upon them. Security guards thenluggedthe cash-filledduffel bagsonto the stage.

在湿漉漉的毕业典礼上，毕业生们穿着雨披、打着伞。当黑尔宣布要给毕业生分发现金时，他们大声欢呼，非常惊讶。随后，保安将装满现金的行李袋搬到了舞台上。

huddle

huddle /ˈhʌd.əl/ 表示“（尤指因寒冷或恐惧而）挤成一团，聚集在一起；蜷缩，缩成一团”，英文解释为“to come close together in a group, or to hold your arms and legs close to your body, especially because of cold or fear”举个🌰：Everyone huddled round the fire to keep warm. 所有人都挤在炉火旁取暖。

poncho

poncho /ˈpɒn.tʃəʊ/ 表示“（大块布料正中开领口的）斗篷”，英文解释为“a piece of clothing made of a single piece of material, with a hole in the middle through which you put your head”

soggy

soggy /ˈsɒɡ.i/ 表示“湿透的;（尤指食物）湿软的”，英文解释为“(of things that can absorb water, especially food) unpleasantly wet and soft”如：soggy ground 湿透的地面。

yell

yell /jel/ 表示“（通常指生气、疼痛或激动时）叫喊，吼叫（着说）”，英文解释为“to shout something or make a loud noise, usually when you are angry, in pain, or excited”举个🌰：Our neighbours were yelling (obscenities) at each other this morning. 今天早晨我们的邻居在互相破口大骂。

agape

agape /əˈɡeɪp/ 表示“（尤指表示惊奇或震惊而）大张着嘴的”，英文解释为“with the mouth open, especially showing surprise or shock”举个🌰：We watched, our mouths agape in excitement. 我们看着，兴奋得张大了嘴。

shower

shower /ʃaʊər/ 作动词，1）表示“（某物）如阵雨般落下”，英文解释为“to fall down or come out in a shower, or to make something do this”举个🌰：I heard a massive explosion, and seconds later fragments of glass were showering (= falling) down on us. 我听到了巨大的爆炸声，几秒钟后，玻璃碎片纷纷散落在我们身上。

2）shower sb with sth /showersth on sb表示“大量地给；大量给予（某人）（礼物或赞美）”，英文解释为“to give sb a lot of sth”举个🌰：He showered her with gifts.他送给她许多礼物。

lug

lug /lʌɡ/ 表示“（费力地）拖，拉，拽”，英文解释为“to carry or pull something with effort or difficulty because it is heavy”举个🌰：I'm exhausted after lugging these suitcases all the way across the city. 拖着这些箱子穿过整个城市可把我给累坏了。

duffel bag

duffel bag /ˈdʌf.əl ˌbæɡ/ 英式，表示“圆筒包，收口提袋”，英文解释为“a tube-shaped cloth bag with a circular bottom and a thick string at the top that is used to close it and carry it”，美式，表示“圆筒形旅行包”，英文解释为“a long bag used for carrying clothes, etc. when you are travelling”

Hale told the students each would get $1,000. But there was a condition: They were to keep $500 and give the rest away.

黑尔告诉学生们，每人将得到1,000美元。但有一个条件：他们只能保留500美元，另外500美元应捐出去。

Hale said the greatest joy he and his wife Karen had experienced in their lives had come from the act of giving.

黑尔说，他和妻子卡伦（Karen）一生中最大的快乐源于施予他人。

“We want to give you two gifts. The first is our gift to you,” Hale told the students. “The second is the gift of giving. These trying times haveheightenedthe need for sharing, caring and giving. Our community needs you, and yourgenerosity, more than ever.”

“我们想给你们两件礼物。第一件是我们送给你们的礼物，”黑尔告诉学生们。“第二件礼物是给予的礼物。在这些艰难的时刻，我们更需要分享、关爱和给予。我们的社区比以往任何时候都更需要你们以及你们的慷慨。”

heighten

heighten /ˈhaɪ.tən/ 表示“（使）（尤指某种情绪或效果）增强，加强”，英文解释为“to increase or make something increase, especially an emotion or effect”举个🌰：Their presence only heightened the tension among the crowd. 他们的出现只能使人群更加紧张。

generosity

generosity /ˌdʒen.əˈrɒs.ə.ti/ 表示“慷慨，大方”，英文解释为“the quality or condition of being generous”举个🌰：Her friends take advantage of (= benefit unfairly from) her generosity. 她的那些朋友利用她的慷慨占她的便宜。

The founder and chief executive of Granite Telecommunications, Hale is estimated by Forbes to have a net worth of $5.4 billion. He owns a minoritystakein the Boston Celtics.

黑尔是Granite Telecommunications公司的创始人和首席执行官，据《福布斯》（Forbes）估计，他的净资产达54亿美元。他拥有波士顿凯尔特人队的少数股份。

stake

stake /steɪk/ 表示“股本，股份”，英文解释为“a share or a financial involvement in something such as a business”举个🌰：He holds (= owns) a 55 percent stake in/of the company. 他拥有公司55%的股份。

补充：

📍have a stake in sth表示“对…有强烈的兴趣；与…有利害关系”，英文解释为“If you have a stake in something, it is important to you because you have a personal interest or involvement in it.”举个🌰：Employers have a stake in the training of their staff. 雇主很重视员工培训。

📍at stake 表示“有风险；处于危急关头”，英文解释为“If something that is valuable is at stake, it is in a situation where it might be lost.”举个🌰：Thousands of lives will be at stake if emergency aid does not arrive in the city soon. 如果紧急救援物资不能很快运到城中，数千人的生命就会有危险。

It's the fourth year in a row that he has given a similar gift to a group of graduating students. Last year it was to students at UMass Boston, and before that it was to students at Roxbury Community College and Quincy College.

这是他连续第四年向毕业生们赠送类似的礼物。去年是送给马萨诸塞大学波士顿分校（UMass）的学生，之前是送给洛克斯布里社区学院（Roxbury Community College）和昆西学院（Quincy College）的学生。

But the students at UMass Dartmouth had no idea in advance Hale would be speaking — let alone giving away money.

不过马萨诸塞大学达特茅斯分校的学生事先并不知道黑尔会发表演讲，更不用说送钱了。

“I was very surprised,” said Joshua Bernadin, who graduated with a chemistry degree. “Everybody around me was in shock for a few seconds, and then they were all so happy.”

“我很惊讶，”化学专业毕业约书亚·伯纳丁（Joshua Bernadin）说。“我周围的每个人都愣了几秒钟，然后都非常高兴。”

Bernadin said he, too, was very happy to get the money. He hasn't yet decided what to do with his $500, although it could go towardpaying downhis student loans. He plans to donate the other $500 to the theater company andgospel choirhe was involved in at the university.

伯纳丁说，他也非常高兴能拿到这笔钱。尽管这笔钱可以用来偿还助学贷款，他还没有决定如何处理这500美元。他计划将另外500美元捐给他在大学时参与的剧团和福音合唱团。

pay down sth

pay down something 表示“偿还部分债务”，英文解释为“to pay part of an amount that you owe, so that the debt is reduced”举个🌰：She plans to live at home with her mother while she pays down her student loan. 她计划在偿还学生贷款期间在家里和母亲一起住。

gospel

gospel /ˈɡɒs.pəl/ 1）表示“（个人的）信条，信念”，英文解释为“a set of principles or ideas that someone believes in”如：the gospel of hard work 勤奋工作的信条。

2）gospel = gospel music 表示“（起源于美国黑人中的）福音音乐”，英文解释为“a style of religious music originally performed by black Americans”

3）the gospel 表示“福音（指耶稣的教诲）”，英文解释为“the teachings of Jesus Christ”如：to preach/spread the gospel 宣讲/传布福音。

choir

choir /kwaɪər/ 表示“合唱队；（尤指教堂的）唱诗班”，英文解释为“a group of people who sing together”举个🌰：He sings in the church choir. 他在教堂唱诗班唱歌。

He said he liked the idea of beingcompelledto donate.

他说，他喜欢必须要捐赠这个主意。

compel

compel /kəmˈpel/ 表示“强迫；迫使；使必须”，英文解释为“to force sb to do sth; to make sth necessary”举个🌰：The law can compel fathers to make regular payments for their children. 这项法律可强制父亲定期支付子女的费用。

🎬电影《无语问苍天》（Awakenings）中的台词提到：Nothing to compel her to keep going. 没有任何事物强迫她继续前行。

🎬电影《神奇女侠》（Wonder Woman）中的台词提到：I compel you to tell me the truth. 我命令你说出真相。

“I feel like a lot of people, especially in my generation, are very, like, ‘I need to take this, I need to take that.'”

“我觉得很多人，尤其是我们这一代人，总是‘我要这个，我要那个’。”

He said that attitude was somewhatjustifiedgiven the difficulty in gettingestablishedin today's world, but it was also important to remember those who had helped along the way and to give back.

他说，鉴于在当今世界难以站稳脚跟，这种想法在某种程度上是合理的，但同样重要的是，要记住那些一路帮助过自己的人，并给予回馈。

justify

justify /ˈdʒʌs.tɪ.faɪ/ 表示“为…辩护；证明…正当（或有理、正确）；是…的正当理由”，英文解释为“to give or to be a good reason for”举个🌰：I can't really justify taking another day off work. 我真的找不出理由再多休一天假了。

📍词根“just-”表示“公正”，“-ify”表示“使成为”。近义词：defend（辩护），同根词：justice（正义），常用短语：justify oneself（为自己辩护）

Hale told students his path to success had beenrocky, after his previous company Network Plus filed for bankruptcy in 2002, during thedotcomcrash.

黑尔告诉学生们，他的成功之路并不平坦。2002年互联网泡沫破灭时，他的前一家公司Network Plus破产了。

rocky

rocky /ˈrɒk.i/ 原意表示“岩石的；多岩石的”（made of rock; full of rocks），也有“不稳定的；不牢靠的；动摇不定的；难以维持的”的意思，英文解释为“uncertain and difficult and not likely to last long”举个🌰：Their relationship got off to a rocky start. 他们的关系一开始就不稳定。

📍rocky road 表示“障碍重重的道路；重重困难”，英文解释为“If you are on a rocky road, you are experiencing a difficult period and have a lot of problems.”举个🌰：Analysts predict a rocky road ahead for the economy. 分析家们预言经济会面临重重困难。

dotcom

dotcom /ˌdɒtˈkɒm/ 表示“网络公司”，英文解释为“a company that does most of its business on the internet”

📍互联网泡沫（又称科网泡沫、dot-com泡沫或dot泡沫）指自1995年至2001年间的投机泡沫，在欧美及亚洲多个国家的股票市场中，与科技及新兴的互联网相关企业股价高速上升的事件。

Have you ever met someone who lost a billion dollars before? Hale said, as he joked about giving the students career advice. “I may be the biggest loser you ever met, and you have to sit in the rain and listen to me.”

你们见过亏损10亿美元的人吗？黑尔一边说，一边开玩笑地给学生们提供职业建议。“我可能是你们见过的最大输家，而你们必须坐在雨中听我说”。

In an interview Monday with The Associated Press, Hale said part of the message he wanted to get across was that it was okay to take chances in life and fail.

在周一接受美联社（The Associated Press）采访时，黑尔说，他希望传达的信息之一是，在生活中冒险和失败都没有关系。

He said he and his wife had started the tradition of cash giveawaysin the thick ofthe pandemic when students had little to celebrate.

他说，他和妻子在疫情最严重的时候开启了捐赠现金的惯例，当时学生们几乎没有什么值得庆祝的事情。

in the thick of sth

表示“在…的最激烈时，在…的最危险时刻”，英文解释为“in the most active or dangerous part of a particular situation or activity ”举个🌰：He was always right there, in the thick of it when the fighting started. 当战斗打响时，他总是在最危险的地方。

The most impactful part of it was hearing the heartfelt messages from those who had benefited from the students' gifts, he said, from struggling local organizations to families that could suddenly afford Christmas gifts.

他说，最具冲击力的部分是听到那些从学生礼物中受益的人们发自内心的感言，其中有陷入困境的当地组织，也有终于买得起圣诞礼物的家庭。

Graduating students that didn't attend the ceremony missed out on the money. Hale said he hears from some afterward every year, with a variety of reasons for their absences.

没有参加毕业典礼的毕业生将错过这份现金礼物。黑尔说，他每年都会收到一些学生的来信，因为各种原因而缺席。

“We say to them, one of the messages is, you've got to show up,” Hale said.

黑尔说：“我们对他们说，其中一个点就是，你一定要到场才行。”

He said local elementary schoolspersonalizethe two envelopes given to each of the students. One says “Gift” and one says “Give” and each contains $500. He acknowledged there was no way to ensure the students give away half the money.

他说，每位毕业生的两个信封都是由当地小学进行个性化定制的。一个写着“礼物”，一个写着“给予”，每个信封里都有500美元。他承认，没有办法确保学生们捐出一半的钱。

personalize

personalize /ˈpɜː.sən.əl.aɪz/ 1）表示“（对某物作改动或标上…）使成为个人专有，使具个人特色”，英文解释为“If you personalize an object, you change it or add to it so that it is obvious that it belongs to or comes from you.”举个🌰：The computer allows you to personalize standard letters by adding a greeting to each one. 电脑允许个人在标准信笺上添加问候语使其更加个人化。

2）表示“使…符合（某人的）特定需求，使个性化”，英文解释为“to make something suitable for the needs of a particular person”举个🌰：She hired a trainer to create a personalized exercise schedule to get her into shape. 她请了一名教练来为她量身定制一个塑身计划。

“But I believe that the vast majority do the right thing and then are joyful because of it,” he said.

“但我相信绝大多数人会做正确的事情，并因此感到快乐，”他说。

Hale is — unsurprisingly — in hot demand as a commencement speaker, and he said he plans to give away more cash next year. But which commencement he will attend will again remain a surprise.

毫无疑问，作为毕业典礼演讲嘉宾，黑尔很受欢迎，他说他计划明年捐出更多的现金。但他将出席哪个学校的毕业典礼仍将是个惊喜。

- 词汇盘点 -

commencement、 philanthropist、 stuff、 huddle、 poncho、 soggy、 yell、 agape、 shower、 lug、 duffel bag、 heighten、 generosity、 stake、 pay down sth、 gospel、 choir、 compel、 justify、 rocky、 dotcom、 in the thick of sth、 personalize

- 词汇助记 By ChatGPT -

At the commencement, a philanthropist in a poncho lugged a soggy duffel bag. The choir's gospel heightened the generosity, compelling all to huddle and yell, mouths agape. In the thick of the dotcom boom, he aimed to justify paying down stakes.

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