Requiring scholars and commencement speakers, for that matter
因此 要求学者和毕业典礼发言者
to conform to certain political standards
遵循特定政治标准
undermines the whole purpose of a university
会侵蚀整个大学的存在意义
This spring
今年春
it has been disturbing to see a number of college commencement speakers withdraw
很让人不安的是 很多大学毕业典礼演讲者都被撤销了
or have their invitations rescinded
甚至连邀请函都被撤回了
after protests from students and to me, shockingly
仅仅因为学生 甚至资深教职团队和管理者的反对
from senior faculty and administrators who should know better
我很吃惊 学生姑且不论 其他人显然应当更明事理一些
It happened at Brandeis, Haverford, Rutgers, and Smith
这发生在布兰代斯 哈弗福德 罗格斯 史密斯等院校
Last year, it happened at Swarthmore and Johns Hopkins, I'm sorry to say
去年还发生在斯沃斯莫尔和约翰霍普金斯 我很遗憾
In each of these cases
这些例子中
liberals silenced a voice and they denied an honorary degree
自由派都希望让不喜欢的声音无法发出
to individuals they deemed politically objectionable
政治上不被其认同的人会被拒绝授予荣誉学位
This is an outrage and we must not let it continue
这太让人愤怒了 我们不应当让它继续发生
If a university
如果一所大学
thinks twice before inviting a commencement speaker
在邀请一位毕业典礼演讲嘉宾时
because of his or her politics
还要因为政治立场再三斟酌
censorship and conformity the mortal enemies of freedom win out
审查和一致这些自由的死敌就会胜出
And sadly, it is not just commencement season when speakers are censored
很悲哀的是 并不只有毕业季的演讲嘉宾会被审查
Last fall, when I was still in City Hall
去年秋 我还在担任市长的时候
our Police Commissioner was invited
市警察局长受邀
to deliver a lecture at another Ivy League institution
到另一所常春藤盟校进行演讲
but he was unable to do so because students shouted him down
结果他的演讲却因学生大声抗议而无法进行
Isn't the purpose of a university to stir discussion, not silence it?
比起让讨论沉默 大学的意义不应当是激起讨论吗
What were the students afraid of hearing?
学生到底害怕听到什么
Why did administrators not step in to prevent the mob from silencing speech?
为什么管理者不采取措施 避免暴民干扰演讲
And did anyone consider that it is morally and pedagogically wrong
难道其他想听演讲的学生
to deprive other students the chance to hear the speech?
机会就应当被这样剥夺吗
