懷堅忍不拔之志，走與眾不同之路

I was going to speak today about the necessity for an open-mind as you approach new opportunities， a new environment and new 1）paradigm， the need to have 2）stamina in times of difficulty and to not be afraid to take the road less travelled. But I believe most of you know this or you wouldn’t be here today in the first place.

So I’m just going to give you a piece of 3）avuncular advice， tell my story and be boring：

Close to thirty years ago， I was where you are today and only a few years before that， it would have seemed impossible to me that I would ever sit where you are today. You have earned this seat， through intelligence， diligence and discipline， my deepest congratulations to all of you. For all the cynicism in the world today， especially given how people perceive the practice of law， I encourage all of you to preserve your optimism， idealism and passion for what you do.

You have proven that you have a lot to offer this world， now you need to prove you can make a difference， whether that be in the courtroom， classroom， NGO or office. Lead by example because ANYTHING IS POSSIBLE！ I want to share with you some of my experience in the hopes that it encourages you to not accept barriers at any cost.

As a teenager， I was sent to a railroad construction site deep in the mountains in Western China. Food was rationed and the workload was heavy. However， what made it more unbearable was the lack of knowledge and information. I devoured every piece of paper that had any words on it， like a hungry man. Together with a few co-workers we started a study group called “The Communist Laborer’s Night School”， with the few old text books we brought with us， and a radio we used to learn English from VOA and BBC， at the risk of imprisonment for listening to “enemy stations”.

After 3 years of hard labor and a head injury， I was given a job in an 4）artillery factory making machine guns. I biked about 10 miles twice a week to learn English taught at the Radio Engineering School of a university in Xi’an. Most of the 200 people quit the class during the one-year study， and I was one of the dozen remaining， together with the chief engineer of my factory， who later put in a strong recommendation for me to go to college in Beijing， without having ever been to high school.

After graduating from both college and law school in Beijing， I was sent as an exchange scholar to work at a law firm in California. Boy I remember the cultural shock I had when I first arrived in San Francisco in 1982！ There I realized that my knowledge of law was utterly inadequate to deal with international 5）transactions， which I was supposed to teach back in Beijing. I decided to go through the hardship of studying for a 6）JD degree in the U.S. That started my honeydecades with Duke law， which gave me a full scholarship and a fuller education in American law.

I was once asked by a hard-struggling law student from China why I seemed so happy and content with my studies then， living mostly in the law library. I answered， if you have experienced the deprivation of knowledge for so long as I have， you would， too， view this place as the heaven of learning. I said that despite the many occasions when a few professors would vote against granting the scholarship to a “red Chinese”， or some fellow students spoke right in my face that they were“7）abhorred” by the Chinese communist system. When I was later asked of a similar question as a junior associate in the sweat shop of a Wall Street law firm， I happily told the fellow associate that Vladimir Lenin taught me to learn your skills so to dig the grave for capitalism.

The ensuing 1987 financial crisis 8）jolted me to an opposite direction， though. I was so fascinated by the 9）intricacies of the capitalistic financing machines that I decided to study it carefully and try to transplant it to my own home country. I went back to China in the summer of 1988， after visiting most of the stock exchanges in Europe and some in Asia， in a seemingly foolhardy effort to persuade the Chinese government to establish a capital market.

Among all the people who were 10）skeptical of our idea， was an American 11）consul in Beijing. After suspiciously questioning my intention to have gone back to China and hearing my explanation about my ambition to start the stock market there， he said， this is all BS， and tore up my application forms. This is in early 1990， when I applied to come to teach a short course at Duke law. By the end of that year， we had helped the opening of two stock exchanges， the 12）SHSE and the SZSE， which have a combined market cap of several trillion dollars today. Two years after， the unintended consequences started to show and the central government finally adopted our proposal of setting up the 13）regulatory agency and persuaded me to join it.

Being a regulator is like being a matchmaker， when the marriage is successful， the couple would think it’s their own good fortune， will be busy enjoying themselves and very seldom grateful to you. But if anything goes wrong， then both sides blame you for it. I got just that sort of treatment， blamed all the time， for good or bad reasons. I was yanked out of the agency to run the newly established Social Security Fund in 2003， and then， 4 and half years later， the 14）Sovereign Wealth Fund. After almost 7 years serving as an investor， I’m finally relieved of my duty and allowed to retire to do what I love the most， i.e.， working with young people every day， teaching and， more importantly， learning.

Why do I want to tell you the boring story of a personal life？ Because I can’t help offering you my advice， having made so many mistakes and suffered so many 15）detours. Here are the few things I learned in life in the vain hope that you would avoid them.

1. Different views， different people， different culture and different ideology may not necessarily be a bad thing. They just teach you to be more tolerant and open minded. Vive la difference， as the French would say.

2. Taking hardship is not necessarily a bad thing， it may pay in the long run. Of course in the long run we will all be dead， as 16）Maynard Keynes said. And that’s why we need the next suggestion.

3. Taking the road less travelled is not necessarily a bad thing， it just makes your life much more interesting. Let’s try to live an interesting and significant life.

4. Setting high material demands in this world today is not necessarily a good thing， as it may keep you from realizing your ideals or keeping your vision.

I want to leave you today with the words of the great American poet， Max Ehrmann because he said it infinitely better than I can. Hope you guys can remember this as you go forth.

Go 17）placidly amid the noise and the haste，

and remember what peace there may be in silence.

As far as possible without surrender

be on good terms with all persons.

Speak your truth quietly and clearly，

and listen to others，

even the dull and the ignorant；

they too have their story.

Avoid loud and aggressive persons；

they are 18）vexations to the spirit.

If you compare yourself with others，

you may become vain or bitter；

for always there will be greater and lesser persons than yourself.

Enjoy your achievements as well as your plans.

Keep interested in your own career， however humble； it is a real possession

in the changing fortunes of time.

Exercise caution in your business affairs；

for the world is full of 19）trickery.

But let this not blind you to what virtue there is； many persons strive for high ideals；

and everywhere life is full of heroism.

Be yourself. Especially do not feign affection.

Neither be cynical about love；

for in the face of all 20）aridity and disenchantment it is as 21）perennial as the grass.

Take kindly the counsel of the years，

gracefully surrendering the things of youth.

Nurture strength of spirit to shield you in sudden misfortune. But do not distress yourself with dark imaginings.

Many fears are born of fatigue and loneliness.

Beyond a wholesome discipline，

be gentle with yourself.

You are a child of the universe，

no less than the trees and the stars；

you have a right to be here.

And whether or not it is clear to you，

no doubt the universe is unfolding as it should.

22）Therefore be at peace with universe，

and whatever your labors and aspirations，

in the noisy confusion of life keep peace with your soul. With all its sham， drudgery， and broken dreams，

it is still a beautiful world.

Be cheerful.

Strive to be happy.

今天，我原本打算談一下當(dāng)你們面對新機(jī)會、新環(huán)境以及新模式時保持開放心態(tài)的必要性，以及遇到困難時需有堅忍不拔之志，無所畏懼，走與別人不一樣的路。可是，我相信你們大部分人都懂得這個道理，否則你們都不會走到今天。

所以我只想從一個長者的角度給你們一點建議，講講我的故事，或許會沉悶無趣。

大約30年前，我就身處你們現(xiàn)時的位置；如果再倒回幾年的話，成為你們其中的一員，對我來說就像是不可能的事。你們通過自己的才智、勤奮和自律贏得了畢業(yè)典禮上的席位，我向你們致以最衷心的祝賀。面對現(xiàn)今橫行于世的犬儒主義，尤其是人們對整個法律行業(yè)的負(fù)面看法，我鼓勵你們?yōu)樽约哼x擇的事業(yè)保持樂觀、理想和激情。

各位已經(jīng)證明了你們有能力為這個世界多作貢獻(xiàn)，但是現(xiàn)在你們需要去證明你們可以改變世界。這些變化可以發(fā)生在法庭上、教室里，也可以發(fā)生在非政府組織或是政府部門之中。你們要以身作則，因為“一切皆有可能”！我想和你們分享一些我的經(jīng)歷，希望以此鼓勵你們面對艱難險阻決不退縮，勇往直前。

十多歲時，我被送到中國西部的深山里修鐵路。當(dāng)時食物實行配給制，而且工作強(qiáng)度很大。但是，更加讓人難以忍受的是知識與信息的缺乏。我貪婪地閱讀每一張寫有字的紙，如饑似渴。我還和幾位工友一起成立了一個稱為“共產(chǎn)主義勞動夜?！钡膶W(xué)習(xí)小組。我們用的是一些自己帶來的舊課本，還有一臺收音機(jī)，冒著或因收聽“敵國電臺”而被判刑的風(fēng)險，從“美國之音”和BBC學(xué)習(xí)英語。

經(jīng)過三年繁重的勞動和一次腦部受傷，我被分配到一家兵工廠制造機(jī)關(guān)槍。我每周兩次騎自行車，騎上大約十英里路去西安一所大學(xué)的無線電工程系學(xué)習(xí)英語。在這一年的學(xué)習(xí)中，兩百名學(xué)員中的大部分人都沒有堅持下來。而我是那留下來的十多個人中的一個，一同留下來的還有我工廠里的總工程師。他后來在我甚至連高中都沒上過的情況下強(qiáng)烈推薦我去北京讀大學(xué)。

在北京讀完本科和法學(xué)研究生后，我獲得作為交換學(xué)者派去加州一家律師事務(wù)所工作的機(jī)會。天啊，我仍然記得當(dāng)我在1982年第一次踏足舊金山時所感受到的文化沖擊。在那里，我意識到，要處理國際貿(mào)易案件，我的法律知識實在不夠用，而國際貿(mào)易法正是我準(zhǔn)備回北京之后給學(xué)生開的課。我決定排除萬難在美國讀一個法學(xué)博士學(xué)位。杜克大學(xué)法學(xué)院為我提供了全額獎學(xué)金，并且讓我更系統(tǒng)地學(xué)習(xí)美國法律，從此開啟了我與杜克法學(xué)院長達(dá)數(shù)十年的甜蜜之旅。

曾經(jīng)有一個深受法學(xué)院學(xué)習(xí)壓力折磨而痛苦不堪的中國學(xué)生問過我這樣一個問題：“你那時幾乎就是以法律圖書館為家了，為什么看上去還那么開心和滿足？”我回答說，如果你像我那樣，經(jīng)歷過知識匱乏的長久歲月，你也會把這地方看作是求知的天堂。我說，盡管很多次有幾位教授反對將獎學(xué)金授予一個“來自紅色中國的學(xué)生”，又或是有幾位學(xué)生曾當(dāng)面對我說他們憎恨中國的共產(chǎn)主義制度。后來當(dāng)我在華爾街一個律師事務(wù)所里當(dāng)初級律師的時候，也被問到類似的問題，我很開心地對那位同事說，列寧教導(dǎo)我要學(xué)習(xí)你們西方的先進(jìn)知識，以便日后為資本主義挖墳?zāi)埂?/p>

然而，隨后1987年的金融危機(jī)卻將我拉向了另外一個方向。我對這精妙的資本主義融資機(jī)器產(chǎn)生了巨大的興趣，所以我決定對其認(rèn)真研究，并且嘗試將其移植到我自己的祖國。在調(diào)研過歐洲大部分以及亞洲小部分證券交易所后，我于1988年夏天回到中國，以近乎愚公移山的努力說服中國政府建立中國的資本市場。

在所有質(zhì)疑我們這個想法的人中，有一位是駐北京的美國領(lǐng)事。在滿腹狐疑地質(zhì)問我回國的動機(jī)，并且聽完我想要在那里建立股票市場的想法后，他說，這完全是扯淡，并且撕碎了我美國簽證的申請表。記得那是1990年初，我當(dāng)時去申請美國簽證回杜克法學(xué)院教一個短期課程。當(dāng)年年底，在我們的協(xié)助下，兩個證券交易所掛牌營業(yè)：上海證交所和深圳證交所。今天，這兩家證券交易所交易的股票總市值達(dá)到幾萬億美金。隨后的兩年，意想不到的后果開始呈現(xiàn)，中央政府最終接受了我們成立證券市場監(jiān)管機(jī)構(gòu)的提議，并且勸說我加入其中。

監(jiān)管者的角色就好比是媒人，如果婚事成功，男女雙方會認(rèn)為這是他們自己的好運氣，然后沉溺于愛河之中而無暇來感謝你。但一旦出現(xiàn)問題，雙方都會指責(zé)你的不是。我就受到了那樣的待遇：不管是什么樣的原因，總是被罵。2003年，我被調(diào)離證監(jiān)會，成為新成立的全國社會保障基金的負(fù)責(zé)人，四年半之后，又被調(diào)到主權(quán)財富基金。在近七年的投資生涯之后，我總算可以卸下身上重任，并且獲準(zhǔn)退休去干我最想干的事情——那就是每天和年輕人在一起，教書，更重要的是，學(xué)習(xí)。

為什么我想向你們講述我自己那無趣的人生經(jīng)歷？因為我犯過很多錯誤，走過無數(shù)彎路，所以忍不住要向你們提供一些我的建議。以下就是我的一點人生體會，希望你們能夠避免我所走過的彎路。

1. 不同的觀點、不同的人、不同的文化以及不同的意識形態(tài)或許并不一定是一件壞事。這一切只是在教你更加寬容，心態(tài)更加開放。就像法國人說的那樣：差別萬歲。

2. 吃苦不一定是件壞事，總有一天你會獲得回報。當(dāng)然凱恩斯也說過：總有一天，我們都會死。但這就是我們需要下一個建議的原因。

3. 走與別人不一樣的路不一定是件壞事，這只不過是讓你的人生更加精彩。讓我們嘗試去過一種精彩并且有意義的生活。

4. 在當(dāng)今社會，對物質(zhì)生活高度追求不一定件好事，因為這可能會令你遠(yuǎn)離夢想，視野狹隘。

最后，我想將偉大的美國詩人馬克思·埃哈曼的詩篇贈與你們，因為他講得比我好多了。希望你們在前行的路上，能夠記住這首詩。

在嘈雜與匆忙中從容前行，

記住安寧或許也存在于靜寂之中。

盡量不失自我地

與所有人和睦相處。

輕柔而清晰地表達(dá)你的真情實意，

傾聽他人，

即使是愚者和白丁；

他們也有自己的故事。

遠(yuǎn)離夸夸其談、專橫挑釁者；

他們令人傷透腦筋。

假若和他人攀比，

你難免會自負(fù)或自嫌；

因為總有人比你強(qiáng)或者弱。

享受自己的成就與規(guī)劃吧。

潛心于自己的事業(yè)，無論多么卑微；世事無常，命運多舛，

那是你真正能擁有的財富。

謹(jǐn)慎行事，

因世上滿是陷阱和詭計。

但不要因此而蒙蔽了心智，看不到美德；許多人都在為崇高理想而奮斗，

英雄行為處處可見。

做你自己。尤其不要虛情假意。更不要對愛玩世不恭；

即使樂枯夢萎

愛也如芳草般終年長繼。

汲取歲月的精華，

優(yōu)雅地面對青春的流逝。

積聚精神力量以應(yīng)突如其來的憂患，不要以灰暗的臆想而自擾。

許多恐懼源自于疲累與孤獨。

在不失原則的情況下，

善待自己。

你是宇宙的孩子，

與樹木群星無異；

你有生存于世的權(quán)利。

無論你是否明了，

宇宙會以自有的規(guī)律演變無疑。

因此，請與宇宙和平相處，

無論你付出了多少辛勞與壯志，

在喧嘩混沌的生活中保持心靈的安謐。世界雖有種種偽善、苦役與殘破的夢，但這仍然是個美好的世界。

要保持開朗樂觀。

為幸福而努力。