Larry Smithr在TED演講：為什么你干不成一番大事業

• 2026考研英語全程班 6班
• 26考研全科上岸規劃營「擇校▪規劃▪備考」
• 2026考研專業課復習資料「真題▪筆記▪講義▪題庫」

I want to discuss with you this afternoon why you're going to fail to have a great career. (Laughter)

今天下午我想和你們討論一下 你為什么不會成就偉業。(笑聲)

I'm an economist. I do dismal. End of the day, it's ready for dismal remarks. I only want to talk to those of you who want a great career. I know some of you have already decided you want a good career. You're going to fail, too — (Laughter) — because — Goodness, you're all cheery about failing. (Laughter) Canadian group, undoubtedly. (Laughter) Those trying to have good careers are going to fail, because, really, good jobs are now disappearing. There are great jobs and great careers, and then there are the high-workload, high-stress, bloodsucking, soul-destroying kinds of jobs, and practically nothing in between.

我是個經濟學家。我讓人心情低落。 一天過完了，準備好聽聽讓人心情低落的評論。 我只想和你們想要成就偉業的那些人談。 我知道你們有些人已經決定了 你們想要一個成功的事業。 你們也會失敗的-(笑聲)- 因為-天吶，你們聽到失敗都這么高興。(笑聲) 無疑是加拿大人。(笑聲) 想事業有成的人會失敗， 因為，真的，現在好工作都在消失。 有好工作，和好事業， 也有工作量大，壓力大， 吸食血液，侵蝕靈魂的那種工作， 而且幾乎沒有工作能好點的。

So the people looking for good jobs are going to fail. I'm going to talk about those looking for great jobs, great careers, and why you're going to, why you're going to fail. First reason is that no matter how many times people tell you, "If you want a great career, you have to pursue your passion, you have to pursue your dreams, you have to pursue, the greatest fascination in your life," you hear it again and again and then you decide not to do it. It doesn't matter how many times you download Steven J.'s Stanford commencement address, you still look at it and decide not to do it.

所以想找好工作的人會失敗。 我談談那些尋找偉業的人， 你們為什么要尋找，為什么會失敗。 第一個原因是不管多少次別人告訴你， “如果你想成就偉業，你就必須追隨你的熱忱， 你必須追隨你的夢想，你必須追隨 你人生中最大的吸引，“ 你聽過這句話一遍又一遍，然后你決定 不去這樣做。不管你下載多少次 Steven J在斯坦福大學的開學演講， 你還是看看然后決定不去做。

I'm not quite sure why you decide not to do it. You're too lazy to do it. It's too hard. You're afraid if you look for your passion and don't find it, you'll feel like you're an idiot, so then you make excuses about why you're not going to look for your passion. And they are excuses, ladies and gentlemen. We're going to go through a whole long list, your creativity, and thinking of excuses not to do what you really need to do if you want to have a great career.

我不太確定你為什么決定不去做。 你太懶了。這事太難。 你害怕如果你去尋找夢想然后找不到， 你會覺得你像個白癡，所以你給自己找借口， 為什么你不去追尋你的夢想。 這些都是借口，女士們先生們。 我們要列一個長單子，你的創造力， 想想你不去做成就偉業該做的事情 的借口。

So, for example, one of your great excuses is, "Well, great careers are really and truly, for most people, just a matter of luck, so I'm going to stand around, I'm going to try to be lucky, and if I'm lucky, I'll have a great career. If not, I'll have a good career." But a good career is an impossibility, so that's not going to work.

所以，舉例來說，你眾多借口之一是， “嗯，偉業實際上對于大多數人來說 只是運氣問題，所以我就在這待著， 我就試試做那個幸運的人，然后如果我真幸運的話， 我就能成就偉業。如果不能，我就找個還不錯的事業。” 但是沒有還不錯的事業，所以這個行不通。

Then, your other excuse is, "Yes, there are special people who pursue their passions, but they are geniuses. They are Steven J. I'm not a genius. When I was five, I thought I was a genius, but my professors have beaten that idea out of my head long since." (Laughter) Mm? "And now I know I am completely competent." Now, you see, if this was , being completely competent, that would have given you a great career. But guess what? This is almost , and saying to the world, "I am totally, completely competent," is damning yourself with the faintest of praise.

然后，你還有其他借口：“是的，有那些與眾不同的人 追尋自己的夢想，但是他們是天才。 他們是Steven J. 我不是天才。 我五歲的時候以為自己是天才， 但是我的教授們早就把這個念頭 打消了。“(笑聲)嗯? ”然后現在我知道自己完全有能力。“ 現在你看，如果這是在年， 完全有能力， 就能讓你成就偉業。 但是你知道么?現在幾乎是年了， 對世界說”我完全，絕對，有能力，“ 就是用最無力的稱贊譴責你自己。

And then, of course, another excuse: "Well, I would do this, I would do this, but, but, well, after all, I'm not weird. Everybody knows that people who pursue their passions are somewhat obsessive. A little strange? Mm? Mm? Okay? You know, a fine line between madness and genius. I'm not weird. I've read Steven J.'s biography. Oh my goodness. I am not that person. I am nice. I am normal. I'm a nice, normal person, and nice, normal people don't have passion. Ah. But I still want a great career. I'm not prepared to pursue my passion, so I know what I'm going to do, because I have, I have a solution, I have a strategy. It's the one Mommy and Daddy told me about. Mommy and Daddy told me that if I worked hard, I'd have a good career. So, if you work hard and have a good career, if you work really, really, really hard, you'll have a great career. Doesn't that, like, mathematically make sense?" Hmm. Not. (Laughter) But you've managed to talk yourself into that.

然后，當然，另外一個借口： ”嗯，我會做這個，我會做這個，但是，但是， 嗯，畢竟，我不是個怪人。 每個人都知道那些追尋自己夢想的人 都多少有點強迫癥。有點奇怪?嗯?嗯?好吧? 你知道的，瘋子和天才一線之隔。 我不是個怪人。我讀過Steven J的傳記。 我的天吶。我不是那種人。我是好人。 我是正常人。我是正常的好人， 而且正常的好人 沒有夢想。 啊。但是我還是想要成就偉業。 我還沒準備好去追尋夢想，所以我知道 我要做什么，因為我有辦法， 我有策略。 就是爸爸媽媽告訴過我的那個。 爸爸媽媽告訴我說如果我努力工作， 我會有個不錯的事業。所以，如果你努力工作， 而且有個不錯的事業，如果你工作特別特別特別努力， 你就能成就偉業。 這在數學上不是也成立么?“ 嗯...不是的。(笑聲) 但是你還是讓自己信了這話。

You know what? Here's a little secret. You want to work? You want to work really, really, really hard? You know what? You'll succeed. The world will give you the opportunity to work really, really, really, really hard, but are you so sure that that's going to give you a great career when all the evidence is to the contrary?

你知道么?這有一個小秘密。 你想工作?你想工作特別特別特別努力? 你知道么?你會成功的。 這個世界會給你機會去工作得特別特別特別努力， 但是你就那么確信這能讓你成就偉業 即使所有的證據都指向另一邊?

So let's assume, let's deal with those of you who are trying to find your passion. You actually understand that you really had better do it, never mind the excuses. You're trying to find your passion, and you're so happy. You found something you're interested in.

所以咱們假設，咱們來處理一下你們當中 想追尋夢想的人。 你實際上明白你最好這么做， 拋開借口。你試圖找到你的夢想， 而且你這么快樂。 你找到了你感興趣的事。

I have an interest! I have an interest! You tell me. You say, "I have an interest!" I say, "That's wonderful! And what, what are you trying to tell me? That you — " "Well, I have an interest." I say, "Do you have passion?" "I have an interest," you say. Your interest is compared to what? "Well, I'm interested in this." And what about the rest of humanity's activities? "I'm not interested in them." You've looked at them all, have you? "No. Not exactly."

我有個興趣!我有個興趣!你告訴我。 你說，“我有個興趣!“我說，”太好了!“ 你想告訴我什么呢? ”嗯，我有個興趣。“ 我說，“你有熱忱么?” “我有興趣，”你說。 你的興趣和什么比較? “嗯，我對這個感興趣。” 那其他一切的人類活動呢? “我對那些沒興趣。” 你把那些都看過一遍了? “沒有。不完全是。”

Passion is your greatest love. Passion is the thing that will help you create the highest expression of your talent. Passion, interest -- it's not the same thing. Are you really going to go to your sweetie and say, "Marry me! You're interesting." (Laughter) Won't happen. Won't happen, and you will die alone. (Laughter)

熱忱是你最高程度的熱愛。 熱忱是能幫助你最好地成就自己才華 的事情。 熱忱，興趣-不是一回事。 你真的會去找你的甜心然后說， “嫁給我吧!你很有意思。“(笑聲) 不會發生的。不會發生，然后你會孤獨終老。(笑聲)

What you want, what you want, what you want, is passion. It is beyond interest. You need interests, and then one of them, one of them might grab you, one of them might engage you more than anything else, and then you may have found your greatest love in comparison to all the other things that interest you, and that's what passion is.

你想要的，你想要的，你想要的， 是熱忱。它超越興趣。 你需要個興趣，然后它們其中一個， 其中一個會抓住你，讓你燃起激情。 然后你就找到了與其他事情相比之下 你最大的熱愛， 那就是你的熱忱。

I have a friend, proposed to his sweetie. He was an economically rational person. He said to his sweetie, "Let us marry. Let us merge our interests."

我有個朋友，向他女友求婚。 他是個會過日子的人。 他對他女友說，“咱們結婚吧。 讓咱們融合利益。”

(Laughter)

(笑聲)

Yes he did. "I love you truly," he said. "I love you deeply. I love you more than any other woman I've ever encountered. I love you more than Mary, Jane, Susie, Penelope, Ingrid, Gertrude, Gretel -- I was on a German exchange program then." (Laughter) "I love you more than — " All right! She left the room halfway through his enumeration of his love for her. After he got over his surprise at being, you know, turned down, he concluded he'd had a narrow escape from marrying an irrational person, although he did make a note to himself that the next time he proposed, it was perhaps not necessary to enumerate all of the women he had auditioned for the part. (Laughter)

是的，他這么說的。 “我真心愛你，”他說，“我深深愛著你。我愛你 勝過其他任何女人。 我愛你勝過Mary, Jane, Susie, Penelope, Ingrid, Gertrude, Gretel- 我那時候在一個德國的交換項目里。“(笑聲) “我愛你勝過-” 好的!她在他列舉到一半的時候 離開了房間。 在他從被拒絕的驚訝中緩過來之后， 他總結了他剛剛成功逃離 和一個不理性的人結婚的厄運。 雖然他也對自己說， 下次求婚的時候，不必要列舉 所有過往的女朋友。(笑聲)

But the point stands. You must look for alternatives so that you find your destiny, or are you afraid of the word "destiny"? Does the word "destiny" scare you? That's what we're talking about, and if you don't find the highest expression of your talent, if you settle for "interesting," what the hell ever that means, do you know what will happen at the end of your long life? Your friends and family will be gathered in the cemetery, and there, beside your gravesite will be a tombstone, and inscribed on that tombstone, it will say, "Here lies a distinguished engineer who invented Velcro." But what that tombstone should have said, in an alternative lifetime, what it should have said if it was your highest expression of talent, was, "Here lies the last Nobel Laureate in Physics, who formulated the Grand Unified Field Theory and demonstrated the practicality of warp drive."

但是這個論點是成立的。你必須尋找各種選擇 才能找到命中注定的那個， 或者你害怕”命中注定“這個詞么? ”命中注定“這個詞嚇著你么? 這就是我們要談的，而且如果你找不到 你才能的最高表達，如果你在 ”有意思“這里止步不前，不管這他媽的是什么意思， 你知道在你漫長的一生即將結束的時候會發生什么嗎? 你的親友們聚集在墓地里， 在這，你的墳邊上有個墓碑， 這個墓碑上刻著字，說， ”此地長眠著一位發明了Velcro的杰出工程師。“ 但是這個墓碑上也應該刻著， 在一個平行時空里， 如果這是你才能的最高表達它就應該刻著， ”此地長眠著一位諾貝爾物理學獎得主， 他規范了”大統一場論“ 并且示范了曲速引擎的實用性。”

(Laughter) Velcro, indeed. (Laughter)

(笑聲) Velcro, 確實。(笑聲)

One was a great career. One was a missed opportunity. But then, there are some of you, in spite of all these excuses, you will find, you will find your passion, and you'll still fail.

一個是偉業。 一個是失掉的機會。 但是，你們當中有些人， 拋開這些借口，你們會找到， 你們會找到自己的熱忱， 然后你們還是失敗了。

You're going to fail, because, because you're not going to do it, because you will have invented a new excuse, any excuse to fail to take action, and this excuse I've heard so many times. "Yes, I would pursue a great career, but I value human relationships more than accomplishment. I want to be a great friend. I want to be a great spouse. I want to be a great parent, and I will not sacrifice them on the altar of great accomplishment."

你會失敗，因為， 因為你不會著手去做， 因為你會想出新的借口， 任何讓你只說不做的借口，而且這個借口 我已經聽過很多次了。 “是的，我會追求一番偉業，但是相比成就， 我更看重人與人之間的關系。 我想做一個好朋友。我想做一個好伴侶。 我想做一個好父母，而且我不會為了 偉大的成就而犧牲這些。”

(Laughter)

(笑聲)

What do you want me to say? Now, do you really want me to say now, tell you, "Really, I swear I don't kick children." (Laughter) Hmm? Look at the worldview you've given yourself. You're a hero no matter what, and I, by suggesting, ever so delicately, that you might want a great career, must hate children. I don't hate children. I don't kick them. Yes, there was a little kid wandering through this building when I came here, and no, I didn't kick him. (Laughter)

你們想讓我說什么? 現在，你們真的想讓我說，告訴你們， “真的，我發誓我不踢小孩。”(笑聲) 嗯?看看你給自己定的世界觀。 無論如何你都是個英雄，然而我，通過暗示， 這么小心翼翼地，說你可能想要成就偉業， 一定痛恨小孩。我不恨小孩。我不踢他們。 是的，剛才我來的時候有個小孩走過來， 我沒踢他。(笑聲)

Course, I had to tell him that the building was for adults only and to get out. He mumbled something about his mother, and I told him she'd probably find him outside anyway. Last time I saw him, he was on the stairs crying. (Laughter) What a wimp. (Laughter)

當然，我不得不告訴他這個樓是給大人的， 他得出去。 他含糊地說他媽媽什么的， 然后我跟他說他媽估計在外面找他呢。 我上次看到他的時候他正在臺階上哭呢。(笑聲) 真是個懦夫。(笑聲)

But what do you mean? That's what you expect me to say. You really think, you really think it's appropriate that you should actually take children and use them as a shield? You know what will happen someday, you, you ideal parent, you? The kid will come to you someday and say, "I know what I want to be. I know what I'm going to do with my life." You are so happy. It's the conversation a parent wants to hear, because your kid's good in math, and you know you're going to like what comes next. Says your kid, "I have decided I want to be a magician. I want to perform magic tricks on the stage." (Laughter)

但是你是什么意思?這就是你們期待我說的。 你真的認為，你真的認為 拿小孩當擋箭牌 合適嗎? 你知道有一天會發生什么， 你，完美的父母，對嗎? 你的孩子有一天會跟你說， “我知道我想做什么。 我知道我想怎么度過一生。” 你特別高興。這種對話父母最愛聽了， 因為你的孩子數學好， 而且你知道你會愛聽你孩子接下來的話。 你孩子說，“我決定了 我想做個魔術師。 我想在舞臺上表演魔術。” (笑聲)

And what do you say? You say, you say, "Umm ... that's risky, kid. Might fail, kid. Don't make a lot of money at that, kid. You know, I don't know, kid, you should think about that again, kid, you're so good at math, why don't you — "

然后你說什么? 你說，你說， “嗯...那樣比較不保險，孩子。 有可能會失敗，孩子。掙不了大錢，孩子。 你知道的，我不知道，孩子， 你應該再想想，孩子， 你數學這么好，為什么不-“

And the kid interrupts you, and says, "But it is my dream. It is my dream to do this." And what are you going to say? You know what you're going to say? "Look kid. I had a dream once, too, but -- but." So how are you going to finish the sentence with your "but"? "... But. I had a dream too, once, kid, but I was afraid to pursue it." Or, are you going to tell him this? "I had a dream once, kid. But then you were born." (Laughter)

然后你孩子打斷你，說， ”但是那是我的夢想。我夢想就是成為魔術師。“ 然后你要說什么? 你知道你要說什么嗎? ”你看，孩子，我過去也有過夢想。但是-但是。“ 所以你想怎么用”但是“結束你的句子? ”...但是，我過去也有過夢想，孩子，但是我沒敢去追隨。“ 還是，你想告訴他這個? ”我過去有夢想，孩子。 但是之后你出生了。“(笑聲)

(Laughter) (Applause)

(笑聲)(掌聲)

Do you, do you really want to use your family, do you really ever want to look at your spouse and your kid and see your jailers? There was something you could have said to your kid when he or she said, "I have a dream." You could have said, looked the kid in the face, and said, "Go for it, kid, just like I did." But you won't be able to say that because you didn't. So you can't. (Laughter)

你真的，真的想利用你的家庭， 你真的想把你的伴侶， 和你的孩子當成獄卒嗎? 你其實可以這么跟你孩子講。 當他/她說”我有個夢想“的時候， 你可以說，面對你的孩子，說， ”去追隨它吧，孩子， 就像我那樣。“ 但是你沒法那么說， 因為你沒去追隨夢想。所以你不能那么說。(笑聲)

And so the sins of the parents are visited on the poor children. Why will you seek refuge in human relationships as your excuse not to find and pursue your passion? You know why. In your heart of hearts, you know why, and I'm being deadly serious. You know why you would get all warm and fuzzy and wrap yourself up in human relationships. It is because you are — You know what you are.

然后父母的罪惡 就在可憐的孩子們身上應驗了。 你為什么把人際關系當成 你不去追隨你的熱忱的借口? 你自己知道為什么。 在你內心的內心，你知道為什么， 而且我現在非常嚴肅。 你知道你為什么會在人際關系中 層層包裹自己。 這是因為你是- 你知道你是什么。

You're afraid to pursue your passion. You're afraid to look ridiculous. You're afraid to try. You're afraid you may fail. Great friend, great spouse, great parent, great career. Is that not a package? Is that not who you are? How can you be one without the other? But you're afraid.

你不敢去追求夢想。 你害怕自己看起來像個瘋子。 你不敢去嘗試。你害怕失敗。 好朋友，好伴侶，好父母，偉業。 不是打包在一起的嗎?這難道不是你? 你怎么能符合其中一個卻不符合另一個? 但是你害怕。

And that's why you're not going to have a great career, unless -- unless, that most evocative of all English words -- unless. But the unless word is also attached to that other, most terrifying phrase, "If only I had ... " "If only I had ... " If you ever have that thought ricocheting in your brain, it will hurt a lot.

這就是為什么你不會成就偉業，除非- 除非，最引人回憶的詞- 除非。 但是除非這個詞和另外一個 最可怕的短語是連著的， ”如果我當初...“ ”如果我當初...“ 如果你曾經有過這個想法在你腦海里回旋， 它會特別傷人。

So, those are the many reasons why you are going to fail to have a great career, unless ...

所以，這些就是 你為什么不能成就偉業 的眾多原因。 除非...

Unless.

除非。

Thank you. (Applause)

謝謝。(掌聲)