Students Protest During Sundar Pichai's Stanford Graduation Speech
學生在 Sundar Pichai 的史丹佛大學畢業演講期間發起抗議
Introduction
A group of graduating students at Stanford University organized a walkout during a speech given by Sundar Pichai, the CEO of Google and Alphabet.
史丹佛大學的一群畢業生在 Google 和 Alphabet 執行長 Sundar Pichai 演講期間，組織了一次集體離場行動。
Main Body
The protest was organized by groups such as Students for Justice in Palestine and No Tech for Apartheid. About 200 students left Stanford Stadium just as Mr. Pichai began speaking, carrying Palestinian flags and banners. They were protesting 'Project Nimbus,' a $1.2 billion cloud-computing deal from 2021 between the Israeli government, Google, and Amazon. The protesters claimed that this technology is used for surveillance and military actions in Gaza. This event is part of a larger trend of protests at Stanford over the last three years, reflecting growing campus activism.
這次抗議是由「巴勒斯坦正義學生會」與「反種族隔離技術」等團體組織的。約 200 名學生在 Pichai 先生剛開始演講時，便攜帶巴勒斯坦國旗與橫幅離開史丹佛體育場。他們是在抗議 2021 年以色列政府、Google 與 Amazon 之間一項價值 12 億美元的雲端運算交易，即「Nimbus 計劃」。抗議者聲稱該技術被用於加薩的監控與軍事行動。此次事件是過去三年史丹佛大學抗議趨勢的一部分，反映出校園激進主義的日益增長。
Mr. Pichai, who graduated from Stanford, focused his speech on personal strength and staying positive. He talked about his journey from Chennai, India, to Silicon Valley and mentioned the financial sacrifices his father made. He also shared a story about missing classes for a trip to Las Vegas, suggesting that following a strict path is not always necessary for professional success. Interestingly, he did not mention artificial intelligence or current global conflicts in his address.
身為史丹佛畢業生的 Pichai 先生，演講重點在於個人力量與保持積極。他談到了自己從印度欽奈到矽谷的旅程，並提到父親在經濟上所做的犧牲。他還分享了一個為了前往拉斯維加斯而缺課的故事，暗示在追求職業成功時，並不一定需要遵循嚴格的既定路徑。有趣的是，他在演講中並未提及人工智慧或目前的全球衝突。
Public reactions to the walkout were divided. For example, venture capitalist Vinod Khosla called the students' actions selfish and short-sighted. On the other hand, politician Ro Khanna defended the students, stating that they have the right to express themselves and challenge authority. Additionally, Rajeev Chandrasekhar described the protest as a sign of ignorance. Mr. Pichai did not give any statement to the press about the protests before leaving.
大眾對此次離場行動的反應兩極。例如，風險投資家 Vinod Khosla 稱學生的行為自私且目光短淺。另一方面，政治人物 Ro Khanna 則為學生辯護，表示他們有權表達自我並挑戰權威。此外，Rajeev Chandrasekhar 將此次抗議描述為無知的表現。Pichai 先生在離開前，並未就抗議事件向媒體發表任何聲明。
Conclusion
The graduation ceremony continued despite the walkout, but the tension between corporate deals and student activism remains a serious issue.
儘管有離場行動，畢業典禮仍繼續進行，但企業交易與學生激進主義之間的緊張關係依然是一個嚴重問題。
Vocabulary Learning
⚡ The 'Opinion Pivot': Moving from A2 to B2
At an A2 level, you likely say: "Some people like it. Other people don't." To reach B2, you need connectors that show how two opposite ideas clash. This is called 'contrasting.'
🔍 The Linguistic Goldmine
Look at how the article handles the different reactions to the protest:
"For example, Vinod Khosla called the students' actions selfish... On the other hand, politician Ro Khanna defended the students... Additionally, Rajeev Chandrasekhar described the protest as a sign of ignorance."
🛠️ Breaking it Down
1. The Contrast Switch: "On the other hand" Stop using only "but." When you have two completely different viewpoints, use "On the other hand." It signals to the listener: "I am now switching to a different perspective."
2. The Layering Tool: "Additionally" Instead of saying "And... and... and...", use "Additionally" to add a new piece of evidence or a third opinion. It makes you sound like an academic professional rather than a beginner.
🚀 Upgrade Your Speech
| A2 Style (Basic) | B2 Style (Fluent) |
|---|---|
| I like the city, but it is noisy. | I love the energy of the city. On the other hand, the noise can be overwhelming. |
| He is smart and he is hardworking. | He is incredibly intelligent. Additionally, he is the most hardworking person I know. |
Pro Tip: Notice that "On the other hand" usually starts a new sentence and is followed by a comma. This creates a natural pause that gives you time to think of your next word—a classic B2 fluency trick.