Natália Sabova, from Slovakia, a LLM student from class of 2022
Natália Sabova，来自斯洛伐克，2022届LLM毕业生
Dear distinguished leaders and faculty, parents, friends, and, of course, the graduating class of 2022:
尊敬的各位领导、各位老师、家长朋友，以及2022届全体毕业生：
It is a great pleasure and honor for me to speak to all of you on this very important day. Of course, I strongly wish I could be there in person with you all, but I am still grateful for being able to join you at least virtually from my hometown of Košice, Slovakia.
很荣幸能够在这个重要的日子作为学生代表发言。当然，我非常希望能够来到现场与你们相聚，但我依然感激，因为至少我能在家乡斯洛伐克的科希策市，与你们线上相聚。
First, before I continue my speech, I want to applaud all of you! Congratulations, class of 2022! We have done it, and all the hard work we put into our studies has finally paid off. We are ready to embark on another adventure. I am sure that we are well prepared and eager to take the next big step in life. I want to take this opportunity and reflect on the most important lessons I have learned during my time at PKU STL because I believe that they are quite relevant to all of us graduates as we enter the next phase of our lives.
首先，我要为你们所有人鼓掌祝贺！恭喜你们，2022届毕业生们！我们做到了，为学习付出的所有努力终于得到了回报。我们即将踏上新的冒险之旅，我相信，渴望迈出人生下一大步的我们，都已整装待发。 我想借此机会，回顾我在STL所收获的一些宝贵的经验教训。我们都将进入人生的下一阶段，我相信这些经验教训全体毕业生都有切身体会。
The past two years have certainly been tough. Besides being challenged academically, we were all facing other difficulties. The COVID-19 pandemic brought a stop to many of our plans. At the same time, however, it has forced us to work harder and join forces, making us stronger and more resilient.
过去两年着实艰难。除了学业上的挑战，我们还面临着其他困难。疫情给我们的许多计划按下了暂停键，但同时也迫使我们更加努力、团结，让我们更加坚强、更有韧性。
Although, like many of my international colleagues, I could not travel to China, my time at PKU STL allowed me to grow personally and professionally. I managed to overcome all the initial difficulties that online learning has brought. Like waking up at 3 am to write an exam or staying awake until 1 am to finish a class. Eventually, all these challenges became a source of strength, which allowed me to get a much deeper and better understanding of myself and the world around me.
和许多海外同学一样，虽然我没能来到中国线下学习，但在STL，我的个人素质和专业能力都得到了提升。我克服了线上教学带来的重重困难，比如凌晨三点起床参加考试，或是熬到午夜一点才下课。最终，所有困难都化作一种力量源泉，让我对自身、对世界有了更加深入透彻的理解。
In this respect, two factors were fundamental to this development.
在这方面，我的成长离不开这两项因素。
First, even though everything we did was online and through a computer screen, I was able to form personal relationships that challenged my own cultural norms and perspectives. Through my classmates and their unique life stories, I was able to get to know and understand Chinese culture. This understanding deepened during our Chinese class when our teacher showed us traditional Chinese food such as 火锅 北京烤鸭 or 肉夹馍 and many different holidays such as spring festivals and traditions that take place during these festivities. And even though I was with my classmates only virtually, through these activities and meetings, I felt part of this beautiful culture. They introduced me to something entirely new to me, which gave me a new perspective on my own cultural heritage.
首先，尽管我们所有活动都通过电脑屏幕线上开展，但我依然能和同学们交朋友，在与他们的交流中，我的文化观念受到冲击，文化视野也得到刷新。也正是在和同学们交流时，我了解了他们独特的人生故事，也更好地认识、理解了中国文化。在中文课上，老师向我们展示了火锅、北京烤鸭、肉夹馍等中国传统美食，介绍了春节等传统节日的风俗习惯，让我进一步了解了中国文化。尽管我和同学们只在线上相聚，但我仍能感受到自己是这灿烂文化的一部分。这些文化带我领略了全新的事物，为我认识自身民族文化遗产提供了新视角。
The second driver of my personal growth was the challenging yet rewarding academic experience that PKU STL offered to us. The law faculty challenged us to think differently yet critically about the topics we have previously learned. For instance, taking our own major as an example: as lawyers, we have many different roles, such as legal advisors, negotiators, or attorneys, and we deal with several legal issues. Through exchanges with my Chinese and international professors and my classmates, I have learned to understand these roles and legal issues from different perspectives. And that gave me a whole new outlook, a new understanding of the law.
我成长的第二驱动力是STL带给我们的学习体验，虽充满挑战，但收获满满。老师要求我们用不同的方式辩证思考曾学过的话题。以我们的专业为例，作为法律执业者，我们扮演不同角色处理法律问题，如法律顾问、谈判者、律师等。与中外教授、同学们交流后，我学会了从不同角度理解这些角色，从而解决相关法律问题。这也拓宽了我的法律视野，刷新了我对法律的理解。
Now, being an international student locked in my home, in my room, I know that my experience was very different from that of my Chinese peers. In fact, I know that all the graduates have had their own personal growth at PKU STL. We all had our unique experiences; a combination of good times and bad times, times of last-minute studying for an exam, times of homesickness and thoughts of Corona, but also times of friendship and companionship that will last us forever.
作为一名始终待在家里，在自己房间里学习的留学生，我知道我的体验与中国同学们的体验截然不同。而事实上，我也知道各位毕业生都在STL有所成长。我们都有着独特的经历，也少不了酸甜苦辣。我们都曾为准备考试与时间赛跑，奋斗之余还少不了思乡之情和疫情带来的烦恼，但也少不了与同学之间的友谊，这样的友谊使我们永远相伴。
I believe that what I have gained from my experience studying at PKU STL is something universal, something that holds true for us all. And that is: in order to succeed in life, we should step out of our comfort zone. With that, I don’t mean to say we should all move to another country and be international students. Not at all. I just merely want to challenge you to seek discomfort and enter the unknown. Only after leaving what you feel comfortable in will you become the builder of a new comfort zone. Instead of being afraid of change, fear of the unknown, you will be able to take control and pursue change before it finds you unprepared.
我相信我在STL学习的收获普遍适用于所有人：为取得成功，踏出自己的舒适区。这并不是说我们都应该出国留学。我只是想鼓励你们探索看似使自己不适的未知世界。只有离开原有的舒适区，你才能为自己搭建新的舒适区。与其畏惧改变，害怕未知，不如毫不犹豫掌控自我，革新自我。
Graduation marks the end of yet another extraordinary chapter in our lives. With this chapter closed, I am sure that many of us are already anxious about starting the next one because, unlike the textbooks, we cannot ship through the pages of life to see how the next chapter is going to be. For sure, PKU STL has made this chapter of our life very colorful and unique. Now, with one chapter being closed, another one opens. Thus, I want to encourage you to step into your new beginnings on the right foot. I challenge you to leave your comfort zone and seek the unknown. When you leave here, remember to be proud, to celebrate what you have accomplished, and look forward to our brighter future.
毕业标志着又一个非凡的人生篇章的结束。翻过这一篇章，我相信许多人已经开始为下一篇章感到焦虑，毕竟人生不像课本，我们不能翻阅未来的页面来预知下一章将如何。但可以肯定的是，在STL的经历使这一篇章丰富多彩、独一无二。现在，另一篇章打开了，我想鼓励你们：好好地踏上新的起跑线，走出舒适区，去探索未知吧。离开这里后，你们要自豪地庆祝自己所取得的成就，展望更明亮的未来！
Congratulations Class of 2022!
祝贺你们，2022届毕业生！
