Two years of hard work came to fruition1 at the commencement2. Excitement ， and tears of joy started to disturb my busy but orderly life several days ahead of the graduation ceremony at the end of May， when I was going to graduate from Johnson Graduate School of Management in Cornell. Although I had a BA and an MA in China， I never went to any graduation ceremony before I left. Never would I have realized how important it was to most American students， their families and friends if I had not attended my own at Cornell.
Ithaca， where Cornell is located， is a small and remote college town. About one week before the graduation date， however， this town became busy and crowded because of the overwhelming influx3 of people——families， relatives and friends who came to celebrate the graduation of the graduates. All the hotels and motels4 nearby were booked out. You had to wait for a long time to get seats in almost any restaurant. On the campus， not only would you see many people strolling5 around in small groups and taking pictures， but you would also find many white tents newly set up on the green lawns between buildings. The tents would be used as reception posts for various schools and colleges. The twelve bells at the top of McGraw Tower——Cornell's famous landmark—— were chimed6 more often than on a normal school day， adding a special rhythm7 to the festivity8 of the campus.
The official activities organized for graduation started on Saturday， May 26. As a tradition at Cornell， distinguished alumni9 were invited to give speeches at the Senior Convocation10， which was held for graduates， their families and guests. Samuel R. Berger， a 1967 Cornell graduate and the then National Security Adviser for the Clinton Administration， was invited to give a speech in the morning. In the afternoon， Mr. Hunter Rawlings， President of Cornell University， gave a reception for parents and students.
For me， the activities on Saturday were just a preamble11. The most important things were scheduled for Sunday， May 27. On this day， my roommate and I got up really early and started trying on our black caps and gowns， which we rented from the university. Wearing the cap and gown is both traditional and required for participation in the ceremony. The procession assembled12 at 9：00 am when the graduates of each individual college and school gathered at the Arts Quad13. At 9：25 am， the alma mater14 began to be played from the bell tower and the strains soon spread throughout the campus， as if echoing Cornell's first commencement ceremony in 1869.This marked the beginning of the 131st commencement. About 6，000 students， about 300 of whom were from our business school， filed slowly towards the University Stadium where the ceremony was to be held.
Since I came to Cornell， I had always been dreaming of the graduation day， wondering how wonderful it would be to wear the cap and gown and have my family and friends over to celebrate my accomplishment. Now that I had the cap and gown on， my feelings were mixed， my excitement tinged with nostalgia15 for the past and longings for the future. Around me were the young and happy faces. For a moment， everything seemed so unreal to me. I was awakened out of my musings16 by the thunderous applause when we entered the stadium. The stadium was decorated with flowers and flags with flying colors. The audience stands were packed with the proud families and friends of the graduates， whose formal dresses did not stop them from expressing their congratulations in loud voices and exaggerated hand gestures. The whole ceremony， presided over by President Rawlings， lasted more than an hour.
Following the commencement ceremony of the university， diploma17 ceremonies were held in colleges and schools. Many students of the business school skipped18 the com mencement ceremony of the university and went straight to the diploma ceremony held by the business school itself. Before the ceremony started， a picture of all the graduates would be taken. While waiting for the picture to be taken， I could not help looking back over the past two years. When we first came to Cornell， our school gave a party to welcome us and a group picture was taken， too. At that time， I was full of uncertainties， scared about living in this strange land all by myself， and afraid that I would not be able to make it. Now， I felt as if I was reliving that moment， yet I no longer felt alone and lonely since I had got so many friends. I no longer had the feeling of uncertainty and insecurity since I had gone through so much in life and had become more confident.
After the group picture was taken， the students filed into Baily Hall， an auditorium19 where our school holds its annual diploma ceremonies. We were welcomed and congratulated by the professors standing along the steps. Every professor was wearing the regalia20 of his graduate school. It was really an eye opening sight since each school had a different design for the cap and gown. The dean of our school delivered an opening speech， followed by the student representative， who presented the school with a check of ＄ 280，000 donated by the class of 1999. The final and the most exciting event was for each student to go onto the stage to receive the diploma. When I stood there receiving my diploma from the hands of the dean， I said to myself： " Yes！ You made it."
I used to wonder why the Americans attached so much importance to the graduation ceremony and why the graduation ceremony was called " commencement ceremony." Now I think I understand. Graduation symbolizes an important step a person makes in his life， a landmark of achievement on the road to his goal. The word " commencement" has the meaning of beginning. Therefore， when you graduate， it means you have finished one thing， but it also means that you will have a new start in your life. Indeed， I graduated from Cornell ， my life entered a new phase.
两年来的艰苦学习在毕业典礼时结出了果实。5月底，我就要从康奈尔大学的约翰逊商学院毕业。激动与喜悦的泪水，在毕业典礼前好几天就开始来搅扰我紧张而有序的生活。虽然在中国我获得过学士和硕士学位，但我在出国之前从来没有参加过任何毕业典礼。如果不是在康奈尔参加自己的毕业典礼，我绝对不会认识到毕业典礼对于大多数美国学生、他们的家人和朋友有多么重要。
康奈尔大学所在的伊萨卡，是一个很小而又很偏远的大学镇。然而，在毕业典礼前的一个星期左右，这个小镇就变得繁忙和拥挤起来，因为有大量的人朝这里涌来——家人、亲属和朋友都来庆祝学生毕业。附近所有的饭店和汽车旅馆都订满了。到几乎任何一个餐馆去吃饭，你都得等很长时间才有座位。在校园里，你不仅可以看到许多人三三两两地在那里散步，拍照，你还会在大楼之间的绿色草地上看到许多刚刚搭好的白色棚子，各个学院将用这些棚子来举行招待会。康奈尔大学的著名标志麦格劳尖塔，上面有12个钟，它们在这期间比平常鸣响得更加频繁，为校园的节日气氛增添了独特的旋律。
学校组织的毕业典礼活动在5月26日星期六就开始了。康奈尔大学的传统是邀请有名的校友回来，在为毕业生及其家人和朋友举行的高层集会上发表讲话。当天上午，康奈尔大学1967年毕业生，当时任克林顿政府国家安全顾问的塞缪尔·伯格发表了演说。下午，康奈尔大学校长亨特·劳林斯为学生和家长举行了招待会。
对我来说，星期六的活动只是一个序曲而已。最重要的事情都安排在5月27日星期天。这天，我和我的室友起得很早，开始穿戴从学校租来的黑色帽子和袍子。穿戴这种帽子和袍子是一种传统，也是参加毕业典礼所必需的。早上9点，各个学院的毕业生聚集在文科大院，排组列队。9点25分，钟楼上响起了大学校歌，音乐很快传遍了整个校园，它仿佛回应着康奈尔大学1869年的第一次毕业典礼。校歌响起，标志着第131届毕业典礼正式开始。大约6千名学生，其中大约300名来自我们商学院，排着队，朝着举行典礼的大学体育场缓慢地行进。
从我来到康奈尔，就一直梦想着毕业这一天，总是琢磨着穿戴上那套袍子和帽子，让家人和朋友来庆祝自己的成功，那该有多好。现在穿戴上了这套袍子和帽子，我的心情很复杂，激动中带着对过去的怀念和对未来的憧憬。在我的周围是一张张年轻而幸福的面孔。霎时之间，我觉得一切都变得那么不真实。当我们进入体育场时，掌声雷动，把我从沉思中惊醒。体育场装点着各种鲜花和迎风飘扬的旗子。观众席上挤满了毕业生们的自豪的亲友，他们着装正式，但这并不妨碍他们用高亢的声调和夸张的手势去表达他们对毕业生的祝贺。仪式持续一个多小时，由劳林斯校长主持。
大学的毕业典礼结束之后，便是由各个学院自己举办的学位颁发仪式。许多商学院的学生没有去参加学校的毕业典礼，直接去参加由商学院自己举办的学位颁发仪式。在仪式开始之前，先拍集体照。在等着照相的时候，我情不自禁地回顾了过去两年来的生活。当我们刚来到康奈尔时，商学院举办了欢迎会，我们也拍了集体照。那时，我心中充满了不安，害怕独自在这个陌生的地方生活，也担心自己读不下来。现在，仿佛又要重新经历那个时刻，但我不再感到孤单和寂寞，因为我已经有了很多朋友。我也不再感到惶惑不安，我已经经历了生活的无数艰辛，对自己越来越充满信心。
拍完集体照之后，学生排队进入贝利大厅，我们学院每年都在这个礼堂举行学位颁发仪式。站在台阶两旁的教授们欢迎我们，向我们表示祝贺。每一位教授都穿着他所毕业的研究生院的礼服。真是开眼界，每个研究生院都有不同款式的帽子和长袍。我们学院院长首先致词，接着是学生代表，他呈送学院一张由1999级毕业生集体捐赠的28万美元的支票。最后也是最激动人心的事就是让学生上台领取学位证书。当我从院长手中接过毕业证书时，我告诉自己："哎！你终于成功了。 "
我以前总在琢磨，为什么美国人如此重视毕业典礼，为什么毕业典礼叫做"commencementceremony".现在我总算明白了。毕业标志着人生中重要的一步，它是达至人生目标旅程中的一个里程碑。"Commencement"一词有开始的意思。你毕业表明你完成了一件事，也标志着你在生活中又有了一个新的开始。从康奈尔大学毕业之后，我的生活确实又进入了一个新的阶段。
注释：
1.fruition n.结果实
2.commencement n.毕业典礼
3.influx n.涌进，汇集
4.motel n.汽车旅馆（设在公路旁，供自驾汽车的旅客住宿，通常附有车库或停车场）
5.stroll vi.散步，闲逛
6.chime vt.用钟报时
7.rhythm n.[音 ]节奏，拍子
8.festivity n.节日，喜庆
9.alumni n.alumnus的复数，毕业生
10.convocation n.（正式）集会
11.preamble n.开端，前奏
12.assemble vi.集合，聚集
13.quad n.[口 ]（尤指大学学院里的）方院
14.alma mater n.校歌
15.nostalgia n.恋旧，怀旧
16.musing n.沉思，冥想
17.diploma n.学位证书
18.skip vt.略过，漏过
19.auditorium n.礼堂
20.regalia n.礼服