1959年，威尔顿预备学院以它凝重的风格受到了当时人们的尊敬。在那里，jiaoyu的模式是固定的，不仅单调而且束缚了思想。然而这一切在一个新教师的手中发生了改变。John Keating 反传统的jiaoyu方法给学院带来了一丝生气：在他的课堂里，他鼓励学生站在课桌上，用一个崭新的视角去观察周围的世界；他向学生介绍了许多有思想的诗歌；他所提倡的自由发散式的思维哲学在学生中引起了巨大的反响。渐渐地，一些人接受了他，开始勇敢地面对每一天，把握他们自己的人生。不幸也在这时发生了……

　　印象最深的是mr.Keating在第一节课上对学生说的一句拉丁文：

　　CARPE DIEM

　　用英文讲就是SIEZE THE DAY。抓住每一天。

　　不只是抓紧时间学习，更是抓紧时间去做你喜欢的事情。

　　I went to the woods because I wanted to live deliberately ...

　　I wanted to live deep and suck out all the marrow of life!

　　To put to rout all that was not life...

　　And not when I came to die, discover that I had not lived...

　　我步入丛林 因为我希望活得有意义 ...

…… 此处隐藏815字 ……

　　Don't be resigned to that.

　　Break out!

　　别听任此事发生

　　要突破！

　　Come my friend，till it's not too late to seek a newer world.From my purpose hold to be the other side of sunset.And though we are not now that strength which as old days moved earth and heaven. That which we are we are,one equal temper of heroic hearts.Maybe weak by time and fate, but strong is will,to strive, to seek,to find,and not to yield.

　　来吧，我的朋友，寻找更新的世界尚为时不晚。我决心已定，要驶过夕阳的尽头，尽管我们不再有昔日的伟力，可以震天撼地，我们仍然有着同样的英雄般的心。时间和命运使它衰弱，但坚强意志仍在，去拼搏，去探索，去发现，永不屈服。

　　Why do I stand here? To feel taller than you? I stand on my desk to remind myself that we must constantly force ourselves to look at things in a different way. The world looks different from up here. If you don't believe it, stand up here and try it. All of you. Take turns.

　　我站到讲台上是想提醒我自己，我们必须时刻用不同的眼光来看待事物。