This may be one of the most famous phrases which the Japanese people have ever known in English.
The Japanese version see-nen-yo, tai-shi-o ida-ke
青年(せいねん)よ、大志(たいし)を抱け(いだけ)
is well-known, too.
(Important note: The phrase was actually addressed in a speech to all-boy students. That’s why ‘boys.’ It doesn’t mean he had sexism and girls does not need to be ambitious.)
Tai-shi 大志(たいし) literary means ‘lofty aspiration’ but I never heard this word in the other occasions. It’s as if this word tai-shi 大志(たいし) was coined in order to translate his phrase.
It’s a word by William Smith Clark (1826-1886), who was an American professor of chemistry, botany and zoology; and a leader in agricultural education. In 1867, Clarke became the third president of the Massachusetts Agricultural College, now the University of Massachusetts Amherst.
He was invited by the Japanese government to Hokkaido, Japan in 1876 to establish the Sapporo Agricultural Collage, now Hokkaido University.
Though his stay in Japan was only eight months, he did establish it.
His contribution for only eight months was so enormous that his name and his word has been remembered by almost all Japanese including me.
William Smith Clarke is popularly known as kuraaku hakase クラーク(くらーく)博士(はかせ) in Japan.
The Sapporo Agricultural Collage(SAC) is Sapporo noo-gak-koo 札幌(さっぽろ)農学校(のうがっこう).
Hokkaido University is Hokkaido daigaku 北海道(ほっかいどう)大学(だいがく).
Hokkaido University is a Japanese national (public) university 国立大学 (こくりつだいがく) in Sapporo, Hokkaido. It is a member of the Imperial Universities, Teidai 帝大(ていだい) which were established to be the nation's finest institutes of higher education or research. It is considered one of the top universities in Japan.
Now Teidai 帝大 consists of the following seven universities:
- Hokkaido Daigaku (nickname: Hoku Dai 北大(ほくだい))―Hokkaido University 北海道(ほっかいどう)大学(だいがく)
- Tohoku Daigaku (nickname: Tompee 東北(とんぺい))―Tohoku University 東北(とうほく)大学(だいがく)
- Tokyo Daigaku (nickname: Too Dai 東大(とうだい))―University of Tokyo 東京(とうきょう)大学(だいがく)
- Nagoya Daigaku(nickname: Mee Dai 名(めい)大(だい))―Nagoya University 名古屋(なごや)大学(だいがく)
- Osaka Daigaku(nickname: Han Dai 阪(はん)大(だい))―Osaka University 大阪(おおさか)大学(だいがく)
- Kyoto Daigaku(nickname: Kyoo Dai 京大(きょうだい))―Kyoto University 京都(きょうと)大学(だいがく)
- Kyusyu Daigaku(nickname: Kyuu Dai 九大(きゅうだい))―Kyusyu University 九州(きゅうしゅう)大学(だいがく)
They are even now all prestigious universities in Japan. And, more importantly, they’re relatively inexpensive because they’re public universities.
William Smith Clarke introduced the first American model farm and barn in Japan and the first college military unit in the country. He also introduced new crops and new techniques in agriculture, fishing, and animal husbandry.
He not only contributed to the agriculture in japan, but also had a powerful personal effect on the first students of SAC. He resonated deeply with his Japanese students and, further, with a Japanese nation just emerging from a rigid feudal caste system.
During classroom lectures, informal evening talks, and outings to collect botanical specimens, Clark discussed morality and urged his students to, "Be gentlemen.”
The most famous words, “Boys, be ambitious”―shoonen-yo taishi-o ida-ke 少年(しょうねん)よ大志(たいし)を抱け(いだけ) is known to almost all Japanese.
Though this phrase was a part of his farewell speech, many of us don’t know the rest of his speech.
Because only the first word is known , we sometimes understand that he talked about social success or promotion in a company.
However, his speech went on like this:
Boys, be ambitious. Not for money, not for selfish accomplishment, not for that evanescent thing which all men call fame. Be ambitious for attainment of all that a man ought to be.
A Japanese translation:
少年(しょうねん)よ、大志(たいし)を抱け(いだけ)。金(かね)や利己的(りこてき)な功績(こうせき)のためでなく、人(ひと)が名声(めいせい)と呼ぶ(よぶ)あの、はなかいもののためでもなく、人(ひと)が備える(そなえる)べき性質(せいしつ)すべてを身(み)につけるために大志(たいし)を抱け(いだけ)。
For your reference, I’ll show you which Japanese word is chosen for the English as follows:
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