英语演讲比赛冠军穿越海洋goodafternoon,ladiesandgentlemen.thetitleofmyspeechtodayis"crossingthesea".anenglishpoetbythenameofrudyardkiplingoncewroteinthispoem"weandthey"allthepeoplelikeusareweandeveryoneelseistheyweliveovertheseawhiletheyliveoverthewayweeatporkandbeefwithcowhorn-handledknivestheywhogobbletheirriceoffaleafarehorrifiedoutoftheirlives.whentheselinesfirstcaughtmyeyes,iwasshocked--howcouldtwopeopleremainsoisolatedandignorantofeachotherinthepast?today'ssociety,ofcourse,isanentirelydifferentpicture.thosepeoplewhousedtoeatwithgobbletheirricemightbeaswellhavetakentofishandchips.indeed,justtakechinaasexample;ourmodernlifehasbeeninfluencedbywesternstyleoflivinginsomanywaysthatit'snolongersurprisingtoseeteenagersgoingcrazyaboutrock-and-roll,wholefamiliesdiningoutatmcdonald'sandevenratherelderlypeopledressedinapplejeans.however,theseareonlysomeexpressionsoftheculturalchangestakingplaceinoursocietytoday.whatisreallygoingonisasubtlebutsignificantrestructuringofthenation'smentality.justlookaround.howmanycollegegraduatesarereadytocompeteaggressivelyforeveryjobopportunity,whereasnotlongagotheywereaskedjusttositidleandwaitforwhateverwastobeassignedtothembythegovernment?howmanyyoungpeoplearenoweagertoseekforanindependentlifewhereasonlytwodecadesagotheywouldrelytotallyontheirparentstoarrangefortheirfuture?askanyonewhoparticipatesintoday'sspeechcontest.whohasnotcomewithawilltofightandwhohasnotcomedeterminedtoachieveself-fulfillmentinwinningthegame?andi'mquitecertainthatifconfuciushadlivedtoseetoday'schina,hewouldhavebeenhorrifiedtoseeyoungloverskissingeachotherinpublicplacesinanunreservedexpressionoftheirpassion.itisthereforeevidentthatweasdescendantsofanancienteasterncivilizationarealreadylivingunderstronginfluenceofthewesternculture.butitisnotonlyinchinathatwefindtheincorporationofthetwocultures.taketheunitedstatesasanexampleduringthe1980s,infaceoftheoverwhelmingcompetitionfromjapan,manyamericancompaniessuchasthefordbegantoadoptateamworkmanagementfromtheirrivals,theessenceofwhich,layattheverycoreofeasternculture.takethechineseacupunctureasanotherexamplethistraditionaltreatmentofdiseasesisfinallyfindingitswaytothewestandhencetheunderlyingnotionthatillnessisresultedfromtheimbalancebetweenyinandyangwithinthebody--anideawhichwouldstrikeanywesternerasincredibleinthepast!ladiesandgentlemen,weliveinagreatepochwhentheglobalintegrationofeconomyandtheinformationrevolutionhavebroughtculturesoftheworldcloserthaneverbefore.weliveinaparticularerawhencountries,eastandwest,findthemselvesinneedofreadjustingtheirtraditionalvalues.welive,atthesametime,atacriticaljunctureofourevolutionbecausesuchproblemsasethnicconflictsandregionalunrestareincreasinglyposingathreattothepeaceandhappinessofthewholehumanrace.tocopewithsuchaneraandtoembraceanevenbrighterfuture,weneedtolearntolivemoreharmoniouslyinaworldcommunitywhichisbecomingsmallerandsmaller.mydearfellowstudents,ourcommandoftheenglishlanguagerendersitpossibleforustogainaninsightintowesternculturewhileretainingourownculturalidentity.therefore,itisoursacredresponsibilitytopromotetheculturalexchangesandhencethemutualunderstandingbetweenchinaandtherestoftheworld.itismyhappiestdreamthatnewgenerationofchinesewillnotonlygrowupdrinkingcocacolaandwatchinghollywood,butalsobeblessedwiththefar-reachingbenefitsofmultiplecultures;benefitsthatourforefathershadn...
