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.TaketheUnitedStatesasanexample:Duringthe1980s,infaceoftheoverwhelmingcompetitionfromJapan,manyAmericancompaniessuchastheFordbegantoadoptateamworkmanagementfromtheirrivals,theessenceofwhich,layattheverycoreofEasternculture.TaketheChineseacupunctureasanotherexample:ThistraditionaltreatmentofdiseasesisfinallyfindingitswaytotheWestandhencetheunderlyingnotionthatillnessisresultedfromtheimbalancebetweenyinandyangwithinthebody--anideawhichwouldstrikeanyWesternerasincredibleinthepast!LadiesandGentlemen,weliveinagreatepochwhentheglobalintegrationofeconomyandtheinformationrevolutionhavebroughtculturesoftheworldcloserthaneverbefore.Weliveinaparticularerawhencountries,EastandWest,findthemselvesinneedofreadjustingtheirtraditionalvalues.Welive,atthesametime,atacriticaljunctureofourevolutionbecausesuchproblemsasethnicconflictsandregionalunrestareincreasinglyposingathreattothepeaceandhappinessofthewholehumanrace.Tocopewithsuchaneraandtoembraceanevenbrighterfuture,weneedtolearntolivemoreharmoniouslyinaworldcommunitywhichisbecomingsmallerandsmaller.Mydearfellowstudents,ourcommandoftheEnglishlanguagerendersitpossibleforustogainaninsightintoWesternculturewhileretainingourownculturalidentity.Therefore,itisoursacredresponsibilitytopromotetheculturalexchangesandhencethemutualunderstandingbetweenChinaandtherestoftheworld.ItismyhappiestdreamthatnewgenerationofChinesewillnotonlygrowupdrinkingCocacolaandwatchingHollywood,butalsobeblessedwiththefar-reachingbenefitsofmultiplecultures;benefitsthatourforefathershadnever,everdreamedof.Toendmyspeech,IwouldliketoquoteRudyardKiplingagain:AllthepeoplelikeusareWeAndeveryoneelseisTheyButonceyoucrossovertheseaYouwillendbylookingonWeAsonlyasortofThey.Thankyou.
