全国英语演讲冠军——夏鹏的演讲稿

FromWallstoBridges

I'mstudyinginacityfamousforitswalls.Allvisitorstomycityareamazedbytheimposingsightofthecitywalls,silhouettedbythesettingsunwithgoldandshininglines.Withold,crackedbrickspatchedwithlichen,thewallsareweather-beatenguards,standingstillforcenturiesinprotectingthecity.

Ourancestorslikedtobuildwalls.TheybuiltwallsinBeijing,Xi'an,Nanjingandmanyothercities,andtheybuilttheGreatWall,whichsnakesthroughhalfofourcountry.Theybuiltwallstowardoffenemiesandevilspirits.Thistraditionhasbeenmaintainedtothisdayaswestillhavemanyparksandschoolswalledofffromthepublic.Igrewupatthefootofthecitywalls,andI'velovedthemsincemychildhood.Foralongtime,wallswereoneofthemostnaturalthingsintheworld.

Myperception,however,changedafterahikingtriptotheEasternSuburbs,ascenicareaofmycity.MyclassmatesandIwerewalkingwithsomeinternationalstudents.Aswewalkedoutofthecity,wefoundourselvesflankedbytallerandtallertrees,whichformedahugecanopyaboveourheads.Suddenlyaninternationalstudentaskedme,WhereistheentrancetotheEasternSuburbs?

We'realreadyintheEasternSuburbs,Ireplied.

Heseemedtakenaback,IthoughtyouChinesehavewallsforeverything.Hisremarksetoffaheateddebate.Atonepoint,helikenedourwalledcitiestojails,whileIinsistedthattheEasternSuburbswereoneofthemanyplacesinChinathathadnowalls.

Thatdebatehadnowinners,butIdidlearnalotfromthisinternationalstudent.Forinstance,hetoldmethatuniversitieslikeOxfordandCambridgewerenotsurroundedbywalls;thecampuseswerejustpartofthecities.IhavetoadmitthatwedohavemanywallsinChina,andaswearedevelopingourcountry,wemustcarefullyexaminethem,whethertheyarephysicalorintangible.WewillkeepsomewallsbutteardownthosethatimpedeChina'sdevelopment.

Letmegiveyouanexample.

Ayearago,whenIwasworkingonatermpaper,Ineededabookonbusinesslawandfoundacopyinthelawschoollibrary.However,thelibrarianturneddownmyrequestwithacoldshoulder,saying,Youcan'tborrowthisbook,youarenotastudenthere.Intheend,Ihadtospend200yuanbuyingacopy;meanwhile,thecopyinlawschoolwasgatheringdustontheshelf.

Atthebeginningofthissemester,Iheardthatmyuniversityhasstartednotonlytounifyitslibrariesbutalsolinkthemupwithlibrariesofotheruniversities,somyexperiencewillnotberepeated.Barrierswillbereplacedbybridges.Throughaninter-libraryloansystem,wewillhaveaccesstobooksfromanylibrary.Withglobalization,withChinaintegratedintotheworld,Ibelievemanyoftheseintangiblewallswillbeknockeddown.

Iknowglobalizationisacontroversialissue,anditishardtosaywhetheritisgoodorbad.Butonethingisforsure:itdrawsourattentiontoChina'stangibleandintangiblewallsandforcesustoexaminetheirrolesinthemodernworld.

Andhowabouttheancientwallsinmycityandothercities?Shouldwetearthemdown?Justtheopposite.Mycity,likeBeijingandothercities,isactuallymakingagreatefforttopreservethewalls.Thesewallsattractnotonlyhistoriansandarcheologistsbutalsomanyschoolchildrentryingtostudyourhistoryandculturalheritage.Wallshaveturnedintobridgestoourpastandtotherestoftheworld.Iftheancientbuildersofthesewallswerestillalivetoday,theywouldbeproudtoseesuchgreatchangeintheroleoftheirwalls.TheyarenowbridgesthatlinkEastandWest,SouthandNorth,andallcountriesoftheworld.Ourculturalheritagewillsurviveglobalization