【演說者簡介】 劉欣(1975一)，南京大學(xué)外國語學(xué)院英語系學(xué)生，在1995年底的校級英語演講賽中脫穎而出，代表南京大學(xué)參加1996年3月22日在北京舉行的“21世紀(jì)杯全國大學(xué)生英語演講比賽”.以《選擇的重要性》為題發(fā)表演說，奪得比賽第一名。

Knowing the Consequences of Choice

     Over the past Spring Festival, I got involved in a family dispute. Right before I got home, four satellite channels of CCTV were added to the 14 channels we had already had. In prime time at night, they all had interesting shows. Therefore, the five of us-my parents, my sisters and I-had to argue over what to watch. Finally, we agreed that we should watch the "most interesting" programme... If we
could agree what that was.
     However, all of us there remember that for a long time after we had TV, there were only one or two channels available. The increase in options reveals an important change in our life: the abundance of choice.
    Fifteen years ago we all dressed in one style and in one colour. Today, we select from a wide variety of designs and shades.
    Fifteen years ago, we read few newspapers. Today, we read English newspapers like the China Daily and the 21st Century, as well as various Chinese newspapers.
    Fifteen years ago, English majors took only courses in language and literature. Today, we also study Western culture, journalism, business communications, international relations, and computer science.
    The emergence of choices marks the beginning of a new era in China's history; an era of diversity, of material and cultural richness, and an era of the rebirth of the Chinese nation.
    We enjoy the abundance of choice. But this has not come easily.
    About 150 years ago, China was forced to open up its door by Western canons and gunboats. It has been through the struggle and sacrifice of generations that we finally have gained the opportunity to choose for ourselves. The policy of reform and openness is the choice that has made all the difference.
    Like others of my age, I'm too young to have experienced the time when the Chinese people had no right to choose. However, as the next century draws near, it is time to ask: What does choice really mean to us young people? 
    Is choice a game that relies on chance or luck? Is choice an empty promise that never materializes? Or is choice a puzzle so difficult that we have to avoid it?
    First, I would like to say: To choose means to claim opportunities.
    I am a third-year English major. An important choice for me, of course, is what to do upon graduation. I can go to graduate school, at home or abroad. I can go to work as a teacher, a translator, a journalist, an editor and a diplomat. Actually, the system of mutual selection has allowed me to approach almost every career opportunity in China.
    Indeed, this is not going to be an easy choice. I would love to work in such big cities as Beijing or Shanghai or Shenzhen. I would also love to return to my hometown, which is intimate, though slightly lagging in development. I would love to stay in the coastal area where life is exciting and fast-paced. I would also love to put down roots in central and western China, which is underdeveloped, but holds
great potential.
    All of these sound good. But they are only possibilities. To those of us who are bewildered at the abundance of opportunities, I would like to say: To choose means to accept challenge.
    To us young people, challenge often emerges in the form of competition. In the next century, competition will not only come from other college graduates, but also from people of all ages and of all origins.
    With increasing international exchanges, we have to face growing competition from the whole outside world. This is calling for a higher level of our personal development.
    Fifteen years ago, the knowledge of a foreign language or of computer operation was considered merely an advantage. But today, with wider educational opportunities, this same knowledge has become essential to everyone.    
    Given this situation, even our smallest choices will require great wisdom and personal determination.
As we gain more initiative in choice making, the consequence of each choice also becomes more important.
    As we gain more initiative in choice making, the consequence of each choice also becomes more important.
    Nuclear power, for instance, may improve our quality of life. But it can also be used to damage the lives and possessions of millions.
    Economic development has enriched our lives but brought with it serious harm to our air, water and health.
    To those of us who are blind to the consequences of their choices, I would like to say, To choose means to take responsibility. When we are making choices for ourselves, we cannot casually say: "It's just my own business. " As policy makers of the next century, we cannot fail to see our responsibility to those who share the earth with us.
    The traditional Chinese culture teaches us to study hard and work hard so as to honor our family. To me, however, this family is not just the five of us who quarreled over television programmes. Rather, it is the whole of the human family. As I am making my choices, I will not forget the smile of my teacher when I correctly spelled out the word "China" for the first time, I will not forget the happy faces of the boys and girls we helped to send back to school in the mountains of Jiangxi Province. I will not forget the tearful eyes of women and children in Bosnia, Chechnya and Somali, where millions are suffering from war, famine or poverty. 
    All these people, known and unknown, make up our big human family. At different points, they came into my life and broaden my perspective. Now as I am to make choices for myself, it is time to make efforts to improve their lives, because a world will benefit us all only if every one in it can lead a peaceful and prosperous life.

選擇的重要性

    去年春節(jié)期間，我陷入過一場家庭紛爭。在我回家之前，我們家的電視除了已有的14個頻道外又增加了四個衛(wèi)星頻道。晚上的黃金時間，每個頻道的節(jié)目都很精彩.結(jié)果，我們一家五口(父母，兩個姐姐和我)為了選臺而爭執(zhí)起來。最后，我們決定應(yīng)當(dāng)看“最有意思”的節(jié)目——如果我們在什么是“最有意思”上可以認(rèn)同的話。
    不過我們?nèi)记宄赜浀?，買了電視后的好長一段時間里，只有一兩個頻道可供選擇。電視頻道的增多反映出我們生活中的一個重大變化:選擇余地的擴大。
    15年前，我們身著同樣的款式，單一的色調(diào)。而如今，紛繁的花色和眾多的式樣讓我們挑得眼花繚亂。
    15年前，我們幾乎無報可讀。而如今，除了大大小小的中文報紙，我們還讀上了《中國日報》、《21世紀(jì)報》這樣的英文報紙。
    15年前，英語專業(yè)的學(xué)生只能選語言與文學(xué)課程。而如今，我們還學(xué)習(xí)西方文化，新聞，商務(wù)，國際關(guān)系，甚至還有計算機課程。
    選擇的涌現(xiàn)標(biāo)志著中國進(jìn)入了一個嶄新的時代，一個充滿多樣化的時代，一個物質(zhì)與精神都愈加豐富的時代，一個中華民族獲得新生的時代。
    我們?yōu)檫x擇之多而歡呼雀躍，同時也深深地感到這一切來之不易。
    一個半世紀(jì)之前，在西方大炮、戰(zhàn)艦的威通下，中國被迫打開了國門。經(jīng)過祖祖輩輩的抗?fàn)幣c犧牲，我們才最終贏得了當(dāng)家作主的機會。改革開放這個正確的抉擇使一切發(fā)生了翻天覆地的變化。
    我和其他同齡人一樣，太年輕了、沒有經(jīng)歷過中國人喪失選擇權(quán)的歲月。但是，隨著下個世紀(jì)的腳步越走越近，我們是該們心自間了:選擇，對于我們青年一代，到底意味著什么?
    選擇，是場靠僥幸來獲勝的游戲嗎?是句不用兌現(xiàn)的空話嗎?抑或是種讓人知難而退的困境?
    首先，我認(rèn)為，選擇意味著抓住機遇。
    我是英語專業(yè)三年級學(xué)生，我所面臨的一個重大選擇當(dāng)然是畢業(yè)后的去向。我可以攻讀碩士學(xué)位，或在國內(nèi)，或在國外。我可以走上工作崗位，做名教師，翻譯，記者，編輯或外交家.實際上，雙向選擇的體制在我面前鋪開了通向各行各業(yè)的大道。
    說真的，這個選擇并不好做。我愿意在像北京、上海、深圳這樣的大都市里工作，我也盼著能回到雖不那么發(fā)達(dá)卻使我倍感親切的故鄉(xiāng)。我希望可以留在生活節(jié)奏快，令人興奮的沿海地帶，我也愿意扎根于廣炭的中西部地區(qū)，那里雖然條件艱苦，卻有極大的發(fā)展?jié)摿Α?br />    所有這一切聽上去令人振奮，但它們畢竟只是可能性。有些人面對五花八門的選擇挑得眼花繚亂，我要告訴他們:選擇就意味著接受挑戰(zhàn)。
    對于我們青年一代，挑戰(zhàn)常以竟?fàn)幍男问匠霈F(xiàn)。到下個世紀(jì)，競爭者將不僅只是其他大學(xué)畢業(yè)生，更有各行各業(yè)不同年齡層的人們。
    隨著國際交流的不斷增多，我們得面對來自整個外部世界日益激烈的競爭，這就對我們個/、的發(fā)展提出了更高的要求。
    15年前，懂門外語或會用計算機是個優(yōu)越條件。但今天，隨著受教育面的拓寬，以上的知識也成了每個人必備的條件。
    在這種形勢下，即便最細(xì)小的選擇也要求我們具有極大的智慧和自主精神。
    當(dāng)我們面對選擇不斷增強自己的主動性時，每一次選擇的結(jié)果也同樣變得愈加重要。
比方說，核能可以提高人民的生活水平，可它同樣也能毀滅千百萬人的生命財產(chǎn)。
    經(jīng)濟的發(fā)展使我們富裕起來，卻也給我們的空氣、水、健康帶來了嚴(yán)重危害。有些人對選擇的后果毫不在乎，我要對他們說:選擇還意味著承擔(dān)責(zé)任。我們替自己做選擇時，不能隨口一句“這不關(guān)別人的事”。作為下個世紀(jì)的決策者，我們必須承擔(dān)對和我們共同擁有這個地球的人們所負(fù)的責(zé)任。
    傳統(tǒng)的中華文化教育我們，要勃奮學(xué)習(xí)，努力工作，以榮耀家門。然而我認(rèn)為，這個家門并不只指諸如我的那個爭看電視的五口小家。更確切地說，它指的是整個人類這個大家庭。當(dāng)我為自己的未來做出選擇時，我不會忘記自己第一次正確讀出“China"這個單詞時老師臉上的笑容。我也不會忘記在我們的幫助下重返校園的江西山區(qū)的孩子們興奮的臉龐。我更不會忘記飽受戰(zhàn)火、饑荒、貧困蹂蹦的波斯尼亞、車臣、索馬里，不會忘記那里成千上萬的婦女兒童淚水模糊的雙眼。
    所有這些我認(rèn)識或不認(rèn)識的人們組成了人類這個大家庭。他們從不同的時空中走進(jìn)了我的生活，開拓了我的視野?，F(xiàn)在，我將為自己做出抉擇，該是為使他們的生活變得美好而奮斗的時候了。因為只有當(dāng)每個人都過上和平、富足的生活，世界才能成為大家的樂園.