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 program...
if wecould 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 color. 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.
the emergence of
choices marks the beginning of a new era in chinas history; an era of diversity, of
material and cultural richness, and an era of the rebirth of the chinese nation.
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, im 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 luckis 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.
given this
situation, even our smallest choices will require great wisdom and personal
determination.
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 eiched 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: its 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
programs. 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
外又增加了四個衛星頻道。晚上的黃金時間，每個頻道的節目都很精彩.結果，我們一家五口
(父母，兩個姐姐和我)為了選臺而爭執起來。最後，我們決定應當看“最有意思”的節目
如果我們在什麼是“最有意思”上可以認同的話。
不過我們全都清楚
地記得，買了電視後的好長一段時間裡，只有一兩個頻道可供選擇。電視訊道的增多反映出
我們生活中的一個重大變化:選擇餘地的擴大。 15年前，我們身著同樣的款式，單一的色調。
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世紀報》這
樣的英文報紙。
15年前，英語專業
的學生只能選語言與文學課程。而如今，我們還學習西方文化，新聞，商務，國際關係，甚
至還有計算機課程。
選擇的湧現標誌著
中國進入了一個嶄新的時代，一個充滿多樣化的時代，一個物質與精神都愈加豐富的時代，
一箇中華民族獲得新生的時代。
我們為選擇之多而
歡呼雀躍，同時也深深地感到這一切來之不易。
一個半世紀之前，
在西方大炮、戰艦的威通下，中國被迫打開了國門。經過祖祖輩輩的抗爭與犧牲，我們才最
終贏得了當家作主的機會。改革開放這個正確的抉擇使一切發生了翻天覆地的變化。
我和其他同齡人一
樣，太年輕了、沒有經歷過中國人喪失選擇權的.歲月。但是，隨著下個世紀的腳步越走越近，
我們是該們心自間了:選擇，對於我們青年一代，到底意味著什麼
選擇，是場靠僥倖
來獲勝的遊戲嗎是句不用兌現的空話嗎抑或是種讓人知難而退的困境
首先，我認為，選
擇意味著抓住機遇。
我是英語專業三年
級學生，我所面臨的一個重大選擇當然是畢業後的去向。我可以攻讀碩士學位，或在國內，
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的大道。
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。
對於我們青年一代，
挑戰常以竟爭的形式出現。到下個世紀，競爭者將不僅只是其他大學畢業生，更有各行各業
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
便最細小的選擇也要求我們具有極大的智慧和自主精神。 當我們面對選擇不斷增強自己的主
動性時，每一次選擇的結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。 經濟的發展使我們富裕起來，
卻也給我們的空氣、水、健康帶來了嚴重危害。有些人對選擇的後果毫不在乎，我要對他們
說:選擇還意味著承擔責任。我們替自己做選擇時，不能隨口一句“這不關別人的事”。作為
下個世紀的決策者，我們必須承擔對和我們共同擁有這個地球的人們所負的責任。
傳統的中華文化教
育我們，要勃奮學習，努力工作，以榮耀家門。然而我認為，這個家門並不只指諸如我的那
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的孩子們興奮的臉龐。我更不會忘記飽受戰火、飢
荒、貧困蹂蹦的波斯尼亞、車臣、索馬利亞，不會忘記那裡成千上萬的婦女兒童淚水模糊的雙
眼。 所有這些我認識或不認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了我
的生活，開拓了我的視野。現在，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。因為只有當每個人都過上和平、富足的生活，世界才能成為大家的樂園.
