爱华网MyStoryandtheChineseDreamBehindIt
Inthepasttwentyyears,ChinahasfacedthreeAmericanpresidents,buttillcomingtoYaletoday,IneverrealizedthatChinareallyjustfacedoneuniversity.Although,throughthesethreepresidents,IunderstandthatthequalityofYalegraduatesisnotsoeven.
Letmebeginmymainsubjectandletmegiveitatitle,called“MyStoryandtheChineseDreamBehindIt”.Iwanttotalkaboutfiveparticularyears.Thefirstis1968.ThatyearIwasborn.Butitwasalsoachaoticyearfortheworld.InFrance,therewasthishugestreetdisturbance,andinAmerica,too.ThenPresidentKennedywasassassinated.However,Ireallydidnotcauseallofthese!ButthatyearwhatweremembermorewastheassassinationofMr.MartinLutherKing.Althoughhefellthatyear,hiswords“Ihaveadream”stoodup,notonlystoodupinAmerica,butacrossthewholeworld.
Butsadly,notonlyforme,butforalmostallChinese,wedidnotknowsuchadream.ItwashardtodescribeeachChineseashavinghisorherowndream.ChinaandAmericaweresofarapart,nolessfarapartthantheMoonandtheEarth.ButIdidn’tcareaboutanyofthat.AllIcaredaboutwascouldIhaveafullmeal.Clearly,Iwasbornataveryinconvenienttime,notonlyforChina,butevenfortheworld,therewereproblems.
In1978,tenyearslater,Iwas10.Istilllivedintheverylittlecitythathadonly200thousandpeopleatthetimeIwasborn.Itwas2000kmfromBeijing.IfyouwantedtoreadthenewspaperfromBeijing,youwaitedthreedays.Soforus,therewasnosuchthingasnews.Thatyearmygrandfatherpassedaway.Twoyearsbeforethatmyfatherpassedaway.Sotherewasjustmymotherlefttotakecareofmeandmybrother.Hermonthlysalarywasnoteventendollars.Asaresult,eventhoughIwas10,theword“dream”wasstillnotinmyvocabulary,andIwouldneverthinkofit.Icouldnotseehopeinthisfamily,butonlyfeltbittercoldeverywinter.WherewelivedwasclosetotheSovietUnion.Yetthe1978inwhichIcouldnotseehopewasalsotheyearthatahugechangetookplace,whetherforChinaorfortherelationshipbetweenChinaandAmerica.Thatisadatethateverybodyheretodayshouldremember.
December16,1978,ChinaandAmericaofficiallyestablisheddiplomaticrelations.Thatwasabigevent.Andtwodaysafterthat,December18waswhenChinaopenedthe3rdPlenarySessionoftheEleventhCPCCentralCommittee.Thatwasthebeginningofthirty-oneyearsofReformandOpening.History,twogreatnations,andaverypitifulfamilyallbecameintertwinedinatheatricalway.Truthfully,fromthesmallpersonalfamily,tothebigfamilyofthecountry,nobodythenhadanyideawhatthefuturewouldbelike.
In1988,Iwas20.AtthistimeIhadalreadycomeoutofthelittlebordertowntoBeijingasauniversitystudent.AlthoughwehavemanypeopleinChinatodaycriticizingChina’suniversityentranceexamsandseemanymanydeficienciesinit,itmustbesaidthatitissuchasystemthatallowedveryordinarypeoplelikemetohavetheopportunitytochangeourlives.Ofcourse,atthattime,Americawasnolongeraverydistantcountry.Itbecameveryspecific.Itwasnolongerthe“ImperialistAmerica”ofthepastslogans,butitbecamethemanydetailsinourlives.ThiswasthefirsttimethatItastedCoca-Cola.WhenIfinisheddrinkingitIbelievedChinaandAmericaweretrulysoclose,becauseittastedjustlikeChinesemedicine.
ThatwasatimewhenItookacrazylikingtorock’n’roll.ThatwasatimewhenMichaelJacksonstilllookedrelativelyhandsome.Moreimportantly,thatwasatimewhenChinaexperiencedverybigtransformations,asReformandOpeninghadalreadygoneonfortenyears.Thatyear,Chinabeganexperimentingwithmarketpricingformanygoods.Itmayfeellikesomethingtotallyincomprehensibletoyou,butitwasabigdealinChina,ahugestep,becausebeforethatthepricesweredecidedbythegovernment.Butinthatyear,becausepricecontrolswererelaxed,thewholecountrywentonacrazyshoppingspree.Everybodyallthought,howlongcouldthislast,sotheyhadtogetawholelife’sworthoffoodandgoodstobringhome.ThatyearsymbolizedthatChinamarchedcloserandclosertoamarketeconomy.
Ofcoursebackthennobodyknewthatmarketeconomycouldalsohaveasubprimecrisis.Anyway,Iknowthat1988wasanextraimportantyearforYale,becauseaYalealumonceagainbecameanAmericanPresident.
In1998,Iwas30.IhadalreadybecomeanewsanchoratCCTV.Moreimportantly,Ihadbecomethefatherofaone-year-oldchild.ThatyearaveryimportantthinghappenedbetweenChinaandAmerica,andtheprotagonistwasClinton.PerhapsyourememberhissexualscandalinAmerica,butinChinawhatwerememberishisvisittoChinathatyear.InJune,whenhevisitedChina,heandPresidentJiangZeminheldanopenpressconferenceintheGreatHallofthePeople.ThenhegaveanopenlectureatPekingUniversity.Theliveanchorforbotheventswasme.
DuringClinton’slectureatPekingUniversity,becauseheusedhisowntranslatorthewholetime,IguessedthatmanyChineseviewersonlyknewthatClintonwasdefinitelysayingsomething,butwhathesaidwasn’tallthatclear.Soneartheendofmylivebroadcast,IremarkedthatitlookedlikeforAmericatolearnmoreaboutChina,sometimesitneededtostartwithlanguage,thoughforourtwocountries,face-to-facewasalwaysbetterthanback-to-back.ItwasalsoatthebeginningofthatyearthatIdrovethefirstcarinmylife.Formethiswasunimaginablebefore,thatChinesepeopleonedaywouldalsodrivetheirowncars.Apersonaldelightcanalsomakealastingimpression,becausesometimesthefirsttimeisthemostunforgettable.
In2008,Iwas40.Thewords“Ihaveadream”thathaven’tbeendiscussedformanyyearsnowwereheardamongsomanyAmericans.ItseemedlikeObamareallydidnotwanttoacceptYale’s20-yearoccupationofAmerica.Usingwordslike“change”and“dream”,heevenconvincedYaleteachersandstudentstoparadeandcelebratehiselectiontothePresidency,accordingtowhatI’veheard.
ButthiswasalsoayearinwhichtheChineseDreamshowedclearly.Afterencounteringmanysetbacksasanygranddreamintheworldisdestinedto,itcamethrough.Whetheritwasthelong-awaitedBeijingOlympics,orthefirstspacewalkbyaChineseaboardtheShenzhou7,thesewerealldreamswhichwehavewaitedforalongtimesincealongtimeago.ButthesuddenSichuanEarthquakemadeallthisnotasmagnificentaswehadexpected.Eighty-thousandlivesdeparted,andmadeeverydayof2008seemlikeayear.I’mguessingthatonYale’scampus,oneverywebsite,infrontoftelevisionandnewspapers,werealsomanypeoplefromChina,andpeopleinallpartsoftheworld,whoshedtearsfortheselostlives.JustlikefortyyearsagowhenMr.MartinLutherKingfellbutallowedthewords“Ihaveadream”tostandhigher,moreenduring,andseemevermorevaluable,moreChinesepeoplealsocametounderstandthatdreamsareimportant,butlivesareevenmoreso.
DuringtheOlympics,Ipassedmyownfortiethbirthday.ThatdayIwasfullofemotionalthoughts,becausewhenthedayofmybirthdayapproached,Iwasbroadcastinganexcitingcompetition.Twenty-fourhourslater,whenmybirthdaywaspassing,Iwasstillbroadcasting.ButthatdayIfeltveryfortunate.BecauseitwassuchaspecialfortiethbirthdayattheBeijngOlympicsthatmademerealizetheChineseDreambehindmypersonalstory.
ItwasinthiskindoffortyyearsthatIwentfromafar-awayborder-townkidwhohadnopossibilityofhavingadream,toanewsmanwhocouldbeatabigfestivalcelebratedwithallofhumanityandwhocouldcommunicateandsharethehappinesswiththem.ThiswasalifestorythattookplaceinChina.Andinthisyear,ChinaandAmericawerenotfarapart.Therewasabitofmeinyouandabitofyouinme,weneededeachother.ItwassaidthatPresidentBushspentthelongesttimeinanycountryabroadasPresident,andthatwasduringtheBeijingOlympics.Phelpstookeightmedalsthere,andhisfamilywastherebyhisside.AllChinesewishedthatextraordinaryfamilywell.Ofcourse,everydreamwillpass.Insuchayear,ChinaandAmericaalmostsimultaneouslyfoundtheirnew“Ihaveadream”moment,anditwassocoincidental,andsodeserving.
Americaisfacingaveryverydifficultfinancialcrisis,anditisn’tonlyAmerica,butitaffectsthewholeworldseriously.YesterdayIgottoNewYork.AssoonasIdeplaned,IwenttoWallStreet.ThereIsawthestatueofPresidentWashington.HisgazewaspermanentlyfixedonthehugeAmericanflagonthestockexchange.Interestingly,thehallbehindthestatuewasholdinganexhibitionon“PresidentLincolninNewYork”,soPresidentLincoln’shugeportraitwasalsoonit,andhealsogazedattheflag.Ifelttheverysolemnweightofhistory.WhenIleftthere,Itoldmycolleaguethis.Isaid,manymanyyearsago,ifsomethinglikethisbefellAmerica,perhapsChinesepeoplewouldhavetakenpleasure,becausesee,Americaismiserableagain.Buttoday,ChinesepeoplewouldespeciallywishthatAmericagetbettersoon.BecausewehavehundredsofbillionsworthofmoneywithAmerica.WealsohaveahugequantityofproductswaitingtobeputonfreightersandsenttoAmerica.IfAmerica’seconomytakesastepforthebetter,itmeansbehindtheseproducts,anotherChinesegetsaraise,itmeansheregainshisemploymentandhappinessinthefamily.
Inthepast30years,Idon’tknowifyou’venoticedtheChineseDreamthatisrelevanttomoreandmoreordinaryChinesepeople.Idon’tknowwhatothercountryinthisworld,inthepast30years,haschangedtheindividualfatesatthismagnitude.Akidfromaremotesmallcityontheperiphery,akidindespair,todayhasthechancetohaveanexchangewiththeseYalestudents.Maybewecanchangetheviewpoint,andlookat1.3billionveryordinaryChinese,theirdown-to-earthdreams,theirimpulsivedrivetochangetheirfates,theirstillkindheartedtemperament,andtheirdiligentcharacter.Today’sChinaismadeupofthesewordsIjustspoke.
Inthepastmanyyears,ChineseseemedtobelookingatAmericathroughatelescope.SoeverythinggoodthatisinAmericawasmagnifiedbythistelescope.FrequentlypeoplementionedAmericawaslikethisandlikethat,thenlookatus,whencanwebelikethat.Inthepastmanyyears,AmericansalsoseemedtobelookingatChinathroughatelescope,butIamguessingtheyhelditbackwards.Becausewhattheysawwasadiminished,always-doing-wrong,full-of-problemsChina.Theyoverlooked1.3veryordinaryChinesepeopleandthisimpulsivedriveandurgeoftheirstochangetheirfate,whichcausedsuchhugetransformationsinourcountry.ButIalsoalwayshadthisdream:whydoweneedtousetelescopestolookateachother?
OfcourseIhopeverymanyAmericanshaveachancetogoseeChina,andnottolookatChinathroughthemedia.YouknowIdon’treallytrustallofmycolleagues.I’mjustkidding.ActuallyIrespectmyAmericancolleaguesverymuch.IonlyhopethatmoreandmoreAmericanfriendsgotoseearealChina.BecauseIcanatleastguaranteeonething.EvenifinAmericayouatewhatwasdeemedtobethebestChinesefood,inwon’tfetchagoodpriceinChina.Justlikemanymanyyearsago,ineverycityofChinatherewasthispopular“CaliforniaBeefNoodle”shop.ManyChineseallthought,anythingfromAmericawasdefinitelyveryverytasty.Sotheyallwenttoeat.Althoughitwasnotverytasty,theydidn’tcomplainbecausetheyknewitwasfromAmerica.Thisfast-foodchainexistedinChinaformanyyears,untilmoreandmoreChinesepeoplecametoAmerica,andsearchedeverycornerofCaliforniaforaCaliforniaBeefNoodleshop,andcouldnotfindasingleone.OnlythendidmoreandmoreChineseknowthatCaliforniadoesn’thavesuchbeefnoodle,sothischainstoreinChinaisintheprocessofdisappearing.ThisisthekindofdiscrepancyIamtalkingabout.Aswecomeandgo,suchmisunderstandingswillbefewerandfewer.
SolastlyIjustwanttosayonethingagain.Fortyyearsago,whenMr.MartinLutherKingfelldown,hiswords“Ihaveadream”spreadacrosstheworld.But,youmustknowthatthereisnotjustanEnglishversionof“Ihaveadream.”InthedistantEast,intheChinathathasheldonforthousandsofyears,thereisalsoadream.Itisn’tagrandioseslogan,itdoesn’tliewiththegovernment.ItbelongstoeveryordinaryChinese.Itis“Ihaveadream”writteninChinese.
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