From Walls to Bridges
I’m studying in a city famous for its walls. All visitors to my city are amazed by the imposing sight of the city walls, silhouetted by the setting sun with gold and shining lines. With old, cracked bricks patched with lichen, the walls are weather-beaten guards, standing still for centuries in protecting the city.
Our ancestors liked to build walls. They built walls in Beijing, Xi’an, Nanjing and many other cities, and they built the Great Wall, which snakes through half of our country. They built walls to ward off enemies and evil spirits. This tradition has been maintained to this day as we still have many parks and schools walled off from the public. I grew up at the foot of the city walls, and I’ve loved them since my childhood. For a long time, walls were one of the most natural things in the world.
My perception, however, changed after a hiking trip to the Eastern Suburbs, a scenic area of my city. My classmates and I were walking with some international students. As we walked out of the city, we found ourselves flanked by taller and taller trees, which formed a huge canopy above our heads. Suddenly an international student asked me, “Where is the entrance to the Eastern Suburbs?”
”We’re already in the Eastern Suburbs,” I replied.
He seemed taken aback, “I thought you Chinese have walls for everything.” His remark set off a heated debate. At one point, he likened our walled cities to “jails,” while I insisted that the Eastern Suburbs were one of the many places in China that had no walls.
That debate had no winners, but I did learn a lot from this international student. For instance, he told me that universities like Oxford and Cambridge were not surrounded by walls; the campuses were just part of the cities. I have to admit that we do have many walls in China, and as we are developing our country, we must carefully examine them, whether they are physical or intangible. We will keep some walls but tear down those that impede China’s development.
Let me give you an example.
A year ago, when I was working on a term paper, I needed a book on business law and found a copy in the law school library. However, the librarian turned down my request with a cold shoulder, saying, “You can’t borrow this book, you are not a student here.” In the end, I had to spend 200 yuan buying a copy; meanwhile, the copy in law school was gathering dust on the shelf.
At the beginning of this semester, I heard that my university has started not only to unify its libraries but also link them up with libraries of other universities, so my experience will not be repeated. Barriers will be replaced by bridges. Through an inter-library loan system, we will have access to books from any library. With globalization, with China integrated into the world, I believe many of these intangible walls will be knocked down.
I know globalization is a controversial issue, and it is hard to say whether it is good or bad. But one thing is for sure: it draws our attention to China’s tangible and intangible walls and forces us to examine their roles in the modern world.
And how about the ancient walls in my city and other cities? Should we tear them down? Just the opposite. My city, like Beijing and other cities, is actually making a great effort to preserve the walls. These walls attract not only historians and archeologists but also many schoolchildren trying to study our history and cultural heritage. Walls have turned into bridges to our past and to the rest of the world. If the ancient builders of these walls were still alive today, they would be proud to see such great change in the role of their walls. They are now bridges that link East and West, South and North, and all countries of the world. Our cultural heritage will survive globalization.
免费试听
更多>>时长 : 21:15 主讲 : 徐宸
时长 : 18:37 主讲 : 孔令金
时长 : 29:45 主讲 : 乔迪
时长 : 29:45 主讲 : 乔迪
时长 : 44:09 主讲 : 徐宸
时长 : 29:45 主讲 : 乔迪
时长 : 18:37 主讲 : 孔令金
时长 : 18:37 主讲 : 孔令金
时长 : 18:37 主讲 : 孔令金
推荐阅读
更多>>迎春乐 柳永 近来憔悴人惊怪。为别后、相思煞。我前生、负你愁烦债。便苦恁难开解。 良夜永、牵情无计奈。锦被里、馀香犹在。
Sonnet 14 If Thou Must Love Me Elizabeth Barrett Browning If thou must love me, let it be for naught
为了帮助同学们提高英语学习能力,新东方在线英语频道整理了《英国女王发表特别讲话:我们将会重逢(中英双语)》,希望对大家有所帮助。
以下是新东方在线英语学习网给大家整理的TED演讲:20岁到30岁人生的关键期 不可挥霍的光阴(双语),希望能够帮助大家更好提高自己的英语水平,更多英语学习内容,欢迎随时关注新东方在线英语学习网。
来源 : 新东方网 2019-05-21 15:10:04 关键字 : TED演讲
十三届全国人大二次会议12日上午9时举行第三次全体会议,听取最高人民法院院长周强关于最高人民法院工作的报告,听取最高人民检察院检
新东方在线口译网为大家准备了互联网大佬们在“两会”期间都说了什么?想知道近来都有哪些热点新闻吗?新东方在线口译小编为您发布~更多双语时事的相关内容,尽在新东方口译网。
新东方在线口译网为大家准备了 国务委员兼外交部长王毅记者会双语要点。想知道近来都有哪些热点新闻吗?新东方在线口译小编为您发布~更多双语时事的相关内容,尽在新东方口译网。
新东方在线口译网为大家准备了部长语录:中国运动员会在北京冬奥会上争金夺银。想知道近来都有哪些热点新闻吗?新东方在线口译小编为您发布~更多双语时事的相关内容,尽在新东方口译网。
来源 : 中国日报网 2019-03-11 15:06:53 关键字 :
新东方在线口译网为大家准备了中国人民银行行长易纲等就“金融改革与发展”答记者问。想知道近来都有哪些热点新闻吗?新东方在线口译小编为您发布~更多双语时事的相关内容,尽在新东方口译网。
来源 : 中国日报网 2019-03-11 15:03:32 关键字 : 金融改革与发展
新东方在线口译网为大家准备了习近平在2018年中非合作论坛北京峰会开幕式讲话(双语)。想知道近来都有哪些热点新闻吗?新东方在线口译小编为您发布~更多双语时事的相关内容,尽在新东方口译网。
来源 : 网络 2018-09-13 17:32:43 关键字 : 中非合作论坛