responsibility is a badge of honour for youth

(96年“21世纪杯全国大学生英语演讲比赛”二等奖获得者，北京外国语大学 徐义成)

facing this audience on the stage, i have the exciting feeling of participating in the march of history, for what we are facing today is more than a mere competition or contest. it is an assembly of some of china's most talented and motivated people, representatives of a younger generation that are preparing themselves for the coming of a new century.
i'm grateful that i've been given this opportunity, at such a historic moment, to stand here as a spokesman of my generation and to take a serious look back at the past 15 years, a crucial period for every one of us and for this nation as well.
though it is only within my power to tell about my personal experience, and only a tiny fragment of it at that, it still represents, i believe, the root of a spirit which has been essential to me and to all the people bred by the past 15 years.
in my elementary years, there was a little girl in the class who worked very hard but somehow could never do satisfactorily in her lessons.
the teacher asked me to help her, and it was obvious that she expected a lot from me. but as a young boy, restless, thoughtless, i always tried to evade her so as to get more time to enjoy myself.
one day before the final exam, she came up to me and said, "could you please explain this to me? i want very much to do better this time. " i started explaining, and finished in a hurry. pretending not to notice her still confused eyes, i ran off quickly. nat surprisingly, she again did very badly in the exam. and two months later, at the beginning of the new semester, word came of her death of blood cancer. no one ever knew about the little task i failed to fulfill, but i couldn't forgive myself. i simply couldn't forget her eyes, which seem to be asking, "why didn't you do a little more to help me, when it was so easy for you? why didn't you understand a little better the trust placed in you, so that i would not have to leave this world in such pain and regret?"
i was about eight or nine years old at that time, but in a way it was the very starting point of my life, for i began to understand the word "responsibility" and to learn to always do my duties faithfully and devotedly, for the implications of that sacred word has dawned on me: the mutual need and trust of people, the co-operation and inter-reliance which are the very foundation of human society.
later in my life, i continued to experience many failures. but never again did i feel that regret which struck me at the death of the girl, for it makes my heart satisfied to think that i have always done everything in my power to fulfill my responsibilities as best i can.
as i grew up, changed and improved by this incident and many other similar ones, i began to perceive the changes taking place around me and to find that society, in a way, was in its formative years like myself. new buildings, new commodities and new fashions appear every day.
new ideas, new information, new technologies. people can talk with each other from any corner of the earth in a matter of seconds. society is becoming more competitive.
words like individuality and creativity are getting more emphasis and more people are rewarded for their hard work and efforts. such is the era in which this generation ,grows and matures.
such is the era in which this generation will take over the nation from our fathers and learn to run it. yet in the meantime, many problems still exist.
we learn that crimes take place in broad daylight with crowds of people looking on and not assisting. we hear that there are still about 1 million children in this country who can't even afford to go to elementary schools while enormous sums of money are being squandered away on dinner parties and luxury cars.
we buy shoddy medicines, or merely worthless junk in the name of medicines, that aggravate, rather than alleviate our diseases since money, many people believe, is the most important thing in the world that must be made, even at the expense of morality and responsibility.
such an era, therefore, determines that we are a generation with a keener sense of competition and efficiency and a greater readiness to think critically and act creatively.
such an era, furthermore, demands, that we are a generation with a clear perception of our historical responsibility and an aggressive will to take action and solve the problems. history has long been preparing these qualities in this generation and it is now calling us forward to give testimony to our patriotism and heroism towards this nation and all humanity.
standing here now, i think of the past 15 years of my life as an ordinary student. probably i'll be an ordinary man for the rest of my life. but this doesn't discourage me any, for i know that with my sense of responsibility and devoted efforts to always strive, for the best, it's going to be a meaningful and worthwhile life that i will be living.
standing here now, i think of the past 15 years of this nation, which has achieved greatness that inspired millions of people of my age, most of whom will not attain fame or prestige and only a few of whom will be remembered by posterity. but that doesn't discourage us any, because we know that the world watches, the world listens, the world is waiting to see where this nation will be heading in a time of rich opportunities and fierce competition.
i can't ever forget that little girl in my class who couldn't had the same opportunities as any of us here to enjoy a wonderful life today and a hopeful world tomorrow.
it is the sacred responsibility of this generation to face up to the challenges of the new century and to devote our sweat and blood, our wisdom and passion, to the historic cause of making this nation a greater and happier land for every one of us.
we are not going to evade that responsibility. we are going to let people down. and people, far and near, will hear of us. frost will be brought to their backbones and tears to their eyes when our stories are told and retold, so let us go forth, my fellow members of this luckily chosen generation, and meet the new century in victory and glory.

责任感——青年人荣誉的标志

站在台上面对大家，我心情十分激动。lOCALHoST好像是在参加一次历史性的长征。我们今天面对的远不只一场竞赛或角逐。这是才华出众，生气勃勃的中国青年的一次聚会。我们是青年一代的代表。为迎接新世纪的到来，我们正在从各方面作好准备。
在这一历史时刻，能有机会代表同龄人在此认真地回顾于国于己都至关重要的过去的15年，我感激万分。
尽管只能谈谈个人经历，而且只涉及其中一个小小的片段，但我相信，它仍然折射出对我和在过去15年间一同成长起来的青年人都不可缺少的一种思想基础。
我上小学时，班上有位小姑娘，学习非常刻苦而成绩却不尽人意。
老师要我帮助她。看得出，她也寄厚望于我。但我那时还是个小男孩，坐不住，不懂事。我老是me避她。以便有更多时间自己玩。
期末考试前一天，她来求我说“请你给我讲解一下行吗?这次我很想考得好一点。”我开始给她讲解，不一会儿便草草收场，假装没有察觉她迷茫的眼神，一溜烟儿地跑开了。不出所料，这次她又考砸了。两个月后，新学期依始，传来她死于血癌的消息。我没有完成那项小小的任务，无人知晓。但我却不能原谅自己。她的眼睛令我难以忘怀，仿佛在责问我，“你为什么不愿多帮助我呢?这对于你来说，并不费事。你为什么不能理解我对你的信赖，而让我带着痛苦和遗憾离开这个世界?”
我当时才八九岁。但从某种意义上讲，这件事成了我生活的新起点。因为我开始体会到“责任”二字的意义，并尽心尽力地学着完成自己的义务。我也逐渐领会了这个神圣字眼的深刻内含:人与人之间的彼此需要和信任、合作和依赖正是人类社会存在的基础。
之后，我在生活中又经受过多次失败，但那小姑娘之死所引起的懊悔，心里却不曾再现。想到自己做每一件事都能尽职尽责，一种满足之感便油然而生。
此事及类似的多起事件改变了我，完善了我。当我长大成人，我开始领悟周围发生的一切变化。我发现，从某种意义上说，社会跟我一样，正处在一个自我完善的时期。新建筑、新商品、新款式一天一个样。新思维、新信息、新技术层出不穷。即便万里相隔，人们在转瞬之间即可相互交谈。社会竞争越演越烈。
人们越来越强调个性和创造性。越来越多的人因工作努力而受到奖赏。这就是当今的时代，一代新人由成长迈入成熟的时代。这是我们这一代人接替父辈治国安邦的时代。然而，我们也面临很多间题。
据悉，坏人在光天化日之下作恶，周围的群众居然袖手旁观，无动于衷。我还听说，目前我国尚有100万儿童连小学也上不起，而巨额资金却拿去举办奢侈的宴会和购置豪华的轿车。
我们常常买的是劣质药品，或名曰药品实为一文不值的废物，非但不能除病去痛，反而会使病情加重。在某些人看来，世上金钱最宝贵，只要能赚钱，不惜牺牲道德和责任。
因而，这个时代赋予我们的是更强烈的竞争和效率意识，使我们更善于批判性地思考和创造性地行动。
此外，这个时代要求我们这一代人必须认清自己肩负的历史重任，下定决心，采取行动，解决上述问题。长期以来，历史一直在我们这一代人身上培养着这些品质。现在，历史呼唤我们挺身而出，以实际行动向全民族及全人类证实我们的拳拳爱国之心和大无畏的英雄主义。
此刻，我站在讲台上回顾15年来的学生生活。今后的岁月，我很可能平平淡淡地度过。但这丝毫不会让我心灰意冷。因为我知道，凭借强烈的责任感和精益求精的不懈奋斗，我将追求一种有意义的生活，一种不枉此生的生活。
此刻，我站在讲台上回顾过去，15年来祖国取得的巨大成就激励着千千万万的同龄人。我们之中大多数人将与名利和权力无缘。只有极少数人或许会后世留芳。对此我们丝毫也不会在意。因为我们知道，世界在观望，世界在倾听。在这个大量机遇和激烈竟争并存的时代，我们国家究竟去向何方，整个世界都在关注。
我永远不会忘记班上那位小姑娘。她本应该却没能和在座各位一样享受今天美好的人生和明日充满希望的世界。
接受新世纪的挑战，把我们的血汗、智慧和热情奉献给建设祖国、造福人民的伟大历史事业。这就是我们这一代人的神圣职责。
我们决不逃避责任，决不辜负人民的期望。我们的业绩将四海传扬。我们的故事将被反复讲述，定会令人惊叹不已，以至热泪盈眶。
有幸与时代为伍的朋友们，让我们勇往直前，以胜利的姿态迎接光辉灿烂的新世纪的来临!