21世纪杯全国英语演讲比赛冠军陈洁昊演讲

 　　My great-great-grandfather was very nervous, even though he had done it thousands of times.

　　He and his teammates held their breath in total darkness…waiting for the music. At the age of 101, he knew it was likely his last chance to compete in a dancing contest.

　　The drums kicked in and, slowly but surely, he started the moves of Gaoshan -- a folk dance unique to my part of China.

　　The music was serene¹... the motion was graceful².... and everything was so harmonious³.

　　And then, everything changed!

　　The tempo⁴ sped up. The dancers started shaking their hips⁵. It was completely unexpected but yes, they were dancing modern disco.

　　I was delighted, but not everyone liked it. Some argued that the traditional dance was compromised by the inclusion of Western fluff.

　　So I asked Angong, “Why not just do a typical Gaoshan dance?”

　　“Are you kidding me, sweetheart?” he replied. “Where would we be without some clashes and conflicts?”

　　That was Angong’s gut⁶ reaction, but what he implied set me thinking. “Where would we be without some clashes and conflicts?”

　　Looking back on the life of my great-great-grandfather, it was a journey marked by clashes every step of the way.

　　When he was a teenager, China’s door was busted⁷ wide open. He cut off his ponytail following the end of Qing---China’s last feudal⁸ Dynasty. During the day, cars ran alongside rickshaws. At night, jazz clashed with Chinese opera. Dancing was a luxury reserved for the rich and privileged.

　　When the People’s Republic was founded in 1949, Angong danced on the streets with joy. After years of unrest, he felt a sense of belonging and new possibilities. That was the moment he knew he wanted to be an artist.

　　After the Cultural Revolution, Angong witnessed China’s reform and opening-up. Both Deng Lijun of Taiwan and the Carpenters of America were huge stars at the time. For the first time in years, Angong didn’t have to follow one set of doctrines⁹ or one form of dancing for that matter.

　　Angong’s personal journey mirrored the transformation¹⁰ of a nation, a transformation encapsulated in the life of a man who pursued artistic¹¹ expression.

　　Please remember, Angong and his generations were born into a China that was struggling to keep at bay an outside world that threatened China’s self-perception and self-rule.

　　A century later, this is a different China, and fortunately, a China that has learned lessons history had to offer, and now it seeks to re-engage the west.

　　Angong was a man of his times, but he has always been open to new voices, new ideas, new dances. He adapted, changed and grew by learning from the world around him, both Chinese and Western.

　　By being open to each other, we can grow in unexpectedly beautiful ways, just like my Angong’s disco Gaoshan dance. Ladies and gentlemen, I implore¹² you to join my great-great-grandfather and me as we dance with a spring in our step into that great unknown that will be our future.

　　相关中文介绍

　　陈洁昊：中国传媒大学选手, 第17届中国日报社21世纪杯全国英语演讲比赛冠军，同时获得中国日报社21世纪报最具潜力奖，托业最佳风采奖，与麦格希演讲艺术之星。陈洁昊是中国传媒大学2010级英语播音系学生，从14岁至今已获得过无数英语大奖——— 2006央视希望之星英语风采大赛初中组总冠军；首届新东方美文背诵大赛全国总决赛青少年组冠军；2011年中国大学生模拟APEC大会冠军，并赴美国观摩夏威夷APEC峰会；2012年 “21世纪杯”全国英语演讲比赛冠军……

1 serene   

adj. 安详的，宁静的，平静的

参考例句：

• He has entered the serene autumn of his life.他已进入了美好的中年时期。
• He didn't speak much,he just smiled with that serene smile of his.他话不多，只是脸上露出他招牌式的淡定的微笑。

2 graceful   

adj.优美的，优雅的；得体的

参考例句：

• His movements on the parallel bars were very graceful.他的双杠动作可帅了!
• The ballet dancer is so graceful.芭蕾舞演员的姿态是如此的优美。

3 harmonious   

adj.和睦的，调和的，和谐的，协调的

参考例句：

• Their harmonious relationship resulted in part from their similar goals.他们关系融洽的部分原因是他们有着相似的目标。
• The room was painted in harmonious colors.房间油漆得色彩调和。

4 tempo   

n.(音乐的)速度；节奏，行进速度

参考例句：

• The boss is unsatisfied with the tardy tempo.老板不满于这种缓慢的进度。
• They waltz to the tempo of the music.他们跟着音乐的节奏跳华尔兹舞。

5 hips   

abbr.high impact polystyrene 高冲击强度聚苯乙烯，耐冲性聚苯乙烯n.臀部( hip的名词复数 )；[建筑学]屋脊；臀围（尺寸）；臀部…的

参考例句：

• She stood with her hands on her hips. 她双手叉腰站着。
• They wiggled their hips to the sound of pop music. 他们随着流行音乐的声音摇晃着臀部。 来自《简明英汉词典》

6 gut   

n.[pl.]胆量；内脏；adj.本能的；vt.取出内脏

参考例句：

• It is not always necessary to gut the fish prior to freezing.冷冻鱼之前并不总是需要先把内脏掏空。
• My immediate gut feeling was to refuse.我本能的直接反应是拒绝。

7 busted   

adj. 破产了的，失败了的，被降级的，被逮捕的，被抓到的 动词bust的过去式和过去分词

参考例句：

• You are so busted! 你被当场逮住了！
• It was money troubles that busted up their marriage. 是金钱纠纷使他们的婚姻破裂了。

8 feudal   

adj.封建的，封地的，领地的

参考例句：

• Feudal rulers ruled over the country several thousand years.封建统治者统治这个国家几千年。
• The feudal system lasted for two thousand years in China.封建制度在中国延续了两千年之久。

9 doctrines   

n.教条( doctrine的名词复数 )；教义；学说；（政府政策的）正式声明

参考例句：

• To modern eyes, such doctrines appear harsh, even cruel. 从现代的角度看，这样的教义显得苛刻，甚至残酷。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• His doctrines have seduced many into error. 他的学说把许多人诱入歧途。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

10 transformation   

n.变化；改造；转变

参考例句：

• Going to college brought about a dramatic transformation in her outlook.上大学使她的观念发生了巨大的变化。
• He was struggling to make the transformation from single man to responsible husband.他正在努力使自己由单身汉变为可靠的丈夫。

11 artistic   

adj.艺术(家)的，美术(家)的；善于艺术创作的

参考例句：

• The picture on this screen is a good artistic work.这屏风上的画是件很好的艺术品。
• These artistic handicrafts are very popular with foreign friends.外国朋友很喜欢这些美术工艺品。

12 implore   

vt.乞求，恳求，哀求

参考例句：

• I implore you to write. At least tell me you're alive.请给我音讯，让我知道你还活着。
• Please implore someone else's help in a crisis.危险时请向别人求助。