Creating a brilliant Beijing: Time for Action
Ladies and Gentlemen:
My topic is on creating a brilliant Beijing: Time for Action
2008 is such a common number, but many Chinese will get excited when they mention it. How can a common number attract such a strange fascination? The answer is simple and obvious: the twenty-ninth Olympic Game will be held in Beijing in the year 2008. At that time, the whole world will focus their attentions on Beijing. As the hostess, Beijing will show her beauty to the guests from all over the world.
The Beijing Olympic Games will be a Green Olympic, a high technology Olympic, and a people's Olympic. Among them, a Green Olympic is the most important concept. It will show the world the determination, the ability, and the confidence of the Chinese people and their government to successfully hold a Green Olympic. To achieve such a goal, however, it needs a lot of hard work.
As middle school students in Beijing, we should take on more responsibilities for our capital city's environment. Any action we take will affect the appearance of the city. Therefore, we should start with ourselves, act now, and make every possible effort. But how? You may ask.
There are a lot of things we can do in our daily lives. We all know the fact that
Beijing is frequently assaulted by sand storms every year. Forests and lands have been degraded by agricultural and industrial activities. To revive those desert lands is beyond our ability, but we can plant trees around our schools or in our neighborhood communities. If everybody does so, there will be a green Beijing and we will have a Green Olympic.
I don't know whether you've noticed that some students don't want to walk to school; their parents have to drive them to school every day. But nowadays, the air is polluted with automobile exhausts. What can we do about it? Ride on your bike to school and enjoy exercise! It will not only have significant benefits for your health, but also help improving our environment. In addition, if you don't drive cars, you will not go to the car wash. That will save large amount of water. If everybody does something, there will be a green Beijing and we will have a Green Olympic.
Think it over, my friends. The things we can do are definitely not unrealistic. Although we cannot provide with a clean energy source, achieve a better sewage treatment system, or stop any industry from using hazardous chemicals and releasing hazardous wastes, we can save every drop of water and protect every patch of green. Make Beijing a more beautiful city, where green patches are everywhere and blue sky can be seen clearly above our heads.
我們還有3年之遙，但有一項(xiàng)規(guī)模宏大的特殊比賽已經(jīng)拉開了序幕。這場比賽的參加者并非來自世界各國的體育選手，而是身處北京的每一位公民，比賽的場所就是我們身邊的街區(qū)小巷。我想大家已經(jīng)想到了我所說的這項(xiàng)特殊比賽，這就是"創(chuàng)建綠色北京、保護(hù)美好環(huán)境"。那么在這場環(huán)保大賽中，我們究竟要與誰一比高低？是繁華現(xiàn)代的洛杉磯、風(fēng)光迷人的悉尼、還是古老神奇的雅典？都不是！比賽的對手就是我們自己，就是我們自身淡漠的環(huán)保意識。幾年前有幸在美國加州度過的一段時(shí)光，既讓我享受了那里宜人的環(huán)境，更讓我領(lǐng)略了當(dāng)?shù)厝嗣窀叨鹊沫h(huán)保意識。每當(dāng)說到城市環(huán)保，我的眼前總會浮現(xiàn)出加州那蔚藍(lán)的天空、明媚的陽光、碧綠的草地以及嬉戲在樹枝間的松鼠、彩蝶和百靈鳥。
記得剛到美國時(shí)，常去爸爸工作的美國地質(zhì)調(diào)查局玩耍，每次均能看到許多人騎自行車上下班，而其中一位滿頭白發(fā)的騎車?yán)先耍鹆宋业暮闷?。我問爸爸?那個(gè)爺爺為什么總騎車上班，是不是沒錢買車？"爸爸笑道："沒錢買車？嘿，說出來嚇?biāo)滥?，他可是世界上的大科學(xué)家。要論錢，他可以買一個(gè)車隊(duì)呢。" "那他咋不買車呢？騎車多累呀！" "他有車，但平時(shí)除非下雨或購物，一般不去開。在美國有許多人都是環(huán)保主義者，為了節(jié)約能源和減少汽車尾氣對大氣的污染，他們用實(shí)際行動倡導(dǎo)人們盡量少開車。而我們所居住的這座美國城市，還特別將每年的5月19日定成了'騎車上班日'，以支持和宣傳這種有效的環(huán)保行為。"
后來，我還在經(jīng)常的搭車出行中獲知了他們的另一件環(huán)保趣事：在美國的許多州，政府為了鼓勵大家多坐公交車或幾人合用一輛車，以節(jié)省能源和緩解交通壓力，在城市內(nèi)一些主干道路上開辟有專門的'鉆石車道'，只有乘坐了二人或二人以上的車輛才從此通過。美國人民這種自覺的環(huán)保意識和政府有效的環(huán)保措施使我從內(nèi)心對他們充滿了敬佩。并深刻地影響了我的環(huán)保理念。
回國后，常常有人問我："美國好嗎？"我總會脫口而出："確實(shí)好！的是環(huán)境。"說句真心話，回國三、四年，美國那邊同學(xué)和老師的面孔已經(jīng)逐漸模糊，但加州那宜人的自然環(huán)境，卻每每清晰地浮現(xiàn)在我的眼前，成為我最深的記憶和期盼故地重游的緣由，也成了我心目中北京環(huán)境的藍(lán)圖。2008奧運(yùn)會為我們倡導(dǎo)和實(shí)施北京的環(huán)保提供了契機(jī)，北京能否有朝一日也擁有象加州那樣美麗的環(huán)境？答案是肯定的。但需要我們以真正的環(huán)保之心和切實(shí)的環(huán)保行動去一步一步地實(shí)現(xiàn)。
從現(xiàn)在開始，如果每一位有車的朋友一星期可以少開一、兩次車，每個(gè)讓家長用車接送的同學(xué)一周能主動讓家長少接送一兩趟而改乘公車或騎自行車，我們就會有擁有更多的藍(lán)天……。只要我們每一位北京市民都能夠自覺的從身邊的環(huán)保小事做起，加州的藍(lán)天、白云和綠草地就會在北京安家，美國的松鼠、彩蝶和百靈鳥就會來北京落戶。
涓涓細(xì)流可以匯成滔滔江海，片片綠葉能夠造就莽莽森林。只要我們每一位北京市民都拿起手中的環(huán)保之筆，在我們所處的街頭巷尾，為北京這幅美麗而古老的畫卷添上自己的一抹綠色，就能使北京掩映在綠色的海洋中。讓我們一起行動起來，用我們集體的力量來打贏這場環(huán)保之賽，向全世界展現(xiàn)一塊的金牌，這就是"綠色北京、精彩奧運(yùn)"。
Ladies and Gentlemen:
My topic is on creating a brilliant Beijing: Time for Action
2008 is such a common number, but many Chinese will get excited when they mention it. How can a common number attract such a strange fascination? The answer is simple and obvious: the twenty-ninth Olympic Game will be held in Beijing in the year 2008. At that time, the whole world will focus their attentions on Beijing. As the hostess, Beijing will show her beauty to the guests from all over the world.
The Beijing Olympic Games will be a Green Olympic, a high technology Olympic, and a people's Olympic. Among them, a Green Olympic is the most important concept. It will show the world the determination, the ability, and the confidence of the Chinese people and their government to successfully hold a Green Olympic. To achieve such a goal, however, it needs a lot of hard work.
As middle school students in Beijing, we should take on more responsibilities for our capital city's environment. Any action we take will affect the appearance of the city. Therefore, we should start with ourselves, act now, and make every possible effort. But how? You may ask.
There are a lot of things we can do in our daily lives. We all know the fact that
Beijing is frequently assaulted by sand storms every year. Forests and lands have been degraded by agricultural and industrial activities. To revive those desert lands is beyond our ability, but we can plant trees around our schools or in our neighborhood communities. If everybody does so, there will be a green Beijing and we will have a Green Olympic.
I don't know whether you've noticed that some students don't want to walk to school; their parents have to drive them to school every day. But nowadays, the air is polluted with automobile exhausts. What can we do about it? Ride on your bike to school and enjoy exercise! It will not only have significant benefits for your health, but also help improving our environment. In addition, if you don't drive cars, you will not go to the car wash. That will save large amount of water. If everybody does something, there will be a green Beijing and we will have a Green Olympic.
Think it over, my friends. The things we can do are definitely not unrealistic. Although we cannot provide with a clean energy source, achieve a better sewage treatment system, or stop any industry from using hazardous chemicals and releasing hazardous wastes, we can save every drop of water and protect every patch of green. Make Beijing a more beautiful city, where green patches are everywhere and blue sky can be seen clearly above our heads.
我們還有3年之遙，但有一項(xiàng)規(guī)模宏大的特殊比賽已經(jīng)拉開了序幕。這場比賽的參加者并非來自世界各國的體育選手，而是身處北京的每一位公民，比賽的場所就是我們身邊的街區(qū)小巷。我想大家已經(jīng)想到了我所說的這項(xiàng)特殊比賽，這就是"創(chuàng)建綠色北京、保護(hù)美好環(huán)境"。那么在這場環(huán)保大賽中，我們究竟要與誰一比高低？是繁華現(xiàn)代的洛杉磯、風(fēng)光迷人的悉尼、還是古老神奇的雅典？都不是！比賽的對手就是我們自己，就是我們自身淡漠的環(huán)保意識。幾年前有幸在美國加州度過的一段時(shí)光，既讓我享受了那里宜人的環(huán)境，更讓我領(lǐng)略了當(dāng)?shù)厝嗣窀叨鹊沫h(huán)保意識。每當(dāng)說到城市環(huán)保，我的眼前總會浮現(xiàn)出加州那蔚藍(lán)的天空、明媚的陽光、碧綠的草地以及嬉戲在樹枝間的松鼠、彩蝶和百靈鳥。
記得剛到美國時(shí)，常去爸爸工作的美國地質(zhì)調(diào)查局玩耍，每次均能看到許多人騎自行車上下班，而其中一位滿頭白發(fā)的騎車?yán)先耍鹆宋业暮闷?。我問爸爸?那個(gè)爺爺為什么總騎車上班，是不是沒錢買車？"爸爸笑道："沒錢買車？嘿，說出來嚇?biāo)滥?，他可是世界上的大科學(xué)家。要論錢，他可以買一個(gè)車隊(duì)呢。" "那他咋不買車呢？騎車多累呀！" "他有車，但平時(shí)除非下雨或購物，一般不去開。在美國有許多人都是環(huán)保主義者，為了節(jié)約能源和減少汽車尾氣對大氣的污染，他們用實(shí)際行動倡導(dǎo)人們盡量少開車。而我們所居住的這座美國城市，還特別將每年的5月19日定成了'騎車上班日'，以支持和宣傳這種有效的環(huán)保行為。"
后來，我還在經(jīng)常的搭車出行中獲知了他們的另一件環(huán)保趣事：在美國的許多州，政府為了鼓勵大家多坐公交車或幾人合用一輛車，以節(jié)省能源和緩解交通壓力，在城市內(nèi)一些主干道路上開辟有專門的'鉆石車道'，只有乘坐了二人或二人以上的車輛才從此通過。美國人民這種自覺的環(huán)保意識和政府有效的環(huán)保措施使我從內(nèi)心對他們充滿了敬佩。并深刻地影響了我的環(huán)保理念。
回國后，常常有人問我："美國好嗎？"我總會脫口而出："確實(shí)好！的是環(huán)境。"說句真心話，回國三、四年，美國那邊同學(xué)和老師的面孔已經(jīng)逐漸模糊，但加州那宜人的自然環(huán)境，卻每每清晰地浮現(xiàn)在我的眼前，成為我最深的記憶和期盼故地重游的緣由，也成了我心目中北京環(huán)境的藍(lán)圖。2008奧運(yùn)會為我們倡導(dǎo)和實(shí)施北京的環(huán)保提供了契機(jī)，北京能否有朝一日也擁有象加州那樣美麗的環(huán)境？答案是肯定的。但需要我們以真正的環(huán)保之心和切實(shí)的環(huán)保行動去一步一步地實(shí)現(xiàn)。
從現(xiàn)在開始，如果每一位有車的朋友一星期可以少開一、兩次車，每個(gè)讓家長用車接送的同學(xué)一周能主動讓家長少接送一兩趟而改乘公車或騎自行車，我們就會有擁有更多的藍(lán)天……。只要我們每一位北京市民都能夠自覺的從身邊的環(huán)保小事做起，加州的藍(lán)天、白云和綠草地就會在北京安家，美國的松鼠、彩蝶和百靈鳥就會來北京落戶。
涓涓細(xì)流可以匯成滔滔江海，片片綠葉能夠造就莽莽森林。只要我們每一位北京市民都拿起手中的環(huán)保之筆，在我們所處的街頭巷尾，為北京這幅美麗而古老的畫卷添上自己的一抹綠色，就能使北京掩映在綠色的海洋中。讓我們一起行動起來，用我們集體的力量來打贏這場環(huán)保之賽，向全世界展現(xiàn)一塊的金牌，這就是"綠色北京、精彩奧運(yùn)"。