8. Two Boats in the Yangtze River長江里的兩條船

M: A Norwegian was told by his Chinese friend that figuratively the Yangtze River has two boats, one called fame, and the other wealth. He said that Chinese students are in the busy pursuit of fame and wealth, while their western counterparts are more interested in an ordinary life.

F: Although many westerners are critical of the obsession with fame and wealth by young Chinese people, few westerners understand the reason behind it. In traditional Chinese culture, fame and wealth were two indicators of a family’s glory. Every man had an obligation to both their immediate and extended families as well as to the entire village. His action would either glorify or defame his family.

M: Why is that?

F: Well, China is a developing country with scarce resources and opportunities, which means that one has to be very successful in order to live a quality life. For example, in rural areas, in order for someone in the family to go to university, his brothers and sisters may have to drop out of school to save costs. After graduation, the student would do everything he can to gain fame and wealth in the hope of lifting his family out of poverty. Such is a popular story line of a number of movies. But Gao Jianlin in a 1980’s movie called "Life" is probably the most well-known. He has to do everything he can in order to live in a city, even though it is achieved at the expense of giving up his hometown sweatheart.

M: To be further, there are also many young Chinese who are less interested in fame and wealth, and are more focused on the life style they can enjoy.

F: Correct. Chinese economic progress has made it possible for these young people to choose that sort of life style. Young people of different time periods have different pursuits. In the 1950s and 1960s, shortly after the People’s Republic was founded, people truly believe there wouldn’t be any personal wealth without building a prosperous country in the first place. So they devoted themselves to the construction of a new China. The economic reforms in the 1980s and 1990s gave people an opportunity to focus on their personal prusuits. Today, thanks to increased disposable income, people are able to constantly upgrade their life style. However, many people have begun to worry about China’s future, because they see a diminishing sense of family and social responsibility among the young generation.

M: I’m not too worried though. As people become more affluent, their sense of responsibility will become stronger, and they will make decisions which best reflect their values. Many young people in the west have chosen to do voluntary work in Asia, Africa and other underdeveloped areas. As a matter of fact, more and more young Chinese people have also signed up as volunteers.