the-world-is-a-chessboard--吐格鲁克-外研社杯-双语演讲稿-2018-冠军

Theworldisachessboard,onwhichweplayagamethatwasneversupposedtobefairbutstillexcitesuswithitsnumerouspossibilities.WhenIwas16,mydadrecommendedthatIshouldsignupforachessclubandlearnhowtoplay.SoIwent,andmylevelwasgoodenoughtoplayagainstabunchof10yearolds.What’sevenmorehumiliatingwasthatIactuallyhadahardtimeplayingagainstthem.Soreasonably,Ibecameskepticalofthegameandthoughtthatitwasunfair.Youknowonthechessboardthere’saking,aqueen,rooks(车),bishops(象),knights(马),andpawns(兵),differentpieceswithdifferentstatusandimportancepossessingdifferentcapabilities.Theystandintheirstrictlydrawnlittlesquaresandlineupaccordinglytotheirvalue.Andlet’sfaceit.It’sthesameinreallife.Someofusmatter,whilesomeofusdon’t,atleastnotthatmuch.Amongtheveryfirstlinesof“theDeclarationOfIndependence(独立宣言)”,thisonegoes:“Weholdthesetruthstobeself-evidentthatallmenarecreatedequal.”Whatabeautifulline,buthowcanweconvinceourselvesthatwearebornequalwhileourancestorsdidn’tdieequal?Ihatetosaythis,butwedoinheritmostofthesocialcapitalsthatgettodecidewhatkindofarolewestartwithwhenwecometothisworld.However,thegamestillgetsplayedforareason.Theboardof64littlesquaresismagicallyenoughtocreateastageforwonderfulthingstohappen.Injustthefirstfourmovesthereare318milliondifferentwaystoplay.Andinagamebetweentwoequalplayerstherewillbearound50movesintotalandjustthinkaboutmanymoveswetakeinlifetime.I’llsaycountless.Andnooneisabletopredictwhat’sgoingtohappennext,which,Ithink,isthetruebeautyofourworld.Andthatjustpaintsasilverlining,likealittlesolider,likeyouandme.Becausewithalittlebutsufficientabilitytocheckmateandthenwinthegamebyplanningoutmytacticsandencounteringthecoincidencesalongtheway.Imaysomehowworkmuwayupuntilthelastrankandbecomeaqueenattheendofthegame.Theworldisnotfair,butitdoesn’tmakeitanylessworthyofliving.Sogoplaywithwhatyouhavecarefullybutboldlyatthesametimetounleashtheunknownpossibilitiesoflifeorchangethegame.Thankyou.