决策者｜年轻一代正在国际舞台上大放异彩

Editor's note: Decision Makers is a global platform for decision makers to share their insights on events shaping today's world. Ong Ye Kung is Singapore's Minister for Health. The article reflects the author's opinions and not necessarily the views of CGTN.

编者按：“决策者”是一个全球平台，供决策者分享他们对当今世界重大事件的见解。作者王乙康任职新加坡卫生部长。文章仅代表作者观点，而非本台观点。

Late last year, I was invited to speak on the topic of youth at the Lianhe Zaobao Singapore-China Forum 2023 in Beijing. There was a good question and answer session at the end of the speech.

去年年末，由新加坡《联合早报》举办的第五届新中论坛在北京举行，我应邀就青年议题发表演讲。演讲结束后有一段精彩的问答。

The most pertinent question was raised by a young Chinese student at the end. He said that for his generation, young people had to cope with a lot of stresses in life, and from time to time, they needed to vent, including attending parties and celebrations. Yet when they did so, they were often criticized, for being influenced by the West. What would be the view of a Minister from Singapore, which straddles the East and West, and through a national effort, transformed itself from Third World to First World in one generation?

一位年轻的中国学生，在问答环节最后的提问引人深思。他谈到，对于他们这一代来说，生活中往往面对多重压力，需要时不时通过社交活动、如参加聚会、庆祝活动等方式来宣泄。但这样做时，他们却经常被批评是受到西方文化的影响。（这位中国学生问道）新加坡身处东西方文化交汇处，又通过举国上下的努力，仅用一代人的时间从第三世界国家跃升为第一世界国家。作为一位新加坡的部长，有何看法？

I explained that depending on our respective cultures and the point in history, the balance between individualism and national objectives could be different. In general, Asian countries have a stronger emphasis on the "big me," compared to Western developed countries, where individual expression and the "small me" is an inalienable right.

我解释说，在不同文化和历史时期，个人主义与国家目标之间的平衡方式都各不相同。一般而言，亚洲国家更重视集体主义，提倡“大我”，而在西方发达国家，个人表达和“小我”被视为不可剥夺的权利。

The answer to this question was in fact the core theme of my speech that day. Youths from all over the world and across history have always been idealistic, and possessed a strong desire for individual expression. Yet the collection of their individual desires is what shapes the future, and what makes them the architects of the world that is yet to come.

这个问题的答案恰恰是我当天演讲的核心主题。纵观历史，无论在世界何处，青年总是理想主义者，并且拥有强烈的个人表达愿望。而又正是青年个人愿望的汇集塑造了未来，使他们成为未来世界的建造者。

Humankind has witnessed this at various inflexion points in history. In more recent times, in the United States after World War II, large numbers of youths, returning from war, leveraged technological advancement and investments in education to drive industrial growth and scientific and technological breakthroughs. In post-independence Singapore, an entire nation comprising mostly young people, putting aside their differences, came together under strong leadership to survive and thrive. In China, since the 1970s, reform and opening-up have encouraged youths to partake and drive economic activity, resulting in more than 40 years of unprecedented growth with a profound impact on the global geopolitical landscape.

人类在历史上的许多关键转折点都见证了这一点。比如，二战后的美国，大量青年士兵归国后投身于科技发展事业，以及在教育事业上投资，这推动了工业发展，带来了科研上的不断突破。新加坡独立后，这个以年轻人为主体的国家，在政府的坚强领导下，摒弃内部分歧，为生存和繁荣而奋斗。自20世纪70年代起，中国的改革开放也使得年轻人能够参与与推动经济发展，实现了40多年惊人的经济增长，对全球地缘政治格局产生了深远影响。

City view of Singapore. /CFP

I believe today's youths are again at such a historical inflexion point. However, they are different from previous generations in a few important aspects. They are a post Internet generation. They are therefore digital natives. Regardless of where they live, they are connected and aware of what is going on in the world. Because of that, they see wider perspectives, care about larger issues that go beyond national boundaries, and drive conversations in complex topics, ranging from climate change and geopolitical conflicts to social inequality and mental health. At the same time, they live in a globalized and hyper-competitive world, and having a good education is no longer enough to secure a good future to acquire all the material possessions they desire in life.

我相信，今日的青年正处在又一个历史转折点。但是，他们在多个方面与前几代人存在着差异：作为后互联网时代的一代，当今青年人是数字时代的原住民。无论身处何地，他们都彼此紧密相连，对全球重大事件有着敏锐的洞察力。因此，他们的视野更为宽广，关注着超越国界的重大议题，积极参与着复杂议题的讨论，例如气候变化、地缘政治冲突、社会不平等和心理健康等。同时，他们生活在一个全球化不断演进且竞争激烈的世界，优质教育不再是通往美好未来的唯一方式，也无法保证他们对物质生活的所有追求。

But what will not change is that their collective individual desires and contributions will determine our future. The "big me" and "small me" do not often come into conflict. In fact, they reinforce each other. A national imperative can inspire and move individuals, and the effort of each helps fulfil large goals.

然而，不变的是，青年们的集体愿望和贡献将决定我们的未来。“大我”与“小我”之间并非总是冲突。实际上，两者相辅相成。国家的当务之急能激励和感召个人，个人的努力又能助力其实现更宏伟的目标。

As much as competition in the job market is intense, causing some youths in Singapore to "quit quietly" and those in China to "lie flat," it is my firm belief barring any geopolitical mishaps, that the future can be bright in an unprecedented way. The world has never been as connected as before, a world order even as it is imperfect is in place, with unthinkable technology at our disposal.

虽然就业市场竞争激烈，导致新加坡部分青年选择“摆烂”，中国也有一些青年选择“躺平”，但我坚信，除了遭遇地缘政治的不幸，世界的未来一定是无比光明的。当今世界各国的联系比以往任何时候都更加密切，尽管存在不完美之处，世界秩序已然形成，但我们手握前沿的科技。

We are at the cusp of a new reality in the history of humanity. It will be a globalized, connected and multi-polar world, with the U.S. still likely the leading superpower in the world, China as the other key strategic and economic anchor, along with other major players like the European Union, India and Japan. The global economic centre of gravity will shift towards Asia in what has been coined the "Asian Century." Economies will be tightly integrated with vibrant cultural and talent exchanges, and there will be strong linkages with countries outside of Asia.

我们正站在人类历史新纪元的门槛上。未来的世界将具有全球化、互联互通、多极化等特点。美国可能仍是全球领先的超级大国；中国则有望成为世界的另一重要战略和经济支柱；欧盟、印度和日本也将发挥重要作用。全球经济重心将向亚洲转移，在所谓的“亚洲世纪”中，亚洲各经济体将通过充满活力的文化和人才交流紧密相连，也将与亚洲以外的国家建立强有力的联系。

Every generation needs to do what it must, and realizing this vision will be the crowning achievement of this generation of youths. To achieve this, I suggest youths of today consider the following, which are not against their individual desires.

每一代人都有自己的使命，而实现这一宏愿将是当代青年的最大成就。为实现这个目标，我建议当代青年考虑以下几点建议，这些建议并不与他们的个人愿望相悖。

First, more so than before, do not lose your sense of curiosity and the appetite to continuously learn. Technology is changing rapidly. The industrial revolution was a blue-collar revolution, and technology today is driving a white-collar revolution. We must adapt and learn, while retaining the human touch, to ride this wave of change.

首先，当代青年比以往更需要保持好奇心和不断学习的热情。科技正飞速发展，如果说过去工业革命是一场蓝领革命，那么当今的技术变革则在推动白领革命。我们必须适应和学习，同时保留人性的温度，这样才能驾驭这股变革浪潮。

Second, even as youths embrace the world, we must hold steadfast to our own cultural identity. Culture is profound and deep, and determines our confidence as a people. We should not conflate them with the majority of practices, trends, fashion, and entertainment that exist on the veneer of society. The oldest and richest cultures of the world – Chinese, Indian, Arabian – were never static. By embracing and processing foreign cultural influences, we keep our local cultures rich and dynamic, our ideas fresh and forward looking, and our people confident and secure.

其次，青年们在积极拥抱世界的同时，也仍需坚守自己的文化根基。文化深邃而厚重，是民族自信的源泉。我们不应将文化与社会表层的活动、潮流、时尚和娱乐混为一谈。像中国、印度、阿拉伯这样历史悠久、文化丰富的文明，从未止步不前。通过吸纳外来文化的精华，我们使本土文化更为丰富多彩，思想更加新潮，富有前瞻性，民众更加自信坚定。

Third, youths should go forth and work on challenges that excite them, make decisions with the hand that they are dealt with, and not be paralyzed by choice. Instead of waiting for the perfect opportunity to come along, we can choose to make the best of what is before us.

第三，青年们应该勇往直前，以自己的兴趣和志向为出发点，采取行动应对困难挑战，根据现有条件做出决定，而不要被选择绊住了脚步。不必等待完美的机会降临，青年们应充分利用眼前的机会。

Finally, youths need to continue to be global cultural ambassadors. Reach out to other youths in the world, learn about their language, culture, and life. Youths in China are already highly bilingual or even trilingual. I think you will discover more similarities than differences. By better understanding the world and its people, we maximize our chance of a peaceful global environment, the opportunities that will open to us, and successfully deliver today's generational mission.

最后，青年们需继续担当全球文化大使的角色，主动与世界各地的青年交流，深入了解对方的语言、文化和生活。不少中国青年精通双语甚至三语，我相信，你们会在彼此之间发现更多相似之处，而非差异。通过加深对于世界各国及其人民的了解，我们不仅能为实现和平的全球环境创造更多机会，也能为自己开启更广阔的前景，圆满完成这一代人的历史使命。

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