姚明坦言要想尊重就得变更强

　　作者姚明为全国政协委员，著名篮球运动员。

　　到北京开两会之前，我去休斯敦参加了NBA全明星周末活动。当地人还是一如既往地欢迎我，包括我的朋友、教练，曾经的队友、对手以及许许多多连名字都叫不出的人，好像我并没有离开。这使我有了一种回家的感觉，因为我了解他们，他们也接受我。

　　像我这样一个完全没有美国文化背景的人，是如何既保持自己，又融入美国的呢？我的答案是，中国这片土地上孕育出的中华文化影响了我，正是中华文化的某些特质，帮助我在国外与当地人交流的过程中，实现了沟通、理解与包容。

　　我们生活在一个全球化的时代。从某种意义上讲，我，或者说媒体上时常出现的那个“YAO MING”，也是全球化的产物。没有中国的对外开放，没有NBA的国际化，也不会有我这个外籍状元，以及以后的所有事情。但即使世界成为“地球村”，不同文化之间也存在差异和误解。在这种情况下，沟通和理解就显得十分重要。

　　根据我在美国生活的经验，沟通和理解的基础是彼此尊重，要想得到尊重，就要通过自身努力，把自己变得更强。这种意识对于我们来说，几乎是与生俱来的，因为中华文化鼓励人们积极进取、奋发向上、自我完善，最终实现内在的超越，正所谓，“天行健，君子以自强不息”。

　　再有就是要注重道德和情操的养成。许多美好的品德是不同文化当中共同的东西，我的经验告诉我，在道德素养高的人群中间，文化差异显得微乎其微。我之所以在这方面对自己要求比较严，有一个客观原因是外界的关注和舆论的监督，因为有一个“YAO MING”时常活跃在各种媒体上，我只能把我自己和那个“YAO MING”都尽量做好，这样才能起到正面的引导作用。更重要的是，这种意识同样来自中华文化的熏陶，对于道德价值的关切，是中华文化的核心价值观，而这种价值观，早已镌刻在了每个中国人的内心深处。

　　我的另一条经验是要履行社会责任。当今世界，搞慈善、做公益已经成为许多人的一种生活方式。中华文化同样将敬老爱幼、乐善好施、扶贫帮困等慈善行为视为君子美德。我在美国参与“篮球无疆界”活动，鼓励美国的贫困孩子读书学习；同样，美国的球员也参与“姚基金”举办的慈善篮球赛，支持中国欠发达地区开展校园篮球活动。这说明，慈善公益是东西方共同的语言，每个人的能力有大有小，但只要尽力回报社会，就很快能够达成理解和共识。

　　多元化的世界，必将使得不同的文化走向共存。中华文化在与世界其他文化的交融中，日益彰显“海纳百川”的胸怀。对此我们应当充满信心。这种信心，来自于我们儿时对父母的第一声问候，来自于我们笔下汉字的无限优美，甚至来自于自己舌尖上那永远挥之不去的美妙感受。我相信，只要恪守中国文化当中这些美好的东西，每个人都能成为中华文化的使者，在实现人生理想、家庭愿景的同时，成就美丽中国梦。

　　Before coming to Beijing for the annual session of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (Yao Ming is a member of this political advisory body's National Committee – Editor)， I went back to Huston to attend an NBA all-stars weekend event. My friends and old fans welcomed me just as warmly as in the past. The locals really treated me as if I had never left. It's like my home away from home。

　　How did a person like me, who had no American cultural background at all, survive and adapt to their society? My answer is that the Chinese culture has taught me to be inclusive, understanding and easy to communicate with.

　　We are living in a time of globalization. Without China's opening up and without the NBA's globalized presence, I couldn't have become the NBA's first overall pick. While cultural differences and misunderstandings exist, communication and understanding become particularly important。

　　Speaking of my life in the U.S., I want to stress the importance of mutual respect. Personal exchange and understanding are based on mutual respect. To be respected, you must become stronger through painstaking efforts to improve yourself. This sense is part of the innate nature of Chinese people, because Chinese culture encourages people to keep forging ahead, advance bravely, and strive for self-improvement。

　　I also pay attention to follow a strict moral compass. There is very little cultural difference between high-quality, well-educated people. Being subject to intense public scrutiny, I am very strict with myself and try to do my best in everything. Having been brought up in a culture that takes morality as its core value, my moral awareness just comes naturally。

　　My other point is on the importance of social responsibilities. Participation in charitable and public welfare activities has become a kind of lifestyle in many countries. Respect for the old and care for the young, and helping people in need are traditional virtues of Chinese culture, too. When I was playing in the NBA, I participated in Basketball Without Borders activities, encouraging poor American children to do reading and study. Meanwhile, many NBA players have also participated in the charitable events organized by the Yao Foundation to help Chinese schools in less developed regions build on-campus basketball programs. This shows that charitable and public welfare activities are a common language between the East and the West, which can help people reach understanding and consensus。

　　A pluralistic society inevitably makes different cultures coexist. We are confident that Chinese culture is here to stay and will mix with other cultures from around the world. This confidence comes from the strength of our parents, from the magnificence of Chinese characters, and from the wonderful feelings on tips of our tongues. I believe that, by adhering faithfully to these wonderful things, everybody can become a goodwill envoy of Chinese culture to achieve the dream of life and family, and to accomplish the Chinese dream。