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TraditionalMainstreamValuesofUSA--thespiritofAmericanpeople--LarryLiuIgrowupinsuchasocialenvironment:U.S.imperialismisournumberoneenemy.Frommychildhood,Americaismysterioustome.Intheprocessofmygrowingup,IwascuriousaboutAmericanpeopleandtheirstoriesandhadafeelingthatmydreamcametruewhenmyforeignaffairsworkledmetoAmericaandgavemechancetounderstandAmericanculture.Human’snaturemakespeoplecuriousabouteachother.Whentheymeetpeoplefromdifferentcountries,besidessomesimplequestionslike“Whatislifelikeintheircountry?”“Whatkindoffooddotheyeat?”“Whataretheircustoms?”,theyhavemorequestionsabouttheculture:Whatdothepeoplebelievein?Whatdotheyvaluemostinlife?Whatmotivatesthem?Whydotheybehavethewaytheydo?Today,IchoosetotakeanAmericancultureapproachtoourdiscussion,focusingonthetraditionalmainstreamvalues(美国社会主流价值观)thathaveattractedimmigrantstotheUnitedStatesforover200years.Afterexplaininghowthesetraditionalvaluesdeveloped,wewilltracehowtheyaffectvariousaspectsofAmericanlife.ThisinformationwillhelpusgetacompositepictureofAmericanbeliefsandpracticesastheyrelatetoeducation,business,government,sports,recreation,andsoon.Ihopetheintroductioncanhelpusbecomemoresensitivetoculturaldifferences.However,myintroductionisnottopersuadeChinesepeopletoacceptAmericanway，butrathertohelpunderstanditmorefullyandcomparewithours.Andseewhatwecanlearnfromeachother.TherearesixmainstreamvaluesofAmericansociety:1.IndividualFreedom（个人自由）;2.Self-Reliance（自力更生）;3.EqualityofOpportunity（机会平等）;4.Competition（竞争）;5.MaterialWealth（物质财富）;6.HardWork（辛勤工作）Thesevaluesoriginatedfrom“TheDeclarationofIndependence”(独立宣言),peoplewillneverforgetitssaying:Weholdthesetruthstobeself-evident,thatallmenarecreatedequal,thattheyareendowedbytheirCreatorwithcertaininalienable（不能剥夺的）rights,thatamongtheseareLife,LibertyandthepursuitofHappiness.Let’shaveafurtherlookintothesesixvalues.Historically,theUnitedStateshasbeenviewedas“thelandofopportunity”,attractingimmigrantsfromallovertheworld.TheimmigrantsbelievedthattheywouldfindopportunitiesinAmericawiththissetofvalues.Threeofthem--IndividualFreedom,EqualityofOpportunity,andMaterialWealth–representtraditionalreasonswhyimmigrantshavebeendrawntoAmerica.Inordertoachievethesebenefits,however,therewerepricestobepaid:Self-Reliance,Competition,andHardWork.Byandby,thesesixbasicvaluesbecometraditionalvaluesystem.IndividualFreedomandSelf-RelianceTheearliestsettlerscametotheNorthAmericancontinenttoestablishcoloniesthatwerefreefromthecontrolsthatexistedinEuropeansocieties.Theywantedtoescapetocontrolsplacedontheirlivesbykingsandgovernments,priests（牧师）andchurches,noblemenandaristocrats(贵族).Toagreatextent,theysucceeded.In1789,whentheywrotetheConstitutionfortheirnewnation,theyseparatedthose“privilegedclass”(特权阶层)mentionedabovefromthegovernmenttoensurethatanaristocraticsocietywouldnotdevelop.Therewouldbenorulingclassofnobilityinthenewnation.ThewordfreedomisoneofthemostrespectedpopularwordsintheUnitedStatestoday.Byfreedom,Americansmeanthedesireandtheabilityofallindividualstocontroltheirowndestiny(命运)withoutoutsideinterferencefromthegovernment,arulingnobleclass,thechurch,oranyotherorganizedauthority.Thereis,however,apricetobepaidforthisindividualfreedom:self-reliance.Individualsmustlearntorelyonthemselvesorrisklosingfreedom.Thismeansachievingbothfinancialandemotionalindependencefromtheirparentsasearlyaspossible,usuallybyage18or21.ItmeansthatAmericansbelievetheyshouldtakecareofthemselves,solvetheirownproblems,and“standontheirowntwofeet”.Thisstrongbeliefinself-reliancecontinuestodayasatraditionalbasicAmericanvalue.MostAmericansbelievethattheymustbeself-reliantinordertokeeptheirfreedom.Iftheyrelytoomuchonthesupportoftheirfamiliesorthegovernmentoranyorganization,theymaylosesomeoftheirfreedomtodowhattheywant.EqualityofOpportunityandCompetitionBecauseofthebeliefthateveryonehasachancetosucceedinAmerica,generationsofimmigrants,fromtheearliestsettlerstothepresentday,havecometotheUnitedStateswiththisexpectation.BecausetitlesofnobilitywereforbiddenintheConstitution,noformalclasssystemdevelopedintheUnitedStates.Thehopesanddreamsofmanyoftheimmigrantswerefulfilledintheirnewcountry.Thelowersocialclassintowhichmanywereborndidnotpreventthemfromtryingtorisetoahighersocialposition.Americansseemuchoflifeasarace(比赛)forsuccess.Forthem,equalitymeansthateveryoneshouldhaveanequalchancetoentertheraceandwin.Ithelpsensurethattheraceforsuccessisafaironeandthatapersondoesnotwinjustbecauseheorshewasbornintoawealthyfamily,orlosebecauseofreligion.ThisAmericanconceptof“fairplay”isanimportantaspectofthebeliefinequalityofopportunity.Thereis,however,apricetobepaidfortheequalityofopportunity:competition.Ifmuchoflifeisseenasarace,thenapersonmustruntheraceinordertosucceed;apersonmustcompetewithothers.IfeverypersonhasanequalchancetosucceedintheUnitedStates,thenitiseveryperson’sdutytotryAmericansmatchtheirenergyandintelligenceagainstthatofothersinacompetitivecontestforsuccess.Peoplewholiketocompeteandaremoresuccessfulthanothersarehonoredbybeingcalledwinners.Ontheotherhand,thosewhodonotliketocompeteand