Globalization is causing the foundations of many cultures to erode into a sea of uniformity that is largely seen as Western. I spoke with a Chinese friend recently who is afraid of it. He talked about the need to preserve traditional thought and art in China. Too many people today have drifted away from their historical roots the essence of the culture they belong to he believes. My question for him was how today’s globalization is different from what happened on the Silk Road over 1000 years ago.

全球化正在使许多文化的基础消融到“一致”的大海中，而这变化的方向被认为是“西方化”。一个中国朋友对我说中国应该保护传统思维和艺术。他觉得很多人从他们所属文化本质的历史根源处脱离了。我要问他的是，今天的全球化跟１０００年前在丝绸之路上发生的变化有什么不同？

Globalization largely refers to assimilation. As contact increases communities tend to resemble each other. Thanks to the Silk Road China adopted Buddhism from India and took all sorts of foods and products from Africa and Europe. And after contact with nomadic tribes early Chinese learned to ride horses an important factor in the establishment of the Han dynasty. It can be said that China’s history is a result of the slow trickle of globalization through history. 

全球化主要是同化。社会之间的接触越多人们越趋同。多亏了丝绸之路，中国接受了印度的佛教，接受了非洲和欧洲吃用方面的产品。而且由于跟游牧部落的接触，中国人学会了骑马，这是建立汉朝的重要因素之一。可以说中国历史中，全球化的涓涓细流始终贯穿其中。

American history is more so a product of globalization. Its citizens come from every ethnicity on the globe which means our history is far deeper and more complex than a mere 231 years of independence. The law I know reaches back to the Magna Carta. My government and philosophical traditions come from the ancient Greeks. My religion has its roots in Judaism which is 4000 years old. For this reason I often disagree when Chinese tell me how remarkable it is for such a young country to develop so quickly. I feel my history is not bound by the accomplishments of one race. It is the aggregate of many histories and the sum of none.

美国历史更是全球化的产物。它的公民来自全球各个民族，也就是说我们的历史比仅仅２３１年的独立史更深长和更复杂。我理解的法律回溯到英国大宪章，我们的政府和哲学的传统是从古代希腊来的，而宗教则根植于有４０００年古老历史的犹太教。因此当中国人议论这么年轻的国家发展这么快真值得惊异时，我往往不同意。因为我们的历史不是被一个民族的成就所限制的，我觉得我们的历史是古老的。它是很多“历史”而并非一个“历史”的合计。

Sometimes I wonder what the world would be like today if recent history were turned around and the East developed in advance of the West. If the Mechanical Industrial and Technological Revolutions occurred in Eastern countries first would the West be afraid of “Easternization”? In this scenario would global warming not be a concern and would divorce rates be lower? How would the world be different? My guess is that the world would be largely the same though the path would be different like a river taking a different course to arrive at the same sea. 

有时候我在想，要是东方比西方优先发展，我们的世界将会如何。如果机械、工业和技术等革命首先在东方发生，那么西方会害怕“东方化”吗？在这么一个“脚本”中，我们担不担心全球变暖？离婚率是否能更低？这世界究竟会有什么不同？我个人认为，尽管道路不同，我们的世界都差不多。就像一条河经过不同的线路但最后流到同一个大海一样。

Perhaps one day in the future the West will have to contend with “Easternization”.At that time people will think of ways to ameliorate its effects which is like trying to stop a river. I doubt anyone will want to revitalize traditional thought. It is just not in our nature which means there are some things globalization will never change.

也许将来有一天西方要面临“东方化”。到时候人们会想出减少影响的方法，但这跟想让河流停下来一样。我怀疑有哪个西方人想恢复传统思维。这不是我们的性格。也就是说，有些东西是全球化也改变不了的。