May 21, 2007: Gratitude to Country | 2007年5月21日: 国家恩

除了感恩父母，对于国家，我也由衷的感恩。像我这样的家庭，从小父亲因公去世，五个孩子靠国家每个月十块钱的补助长大。这个钱对我们的家庭是很重要的，每个孩子国家负责养到十八岁，所以我无法想象光靠母亲微薄的薪资如何抚养这个家。

而培养一个运动员，国家所需的经费也很高。运动员在那个年代里，我们的伙食费从四十块一个月，到六十块，八十块一个月，相当于一个大学毕业生，甚至于教授一个月的工资，都用在培养一个运动员的伙食上。而我很小的年龄就有工资、吃住、补助津贴。这一切从八岁，起码十年的时间,这些培养和教育，我时刻铭记在心。

在我拍电影以后，当时社会还没完全改革开放。可能我从小视野比较开阔，见过很多不同社会制度和生活水平的国家，有很多反叛思维和想法,往往只从自己的角度看到更多不公平，也把自己的想法写给当时的领袖，我称为爷爷奶奶的领导人，而他们对我这样一个家庭的小孩如此关怀，对我精神上的支持和鼓励，远远超过了物质，令我终身难忘。

我思考生命这四十多年，父母是把我带到世上的人，而没有国家对我的关怀和打下的基础，不会有今天的李连杰。当自我反省时，我对国家老一辈的革命家、对栽培我的领导、甚至许多我不知道名字的朋友，我由衷地感恩。

我能做什么？感恩并不是我送金钱礼品就能表达的。我认为的感恩，唯有在今后的生命里，不断付出爱与关怀回馈这个社会，这就是我未来能做的。

感恩这块土地，感恩养育我的国家。

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Aside from parental gratitude, another form of gratitude that I feel inside is the one for my country.  A family such as mine, where our father passed away in the line of duty, the five of us children depended a lot on the 10 yuan / month which the government provided to help raise us.  The government is responsible for helping to raise a child until he/she is 18 years old.  This financial support was especially important to our family.  I couldn't imagine how it would have been possible for us to go on alone with just my mother's measley wages without receiving government assistance.

The costs for developing and training and athlete are also considerable.  As an athlete the cost of our meals went from 40 yuan / month, up to 60 and up to 80.  Back in those days it was the equivalent of a college graduate's beginning wages and went as high as the monthly wages for a professor.  When I was 8 years old and entered the sports school, I was provided a stipend, meals, room, board and education -- all of which I will remember forever.

After I started making films Chinese society had yet to be liberated.  Perhaps as a result of my experience travelling far and wide as a child, after seeing so many countries and their standards of living, I had a lot of rebellious ideas.  I often saw things only from my own perspective and thought things were so unfair.  I even wrote to the leaders in charge of the goverment at the time -- the "grandparent leaders" I called them -- expressing my thoughts.  But the truth is, as a child from a family such as mine, I received a great deal of care and consideration.  They did work to support and encourage children's minds, and that is something that will always be remembered.

I've thought alot about my life for those more-than-forty years.  My parents brought me in to this world, but without the caring and foundation that my country provided, there would not be a Jet Li today.  When I think about this, I'm forever grateful to the old governmental leaders who worked to cultivate the population, even though many of them are unknown to me.

But what can I do?  Gratitude to my country isn't something I can show with money and gifts.  My definition of gratitude compells me to repay this society by never stopping to give love and compassion.  This is what I can do from this moment on.

I am grateful for this land and this country to have raised, educated and nurtured me.