Reflection and Inspiration: Fashion in a World of
2009-10-12
This is a world of fashion. Everyone wants to wear the most fashionable clothes; everyone wants to read the most popular books on the New York Times Best Seller list; everyone wants to know the latest thing happened in this packed little planet. There is one time that I was listening to an English ballad named “Season in the Sun”, one of my roommate shout up and said: “you are listening to this song? It was popular the year before you were born.” But I told myself that everything remains brand new to me if I have not experience that. Please recall your memory that the first time you kissed your beloved one, the first time you got your salary, the first time you could hold tide a litter new creature in your arms, since you became to bear the responsibilities as fathers or mothers. Dr. Randy Pausch (professor of Carnegie-Mellon University)’s last lecture to me is that kind of experience.
Today I came back from my job training, which was impressive. During the resting time of the training, I and other around twenty boys and girls were given the announcement that we were going to have our selecting exam for the Translation Service. So I came back with great wish and courage to take some practice of my English and translation ability. Listening is a big part in interpretation. Naturally I need to search some materials to listen to. The free video of Randy Pausch’s Last Lecture--Really Achieving Your Childhood Dreams--was available. I downloaded the video and put on my earphone, preparing to listen to it, though I slept in the half way, because of the tiredness of a whole day’s work, I still covered to the whole speech for I have stopped the video player in the half way.
Like one year ago, someone has sent me the video, but I did not put enough attention to watch it. The day before yesterday, I went to the bookstore 20 minutes walk from where I live. I got a book recommended by grandpa last week about Kai-fu Lee’s Making a World of Difference. On the picture part of the book, I found one in which printed in Chinese that Dr. Randy Pausch (who have died in 2008). And there are some descriptions about Dr. Randy in this book. I suddenly realized that this name was so familiar to me that someone has shown me a video about his lecture. That is the very one I am watching now. I felt a little bit depressed that I did not pay attention to it the first time someone sent it to me. The lecture was touching—for a man facing the forthcoming death is trying to encourage young people to achieving their dreams by using himself as an example—I prefer to call it a role model. There are no difficulties in the world actually; the only thing that every time standing between ourselves and our dreams are exactly we—ourselves! WE are the BRICK WALL on our road to success and fulfilling our childhood dreams. Randy’s said “the wall is only used to stop people who do not want the thing badly.” It means that if someone wants the thing really so badly, or even desperately, the wall is not going to stop him from getting it at all. But making sure to be prepared. Those points of view could be another version of interpretation of the truth of life. Now it gives me another flavor of it. The way of storytelling in the lecture is always touching. Why? Go to read the Theories of Moral Sentiments.
Facing the incoming exam, I think I am doing the best to make it come true that I want to work with one the most talented and smartest translators and interpreters in this country. You know why I like to be a translator or interpreter? That is because in preparing for missions of translation, you are going to get touch of millions of thousands of things that you could never have the opportunity to get to know and understand. The video is a bonus to me as I am practicing my listening skills. I am very glad and feel gratitude that I am doing the thing I like the most and zealous to devote myself to it. And personally I believe that is the fashion in a world of fashion.
P.S. I got the book after watching the video and am chewing it.
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