The Enthusiasm of China’s Young People 中国年轻人：身处新时代，满怀真热

In the last two weeks, I’ve had the privilege to attend two conferences where I saw the enthusiasm and eagerness to learn of China’s young people. 在过去的两周里，我有幸参加了两场会议，看到了中国年轻人学习新知的热情和渴望。 In Tianjin, the 2nd World Intelligence Conference was three days of serious discussions about the role of artificial intelligence, with a special focus on how the internet of things could contribute to building smart, green, and livable cities. I expected a few hundred people to show up. 为期三天的第二届世界智能大会在天津召开，会议围绕人工智能的作用展开研讨，重点关注利用物联网打造智能、环保、宜居的城市图景。我本以为只有大概几百人参会。 But, to my astonishment, 4000 people, mostly young people in their 20s, were clamoring to get into the convention center well before the opening. This is pure thirst for knowledge. 然而，真正参会的人数让我大吃一惊。会议开始前，已有4000人在会议中心门前翘首盼望着，其中大部分是二十几岁的年轻人。我感受得到他们对知识纯粹的渴望。 While in Tianjin, I also had the opportunity to visit the Tianjin University Health Sciences Platform. This five-year old English language program offers a world-class education in chemistry and biology, leading to a degree in pharmaceutical engineering. I was impressed by the new facilities and the curriculum, which incorporates hands-on lab research with top notch faculty. The school offers a free education to foreigners in the program. I wish I were 18 again. 在天津的这些天里，我很荣幸地参观了天津大学的“生命健康科学平台”。该平台以英语授课，已运行五年，提供世界一流的化学与生物教育资源，学生毕业后可获得制药工程学位。这里设备崭新，课程新颖，同时配有优秀的教职人员进行实验研究，这些都令我印象深刻。学校规定，外籍学生可以免费享有这些课程资源。真希望我能重返18岁。 In Changsha, capital of south-central China’s Hunan province, I attended the Second International Belt and Road Youth Forum, which brought together young people from 65 countries, mostly in their early to mid-20s, for three days of discussions. Again, I was struck by the enthusiasm and friendships formed by youth from around the world. Even delegates from countries that are formally hostile to each other, worked in harmony. What an opportunity for the lucky kids who got to attend. 在中国中南部的湖南省长沙市，我参加了为期三天的第二届国际“一带一路”青年论坛。与会的青年们来自65个不同的国家，其中大部分人刚刚20岁出头。来自世界各地的青年们热情、友善，他们再一次震撼了我。即便是在政治上敌对的各国家代表们也都能合力同心、和谐共处。那些有机会参会的年轻人们是如此的幸运。 In 2017, Changsha has selected as a UNESCO Cultural City of Media Arts, so much of the work focused on ways to stimulate the arts and media. The city has good reason to be proud of the brand new Meixihu Culture and Arts Center, designed by architect Zaha Hadid. The astonishingly beautiful building looks like it grew organically from the Earth. Or, maybe it’s a space ship. Take a look at the photos online. It is destined to be a world-famous icon. The investment in this center bolsters Changsha’s reputation as a center for media production companies. 2017年，长沙市被联合国教科文组织誉选为“媒体艺术之都”，由此长沙市政府工作重心转移至鼓励艺术和媒体的发展上。长沙市新建的梅溪湖文化艺术中心邀请到知名建筑设计师扎哈·哈迪德亲自设计，处处彰显着这座“媒体艺术之都”的魅力，让长沙人引以为傲。这座绝美的建筑看上去像是从土地中自然生长出来的一般，又或是像一架太空飞船。只要在网上看过它的照片，你就知道它注定会是一座全球闻名的地标。该中心汇聚了多家媒体制作公司，政府在该中心的投资使长沙名扬海外。 I’ve also been struck by the work ethic and serious enthusiasm of young people who were not able to go to university. For example, at the factory of Sany Heavy Industries, a listed private company in Changsha, workers put together very large construction equipment—so people’s lives and the fate of the company depend on them. These workers, mostly young people, make about 10,000 yuan (1567 dollars) per month, a very good salary in Changsha. In contrast, recent graduates of Changsha’s highly-rated universities often earn around 4000 yuan per month. Maybe some youth need to re-evaluate whether attending university is the best path. 另外，我同样惊叹于那些没能够接受高等教育却满怀热情、拥有优秀职业道德的年轻人们。例如，我参观了长沙市一家知名私企三一重工股份有限公司，工厂里的工人们齐心协力地完成大型建造设备的生产工作——公司的前途和工人们的生活保障全都依赖于此。这些工人们中大部分是年轻人，他们的月薪约为1万元（1567美元），在长沙来说属于不错的收入。与之相反，那些最近毕业于长沙一流大学的学生通常的月收入仅4千元左右。或许，部分年轻人需要重新评估上大学是否就是最好的选择。 I admire the work ethic of the young delivery guys I see in Beijing. Reportedly, there are more than 100,000. They work many hours everyday through the cold winters and hot summers, but they usually seem very cheerful, though always in a hurry. Many of them are saving money so they can return to their hometowns to build their own businesses. 在北京，我很敬佩那些年轻快递员身上展现的良好职业素养。据报道，年轻快递员的人数已超过了10万。他们每天超时工作，路上风吹日晒，虽常常脚步匆忙，却总是笑脸相迎。他们中的许多人正通过这份工作获得积蓄，梦想着有朝一日能回家乡创业。 I spent much of my life in Washington, DC, which is dominated by self-important and outright mean cynics, and in US universities, which are now going through their own vicious cultural revolution. It is so refreshing to see sincere enthusiasm and a real zest for productive knowledge. 我大部分时间都生活中在美国首都华盛顿，那里往往由那些自以为是、自私自利的人操控大局，而在美国的大学里，激烈的文化改革正在进行。在中国，看到那些对产出性知识真诚热爱、满怀热情的年轻人们实在让我耳目一新。