U1 Reading 2 with Translation

From the ‘American Dream’ to a Chinese Dream 1 Yu Minhong will never forget watching his father, a poor peasant and carpenter, collect bits of waste brick and stones and turn them into a small pen to shut in the pigs, hens and ducks. Yu says his father’s determination and foresight have influenced his whole life. “If you have a map in your head, you can always turn stones into a building. If a pyramid was dismantled, it would just be a pile of stones. If you live your life without an aim it’s just a heap of days.” 2 Yu Minhong is one of the inspiring stories of those who have been able to grasp opportunities in rapidly changing China. 3 Like many of his peers, Yu wanted to pursue an American Dream in the late 1980s but failed repeatedly to obtain a visa. Disappointed, he started to help others fulfill their American dreams. He quit his job as an English teacher at Peking University and started up a business in 1993 to help students develop their English skills. At the time, he had a class of only 30 students. Now he owns a company, New Oriental Education and Technology Group, with more than three million students. It has a network of 25 schools and 111 learning centers in 2 4 cities as well as an online network that has attracted 2 million registered users. The company became the first private education company to be listed on the New York Stock Exchange in September 2006. 4 “My next aim is to build New Oriental into a model for China’s private education,” adds Yu. 5 Today, many private schools have gone bankrupt after failing to deliver both profit and good e ducation. Yu, however, is not afraid o f failure. “Ups and downs are part of a career. Fallin g over is not a problem. What you learn in the process is invaluable: it can help you start over,” Yu says. 6 Yu went through enough hardships throughout his life. Childhood poverty, two failures in university entrance exams, a year’s sick leave while at university, repeated refusals of his overseas study visas and later he was almost killed by some dangerous thieves. “These ordeals make me treasure every minute of life and be ready to help others,” he says. 7 Horseback riding in the Beijing suburbs is Yu’s favorite way of relieving tension, but he feels closer to the camel. “A camel can walk a long way in difficult conditions. Running a career is like traveling through the desert. Career success means walking from one oasis to another. It calls for camel-like perseverance and a good sense of direction,” says Yu. 从“美国梦”到中国梦 1 俞敏洪永远也不会忘记这样的时刻,他看着自己的父亲,一个贫穷的农民和木匠,捡些废砖乱石,搭了一座小围栏关猪、鸡和鸭。俞说,他父亲坚定且富有远见,深深地影响了他一辈子。“如果你心中有方向,你总能用石块砌成房子。如果金字塔被拆掉,它无非是一堆石头。如果你的生活没有目标,那无非是一个个堆砌的日子。” 2 俞洪敏是在快速发展的中国能够紧紧抓住机会的励志人物之一。 3 跟他的许多同龄人一样,俞在20世纪80年代后期曾想过追寻美国梦,但是申请签证屡次受挫。失望之际,他开始帮助别人去圆美国梦。他辞去了北京大学英语老师的工作,在1993年创业搞英语培训。当时,他的班上只有三十个学生。如今,他已拥有一个公司——新东方教育科技集团,学生数量超过了三百万。集团开设了25所学校、111个学习中心,遍布24座城市,另外还拥有吸引了两百万注册用户的在线网络。2006年9月新东方成为首家在纽约股票交易所挂牌上市的私营教育公司。 4 “我的下一个目标是把新东方建设成中国民营教育的示范模式,”俞补充说道。 5 今天,许多民办学校由于没有盈利和教育质量不佳都相继倒闭了。但是,俞并不惧怕失败。“起起伏伏是职业生涯的组成部分。跌倒不是问题。在摔倒的过程中学到的东西是无比珍贵的:它能帮助你从头再来,”俞说道。 6 俞在他一生中经历了足够多的坎坷。儿童时代的贫困、两次高考的失败、大学期间一年的病休、留学签证屡次遭拒,以及后来差点被一些凶残的窃贼杀害。“这些磨难使得我珍惜生命的分分秒秒,乐于助人,”他说。 7 在北京郊区骑马是俞喜爱的用以减压的方式,但是他更钟情于骆驼。“骆驼能在非常困难的环境走很长的距离。干一番事业就像跋涉在沙漠之中。职业的成功意味着从一个绿洲走向另一个绿洲,这需要像骆驼一样坚持不懈和把握好方向,”俞说。