At the invitation of the 2012 SFL students’ Party branch, Zhu Xianchao, an outstanding SFL alumnus, delivered a passionate speech on Xipu Campus on June 4th.
Associate Prof. Wang Junqi, Deputy Party secretary of SFL, said that the past 30 years witnessed SFL’s growth in both scale and strength. At a time of innovation and entrepreneurship, we should know how to take advantage of the market economy for our own development. “I believe that Mr. Zhu’s life story will inspire you,” said Prof. Wang.
Mr. Zhu began with his higher education experience, “I was just an ordinary college student of a 2-year program of machine manufacturing. I was trained to be a technician as my fellow classmates. I knew that I was not a smart guy, nor did I have any impressive advantages over others. In my mind questions lingered on like how to become a little bit different from others, how to be a little bit superior to others, and how to win some respect from others. I was confused about my future at that time.” Then his successive pass of CET-4 and CET-6 labeled him as a guy “who is good at English”. “English surprised me and gave me some confidence”, Mr. Zhu said.
Born in a rural family, he had to work in a sewing machine plant after graduation from college. Being aware of the rapid development of foreign trade, Mr. Zhu made a decision to pursue postgraduate study in Business English in Shanghai. He studied hard for three consecutive years with the score rising from 280 in 1996 to 370 in 1998, but no admission notice was sent to him. He was extremely upset when he found that his weakness in English listening and speaking deprived him of all the chances for interview because his main competitors were graduates from Beijing Foreign Studies University or Shanghai International Foreign Studies University. He stood by the side of Huangpu River, not knowing what to do next, when he got a phone call from his father who said, ‘Son, forget about it if you can’t make it. Come back home.’ As the old saying goes, it is bright in the west when it is dark in the east. Mr. Zhu decided to apply for English major in Southwest Jiaotong University, which was of less competition pressure.
Unfortunately Mr. Zhu failed for the fourth time in 1999. But for the fifth time in 2000, he ranked No. three with a score of 389. When the interviewer asked him, “What if you failed again this time?” Without hesitation, Mr. Zhu answered, “I would return next year!” And he made it to SWJTU that year! Although enclosed in the letter of admission was a bill of 15,000 yuan for tuition, the amount of his 5-year salary, he was permitted a deferred payment. In brief, Mr. Zhu’s five trials proved to be a hard-won reward. He started his career as an entrepreneur in Chengdu and founded 10 companies over the past 15 years. “The five years’ preparation for the post-graduate entrance examination filled me with the motivation to move ahead and the courage to fight against setbacks”, said Mr. Zhu.
Mr. Zhu introduced the enterprise spirit of his Lan-bridge Communications Ltd—the spirit of one-track mind, a mind of dedication and persistence to achieve the goal. To put it in a simple way: do it and do it properly. Mr. Zhu encouraged the students to study hard to make themselves better. At the end, Mr. Zhu answered questions about the translation market and the prospect of the major of translation and interpreting.
“Mr. Zhu is an encouraging example of SFLers. On the road to success, I believe, more and more SFLers will never give up in face of setbacks”, concluded Shen Binbin, the secretary of the SFL Students’ party branch.
An Introduction to the Guest Speaker—Mr. Zhu Xianchao
Born in 1973
Graduated from SFL with a master degree of English Linguistics and Applied Linguistics
The board chairman and general manager of Lan-bridge Communications Ltd, which have set up branches in Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Chengdu, Chongqing, Xi’an, Kunming, London and Stockholm
An expert member and standing director of the Translators’ Association of China
The deputy director-general of the Translation Service Committee of Translators’ Association of China
The deputy chairman of Sichuan Translators’ Association
The director of The EU-China Managers Association (EUCMA)
The initiator and director of Mara Conservation Fund, EMBA of Cheung Kong Graduate School of Business
The advisor of MTI (Master of Translation and Interpreting) program in Sichuan University, Southwestern University of Finance, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China and Southwest Jiaotong University