Lesson 1 Life-long Learning
第一课 终身的学习
The Importance of Life-long Learning
终身学习的重要性
Nowadays, more and more people of various ages and backgrounds are continuing to study to improve themselves.
如今，越来越多不同年龄不同背景的人都在继续学习以提高自己。
Here's what they have to say about their life-long learning experience.
下面是他们描述自己终身学习的经历。
Sun Wen - 28 years old
孙文—28
"It's never too late to learn."
“活到老，学到老。”
That was the advice I got after I failed my college entrance exam.
这是我大学入学考试失败后得到的忠告。
Now I'm about to graduate from the School of Continuing Education at Qinghua University
现在我就要从清华大学进修学校毕业了，
with a Bachelor's Degree in Computer Engineering by distance learning.
通过远程学习获得电脑工程学的学士学位。
Because of my new qualification, I'm getting promoted at work.
因为有了这个新资格，我在工作上就会升职。
In the past, if someone like me had failed to get into university through the college exam,
过去，如果有人像我一样没有通过大学入学考试，
he would have had no chance of getting a degree.
他就不会有机会拿到学位。
But it's different now.
但是现在情况就不同了。
I decided to give myself a second chance
我决定给自己第二次的机会，
by studying for a degree in the evenings and on weekends while keeping a secure full-time job.
在做一份安稳的全职工作的同时，晚上和周末去学习以获得学位。
Frankly speaking, the last four years have been hard work, but it's been worth it!
坦白说，过去的四年真的很辛苦，但是值得！
Ms Tang - 45 years old
唐女士—45岁
Three months ago, when my manager told me that I would be laid off,
三个月前，当我的经理告诉我，我将要下岗了，
my mind went blank and my heart swelled with anger.
我的脑子一片空白，心中充满愤怒。
In the past, if someone had worked for a company for over 20 years,
过去，如果有人在一家公司工作了二十几年，
they would have stayed there until retirement!
他们会在那儿一直工作到退休！
I suspect that they laid me off because the company was not doing that well
我猜想他们辞掉我是因为公司的经营效益不佳，
but it still brought a lump to my throat and made me want to cry.
但是它仍然令我喉头哽咽，让我想哭。
I felt as if I had done something wrong!
我觉得我好像做错了什么事情，
I know this isn't true though.
虽然我知道事实上不是这样！
It's just the status of the job market at the moment.
这只是当时的工作市场的状况所致。
At first, I enjoyed being a full-time housewife and called myself "CHO" or "chief home officer".
最初我很高兴地做一个全职家庭主妇，称我自己是“首席家政官”。