Yao Siyu reads books that are a bit different — the traditional Chinese characters are printed vertically on the page and there is no punctuation. But the 22-year-old Chinese classics major at Renmin University of China considers reading these ancient texts a form of recreation.
姚思宇读的书略有不同——竖排版的繁体字、没有标点符号。而这位22岁的人大古典文学系学生则把阅读古文当作一种休闲娱乐。
Many think that studying traditional Chinese literature is boring and useless, but Yao is full of passion for her subject.
在很多人眼中，学习古典文学是件无聊且无用的事情，但姚思宇却对自己的专业充满热情。
Fulfilling discovery
颇有成就感的发现
Yao acquired her interest in Chinese classics when she was in elementary school. She read a lot books, ranging from contemporary novels to ancient poems. “I like poems the most, especially poems of Bian Zhilin, Wen Yiduo and Xu Zhimo. They are full of emotion and romanticism,” she says.
上小学时，姚思宇便对古典文学产生了浓厚的兴趣。她阅读了大量书籍，从当代小说到古典诗词。她说：“我最喜欢诗词，尤其是卞之琳、闻一多和徐志摩三人的佳作。这些诗感情洋溢，充满了浪漫主义情怀。”
Yao started to write poems herself in middle school because she had “so many thoughts and feelings to express through the rhythm of language”, she says. But the more she wrote, the more disappointed she felt — she saw a huge gap between herself and her favorite authors.
姚思宇初中时便开始自己写诗，她表示之所以这样做是“想通过诗词的韵律来抒发心中的想法和感受。”但她写的越多、失望也越大——她察觉到自己和喜欢的作家之间存在着巨大的差异。
Therefore, when it was time for the college entrance exams, Yao didn’t hesitate to apply for Chinese classics. “It’s the study of Chinese literature, history and philosophy. By studying it, I will gain a comprehensive understanding of traditional Chinese culture and a better understanding of my idols,” she says.
因此，高考时，姚思宇毅然选择报考古典文学专业。“通过对中文、历史与哲学的学习，我可以对中国古代文化有一个全面的了解，也对我心中的偶像有了更深入的认识。”
Passion for the past
对于国学的热情
Thanks to her solid foundation in Chinese literature, Yao was accepted by the School of Chinese Classics at Renmin University of China. There she made friends who had similar interests to her. In their leisure time, Yao and her friends spend hours practicing calligraphy and inscriptive writings. Even on dates with her boyfriend, Yao prefers visiting places like the Hall of Martial Valor in the Forbidden City. While it is a less popular place for other visitors, it is full of treasures for Yao because many ancient Chinese paintings are displayed there, giving her an opportunity to learn about ancient civilization.
凭借扎实的中文功底，姚思宇被人大国学院录取。在那她结识了很多志同道合的朋友。课余时间，姚思宇和朋友们常常一起练习书法和题跋（译者注：写在书籍、碑帖、字画等前面的文字叫做题；写在后面的，叫做跋，总称题跋）。甚至和男友约会时，她也喜欢将地点定在像故宫武英殿这样的地方。虽然那里不是什么热门景观，但是姚思宇眼中的宝地，因为那里展出了很多古代绘画作品，为她了解古代文明提供了一个好机会。
Many students can’t understand why Yao and her peers want to learn about such old things. For Yao it’s merely a matter of interest. “People think I’m a nerd, but I just love Chinese classics so much that I want to devote myself to it,” she says. “How other students see me is similar to how I see finance students. I will never understand their fascination for mathematical modeling.”
有些学生不理解姚思宇和同伴们为何如此痴迷这些“老古董”。对于姚思宇来说，这完全是兴趣使然。她说：“人们认为我是个书呆子，但我只是出于个人喜好想要研究古典文学。其他同学对我的看法就好比我看待金融系学生一样。我永远明白他们对于数学算式的痴迷。”
Uncertain future
不确定的未来
Despite her rich knowledge, Yao has less promising career prospects than her peers. According to data released by MyCOS Group, a consultancy, college students who major in science fields have better chances of earning a high income after graduation than students majoring in the arts. Science majorsaccount for 78 percent of the top 50 well-paid majors, while arts majors represent the bottom 10.
尽管知识渊博，但和同伴们相比，姚思宇的就业前景并不乐观。根据咨询机构麦可思公司发布的一组数据显示，理科生毕业后获得高薪的机会要高于文科生。在“最有钱途”的五十个专业中，理科专业占到了78%，而垫底的后十名则全部被文科专业拿下。
But Yao takes a different view. “Many people judge job prospects by material success, yet my major can bring much more than that,” says Yao. “It perfected my personality, way of thinking and attitude toward life. I gained self-fulfillment on the way.”
而姚思宇则持不同的观点。她说：“尽管很多人用物质上的成功来衡量职业前景，而我所学的专业让我收获更多。它可以完善我的人格、思维方式以及生活态度。在此过程中，我获得了成就感。”