一次在工地，我和一个老工人唠嗑。他评价我：“你干得挺好！全局上下都知道你，但是这就是你人生的颠峰，你这辈子就这样了。”

我不满意地问：“我为什么就不能当个小官儿啥地，也到局里去工作？”

他回答：“你爹不是官，你妈没有钱，你自己不聪明还没文凭，除了憨得可爱，你就没什么特殊的，将来能好到哪里去！？”

Once at a construction site, I was nattering with an older worker. He commented on me, "You're doing pretty well! The whole bureau knows you, but this is the peak of your life, and you will be like this for the rest of your life."

I asked dissatisfiedly: "Why can't I just be a small official or something and work in the bureau?"

He replied, "Your father is not an official, your mom has no money, you are not smart and have no diploma, except for being lovably honest, you are nothing special, how good can you be in the future!?"

我认为这是真心话，没事干，就想去读夜大，混个本科毕业，有个文凭。

我回到东北大学找夜大，刚好遇到王刚大姐。她听我想继续上学，回答：“对！这是好事。我想给你介绍个女朋友。你是大专毕业，我都说不出口，没办法帮你。不过夜大的本科毕业，还是说不出口；那也得辛苦两三年。我看你还是念研究生吧。”

I think this is sincere, nothing to do, just want to go to night university, to get a bachelor's degree, or at least to get a diploma.

I returned to Northeastern University to look for a night school and happened to run into Big Sister Wang Gang. She heard that I wanted to continue my schooling and replied, "Yes! It's a good thing. I want to introduce you to a girlfriend. You graduated from a college, so I am too embarrassed to say it, there's no way I can help you. But a bachelor's degree from a night university is still too embarrassed to say; and that would take two or three years of hard work also. I think you'd better go to graduate school."

我没那种想法，说：“我可考不上。”

大姐说：“你不懂。考研究生跟考大学不一样；考一考你就明白了。相信我，你就照着考研究生准备吧！”

当然，相信她没什么用；1995年春，我没考上。她却说：“今年刚好有几个厉害的考生；明年说不定，参加考试的人水平就低，那你不就考上了，继续准备明年的考试。”

I didn't have that idea and said, "I can't pass the entrance exam."

Sister Wang said: "You don't understand. Taking the postgraduate entrance exam is different from taking the university entrance exam. You will understand after taking the exam. Trust me! Just prepare for the postgraduate entrance exam!"

Of course, there was no use trusting her; in the spring of 1995, I failed the exam. But she said: "This year there are just a few excellent candidates; next year, the level of those taking the exam may be lower, so you can pass the exam, continue to prepare for next year's exam."

在1995年夏，我决定参加全国统一的研究生考试。大姐听了： “哎呀！我弟弟长志气了；那我这当姐姐的得支持啊！有许多博士研究生在八舍有床位，房租都交了，却很少在那儿住。我给你在那儿找个房间。那儿两个人一个屋，肃静。” 就这样，我住进了东北大学的博士生宿舍。

In the summer of 1995, I decided to take the national unified postgraduate examination. My elder sister Wang heard: "Oops! My younger brother has grown in ambition; then I, as the older sister, should support it! There are many doctoral students who have beds in the eight dormitories, the rent is paid, but they seldom stay there. I'll find you a room there. There are two people in a room there, and it's quiet." In this way, I moved into the doctoral dormitory of Northeastern University.

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