Personal Statement
Distinguished teachers, good morning. My name is XX, a 22-year-old girl from XX province. And I majored in translation and interpreting in the past four years. When it comes to my love story with translation, I can still recall every important decision I made. Firstly, I chose translation as my major because I love language. For me, the magic of language lies beyond words and phrases. It is about love and share. My family moved to the town when I was about 10 years old. I was totally overwhelmed at the time. Because I had to say goodbye to my friends and be a new-comer again. And most importantly, I had to learn another dialect. Before I moved to the town, my family used to speak a dialect of our village. But now everyone around me spoke a different dialect that I couldn’t understand. So I had to start from scratch so as to keep pace with my classmates. Luckily, I was able to speak the dialect in a few months and translate my parents words into another dialect. That was my aha moment for language and translation.
Another reason is simply that I aspire to be a good translator. In the past four years, I had been an editor for the English website of our foreign language institution. I managed to translate news of the campus into English and uploaded it every week. The job is quite demanding yet meaningful. I learn from my tutors and teammates. They are willing to share and discuss translation with me. And the fulfillment and satisfaction of being trusted and appreciated are not only rewarding but compelling for me.
Great translators also guide me the way ahead. Isaac Newton once said,“If I have seen further, it is by standing on the shoulders of giants.”The giants in the friend circle of translation are lights at the end of the tunnel to me. Whenever I read their translation works, I feel so humble and obliged. The persistence and patience that they dedicate into the cause of translation always encourage me to do a better job. I know that I can never be as great as them. But their spirits inspire me all the time.
Being a translator is a cutthroat competition in the era of english and technology. Yet it is a brave choice for me. I believe that there is a long long way to go for me. I hope that I shall have the opportunity to learn from all the teachers here.
虽然最后也没用上，但写了挺久的，不算浪费啦。
一些感想：
不知道其他人怎么样，我自己认为女孩子总会underestimate themself. 和朋友聊天，她说我讲话语速不紧不慢，很沉稳，适合去做口译。这个评价让我很惊讶，因为我自己觉得能力不行，讲话也吞吞吐吐，根本不是做口译的料。
so then I started to believe that I tend to see myself in a negative way. Do other people know you better than yourself? I had no idea.
2017.05.07记
2018.06.06
写完这篇PS已过去一年，当初入学时的热情已被现实消磨了一大半。
一方面是因为翻译学习的过程中受到了前所未有的打击。初学者总是认为自己可以做到“完美”的状态，但实际上一路上都是“不完美”的声音。很多时候都需要自我监督、自我批评、接受别人的批评后还要鼓起勇气、昂起头来修改“面目全非”的译文。这样的过程，对自信心绝对是一种冲击。任何自视甚高、狂妄自大的人做翻译就能体会一下“一落千丈”的感觉。
有时想想，语言学习带给我什么？我觉得是一种“坚持就会有效果”的信念。翻译学习带给我什么？可能就是一种“备受打击还要咬牙坚持”的态度。其实在真正的翻译实践中，你受到的打击远比你受到的夸赞要多。一个耐得住寂寞，吃得了苦头，承受得住打击的人，想想还有些酷呢。
可是，我敢说80%的翻译学习者都难以越过眼前的大山。为什么呢？因为人的本性就是懒惰的，就像人类天生嗜甜一样。只有自律、节制、有自制力的人才能跑完全程马拉松。大部分人到最后不过是被人流推着往前走。有时候想想，那些拼命努力的人（尤其是那些已经功成名就、完全可以享受人生的人）真的让我佩服，有点英雄主义的色彩。一个个不断对抗惰性的人在前面领路，后面一群群的人在跟随，推着历史的车轮向前。他们在呼喊：“不要放弃。” 我要听到他们的声音。
另一方面是因为陷入了对未来职业规划的迷茫。研究生入学一年，第一学期刚适应这边的生活就放了寒假，第二学期准备了五月份的考试，一眨眼又到了期末考试忙论文的时候。想家里人，相册里只找到年前拍的照片。担心我家今年高考的小妹，希望她考试顺利，考上理想的学校。想见见大学同学和朋友，他们是我快乐的源泉之一。除了情绪上的波动，我更担心的是未来的就业问题。我已经半只脚踏进了笔译的大门，自知高手众多，自知能力不够，自知前面还有许多困难。现在如果抽身，放下初心，我终究还是有些舍不得。但是，现在再进入一个新的行业，一切归零、从头开始，我还能不能承担这样的机会成本？
目前也是走一步算一步，人参啊，总少不了迷茫。
