后来，我周围的学生和我的大学同学开始出国学习。随着越来越多的人留学美国，我也有了这样的想法。我通过了托福和GRE考试，申请了美国大学。不幸的是，没有一所大学给我提供奖学金。那时候，作为一个穷老师，我负担不起出国留学的费用。于是，我开始在一家培训机构当家教，挣些钱，希望能有钱到美国去学习。通过这些经历，我看到了一个象牙塔以外的不同世界，并发现中国的培训行业是非常繁荣的。我也意识到很多老师在教学上并不是很有效率。此时我已经获得了丰富的教学经验，所以我决定开办自己的培训课程。然而，北京大学对我在开办这些课程感到不满。我因为在外面做家教而受到了学校的惩罚，这也直接导致了我的辞职。因为在我看来如果一个人在工作中得不到赏识，那么他最好另谋高就。我在那个时候就下定决心，如果我离开北京大学，我将开办一所培训学校，用我的教学技能来指导更多的学生，帮助他们获得高分，以便他们能够追求更美好的未来。回顾过往，北京大学的惩罚也为我未来的成功埋下了种子。
Leaving the University, I broke away from the path of a teacher who potentially would work my way to professor. I turned myself into an entrepreneur of a training institution. To be precise, I shouldn’t call myself an entrepreneur, but self-employed. This a term that carried a negative shade of meaning at the time in China, referring to someone who gave up iron rice bowl and came out of the system to make money.
离开北京大学断送了我成为一名大学老师甚至大学教授的道路。我变成了一家培训机构的企业家。准确地说，我不应该称自己为企业家，而应该称自己为个体户。在当时的中国，这个词带有负面的含义，指的是放弃铁饭碗，从制度中出来赚钱的人。
It is precisely because of the experience teaching at Peking University that gave me a deeply understanding of the huge influence a teacher has on students. For example, if the teacher has been passive and with negative energy , he or she will pass on the negativity to the students. If the teacher is positive, wise, and possess the capability to guide students, he or she will have a major impact on the students’future.
正是我在北京大学教书的经历，让我深刻理解了老师对学生的巨大影响。例如，如果老师一直是被动消极的，带着负能量，他或她将把消极的东西传递给学生。如果教师是积极的，明智的，并具有引导学生的能力，他或她将对学生的未来产生重大影响。
I have been a teacher for many years and have great respect for the profession. At New Oriental, we have nearly 35,000 teachers. I have always asked each and every teacher in New Oriental to bring positive and good influences on students. I have been thinking hard on the question, “What are the most important things as a teacher?” I would argue a good teacher has the following five characteristics:
我当了多年的教师，非常尊重这个职业。在新东方，我们有将近35,000名教师。我一直要求新东方的每一位老师都能给学生带来积极和良好的影响。我一直在认真思考这样一个问题：“作为一名教师，最重要的事情是什么？”我认为一个好老师有以下五个特点：
First, good teachers should inspire students with the enthusiasm to pursuit knowledge and truth. I believe teachers should teach students knowledge and truths, not just to help them pass exams, nor just for the students to remember some knowledge points in order to get into the university. From primary, to secondary and higher education, I think the most important thing for teacher is to instil students with a passion to pursuit knowledge and truths.
首先，好的教师应该激发学生追求知识和真理的热情。我相信老师应该教给学生知识和真理，而不仅仅是为了帮助他们通过考试，也不是为了让学生记住一些知识点才能进入大学。从小学到中学，再到高等教育，我认为教师最重要的是向学生灌输一种追求知识和真理的热情。
Second, good teachers should be able to teach and discuss knowledge in a positive language that stimulates students to think. If the teacher is indifferent to the teaching content, students are unlikely to participate actively. Knowledge can be more meaningful only when you teach in a way projecting positive happiness and the ability to stimulate thinking.
其次，好的教师应该能够用一种积极的语言来教授和讨论知识，从而激发学生的思考能力。如果教师对教学内容漠不关心，学生就不可能积极参与。只有当你以一种投射积极的快乐和激发思考的能力的方式进行教学时，知识才会更有意义。
Third, a good teacher pays attention to the all-round development of students. Many teachers are one dimensional in practice, only looking at whether students have solved questions in the classroom, whether students have learned the knowledge points, performed well in exam, or written good essays. I believe in addition to these, it’s more important for teachers to care about the development of students' personality, their well-being and morality. They should set examples to students in addition to provide them with advice. I also believe that teaching of knowledge must be based on wisdom. Teaching of knowledge is not to remember the knowledge points, but to internalize knowledge into part of students’ own pursuit of life and career.
