Last Friday I helped my postgraduate class choose English names and look up their meanings. Here are some quotes from my students' essays on "Does the meaning of your English name suit you?"
"I had read a paper on Alphabetism. I still remember some sentences from the paper. That is: the list for job interview, election ballot, conference speakers and attendees, all tend to be drawn up alphabetically, and the recipients loose interest as they plough through them. Consequently, I chose Austin."
"In the same time, I think beauty is not just the outlook, it includes the inner too. If you have more knowledge and behave gracefully, you will be more attractive."
"There is an old saying "People can't do anything without money, but money is not everything." In fact, happiness, true love, friendship, time, health are all valuable things and can never be bought with money...if you want money just for your own needs, you'll never be satisfied or happy."
"Bright eyes are a bridge to make the world and ourselves to know eachother."
"In my opinion, my Chinese name fits me better...it means the Changjiang River. My given name means "miss the lover." So my Chinese name means a person standing by the Changjiang river missing his lover. I think it is a very poetry name."
"In all, I think everyone loves his name as he loves his children. I love my name as well."
"Jasmine...contributes to many aspects of our daily life. I hope that when I walk up to you, I smell like a fragrant scent...I hope that I can also play an important role in peoples' daily life, as Jasmine."
"I consistently believe that nothing great was ever achieved without enthusiasm."
"As the old saying goes "the whole year's depends on a good start in spring." Farmers sow seeds in April, they also sow their hope. So April, a sowing season, is also a season filled with expectation. That just fits my character."
"In other words, setback is the mother of the brave."
"Learning is the eye of the mind and food for the soul, so "forever young" also means keep learning in our whole life."
"Do you think God who is the creator and ruler of the universe exists in real life? Frankly speaking, I don't believe in it. I think it's just a superstition. When you are in trouble, yourself is the only one who can help you, and sucess comes from hard work, instead of God's blessing."
"I have lots of friends. they all like me because whatever they do, I'll back them up. When they are in trouble, I'll give a hand and do whatever I can do. I like to help my friends because when I am helping them, I know that I am useful."
"Another reason I chose David as my English name is as follows: I'm a football (soccer) fan...among all the football stars, I like Beckham best. His football skills are not perfect, but useful. Always he helps another player to get a goal...the cause of England's team will feel pity in the future."
It sounds like I have a group of very intelligent students.
1 comment:
I love it! I remember how much my class loved receiving english names but the pride they take in their Chinese name as well. Has your class given you a Chinese name yet?
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