Placeholder Image

Subtitles section Play video

  • First, let me tell you, that, uh, language is very important.

  • I was born in a normal family.

  • And I'm not good at schooling (school).

  • Of course, I tried to study hard, but as a boy, you know, my school was not that good at that time.

  • So, I failed looking for jobs, looking for joining university, joining good schools.

  • But I never give (gave) up.

  • But let me tell you another thing: language is so important, it helped me a lot.

  • Because of artificial intelligence, in the future, you know, people (will) say: "I don't need to learn English, or Russian or Japanese.

  • A something, a (inaudible) here can translate quickly."

  • No. It's not about language.

  • It's about the culture.

  • When you learn the other language, you start to understand the other culture.

  • You start to appreciate, respect the other culture.

  • When you appreciate, respect the other culture, you will be respected and appreciated by the others.

  • Then you can work it out together.

  • I learned my English by myself, when I was a child.

  • I never got one day (of) English training class outside China.

  • But I think I understand Western culture much better than those Chinese students that study outside.

  • Because I'm not learning language, I'm learning culture.

  • When you respect the other culture, when you appreciate the other culture, it's easy to make friends.

  • If you don't like the other culture, you will never make friends.

  • If you don't have friends, how can you do business?

  • So, I would say, language helped me a lot.

  • But mostly, the thing that helped me is my respect for the different culture.

  • (If) you speak good English, (it) does not mean you will do global business, right?

  • Mao Zedong does not (didn't) speak, uh, English; Nixon did not speak Chinese, but these older two guy(s) made a global deal: China and US working together.

  • It's the vision; it's the belief that you have, that'll change the world.

  • If you have to do everything with a translator, no good.

  • Of course, sometimes you have to, right?

  • But, if you can understand a language and can communicate; it's easier for you to communicate; easy to understand, and be understood.

  • Thank you. And always: focus on the things that you are good at, focus on the things that you love.

First, let me tell you, that, uh, language is very important.

Subtitles and vocabulary

Click the word to look it up Click the word to find further inforamtion about it