成功博士的条件.doc

The Conditions of a Successful Doctorial ResearchThese years more and more university teachers and scholars have been plunging themselves willingly or unwillingly into competing for the very few quota of every institute or university to select those who hold great potential in academic research as doctor candidates when they are faced with increasing working pressures, especially when they wish to seek higher professional ranks or get promotions. On the other hand, some graduates who are to be conferred the master degrees the current year also join them when they find it so difficult to hunt an ideal and decent job. Some of them make such decisions in hope that they will be able to get a teaching job in a certain university in the near future once they obtain the doctorial degrees. And therefore, these people form a great scene on campus early every year. One will feel elated when he or she is enrolled into a university as a doctor candidate. But he or she will realize soon that he or she will start a hard life in the next few years. It is no other than an ordeal if you want to conduct a successful doctorial research. It is frequently reported that some doctor candidates committed suicide when they got stuck in their academic research and were faced with a great deal of pressures. There are many people who involve themselves in the entrance examinations for selecting doctor candidates but it seems that few of them have ever considered the following question: “Am I really interested in academic research or have I ever taken all the necessary conditions seriously before I continue my further study at the doctorial level?”Perhaps some of us are utilitarian when making up our mind to take these examinations so as to continue our further study as doctors. However, once we are enrolled, we will find that life is not as we had imagined. Why should we take the conditions into account before we make every effort to realize our goals? In my opinion, a good knowledge of what conditions are needed for a successful doctorial research will help us save time and money and hence avoid a huge waste of resources and some unexpected tragedies. What conditions are needed then if someone wishes to do a successful doctorial research? First of all, as I see it, academic zeal is a must to a person who is ambitious in his future academic career because whether he or she is interested in it play an important part in his future career of academic research. Just as a saying goes, “To have interest is to have the best teacher.” Only when you show interest in doing something will you concentrate yourself upon it. Its hard to imagine that a man who is not interested at all in what he has been doing would achieve great achievements in the relevant realm. And I do think that interest breeds perseverance; otherwise he would find it so difficult and painful to carry on. If Harold Bloom, one of the most prominent American scholars and literary critics, had not been passionate in strolling in the ocean of books, especially in the classic literary works, with a platonic dream in the academic hall, he wouldnt have persisted in his career as a critic and achieved such great achievements. Another mattered condition is that one has to lay a sound foundation upon his scope of knowledge and his expertise. We have to realize the fact that Rome wasnt built in a day. No one could build castles in the air. It would be a mirage if you didnt know well enough of your expertise and the relevant research realm. A good command of our specialty will help broaden our vision and walk in the front of the field all the time. In this respect, Professor Qian Zhongshu has set a good example for us. Maybe some people will say that this kind of example is not typical because Mr. Qian is a genius and his success doesnt work on others. But at home or abroad, most of the literary giants and famous scientists have achieved great success just because they not only have a good mastery of their expertise but also have a wide scope of knowledge so that they are much nurtured from their erudition. On the other hand, the staunch support from ones family and his work unit has to be taken into account. Most of the participants in the entrance examinations for doctors-to-be are already married when they decide to continue their further study at the doctorial level and as breadwinners, have to should the responsibility to keep the pot burning. Before they make such decisions, they have to win the support of our spouses at first. You know that there lies great difference in a bachelor or a single woman and a married person. If you stay single, you can do anything without having to consult anyone else unless what you do wont inviolate the laws or hurt others. But things are different once you get married. Anyway, home is not yours only but belongs to both of you and your spouse. And therefore, you have to be democratic and consult your husband or wife before you decide to take some actions. Only when you have achieved his or her understanding can you set your heart at ease and free yourself to do what you want. When you get yourself immersed in the academic research, your spouse may be taking over the duties of running the household and doing the household chores without any complaints. Of course, it is far from enough to win the support from your family members. Also you have to get the support from your work unit or your university. Just bear this fact in mind that the staunch support from your family and work unit is absolutely the mental pillar to your pursuit in the academic hall. What I mention above must be the most important ones among the conditions for a person to conduct a successful doctorial research. But apart from these, a doctor candidate must have some other necessary qualities. Today we are living in a world full of temptations. If we want to do a successful doctorial research, we have to resist the temptations from the external world and learn how to live with loneliness. With these individual qualities and an ideal environment, we believe we will prove the truth that nothing is impossible. Dream and others Up till today I have come to this international metropolis to study and work for quite a few years, but it is the first time that I saw the snowflakes dancing in the sky in two successive days. When the morning dawned, I drew up the curtain and to my surprise and enjoyment, I found that the tiles on the roofs were covered with heavy snow and overnight the whole city out of the window has already turned into a silvery world. After having stayed indoors much too long, I decided to go out for a relaxation and to buy two articles of sweaters for my elder sister and young sister-in-law respectively in passing as New Year gifts. While I stayed there to wait the shop assistants to pack them up, I struck up a conversation with them. Suddenly, one of them asked me whether it is promising to be a psychologist or to make ones living by helping people solve psychological problems, which immediately aroused my intensive interest. I told her that it would be definitely yes. In the near future, the big cities in China, such as Beijing and Shanghai, I am quite sure, will be in great want of qualified psychologists due to the increasingly fierce competition and life pressures. However, in my opinion, not all those people who are interested in psychology are qualified to be a psychologist, especially for those inward and unenthusiastic. If a person, active and warm-hearted with an acute perceptivity, has acquired a good command of communicative skills, undoubtedly, he or she will be the best candidate to be a psychologist. As a matter of fact, even when I was still studying at Shanghai University as an English major in American literature, I have shown great interest in psychology, which directly resulted in my adoption of some relevant psychological theories advocated by Alfred Adler, One of Sigmund Freuds major disciples, into my M.A. thesis. By perceiving into the inner world of the authors, we will often find out some exciting facts and the internal relationship between the authors and their literary works, though most of them conceal their life experiences, hates and desires in their novels. Thus we will be able to achieve more understanding of them and their literary works. In this regard, Sigmund Freud, one of the pioneers in modern psychology, has made great contribution to the mankind because he has led us to see the huge iceberg under the water, i.e. unconsciousness of human beings. His psychoanalysis theories in his classic works, such as his An Interpretation of Dream, have helped people a lot to understand themselves and offered a brand new perspective to appreciate literary works. In a sense, the writers literary works are more or less the results of their unfulfilled daydreams although the readers cannot detest them immediately. In other words, they are far from some independent beings. As a matter of fact, in reading the books on psychology, I have found myself attracted to the idea of becoming a psychologist too. Here I have mentioned the word “dream”. When we are still very young, we often dream some sweet dreams, some of which seem to be too good to be reached. As time goes by, the harsh reality comes to drag us back from our wishful thinking. Most of them have become more and more experienced and sophisticated. About forty years ago, Martin Luther King, one of the most influential American Civil Rights Heroes, made his famous speech I Have A Dream, which has inspired and encouraged numerous people generation after generation to pursue their dreams and fight for their civil rights. The adults tend to encourage their children to pursue their dreams. And English teachers also like to quote Martin Luther Kings speech to inspire their students. But not knowing from when, we grown-ups have thrown away the sweet word “dream” behind our backs. And we are somewhat embarrassed and even bashful to talk about it. We think it is understandable, forgivable and even lovely when somebody in his teens or early twenties talks about his dreams off the reel. But if someone in his thirties still says that he has some dreams to make come true, we must think that he is childish and unrealistic. Now I am standing on the threshold of the dream house. And I am wondering whether I have to find my lost dreams back. Sometimes I ask myself again and again, “Am I old enough to give up my efforts to pursue my dreams?”In the past ten years, I have fulfilled one of big goals in my life. Thats why I have come to this metropolis. But whats the next? I know what I really want. And there is still a long way to go, but I cant make any excuse not to quicken my steps. Looking back the history, the human beings have never ceased to spare no pains to hold fast their dreams. And therefore, the mankind has made great achievements up till today. Apparently, it is the dream that has made our world so wonderful. With dreams in our minds, we people can say proudly that nothing is impossible. If I want to enjoy a colorful life and a successful career, I have to learn how to work out a career plan in advance and then march towards it all the time. In the next few decades, I have to go on making efforts to reach my short-term and long-term goals. Only in this way can I make my sweet dream come true. I know that I still have the right to dream a dream. But the problem is, once I have realized what kind of goal I want to reach, I must take immediate actions. Another Letter to Mr. Wang June 1, 2008Dear Mr. Wang: This morning I sat at the computer table and read the latest edition of your thesis. To be candid with you, I found to my disappointment that you have made no any progress in your thesis writing. Youseem to have the sense that everything is quite easy to deal with, not to say to write an academic essay, but soon I am sure that you will realize that your conception turns out to be wrong. I just wonder whether you have heard about such a saying dropped by Wang Shuo, the writer from Beijing to the effect that an ignorant person tends to be valorous. I do wish you wouldnt fall into that kind of type. I know that you are smart but meanwhile you are cynical too.Dont complain about this and that as if the world had treated you unfair. When you try to get you must learn how to give back. In his inaugural speech, J. F. Kennedysaid, Ask not what your country can do for you; ask what you can do for your country.So boy, dont ask whatthe universitycan do for you; just ask what you can do for the university. Just ask yourself, Have Iever immersed myselfin doing the things once the goals are determined? And the best way for you to give back to the university now is to submit a thesis of quality. Undoubtedly, you have a slippery tongue and you have a good understanding of Chinese literature and a good command of even classical Chinese language. Regretfully, you are far from surefooted. I have to say that you seem to havegrandiose aims but puny abilities. Well, I dont want tobe too critical of you because I think youwill learn many lessons in person in the near future. Everybody will be awarded or punished for his efforts or idleness in the process of his life. However,I suggest that you really should spare more time reading the relevant materials for the thesis. You are not a genius anyway. In speaking ofyour thesis, I am sure that I have given you much advice before. I still remember that about half a month ago, Mr. Wang, one of my colleagues and I instructed you of the way of thesis writing. You looked so meek and obedient at that moment, but seemingly you have never taken them in. Or you just took them in one ear and then the other out. HereId like to take the chance to say something about your thesis. First, the topic of your thesis is too broad. I believe that you can even write a doctoral dissertation with it. You have ever told me that you wanted to cover the domestication and foreignization in literary translation in the case of Classic Chinese Novel, The Romance of Three Kingdoms. Why not try it then? I just wonder what you have been on the go for these days.Have you ever concentrated yourself onreading the relevant books? As a man, y