文字实录·Transcript

冯欣：11月25日，有150万中国的年轻人将要参加2013年国家公务员考试，竞争2万多个政府各部门的职位。这些数字意味着，每个职位将有66人竞争。有100多个职位，竞争激烈到白热化，招录比例超过了1000比1。但与此同时，有130多个职位无一人报考。这些数据都来自于国家公务员管理局。

Feng Xin: On the 25^th of November, more than one and a half million young people in China will be taking the 2013 National Civil Servants Examination to compete for some 20,000 positions in various government sectors. These numbers mean for every job there will be 66 candidates competing on average. There are over 100 positions where the competition gets really fierce – in fact the admission ratio in this case is as high as 1,000 to 1. But at the same time, some 130 positions in remote areas have attracted zero applicants. That's according to the State Administration of Civil Service.

 

今年最让人吃惊的莫过于重庆的一个普通职位，这一职位竟有9400多人报考，因此成为国考史上最热门的职位。媒体记者发现，这个职位只不过是国家统计局下重庆一个分队的普通科员职位，月薪也仅有2000多元。但它的录取条件却是最少的。过去十年间，国考升温有目共睹，根据国家公务员管理局的信息，中国直到1993年才开始通过国家公务员考试来选拔人才。

But what has surprised many people this year is one ordinary position in Chongqing Municipality. It alone has attracted more than 9,400 candidates and become the most sought-after position in the history of China's Civil Servants Examination. Media reporters discovered that it's just a clerk position under the National Bureau of Statistics'Chongqing division and is just paid 2,000 yuan a month, but it has the fewest admission requirements. The increase in the exam’s popularity over the last decade is quite obvious. Also according to the State Administration of Civil Service, China didn’t start selecting candidates through the National Civil Servants Examination until 1993.

 

2002年，全国有63000多人参加了考试；到2009年，人数已增长了12倍；到2010年，国考参考人数首次突破了100万人。今年的最终参考人数目前还不得而知，但是截至10月24日，已有150万人报名。这所有的数字归根到一个问题：为什么中国有越来越多的年轻人想到政府部门工作？在这一期的《解析中国》，我们要去认识一位正在准备今年国考的大学生，一位去年通过层层选拔、进入商务部的年轻公务员，还有一位看到国考产业商机的企业家。

In 2002, about 63,000 candidates took part in the Exam. There were 12 times more candidates by 2009, and in 2010 for the first time more than 1 million people took the Exam. The final number of examinees this year is yet to be known, but over 1.5 million people have already registered for the exams as of Oct 24. These numbers all come down to one question: Why do more and more young people in China want to work for the government? In this episode of Digest China, we will meet one university student preparing for this year's exams, a young civil servant who topped the selection last year and became an employee at the Ministry of Commerce, and an entrepreneur who saw business opportunities in the exam industry.

 

穆林是对外经济贸易大学一名大四的学生，专业是英语。虽然直到考试报名截止日期的前几天，他才最终决定报考外交部的一个职位，但他从大三起就已经打算要参加今年的国家公务员考试了。

Mu Lin is in his senior year at the University of International Business and Economics in Beijing, majoring in English. He didn't make up his mind to apply for a position at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs until the very last few days before the deadline, but he intended to take the National Civil Servants Examination since his third year at university.

 

穆林（对外经贸大学学生）：那会儿大家都在想以后要做什么，去外企，去国企，考公务员，还是要出国。因为我觉得跟其他的选择比起来，现在参加国考做公务员，之后的待遇还有生活节奏都是大家比较理想的一种。一些美国的企业，可能它的待遇并不比当公务员差，但是每天可能早上九点钟就要上班，然后天天都要加班，生活节奏特别得紧。

Mu Lin (Student at the University of International Business and Economics): We were thinking what we would do in the future. Work for a foreign-owned company, a State-owned company, the government or study abroad? I think compared to other options, taking part in the exam and becoming a civil servant would be ideal both in terms of pay and pace of life. Some American companies may not pay any less than what civil servants are paid, but you might have to get to work by 9 am and work extra hours every day. Life is very tense.

 

冯欣：那你有没有听说今年增加了很多辛苦的岗位？比如说要在很偏远的地方工作，或者是要有长时间的加班，似乎公务员不再是一个轻松的工作了。

Feng Xin: Have you heard that there are going to be many demanding positions this year, which require you to work in remote areas or long hours? It seems that being a civil servant is no longer an easy job.

 

穆林：我知道一点点，因为其实在以前，要有两年的基层工作经验，所以很多职位本科生根本就没法报考。现在多了一些比较基层、比较偏远的职位，那个两年工作经验就不用要求了，所以很多本科生可以报。

Mu Lin: I've heard a little. In fact, candidates used to have to have two years of working experience before they could apply, so fresh college graduates were not eligible for many positions. But now, since there are more demanding positions in remote or poor areas, the two-year bar no longer exists. That’s actually a good thing for us.

 

冯欣：那你小时候的梦想是什么呢？

Feng Xin: Then, what was your childhood dream?

 

穆林：我一直想做一个文艺工作者，说说相声，演演戏，出去采访一下，这种感觉的生活。

Mu Lin: I always wanted to be an artist, like being a stand-up comedian, actor, or going out to do interviews.

 

冯欣：那是什么让你想从一个文艺工作者转到考公务员的道路上来呢？

Feng Xin: Then what transformed you from wanting to be an artist to (wanting to be a) civil servant?

 

穆林：因为文艺工作者，我觉得文艺工作者如果想混得很好的话，很大程度上要看，就是运气的成分非常大，就是有很多不确定性。比如说你去靠演话剧，你想以后好好生存下来，这个非常不好说。而且就算你能这样想，你还有父母，还有家人，还有女朋友，以后就不好说嘛。如果做了公务员之后，每天至少下班后的时间是自己的，还可以完成一些自己文艺的小心愿。

Mu Lin: I think being an artist, a successful artist, to a large extent depends on luck. There are a lot of uncertainties. For example, if you want to live on acting in plays and live well, it's very hard to predict. Even if you don't mind living that way, you still have your parents and girlfriend. It's very uncertain. However, if I am a civil servant, at least the hours after work would belong to me. I can still fulfill some of my little artistic dreams.

 

冯欣：我们知道，国考一年比一年热，报名的年轻人一年比一年多，那么你对这个现象怎么看呢？

Feng Xin: As we know, there has been a growing number of young people taking part in the National Civil Servants Examination each year. What do you think of such a phenomenon?

 

穆林：我觉得年轻人现在压力还是挺大的，现在看起来摆在我们面前的选择非常多，有这么多地方可以去，但真正落到我们自己身上的，就比如说，这边有一百个选择，但其实这一百个选择都是一周要加四天班，要加到八、九点钟，而且工资跟别的地方也差不多的。所以这一百个选择等于就是一个选择，就是比较累、工资一般的那个选择。

Mu Lin: I think nowadays young people face a lot of pressure. It looks like there are many options in front of us and many places to go. But when the options really fall upon us – let's say, there are 100 options, but all of them require you to work until 8 or 9 pm, four days a week, and the salaries are more or less the same – the 100 options are in fact equal to one. That is, the tiring and underpaid option.

 

冯欣：现在社会上有一种声音，就是有越来越多的年轻人热衷于国考，想进入体制内，而年轻人似乎更应该多去闯世界，追寻自己的梦想，考公务员似乎是一种浪费青春的做法，那么你对这种声音怎么看？

Feng Xin: There has been a voice in society that there are more and more young people keen on getting in the government system, but really, they should be chasing their dreams. Trying to become a civil servant seems to be a waste of time. What do you think of such a voice?

 

穆林：我觉得这不是年轻人的问题，年轻人只是被引导的，在哪边前途比较光明，年轻人自然想向那边走。在中国来说，可能在体制内前途比较光明，所以年轻人就往这边走了。所以我觉得年轻人不是向着体制和规则走的，年轻人是向着光明走的。现在既然光明被定在这一边了，大家肯定会蜂拥而至的。

Mu Lin: I don't think this is young people's problem. Young people are just guided to walk toward that direction. They choose whichever path that's bright. In China, perhaps the government system is the bright path, so young people automatically choose it. I don’t think young people really follow rules or the system. They follow the light. Since now the light is defined to be (the government system), people will, of course, come in great numbers.

 

虽然国考吸引了众多年轻人，那么它究竟如何选拔考生呢？中国的国家公务员考试由两个标准的笔试和若干面试组成。在《行政职业能力测试》中，考试要在两小时之内完成135道选择题。题目涵盖时事常识、阅读理解、数学和逻辑推理等内容。在《申论》中，考生要在两个半小时内阅读好几篇较长的文章、归纳总结它们，起草公文并且撰写议论文。这两个笔试是政府部门筛选考生的第一道门槛，通过这两门考试对很多人来说已经是很困难的了。

While the exams are getting popular among young people, how do they select candidates? China's National Civil Servants Examination consists of two standard written tests and individualized interviews. In the Test of Administrative Competency, candidates have to answer 135 multiple choice questions in two hours. The questions cover areas such as current affairs and general knowledge, reading, math and logic. In the Test of Argumentation, candidates have to read several large passages concerning current affairs, summarize them, draft official documents and write argumentative essays in two and a half hours. The two written exams serve as the first round of selection for government sectors to narrow down candidates for interviews. Passing the exams would be very challenging to many.

 

2011年，陈超逸成为了商务部的一位公务员，他报考的职位是当年竞争最激烈的几个职位之一。但是脱颖而出并不只是他的运气，他其实早在2010年就参加过考试，但是没有考上。我对他如何在第二次考试中大获成功很感兴趣。

Chen Chaoyi became an employee at the Ministry of Commerce in 2011. The job he applied for was one of the most competitive positions that year. But topping the selection wasn't just his luck. He actually failed his first attempt in 2010. I was interested in how he succeeded the second time around.

 

冯欣：那我们来看看你的经历：在你参加完两门笔试以后，之后的五轮面试是什么样的？

Feng Xin: Well, let's look at your experiences. After you took the two written exams, what did the following five rounds of selections look like?

 

陈超逸（商务部公务员）：我先考完了国家级的考试，然后到部委考试，最后再到相关的部门考试。不是每个人都必须参加五轮面试，这只是我的个案，但大体顺序就是这样。面试中，我们都尽全力保持微笑，因为在这儿工作，微笑是一种非常重要的品质。在这里你必须时刻保持平和、友善的态度，否则这个环境将对你是致命的。

Chen Chaoyi(Employee at Ministry of Commerce): After you've taken the national exam, you go to the ministerial one (and) then you go to the departmental one. I don't think everyone has to (go through) five rounds of interview. That's only my case, but the sequence is clear. We all try to keep smiling, because you know it's a very important, extremely important, quality that you keep in here. You must be amicable. You must be peaceful all the time. Otherwise, I think it would be deadly for you.

 

冯欣：当时，你报考公务员的时候，已经在中央电视台工作了一年，当新闻编辑，这应该是很多人都梦寐以求的一份工作，为什么你还要报考公务员呢？

Feng Xin: At that time, you had already worked for China Central Television for one year as a new editor, which would have been considered a dream job by many already. So what made you decide to take the civil servants exam?

 

陈超逸：对我而言，我不想在镜头前表现得愤世嫉俗，这么说吧，如果我做一个编辑或者记者，那我仅仅是讲别人的故事，但我更想做，或者参与到让其他的人报道的事。

Chen Chaoyi: And for me, I do not want to appear cynical in front of the camera, but let me just tell you in this way: To be a news editor or to be a news reporter, as I was, was to tell the stories about what others have done. However, I would prefer to do the things, to be involved in the things, and let others tell the stories about.

 

冯欣：也就是说你想被报道？

Feng Xin: So you want to be talked about.

 

陈超逸：是的。我不想去报道别人，我想被别人报道。

Chen Chaoyi: Yes. I don't want to talk about. I want to be talked about.

 

冯欣：那你为什么认为当一名公务员就可以让你成为新闻故事的主人公？

Feng Xin: So what made you think that being a civil servant would enable you to become the subject of the story?

 

陈超逸：整个国家都是我们在运行，难道我们不是大家关注的焦点吗？

Chen Chaoyi: Well, we are actually running the whole country, as you see. So, aren't we the center of others'attention?

 

冯欣：你的童年梦想是什么？

Feng Xin: So what was your childhood dream?

 

陈超逸：我也不清楚，小时候也没想过这么远，我只是在想怎么去玩儿，怎么逃作业。我父亲一直告诉我，我将来可以成为一名外交官，对他和对我而言，外交官都是一个理想的工作。

Chen Chaoyi: I don't know. I (hadn't) thought that far during my childhood. I was just thinking about how to play, how to dodge the homework. But what my father kept telling me (was) that you can be a diplomat. A diplomat is an ideal job for me and for him.

 

冯欣：你的一天是怎么样的？会不会加很长时间班？

Feng Xin: What is your typical day like? Does it involve a lot of extra hours?

 

陈超逸：会，而且还没有加班费。

Chen Chaoyi: I think so, working late with no extra pay.

 

冯欣：真的？

Feng Xin: Really?

 

陈超逸：真的。

Chen Chaoyi: Yes.

 

冯欣：但是大家都说当公务员……

Feng Xin: But people say being a civil servant…

 

陈超逸：不是不是，这很荒唐。说这话的人其实不知道我们的生活是什么样的。这么说吧，其他部门我不清楚，但是我们是一个涉及到外事事务的部门，我们要和外国人打交道，所以，当国外发生什么事的时候，我们要做出回应，这就是加班的原因。

Chen Chaoyi: No, no, no. It's ridiculous. Actually they don't know what our lives (are like). Let me put it this way: I don't know what other ministries are like, but, for us, we are a ministry that (is involved) in foreign affairs. We have to deal with foreigners. So, when things are occurring in other countries, we have to react, and that (results in) our overtime.

 

冯欣：你对这份工作最满意的方面是什么？

Feng Xin: And what's the most (satisfying) part about your job?

 

陈超逸：我觉得应该是当我看到自己写的文件、段落在国际会议上被讨论，我就觉得非常自豪。

Chen Chaoyi: Well, I think if you see the documents, the passages you have written (are) being discussed at an international conference, at the international level, (and) I think I would be very proud of (that).

 

冯欣：那我们也可以看到，国家公务员考试这些年在年轻人中越来越热，你对这个现象有什么看法？

Feng Xin: So, as we can see, China's civil servants exams are getting more and more popular among young people. What do you think of such a phenomenon?

 

陈超逸：我认为原因有两点：第一点是如果你加入这个群体，你就会为国家工作，这是一种荣耀，一种光荣，不只一个人的荣耀，而且是一家人的。这也是从古至今流传下来的。第二个原因是，对于和我一样的很多中国人来说，能够到首都北京来工作、生活，并拥有一个比较高的社会地位，我刚才提到过，和一份相对体面的工资，是改变一个人的命运的机会。（比如）如果我家人在地里干活，我家祖祖辈辈都是农民。我可以通过努力学习和工作改变自己命运。

Chen Chaoyi: I think there are two reasons. The first one is that if you join this group and you are working for the country, and this is a kind of honor and glory – not for oneself but for the whole family. And this (role has been) cherished throughout the history of our nation. The second one is, I think for a lot of my compatriots, for a lot of Chinese, to live and work in Beijing, the capital, with a high social status, as I have (said), and with a relatively decent salary is an opportunity to change one’s own fate. (For example, if) my family works in the field, (and) my family were farmers (for generations), I can change this. I can change this by working hard (and) by studying hard.

 

但是政府部门的工作到底能为年轻人带来什么呢？三月，一家独立研究机构，麦可思研究院，对中国2000多所大学的25万名大学毕业生进行了问卷调查。根据麦可思的报告，在2011届本科毕业生中，在政府机关工作的人并没有在外企、国企和私企的人挣得多。这一现象同样发生在已经工作了三年的2008届毕业生中。与其他几类工作比起来，在政府机关工作的人三年中加薪是最少的。

But what do government jobs really promise young people in China nowadays? In March, My China Occupational Skills, or MyCOS, an independent research institute, conducted a survey of more than 250,000 college graduates from more than 2,000 Chinese universities and colleges. According to MyCOS, college graduates of the class of 2011 who work in government sectors do not make as much money as those working in foreign companies, State-owned and private companies. The situation is quite similar for graduates from the class 2008 who have already worked for three years.Compared to other workers, government employees received the smallest salary rise over the period.

 

尽管薪水不高，在已工作六个月后的2011届本科毕业生中，在政府机关的人对工作的满意度是最高的，超过了在国企、外企、非政府组织和私企的人对工作的满意度。这个现象同样适用于2008届本科毕业生，而且这些毕业生已经工作了三年。然而，庞大的考生人数并不是国考渐热的唯一证据，一条由国考衍生的产业链正在蓬勃发展。现在不仅有成百上千种教辅资料和音像制品，还有网络课程，培训班和私人辅导教师。

In spite of modest salaries, graduates from 2011 report having the highest degree of satisfaction in working in government sectors six months after their graduation – ahead of State-owned enterprises, foreign companies, non-government organizations and private enterprises. The situation is also similar for the class of 2008, even three years after their graduation. The large number of examinees each year is not the sole testimony of the exams'increasing popularity. An industry chain that comes with it is booming, as well. Not only are there hundreds of text books, exercise sheets and audio-visual publications, but there are also online courses, training camps and private tutors.

 

杨新媛（北京图书大厦一层销售部经理）：公务员类的书一直是我们的一个重点。应该说这几年销售的情况都比较平稳，每年销售额都在百余万。今年随着考试人群的增加，应该是两万人左右，比去年增加了三千多个岗，去年是一万七。所以感觉今年的销售肯定会要好于前几年。

Yang Xinyuan (First Floor Sales Manager at Beijing Books Building): Civil servant books have always been an important category of ours. The sales have been quite stable in recent years, making about 1 million yuan in sales each year. As the number of available positions grows – there are 20,000 this year, 3,000 more than last year – we believe our sales this year will even be better than before.

 

杨新媛说每一位购买国考书籍的顾客至少要花上100元，约等于16美元。在书店我还碰到了一位市场研究人员，正在为他的出版公司做调查。他的工作是观察读者的购买习惯，并和他们聊天，了解读者的需求。

Yang said each individual customer spends at least 100 yuan, or 16 dollars, on exam-related books. While at the bookstore, I also ran into a market researcher doing informal surveys for his publishing company. His job was to observe readers'buying habits and chat with them to learn what they wanted.

 

刘强（图书发行经理）：公务员考试的能力，对于他们这方面的要求越来越高。所以他们以前注重公务员考试考题的解题技巧，现在更注重的是一种解题思维。

Liu Qiang (Distribution manager): The exams have been demanding a higher level of capabilities from candidates. So, while the examinees were focusing on practicing exam techniques, they are now paying more attention to problem-solving skills.

 

说到研究国考考生想要的东西，李永新可能是中国最早在其中找到商机的人之一。早在2001年，李永新就开始向国考考生提供考试培训。现在他的公司每年出版几十本考试辅导教材，在全国各地开设了300多家培训中心，并拥有5000多名讲师。李永新估计国考业每年的市场价值大概是50亿元，约等于7.9亿美元，他的公司能够占到这块蛋糕的40%。与他的同龄人不同，李永新早在从北京大学毕业之前，就开始了自己创业。

But in terms of knowing what civil servant candidates need and want, Li Yongxin is perhaps one of the first few people in China to find business opportunities. As early as 2001, Li started offering training services to exam candidates. And now his company publishes dozens of books each year and runs 300 training centers with more than 5,000 lecturers around the country. Li estimates that the industry itself is worth about 5 billion yuan, or 790 million dollars annually, and his company shares up to 40 percent of the cake. Unlike many of his peers at that time, Li decided to start his own business even before graduating from Peking University more than a decade ago.

 

冯欣：李总裁，首先我想问一下您，在2001年的时候怎么想到要做公务员培训的呢？

Feng Xin: Mr Li, I'd like to begin by asking what made you start offering training services to civil servant candidates as early as 2001.

 

李永新（中公教育集团总裁）：因为我们在给很多奥数的孩子做培训的时候，确实也很容易，但是我们发现没有乐趣、没有兴趣。但是我们给大学生做公务员考试培训的时候，我们可以得到价值的反馈，我们的那种思想、观念可以跟他（们）进行交流。比如说，你对生命的理解，你对社会的理解，你对做人做事、处世原则的理解，你会在上课的过程当中跟他们进行沟通和交流。

Li Yongxin(CEO of OFFCN Education Group): Well, we were training kids for the International Mathematical Olympiads back then. It was very easy, but we found it quite boring. The case was totally different when we were training college students for civil servants exams. We could get feedback. We could communicate our ideas and beliefs to them. For example, I could talk to them about my understanding of life, the society and way of dealing with different people. I could communicate with them in my lectures.

 

冯欣：我听说中公教育的所有老师都要求自己亲自参加公务员考试，是不是这样子？

Feng Xin: I heard that all the lecturers in your company are required to take the exams themselves. Is that true?

 

李永新：是的是的。

Li Yongxin: Yes, yes.

 

冯欣：是您要求的？

Feng Xin: You asked them to do so?

 

李永新：对。尤其在初期，这一条是特别严格的。我们在99年、2000年、2001年，我们在做公务员考试研发的时候，我们都亲自去考试，真正体验在那么短的时间内回答135道题，五十几秒钟来答一道题的那种状态和感受。

Li Yongxin: Yes, especially when a lecturer first starts teaching. Back in 1999, 2000 and 2001, when we were doing research and development, we all took the exams ourselves, feeling what it is like to answer 135 questions in such a short time by spending only 50 seconds on each question.

 

冯欣：我在采访您之前我自己也试着做了一下行测的题，我发现有很多的题目，比如说图形的逻辑推理、立体几何、等差数列等等，这些题跟公务员的实际工作有多大联系呢？

Feng Xin: Well, before I came to interview you, I tried the Test of Administrative Competency myself. I found many questions were to do with things like logical deduction of shapes, solid geometry, arithmetic progression and so on. I wonder how much they are related to the actual work civil servants do.

 

李永新：它实际上是通过这样一种方式考查你的基本潜能。比如说数学，你看着和我们文字的很多工作好像是没有关系，但是这里面体现出来一个人对数字的理解，对逻辑的理解、理性的理解，它是可以反映在你看似文科的工作当中来的，这是行测。申论就更是完全模仿作为一个日常机关工作当中的工作人员的日常工作情况。你要写材料、你要汇总材料、你要向上级领导进行汇报、你还要写文章等等。它是完全是对日常工作的一种模拟。这么多年来，十多年的命题，我认为已经是非常科学的，而且是非常有效的。能够把中央机关、省级机关和地市级机关真正需要的人才选拔出来。

Li Yongxin: These questions in fact test your basic potential. Let's say math. It looks like it doesn't have anything do with wiring, but it in fact reflects one's understanding of numbers, logic and reasoning. These abilities will be required in a civil servant's daily work. That's the Test of Administrative Competency. The Test of Argumentation simulates civil servants'job even more. You have to draft and summarize documents, report to your supervisors and write articles. It's a complete simulation of government work. Over a decade, I believe the exam composition has already become very scientific and effective. They can effectively select the talents needed by national, provincial and municipal governments.

 

冯欣：您认为一个合格的公务员应该具备哪些素质？

Feng Xin: What traits do you think a qualified civil servant needs to have?

 

李永新：我觉得应该具备一个就是说基本的德行，为人要公道正派，这是第一位的。第二就要具备机关工作要求的基本能力。比如说文字能力，比如说人际协调，比如说情境方面的特殊处理，这是第二个方面。第三个方面，我觉得当前的公务员在复杂的国际环境下，应该具备开阔的视野，应该把中国的发展放在一个历史发展的、大的趋势和状态下去思考，这时候你就要有国际视野和历史的视角。第四个我觉得，就要有处理复杂问题的能力。现在对公共管理的要求越来越高，一个公务员能否有非常良好的处理复杂问题的能力，我觉得是非常重要的。

Li Yongxin: I think moral integrity is the number one quality. A civil servant needs to be fair and honest. Second, he or she needs to be equipped with the basic skills required for government work, such as writing, interpersonal communication, situational problem-solving and so on. Third, I think, under the complex international environment, one needs to have a wide scope which allows him or her to situate China's development in a global and historical context. That's why you need to have a wide scope. Fourth, I think he or she needs to have abilities to handle complex issues. Public administration has been demanding more from civil servants. Whether one can handle problems well is crucial, as far as I see.

 

冯欣：我了解到您是一位大学生创业者，大学还没有毕业的时候就已经开始创业了。二十年前，大批的年轻人纷纷走出体制，下海或者是自主创业，或者是进入外企工作。那么二十年以后，今天，好像这个潮流发生了一个反转，这个方向反转了。那么您作为一个大学生创业者，怎么样看待今天越来越多的年轻人选择走跟您当初截然不同的道路呢？

Feng Xin: I learned that you actually started your own business even before you graduated from university. Well, 20 years ago many young people left the government system and entered foreign-owned and private companies or started their own businesses. Twenty years later, the trend seems to have reversed. The direction has reversed. As a college entrepreneur, how do you see the fact that more and more young people nowadays choose a path that's opposite to yours?

 

李永新：我为什么创业是跟我骨子里的很多因素有关系。比如说我喜欢创新，比如说我喜欢差异化。我的同学都去读书了，美国读书，都去考研，都去从政，那我就不想跟他们走一样的道路，所以去创业。这实际上是创新和差异化的一种思想在影响我。你会发现在我们那个年代，可能去外企是比较好的选择，这些年你会发现大家都会去关注公务员，报考人数从02年的8万人到现在150万，这实际上体现了一种关注吧。对这个问题我并不觉得是个非常好的现象，因为这么关注政府，实际上我觉得从某种程度和意义上对一个年轻人来讲是在走一种捷径。他实际上在政府扩张的过程当中吸取了这种超额的价值。

Li Yongxin: I think this would have a lot to do with my genes. I like to create. I like to differentiate. My classmates chose to pursue post-graduate studies in China or the US, or work in the government. But I didn't want to do the same, so I started my own company. This is, in fact, a result of my keenness on differentiation. You'd find during that era working at a foreign-owned company was perhaps a good option. But in recent years, you'd find people pay more attention to becoming civil servants. The number of applications has increased from 80,000 in 2002 to 1.5 million today. This is a reflection of people's attention. Personally, I don't think this is a good phenomenon. Paying so much attention to the government to some extent reflects young people's choice of a short-cut. They are, in fact, trying to acquire the surplus of the government’s expansion.

 

为什么公务员这么热，深层次原因就是这样。所以我并不欣赏也并不希望更多的大学生通过这样一种方式，快速地实现人生的财富或者是权利，或者是一种地位的积累。我觉得还是应该去做些创新性的事情，去企业做，去做一些真正对社会产生价值（的事）。通过创新的方式产生价值的，这种事才是年轻人应该做的。趁着我们有激情、有热情、有理想，想干事的时候多干点这种事情，否则过了三十年、二十年，我们真正再想发挥自己那种创新精神的时候，发现自己老了，没热情了，没激情了。

That's a deep reason for the popularity of becoming civil servants. I don't appreciate or want to see more university students accumulate wealth, status or power in life through such a path. I think they should do more innovation. Work for enterprises. Do things that really create value for society. Creating values through innovation – that's what young people are supposed to do. When we are still young, passionate and idealistic, we should do as much as we can. Otherwise, 20 or 30 years later when we want to use our creativity, we find we are old and have no passion left.

 

 

 

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