文字實錄·Transcript

馮欣：11月25日，有150萬中國的年輕人將要參加2013年國家公務員考試，競爭2萬多個政府各部門的職位。這些數字意味著，每個職位將有66人競爭。有100多個職位，競爭激烈到白熱化，招錄比例超過了1000比1。但與此同時，有130多個職位無一人報考。這些數據都來自于國家公務員管理局。

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.

 

今年最讓人吃驚的莫過于重慶的一個普通職位，這一職位竟有9400多人報考，因此成為國考史上最熱門的職位。媒體記者發現，這個職位只不過是國家統計局下重慶一個分隊的普通科員職位，月薪也僅有2000多元。但它的錄取條件卻是最少的。過去十年間，國考升溫有目共睹，根據國家公務員管理局的信息，中國直到1993年才開始通過國家公務員考試來選拔人才。

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，全國有63000多人參加了考試；到2009年，人數已增長了12倍；到2010年，國考參考人數首次突破了100萬人。今年的最終參考人數目前還不得而知，但是截至10月24日，已有150萬人報名。這所有的數字歸根到一個問題：為什么中國有越來越多的年輕人想到政府部門工作？在這一期的《解析中國》，我們要去認識一位正在準備今年國考的大學生，一位去年通過層層選拔、進入商務部的年輕公務員，還有一位看到國考產業商機的企業家。

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.

 

穆林是對外經濟貿易大學一名大四的學生，專業是英語。雖然直到考試報名截止日期的前幾天，他才最終決定報考外交部的一個職位，但他從大三起就已經打算要參加今年的國家公務員考試了。

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（對外經貿大學學生）：那會兒大家都在想以后要做什么，去外企，去國企，考公務員，還是要出國。因為我覺得跟其他的選擇比起來，現在參加國考做公務員，之后的待遇還有生活節奏都是大家比較理想的一種。一些美國的企業，可能它的待遇并不比當公務員差，但是每天可能早上九點鐘就要上班，然后天天都要加班，生活節奏特別得緊。

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.

 

馮欣：那你有沒有聽說今年增加了很多辛苦的崗位？比如說要在很偏遠的地方工作，或者是要有長時間的加班，似乎公務員不再是一個輕松的工作了。

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：我知道一點點，因為其實在以前，要有兩年的基層工作經驗，所以很多職位本科生根本就沒法報考。現在多了一些比較基層、比較偏遠的職位，那個兩年工作經驗就不用要求了，所以很多本科生可以報。

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.

 

馮欣：那你小時候的夢想是什么呢？

Feng Xin: Then, what was your childhood dream?

 

穆林：我一直想做一個文藝工作者，說說相聲，演演戲，出去采訪一下，這種感覺的生活。

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

 

馮欣：那是什么讓你想從一個文藝工作者轉到考公務員的道路上來呢？

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

 

穆林：因為文藝工作者，我覺得文藝工作者如果想混得很好的話，很大程度上要看，就是運氣的成分非常大，就是有很多不確定性。比如說你去靠演話劇，你想以后好好生存下來，這個非常不好說。而且就算你能這樣想，你還有父母，還有家人，還有女朋友，以后就不好說嘛。如果做了公務員之后，每天至少下班后的時間是自己的，還可以完成一些自己文藝的小心愿。

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.

 

馮欣：我們知道，國考一年比一年熱，報名的年輕人一年比一年多，那么你對這個現象怎么看呢？

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：我覺得年輕人現在壓力還是挺大的，現在看起來擺在我們面前的選擇非常多，有這么多地方可以去，但真正落到我們自己身上的，就比如說，這邊有一百個選擇，但其實這一百個選擇都是一周要加四天班，要加到八、九點鐘，而且工資跟別的地方也差不多的。所以這一百個選擇等于就是一個選擇，就是比較累、工資一般的那個選擇。

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.

 

馮欣：現在社會上有一種聲音，就是有越來越多的年輕人熱衷于國考，想進入體制內，而年輕人似乎更應該多去闖世界，追尋自己的夢想，考公務員似乎是一種浪費青春的做法，那么你對這種聲音怎么看？

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：我覺得這不是年輕人的問題，年輕人只是被引導的，在哪邊前途比較光明，年輕人自然想向那邊走。在中國來說，可能在體制內前途比較光明，所以年輕人就往這邊走了。所以我覺得年輕人不是向著體制和規則走的，年輕人是向著光明走的。現在既然光明被定在這一邊了，大家肯定會蜂擁而至的。

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.

 

雖然國考吸引了眾多年輕人，那么它究竟如何選拔考生呢？中國的國家公務員考試由兩個標準的筆試和若干面試組成。在《行政職業能力測試》中，考試要在兩小時之內完成135道選擇題。題目涵蓋時事常識、閱讀理解、數學和邏輯推理等內容。在《申論》中，考生要在兩個半小時內閱讀好幾篇較長的文章、歸納總結它們，起草公文并且撰寫議論文。這兩個筆試是政府部門篩選考生的第一道門檻，通過這兩門考試對很多人來說已經是很困難的了。

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，陳超逸成為了商務部的一位公務員，他報考的職位是當年競爭最激烈的幾個職位之一。但是脫穎而出并不只是他的運氣，他其實早在2010年就參加過考試，但是沒有考上。我對他如何在第二次考試中大獲成功很感興趣。

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.

 

馮欣：那我們來看看你的經歷：在你參加完兩門筆試以后，之后的五輪面試是什么樣的？

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?

 

陳超逸（商務部公務員）：我先考完了國家級的考試，然后到部委考試，最后再到相關的部門考試。不是每個人都必須參加五輪面試，這只是我的個案，但大體順序就是這樣。面試中，我們都盡全力保持微笑，因為在這兒工作，微笑是一種非常重要的品質。在這里你必須時刻保持平和、友善的態度，否則這個環境將對你是致命的。

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.

 

馮欣：當時，你報考公務員的時候，已經在中央電視臺工作了一年，當新聞編輯，這應該是很多人都夢寐以求的一份工作，為什么你還要報考公務員呢？

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?

 

陳超逸：對我而言，我不想在鏡頭前表現得憤世嫉俗，這么說吧，如果我做一個編輯或者記者，那我僅僅是講別人的故事，但我更想做，或者參與到讓其他的人報道的事。

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.

 

馮欣：也就是說你想被報道？

Feng Xin: So you want to be talked about.

 

陳超逸：是的。我不想去報道別人，我想被別人報道。

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

 

馮欣：那你為什么認為當一名公務員就可以讓你成為新聞故事的主人公？

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

 

陳超逸：整個國家都是我們在運行，難道我們不是大家關注的焦點嗎？

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

 

馮欣：你的童年夢想是什么？

Feng Xin: So what was your childhood dream?

 

陳超逸：我也不清楚，小時候也沒想過這么遠，我只是在想怎么去玩兒，怎么逃作業。我父親一直告訴我，我將來可以成為一名外交官，對他和對我而言，外交官都是一個理想的工作。

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.

 

馮欣：你的一天是怎么樣的？會不會加很長時間班？

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

 

陳超逸：會，而且還沒有加班費。

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

 

馮欣：真的？

Feng Xin: Really?

 

陳超逸：真的。

Chen Chaoyi: Yes.

 

馮欣：但是大家都說當公務員……

Feng Xin: But people say being a civil servant…

 

陳超逸：不是不是，這很荒唐。說這話的人其實不知道我們的生活是什么樣的。這么說吧，其他部門我不清楚，但是我們是一個涉及到外事事務的部門，我們要和外國人打交道，所以，當國外發生什么事的時候，我們要做出回應，這就是加班的原因。

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.

 

馮欣：你對這份工作最滿意的方面是什么？

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

 

陳超逸：我覺得應該是當我看到自己寫的文件、段落在國際會議上被討論，我就覺得非常自豪。

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).

 

馮欣：那我們也可以看到，國家公務員考試這些年在年輕人中越來越熱，你對這個現象有什么看法？

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?

 

陳超逸：我認為原因有兩點：第一點是如果你加入這個群體，你就會為國家工作，這是一種榮耀，一種光榮，不只一個人的榮耀，而且是一家人的。這也是從古至今流傳下來的。第二個原因是，對于和我一樣的很多中國人來說，能夠到首都北京來工作、生活，并擁有一個比較高的社會地位，我剛才提到過，和一份相對體面的工資，是改變一個人的命運的機會。（比如）如果我家人在地里干活，我家祖祖輩輩都是農民。我可以通過努力學習和工作改變自己命運。

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.

 

但是政府部門的工作到底能為年輕人帶來什么呢？三月，一家獨立研究機構，麥可思研究院，對中國2000多所大學的25萬名大學畢業生進行了問卷調查。根據麥可思的報告，在2011屆本科畢業生中，在政府機關工作的人并沒有在外企、國企和私企的人掙得多。這一現象同樣發生在已經工作了三年的2008屆畢業生中。與其他幾類工作比起來，在政府機關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.

 

盡管薪水不高，在已工作六個月后的2011屆本科畢業生中，在政府機關的人對工作的滿意度是最高的，超過了在國企、外企、非政府組織和私企的人對工作的滿意度。這個現象同樣適用于2008屆本科畢業生，而且這些畢業生已經工作了三年。然而，龐大的考生人數并不是國考漸熱的唯一證據，一條由國考衍生的產業鏈正在蓬勃發展。現在不僅有成百上千種教輔資料和音像制品，還有網絡課程，培訓班和私人輔導教師。

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.

 

楊新媛（北京圖書大廈一層銷售部經理）：公務員類的書一直是我們的一個重點。應該說這幾年銷售的情況都比較平穩，每年銷售額都在百余萬。今年隨著考試人群的增加，應該是兩萬人左右，比去年增加了三千多個崗，去年是一萬七。所以感覺今年的銷售肯定會要好于前幾年。

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.

 

楊新媛說每一位購買國考書籍的顧客至少要花上100元，約等于16美元。在書店我還碰到了一位市場研究人員，正在為他的出版公司做調查。他的工作是觀察讀者的購買習慣，并和他們聊天，了解讀者的需求。

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.

 

劉強（圖書發行經理）：公務員考試的能力，對于他們這方面的要求越來越高。所以他們以前注重公務員考試考題的解題技巧，現在更注重的是一種解題思維。

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.

 

說到研究國考考生想要的東西，李永新可能是中國最早在其中找到商機的人之一。早在2001年，李永新就開始向國考考生提供考試培訓。現在他的公司每年出版幾十本考試輔導教材，在全國各地開設了300多家培訓中心，并擁有5000多名講師。李永新估計國考業每年的市場價值大概是50億元，約等于7.9億美元，他的公司能夠占到這塊蛋糕的40%。與他的同齡人不同，李永新早在從北京大學畢業之前，就開始了自己創業。

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.

 

馮欣：李總裁，首先我想問一下您，在2001年的時候怎么想到要做公務員培訓的呢？

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（中公教育集團總裁）：因為我們在給很多奧數的孩子做培訓的時候，確實也很容易，但是我們發現沒有樂趣、沒有興趣。但是我們給大學生做公務員考試培訓的時候，我們可以得到價值的反饋，我們的那種思想、觀念可以跟他（們）進行交流。比如說，你對生命的理解，你對社會的理解，你對做人做事、處世原則的理解，你會在上課的過程當中跟他們進行溝通和交流。

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.

 

馮欣：我聽說中公教育的所有老師都要求自己親自參加公務員考試，是不是這樣子？

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.

 

馮欣：是您要求的？

Feng Xin: You asked them to do so?

 

李永新：對。尤其在初期，這一條是特別嚴格的。我們在99年、2000年、2001年，我們在做公務員考試研發的時候，我們都親自去考試，真正體驗在那么短的時間內回答135道題，五十幾秒鐘來答一道題的那種狀態和感受。

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.

 

馮欣：我在采訪您之前我自己也試著做了一下行測的題，我發現有很多的題目，比如說圖形的邏輯推理、立體幾何、等差數列等等，這些題跟公務員的實際工作有多大聯系呢？

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：它實際上是通過這樣一種方式考查你的基本潛能。比如說數學，你看著和我們文字的很多工作好像是沒有關系，但是這里面體現出來一個人對數字的理解，對邏輯的理解、理性的理解，它是可以反映在你看似文科的工作當中來的，這是行測。申論就更是完全模仿作為一個日常機關工作當中的工作人員的日常工作情況。你要寫材料、你要匯總材料、你要向上級領導進行匯報、你還要寫文章等等。它是完全是對日常工作的一種模擬。這么多年來，十多年的命題，我認為已經是非常科學的，而且是非常有效的。能夠把中央機關、省級機關和地市級機關真正需要的人才選拔出來。

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.

 

馮欣：您認為一個合格的公務員應該具備哪些素質？

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

 

李永新：我覺得應該具備一個就是說基本的德行，為人要公道正派，這是第一位的。第二就要具備機關工作要求的基本能力。比如說文字能力，比如說人際協調，比如說情境方面的特殊處理，這是第二個方面。第三個方面，我覺得當前的公務員在復雜的國際環境下，應該具備開闊的視野，應該把中國的發展放在一個歷史發展的、大的趨勢和狀態下去思考，這時候你就要有國際視野和歷史的視角。第四個我覺得，就要有處理復雜問題的能力。現在對公共管理的要求越來越高，一個公務員能否有非常良好的處理復雜問題的能力，我覺得是非常重要的。

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.

 

馮欣：我了解到您是一位大學生創業者，大學還沒有畢業的時候就已經開始創業了。二十年前，大批的年輕人紛紛走出體制，下海或者是自主創業，或者是進入外企工作。那么二十年以后，今天，好像這個潮流發生了一個反轉，這個方向反轉了。那么您作為一個大學生創業者，怎么樣看待今天越來越多的年輕人選擇走跟您當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：我為什么創業是跟我骨子里的很多因素有關系。比如說我喜歡創新，比如說我喜歡差異化。我的同學都去讀書了，美國讀書，都去考研，都去從政，那我就不想跟他們走一樣的道路，所以去創業。這實際上是創新和差異化的一種思想在影響我。你會發現在我們那個年代，可能去外企是比較好的選擇，這些年你會發現大家都會去關注公務員，報考人數從02年的8萬人到現在150萬，這實際上體現了一種關注吧。對這個問題我并不覺得是個非常好的現象，因為這么關注政府，實際上我覺得從某種程度和意義上對一個年輕人來講是在走一種捷徑。他實際上在政府擴張的過程當中吸取了這種超額的價值。

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.

 

為什么公務員這么熱，深層次原因就是這樣。所以我并不欣賞也并不希望更多的大學生通過這樣一種方式，快速地實現人生的財富或者是權利，或者是一種地位的積累。我覺得還是應該去做些創新性的事情，去企業做，去做一些真正對社會產生價值（的事）。通過創新的方式產生價值的，這種事才是年輕人應該做的。趁著我們有激情、有熱情、有理想，想干事的時候多干點這種事情，否則過了三十年、二十年，我們真正再想發揮自己那種創新精神的時候，發現自己老了，沒熱情了，沒激情了。

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.

 

 

 

Archive · 往期