謝玉筠
人，倘若逢事都一帆風順的话，也许体会不到成果来之不易的道理，还会因之而缺乏處理事物的能力和經驗。我认为，一个在事业上成功的人，背後定有无数艰难的时刻、汗珠及泪水。但做人必须有理想，有個追求的目標，不畏困难，不怕摔跟头。在我走过的路途中，我正是不断地为追尋目標、理想而不懈努力的。幾十年的艰辛历程，锤炼了我的意志，使我在无数次失败之后，学到了在学堂里永远学不到的处世道理。
我是上世纪六十年代初从香港到英国的，初來時两手空空，身无长物。经过几十年的拚搏，今天总算有自己的家園，还拿了大學學位的證書。回想往事，艰辛的脚印历历在目。俗語說：“苦尽甘来”。若说我在事業上稍有所成的话，那么这與艱苦奮鬥是分不開的，而我所受過的艱難挫折更是一言难尽。
记得刚抵埠时，我面临的困难非常多，而身边的亲人朋友屈却指可数，自己的英语掌握得又不算很好，手头又不宽裕，再说身边还带着一个年仅六岁的女兒。一方面，要寻找生计，另一方面，又得照顧孩子。该怎样去面对这一切，怎样在这陌生的土地上站稳脚步呢？当时我常为这个问题而苦闷、失落。但我知道，要达成愿望，必须做出牺牲，多下苦功。我决定强化英语，在起点线上從頭起步。我把每天的時間一分为三：三分之一的時間上班，三分之一的時間用来學習英文，另外的三分之一用来伴陪和照顧女兒及打理家務。我每天工作十二个小時，晚上要先哄女兒去睡覺後才能作片刻的休息，然后待到夜深人静时再起來看书、学习。上班时，我踏踏实实地工作；读书时，我用功卖力，从来很少马虎了事。就这样，我用了一年的时间在英语语音方面攻关；然后又花了四年的時間进修各種課程、考取证书。我付出的一切总算还有收获。
抵英后不久我开始着手房産業生意，这是我創業的開始。万事开头难，由于資金有限，而对市场又不熟悉，我碰了很多钉子。七十年代初期，英国的房價开始涨价，很多人不敢置购物业，但我还是某着风险购入一栋连建築商都不敢要的房子。这栋房子可算破烂极了：屋外下大雨时，屋里就下小雨；房子里边木料腐朽，潮湿阴暗。购入后我开始想办法貸款分层改建。那时候，改建计划的申请一般得等三年。如此漫长的时间，再加上这么大规模的装拆、这么大数目的贷款，其风险可想而知的；换了意志不够坚定的人，也许就此半途而廢了。经过一番周折，银行终于同意贷款。改建计划总算得到了落实，而我也在房产生意的园地里迈走出了第一步，初步嘗到了的果實，更练就了意志。
我边工作边学习，渐渐感觉好像找到学英語窍门，从而学习的进步更快，办事也慢慢的可以自行應付了。说实在，我学英语还是靠自学的多，自个儿摸索着前进，沒有人指導，也没有像许多人那样，身边总有经常可以答复问题的老师。较早时由於工作繁忙，我沒有時間进大学；退休後，我报名入读大學，并在一九九二年拿取了学士学位。要不是眼力比前差，我还想拿个硕士学位来过把稳呢。这么多年来，除了做生意外，我还参加社区的建设工作。一九八三年，我加入华人社区义工的行列，后来获选为社区协会主席。近年来我还为华人社区筹款、捐款。我把帮助人当作是一种神圣的义务，又把这种义务当作人生的中乐趣。我觉得我活得很充实，很有意义。
“有志者事竟成”。几十年来，这一句名言不断激勵著我、鼓舞著我，在我遇到困难时为我增添力量。由於性格坚强，我往往能從困境中解脫出來；由于自强不息，我才有我的今天，尽管我所有的一切还算微不足道。我想，一个人，只要能树立正確的人生观，明确進取的方向，就可以在人生的道路上稳步前进。我诚恳地希望，年轻的华人子弟们，无论在求学或工作中，都要兢兢业业，埋头苦干，这样他们的青春才会放射出灿烂艳丽的花朵。
If everything can be reached without hard work, one may not realize the true value of what one has got. Without going through difficulties, one may forever be unable to acquire the skills and experience needed in life. I think however little one has achieved, he or she would have made tremendous efforts for it. A life has meaning only when it’s filled with ambitions, objectives and a desire to succeed. Along the path I have taken, I can proudly say that I have never abandoned my ambitions to succeed, even in the most difficult times. For decades I have continued to work very hard along a difficult journey. Time and again I fell, and time and again I rose and moved on. I have become stronger, and have learned a great of things which otherwise I would never be able to learn in the classroom.
I arrived in the
I remember when I first came, I had basically very few people whom I could rely on. My English was rather poor then and I had very limited financial resource, not to mention that I also had a daughter who was only six years old. So I urgently needed to find work. But will I ever be able to face all the problems and survive in this unfamiliar world? I kept wondering this question and often felt stuck and helpless. I realized that in order to survive I had to make sacrifice and huge efforts. I decided to start from anew, first to improve my English. I divided my daily duties into three parts: one third for work, one third for studying English, and one third to be with my little girl and doing the chores. I worked twelve hours a day. Often I would take a little rest after sending my little girl to bed early in the evening, then got up again to study English. I took my work and studies very seriously and worked very hard on my homework. After a year or so, I made some improvement in my English pronunciation. Then I carried on working on other subjects for another four years. I then took examinations for these subjects and passed them all. I was very glad that I did make good progress in my studies.
Not long after arriving in the
On the other hand, I continued to acquire knowledge needed for business, even during those very difficult times. With a better command of the language, I had made considerable progress in my study five years into my migrating to the UK. This helped a great deal in my dealing with business transactions. To be frank in terms of English acquisition, I more or less taught myself. Unlike others I did not always have a teacher who could correct me all the time, or give me help when I needed it. Eventually I was able to complete a degree course in 1992, fulfilling the dream that I had had as a young girl so many years ago. Besides, all along I always tried to offer help in a Chinese community centre. I began this in 1983, starting as a volunteer. Later I was voted a chairwoman of the group’s management committee. In recent years I have been involved in fundraising activities and seeking donations for Chinese older people. I enjoy being a volunteer and derive lots of pleasure from it. I feel life wonderful and meaningful.
‘Aspiration is the father of success’. This is the belief that I have held all these years. It has given me the courage to move on, guiding my way even in the darkest days of my life. With a strong character, I have always been able to overcome the problems I faced and come out successfully. And because the fact I have always been persistent, I have been able to achieve most of my goals. I believe, only when one has a well-defined goal and a vision for life, can one move on along a successful journey. I hope today’s young Chinese can excel in their studies and succeed in work, and be able to realize their lifelong dreams.
