NewGenerationInChina---YangLanThenightbeforeIwasheadingforScotland,Iwasinvitedtohostthefinalof"China'sGotTalent"showinShanghaiwiththe80,000liveaudiencesinthestadium.Guesswhowastheperformingguest?SusanBoyle.AndItoldher,"I'mgoingtoScotlandthenextday."Shesangbeautifully,andsheevenmanagedtosayafewwordsinChinese.[Chinese]Soit'snotlike"hello"or"thankyou,"thatordinarystuff.Itmeans"greenonionforfree."Whydidshesaythat?BecauseitwasalinefromourChineseparallelSusanBoyle--a50-someyear-oldwoman,avegetablevendorinShanghai,wholovessingingWesternopera,butshedidn'tunderstandanyEnglishorFrenchorItalian,soshemanagedtofillinthelyrics(歌词)withvegetablenamesinChinese.(Laughter)AndthelastsentenceofNessunDormathatshewassinginginthestadiumwas"greenonionforfree."So[as]SusanBoylewassayingthat,80,000liveaudiencesangtogether.Thatwashilarious(滑稽的).SoIguessbothSusanBoyleandthisvegetablevendorinShanghaibelongedtootherness.Theyweretheleastexpectedtobesuccessfulinthebusinesscalledentertainment,yettheircourageandtalentbroughtthemthrough.Andashowandaplatformgavethemthestagetorealizetheirdreams.Well,beingdifferentisnotthatdifficult.Wearealldifferentfromdifferentperspectives.ButIthinkbeingdifferentisgood,becauseyoupresentadifferentpointofview.Youmayhavethechancetomakeadifference.MygenerationhasbeenveryfortunatetowitnessandparticipateinthehistorictransformationofChinathathasmadesomanychangesinthepast20,30years.Irememberthatintheyearof1990,whenIwasgraduatingfromcollege,Iwasapplyingforajobinthesalesdepartmentofthefirstfive-starhotelinBeijing,GreatWallSheraton--it'sstillthere.Soafterbeinginterrogated(审查)bythisJapanesemanagerforahalfanhour,hefinallysaid,"So,MissYang,doyouhaveanyquestionstoaskme?"Isummonedmycourageandpoise(鼓足勇气镇定下来)andsaid,"Yes,butcouldyouletmeknow,whatactuallydoyousell?"Ididn'thaveacluewhatasalesdepartmentwasaboutinafive-starhotel.ThatwasthefirstdayIsetmyfootinafive-starhotel.Aroundthesametime,Iwasgoingthroughanaudition(试镜)--thefirsteveropenauditionbynationaltelevisioninChina--withanotherthousandcollegegirls.Theproducertoldustheywerelookingforsomesweet,innocentandbeautifulfreshface.Sowhenitwasmyturn,Istoodupandsaid,"Why[do]women'spersonalitiesontelevisionalwayshavetobebeautiful,sweet,innocentand,youknow,supportive?Whycan'ttheyhavetheirownideasandtheirownvoice?"IthoughtIkindofoffended(冒犯)them.Butactually,theywereimpressedbymywords.AndsoIwasinthesecondroundofcompetition,andthenthethirdandthefourth.Aftersevenroundsofcompetition,Iwasthelastonetosurviveit.SoIwasonanationaltelevisionprime-timeshow.Andbelieveitornot,thatwasthefirstshowonChinesetelevisionthatalloweditshoststospeakoutoftheirownmindswithoutreadinganapprovedscript.(Applause)Andmyweeklyaudienceatthattimewasbetween200to300millionpeople.Wellafterafewyears,IdecidedtogototheU.S.andColumbiaUniversitytopursuemypostgraduatestudies,andthenstartedmyownmediacompany,whichwasunthoughtof1duringtheyearsthatIstartedmycareer.Sowedoalotofthings.I'veinterviewedmorethanathousandpeopleinthepast.AndsometimesIhaveyoungpeopleapproachingmesay,"Lan,youchangedmylife,"andIfeelproudofthat.Butthenwearealsosofortunatetowitnessthetransformationofthewholecountry.IwasinBeijing'sbiddingfortheOlympicGames.IwasrepresentingtheShanghaiExpo.IsawChinaembracingtheworldandviceversa.ButthensometimesI'mthinking,whataretoday'syounggenerationupto?Howaretheydifferent,an...
