People often say,“Teacher is the engineer of human spirits.”After being an English teacher, you should know your major well. And your personality is as important as your knowledge. A good teacher must be enthusiastic. You must love your students, and respect them. You must also respect yourself and take pride in your work. A good English teacher should be kind, helpful and you should motivate your students to seek knowledge.
人们常说：“教师是人类灵魂的工程师。”成为一名英语老师之后，你应该有扎实的专业学识。你的性格气质应该和知识一样重要。一个好老师必须充满热情。你必须爱你的学生，并尊重他们。你也必须尊重自己，为自己的工作感到自豪。一个好的英语老师应该善良、乐于助人，你应该激励你的学生去寻求知识。
After graduation, I have worked in a primary school for 15 years. As an English teacher, I have to face different kinds of students and deal with trivial things every day. As a matter of fact, I am just the most ordinary teacher. But it is possible for ordinary people to choose to be extraordinary. By a lucky coincidence, in February 2023, I was selected as a volunteer teacher in Akto Experimental Primary School in Kizilsu Kirghiz Autonmous Prefecture, Xinjiang. Although my teaching support experience has come to an end, I’m delighted to find that, When I am chasing light, I walk with light.
毕业后，我在一所小学工作了15年。作为一名英语老师，我每天都要面对不同类型的学生，处理一些琐碎的事情。事实上，我只是一名最普通的老师。但普通人也有可能有不平凡的选择。幸运的是，2023年2月，我被选派为新疆克州阿克陶实验小学的志愿教师。虽然我的支教生涯临近结束，但我欣喜地发现，当我在追光时，我与光同行。
Once, someone told me: “What your eyes perceive is merely the scenery. Light is what touches your soul.”So, I want to share you the light that I have seen and felt in Xinjiang.
有人说：“眼睛里看到的，只是景象。灵魂被触动的，才是光。”我想与大家分享我在新疆所看到和感受到的光芒。
Amazing landscapes in Xinjiang
美丽风景
You can’t know how broad the area of China is until you have been to Xinjiang. You can’t know how amazing the beauty of China is until you have been to Xinjiang. Xinjiang, officially known as the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, is a vast and diverse area located in the far northwest of China. It is the largest Chinese administrative division, covering over one-sixth of China’s total territory.
不到新疆，不知中国之大。不到新疆，不知中国之美。新疆，全称新疆维吾尔自治区，是位于中国西北边陲的广袤地区。它是中国最大的行政区之一，占地超过中国总领土的六分之一。
Xinjiang is a beautiful place in China, with spectacular mountains and vast grasslands. The region is home to the Tian Shan and Kunlun mountain ranges, and the iconic Gobi Desert. The scenery here is picturesque, with blue skies, white clouds, and fresh air. Its diverse geography supports a variety of wildlife and offers numerous outdoor activities, such as hiking, trekking and exploring historical Silk Road sites. At present, there is no longer any cold period for Xinjiang’s tourism as lots of tourists come to Xinjiang through a year.
新疆是中国一个美丽的地方，拥有壮阔的山脉和广阔的草原。这里不仅有著名的天山和昆仑山脉，还有壮观的戈壁沙漠。这里的风景如画，有蓝天、白云和清新的空气。这里多样的地理环境孕育了丰富的生物多样性，并为户外探险活动提供了绝佳场所，如徒步、远足及探访历史悠久的丝绸之路遗址。如今新疆旅游已没有淡季，一年四季游客如织。
Various products in Xinjiang
富饶物产
Xinjiang specialties include lavender, cotton, tomato, mutton, beef, jujube,and various fruits. Xinjiang has the reputation as the “hometown of melons and fruits”. Because of the special weather geography and sunshine, the fruit is generally much sweeter. Xinjiang fruit, now I realize, this isn’t an ethnic specialty, but it’s something you really need to try.Xinjiang fruits are known all over China. As being some of the tastiest fruit that you can buy. Whether it’s the Turpan grapes, the Korla pears, the Hami melons, every single area around here has their specialty. Buy a few of them, you’ll be surprised at how much you enjoy eating fruits just as a snack on the street.
新疆物产包括薰衣草、棉花、西红柿、羊肉、牛肉、红枣和各种水果。新疆素有“瓜果之乡”的美誉。由于特殊的天气、地理、日照原因，新疆的水果普遍要甜很多。新疆水果，现在我意识到，这虽然不是一个民族特色，但这是你真正需要尝试的东西。新疆水果在中国各地都很有名。因为它是你能买到的最美味的水果。无论是吐鲁番葡萄，库尔勒香梨，还是哈密瓜，这里的每一个地方都有自己的特色。买几个水果，你会惊奇地发现你是多么喜欢吃水果，就像喜欢吃街边小吃一样。
Xinjiang boasts a rich and unique food culture. Breakfast here includes melons, jam and milk tea, while lunch is often served with flour-based delicacies featuring beef and mutton. Dinner usually entails Nang, tea or noodles.
新疆拥有丰富而独特的饮食文化。这里的早餐有甜瓜、果酱和奶茶，午餐则是用美味牛肉和羊肉。晚餐通常有馕、茶或面条。
In addition,Xinjiang has the richest mineral resources in China, with 138 different types accounting for more than 80 percent of all minerals discovered in the country. Nephrite is oneof China’s top five famous jades and most of it is found in Hetian, Xinjiang.
此外，新疆拥有中国最丰富的矿产资源，类型高达138种，占全国矿资源的80%以上。软玉是中国五大名玉之一，大部分位于新疆和田。
Rich Cultural Heritage of Xinjiang
深厚文化
Xinjiang is notable for its cultural diversity. It is home to several ethnic groups,including the Uyghur, Han, Kyrghiz, Kazakhs, and more. Each group contributes to the rich tapestry of cultures, languages and religions found in the region. Xinjiang holds a critical place in history as a key part of the Silk Road that facilitated trade and cultural exchanges between the East and the West. Xinjiang's cultural heritage, as well as her colorful ethnic customs and natural ecological civilization, make it one of China's leading tourist destinations.The region’s historical sites like the ancient cities if Kashgar and Turpan, continue to attract scholars and tourists alike.
新疆文化多元，是维吾尔族、汉族、柯尔克孜族、哈萨克族等多个民族的居住地。这些民族各自的文化、语言和宗教信仰，共同编织了这片土地的丰富文化图谱。新疆在历史上作为古丝绸之路的重要组成部分，促进了东西方的贸易和文化交流。新疆的文化遗产，丰富多彩的民族风情和自然生态文明，使其成为中国著名的旅游目的地之一。如今，喀什、吐鲁番等历史名城，仍然吸引着世界各地的学者和游客。
Furthermore, the song and dance of Xinjiang people is the highlights. Xinjiang Uighur is China's ethnic group who are good at singing and dancing, and the folk dance of Kashgar is a treasure of Chinese dance art, so Kashgar in Xinjiang is also known as “the home of song and dance”. In Kashgar, both young and old, they will spontaneously dance with the music. The beautiful dance with the pace of light, particularly the pliable and flexible wrists and neck increases the beauty of dance. Uygur dance has a strong sense of rhythm, sometimes fast while sometimes slow. All the dance movements reflect the daily life of Uighur. Xinjiang people are very hospitable to the guests when they come to their house. They often sing and dance to express their happiness and enthusiasm for life.
新疆人民的歌舞表演也是当地的重要特色。新疆维吾尔族是我国能歌善舞的民族，喀什的民间舞蹈是中国舞蹈艺术的瑰宝，新疆喀什又被誉为“歌舞之乡”。在喀什，无论男女老少，都会不自觉地跟随音乐跳舞。优美的舞蹈伴随着轻快的步伐，尤其是柔韧灵活的手腕和脖子增加了舞蹈的美感。维吾尔族舞蹈的节奏感很强，时快时慢。各种舞蹈动作也反映了维族人的日常生活。新疆人民热情好客，他们也经常用唱歌跳舞来表达幸福和对生活的热爱。
Great contribution in Xinjiang
伟大建设
Chinese President Xi Jinping said: We will insist on governing Xinjiang in accordance with the law, maintaining stability through ethnic unity, strengthening cultural identity and bonds, bringing greater prosperity to the region and its people, and developing Xinjiang from a long-term perspective. Working hard to make Xinjiang the place of Socialism with Chinese Characteristics.
习近平总书记指出，“我们将坚持依法治疆，团结稳疆，文化润疆，富民兴疆，长期建疆 ，努力建设新时代中国特色社会主义新疆。”
Our great motherland, has invested and will continue to invest a lot of human, material and financial resources to develop Xinjiang. As you can see, there are so many volunteers work in Xinjiang, such as police, doctors, teachers, engineers, judges, district attorneys, civil servants, and so on.They come from all over the country, and they always try their best to strive for stable, healthy, and sustainable development in every walks of life in Xinjiang.
我们伟大的祖国，已经投入并将持续投入大量的人力、物力和财力来建设新疆。如你所见，在新疆有太多的志愿工作者，如警察、医生、教师、工程师、法官、地方检察官、公务员等等。他们来自全国各地，他们竭尽所能，助力新疆各行各业的稳定、健康和可持续发展。
Xinjiang insists on a policy which emphasis on nature first and green growth. If you come to the north and south of the Tian Mountain, you can usually see windmills scattering in the mountain and sunshine generated energy products built in the desert like blue ocean. Different from the past, it is a society where people live in stability and harmony, people of all nationalities help each other, and everyone works and lives happily with historical culture and growing economy.
新疆坚持生态优先、绿色发展。如今行走在天山南北，经常会看见“风车”与雪山相映成画，光伏板在沙漠中铺出“蓝色海洋”的美丽景象。不同以往，这里社会和谐稳定，民族水乳交融，文化底蕴深厚，经济持续发展，人民安居乐业。
Wonderful Experience in Xinjiang
难忘经历
As a volunteer teacher in Akto Experimental Primary School, I teach English for three classes. Most of my students are Uyghur and Kyrghiz. The kids are very shy but also very cute! I remember the first day of class, right after we finished class, the kids gave me a warm round of applause. Everyone stood up and bowed to me. At that moment, I cried. I felt really close to the kids already, like I couldn’t be separated from them.
我在阿克陶实验小学支教，任教三个班的英语，大多数学生都是维吾尔族和柯尔克孜族。那些孩子们很害羞，也很可爱。我记得第一天上课时，刚下课，孩子们热烈鼓掌，全都站起来，向我鞠躬。就在那个瞬间，我哭了，我想我和孩子们已经紧紧连在一起，分不开了。
Most of the kids’ parents are herdsmen. They have a little knowledge. So the kids really like school and dream ever since they were little of using what they learned to change their destiny. They really cherished the opportunity to study . They loved reading English and asking questions. They were like a little group of angels. Every day after class I was tired and happy.I wanted them to be able to see the outside world.
大多数孩子的父母都是牧民，他们知识贫乏。因此，孩子们从小就希望用学习改变命运。他们非常珍惜学习的机会，爱读英语，爱提问，像一群小天使，我每天上完课都累并快乐着。我希望我能够带他们认识外面的世界。
During the class, I noticed a boy. His teacher told me had a serious problem with his brain at a very young age. At the end of the term, I prepared bags of presents for the kids. But a minute I gave that boy the bag, he held it out to me, said this is my present for you, while the bag was exactly the same one as I just gave him. He asked me，”Are you leaving?” The disappearance of the glimmer in the boy’s eyes bewilder me for a long time when I realized maybe I was his glimmer.
在上课时，我注意到了一个男孩。他的老师告诉我，他很小的时候脑子就出现了严重的问题。学期结束时，我为孩子们准备了很多袋礼物。但一分钟后，那个男孩把我给他的礼物递给了我，说“这是我给你的礼物”，但这袋礼物就是我刚刚给他的。他问我，“你要走了吗？”男孩眼里的微光的消失了，这让我很长一段时间里有些不知所措，因为我意识到，或许我就是他的微光。
You can’t imagine. The kids purified me. Their minds are so clean. It let me enjoy the pleasure of being a teacher. I rediscovered my value: helping others. I’m not a very strong person. I hope more people can pay closer attention to the impoverished kids from the mountains. I hope even more to increase social concern in countryside education and allow the kids to enjoy a more balanced set of educational resources.I hope the glimmer will never vanish from each and everyone that needs help and love.
你们一定想像不到，是孩子们净化了我。他们心灵干净，让我享受到当老师的快乐，我重新发现了自己的价值：帮助他人。 但是我个人的力量很微薄，我希望有更多人能关注贫困山区的孩子，更希望提高社会对贫困乡村教育的关注，让孩子们早日享受到公平的教育资源。我希望让每个需要爱与帮助的人，眼里的微光常在。
Since the experience, I have learned that being a teacher is about more than just giving lessons: It’s about teaching values, helping kids grow and encouraging them to be a better person than before. It’s a big responsibility, but one that I’m grateful for and will always remember.
这次支教经历，让我了解到，成为一名教师不仅仅是上课，它更是价值观的传授，帮助孩子们成长，并鼓励他们成为一个比以前更好的人。这是一个很大的责任，但我很荣幸拥有这份责任，我将永远牢记使命。
If there is another chance for me to choose my occupation, I won't choose anything except being an English teacher. If there is another chance in the future, I hope more and more people come to Xinjiang and work as a volunteer with me. I always believe, When I am chasing light, I walk with light.
如果我再有机会选择我的职业，我还会选择做一名英语老师。如果将来有机会，我希望更多的人和我一起到新疆来做志愿者。我始终相信，当我在追光，我与光同行。
Finally, I understand that everything happens for my benefit, and only by embracing my inner self can I encounter another version of myself.
我终于明白，原来凡事发生必于我有利，与内心博弃终能遇见另—个自己。
May you wake up to the bright moon and be intoxicated by the gentle breeze. After experiencing the mountains and rivers, you will realize that life is worth it. When you arrive in Xinjiang, time will seem insignificant in the face of its grandeur.
愿你醒来明月，醉后清风。阅尽山河，终觉人间值得；行至新疆，可抵岁月漫长。