To everyone’s astonishment, the Chinese New Year of 2020 greeted us with cruelty and malice. We were supposed to bathe in the joyfulness and reunion with families that the festive ambience had brought, but all those pre-planned arrangements were made to violate the law if anyone engages in any in whatever forms. When the whole nation was buried in despair and desolation, a person – a savior to be more precise became the centre of attention, which was undoubtedly a great relief to the country under the critical situation. To those who experienced another highly contagious epidemic disease known as SARS back in 2003, his name (Zhong Nanshan) is no less familiar than an antibiotic targeting influenza.

Conventionally speaking, an old man of his age enjoying his retirement is the basic welfare granted to him from both his years of diligent service as a doctor and his country. But he refused to play normal and stepped out when the disease broke out in the first place. His personal sacrifice and devotion to what he holds faith to is beyond words. In a war of bullets and missiles, a soldier is awarded with a medal of honor for risking his life saving his fellows and completing life-and-death missions. But in a war without smoke, all doctors wearing hazmat suits and masks should also be entitled to the supreme honor, because they are equivalent to the daring souls in real battlefields. Zhong Nanshan is a great warrior of such and he believes that needles and medicines are the most effective weapons before the vaccine is born. His name frequently appears in domestic news and quoted by international coverage in recent months. I daresay any complementary comments on media are far from enough when it comes to his role in this smokeless war. Now, he is the perfect example to learn from by all, especially the younger generation. Facts prove that only the doctors and policemen and any others who perform public services can save a country at the brink of collapse, instead of those super stars that make a living by selling their short-lived sex appeal.

In an online interview with the president-elect of ERS (European Respiratory Society), Zhong Nanshan impressed me once again with his fluent English, particularly the excellent wording and pronunciation, which naturally does not match with what we usually think of an old man. Apparently, constant practice seems to be the only explanation to his proficiency in English. Speaking of which, his excellent performance in English leaves MTI students like us in deep thinking on whether we have the spirit as he does. Although we have passed the post-graduate entrance examination which is believed as one of the toughest exams in China, it is just the beginning of a journey, and one without an end to those who are content with his current being. As an old saying goes ‘live and learn”, one does not reach the apex or anywhere close to it unless he is willing to exchange his time with knowledge in concerned area of expertise. With this idea cleared in mind, the rest of the journey does not seem hopeless anymore. And this is the right attitude and basic intellect towards knowledge we should possess at the time being.

The Novel Coronavirus has rendered us immobilized, and this is a fact that we cannot alter, but nothing seen or unseen can bar the whole country from getting back again on its track to the great tasks. The intelligent Chinese people can always put forward more solutions to difficulties. Taking full advantage of online study can lower the loss of time to the minimum, and this is actually happening on us who follow the orders to remain indoors. The home-based study is no different than doing it on campus, because the image of both students and teachers can still be transmitted to mutual side via broad band, as well as the sound, documents and everything necessary to make the online study possible. To be admitted, students lack scrutiny and supervision in the whole process and it may not be easy for lecturers to tell what businesses students are virtually referring to in front of their own monitor. But like being mentioned above, hitting the apex requires not merely one-sided effort, and the part of students is another prerequisite in this matter. We students have reached maturity both physically and mentally, and we should be held accountable for our mischief and at the same time be praised for our great endeavors in pursuit of knowledge. Therefore, the effectiveness of online courses is at any rate based on self-consciousness, and nothing more.

Hopefully, every single one of us can be a type of person who sees a cup half full instead of half empty. This is because optimism exerts a positive function in keeping us in one piece and not being panic when things are out of control. And in order to do that, one is suggested to make a detailed plan for the day and even the whole month before the nation-wide quarantine is lifted. Strictly following the daily routine helps get yourself back into regularity and probably get rid of some stubborn habits which do not seem to benefit your health any bit. If possible, sharpening your translation skills is not a bad idea, so that one day you are still able to raise your head high to say that you are MTI major.