CRI听力：Graduation

Hello and welcome to another edition of  China Beat here on China Radio International. This is Zhong Qiu. Graduation is a high point in people's lives. It is time for young men and women to recollect the gems of school days; take pride in achievements and look into the future. It is an important rite of passage. It is time for emotions. Many graduates are trying to find their own ways to bid farewell to campus life, and address special thanks to their mentors and friends. As the graduation season is around the corner, we make this week's  China Beat a special with the theme of graduation. We invite some of the graduates who hope to preserve the cherished memories through music; and with them we will revisit some memorable graduation songs as we hearken to the picked chords of young hearts.

Graduation is a sentimental journey of memories and stories. At the moment of her departure to a different city, Liu Ying from the Communication University of China, has this to tell her roommates of four years.

"Four years of college life have passed so fast. Four years ago, we gathered to the Communication University of China from different part of China. At that time, four girls of completely different characters met in the dormitory 318. Monica is mature and thoughtful, like an elder sister. Lucy has the nicest personality and everyone woul like to make friends with her. Cherry seems to have ever-lasting energy and always brings happiness to us. As a girl who never left home far before, I feel extremely luck to have them accompany me in these four years. We shared our happiness and bitterness together. We stayed late to prepare exams together. We celebrated our birthdays together. We graduated and started fighting for our future life, but room 318 is always there and our friendship is always there. I'd like to use the song 青春无悔by Ye Pei and Lao Lang to send my best wishes to my sisters of room 318. Hope we will all realize our dreams in the future and our friendship will last for ever."

So, Liu Ying, here is the song, 青春无悔, No Regrets For My Youth, dedicated to the girls of room 318.

(青春无悔)

"I'm Gao Wangying, a member of Information Management and Assistance of Shanghai University. Now we are waiting for the farewell party. It is time to say goodbye to four-year campus life, but it is also a start for a new journey. Some of us go further study and others choose to work. Whatever you do, may best wished to all. Military training in really terribly hard August to remember, and pressure of programming. And a lot of other exciting experiences we shared together. It has been such beautiful memory for all. Both happiness and tears would all be our treasure. It is the end but also the start. Someday we will be back together. I do believe."

And we believe the college experiences will help shape the future lives of the young and be their cherished memories for a life time. Here we have a touching graduation song for Gao and her classmates, Crossroad Where Flame Tree Flowers Bloom by Taiwan singer Terry Lin.

(凤凰花开的路口)

Departure makes friendship even more valuable. Before moving to their new adventures, the graduates extend heartfelt thanks and best wishes to their teachers and friends. Zuo Danyang from the Communication University of China has this to say. 

"My college life left me the most cherished memories. Before I leave my campus, I want to keep everything of this beautiful place firm in my mind. This is the place where I have dreams fly high. I would never forget how my teachers worked hard to help me grow and encouraged me to pursue dreams. I would never forget how my classmates shared my tears and laughter during the past four years. We hold on to each other as we are a family. After all, I have this for sure that no matter where we are going we are friends for ever."

At Zuo Danyang's request, we have 骊歌,the Song of Departure by Little Tigers.

(骊歌)

"My name is Guo Cong. In three days I will graduate from Fudan University. Last weekend, a bunch of my friends and I went to KTV. We talked about the things that happened during the four years. Girls cried out and they cried so hard. The environment was so sentimental. We used four years to make a story of our own. We will cherish every chapter in this story. I want to pick a song for my friends, 睡在我上铺的兄弟"

睡在我上铺的兄弟literally translates as My Buddy Who Used To Share A Bunk-bed With Me. It is a nostalgic campus ballad by Lao Lang, which recalls the good old days at school.

Campus life may come to an end but friendship never ends. Distance cannot stop you and your friends reaching into each other's soul, and friendship is a lifetime inspiration to keep you moving on. Dedicated to the everlasting friendship, here is the song Friends by Wakin Chau, 周华健.

(睡在我上铺的兄弟)

"My name is Clark from Beijing Language and Culture University. Today is the last I spent in my campus. It is very weird experience I've been through especially during the past few days. For several times, I came across, for example, very good friends of mine in the campus. We greeted each other and then passed by as it was before. And then suddenly I realized this was probably the last chance we would meet each other in our whole life. It saddens me terribly and it happens several times that I was so stricken. But then I realize it is life about. Life is a mixture experience of laughter and tears. We've been together and now it is time parting. We have to take it for granted because it is part of life. I have to thank the experience because it makes me understand better the meaning of life and makes me cherish the more friendship. I would like to thank all the friends and my teachers who gave me help and support in the past four years. "

"Hello, my name is Xu Huan. Graduation is a sentimental word. At this moment, I have to say goodbye to the university. I would like to address my appreciation to all my teachers to their arduous work. I'd also like to give my sincere blessings to all my friends. Wish them to have a successful career, healthy body and happy life. I want to pick the song, Goodbye from Zhang Zhenyue."

Goodbye can be the hardest word to say during graduation. But for young people, they've got to be strong to face separation and to know what the passage means in their life. Graduation may draw a full stop to your school life, but at the same time it turns to a new chapter of your life. With the song, Goodbye from Zhang Zhenyue, we come to the end of this edition of  China Beat . On tomorrow's show, we will continue to revel in the graduation atmosphere as we listen to more stories of graduates. This is Zhong Qiu. Hope to have you the same time tomorrow.