My name is Luke Prosper, and I work for the School of Foreign Languages. I teach English at Shenzhen University.
我是Luke Prosper，是深圳大学外国语学院的一名英语教师。
My first trip to China was back in 2004, and I’ve been captivated ever since. I’ve been north, south, east, west, and I’ve been all over China, and I really really love working in Shenzhen. It’s a beautiful city, and right in the middle of this beautiful energetic city is Shenzhen University
我第一次来中国是在2004年，从那时起我就被她深深地吸引了。我去过中国很多地方，天南海北都走了一遍。我非常喜欢深圳，这是一座非常漂亮的城市。而深圳大学正好位于这座美丽而又充满活力的城市中心。
Shenzhen University is my dream job. Long before I came on staff, I would attend English Corner and I would work with student groups, volunteer groups and things like that. I was always impressed with the open-mindedness and the friendliness of Shenzhen University students. If I’m gonna work somewhere, I want work somewhere like Shenzhen University.
能来深圳大学工作是我梦寐以求的事情。其实早在正式入职之前，我就经常来深圳大学参加英语角活动，或者参与其它学生社团和志愿者协会进行合作交流。从那时起，深圳大学学生那种开放和友好的态度就给我留下了深刻印象。我当时就在想，如果要选一个单位工作，一定得是深圳大学。
Several years after, I came to Shenzhen, I left Shenzhen, and came back, and I was looking at what direction do I want my life to go. And at the time, I had a choice between working for a tech company and working here at the university. I was interviewed at both. The tech company, the financial benefits would have been really great, but when I went to that environment, it was gray and dark blue, and I saw the look of the faces of the workers, and I realized that I couldn’t be happy working in this kind of environment. On the other hand, I came to Shenzhen University, and there I was surrounded by nature, and sunshine, and the students were smiling, and (I thought) this is where I want to be, and so I made my choice, and I’ve never regretted it.
之后我曾经离开深圳，辗转数年，又回到了这个城市。我当时正面临着人生的选择。摆在我面前的选择有两个，或者去一家高科技企业上班，或者来深大教书。两个地方我都去面试了。如果去公司上班，收入肯定是非常可观的。但当我走进公司的写字楼，看着周围单一冰冷的色调，还有公司员工的面部表情时，我意识到，如果在这种环境下工作，自己一定不会快乐。而当我踏进深圳大学，徜徉于绿意盎然的校园中，沐浴在明媚灿烂的阳光里，见到学生们脸上洋溢的笑容时，我知道这就是我想要的生活，所以我毫不犹豫地选择了深大，至今无悔。
I really enjoy working at Shenzhen University. My own unique gifts and talents are able to come to play. And I’m able to do something that I believe is meaningful. Another benefit of working at Shenzhen University is the flexibility. Back in 2018, my son was diagnosed with leukemia. At the beginning it’s really hard. We had to have somebody at the hospital all the time. And so my wife would go and spend the day at the hospital, and I would come from work and go to the hospital and sleep there and then come back to work the next morning. And my wife would switch me out again. My department really worked hard to make sure that I could, that my workload was able to handle that. And it was a great blessing at that time.
我一直很享受在深圳大学工作的时光。在这个工作岗位上，我能够充分发挥自己才能，完成许多自己一直追求的事情。对我而言，在深大工作的另外一个好处是，深圳大学非常人性化。2018年，我的儿子不幸被诊断出白血病。刚开始真的很难。孩子的病情需要有人24小时陪伴。白天我上班的时候，我妻子待在医院陪他，我下课后就直接赶去医院接替她。晚上睡在病房里面，第二天早上等我妻子过来接替我，我再回来上课。为了方便我兼顾家庭与工作，英语系的同事竭尽全力确保仅安排我能承受的工作量。在那样一个困难的时候，这对我而言，真是雪中送炭。
In 2020, my son relapsed, and we had to do a bone marrow transplant. During that time, it was really difficult. I was the one who was with him in the hospital. And I spent over 40 days in a room with no windows, taking care of him, not knowing whether or not he was going to live or die. During that time, the people at the school were very very helpful. People like our vice-president Zhang Xiaohong, who approved my leave and who helped me to cover, find people to cover my classes. At HR, we had people like Li Yun, who I met and I personally talked to, and she helped me to move things forward in that department as well. Dr. Jin, my own supervisor, and Jane Hackenberg, and so many people who really really helped me to get through that difficult time, and I would always be thankful to these people for the help that they provided when I needed it most.
2020年，我儿子的病复发了，这次需要做骨髓移植。那段时间我负责留在医院照顾他，我们父子俩在一间没有窗户的病房里住了40多天，朝夕相伴，不知道等待我们的命运是什么。在那段时间，学校的同事们都非常关心我，给我很大的帮助。比如张晓红副校长，她批准我休假，并安排好老师帮我代课；还有人力资源部的黎陨老师，在得知我的情况之后，她帮我积极推进各种手续的办理，省去我们很多的麻烦。此外还有外国语学院负责外教管理工作的金娜娜博士，我曾经的同事Jane Hackenberg女士，以及所有帮我渡过难关的人，我将永存感激之心，感谢他们在我最困难的时候向我伸出援助之手。
There is no perfect work place. Every job has its frustrations and its difficulties, but when I walk on this campus, and I’m surrounded by nature, and I get to feel the sunshine and I see the students’ smiles. I remember why I started and I appreciate it even more. And so I wouldn’t change a thing.
世上没有完美的工作。每一份工作都会遭遇挫折和困难。但每次当我回到深圳大学校园，置身于大自然的怀抱中，沐浴在明媚的阳光里，看见学生们脸上洋溢的笑容时，我会想起自己的初心，愈加感恩，愈加坚定自己当初的选择。
