【推荐1】Emma Morano was an Italian who was the world’s oldest Italian person ever and the second-oldest European person ever behind Frenchwoman Jeanne Calment. On April 15, 2017, she passed away at the age of 117 years. Morano is believed to be the last person born in the 1800s.

Emma Morano was born in Civiasco, Italy on November 29, 1899. Her father worked in a metal casting factory and her mother made slippers for a living. As a teenager, her family moved to Verbania, Italy, and settled nearby Lake Maggiore, where Morano has lived for the rest of her life.

She married in 1926, and her only child was born in 1937. Unfortunately, the child died, just six months old, and Morano and her husband separated the following year. She has been living a simple life ever since, independently living in her apartment and on a diet of three eggs a day. She worked at a rope factory until she retired at age 75.

While Emma Morano lived for over a hundred years, the world around her changed greatly.   The first half of the 20th century saw two major conflicts that affected nearly every country—World War I and World War II. The United Nations was created to maintain peace and prevent further conflict. On the social front, women earned their right to vote. and now work alongside men in all professions. We have seen huge leaps in technology during Emma's lifetime from electric bulbs that lit up homes, to telephones that connected people and the age of flight that shrunk travel time. Television and radio became popular entertainment. In 1958, the microchip was invented; in 1969, the first Internet was introduced; and in 1975, the first personal computer was sold.

The 20th century has also seen fundamental discoveries in physical and biological sciences that have helped us make sense of the largest of galaxies, and the smallest of atoms and human cells. Isn't it amazing how much can change in one person's lifetime?

【推荐2】Exhausted, Jia Ling ate five packs of chocolate cookies alone at night by her bed after wrapping up filming for her new film YOLO that day. “Recalling that moment, I felt so great, like a tired soldier claiming the spoils of war,” she said.

By then, she had lost an incredible 50 kilograms, and her entire image had changed. The chubby (胖乎乎的), round and cute comedian Jia Ling was gone, replaced by a cool, muscular warrior.

Audiences were shocked by her appearance on Chinese New Year’s Day, Feb.10, when the film was first released. Jia had kept everything so secretive, avoiding public appearances for a year, that her new look was only revealed when she appeared on the big screen. Conversations about her high-intensity weight loss training, along with her courage and determination, have become trending topics across China, propelling the film’s box office earnings.

YOLO, which stands for “you only live once,” is the theme Jia aims to tell in her new film. The story follows an overweight, depressed woman who becomes isolated from society. However, after meeting a boxing coach and taking up the sport, she begins to regain her passion and finds her way in life. The filming was divided into five stages. Jia had to gain 20 kilograms at first for the role, moving on to the final stage when she lost a significant amount of weight and became muscular. This method mirrors what some Hollywood stars, such as Christian Bale, have done, but Jia’s effort is jaw-dropping and takes it to an even more extreme level.

Yet, the film’s core goes beyond physical transformation. “This film is not about weight loss, nor is it much about boxing. It’s a film that tells the story of how a kind person finds her true self and learns to love herself,” Jia said.

【推荐3】It probably was not easy to translate the tough talks at the high-level meeting between the U.S. and China in Anchorage. Chinese female translator Zhang Jing became an online hit in China for remaining unflustered(从容不迫的), graceful, and accurate.

One video of the first session of the diplomatic talks shows how Yang Jiechi starts his response to the American side at 8.30 minutes, going on until the 24.36-minute mark. Next to him, interpreter Zhang Jing is fiercely taking notes. When Yang finishes speaking, he glances to foreign minister Wang Yi on his right to let him speak, after which Zhang says, “Shall I first translate?” While the U.S. side was awaiting the translation, Yang then says: “Ok, you translate,” adding in English: “It’s a test for the interpreter,” after which the American side says “We’re gonna give the translator a raise!” Zhang then goes ahead and calmly translates Yang’s entire 15-minute speech.

To give a speedy translation of such a lengthy off-the-record speech is seen as a sign of Zhang’s utmost professionalism as an interpreter, which many on Weibo praise. “She’s my idol,” multiple people write.

On Sunday, the hashtag “China-U.S. Talks Female Interpreter Zhang Jing” had reached 200 million views, but it is not the first time for Zhang, who was previously called “the most beautiful interpreter” of the National Congress in 2013.

Being an interpreter is generally regarded an exciting and attractive job by many netizens, as the career involves much traveling and international contacts. But the ability to master another language than Chinese is also often admired.

“Translators are usually the ‘heroes behind the scenes’, “one commenter writes, pointing out how rare it is for an interpreter to hit the limelight (聚光灯) like this.

“There are still people saying it’s not important to learn English,” another Weibo user writes: “But if that were true, how could we educate brilliant interpreters like her? How else could we quarrel with Americans at the conference table?!”

Many who write about Zhang on Weibo say that she is an example or a role model to them: “I hope that my spoken English one day would be as excellent as hers. This motivates me to try even harder.”