Anchor Portrait-An Interview with liu Xin Q: Ms. Liu, you proved yourself to be a popular news presenter after you took the job two years ago. Do you think you have achieved success in this career? A: Well, I would say I am doing well in what I do, but I wouldn’t call it a success. First of all, I do not like the word success. Maybe because everyone is talking about it, I want to avoid it and be different. Indeed, I do not think I have achieved success in this career. It takes a pretty face and some intelligence to become a qualified presenter. But it takes at least 30 years to become great. One has to have knowledge, wisdom, vision and many other qualities, which I don’t think I’ve acquired. Q: What are the comments you get on your work from the viewers and friends? Are they the things you expect them to say? A: Much to my gratitude, I received a lot of support from the viewers and friends. Most of the response I get, either through e-mail, or letters, or oral messages, gave very positive comments about my presentation. I could easily get complacent, but I am not going to. I like to hear compliments, but I appreciate and pay more attention to criticisms. For instance, at the very beginning, I did not know how to use my voice. It was high-pitched, exhausting for me to use, and uncomfortable for the audience to hear. I was told this by my colleagues, and decided to work on it. Now, after some hard work and lots of practice, I have managed to bring my pitch down dramatically. Q: When choosing your occupation, was CCTV English your first choice? Do you believe it is something born in you that makes you a good news presenter or it’s a skill that can be learnt? A: Yes, I did not hesitate at all when I had the opportunity to work for CCTV after graduation. On the second question, I think both are correct. I do believe I have some talents in public presentations. Since a very young age, I have been very fond of presenting myself to people, be it singing or dancing or just trying to get their attention. I am quick to learn, especially languages, and I think I have an artistic taste for life. There are many other attributes about me , which are obtained gradually as I grew up. And then, there are the tricks I had to learn in order to tune to anchoring. I call them tricks, acting tricks. These are only tools. They won’t make a had presenter good, but they make a good presenter better. Q: Do you think you’re beautiful? A:People do say so. I don’t know. Q: How much does good-looking matter in this job? A: TV is snobbish. Good looks matter a lot. That’s why you more often than not see the so-called “beautiful people” on the screen. I do not think it’s anything deplorable though; it’s human nature that people want to be entertained by nice things, especially after a long and stressful day. But many have the wrong impression that men have to be handsome, and women pretty in order to get high rating. To me, good looks consist not of fine features, but of good taste, grace, sincerity, style and tidiness. If you look around, you see a lot of respected anchors who are not pretty or handsome, but are trusted, maybe even all the more, by the audience. I don’t think I am born with delicate features. But I have learnt to prepare according to those criteria. Q. As a journalist, what vision do you hold for the world in the new century? A: If there is one wish I dare to make about the new century, I wish everyone will get a life for her or himself. A happy and responsible life. If everyone thinks so, the world would not have so many problems. Q: Do you have a philosophy for your personal life? What is it? A: I believe the beauty of life lies in its mystery. So I’d rather not plan everything or try to do so. I have an idea of what I want to be, or what kind of life I want to live in the future, and I work toward that goal. If I get there, I’ll smile and say, I did not waste my time. If I do not get there, I ‘ll tell myself, it’s just not the right time yet! And I should keep trying. Q: What do you want to say to your fans and readers? A: I wish you can all can enjoy life and cherish what you have.