On May 25, Can Tho University organized the first foreign language proficiency test for graduate school entrance in 2024. Among the nearly 600 candidates taking the test, the most special candidate was Mr. Nguyen Tan Thanh (87 years old) taking the Vietnamese Literature exam.
Mr. Thanh was the former Secretary General of the Can Tho City Liberation Literature and Arts Association, former editor-in-chief of many special issues and magazines serving the revolution from 1960-1976.
Reporters met Mr. Thanh at his translation office in the center of Can Tho City. In an office of about 50 square meters, books and red scrolls hung on both walls, the desk took up more than half of the space, Mr. Nguyen Tan Thanh was busy talking to visitors. His voice was sometimes low, sometimes high, he actively emphasized the details of his own words, as a reminder:
"I count every hour and every moment when I meet someone or do something because time is very important to me."
I took this path, my parents were afraid I would be poor.
Mr. Thanh was born in 1937 in Vinh Long . Small in stature, with freckled skin, he still impressed people with his decisive and focused working style. The working atmosphere was more energetic when Mr. Thanh proactively asked and quickly remembered the names of the guests sitting in front of him without needing any paper, pen or phone.
"Since yesterday, my friends have been texting me continuously. They said that after the exam that day, people mentioned me a lot on social networks," Mr. Thanh said excitedly.
During the days when he was known on social media, he had just finished his master's exam. The phone kept ringing, forcing him to limit his working hours to rest and focus on other projects.
In 1972, Mr. Thanh graduated with a Bachelor's degree in Literature from Can Tho University. In 1975, he began his career in teaching. In addition to the podium, the 87-year-old teacher continuously popularized foreign languages. After being granted a license to translate 9 languages: English, French, German, Chinese, Italian, Spanish, Korean, Japanese,... he opened Dang Khoa Foreign Language and Translation Center in Can Tho City.
"The truth is, if you want to be good at many languages, you need to start by learning English well. From English to German, Spanish,... is very easy. I have that key, so it has been easy until now," Mr. Thanh analyzed.
Mr. Nguyen Tan Thanh enters the exam room (Photo: Can Tho University).
Mr. Thanh determined that time is the most important thing to help him achieve his goal of conquering literature and art to serve the country and people, and according to him, those things can make a person's life perfect.
"In the past, when I took this path, my parents were afraid that I would be poor. But I determined that the path I took was clear: Serving the culture andeducation of the nation, following the Party and having only one leader, President Ho Chi Minh. That path clearly shows my personality," Mr. Thanh's voice was full of enthusiasm.
Taking the master's exam at the age of 87, Mr. Thanh admits it was a late decision. But what motivated him most was to continue working, studying and contributing.
"I have just stabilized my job, but due to circumstances I have not been able to fulfill my dream. My children still support me financially. When I went to school, they did not stop me but did not agree either," said Mr. Thanh.
Single-handedly raised 4 successful children
Mr. Thanh’s wife died early of cancer, leaving him with four children. At that time, his eldest child was 7 years old, and the youngest was only 1.5 months old.
"I met her when I was the head of the local literature and arts association's art department. She sang very well. We met in Long My. About 4 years after moving to Can Tho, she passed away," Mr. Thanh lamented.
Mr. Thanh's journey of pursuing literature and "learning" has been bumpy since his wife passed away, leaving him to raise four children alone. He is proud that his children are now successful and living their own lives.
"At that time, I was the General Secretary of the Can Tho City Liberation Arts Association. My monthly salary was 2 liters of gasoline. Many nights, at 2-3am, I woke up to drive a motorbike taxi to earn a few thousand to support my children. I got home at 5am, took a shower and went to school. In general, it was very hard, no one knew," Mr. Thanh recalled.
Explaining the banners and sentences hanging on the wall, Mr. Thanh smiled: "To me, time is very important, those banners are my lessons."
Mr. Thanh's day starts at 3:30 a.m. After drinking coffee, Mr. Thanh starts cleaning and working. His life, besides coffee, consists only of poetry, books, and calligraphy.
Holding in his hands the poetry and story collections and cherishing each page as he turned them, intending to give them to the guests who came to visit him, he confided: "I don't have dollars or euros. I only have these books and stories written by myself. To me, they are more precious than money."
Source: https://dantri.com.vn/giao-duc/thi-sinh-gan-90-tuoi-thi-thac-si-o-can-tho-ga-trong-nuoi-4-con-thanh-tai-20240526191841666.htm
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