On the train for Beijing, Yang felt like the character Jack from the blockbuster movie Titanic, boarding a luxury liner, ready to embrace a brave new life, yet never expecting it to founder.

在开往北京的火车上，杨佳觉得自己像极了大片《泰坦尼克号》的主角杰克——登上了一艘豪华邮轮，准备拥抱一个美好的新世界，但从没有想过船会沉掉。

Everything was smooth sailing, but just like the Titanic, trouble comes swiftly - not only was she going blind, but her once-loving husband asked for a divorce and took away their only child.

一切都很顺利，但就像《泰坦尼克号》中那样，灾难突然降临——她本人遭遇失明的打击，她曾深爱着的丈夫也向她提出离婚并带走了他们唯一的孩子。

"I gradually restored my composure in the long and painful wait for blindness. I decided to face the music and meet the challenge," Yang said.

杨佳表示：“黑暗即将吞噬一切，在漫长而痛苦的等待中，我也逐渐变得冷静起来。我决定直面困难，迎接挑战。”

She teaches as well as she did before, if not better. She is not able to read books any more, but she can still listen to them using specialized software. She has even compiled a textbook for the graduate English reading course。

她还照常教课，即使不比之前更好，至少也和从前一样好。她不能再去阅读那些书籍了，但她可以通过特殊软件来听。她甚至还为英语阅读课程编制了一本教材。

In 2000, Yang won the opportunity to study at the Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University and a year later became the first blind Master in Public Administration graduate in Harvard's history.

2000年，杨佳赢得前往哈佛大学肯尼迪学院学习的机会，一年后她成为哈佛大学历史上第一位取得公共管理硕士学位的盲人学生。

David Gergen, professor of public service at Harvard, signed his book as a present to her with the words: "Jia, you taught us more."

哈佛大学公共服务专业教授大卫•哥根为她赠书题字：“佳，你使我们受益良多。”

As vice-chair of the United Nations Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, Yang is happy to have the chance to contribute to promoting international exchanges for the cause of disabled people and making the cause of disabled people in China known to the world.

作为联合国残疾人权利公约委员会副主席，杨佳很高兴有机会能够促进国际间残疾人事业的交流，能够使中国在残疾人事业上的点点滴滴为世界所熟知。

Yang is also a member of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference. One of her proposals, for this year's ongoing session, is to build an online forum for the disadvantaged, including the disabled and the elderly.

杨佳还是一名全国政协委员。今年政协会议上，她的提案内容之一就是建立一个残疾人、老年人等弱势群体的在线论坛。

"With the forum, the disadvantaged can express what they need and want. It can also be a platform for them to exchange ideas, enlarge their social circle and solve daily problems," Yang said.

杨佳说：“有了这些论坛，弱势群体就可以把他们所需、所想在这里呈现出来。同时，这些论坛也能够为他们提供一个平台，在这里他们能够交流思想，扩大社交圈，解决实际困难。”

"There is always hope, as long as you don't give up," she said in her characteristic resolute voice.

她用自己特有的，坚毅的声音表达到：“只要你不放弃，总会有希望。”