Warrior princess

AS one of the hottest stars in Hong Kong, Kelly Chen stands out not just for her beauty and talent but also for her healthy look and selfless devotion to society.

Tough warrior

The beauty recently turns into a tough swordswoman (女侠) in An Empress And The Warriors (《江山美人》). In the movie, she plays an ancient princess who was taught kungfu by a general (将军) played by Donnie Yen (甄子丹). Later she runs away from her own kingdom and falls in love with a hermit (隐士) played by Leon Lai (黎明).

Kelly also sings the heart-touching theme song (主题曲), Fly with Your Dream (《随梦而飞》) in the film.

Actually, she has made a lot of efforts for her first kungfu role. In the metal clothes that weigh many kilos, she had to learn to practice sword skills and horse riding. In many scenes, she rolls over in the mud (泥) or struggles to breathe in the icy water.

English ambassador

Besides movie roles, she also plays an important social role — "Ambassador (大使) of the Workplace English Campaign (活动)" in Hong Kong. Her job has been to encourage working people to study the English language. "Hong Kong is an international city, its citizens need to speak more English," Kelly explains.

At press conferences (新闻发布会), she, as the ambassador, often teaches her fans to speak native English and asks them to "write her letters in English". She has even suggested that reporters should master (掌握) the language so they would be able to communicate with international pop stars.

Kelly's tip for good English is "to find a way that suits you". "For instance, comic fans can read English cartoons," she says. "If you don't like reading, you can watch English movies or TV programs. When you meet a new word, you can imagine when you can use it in real life."

Jolin shows off talents

TAIWANESE singer Jolin Tsai has proved she is more than just another pretty face with her huge success in the Mando-pop music world (华语流行乐坛). But she doesn't stop there. She constantly (经常地) challenges herself to bring fans surprises. Tsai came to Beijing last week to promote her We Dancing Online (《唯舞独尊》) concerts, which will be held at the Workers' Gymnasium (工人体育馆) on April 4 and 5. Teens talks to her about her schedule.

Q: It is reported that you are preparing an English album, Love Exercise (《爱的练习语》). Why would you like to make an English CD?

A: I have a simple idea of sharing the nice English songs with everyone else. I do a remake of ten classic (经典的) ones, but I interpret (演绎) them in my way. You can listen to hits such as Get the Party Started, Physical and Kiss Me.

And since lots of my fans are young people, I hope they could learn the language while enjoying the songs. From my own experience of language study, listening to English songs is an effective way to pick up the language.

Q: You will also release your third English book at the same time. What's it about?

A: In this one, I want to talk about the expressions for love that appear in my English songs. Hopefully my fans would know how to put the sweetness and regrets of love into words in English. Besides, I will also talk about the troubles of being a public figure (人物) in English.

Q: The Olympic Games are approaching. Will you come to Beijing to watch any games?

A: Actually, I secretly wished to compete in the games myself to win glory for our country. If I had the chance, I wanted to compete in gymnastics. I also would like to have a try at volleyball. Yes I was short, but I was a good player when I was on my high school team.

I'll come to watch some of my favorite events including badminton and volleyball in Beijing. However, what I love best has always been the gymnastics and swimming, because they deliver a sense of beauty and become the source (来源) of inspirations for my dancing.

Q: It's said that you're interested in acting. Do you have any plans to appear in a movie?

A: I have no specific plans, but I would like to give it a go. I once acted in a TV drama, and next time I want to work with good directors and good scripts. Maybe I can appear in a Spiderman film!

Heart of a winner

FROM choosing to become a footballer rather than an academic (大学生) specializing in Latin, from choosing to leave West Ham to join Chelsea, Frank Lampard has made some good decisions.

He seizes the initiative (主动) in games and has become Chelsea’s heartbeat and a regular for England’s national team.

The 29-year-old midfielder has scored ten goals this season. He struck four goals to help Chelsea beat Derby 6-1 on March 12.

Lampard comes from a family with strong football traditions. His father and uncle were good players in England.

Football was not the only thing he studied. Lampard enjoyed a private school education and read Latin. He did well at school, passing all of his exams. "Sometimes I think that if I hadn’t made it as a footballer, I’d quite like to have been a lawyer," he said.

The education shows in his ability with words whether talking to the press or giving an after-dinner speech.

Lampard is very active with charity (慈善). "When I was young I was pretty selfish," Lampard said. "I just wanted to play football and be successful. As I got older, and success came, I realized I should help others."

Lampard’s charitable work began in 2005 after he received a letter from Lucy, a 10-year-old girl who suffered from cancer (癌症). Lampard ensured her she could be a guest of honor with Chelsea, he dedicated one of his goals to her and gave her a Chelsea shirt bearing his No 8.

As her condition became worse, he invited Lucy on to the pitch for the celebrations when Chelsea was crowned (加冕) champions of English Premier League.

"Everyone was celebrating, but he still made the effort to find Lucy," said Lucy’s mother. "He cuddled her and sat with her for a long time."

The girl died three days later. That night, Lampard was awarded an award from the Football Writers’ Association. "I would like to dedicate this whole award to a girl named Lucy," he said when receiving the honor. "The character and strength she showed made me put everything in perspective (正确地)."