中国高考是世界上最难的吗？ [英国媒体]

-------------译者：企鹅胖企鹅-审核者：外星人他大舅------------



For two days in early June every year China comes to a standstill as high school students who are about to graduate take their college entrance exams. Literally the “higher examination” the gaokao is a national event on a par with a public holiday but much less fun.

每年六月上旬，在高考的两天，中国停止一切运作。高考从字面意思上看，就是高等考试，这是全国大事，有两天假期，却并不轻松愉快。

Construction work is halted near examination halls so as not to disturb the students and traffic is diverted. Ambulances are on call outside in case of nervous collapses and police cars patrol to keep the streets quiet.

工地停止施工以防噪声影响考试，交通改道，救护车在校外随时待命，以防有紧张崩溃的学生，警车在路面巡逻，保证街道安静。

Radio talkshow hosts discuss the format and questions in painstaking detail and when the results come out the top scorers are feted nationally.

电台主持人们全方位的讨论出题形式和具体题目。分数出来后，状元们享誉全国。高分还是低分，决定着你人生的机遇与潜力。

A high or low mark determines life opportunities and earning potential. That score is the most important number of any Chinese child’s life the culmination of years of schooling memorisation and constant stress.

十二年的寒窗苦读，经年累月的高压学习，都是为了这一天。高考分数，是每个中国孩子生命中最重的数字。（每个经历过高考的都感同身受吧，特别是高考大省的。。）








-------------译者：企鹅胖企鹅-审核者：外星人他大舅------------

Sulayman Hussain 14h ago
Why couldn't he resit the exam next year? 
Perhaps candidates who resit are deemed not academic enough to deserve a place at Beida although anyone who managed to get a score of 680 should be good enough even if it takes two gos. If it was important enough to study at Beidawhy couldn't he resit?

他干嘛不补考？（老外们木有搞清楚补考和复读的区别吧）
或许补考给人感觉就是能力不够，没资格上北大吧，虽然能考到680分本身就足以证明实力了，不管是不是补考的。。。。可真要那么想去北大，他为毛不补考

HermanPrahran  Sulayman Hussain 12h ago
Resitting is not allowed.

木有补考这回事儿 

robinsoninspace  HermanPrahran 10h ago
The article says explicitly that you can and I've had friends who have retaken. Whether he could retake get into Beida or Tsinghua is another matter I guess.

文章里明明说了 我有朋友重新参加了考试，不过能不能考上清北是另一回事儿了

fla404  Sulayman Hussain 7h ago
They could but it's just too hard to try again. Or some of families financially couldn't afford that delay. When a test at that level of toughness it requires a huge amount of detailed knowledge that is too much to keep it in long term for a ordinary people. So even if he resit the Gaokao it couldn't make his life easier.

可以的，不过再考一次太难了。有些家庭经济上也不允许
这么难得考试，对知识的把握要求很高，不仅量大，而且考的很细，普通人维持不了太久。
就算他重考了 他的日子也不见得会更好

-------------译者：外星人他大舅-审核者：外星人他大舅------------

Xiang Li 20h ago
I can still remember how I solved some math problem in my dream and I felt so happy about it. Seriously I am not sure whether dreaming about girls would make me happier at that time. My gaokao story ends dramatically. I somehow over-performed and resulting from this I had to major in something which I do not really like. As I look backward I realize that the education system is more like showing a single light spot to you and cover the rest of your world in darkness. Going towards it seemed to be a natural and reasonable choice in that circumstance. That is why I admire those brave guys who chose other directions whether or not they are talented enough to find their ways in the end.

我仍然记得我在梦里是怎么解决一个数学难题的，当时高兴坏了。正经得说，我不确定梦见一个美女是不是会比我那时候更高兴。我的高考故事戏剧性地结束了。莫名其妙地就考完了，而且由于高考我不得不学一些我不喜欢的东西。当高考结束再回过头看时，我意识到中国的教育体系就好像只给了你一点光亮，却把你世界的其他部分都覆盖在黑暗中。在那种大环境下，走高考的路似乎是一个自然又合理的选择。这就是为什么我佩服那些选择了其他道路的勇士，无论最后他们是不是足够有天分找到属于自己的路。

Advaitya 23h ago
Its almost exactly the same in India. This is not a good system. It prepares you for success in exams not for success in life. And the two are very different.

这方面印度几乎和中国一样，这不是很好的教育体系。这种教育体系预备的是你考试的成功，而不是生活的成功。这两者是完全不同的。

HermanPrahran  Advaitya 22h ago
Hence the high suicide rate.

所以自杀率很高

hankuang  HermanPrahran 19h ago
In India?

你是说在印度吗？

-------------译者：企鹅胖企鹅-审核者：外星人他大舅------------

AntonZ 1d ago
The questions are mostly multiple-choice or fill-in-the-gap and are notoriously hard – the maths paper has been compared to university-level maths in the UK.
I looked at a Chinese maths paper a few years ago. I don't think it would have presented the slightest difficulty to the average A level maths student of the early 70s. That it is now regarded as undergraduate level only goes to show how far standards have fallen to satisfy the mantra that 'all must have prizes'.

那些题目大多是选择题和填空题，而且，出了名的难，数学卷子跟英国的大学数学水平相当
几年前我看过一份中国数学卷子，我觉得英国70年代早期能拿数学A的学生应该不觉得难，现在将这种难度安排在本科水平，只能说明我们为了满足“表扬所有孩子”的口号，把标准降得多厉害。。。

Bob Yu  AntonZ 1d ago
I have seen both. Honestly the broadness are similar but Gaokao is much more difficult deeper and kinda test your intelligence rather than memorization. It kinda looks like this. old A-level (covers most topics but least challenging) Gaokao (covers slightly fewer topics but a lot more challenging IMO (covers least materials but most challenging). 
Btw the translated version of Gaokao on the internet are the multiple choice or fill-in-the gap sections of Beijing or Shanghai exam which is the easiest section of the easiest exam. Trust me the article is not accurate. There is much more than just multiple choice and fill-in-the-gap.

讲真，两边的卷子我都见过，虽然广度类似，但是高考深度上要深得多。对智力的考察多过记忆考察。
老A级     考察范围最广，但三者之中难度最低
中国高考  考察范围稍逊，但是难度比老A级高多了
IMO （国际奥数） 考察范围最小  难度最大
顺便说句，网上翻译的只有北京高考或者上海高考卷的选择题和填空题部分，所以你们看到的，只是高考数学最简单的地区卷里的最简单的部分，相信我，这文章还不够准确，难得不只是这些选择填空（看名字 这是国人吧 我说怎么这么了解）

 -------------译者：外星人他大舅-审核者：外星人他大舅------------

HermanPrahran  AntonZ 1d ago
The essay questions are year 9 level.

本文的问题是九年级的。

CustardTarty  HermanPrahran 23h ago
Tell me you're joking? If not provide evidence.

如果你不提供证明的话，告诉我你在开玩笑。

Robert J. Crawford 1d ago
I have taught at Beida and reported on the business elite in China. In my experience the most creative business people in China are rarely impressed with what they get from the elite schools. What they get they complain are students who are over-impressed with themselves and expecting special treatment while having narrow minds that are unable to question beyond what is expected or re-imagine how to do things differently.

我在北大教过书，报道过中国的商业精英。以我的经验来看，中国最有创造力的商业人士很少对他们在名校学到的东西有印象。他们发现并且抱怨那些自以为是的名校学生，他们思想狭隘，不能够问出超常规的问题，也不懂重新考虑怎么把事情做得与众不同，却希望被特殊对待。

One business man Zhang Ruimin (the founder of the Haier Group) was famous in China for telling a class of students at Beida that he didn't want them. This was so shocking that it was reported on throughout China. A victim of the Cultural Revolution Zhang never went to university and was assigned instead to manage a scrap metal heap in Tsing Dao. He educated himself came up with a strategy and then executed it. Many of the entrepreneurs of the Deng period have similar stories - a very different trajectory from the gaokao route.

张瑞敏（海尔创始人）因为在对北大的学生们讲了一堂“为什么他不想要北大学生“的课而在中国出名了，这件事震惊了整个中国。(有这事？查都查不到)作为文化大革命的受害者，张瑞敏从没上过大学（尼玛，明明是中科大毕业的）却被指派代管青岛电冰箱总厂，他自学成才想出了一个策略并开始执行（最终取得了成功……）。许多邓小平时期的企业家都有这类似的故事，一条和高考完全不同的路子。

-------------译者：企鹅胖企鹅-审核者：外星人他大舅------------

ashleyhk  Robert J. Crawford 1d ago
Apropos your comments: My daughter (now at Beijing Film Academy) went to secondary school in Shenzhen. A big problem was motivating the children by telling them studying was important for their future as most of their parents were very wealthy (couple of villas Mercs Porsche SUV etc.) and as their kids often reminded them they could barely write their own name.

关于你的评论：我女儿（现在在北京电影学院）到深圳上的中学。一个大问题是，怎么让孩子有学习的动力，因为这学校里的大多数孩子都出身富裕家庭，他们的父母住别墅开奔驰保时捷，但是一跟孩子说学习对未来很重要，孩子会反驳你们不也只会写个名字么。

Eric Smith 1d ago
No matter how smart you are there will always be someone smarter. Perhaps someday we will have an educational system that focuses on teaching every child to reach their potential - with the corollary that all those potentials have equal value. I think that might unlock an astonishing amount of economic value. Think how much time and mental energy is wasted in a system where a tiny minority pass and everyone else fails. All those failures are doomed to waste much of the rest of their lives either rationalizing their failure running away from it torturing themselves for it or fighting against it. Competition against oneself is of great value. We should not hobble so many with the crushing feeling that they will never really be good enough so why bother.

天外有天，人外有人。将来也许我们的教育体系能够专注于最大程度开发每个孩子的潜力---也就是说，不管是哪方面的能力，他们的价值是平等的，我认为这可能会释放惊人的经济价值。一个体系里只有少量人成功，其他人都是失败者，这样浪费了大量的时间和精力。而失败者注定要花时间去接受失败或者逃避失败，或反抗或挣扎。战胜自己是可贵的。我们不应该让大多数人受挫，觉得反正自己永远都不够优秀，所以没啥好想的。

-------------译者：企鹅胖企鹅-审核者：外星人他大舅------------

KennyF  Eric Smith 15h ago
with the corollary that all those potentials have equal value
Equal value to whom? Equal value in what respect? This seems very wishy washy.
I do agree that there are careers or jobs out there where exam performance is no indicator but the opposite also holds true.

“也就是说，不管哪方面的才能，他们都具有同等价值”
对谁而言同等？在哪方面同等？这也太优柔寡断了
确实，对于有些工作职业而言，考试成绩如何指导意义不大，但是反过来，对很多的工作和职业，考试成绩意义重大。

verainsummer 1d ago
Wellfirst I would say I'm Yuan 's classmate. This article impressed me so deeply that when I was reading memories of those bygone days flooded back. I don't know how to comment gaokaobecause I'm a role in this play. But believe or not I have to sayit is tiringbut not that horrible. Like Yuan Qi I ranked in top 200 out of 60000in Beijing-which means I 'm able to enter Tsinghua University and Peiking Universitytwo most elite universities in China mainland-but underperformed in gaokao and lost the chance. But through the whole senior 3I did gain a lot. Everyone sprinted all the effort to achieve his dream and all the teachers and students worked together like a real family. To be honest I missed those days now at times. This experience will be my invaluable treasure for the days to come. Alsoif you have interests to know more detailsI'd like to tell you more.

额 我是YUAN的同学，这篇文章给我的印象太深了，字里行间读着仿佛时光倒流，昨日重现。作为参与者，我没法评价高考，但爱信不信，高考虽然累，但是不可怕。和YUANQI一样，我在北京的六万考生里排名200多，也就是说，我有能力考进中国大陆的两所顶级学府清华和北大。可高考中我发挥不佳，与他们失之交臂。不过整个高三岁月里，我还是收获颇多。每个人都为着梦想全力拼搏，师生团结一心，班里就像一个大家庭，即使现在，我还时时怀念那段日子，于我，这段经历在以后也会是一段宝贵财富。如果有兴趣了解，我跟你多说点。
（高考虽然残酷，可人生能有几回搏，过了高考，又有几个人在后来的人生中去这样竭尽全力的拼过，这孩子英文不错，不愧是北京的）

-------------译者：企鹅胖企鹅-审核者：外星人他大舅------------

HustGfs  verainsummer 1d ago
You don't know how hard it is in other provinces in gaokao so you think it is not so horrible as it is described.

你觉得高考不那么可怕，是因为你没见识过其他省份的卷子。。。

Indra Dhanu  verainsummer 1d ago
You brought an important point that although sometimes the results did not go your way but the experience teaches you lots of things.

你说到个重点，虽然有时候事情不会尽如人意，但是生活经历也会教会你很多事情

Robert J. Crawford  verainsummer 1d ago
What do you do now? Where did you study? Did you like University? Did it prepare you for the work force?

你现在做什么？你在哪上学的？喜欢你的大学么？学到的东西有用么？

Dina AyAsh 1d ago
Thanks for the article...i was absorbed...well written and whatever..china is a rocket rising nation...keep up you student if you resd the comment...no need to b one of the top as long as u do sth that u like...

谢谢这篇文章，开眼界了真是。。。不管怎么说，写得不错，中国简直要上天了。。。。要是读到评论，让你们的孩子们继续保持。。。不过没必要事事第一，开心就好

maleficent 1d ago
'learned how to ride a bike.'
I refuse to believe that an 18-year-old kid in China did not know how to ride a bike.

“我学会骑自行车了”
天啦噜 这货18岁不会骑车 我不敢相信

-------------译者：企鹅胖企鹅-审核者：外星人他大舅------------

HermanPrahran  maleficent 1d ago
There was no opportunity to learn. Comprehension a bit difficult for you?

额 因为没什么机会学自行车。。。亲，你这阅读理解能力。。。。

glhinhk  maleficent 1d ago
. . . very common here too!

很正常，我们这里也是

verainsummer  maleficent 1d ago
Not every kid. Many of my schoolmates started riding bike to school from junior one when they were 13.

也不是每个孩子都这样了，像我很多童鞋初一（13岁）就骑车儿上学了

ghostinthemachine 1d ago
I teach in a private chinese school here in Vancouver. And I can tell you now that 90% of the students cheat. Their parents have a lot of money and they pay for their kids tests sat by others this includes educational exams and entrance exams for other schools/universities etc. submitted by experts. Mnay of them also pay other to sit their driving tests and take language tests for their entrance to Canada.Those with money are the worse category of people who cheat that I have ever seen.

我在温哥华的私立学校教书。告诉你，90%的学生作弊。他们富有的爹妈花钱雇人替考，不管是教育考试，还是专家们安排的各种升学考试。有人甚至驾照，和来加拿大时的语言测试都是请人考的。用金钱来欺骗人简直是我见过的欺骗行径里最坏的。（这人好高尚。。。好想让他体验一下台湾之光。。。）

-------------译者：企鹅胖企鹅-审核者：外星人他大舅------------

wskelton 1d ago
Christ. And I thought the 11+ was bad.

擦 我觉得过11岁还不会自行车就很过分了

kanimoto 1d ago
I would also like to provide an insight into the Chinese mindset regarding competition in education with their peers.

在教育中同龄人相互竞争这个问题上，对于中国的思维模式，我也有点见解（网名有点像是日本人）

Whereas in the West the kids will do anything and everything to discredit the competition dismissing them as geeks/nerds or privileged middle class or that money and advantage got them where they are that they won the post code lottery ANYTHING but take a look at themselves in China kids admire rather than diss educationally superior classmates.

在西方，孩子们竭尽所能的中伤诋毁这种竞争关系，学习好的人，被他们污蔑为怪胎（原来极客是从这里来的）书呆子，或者是利用特权的中产阶级，有钱有势才能取得好成绩，反正就是你成绩好就是因为你运气好或者会投胎，他们从来不会自我省视
而中国的孩子呢，他们欣赏而不是批评那些学习好的同学。

To understand this we need to look at who kids in the west admire: sporting stars. Nobody grudges sporting prowess in the west in the same way that nobody begrudges academic prowess in the east. 
But look at how Olympic athletes gain their superiority: training long hours dedication hard work repeating the same actions over and over again. Nobody is saying that they train so hard they're not enjoying themselves that they are mindless automatons unable to do anything except run round and round a track. Nobody questions that only a handful can ever become Olympic champions that it is elitist and unfair to the sportingly challenged. The stakes are so high that some try to cheat and take drugs to win. Nobody questions that rich countries have all the advantage of training facilities and funding to support the athletes.
We're not so different after all.

要了解这一点，看看西方的孩子仰慕什么人：体育明星。在西方没人会怨恨体育的强者，就像在东方没人嫉妒学习的强者。
但看看奥运会运动员是怎样做到比别人更强：长时间高强度的训练，单调机械的重复同一个动作。没人说训练太苦没有乐趣，也没人诋毁他们是没有思想的机器，除了沿着既定的轨道没半点自主能力。没人质疑，只有少数人才能登上领奖台，这是精英主义这不公平。做奥运冠军并不容易，赌注很大，所以有人不惜用上兴奋剂和欺骗伎俩，就为了赢。发达国家那么有钱，在训练设施和资助运动员方面很有优势啊，不也没人有意见。
所以，我们其实没什么不同。

-------------译者：yuhaihui09-审核者：外星人他大舅------------

HermanPrahran  kanimoto 1d ago
If that were true then Melbourne University in a country of 24 million people would not be ranked far higher than Peking University.

如果那是真的，那么墨尔本大学就不应该比北京大学的排名靠前那么多。

kanimoto  HermanPrahran 1d ago
Congratulations to Melbourne but my point was about difference in values between West/UK and Chinese kids - one valuing sport and one valuing academics.

先恭喜下墨尔本大学，但我要说这取决于西方或是英国人同中国之间对孩子的评价标准-一个在乎体育，一个在乎学术。