2020是所有人的一场“考试”

2020年全国高考昨日落下帷幕。这场亿万人瞩目的大考通常在每年6月初举行，但今年由于新冠肺炎疫情的爆发而有所推迟。全国共有1071万名考生参加了这场浩大的人才选拔，这是对多年寒窗苦读的莘莘学子们最终的“检阅”。

The National College Entrance Examination (Gaokao in Chinese) of 2020 has concluded yesterday. The much-anticipated tests, which usually take place in early June of the year, have been postponed due to the COVID-19 outbreak. A total of 10.71 million high-school students across the nation sat for the one-off exam – the final "checking door" for their years of hard work and dedication.

我们中的大多数人在几年前甚至几十年前也曾经历过高考。我们深知，考场如“战场”，需要承受多少压力，背负多少期望。堆积如山的教科书、让人绞尽脑汁的数学题，以及走出考场时的如释重负，这是一代又一代人共同的青葱记忆。

Probably most of us experienced Gaokao years or even decades ago. We know how much pressure and hopes are behind. The high pile of textbooks, the nerve-wracking math questions, and the great relief when walking out of the test room – those are the shared memories of one generation after another.

曾几何时，由于竞争太过激烈，高考被形容为“千军万马过独木桥”。但如今，它早已不再是改变个人命运的唯一机会。

Once upon a time, Gaokao was described as "thousands of troops racing to cross a single-log bridge" due to the intense competition. Nowadays it's no longer the only opportunity to change one's destiny.

那么，对于当下的年轻人而言，高考到底意味着什么呢？

So what does Gaokao mean for the youth of today?

对于许多年轻人来说，高考不仅仅关乎分数和排名，也同样关乎勇气和品格。的确，高考带给我们压力和焦虑，但它也教会我们如何心无二志，如何负重前行，如何做到在哪里跌倒，就在哪里爬起来。那些曾经挥洒的汗水和泪水，那些踏着晨曦而来、披着月光而去的岁月，点点滴滴的付出不仅为我们开启了通往“象牙塔”的大门，更是平凡人为书写不凡而留下的足迹。

For many youngsters, it's not just about scores and rankings, but also about courage and character. Indeed, Gaokao brought us stress and anxieties, but it also taught us how to concentrate, how to persevere, and how to bounce back when we are knocked down. The sweat we spilled, the tears we shed, and all the early mornings and late nights we experienced – they didn't just open the door to higher education. Those are the stories of ordinary people fighting to make an extraordinary difference.

现在，我们需要同样的奋斗精神来面对2020年余下的日子。疫情扰乱了人们的生活。在继续防范健康风险的同时，我们也面临着艰巨的挑战，要让受到影响的产业重拾发展活力。而种种不确定性和波动因素可能将继续笼罩着市场环境。除此之外，我们还需要深入思考：应该如何让企业更具韧，实现未来更加可持续的发展？

Now we need the same fighting spirit as we move through the rest of the year. The pandemic disrupted people's lives. While we continue to guard against health risks, we face an uphill battle to revitalize many affected industries. Uncertainties and volatilities may continue to cloud the markets. On top of those, we need to go deep inside and reflect: how shall we make businesses more resilient and sustainable in the long run?

所以并不仅仅是压力山大的考生们，2020年对我们每个人而言都如同一场前所未有的“考试”。问题并不在于挑战是否会来临，而是如何去面对。是被困难打败，还是迎难而上、勇往直前？

So it's not just the stressed-out students. The year 2020 has put every one of us to a test never seen before. The question is not whether challenges will come. It's how you face them. Whether you allow a challenge to overcome you, or tackle it head on with resolve.

当你感到疲惫或沮丧，不妨让思绪回到那年全力以赴备考的日子，找回当初满腔热血、心无旁骛的自己。也许有一天，这些记忆终将从我们的脑海中消失，但那些关于勇气和坚韧的瞬间将永远在我们心中散发光芒。

When you get tired or frustrated, just look back at the early days when you went all out to prepare for Gaokao. Just find the passion and devotion you had ever showed. Perhaps those memories will fade off from our minds someday. The moments of courage and persistence, however, will always shine in our hearts.

随着高考落下帷幕，学生们已经开始期待着能够取得理想的成绩。那么对于在各自岗位上勤勉工作的你，又将在2020年交出一份怎样的答卷？

As the curtain falls for this year's Gaokao, the students are already looking forward to good results. For those working hard on jobs, how about your scores for 2020? 

西门子西家编辑团队

WeChat Xijia editorial team

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