「双语」外国人看高考：世界上最难的考试
比于中国人已经习惯了高考“一考定终身”的模式，许多欧美人仍然很不理解中国这种录用人才的方式，直言高考是“世界上最难的考试”。那么，对于高考，外国人怎么看？
China's 'Gaokao' May Be the World's Hardest Exam—and It Can Determine a Student's Entire Future
As a former teacher, I've seen more than my fair share of[1] standardized tests. So I can tell you with authority that if you're looking for a method to determine a student's ability to learn by rote, a standardized test will get the job done. But, of course, there's so much more to a person than his ability to take a test, which is why tests like the SAT and ACT are only one part of a student's college application. At least, that's our mentality here in the West. In China, where society itself is much more standardized, the test is all there is.
作为曾经的一名老师，我见识过很多标准化考试。因此我可以很权威地告诉你，如果你想找一个通过死记硬背来考察学生能力的方法的话，标准化测试就可以了。但是当然，参加考试的能力绝不是一个人的全部，因此像SAT和ACT等考试只是学生大学申请的一部分。至少在我们欧美地区是如此，但是在社会更加标准化的中国，测试也总是标准化的。
[1](more than) your fair share of something：used for emphasizing that an amount is very large, especially an amount of something bad
have your (fair) share of sth：to have a lot or more than enough of something bad 遭遇许多（或过多）（坏事情）
We certainly have our share of problems at the moment.
我们眼下无疑有很多问题。
In a recent article in The Guardian called "Is China's gaokao the world’s toughest school exam?" Alec Ash details the exam all Chinese high school students must take, the outcome of which determines the entire future of their lives.
最近《卫报》发表了一篇文章《中国高考是世界上最难的考试吗？》，亚力克·阿什详细介绍了这一场所有中国高中生都要参加的考试，而这场考试的结果决定了他们人生的整个未来。
The test is 12 hours long and is mostly multiple choice. Students are tested on “Chinese, English, maths and a choice of either sciences (biology, chemistry, physics) or humanities (geography, history, politics).” There is an essay component, but the questions seem, at least to us here in the West, bizarre[2]. According to The Guardian, last year's prompts included “Do butterfly wings have colours?” and “Who do you admire the most? A biotechnology researcher, a welding engineering technician or a photographer?”
所有考试时长总计12个小时，大多数都是多选题。学生们会参加语文、英语、数学、以及理综或文综的考试。考试中会要求学生写作文，但是至少对于欧美人来说这些题目，很怪异。据《卫报》表示，去年的材料作文提示包括“蝴蝶的翅膀有颜色吗？”、“你最崇拜的人是谁？生物技术研究员、焊接工程技术人员、还是摄影师？”
[2]bizarre：very strange and unusual 怪诞的；罕见的；异乎寻常的
a bizarre situation
异乎寻常的情形
Upon completing the exam, students in China receive a three-digit score. And the score, according to The Guardian article, determines “life opportunities and earning potential.” It is the sole factor, it seems, in determining which college a student will go to, which job he will obtain, and even whom he will marry.
在完成高考之后，学生们会得到一个3位数的分数。而据《卫报》报道，这个分数将会决定他们的“人生机遇和收入潜力”。似乎这是最终决定学生能上哪一所大学，获得什么工作，甚至和谁结婚的唯一因素。
To us, here in the West, this probably sounds nuts. The idea of someone's entire future resting on one exam is hard to stomach[3]. What if he was having a bad day that day? What if he caught a bad break and had studied everything but the question that ended up on the test? What if he had a headache, or forgot his glasses, or was just too nervous to concentrate? I mean, come on, these are kids we're talking about!
对于欧美人来说，这听起来很疯狂。一考定终身的想法令人很难接受。如果他那天运气不好怎么办？如果他复习了所有内容，但是就是漏掉了试卷中的内容怎么办？如果他头痛、或者忘记了眼镜、或者太紧张注意力无法集中怎么办？我的意思是说，他们还只是孩子啊！
[3]stomach：(熟词僻义) to be able to accept an unpleasant idea or watch something unpleasant 能够容忍，承受得住（令人不快的想法或景象）
He can't stomach the idea that Peter might be the next chairman.
他一想到彼得可能会出任下届主席就很不舒服。
注：译文仅供参考