高考狀元=職場狀元?

As the results of China's all-important college entrance examination, known as the gaokao, emerge this week, China's media have commenced their annual ritual of converting the top scorers into student-celebrities.

隨着中國高考結果在本週出爐，媒體又開始像過去每年一樣，把最高分獲得者塑造成學生中的明星。

But some in the country are questioning whether acing the exam is all it's cracked up to be.

但成爲考試中的佼佼者是不是就像人們所稱頌的那樣了不起，引起了國內一些人的質疑。

Chinese media and websites are teeming this week with discussion of a purported study showing that the top scorers on the gaokao over the last 30 years have ended up being disappointments. According to the English-language China Daily newspaper, the study of 1,000 top scorers on the gaokao from 1977 to 2008 did not find a single student who went on to outstanding success in any field.

中國媒體和網站本週熱議一份網上流傳的調查結果。這項調查顯示，過去30年的高考狀元們最後的成就都令人失望。英文報紙《中國日報》報道說，這項調查考察了從1977年到2008年的1,000名高考狀元，結果沒有發現有哪一個學生在任何領域取得了傑出成就。

Word of the supposed study has spread like kudzu, but its provenance is unclear. Some have cited the Chinese military newspaper, the Liberation Daily, which itself cited its own affiliated publication, but that reference couldn't be tracked down. So it's unclear whether this is an actual study, or a rumor.

調查結果引起了熱烈討論，但出處並不清楚。有些人說來源於《解放日報》，《解放日報》說來自關聯出版物，然後就沒法追蹤下去了。所以不清楚這是一份實際調查還是一個謠言。

Regardless, the mere notion that super scorers--called zhuangyuan--might not end up super-achievers is a shock in a country where the grueling two-day examination is a rite of passage for every aspiring student. The American SAT and its cousin, the ACT, are a cakewalk by comparison. Children literally spend years studying solely for the gaokao. Without it, a college education in China is out of reach.

不管怎樣，高考狀元最後可能不會成爲傑出人士這樣一種概念在中國已經是不小的衝擊。對於每一位有志向的中國學子來說，爲期兩天的繁重高考都是必經之路。相比高考，美國的SAT（“學術能力測試”）和ACT（“美國大學測試”）不過是小菜一碟。孩子們學習多年，完全就是爲了高考。不參加高考，在中國就沒法讀大學。

Those who scored the highest marks in the examination are doing local radio and television interviews and fielding questions from awestruck parents about how to prepare their four-year-olds for exam success.

在高考中奪魁的學生正在當地電臺電視臺接受採訪，並從容回答深爲折服的家長們有關如何讓四歲小孩在將來考好的問題。

Li Taibo, who took first place in all of Beijing for the science portion of the exam, has become an instant sensation. Li was first among over 48,000 test takers, according to an article in the Global Times.

北京高考理科狀元李泰伯一朝成名。據《環球時報》英文版一篇文章，他在48,000餘名考生中取得了第一名。

A larger-than-life picture of Li has been erected in front of his high school to celebrate his accomplishment.

爲慶祝他的成績，李泰伯所讀高中的門前樹立了一幅比他真人更大的照片。

As a gaokao champion, Li can expect to undergo careful public scrutiny. His study habits will be analyzed by educational experts and admiring students alike. Even his personal life will serve as a model for others. Zhang Chen, also a top scorer in science, fields questions about his relationship with his parents and how he uses his free time. Parents want to know every detail that might help their children beat the competition.

作爲高考冠軍，李泰伯難免受到公衆的仔細審視。他的學習習慣被教育專家和仰慕者分析，甚至個人生活也成爲其他人的榜樣。另一位理科狀元張晨，則向人們解答他與父母的關係，以及怎樣利用空餘時間。家長們希望瞭解到可能有助於孩子擊敗對手的每一個細節。

While gaokao fever is as strong as ever this year, criticism is mounting. A recent article in the People's Daily questions the value of worshipping gaokao champions. Such laser-like focus on the winners may even be harmful to the educational system, the article asserts.

雖然今年的高考熱一如既往，但批評聲音也越來越多。《京華時報》近期一篇文章就對崇拜高考狀元的價值提出了質疑。文章說，如此炒作狀元甚至可能有損於整個教育體制。

Educational experts in the West often argue that the rigidity of the test suppresses individual creativity, which is important for success in the real world.

西方教育專家認爲，高考的僵化壓制了個人的創造性，而要在現實世界裏取得成功，創造性是至關重要的。

Nevertheless, the gaokao has its defenders. Wu Meng, writing in the Global Times, opines that the stereotype of the No. 1 student as a narrowminded bookworm who only knows how to take tests is outdated. People can learn a great deal from these excellent students, and the reason they don't succeed later in life is because of the failure of China's higher education, he says.

但也有人爲高考說好話。《環球時報》英文版載武萌（音）文章說，把尖子生當成只會考試的書呆子這種模式化觀念已經過時了。他說，人們可以從這些優秀學生身上學到很多東西，他們在人生的後面階段未能取得成功，原因在於中國更高層次教育的失敗。

Another popular argument for the examination is its fairness. Many Chinese express skepticism at the idea of teacher recommendations and interviews determining college admissions. Wouldn't personal relationships get in the way of meritocracy?

另外一種爲高考辯護的流行觀點是它的公平性。很多中國人對通過老師推薦、面試決定大學錄取的想法表達了疑慮。擇優錄取會不會讓位於裙帶關係？

Come September, Beijing University will undoubtedly accept a large number of gaokao champions as new students. So far, however, Western colleges have mostly come to a different decision. Li Taibo, the Beijing science top scorer, was surprised to discover that he had been rejected by Harvard, Yale, Stanford and a number of other top American colleges, according to reports.

到9月份，北京大學肯定會把大量高考狀元錄取爲新生。但到目前爲止，西方高校的決定卻截然不同。報道說，前述北京理科狀元李泰伯吃驚地發現，他已經被哈佛(Harvard)、耶魯(Yale)、斯坦福(Stanford)等美國名牌高校拒錄。

Then again, Harvard rejects many applicants with perfect SAT scores as well.

同樣，哈佛也拒了很多SAT滿分的申請人。