中國高考是世界上最難的嗎
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，在高考的兩天，中國停止一切運作。高考從字面意思上看，就是高等考試，這是全國大事，有兩天假期，卻並不輕鬆愉快。
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聲影響考試，交通改道，救護車在校外隨時待命，以防有緊張崩潰的學生，警車在路面巡邏，保證街道安靜。
Radio talkshow hosts discuss the format and questions in painstaking detail and when the results come out the top scorers are feted nationally.
電臺主持人們全方位的討論出題形式和具體題目。分數出來後，狀元們享譽全國。高分還是低分，決定着你人生的機遇與潛力。
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.
十二年的寒窗苦讀，經年累月的高壓學習，都是爲了這一天。高考分數，是每個中國孩子生命中最重的數字。（每個經歷過高考的都感同身受吧，特別是高考大省的。。）
