高考那一年

每měi年nián六lìu月yuè七qī号hào、八bā号hào，是shì中国zhōng guó高考gāo kǎo的de日子rì zi。上shàng千万qiān wàn的de学生xué sheng走进zǒu jìn考场kǎo chǎng，用yòng两liǎng天tiān时间shí jiān，考kǎo出chū十shí二èr年nián的de努力nǔ lì。

Every June seventh and eighth is China's gaokao. Tens of millions of students enter exam halls to put twelve years of work into two days.

王wáng浩hào是shì河hé北běi一yī个gè小xiǎo县xiàn城chéng的de学生xué sheng。高gāo三sān那nà一yī年nián，他tā每měi天tiān早上zǎo shang五wǔ点diǎn半bàn起床qǐ chuáng，晚上wǎn shang十shí一yī点diǎn才cái睡觉shuì jiào。

Wang Hao was a student in a small Hebei county. In his final year he rose at five thirty and slept at eleven.

教室jiào shì后面hòu mian的de墙qiáng上shàng贴tiē着zhuó一行yī xíng大dà字zì：一yī分fēn耕gēng耘yún，一yī分fēn收获shōu huò。桌子zhuō zi上shàng堆duī的de书shū比bǐ人rén还huán高gāo。

On the classroom's back wall ran a line: one part labor, one part harvest. Books on the desks stood taller than the students.

那nà段duàn时间shí jiān，王wáng浩hào做zuò过guo的de卷子juàn zi堆duī起来qǐ lai有yǒu半bàn米mǐ高gāo。他tā也yě想xiǎng过guo放弃fàng qì，特别tè bié是shì第dì三sān次cì模拟mó nǐ考试kǎo shì，他tā的de成绩chéng jì掉diào了liǎo很hěn多duō。

The practice papers he did in that time stacked half a meter high. He thought of quitting, especially after the third mock exam when his score fell badly.

那nà天tiān晚上wǎn shang，班bān主任zhǔ rèn把bǎ他tā叫jiào到dào办公室bàn gōng shì，只zhī说shuō了liǎo一句话yī jù huà：考试kǎo shì考kǎo的de不bù只是zhǐ shì知识zhī shi，还有hái yǒu谁shéi能néng坚持jiān chí到dào最后zuì hòu。

That night his teacher called him in and said one sentence: the exam tests not only knowledge, but who can last to the end.

王wáng浩hào把bǎ这zhè句jù话huà抄chāo在zài了liǎo本子běn zi的de第dì一yī页yè。从cóng那nà以后yǐ hòu，累lèi了liǎo的de时候shí hou，他tā就jìu翻fān开kāi看看kàn kan。

He copied it onto the first page of his notebook, and read it whenever he was tired.

高考gāo kǎo那nà天tiān，妈mā妈mā早zǎo早zǎo地dì起来qǐ lai做zuò了liǎo早饭zǎo fàn，爸bà爸bà骑qí电动车diàn dòng chē送sòng他tā去qù考场kǎo chǎng。校xiào门口mén kǒu全quán是shì送sòng考kǎo的de家长jiā zhǎng，有人yǒu rén还huán穿chuān了liǎo红色hóng sè的de衣服yī fu，图tú个gè吉利jí lì。

On exam day his mother rose early to cook; his father drove him on the scooter. The school gate filled with parents, some wearing red for luck.

走进zǒu jìn考场kǎo chǎng之前zhī qián，王wáng浩hào回头huí tóu看kān了liǎo一眼yī yǎn。爸bà爸bà站zhàn在zài人群rén qún里lǐ，对duì他tā做zuò了liǎo一yī个gè加油jiā yóu的de手势shǒu shì。

Before entering he looked back: his father stood in the crowd, making a cheer-on gesture.

七qī月yuè，成绩chéng jì出来chū lái了liǎo。王wáng浩hào考kǎo上shàng了liǎo省shěng城chéng的de一yī所suǒ大学dà xué，是shì他们tā men家jiā第dì一yī个gè大学生dà xué shēng。

In July the results came. Wang Hao had made a university in the provincial capital, the family's first college student.

高考gāo kǎo前qián一yī个gè月yuè，学校xué xiào专门zhuān mén开kāi了liǎo减压jiǎn yā会huì。心理xīn lǐ老师lǎo shī教jiāo大家dà jiā深shēn呼吸hū xī，说shuō紧张jǐn zhāng是shì正常zhèng cháng的de，全quán中国zhōng guó的de考生kǎo shēng都dōu紧张jǐn zhāng。

A month before the exam the school held a stress-relief session. The counselor taught deep breathing and said nerves are normal; every candidate in China is nervous.

考kǎo最后zuì hòu一yī门mén的de时候shí hou，外面wài miàn下xià起qǐ了liǎo雨yǔ。交jiāo卷juàn铃líng一yī响xiǎng，王wáng浩hào放下fàng xià笔bǐ，忽然hū rán觉得jué de这zhè三sān年nián像xiàng一yī场chǎng很hěn长zhǎng很hěn长zhǎng的de梦mèng。

During the last exam it rained outside. When the closing bell rang, Wang Hao put down his pen and felt the three years had been a very long dream.

那nà天tiān全quán班bān同学tóng xué一起yī qǐ吃chī了liǎo散sǎn伙huǒ饭fàn。很hěn多duō人rén说shuō着zhuó说shuō着zhuó就jìu哭kū了liǎo，三sān年nián的de日子rì zi，一起yī qǐ苦kǔ过guo，也yě一起yī qǐ笑xiào过guo。

That day the whole class shared a farewell meal. Many cried as they talked; three years of hardship and laughter together.

填tián志愿zhì yuàn的de时候shí hou，一家人yī jiā rén吵chǎo了liǎo一yī架jià。爸bà爸bà想xiǎng让ràng他tā学xué医yī，妈mā妈mā想xiǎng让ràng他tā学xué师范shī fàn，他tā自己zì jǐ想xiǎng学xué计算机jì suàn jī。最后zuì hòu还是hái shi听tīng了liǎo他tā的de：路lù是shì他tā自己zì jǐ的de。

Filling in college choices, the family argued: Dad wanted medicine, Mom teaching, he wanted computer science. In the end they let him choose; it is his road.

成绩chéng jì出来chū lái那nà天tiān，全家quán jiā围wéi在zài手机shǒu jī前qián查chá分fēn。分数fēn shù比bǐ他tā想xiǎng的de高gāo了liǎo一些yī xiē，妈mā妈mā当场dāng chǎng就jìu哭kū了liǎo，爸bà爸bà一句话yī jù huà没méi说shuō，只是zhǐ shì使劲shǐ jìn拍pāi了liǎo拍pāi他tā的de肩膀jiān bǎng。

On score-release day the whole family crowded around a phone. His score came out higher than expected; his mother cried on the spot while his father just clapped his shoulder hard, saying nothing.

很hěn多年duō nián以后yǐ hòu，他tā还huán记得jì de那nà个gè夏天xià tiān。他tā说shuō：高考gāo kǎo教会jiào huì我wǒ的de，不bù只是zhǐ shì做zuò题tí，而是ér shì为了wèi le自己zì jǐ的de目标mù biāo，认rèn认真rèn zhēn真zhēn地dì拼pīn一yī次cì。

Many years later he still remembers that summer. What gaokao taught him, he says, was not just test-taking, but fighting earnestly for a goal of your own.