高考那一年

每měi年nián六liù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yí个gè小xiǎo县xiàn城chéng的de学生xué sheng。高gāo三sān那nà一yì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zhe一行yì xíng大dà字zì：一yì分fēn耕gēng耘yún，一yì分fēn收获shōu huò。桌子zhuō zi上shàng堆duī的de书shū比bǐ人rén还hái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guò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guò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le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zhǐ说shuō了le一句话yí 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le本子běn zi的de第dì一yī页yè。从cóng那nà以后yǐ hòu，累lèi了le的de时候shí hou，他tā就jiù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前qián一yí个gè月yuè，学校xué xiào专门zhuān mén开kāi了le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.

高考gāo kǎo那nà天tiān，妈妈mā ma早zǎo早zǎo地de起来qǐ lai做zuò了le早饭zǎo fàn，爸爸bà ba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hái穿chuān了le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kàn了le一眼yì yǎn。爸爸bà ba站zhàn在zài人群rén qún里lǐ，对duì他tā做zuò了le一yí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.

考kǎo最后zuì hòu一yì门mén的de时候shí hou，外面wài miàn下xià起qǐ了le雨yǔ。交jiāo卷juǎn铃líng一yì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yì场chǎng很hěn长cháng很hěn长cháng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yì qǐ吃chī了le散sàn伙huǒ饭fàn。很hěn多duō人rén说shuō着zhe说shuō着zhe就jiù哭kū了le，三sān年nián的de日子rì zi，一起yì qǐ苦kǔ过guò，也yě一起yì qǐ笑xiào过guò。

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

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le一些yì xiē，妈妈mā ma当场dāng chǎng就jiù哭kū了le，爸爸bà ba一句话yí jù huà没méi说shuō，只是zhǐ shì使劲shǐ jìn拍pāi了le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.

填tián志愿zhì yuàn的de时候shí hou，一家人yì jiā rén吵chǎo了le一yí架jià。爸爸bà ba想xiǎng让ràng他tā学xué医yī，妈妈mā ma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le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.

七qī月yuè，成绩chéng jì出来chū lái了le。王wáng浩hào考kǎo上shàng了le省shěng城chéng的de一yì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.

很hěn多年duō nián以后yǐ hòu，他tā还hái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de拼pīn一yí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.