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报考美国斯坦福大学的作文
程
征
史晓帆前记
第六期《外附人》刊登了我介绍儿子程征在法国留学的文章。现应总编辑刘惠杰兄之约，
将儿子报考美国斯坦福大学的作文提供给大家。
2002年的深秋，斯坦福大学要求考生提交作文的期限快到了，儿子程征却显得不慌不忙的。
我都有点着急了。
一天晚上，他来了灵感，坐在电脑前把作文完成了。我一读，感觉还真不错，这是儿子平时勤于读书，精于思考的结果。后来儿子果真被斯坦福大学录取了（他最后选择了麻省理工学院）。
2002年斯坦福大学为考生出了四个作文题，这里提供的是程征的三篇作文，并附中文译文。另外一篇他写了混沌理论，专业性较强，故略去。
愿程征的作文对广大校友的孩子们报考美国大学有一些参考价值。因父亲住院，我最近时间比较紧张，如大家发现我的翻译有何不妥之处，望不吝赐教。
Question:Of the
activities, interests and experiences listed previously, which is the
most meaningful to you and why?
Answer: The most meaningful activity should broaden my vision of what is
possible, engage me in an interactive process of learning and
entertaining and above all, help me find a sense of fulfilment.
Guitar would easily do the trick. It complements
my fondness for science. Art is intuitive, while science is analytical.
Before I discovered the tight ties between them my perception of their
difference made it seem to me as if they were two worlds apart.
Fortunately one day in science class the subject of waves and resonance
came up. I learned that these beautiful sounds could be well produced
according to some physical laws on strings. I became fascinated by the
correlation between art and science ever since. The fact that beauty
exists both in nature and human creativity struck me so that I went
around to read all the books on these subjects.
Now it thrills me to let the soothing melody run from my fingertips on
the guitar. As I play the instrument I would often think about how the
harmonic vibration of the chord is produced, while the natural flow of
the music permeates my small room and exalt my senses, carrying the body
of my passion for science and art towards a merry land…
作文一：问：对你来说，什么是最有意义的活动、兴趣和经历？为什么？
程征回答说：最有意义的活动可以开阔视野，揭示潜力，使我陶醉于学习和娱乐的互动过程，最重要的是能够赋予我成就感。
弹奏吉他就奇妙无比，与我对科学的热爱相辅相成。艺术来自直觉，科学注重分析。在发现二者之紧密关系之前，我还以为它们来自大相径庭的两个世界。
在一次理科课上，我们学习了波和共振，我了解到根据物理的某些原理，琴弦可以发出优美的声音。从此我被艺术与科学之间的关联所吸引。我发现大自然和人类的创造力中都存在着美，我为此感到震撼，开始如饥似渴地阅读有关的书籍。
用手指拨弄吉他，弦上流淌出美妙的旋律，我如醉如痴。弹奏吉他常常令我思忖：这和谐的乐谱究竟来自何方？音乐在我那小小的房间里自然地缭绕，令我心旷神怡，对科学和艺术的热爱将我带进精神乐园…….
2 Relate a personal experience that reveals something about you to your
future college roommate.
Though it’s a bit weird,
according to the French manner, when one sneezes one is supposed to shut
both the mouth and nose (with the assistance of your thumb if necessary)
so as to prevent the sneeze from breaking out. It’s considered rude to
sneeze the germs soaked in nasal mucus out from your nasal cavity in
public place. This is a good etiquette. I’m sure. But it can be used for
criminal purposes as well.
Yes
you bet. I have been caught once
because I
to some extent misused this basic etiquette. I didn’t conceive this
malevolent action in advance, however, I still think I was innocent.
Here’s what happened; I was talking with a nice girl on whom I have got
a secret crush. I felt that she quite liked me as well that day. We were
on some hot topic
at that moment when suddenly I needed to sneeze. Well, be it so, I
should just apply the normal ritual to prevent it from
“happening”.
I took a breath and blocked my mouth and nose before the sneeze was
ready. Then I waited as usual for it to pass. But it didn’t come
immediately. The girl must have found something was wrong by my awkward
look. I forced myself to stay calm, but the sneeze came precisely then
and there. I reacted to it right away by reblocking my nose. Did I make
it? No, my mouth was half open. Instead of a sneeze it sounded rather
like a fart…
The message of the
story? Hope you won’t witness it happen in our future dorm roomJ
作文二：
请向你未来的大学室友讲述一段个人经历，使室友对你有所了解。
答：虽然听起来有点不可思议，但根据法国人的礼貌习惯，人们打喷嚏之前，应闭上嘴和鼻子（需要时可借助于拇指帮忙），以避免打喷嚏时出声。在公共场合打喷嚏将沾满细菌的鼻腔分泌物搞得满天飞被认为是一种粗野无礼的行为。这当然是一种高雅的礼仪，但没准它还能导致犯罪呢！
听着，一次我就因冒犯了这一起码的礼仪而漏了怯。我可不是明知故犯，我至今也认为自己是清白无邪的。事情是这样的：一次，我和一个我暗恋已久的女孩子聊天，那天她似乎也特别喜欢我。谈兴正浓，我忽然想打喷嚏。
我只要按老规矩办事，打喷嚏时千万别出声就行了。我深深地吸了口气，用手捂住了嘴和鼻子，然后等待着那股气流的释放。但那股气竟没有出来。从我尴尬的表情上，女孩可能感到有点不对劲儿了，我赶紧强装镇定。说时迟，那时快，打喷嚏的感觉又来了，我赶紧再次捂住鼻子。我是否如愿以偿了呢？没有。我的嘴微微地半张着，喷嚏没打出来，却发出了放屁般的声音…
这个故事说明了什么呢？希望今后你在咱们的宿舍里可别再遇上这种事儿。
3 Essay: Risk comes
in many forms - exploring an idea, bridging a social divide, confronting
one’s fears. Reflect on a risk you have taken and introduce us to your
thoughts.
After years of experience
one thing has become self evident to me: I tend to lose sight of my
meager budget when I browse at the bookstore, however little money is
left I would not hesitate a second to buy a book that appeals to me at
the first sight. Knowing my weakness, I train myself to be more
considerate before purchasing whenever I could.
Early this year I heard that the long awaited science book called A New
Kind of Science by Stephen Wolfram would be published soon. I had known
Stephen Wolfram as a child prodigy who wrote his first scientific paper
on high energy particles at the age of 15 and gained the genius
MacArthus award for his leading role in scientific research when he was
barely 21. I had also read many of his early papers and discoveries on a
relatively recent development of physics called the theory of
complexity. This time the new volume is said to incorporate his even
more fascinating ideas on the nature of the universe, but the big
difference is he hasn’t revealed his work to the public for ten years
now and the book promises a major paradigm shift in scientific thinking.
With much interest and curiosity, I closely followed the development of
the book through its final editing stage in the news and magazines like
Wired which interviewed him and asked him to provide cues about the
content of the book to the readers. Though Stephen tried to keep the
secret before the media and thus maintaining the mystery, he disclosed
that the book’s main thesis is the emergence of complexity out of
simplicity, and that nature may act like a big machine which computates
and generates the complexity scientists and normal alike observe
everywhere in their various environment.
What a tempting present for my summer reading! I decided upon hearing
the final date of the publication I will get a copy of the book as soon
as it appears in France. One day in mid May I logged on my Amazon
account and checked the availability of the book. To my great surprise
the purchase button became already activated. Now the button suddenly
formed a grinning demon on the screen, its face sparkled with
provocative lights. It constantly urged me to push it, I could remotely
hear its whisper “presss me, press me”. My eyes refocused on the
purchase icon, the book cover appeared beside the price tag with its
elegant crisscrossing yellow grids that represented the core of the
program 33 of his book. I recognized the pattern of the program because
again and again Stephen has stressed the importance of some particular
algorithmic programs called cellular automaton that could produce
perplexing results with extremely simple inputs. I immediately recalled
that the pattern is said to be present in nature, in fact, it mimicked
the mollusk image.
I couldn’d understand
why the book has arrived so soon. “Does it mean I’m at last going to
quench my insatiable appetite for science before the summer vacation?”.
I forced myself to take a deep breath, but suddenly realized that the
book cost 60 Euros and was 1,200 pages thick. For Christ’s sake did he
really click his mouse 2 hundred million time during the compilation and
experiment period on computer? On the second thought, 60 Euros stood for
more than 300 Francs and would need my 3 months’ meticulous economy,
provided that I refrain from buying CDs of course! Would I put myself
into misery for the summer and, instead of enjoying hanging out with
friends and buying each other drinks, read the voluminous scientific
magnum opus?
I shook with the
fearful prospect if I just pushed the button. I could feel my heart
racing. My blood pressure must have increased by half in one second, my
vision is fading! I could hardly breathe! I could imagine my money
flowing away to distant lands of publishing companies
I pushed the
button!
Three months later, I’m filled with joy and spiritual sublimation from
discovering the many whimsical ideas in the book. My friends are coming
back tanned from their beach vacation but also rusty on their physics
knowledge. I smiled lightly and for the first time in my life had the
feeling that I had made a right decision.
作文三：风险是各种各样的—探索一种思想，解决社会纠纷，克服个人的恐惧感。讲述你所经历的一次风险，让我们了解你的想法。
多年以来我尽管囊中羞涩，但逛书店时可从不吝啬金钱。如果我对一本书一见钟情，就会毫不迟疑地倾我所有。我深知自己的这一弱点，所以常提醒自己买书时应尽量掂量着点。
今年上半年，我听说盼望已久的史蒂芬沃尔佛莱姆（Stephen
Wolfram）所著“一种新型科学”（A
New Kind of Science）一书就要出版了。我早就知道史蒂芬沃尔佛莱姆是个神童，十五岁时就写下有关高能粒子的科学论文，二十一岁时因其科学研究上的重要作用而荣获“麦克阿瑟奖。我读过不少他的早期论文，也拜读了他后来的称为”复杂理论“的物理新说。听说他即将出版的这本新书更加引人入胜，书中将介绍他有关宇宙本质的思考。更重要的是，此书是他沉寂十年之后再次向公众展示其科学思想的重大突破。
怀着极大的兴趣和好奇，我通过新闻报道和杂志密切关注着这本新书的最后完成。“Wired”杂志在一次采访中曾企图从他口中打探有关此书的蛛丝马迹。尽管他对媒体三缄其口以求一鸣惊人，但还是透露说，该书的主题是从简单中发现复杂性，他认为自然界就像一部大机器一样运转，对科学家和普通百姓在各自环境中随处可以观察到的复杂性进行计算和创造。
这可是暑假阅读的一份厚礼！从打探到该书要出版的消息的那天起，我就暗下决心，此书一旦在法国露面，我就要想方设法把它搞到手。五月的一天，打开亚马逊网，我惊喜万分地发现，此书的购买标志居然已经启动了。那个标志忽然间变成了一个窃窃发笑的小鬼脸，闪烁着充满诱惑的光。小鬼不断地催我赶快按它，我仿佛也听到一个遥远的声音：“快按我吧，快按我吧。”我又看了一眼购买标志，在价目表的旁边发现了这本书的封面，封面上布满纵横交错的‘程序33’曲线。我顿时明白，这便是先前史蒂芬沃尔佛莱姆多次谈到的那个传奇的数学法则演变出来的程序。这类程序统称为细胞自动化。非常普通的一个输入指令能在它的协助下制造出异常严密复杂的结果。我随即想到，这个程序划出的图案原来属于自然界，是一种软体动物的骨架结构。
不知道这本书为什么提前出来了。“难道我终于可以在暑假中满足一下自己对科学的“贪得无厌”了吗？”我深深地吸了口气，忽然发现这书竟有一千二百页之厚，其价格竟高达六十欧圆！天呵，莫非他为了写这本书真的敲打了二亿次键盘吗？我又一想，六十欧圆，六十欧圆相当于四百法郎，我要足足攒够三个月的零花钱，而且不能买CD盘了！难道我真的要放弃和小伙伴们一块儿玩一块儿吃冷饮的机会，在暑假中受苦受累去读这本科学巨著吗？
想到按下购买键的后果，我浑身都发抖了，我的心狂跳不已，血压升高，两眼发黑，快喘不过气来了。我仿佛看到自己的金钱流向异国他乡的出版商那里。…
我终于按下了键纽。
三个月后，带着读书的新发现，我兴高采烈，神采奕奕地回到了学校。朋友们也从海边回来了，他们皮肤晒得黝黑，却把许多物理知识忘到脑后。我微笑了。有生以来，我第一次感到自己做了个正确的决定。（完） |
