Best Essay for Upper Secondary School Exam 《說尺子》

 《說尺子》I would translate it as "The Yardstick". When we judge or comment on other people's work or life, we are really telling the world, who we really are and what kind of materials we are made of. The praises or award we confer to other people, often, very shallow, just like the example of if you scored 98 after getting 100, the child may get a scolding or reprimand or a smack on the back; but if you scored 61 after getting 55, you may get a kiss as encouragement or praise. But really, is this the way ? Is the way to use the yardstick ? Is there a right way to measure progress or regress ?

今年大陸高考的

滿分作文出來了

它震撼了13億人

意想不到的是

當下的社會現狀 

竟被一位十八歲

高中畢業生如此

樸實無華地破解

全文滿分出看了

令人感觸而深刻

800字文章

表達得

十分完美

格局大立意高

令人佩服

 

《說尺子》

從100分到98分

挨一頓揍

從55分到61分

得一個吻

這看似荒誕不經的故事

卻常常

發生在我們身邊

許多人看來

前者退步了

挨揍是天經地義

後者進步了

得吻是理所當然

我們常說

要一把尺子

量到底

在現實生活中

應當說尺子

是最公平的

但拿在

不同人的手里

去度量不同的人

就會出現

不同的結果

我們

習慣了媽媽在

廚房中的忙碌

一日三餐

總是準時

吃到可口的飯菜

可當有一天

我們回家面對著

乾鍋冷竈的時候

卻首先想到的

是無飯可吃

沮喪之餘

面露慍色

甚至開口責備

完全忽略了

她累了病了

撐不住了

連燒口開水的

力氣也沒有了

而我們的爸爸

偶爾

下一次廚房

煮一碗麵

卻能讓一家人

感到萬分知足

慣性

使我們的尺子

變得富有彈性

卻無法

丈量出愛的深遠

每個單位

都良莠不齊

有幹的有看的

也有搗亂的

總有一些禿子

混在和尚之中

濫竽充數

奇怪的是

幹的永遠在幹

看的一直在看

而幹得越多

失誤也越多

得到的批評

也就越多

而那些看客

偶爾偷機取巧

做做樣子

就會名利雙收

甚至那些

搗亂的變得

乖巧一些

就會讓領導

和一席眾人

皆大歡喜

心滿意足

惰性

使我們的尺子

帶了偏見

就再也無法

凝聚眾人的力量

大家還記得

北方小城那位

舍粥的大嫂嗎？

每到冬天

她就半夜起來

熬上滿滿的

三鍋熱粥

免費送給

寒風中

瑟縮的清潔工

窮苦人和乞丐

數年如一日

不曾間斷

而當有一天

一位老漢從中

吃出了一粒沙子

頓時將一碗熱粥

潑在大嫂的身上

而領粥的人

也瞬間劃分為

兩大陣營

有人說老漢

不該撒野

也有人指責

大嫂不該摻沙子

薄情

讓我們的尺子

扭曲

冷了多少

善良的心

開縣一輛滿載了

19名乘客的中巴

突遇險情

一頭栽進

深達五米的水塘

當地村民

金有樹跳進

冰冷刺骨的水中

砸開車窗

將19名乘客

全部救出

自己卻因

長時間冷水的

浸泡患上肺病

舉債治療數月

告借無門

不得不離開

醫院病死家中

19名幸存者

無一人

去醫院探視

更無人為他送行

金有樹臨死前

寫下一封信

第一句話就是

「我救了

19人的命

現在誰來

救我的命」

冷漠

讓我們的尺子

訇然寸斷

留下無盡的遺憾

每個人心里

都有一把尺子

我們用它

來衡量別人

更要時常

度量自己

ChatGPT 4.0 did a good translation in story format :-

"Measuring Sticks"

From a score of 100 to 98, a beating ensues. From 55 to 61, a kiss is rewarded.

This story, seemingly absurd, occurs often right beside us.

To many, the one who regresses deserves punishment, while the one who progresses rightfully earns praise.

We often say we need a uniform measure, a standard that seems fair, yet, in reality, this measuring stick held by different hands, measuring different lives, yields disparate outcomes.

We've grown accustomed to the bustle of our mothers in the kitchen, providing meals prompt and tasty.

Yet, on the day we return to a cold, empty stove, our first thought is of hunger, our frustration manifesting in anger, blaming without a thought for her tiredness, her illness, barely able to boil water.

And our fathers, on rare occasions, cooking a simple meal, bring the family immense satisfaction.

Inertia makes our measure flexible, yet incapable of gauging the depth of love.

In every unit, there are the diligent, the observers, and the disruptors, with a few bald men among the monks, filling numbers without merit.

Strangely, the hard workers keep working, the watchers keep watching, and the more they work, the more mistakes they make, garnering even more criticism.

While the onlookers, taking shortcuts, often reap fame and fortune, and even the troublemakers, once they act obedient, delight the leaders and everyone else, satisfying all.

Laziness skews our measuring stick, preventing unity.

Remember the woman from the northern town who gave out porridge? Each winter, she rose at midnight, cooking pots of warm porridge to distribute free to shivering cleaners, the poor, and beggars, without fail, year after year.

Yet, when an old man found a grain of sand, he threw his bowl of hot porridge at her.

The crowd split into factions: some said the man overreacted, others blamed her for the sand.

Callousness warps our measuring stick, chilling many kind hearts.

In a perilous moment, a minibus with 19 passengers plunged into a five-meter-deep pond.

Jin Youshu, a local villager, dived into the frigid waters, broke the windows, and rescued all 19 passengers.

He later contracted a lung disease from the cold, struggled with debts for medical bills, and died at home, unable to afford hospital care.

None of the survivors visited him in the hospital, nor attended his funeral. On his deathbed, Jin wrote a letter, starting with, "I saved 19 lives, now who will save mine?"

Indifference breaks our measuring stick, leaving endless regrets.

Everyone holds a measuring stick in their heart, used to judge others, but we must also, frequently measure ourselves.

Raw Translation

Talking about Ruler

We often say

Request a ruler

Quantity

In real life

Should be said ruler

is the fairest

But take

In the hands of different people

To measure different people

It will appear

Different results

Everyone's heart

Everyone has a ruler

We use it

To measure others

More often

Measuring Yourself