高考状元=职场状元？

　　As the results of China's all-important college entrance examination, known as the gaokao, emerge this week, China's media have commenced their annual ritual of converting the top scorers into student-celebrities.

　　随着中国高考结果在本周出炉，媒体又开始像过去每年一样，把最高分获得者塑造成学生中的明星。

　　But some in the country are questioning whether acing the exam is all it's cracked up to be.

　　但成为考试中的佼佼者是不是就像人们所称颂的那样了不起，引起了国内一些人的质疑。

　　Chinese media and websites are teeming this week with discussion of a purported study showing that the top scorers on the gaokao over the last 30 years have ended up being disappointments. According to the English-language China Daily newspaper, the study of 1,000 top scorers on the gaokao from 1977 to 2008 did not find a single student who went on to outstanding success in any field.

　　中国媒体和网站本周热议一份网上流传的调查结果。这项调查显示，过去30年的高考状元们最后的成就都令人失望。英文报纸《中国日报》报道说，这项调查考察了从1977年到2008年的1,000名高考状元，结果没有发现有哪一个学生在任何领域取得了杰出成就。

　　Word of the supposed study has spread like kudzu, but its provenance is unclear. Some have cited the Chinese military newspaper, the Liberation Daily, which itself cited its own affiliated publication, but that reference couldn't be tracked down. So it's unclear whether this is an actual study, or a rumor.

　　调查结果引起了热烈讨论，但出处并不清楚。有些人说来源于《解放日报》，《解放日报》说来自关联出版物，然后就没法追踪下去了。所以不清楚这是一份实际调查还是一个谣言。

　　Regardless, the mere notion that super scorers--called zhuangyuan--might not end up super-achievers is a shock in a country where the grueling two-day examination is a rite of passage for every aspiring student. The American SAT and its cousin, the ACT, are a cakewalk by comparison. Children literally spend years studying solely for the gaokao. Without it, a college education in China is out of reach.

　　不管怎样，高考状元最后可能不会成为杰出人士这样一种概念在中国已经是不小的冲击。对于每一位有志向的中国学子来说，为期两天的繁重高考都是必经之路。相比高考，美国的SAT(“学术能力测试”)和ACT(“美国大学测试”)不过是小菜一碟。孩子们学习多年，完全就是为了高考。不参加高考，在中国就没法读大学。

　　Those who scored the highest marks in the examination are doing local radio and television interviews and fielding questions from awestruck parents about how to prepare their four-year-olds for exam success.

　　在高考中夺魁的学生正在当地电台电视台接受采访，并从容回答深为折服的家长们有关如何让四岁小孩在将来考好的问题。

　　Li Taibo, who took first place in all of Beijing for the science portion of the exam, has become an instant sensation. Li was first among over 48,000 test takers, according to an article in the Global Times.

　　北京高考理科状元李泰伯一朝成名。据《环球时报》英文版一篇文章，他在48,000余名考生中取得了第一名。

　　A larger-than-life picture of Li has been erected in front of his high school to celebratehis accomplishment.

　　为庆祝他的成绩，李泰伯所读高中的门前树立了一幅比他真人更大的照片。

　　As a gaokao champion, Li can expect to undergo careful public scrutiny. His study habits will be analyzed by educational experts and admiring students alike. Even his personal life will serve as a model for others. Zhang Chen, also a top scorer in science, fields questions about his relationship with his parents and how he uses his free time. Parents want to know every detail that might help their children beat the competition.

　　作为高考冠军，李泰伯难免受到公众的仔细审视。他的学习习惯被教育专家和仰慕者分析，甚至个人生活也成为其他人的榜样。另一位理科状元张晨，则向人们解答他与父母的关系，以及怎样利用空余时间。家长们希望了解到可能有助于孩子击败对手的每一个细节。

　　While gaokao fever is as strong as ever this year, criticism