(单词翻译:单击)
英文原文
Some time ago, I received a call from Jim, a colleague of mine, who teaches physics. He asked me if I would do him a favor and be the referee on the grading of an examination question. I said sure, but I did not quite understand why he should need my help. He told me that he was about to give a student a zero for his answer to a physics question, but the student protested that it wasn't fair. He insisted that he deserved a perfect score if the system were not set up against the student. Finally, they agreed to take the matter to an impartial instructor. And I was selected.
I went to my colleague's office and read the examination question. It said: "Show how it is possible to determine the height of a tall building with the aid of a barometer." The student had answered: "Take the barometer to the top of the building, tie a long rope to it, lower the barometer to the street, and then bring it up and measure the length of the rope. The length of the rope will be the height of the building."
I laughed and pointed out to my colleague that we must admit the student really had a pretty strong case for full credit since he had indeed answered the question completely and correctly.
参考译文
不久前，我接到一个教物理的同事的电话，问我是否愿给一考题的打分作一个仲裁。我说可以，但我不明白为什么需要我帮忙。他说他要给一个学生做的物理题答案判零分，而学生认为这不公平，声称如果该评分体制的建立不是与学生作对的话，他就该得满分。导师和学生同意将此争议交给一位无私的裁决者，于是选择了我。
我去了那位同事的办公室，看了那道考题：“说明怎样才能用气压表来测定一栋高层建筑物的高度。”那考生答道：“把气压表拿到此楼顶，在表上系一根长绳，将气压表降至街上，然后提起来，测量绳子的长度。绳子的长度就是该楼房的高度。”
我大笑，告诉同事必须承认这个学生确实有得满分的强有力的证据，因为他完全正确地回答了问题。
