While their predecessors have amassed dozens of Nobel prizes and other intellectual accolades, the current crop of undergraduates is focusing on a rather less taxing competition – rear of the year.

当前辈校友们多次斩获诺贝尔奖，取得令人刮目的学术成就时，如今的剑桥大学学生却更热衷于不太费力的竞争——评选“年度美臀”。

Female students at the university have submitted risque photographs of their behinds in the hope of clinching the title.

剑桥大学一些女生最近向一个独立学生网站提交了她们的“美臀艳照”，以期夺得这一荣誉。

They insist it is innocent fun – and male classmates are quick to agree – but critics have accused them of harming the feminist cause and the university's reputation.

女生们坚称纯粹是“为了好玩”，男生们很快表示肯定，但批评者认为，这有损女权主义运动，并伤害了大学声誉。

The pictures have been sent to independent student website The Tab by women using pseudonyms and hiding their faces from the camera to protect their identities.

女生们使用假名把照片上提交给了独立学生网站The Tab。为了保护个人隐私，拍摄照片时特意隐去了脸部。

Each gives a brief tongue-in-cheek biography with her photograph. While other students are using the university library to revise for their impending exams, one going by the name of Meredith stripped down to her underwear to be pictured on tiptoe taking a book from a shelf.

每张照片都附上半开玩笑的个人简介。当其他学生都在用图书馆复习备战即将到来的考试时，一名自称“梅瑞狄斯”的女生身着三点式内衣，拍了一张踮脚去书架上方拿书的照片。

Bella, who poses in frilly knickers and nude stilettos with her long dark hair tumbling down over a tight-fitting jumper, said: "The trick to looking good in knickers is to wear high heels."

另一张照片上，“贝拉”身穿镶边短裤，脚蹬裸色高跟鞋，黝黑的长发披肩，上身穿一件紧身套衫，她说：“穿着短裤还很美的绝招是脚蹬高跟鞋。”

Elizabeth, from Homerton College, whose alumni include actress Cherie Lunghi, claims her "first sexual thoughts were of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles".

来自霍默顿学院的伊丽莎白声称，她的“第一次性想法是关于“忍者神龟”。女星切瑞•朗西也毕业于该所学院。

The entrants were found through "word of mouth" at the university and the photos sent in through anonymous email accounts.

参赛者是通过大学中的“口口相传”找到的，照片以匿名方式通过电子邮件发送。

A university source added: "We can't stop what they're doing but it would be fair to say we don't approve of it. It is not the kind of image we would want to project."

而校方人士表示：“我们无法阻止学生的行为，但可以说我们并不赞成这么做。这不是剑桥大学想发布的照片。”

Male students were generous in their praise, however. Comments posted online included: "High-definition pics from multiple angles would've provided a better comparison."

但学校的男生们却乐于赞扬此事，网上有评论称“多角度拍摄的高清图片会让大家有个更好的比较。”

And "Leila" joined the debate herself, saying: "It's given me a bit of a confidence boost. I don't think it's got anything to do with feminism really."

参赛的“利拉”自己为自己辩护说：“这让我提升了自信。我真不认为这和女权主义有什么关系。”