During the summer vacation, some students choose to climb mountains, some volunteer, and some think learning how to drive a car is a vital skill for their future. But with tough weather conditions, tough driving instructors and even tougher requirements for getting a license, students not only learn a skill but also a lesson for life.
暑假期间，有的学生选择去登山，有的投身志愿者活动，也有人认为学会开车是关系到未来的一项重要技能。然而，面对恶劣的天气，严厉的教练以及越来越高的驾照门槛，学生们不仅是在学习一门技能，更是经历一次人生的历练。
Endurance test
耐力测试
Zhang Li, 19, a sophomore majoring in botany at Yunnan University, nearly lost confidence when he learned to drive at a local driving school.
19岁的张力(音译）是来自云南大学植物学专业的一名大二学生。当他在当地一所驾校学开车时，自信心受到严重打击。
“The driving instructor easily got angry about my performance. A lot of students want to learn how to drive in the summer vacation and let’s face it, we make a lot of rookie mistakes, which really gets on their nerves, ” says Zhang.
张力说：“教练动不动就对我的表现大为光火。很多学生暑假扎堆学车，这是不争的事实，加上我们是新手所以常会犯些低级错误，这就让教练很头疼。”
But the constant criticism made Zhang feel bad about himself, as if he was too stupid to learn how to drive. Through his parents’ advice, however, he started seeing it as an endurance test.
一次次的批评令张力信心尽失，就好像他根本就不是开车的料。而父母的一席话却点醒了他，从那以后他便将学车看成是一次耐力测试。
“It will be important to keep calm at all times when driving on public roads in the future, so I think it’s a good preparation, ” says Zhang.
张力说：“以后上路开车时，始终保持镇定这点十分重要，所以我觉得这是一次很好的演练。”
Vital checks
生命的考验
Wei Ruolin, 22, a senior majoring in law at Sun Yat-sen University, was one of the many students at the driving school this summer waiting patiently for her lesson to begin. But when Wei finally got behind the wheel next to the instructor, she almost caused an accident.
今年夏天，许多学生都在驾校里耐心排队练车，中山大学法律系大四学生、22岁的魏若琳（音译）便是其中之一。但当最终轮到她练车时，坐在教练身旁的她却险些酿成车祸。
“I forgot to check the position of the rear- and side-view mirrors before I started driving. I couldn’t see anything on both sides as the mirrors were folded in. I tried to adjust them while driving, but I nearly lost control of the car as I was distracted. It was very dangerous, ” Wei says.
魏若琳说：“开车前我忘记检查后视镜与侧视镜了。由于镜子是收起来的，所以我看不到两边的路况。开车时我试着调整它们，由于我注意力无法集中，车子几乎失控。十分危险。”
When you get into the driving seat, don’t hurry to start the engine, but check everything and make any necessary adjustments before moving off.
当你坐在驾驶席上时，不要急于发动汽车，而是要在开车前先检查一边并做出相应的调整。
Difficult rules
令人头疼的交规
Huang Shunlin, 22, a senior majoring in management at Central China Normal University, failed the test for traffic rules three times, even though the majority of the test is based on common sense. But then Huang thought of how many points he would lose on his driving license and the money he would be fined if he kept violating the traffic rules and didn’t learn them well.
尽管交规考试的试题大都是一些常识，但华中师范大学管理专业大四学生、22岁的黄顺林（音译）还是先后三次失利。而稍后黄顺林脑海中浮现的是，如果不好好学习并一直违反交规的话，那么自己的驾照要被扣多少分，以及要交多少的罚款。
“I didn’t pay much attention to the test at first and failed it several times, ” says Huang. “When I finally treated it like a real test and prepared with my friend’s help, it was easy and I learned many things to keep me safe on the road.”
黄顺林说：“对于交规考试，起初我并没有太上心，结果几次考试都以失败告终。最终，我决定把它当做一次真正的测试，并在朋友的帮助下做了准备，事实证明交规考试并不难，而且我也学到了许多行车安全知识。”