More than half a million South Korean students in their final year of high school recently took the university entrance examination. Many people consider success on this test the first step toward a good life. But South Korean students say they feel stressed from the pressure.
超过50万韩国高三学生最近参加了高考。许多人认为高考成功是迈向美好生活的第一步。不过韩国学生表示，他们在这一压力下倍感焦虑。

Seventeen-year-old student Lee Jee-woo is not ready yet to take the test. But he has a strong opinion about it. He says, "This test can determine the rest of your life."
17岁学生李梓佑（Lee Jee-woo）还不能参加高考，但他对此事有强烈看法。他说，“高考可以决定你接下来的一生。”

South Korean high school students spend years studying for the university entrance examination. People say good scores guarantee entrance to a top university and the possibility of a high-paying job. Some say good test results even improve chances for a good marriage in the future.
韩国高中学生为了高考花费多年时间学习。人们都说，优异成绩是进入顶尖大学和获得高薪工作的保证。有人说，高考成绩优异甚至可以提高未来婚姻美满的机会。

The test is multiple choice, meaning that the student may choose among several possible answers to a question. Some observers say this system does not help the students learn to think for themselves. They also say South Korea is not the only country to use these tests.
该考试是选择题，也就是说，学生们可以在几个可能的答案选项中进行选择。一些观察家表示，这一体系不利于学生独立思考。他们还表示，韩国不是唯一采用这种考试的国家。

Jasper Kim is a professor at Seoul's Ewha Women's University.
杰士伯·金（Jasper Kim）是首尔梨花女子大学的一位教授。

"I think you'll see similar things in China and to a lesser degree in Japan. It became the end all, be all, the standardized test, what you got on it. What it created was a system of teaching to the test. So everyone was geared, in terms of, getting to the right answer ... and not knowing why that is the right answer."
“我想你在中国可以看到类似情况，日本也能看到，但程度略低。它成为了一种标准化考试，你能从此中得到什么呢？它创造了一种应试教育体系。某种程度上来讲，每个人面向的都是知其然而不知其所以然。”

Vietnam also is known for its university entrance examination.
越南的高考也很著名。

Professor Kim says this system of learning by memorization produces a lot of stressed students. A recent government study found that South Korean children are the least happy compared to children in 29 other developed countries. Many South Koreans blame educational pressure for this unhappiness.
金教授表示，这一通过死记硬背的学习体系造成了很多学生倍感压力。最近一项政府研究发现，与29个其它国家的孩子相比，韩国孩子最不快乐。许多韩国人指责教育压力造成了这种不幸。

South Korean President Park Geun-hye has promised to reform her country's educational system. She urges the system to increase creative thinking and reduce student tension.
韩国总统朴槿惠（Park Geun-hye）已经承诺改革该国的教育体系。她督促该国的教育体系提高创造性思维，减少学生的紧张情绪。

But Jasper Kim does not feel sure that reforms by the top government alone will solve the problem. He says, "The bureaucrats, they can say all they want. But it really starts at home."
但金教授不相信政府高层独立改革能够解决问题。他说，“官僚官员可以说他们希望如此，但问题出在学生家庭。”

Still, getting South Korean parents to ease the pressure on their children might not be so easy. Shin Jeong-yeon says she would like not to put so much pressure on her daughter. But, she says there is a lot of competition, so it is impossible for parents not to do so. For now, all Ms. Shin and other parents can do is hope that the pressure brings good results.
然而，让韩国家长缓解自己孩子的压力可能没那么容易。申贞妍（Shin Jeong-yeon）表示，她也不想给自己女儿这么大压力。但她表示，竞争太激烈，所以家长不能不这样做。就目前而言，申女士和其他家长所有能做的就是希望这一压力能够带来良好的效果