2015年申请芝加哥大学文书范例解析

2015年申请芝加哥大学文书范例解析

在申请美国大学中，文书是非常重要的部分。申请人需要用文字向招生委员会展示自己的优点、特长和追求。在申请文书中，要突出个性，同时要与所申请的大学相契合。本文将以2015年申请芝加哥大学的文书范例为例，分析一下其优秀之处。

The University of Chicago has long been renowned for its provocative essay questions. We think of them as an opportunity for students to tell us about themselves, their tastes, and their ambitions. They can be approached with utter seriousness, complete fancy, or something in between.

每年芝加哥大学都会给出几道极具挑战性的申请题目。我们认为，这些题目能够帮助学生展示自己的个性、品味以及追求。这些题目可以非常严肃，也可以非常奇思妙想，也可以介于二者之间。

这是芝加哥大学的申请题目，虽然看起来亲民，但是却具有很大的难度。许多申请者会被这些题目吸引，但是不知道该如何下手。但是这篇范文中，作者采用了一种轻松而且详实的方式，展现了自己的才华和个性。

Essay Option 1.

Cats have nine lives, Pac-Man has 3 lives, and radioactive isotopes have half-lives. How many lives does something else—conceptual or actual—have, and why?

猫有九条命，吃豆人有三条命，放射性同位素有半衰期。除此之外，还有什么东西（无论是现实的还是概念上的）有生命，它们有多少条生命，为什么？

这是一道非常经典的芝大题目，融合了科学和文化的素材，而且题目本身就是要求学生融合不同的元素，进行创新思维。

范文：（以下内容为范文作者的原创，文字可能存在差异）

I don’t know how long I’ve been at this. I lose track of time. Weeks? Possibly months? I’ve been walking down the same path, so long that the grass beneath my feet made a path of its own—a clear, barren road. There’s nothing to see but blue sky, dirt and grass. It’s predictable now. I know where the tree with the gnarly branches will be, or where the dip in the grass is, or where the dirt is particularly rocky.

我不知道我已经这样走了多久。我失去了对时间的概念。是几周？还是几个月？我走了这么长时间的路，就让我的脚下的草生长出了自己的小路——一条到处都是光秃秃的路。除了蓝天、泥土和草，我什么也看不到。现在，这已经是我已经预料到的了。我知道哪棵树上会有很多足以让人想起乱麻的分叉枝丫，或是那个草地里的低谷，或者是那个地方的泥土特别硬。

The grass stretches out before me. The horizon is still far away, but I can sense it. That sense is how I measure progress now. The fewer steps between me and the horizon, the more I’ve achieved. But the goal…what is it? I don’t know. I don’t remember why I started walking, or why I take one step forward.

草地在我面前延伸开来。地平线还远着呢，但是我能感觉得到。这种感觉成为了我衡量进步的标志。越接近地平线，我就越进步。但是这样做的目的……它是什么呢？我不知道。我不记得我为什么要开始走路，更不知道为什么要向前走一步。

I’ve thought about stopping, but then what? There’s nothing here anyway. I sigh and take the next step. I wonder how many steps I’ll take before I’ll remember my purpose or find a new one. How many steps do I have left before my lives run out?

我曾经想过停下来，但是这样做后呢？这里什么也没有。我叹了口气，迈着下一步。我纳闷，要是我什么时候才能想起自己的目的或者找到新的目的呢？在我的生命将要到尽头之前，我还能走多少步呢？

If the idea of a walking zombie sounds a little depressing, it’s because everyone needs a sense of purpose, even if it’s simple or vague. Like a character in a video game, I’ve lost all but one life, and the same way it’s time for me to reboot, it’s time for me to reboot, to try again. As long as there’s life left in me, I’ll keep taking steps, waiting for the moment when the horizon fills the entire sky.

如果魔鬼旅行的想法听起来有点令人沮丧，那是因为所有人都需要一个目的，即使它很简单或者很模糊。就好像电子游戏里的角色一样，我只剩下一条生命了，就像是时候重新启动了一样，该是我重新尝试的时候了。只要我身上还有一点儿生命的力量，我就会不断迈着脚步，等待那一刻，看地平线充满整个天空。

This essay is an example of how to take an abstract idea and make it personal, relatable, and meaningful. The author starts with a vague premise – the idea of a life – and then builds on it in a concise, powerful way. The writing is fluid and easy to read, allowing the reader to become immersed in the narrative. The description of the barren landscape and the sense of purposeless walking is both evocative and metaphorical, adding depth to the essay. The symbolism of the different lives – cats, Pac-Man, isotopes – is subtle but effective, reinforcing the main theme of the essay.

这篇文章的例子说明了如何将抽象的概念变得个性化、易于接近以及有意义。作者从一个模糊的前提出发——生命的概念——然后用简明有力的方式加以发展。文笔流畅，容易阅读，读者可以沉浸在这个故事中。对于光秃秃的景象的描述和没有目的的行走的感觉既引人深思，又富有隐喻意义，使文章更加丰富多彩。不同生命的象征意义——猫、吃豆人、同位素——是微妙而有效的，可增强本文的主要主题。

In conclusion, the 2015 University of Chicago essay prompts were a challenge for many applicants. However, the sample essay above shows how one can approach an abstract concept and personalize it. The author does this by grounding the essay in a vivid scene and adding personal thoughts and experiences. As a result, the essay becomes an engaging exploration of the concept of life and purpose. It is a well-written, thoughtful, and creative piece of writing, and a strong example of what an effective college essay can be.