致高考：唯青春和梦想不可辜负

Of course, so much depends on how you’ve performed. Success will mean that you can apply for a place at a top university. An average result will mean that you must take a more realistic view of your college career. Failure will mean that different plans must be made.
当然，不少事情都取决于你在考场上的表现。成功的表现意味着你可以申请一流大学。普通的成绩则意味着你要以更现实的看法审视大学生涯。而失败则意味着需要制定不同的计划。

At a time like this, it may help to take a longer view of things. The gaokao, and the three years of intense study which come before it, are an important stage of life, but they are only a small part of it. They are an early chapter in the novel of your story. You, the hero of the story, are still making your first strides.
在这样的一个时间节点，以更长远的目光看待事物或许有所帮助。高考，以及在此之前三年紧张的学习生活，都是人生的一个重要阶段，但它们只是一小部分而已。它们是你人生故事的头几章。而你，作为整个故事的主角，仍在迈开自己的第一步。

And what great adventures lie ahead. Those of you who are heading to college will soon be spreading your wings. Perhaps you’ll study in a city far from your hometown, with more people and many more differences. That will be a special kind of thrill – half exhilaration, half fear.
精彩的冒险还在前方。即将前往大学的你们很快就要展翅高飞。或许你将在一个远离家乡的城市学习，遇见更多的人，感受梗多元化的差异。那将会是一种特别的激动 —— 一半是兴奋，一半是害怕。

But an important period has ended too. Childhood and youth are important parts of life. You’ll naturally think about what you’re leaving behind. Your friends will come to mind. Your thoughts will inevitably turn to the times you’ve had with them, good and bad. Things that seemed small at the time, like enjoying a soccer game or trip to the movies together, will play on your mind as you look back.
但与此同时，一个重要的时期也已经结束。童年和青春期是人生的重要部分。你会很自然地想到自己要离开的这一切。你会想到那些昔日好友，不可避免地想起和他们一起走过的时光，无论好坏。一些在当时看来的琐碎小事，比如享受一场足球赛或一起去看电影，都会成为脑海中挥之不去的回忆。

As David Copperfield said in English writer Charles Dickens’ great novel of growing up: “Trifles make the sum of life”.
正如大卫·科波菲尔在英国作家查尔斯·狄更斯伟大的成长小说中所言：“琐事构成了生活的全部。”

Will you see these friends again after the summer, or will the end of the gaokao mean you take different paths? Either way, your future will be full of people – old acquaintances and new.
这个夏天之后，你会再见这些朋友吗，还是高考结束也意味着你们分道扬镳？不论如何，你的未来将会遇见不少人 —— 有旧识，也有新交。

In the meantime, the important thing to remember is this: Whether you ace the gaokao, get an average score, or even fail, you have your whole life ahead of you. Make the most of what you have.
与此同时，还有一件重要的事情要记住：不论你在高考中获得高分，成绩一般，甚至考试失利，大好人生就在前方。充分利用你所拥有的这一切。