双语故事|Phases of Education 教育阶段

The dean of Engineering had once walked into a class, and said Good Morning.

The whole class chorused Good Morning.

Hi, you are freshmen^{1, aren't you? he asked.}

One student bolder than the others asked him how he knew.

Well, he said. When I say 'Good Morning' to a class, if they are freshmen they say 'Good Morning' too. If they are sophomores^{2, they quietly fold their papers away, and look at me. A class of juniors will look at me over the TOP of their papers, and then get back to them. A class of seniors will ignore my greeting, and keep reading the papers. When I say 'Good Morning' to a class of graduate students, they write it down.}

一天，工程系的主任走进一间教室说：早上好。

全班同学异口同声地回答：早上好。

你们是大一新生吧？主任问道。

班级里一个胆子比较大的同学问主任是怎么样了解的。

嗯，主任说，当我说早上好的时候，倘若是大一的新生，他们也必然会说早上好的。倘若他们是大二的学生，他们会轻轻地合上课本，然后集体看着我。大三的学生则会抱着书本，抬起头看我一眼，然后又继续念书。大四的学生则根本无视我的存在，一直看着书。至于研究生班的学生，我向他们问早上好，他们就会把这句话写在笔记本上。