考试如同游泳

Some Pondering on Examinations

一个成熟的社会,是一个重视考试的社会。中国过去是一个科举社会,为了防止人情和关系的泛滥,现在和将来还须以考试作为社会生活的调节阀,因此现代中国还在日益走向一个考试社会。虽然科举制度中的考试内容如今已被历史所抛弃,但其制度设计所体现的才学本位和公平竞争的精神,却显示出它的无尽生命力。考试是社会生活中减少矛盾的一种有效手段,但过度追求公平也有其严重的弊病,这是当今考试改革应当汲取的教训。

A highly developed society usually attaches great importance to its examination system. Feudal China boosted its imperial examination system to curb the personal interference when selecting talents for the nation. This is also the case even in modern china. Not only now, but also in the future, we still need an examination system to address the needs of the different walks of life. Despite the outdated testing format and contents in the imperial examination system,its pursuit of pure talent and fair competition will always remain as a model for modern examination system. Examination could be viewed as an effective means of addressing social problems, but overemphasis on the fairness of the examination may also bring fatal outcome. Modern examination reform should draw a lesson from this.