By Stephanie/崔海燕(譯注)

□語篇導讀

天才是指擁有一定天賦的人，包括卓絕的創(chuàng)造力、想象力和天然的資質(zhì)。一般，智商超過140的人被叫作天才或者接近天才，有的學者將天才的高智商標準劃在了160。今天我們就一起認識一位英國的數(shù)學天才——亞沙·阿斯利，看看他的傳奇人生吧！

Yasha Asley is a boy from Leicester,the United Kingdom.He is a British mathematics child prodigy.At eight years old,he was the youngest person in the world to have achieved grade A at Mathematics A-level,scoring 100%and 99%in two of the six papers.In the summer of 2011,Yasha took further A-Levels in which he did exceptionally well.After 6 years of primary school,he went into the University of Leicester directly.At that time,he was only 12 years old.

When he was 14,he was employed by the University of Leicester to run tutorials,at the same time he was also a degree student there.He became the youngest ever student at the University and is now the youngest ever employee.Yasha was interviewed and offered the paid job when he was just 13 years old-beating adult applicants.Admin staff(行政人員)had to apply to Leicester city council for special permission to employ him because he was so young.The weekly tutorials Yasha ran were for adult students who needed help and support solving problems following lectures.

Proud Yasha said proudly,“I am having the best years of my life.I love going to university and I love my new job helping other students.”

Yasha,who has been dubbed a “human calculator”,is now in his final year and plans to start a PhD when he finishes his course.Of his achievements,Yasha said,“I love math because it is an exact science.It is the only science where you can prove what you say is correct.It is so easy and an enjoyable subject to study.”

◆詞語積淀

prodigy/?pr?did?i/n.奇才，天才（尤指神童）

exceptionally/Ik?sep??n?li/adv. 例 外地，異常地，特殊地

employ/Im?pl?I/v.雇用；聘用；使用

tutorial/tju:?t?:ri?l/n. 教程，導師的個別指導

applicant/??plIk?nt/n.申請人，求職人council/?ka?nsl/n.委員會；（郡、 鎮(zhèn)等）政務會

dub/d?b/v.授予稱號;起綽號

achievement/??t?i?vm?nt/n.成就；成績

◆典句賞析

1.When he was 14,he was employed by the University of Leicester to run tutorials,at the same time he was also a degree student there.14歲時，他被英國萊斯特大學聘用擔任輔導教師,同時他也在該校攻讀學位。

“When he was 14”是由when引導的時間狀語從句，when意為“當……的時候”，when從句的謂語動詞可以在主句謂語動作之前、之后或同時發(fā)生。was employed是被動語態(tài)結(jié)構(gòu)，意為“被雇用”；at the same time意為“同時，然而”，可用在句首或句末，充當時間狀語。

【即時嘗試】當我趕到飛機場時，客人們已經(jīng)離開了。

2.The weekly tutorials Yasha ran were for adult students who needed help and support solving problems following lectures.亞沙每周教授的輔導課程，都是針對在解決課程問題方面需要幫助和支持的成年學生。

Yasha ran是省略了關(guān)系代詞that的定語從句，先行詞為the weekly tutorials?！皐ho needed help and support solving problems following lectures”也是定語從句，關(guān)系代詞who指代前面的adult students。

【即時嘗試】剛才你遇到的那個男孩是李明的剛從大學畢業(yè)的弟弟。

3.I love math because it is an exact science.我喜歡數(shù)學，因為它是一門精準的學科。

這是一個主從復合句，句子“because it is an exact science”是由because引導的原因狀語從句。exact作為形容詞，意為“精密嚴謹?shù)?；確切的”，是以元音音素開頭的單詞，因此，前面的不定冠詞用an。

【即時嘗試】你能告訴我們開會的準確日期嗎？

譯文助讀

亞沙·阿斯利是來自英國萊斯特郡的一個男孩。他是一位英國數(shù)學神童。在8歲時，他成為世界上最小的在數(shù)學A-level（英國學生的大學入學考試課程）考試中取得A級成績的孩子，在6份試卷中，其中2份分別拿了100分和99分。在2011年夏天，亞沙參加A-level進階考試?？荚囍?，他表現(xiàn)異常突出。他完成6年小學教育后，直接進入萊斯特大學。那時，他年僅12歲。

14歲時，他被英國萊斯特大學聘用擔任輔導教師,同時他也在該校攻讀學位。他先是成為該校有史以來最年輕的學生，現(xiàn)在又成為有史以來最年輕的老師。亞沙13歲的時候就通過面試，并得到了這份有償工作——他擊敗的可是成年申請人。該校的管理人員必須向萊斯特市議會申請?zhí)厥庠S可才能聘用他，因為他實在是太年輕了。亞沙每周教授的輔導課程，都是針對在解決課程問題方面需要幫助和支持的成年學生。

亞沙驕傲地說道：“我正度過我生命中最美好的時光。我喜歡上大學，我也喜歡這份幫助其他學生的新工作”。

亞沙曾被稱為“人類計算機”，現(xiàn)在已經(jīng)是他讀學士學位的最后一年，他還計劃在結(jié)束課程之后攻讀博士學位。對于自己的成就，亞沙說道：“我喜歡數(shù)學，因為它是一門精準的學科。這是唯一一門你可以證明自己是對的科學。數(shù)學學起來非常簡單，而且令人愉悅?！?/p>