約翰霍普金斯大學2024錄取文書公開（第四期）

Finding Purpose in Trivial Projects

在瑣碎的項目中尋找目標的意義(yi)

Occasionally, a wooden board that comes in as packaging makes me think, “That would make a great base for a diorama.” Then, there’s a concept that comes from a building, street, or room I’m frequenting, someplace that is brimming with interesting detail yet not overwhelming. The challenge of shrinking down detail in a scene excites me, and it’s also delightful to imagine what the scene would look like miniaturised.

偶爾，一塊包裝好的木板會(hui) 讓我聯想到： “這可以是一個(ge) 立體(ti) 模型的底座。” 不經意間，我也會(hui) 從(cong) 日常經過的建築物、街道和房間中的恰如其分有趣細節中汲取靈感。縮小場景細節的挑戰讓我興(xing) 奮不已，想象這個(ge) 場景縮小後的樣子也令我心曠神怡。

During the summer of 2020, with a piece of packaging MDF board in hand, that place happened to be my own home. Although a scale model of a house I’d just moved into seemed frivolous and unnecessary, I sat down with paint, board, and more time than I’d ever had over the next 3 months to work on something I felt genuinely motivated to complete. With nothing else to work on, I measured, constructed, and assembled the house—piece by piece, floor by floor. When I was done, I still had no use for my creation, and friends and family were confused as to why I’d worked so hard on it. “This looks great, but did you do this for a school project?” they’d ask.

2020 年夏天，我在家手持一塊包裝用中密度纖維板，雖然一個(ge) 等比例縮小的模型對於(yu) 一個(ge) 剛剛搬進的新房子而言顯得是那麽(me) 的無用和瑣碎，但在接下來的 3 個(ge) 月裏，我還是帶著顏料和木板、投入比以往更多的時間，去做一件讓我感受到真實的驅動力去全力以赴完成的事情。在閑暇時光裏，我會(hui) 一件件、一層層地去測量、建造和組裝我的小房子，隻是建成後的它依然毫無用武之地。朋友和家人們(men) 都很困惑不理解我為(wei) 什麽(me) 會(hui) 這麽(me) 努力地去完成這個(ge) 作品，他們(men) 會(hui) 疑惑地問：“模型看起來很讚，但你是為(wei) 了學校作業(ye) 才完成這個(ge) 項目的嗎？”

Although it seemed trivial, I made more miniatures—of our dining room, my street, my bicycle, and even my dustbin. Each project came with its own challenges. I wanted to make functioning gears on a tiny cardboard bicycle, but how? I’d make frustrating mistakes, but I found my way, crocheting bicycle chains that created enough friction to pull cardboard gears. With every project I completed, I had to learn how to work with a new material or adhesive—sometimes, pieces fell apart or paint would flake off. The issues were what made projects fun; there were simple joys in solving these miniaturised problems, and I took special pride in subverting expectations of fragility by making pieces as sturdy and durable as I could. Although it was sometimes tempting to forfeit projects that went on for months, my inexplicable fascination with making models continued even as I became much busier than I had been back in 2020.

雖然看起來微不足道，但我還是製作了更多的微縮模型：我們(men) 的餐廳、我的街道、我的自行車，甚至我的垃圾桶。每個(ge) 項目通過它們(men) 自己的方式都帶給我新的挑戰！我想在一個(ge) 小紙板自行車加一個(ge) 可以正常運轉的車鏈子，但是如何實現呢？過程中我犯了很多令人沮喪(sang) 的錯誤，但是最終我還是找到了解決(jue) 方式：通過鉤織的方式製成的自行車鏈條，能夠產(chan) 生足夠的摩擦力來帶動紙板的齒輪。每完成一個(ge) 作品的過程中，我都需要學習(xi) 如何使用新的材料或粘合劑 — 有時作品會(hui) 散開，有時油漆會(hui) 脫落。 這些小問題也正是創作這些作品的樂(le) 趣所在，在解決(jue) 這些瑣碎問題的過程中，我也收獲了單純簡單的快樂(le) ，特別自豪的是我會(hui) 盡全力製作出堅固耐用的作品。雖然有時很想放棄持續數月的項目，但對製作模型的莫名癡迷仍在繼續，即使與(yu) 2020年相比，我變得更加忙碌。

As I wonder why miniature making has become such an integral part of my routine, I’ve begun to notice just how much I’ve gained from it. In scaling down each scene, there’s been an unanticipated amount of calculation and problem solving. In working through misplaced structural walls or disproportionate elements, there’s solutions to be weighed and decisions to be made about when it’s time to start over. Even my smallest project, the miniature dustbin, was made out of curiosesity and a desire to recreate the pedal mechanism. Miniature making has given me a greater attention to detail, as I try to look for details that make a subject appealing: I learnt much more about my new home in an attempt to recreate it. As I walk along a busy street, I can’t help but notice that wire fence bears a striking resemblance to a loose knit, or that a fallen twig would make the perfect mini tree. Strangely enough, searching for solutions in these creative places floods back when I work on research and programming for my computational biology internships, observing patterns and breaking down problems into miniature tasks.

當進一步思考製作微縮模型為(wei) 什麽(me) 會(hui) 成為(wei) 我日常工作中不可或缺的一部分時，我也開始關(guan) 注到從(cong) 中的收獲。在精準微縮每個(ge) 場景的過程中，都會(hui) 遇到意想不到需要計算和解決(jue) 的問題。在處理錯位的牆體(ti) 結構或是比例失調的各種元素時，我需要在各種解決(jue) 方案之間權衡，並且隨時準備重新開始。即使是我最小的微型垃圾桶項目，也是在好奇心驅使下希望可以重現踏板裝置而啟動的。微縮模型製作的過程讓我更加關(guan) 注細節，為(wei) 了項目我會(hui) 努力去尋找更加引人入勝的細節：在重現新家的過程，我對它也有了更深入的了解。當我走在熙熙攘攘的街道時，我會(hui) 情不自禁地注意到鋼絲(si) 網與(yu) 鬆散的針織品之間的相似度或者散落的樹枝在微縮世界裏會(hui) 成為(wei) 一顆完美的“迷你”樹。奇怪的是，當我在為(wei) 計算機生物領域的實習(xi) 工作進行研究和編程的過程中，那些曾經為(wei) 微縮項目尋找解決(jue) 方案的思路會(hui) 再次湧現，幫助我觀察問題背後的規律以及將問題分解為(wei) 若幹個(ge) 不同的小任務。

Most importantly, in painting individual bricks and sculpting rice-grain sized statues, I’ve realised what I’m capable of accomplishing out of determination. Each project I begin has no foreseeable end date, and intricate detail can become just as excruciating when things don’t seem to work out. When I gift a miniature to family or friends, it’s the patience and resilience involved that expresses how much I care.

更重要的是，在為(wei) 微縮項目繪製每一個(ge) 磚塊和雕刻米粒般大小的雕像的過程中我也意識到自己一旦下定決(jue) 心就會(hui) 拚勁全力去完成任務。每開始一個(ge) 項目我都不會(hui) 預先設定截止日期，但當項目進展似乎不順利時，錯綜複雜的細節都會(hui) 成為(wei) 令人煩躁的痛點。最後，當我把微縮模型送給家人和朋友時，他們(men) 會(hui) 透過作品看到我的耐心和毅力以及我對他們(men) 的在乎。

My dioramas may be collecting dust on a shelf now, but each ‘trivial’ project is still the result of working hours—a testimony to patience, effort and everything else it has helped me achieve along the way.

現在我的那些微縮模型可能已經在架子上落滿了灰塵，但是每一個(ge) 用心花時間堆積起來的“微不足道”的小項目都是我的耐心、努力以及其他一切促成項目完成因素的見證！

圖片來自Johns Hopkins Undergraduate Admissions

Admissions Committee Comments招生委員會(hui) 反饋

Anjali uses her essay to share her experiences with making miniatures. She builds a miniature model of the house she moves into and begins to see the world with greater attention to detail. We see how this passion influences everything she does. Anjali reflects on the joy and patience she developed from making dioramas. This introspection helps the admissions committee see the strategic way she approaches problems and her resilience in the face of challenges. We get a strong sense she will feel at home on our Homewood campus, where our students create solutions using multiple perspectives.

安佳麗(li) Anjali用文章分享了她製作微縮模型的親(qin) 身經曆，她為(wei) 自己剛搬進去的新房子製作了一個(ge) 微縮模型，並開始更加注重透過細節來觀察世界。我們(men) 看到這種熱情如何影響她所做的一切，她會(hui) 反思從(cong) 製作透視模型中所獲得的快樂(le) 和耐心。這種自省力有助於(yu) 招生委員會(hui) 看到她如何處理問題的策略和麵對挑戰時的韌性。我們(men) 強烈地感覺到，她會(hui) 在約翰霍普金斯霍姆伍德校區感受到一種賓至如歸的感覺。在這裏，我們(men) 的學生都會(hui) 用多維度視角去創造解決(jue) 問題的方案。

本文內(nei) 容來自Johns Hopkins Undergraduate Admissions我們(men) 提供中文翻譯