耶魯大學PS文書案例：從沙灘上的反思到成為變革推動者

Yale耶魯大學PS

這篇來自耶魯大學的PS範文

通過自己在海灘上的獨自漫步，講述了從(cong) 童年到成人的心路曆程。🏖️

興(xing) 趣與(yu) 早期經曆

I was walking alone on the beach for the first time.

我第一次獨自一人走在海灘上。

This beach and I were old acquaintances—I had tumbled and scurried through its sands since I was five years old. It had always been a place for indulgence in simple comforts, to relax, soak in sun and water, and reflect. But as I began to walk away from the loungers, I saw children patting sand castles together and, despite feeling a pang of nostalgia, did not feel inclined to join them, and instead kept walking. Something was off. I had a new perspective.

I sauntered over to the surf, and a flashback drifted in with it, of that time when I was swimming at a competition in Acapulco Bay: I was eleven and struggled to get my bearing amidst the thrash of limbs and looming waves. I bobbed up and down, tasting salt and gasping for breath while I clawed at the sea. But then, I realized I wasn’t sure of where I was going. I stopped, treaded water and stared at the finish line, in the distance amidst the wave crests.

我和這片海灘是老相識了，從(cong) 五歲起，我就在它的沙灘上翻滾嬉戲。它一直是一個(ge) 讓人沉溺於(yu) 簡單舒適的地方，讓人放鬆，讓人沉浸在陽光和海水中，讓人反思。但是，當我開始離開躺椅時，我看到孩子們(men) 在一起拍打沙堡，盡管感到一陣懷念，但我並不想加入他們(men) 的行列，而是繼續往前走。有些不對勁。我有了新的看法。

我大步走到衝(chong) 浪前，腦海中浮現出我在阿卡普爾科灣參加遊泳比賽時的情景：那年我 11 歲，在四肢亂(luan) 舞和波濤洶湧中掙紮著站穩腳跟。我上下晃動，一邊嚐著鹽味，一邊喘著粗氣，一邊在海麵上抓撓。但後來，我意識到我不知道自己要去哪裏。我停了下來，踩著水，盯著遠處波峰中的終點線。

自我覺醒與(yu) 轉變

What froze me for an instant that time wasn’t the disorientation, it was my realization that I was alone in the sea, that it was up to me where I went and how I got there. I recognized how similar this walk was to then: I was the captain of my one-body ship. I wasn’t following my parents across the sand, or even within their sight—they had taught me how to swim. Now, how far did I want to walk?

那次，讓我瞬間愣住的不是迷失方向，而是我意識到，在大海中，我是孤獨的，我去哪裏，怎麽(me) 去，都取決(jue) 於(yu) 我自己。我意識到這次行走與(yu) 當時是多麽(me) 相似：我是我這艘單人船的船長。我沒有跟著父母穿過沙灘，甚至沒有在他們(men) 的視線之內(nei) --他們(men) 教會(hui) 了我遊泳。現在，我想走多遠呢？

回憶與(yu) 成長的啟示

As I reminisced, I saw my classroom take shape around me like never before: in the vaguely sinusoidal imprint of the waves upon the shore; in the billowing breeze born from convective currents. Suddenly I overheard tourists, and it wasn’t just physics. Surely the exceptionally weak Mexican peso attracted many a foreigner. I saw the humble conch and cigar vendors of Mayan descent trying desperately to sell their wares, and it saddened me to see this symbol of the inequality that pervades Mexico.

當我回憶往事時，我看到我的課堂在我周圍形成，這是前所未有的：在波浪在海岸上留下的隱約正弦印記中；在對流產(chan) 生的波濤洶湧的微風中。突然間，我聽到了遊客的聲音，這不僅(jin) 僅(jin) 是物理學的問題。當然，異常疲軟的墨西哥比索吸引了許多外國人。我看到瑪雅後裔卑微的海螺和雪茄小販在拚命推銷他們(men) 的商品，看到這種墨西哥普遍存在的不平等的象征，我感到非常難過。

An acute pain needled my foot. Looking down, instead of a regal shell like those I would scour the beach for before, I was disappointed to find a bent straw protruding from the sand. Indeed, there were very few shells left on this beach, and very few fish in its shores. Going deeper, none swam about my legs like they used to, or thrashed how my father told us they had in his childhood. Would my children get to chase fish on this beach?

一陣劇痛刺痛了我的腳。低頭一看，我失望地發現沙灘上並沒有像我之前在沙灘上尋找的那樣的貝殼，而是一根彎曲的稻草。的確，這片沙灘上的貝殼已經所剩無幾，岸邊的魚也很少。再往深處走，沒有一條魚像以前一樣在我的腿邊遊來遊去，也沒有一條魚像我父親(qin) 告訴我們(men) 的那樣在他的童年裏驚濤駭浪。我的孩子們(men) 能在這片海灘上追逐魚兒(er) 嗎？

結尾的反思與(yu) 變化

Everything, from our societies to our environment, was interconnected. Identifying a problem was easier than solving it, and on this beach, it dawned on me that one cannot tackle present and future complex challenges effectively without an understanding of the bigger picture, where science, economics/sociology and effective policy come together. My knowledge is incipient—but a grain of sand on this beach. At that moment I felt a purpose: to be an agent of change for the good, to not sit by idly. And to achieve that, I must learn. This convergence of independence, perspective and determination gave new meaning to this place. For me, that is what it means to grow up: to look beyond your immediate surroundings and expand your conscience, to recognize one’s ignorance and strive to make a positive impact, tracks that shan’t fade with water. It was only here on this beach that I contrasted my past and present self and saw a change.

從(cong) 我們(men) 的社會(hui) 到我們(men) 的環境，一切都相互關(guan) 聯。發現問題比解決(jue) 問題更容易，在這片海灘上，我恍然大悟，如果不了解科學、經濟學/社會(hui) 學和有效政策的大局，就無法有效地應對當前和未來的複雜挑戰。我的知識剛剛起步--不過是這片海灘上的一粒沙子。那一刻，我感覺到了自己的目標：成為(wei) 推動變革的力量，不袖手旁觀。為(wei) 此，我必須學習(xi) 。這種獨立性、視角和決(jue) 心的融合賦予了這個(ge) 地方新的意義(yi) 。對我來說，這就是成長的意義(yi) ：超越周圍的環境，擴大自己的良知，認識到自己的無知，並努力產(chan) 生積極的影響，留下不會(hui) 隨水褪色的足跡。隻有在這片海灘上，我才對比了過去和現在的自己，看到了變化。

Perhaps adults are not those who know everything, for no one would be an adult. They are those who recognize that they must learn and act with a conscience, aware of the brevity of their lives.

也許成年人並不是什麽(me) 都懂的人，因為(wei) 沒有人會(hui) 是成年人。他們(men) 是那些意識到自己生命短暫，必須帶著良知學習(xi) 和行動的人。

By now my back was seared lobster red. It was time to go back, but it was a different me who did so.

此時，我的後背已經烤得通紅像龍蝦一樣。是時候回去了，但回去的是另一個(ge) 我。