受浦項地震影響，韓國教育部宣布將原定于11月16日舉行的韓國高考推遲一周，消息傳出后考生及家長表示非常崩潰。不少考生已在考前扔掉了教科書，得知考試延遲后，很多人只能無奈去垃圾堆里找書，還有人在忙著改本已約好的整容手術日期。

South Korean test-takers expressed confusion and dejection on Thursday as the country's highly competitive annual university entrance exam, called a "life assignment exam" by some, was postponed a week for the first time ever due to safety concerns.
上周四，韓國宣布全國高考因安全原因推遲一周，這是韓國高考首次推遲，一些高考考生表達出困惑和沮喪之情。高考在韓國競爭相當激烈，被一些人稱為“決定一生的考試”。

South Korea postponed the exam after a rare earthquake rattled the country on Wednesday, causing damage to buildings including some schools.
上周三，韓國發生了一次罕見的地震，造成一些建筑物損毀，其中包括一些學校。因此韓國宣布高考延期舉行。

The exam is life-defining for many high school seniors, as a prestigious university on one's resume is seen a minimum for securing a place in limited corporate jobs in Asia's fourth-largest economy, which is dominated by conglomerates.
對很多高三畢業生來說，高考是他們人生的重大轉折，因為在求職簡歷上，名牌大學學歷是應聘數量有限的公司職位的敲門磚。韓國是亞洲第四大經濟體，國內經濟由企業集團掌控。

Because the wrong answer to a single question in the roughly 200-question exam can mean dropping in the national ranking and failure to enter one's choice of university, tensions ran high.
高考試卷大約有200道題，答錯一道題就會導致全國排名下降，無法進入自己中意的大學，所以氣氛很緊張。

雖然部分考生對因自然災害推遲考試日程表示慌張，但能淡然接受。也有部分考生認為自己備考不夠充分，為多出的充足準備時間感到慶幸。但多數考生表示，即便多出一周準備考試結果也不會改變，所以心情十分郁悶。

"It's a bit hellish thinking I have to do this for one more week," said 20-year-old Cho Hyun-lee, studying at one of Seoul's largest cram schools to take the test again after last year. "People are dispirited, lying with their faces down."
20歲的Cho Hyun-lee就讀于首爾一所最大的補習學校，今年第二次參加高考，他說：“還要繼續學習一周，簡直是身陷地獄。大家都沮喪得抬不起頭。”

Some scrambled to recover books they'd thrown away yesterday or buy new ones, two test-takers told Reuters, while others "gave up", uploading pictures of classmates sleeping or reading online comics on social media. Still others agonized over missing concerts of their favorite singers or South Korea's largest online game exhibition this week.
兩位考生告訴路透社說，一些考生趕緊去找回頭一天剛扔掉的書，或者購買新書。一些考生直接放棄，把同學睡覺或者看網絡漫畫的照片上傳到社交媒體上。還有一些考生因為要錯過心愛歌手的演唱會或者本周韓國最大的網絡游戲展覽而苦惱。

As fainter aftershocks continued on Wednesday and Thursday, many Koreans said they support the postponement -- but some were inconsolable.
上周三和周四，部分地區出現輕微余震，很多韓國人說他們支持推遲高考，但一些人還是很傷心。

"It feels like I was turning the handle on the exit door from hell then returned to square one," said Lee Yoon-mi, a high school senior in Incheon.
仁川市高三畢業生Lee Yoon-mi說：“就好像我已經要轉動門把從地獄出去了，結果又被打回起點。”

"If you're not a test-taker, you could never understand."
“如果你不是高考考生，你永遠不會理解。”

準備高考過后進行各種整容手術的女生們也都同樣感到慌張，光州一名高三考生表示她原本已經和醫院預約好高考后就去做雙眼皮手術。還有考生為了科學減肥已在健身中心預約，無奈高考延遲，一周的訓練費用也打了水漂。

Meanwhile, South Korean society, geared for the exam's smooth progress, prepared to do it all again next Thursday.
同時，整個韓國社會為高考順利舉行而進行的準備時隔一周之后還要再來一遭。

Airplanes, barred from taking off or landing for 35 minutes on Thursday morning to prevent their noise from interfering with the exam's listening section, were allowed to land or take off, the transport ministry said.
韓國交通部表示，上周四上午原本為避免干擾英語聽力考試而禁止起降35分鐘的飛機可以正常起降。

But the stock market and banks still opened an hour late on Thursday -- a device to help keep roads clear for students getting to test sites.
但在上周四，股市和銀行仍然晚開一小時，這個規定是為了使道路通暢，讓學生能按時到達考場。

Four police officers were stationed on double shifts at each of the 85 locations exam questions are kept and police patrolled the premises every two hours to prevent their leaking.
在85個考卷存放地，每個存放地都有4名警察輪崗值班，警察每隔兩小時巡邏，以防漏題。

來源：路透社、環球網
翻譯&編輯：yaning