The Oxbridge interviewers are notorious for asking bizarre questions; What percentage of the world's water is contained in a cow How many aeroplanes are flying above Oxford at this moment? Can a slug think? What shape is an egg and so on.

牛桥的面试官提的问题稀奇古怪是出了名的，如一头牛体内水的含量占世界总水量的多少？现在有多少飞机正在飞过牛津？鼻涕虫会思考吗？鸡蛋是什么形状的？等

The idea is not to elicit the correct answer, but that candidates should show clear reasoning. What does it mean to think What “equipment” is needed to think? Do molluscs have such equipment?

这样提问的目的并不是要找到正确的答案，而是需要申请者必须进行条理清晰的推理论证。什么叫做思考？进行思考需要什么器官？软体动物有这种器官吗？

The surprises may not end with the questions. Some applicants have been caught unawares by eccentric interviewers. One applicant was welcomed into the room by a scruffy philosophy tutor wearing no shoes. His big toe was protruding trough one of the many holes in his socks.

也许除了问题之外，还有别的惊奇。一些申请者还见到了行为古怪的面试官。有—位面试者曾经遇到一位衣着邋遢的哲学教授，他连鞋都没穿，大脚趾从袜子的破洞里露出来。

In such situations, the best hope is a stiff upper lip, although applicants may secretly wonder whether they want to be taught by such unconventional types for three or four years.

在这种情况下，面试者能做的最好的事情就是保持泰然自若，尽管他们私下里也会琢磨，到底应不应该花三四年的时间从师于这种特立独行的老师。

Such quirkiness, however, is rare.“I've never asked an off-the-wall question in 30 years of interviewing," said one Oxford don. Tutors are free to choose their own questions, so long as they don't infringe equal opportunities.

这种离奇的问题毕竟也不多见。一位牛津的面试老师说过：“30年来，我从来没有问过很稀奇古怪的问题。”导师们可以自由地选择自己所要提的问题，只要不违背公平的原则就行。

“Applicants should be aware that it might be in the interest of commercial companies to create the impression that the admissions interview at Oxbridge colleges is ‘eccentric'. This is not the case. The aim of the interview is to assess each candidate's ability and potential on an individual basis，，，one don said.

一位面试官说：“申请者应该清楚，这或许是商业公司出于自身利益的考虑，才会刻意制造出牛桥的面试都很古怪的印象。其实并不是这样。面试的目的是正确评估每位申请者的能力和潜质。”

“What our admissions tutors are looking for is how well candidates can explain what they know, and whether they can apply their knowledge to a new problem or argue their position.” A Cambridge spokesman said: “There's no need to have special training for Cambridge interviews. Indeed, applicants who are over-rehearsed tend to come across less well than students who are natural and spontaneous.”

“我们的导师寻找的是这样的学生，是否能够合理解释他们所知道的东西，是否能够运用已掌握的知识去解决新的问题剑桥大学的发言人说：“为了面 试而去进行特别的培训根本没有必要。其实很多时候，那些过度排练的申请者，反而没有那些临场发挥的学生表现好。”

The interview is Oxbridge's ultimate test in selecting the best students. Does it work? According to Dr Mayer, “only very rarely do we choose entrants who find themselves out of their depth”. Another don estimates he has selected the right candidates in about 80% of cases. This may reassure some applicants that there is method behind the myth. Whether or not slugs think, successful applicants must show that they do.

面试是牛桥选拔人才的最后一关。一位面试官曾说：“我们很少会选择那些力所不能及的人。”另外一名面试官说,他选对人的概率是80%。这就说明，这种奇怪的面试背后必然有它的道理。不管鼻涕虫会不会思考，一个成功的面试者必须会思考。

As the only British universities in the WOTW’S top ten, Oxford and Cambridge inevitably command great attention. Both are working to dispel the mystique surrounding them that undoubtedly left some youngsters feeling too intimidated to apply in the past. Summer schools and open days, plus the wealth of information about the admissions process on their websites, all make Oxbridge more accessible than ever. But if you never apply, you'll never know.

牛津大学和剑桥大学作为唯一进入世界大学排名前十的英国大学，常常会受到很多关注。因为曾让不少申请人望而生畏，它们正在努力消除自己的神秘感。现在人们可以通过很多途径来了解剑桥和牛津，比如，暑期学校、开放日，官方网站上关于录取流程的详细说明等等。如果你不试着申请的话，你永远也不会知道情况到底怎样。