C: Hi, Sheldon, Something good? Tell me, you have it on your face.

C:嗨，谢尔登，有什么好事？快告诉我，你脸上写着呢。

S: Oh, really? I can keep nothing from you. Professor Larry from lecture next week at Yale and I am very lucky to have a chance to dinner. You know, he is famous as a proponent of reduced legal restrictions on copyright and trademark which I am greatly for. I admire him very much and look forward to the week coming up.

S:哦，是吗？真是什么事都瞒不过你。斯坦福大学的拉里教授下固要来耶鲁作演讲， 我很幸运能有机会参加为他举办的接待晚宴。你知道，他积极倡导放宽对版杈和 商标的法律限制，对此我十分赞成。我特别敬仰他，真希望下固快点到来。

C: Yeah, It is a great treat for you to do this. How could you make it?

C:对你来说还真是件乐事。你怎么做到的啊？

S: I got it because of my good luck. Actually each student at Yale has such chance but not everyone is as lucky as I am. Only 12 students are required so we resorted to the lottery to decide who can get the chance.

S:因为我运气好啊。实际上，耶鲁的每位同学都有机会，可不是每个人都像我这么 幸运啊。因为只需要12名同学，所以我们就用抽签的方式来决定让谁去。

C: So it is fair to everyone and no one will complain about the result when they lose the chance. I think it is a very good idea.

C:这样的话对每个人都很公平，即使失去这个机会也不会有人对结果不满了。这个 主意不锚啊。

S: I like it too. When you are at Yale, you will find lottery are the most common way to deal with the daily life.

S:我也欣赏这种方式。在耶鲁，你会发现抽签是管理日常活动的最普遍的一种方法。

C： Then it makes no difference between students and each one is treated at the same level. As a result, the discrimination can not find the way any more.

C:抽签使同学间设有差别，每个人都得到公平的对待。如此一来，歧视的思想也就 站不住脚了。

S: Exactly. To some extent, the lottery lives up to the Yale spirit. That is to pursue freedom and independence which Yale advocates so much. They are also regarded as the soul of the Yale spirit, from which we can see Yale pays much attention to individual’s right.

S:的确。某种程度上讲，抽签的方法符含耶鲁极力推崇的自由、独立的精神。抽签 还被认为是这一精神的灵魂，可见耶鲁多么重视个人权利啊。

C: Good point. So every student feels free to do what they like without any discrimination.

C:说得好。这样，每个人都可以不受别人歧视而做些自己喜欢的事了。

S: Yeah. In the shadow of Yale spirit, lottery becomes a popular way to do things like that. For example, we hold a draw to arrange students，dormitory in order to see that the arrangement is fair to everyone since there are dormitories of different levels and everyone is eager for⑦ a comfortable and agreeable room.

S:没错。在耶鲁精神的影响下，抽签成为一种深受欢迎的方法。比方说，在分配学 生宿舍的问题上，每个人都想要个舒服满意的房间，而房间却良莠不齐。所以， 我们就釆用抽签的方式做到公平含理。

C: So everyone has equal opportunity. It creates good environment to develop democratic spirits.

C:这样每个人的机会都是均等的，有利于民主精神的发展。

S: Right. Speaking of this, Yale attaches great importance to a free academic environment, which, in turn, contributes a lot to a high-qualified education. At Yale, all the professors, whether young or senior, Nobel winners or Pulitzer winners, have the obligation to give lectures to undergraduates.

S:对。说到这个，耶鲁十分重视自由民主的学术氛围，这反过来有利于教学质量的 提高。在耶鲁，不管是年轻教授还是资深教授，是诺贝尔奖获得者还是普利策奖 获得者，都有义务为本科生上课。

C: I like the democratic atmosphere there.

C:我喜欢那里的民主精神。

S： Yeah. There is another organism of management that shares a lot in common with lottery. Every graduate at Law school has a study of his own. It is arranged in the order of one’s family name. One whose family name is in front of the Alphabet can only get a small one. Everyone is equal here.

S:还有一种管理机制和抽签很像：法学院的每位研究生都有自己的小书房。这是按 照各自姓氏的首字母在字母表中的顺序来分的，排在前面的同学分到的房间就比 较小。每个人都很公平。

C: There is a careful consideration behind a simple way.

C:看来这一简单方法的背后还是经过了决策者们深思熟虑的啊。

S: You’re right. The democratic spirit is reflected in all aspects at Yale. Do you know how we elect members for the Student Council?

S:对。耶鲁的民主精神反映在方方面面。你知道我们怎么竞选学生委员会成员吗？

C: It must be the lottery, I guess.

C:我猜还是抽签吧。

S: You got it. At Yale, the Student Council presides over checkups of the recruiting policy as well as affairs in admitting procedures. It will be a great honor to become one of them. However, the way of competition fails to work because at Yale, it is the lottery that has the conn.

S:对了。学生委员会负责审查研究生招生政策和录取程序方面的事务；如果能够成 为其中一员，将是件很光荣的事。然而，竞争的办法不灵了，抽签说了算。

C: It seems that under such case there is no possibility for personal influence.

C:这样，就不会存在人为因素的影响了。

S: Yeah. The lottery excludes the personal influence on some decisions, so everyone is equal in that case.

S:是的。抽签的方法排除了人为因素对决策的影响，所以大家都是平等的。

C: It sounds marvelous!

C:好极了。

S: Now you know why I said it was good luck that brought me the chance to receive professor Larry next week. When the news first came to us, most of my fellow students were keen on this job but only those lucky dogs 6) could get it. It is up to the lottery here. I am very lucky, uh?

S:现在，你知道我为什么说是好运带绾我这个机会了吧。消息传出之后，好多人都 希望得到这个机会，但只有那些抽到签的幸运儿才能去。我很幸运吧？

C: Yes, you’re a lucky dog. It sounds that the good luck is so important at Yale.

C:是的，你是幸运儿。听起来，在耶鲁还真得运气好才行啊。

S: Sometimes. Lottery plays an important role in making decisions. For one thing, it assures that each student enjoys equal chances. For another, it reflects the Yale spirit which permeates through all aspects of Yale and develops a free and democratic atmosphere.

S:有时候是的。抽签在做一些决定的时候还是起着很大作用的。一方面，它确保每 位同学享有平等的机会。另一方面，它也反映了渗透于耶鲁各个方面的耶鲁精神, 养成一种自由而民主的氛围。

C: Lottery is one of the most convincing way and people embrace the result with pleasure.

C:抽签是最有说服力的方式之一，人们也会欣然接受抽签的结果。

S： I am for it.
 

S:是的。