2018年美国名校录取率刷新历史最低纪录，时有听到优秀学生和家长叹息上名校越来越难。但是，德州休斯顿的一名17岁普高生迈克尔·布朗（Michael Brown）却面临让人钦羡的烦恼。他被他申请的20所顶尖大学录取，而且每所大学都提供全额奖学金欢迎他入学。

应美国《福布斯》杂志的请求，布朗拿出他的一篇个人陈述。我们一起来拜读美国 2018年“高考状元”在个人陈述里写的啥？

I jumped up and down and started shouting, “Yes we can! Yes, we can!” But my mother was quick to correct me.

我边跳边喊：“是的，我们能行！是的，我们能行！”妈妈赶忙纠正我。

She told me, “Yes we did!” because Barack Obama had been elected the first Black president of the United States.

她对我说：“是的，我们做到了！”因为巴拉克·奥巴马当选美国第一位黑人总统。

November 4, 2008, marked the beginning of my personal infatuation with politics. I was inspired that a Black man from humble beginnings could ascend all the way to the presidency. From that point on, I took up arms for the Democratic Party, interning for a litany of Democratic candidates in local elections.

2008年11月4日标志我着迷于政治的开端。一个黑人出生卑微，却能一路登上总统宝座，这令我深受鼓舞。从那一刻起，我为民主党而战，在地方选举期间，还给民主党候选人的连祷活动做过实习。

During my internships, I heard many similar campaign promises from Democratic hopefuls. But as elected officials, those who were once hopeful fell flat on their political promises. I was disappointed with the political party that had previously inspired my political activism.

在实习期间，我听到令人满怀希望的民主党候选人们发出许多类似的竞选承诺。但是，这些曾经令人满怀希望的人在当选以后，却倒在他们的政治承诺上。激发我政治积极性的这家政党，开始令我感到非常失望。

Until recently, I had never questioned my affinity with the Democratic Party. I realized that neither party was always "right," and soon thereafter, I realized that the weight of political identification requires a process of self-discovery that is thorough and complete. I desired to experience the full political spectrum.

直到近日，我才对自己与民主党的纽带产生疑问。我意识到没有政党永远“正确”，随后也因而意识到，确定自己的政治身份要求完整彻底的自我发现过程。我渴望体验全部的政治光谱。

I progressed along the onerous process of political identification during one memorable meal. For weeks, my friend, Chandler, was ecstatic about an upcoming spring break trip. She invited some friends from the tennis team to her family vacation home in Horseshoe Bay, TX.

在一顿难忘的饭局上，我在政治身份认定的艰难历程中取得进步。几周以来，我的好朋友钱德勒就在为即将到来的春假旅行欣喜若狂。她邀请网球队的一些朋友，去她家位于德州马蹄湾的度假屋玩耍。

Once we arrived at her vacation house, we unpacked our luggage and gathered around for some steak and potatoes. I went up to Chandler’s father at the grill and asked for a medium-well steak. I sat down, cut into the steak, and the myoglobin rushed out onto my plate.

我们抵达度假屋以后，立刻打开行李，围起来开吃牛排和土豆。钱德勒的爸爸在烤架那里，我走过去要了一份七八分熟的牛排，然后坐下来，把牛排切开，肌红素瞬间流到盘子里。

For the next few minutes, I ate my bloody steak in silence. I knew that Chandler’s mother was a board member for the Harris County Republican Party. We had previously discussed issues like environmental regulations and tax policy, but I had never listened to the logic behind Mrs. Vrba’s opinions. Tonight's discussion was going to be different.

在接下来的几分钟里，我安静地吃着滴着血水的牛排。我知道钱德勒的妈妈是德州哈里斯县共和党委员会委员。我们虽然以前讨论过像是环境规章和税收政策等议题，但是我从来没有听过佛勃太太观点背后的逻辑。今晚的讨论却截然不同。

Still sulking over my rare, soupy steak, I thought intently about which areas of political discussion would be featured on the menu. Regardless of the specific topic, I was ready to have a translucent dialogue, a free-flowing exchange of ideas.

我一边闷头吃着沾满汤汁的鲜美牛排，一边专心地思考菜单上会退出哪个政治讨论领域。不管是什么具体话题，我都准备进行透明的对话，自由自在地交换观点。

In between bites of steak, Mrs. Vrba would ask about my views on various political matters. I would provide substantial responses based on my personal rationalization of the "standard" liberal position, and I was surprised whenever Mrs. Vrba would agree with my opinion. I'd never thought that a self-identified Republican would be both pro-choice and pro-marijuana.

在品尝牛排的间隙，佛勃太太问起我如何看待各种政治事件，我基于“标准”自由派立场的个人合理化认识给出实质性反馈。每当佛勃太太赞同我的观点，我都会感觉诧异。我从来没有想过一位自认的共和党分子也会支持堕胎和大麻合法化。

Mrs. Vrba's disposition challenged many of the perceived notions and stereotypes that I held about the average conservative. She explained that her general political affiliation stems from her childhood experience. Growing up on a farm, Mrs. Vrba’s parents emphasized the absolute necessity to work hard for everything in life. Her humble background meant that, politically, she would be more concerned with maintaining a strong conservative view on fiscal issues rather than focusing her personal political capital on social issues, where she leans towards the political left.

佛勃太太的倾向挑战了我关于普通保守人士所持有的预设观念和刻板印象。据她解释，她的整体政治立场起源于她的童年经历。佛勃太太在农场长大，她的父母强调为生活中的每件东西刻苦工作是绝对必需的。她的平凡背景有双重意味。在政治上，佛勃太太更关注在财政问题上坚持强烈的保守观点，而不是她在社会议题中的个人政治资本，但是在后面的议题中，她往往倾向于政治左派立场。

“Republican” and “Democrat” are labels that we use to categorize and simplify our opinions. My experience with the 2008 election pushed me to label myself as a “democrat,” but I’ve come to realize that I maintain a few conservative values. And even when there are values with which I disagree, I’ve come to respect and understand the logical and emotional basis of the opposing viewpoints.

“共和党人”和“民主党人”都是我们用来归纳和简化自身观念的标签。我在2008年大选中的经历推动我把自己标榜为“民主党人”，但是我逐渐认识我也持有一些保守派的价值观。即使遇到观念分歧，我也逐渐尊重和理解反对观点的逻辑基础和情感基础。

323 million Americans may never agree on every single issue, but we must come together. Mrs. Vrba and I had civil discourse over a rare steak, so maybe if we all sit for a meal, we may discover the intersections of our political affiliation and our living reality. Humanity reigns over political identity because our identities are cumulative reflections of our life experiences, communities, and interactions.

3.23亿美国人不可能事事都持相同的观点，但是我们必须团结在一起。我和佛勃太太就着鲜美的牛排展开公民对话。如果所有人都坐下来吃顿饭，我们或许可以发现彼此在政治立场和生存现实中的交集。人性居于政治身份之上，因为我们的诸多身份是各种生活经历、社区和互动的累积反映。