This academic year students will be motivated by inspirational teachers. But which teacher characters from fiction and popular culture inspire real life teachers?
新學年開始了，循循善誘的老師將給學生帶來鼓舞。那么，小說和流行文化塑造的哪些教師角色能給現實中的老師帶來啟發呢？

According to a Times Education Supplement survey of 1,200 educators, two characters from the Harry Potter series grabbed prominent places in education's 50 favourite fictional teachers.
《泰晤士報教育增刊》調查了1200名教育工作者后發現，50個最受教育界歡迎的虛構教師角色中，哈利波特(Harry Potter)系列中的兩個人物名列前茅。

Albus Dumbledore, headmaster of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, topped the poll. "Albus Dumbledore was never proud or vain; he could find something to value in anyone, however apparently insignificant or wretched. That he was the most inspiring and the best loved of all Hogwarts headmasters cannot be in question," Elphias Doge said of Dumbledore in his obituary.
霍格沃茨魔法學校的校長阿不思·鄧布利多在投票中名列榜首。埃菲亞斯·多吉在鄧布利多的訃告中寫道：“阿不思·鄧布利多從不驕傲自負，他能發現每個人身上的閃光點，無論那個人看上去多么渺小卑微。他是霍格沃茨有史以來最鼓舞人心和受人愛戴的校長，這一點毋庸質疑。”

In second place was beloved Miss Jennifer Honey from the Roald Dahl classic Matilda. "She was a mild and quiet person who never raised her voice and was seldom seen to smile, but there is no doubt she possessed that rare gift for being adored by every small child under her care," wrote Dahl.
位列第二的是羅爾德·達爾的經典之作《瑪蒂爾達》中深受人們喜愛的詹妮弗·亨尼小姐。達爾寫道：“她性情溫和，平時不大講話，即使說話也從不提高聲音，也不常笑，但毫無疑問的是，任何一個在她的愛護下成長起來的小孩都會非常喜歡她，她就是擁有這樣罕見的天賦。”

And the students' adoration of her transforms them into willing learners. On the first day of school, only a few of students could spell "cat". With Miss Honey's exceptional teaching prowess, by Thursday of the first week, even one of the classes' weaker students, Prudence, could spell "difficulty" without any difficulty.
孩子們都很喜歡她，自然也有了學習的動力。開學第一天，只有幾個學生能拼出“貓”這個單詞，但亨尼小姐教學水平高超，到了第四天，連普魯登斯這個班里學得較慢的學生也能毫不費力地拼出“困難”這個單詞。

And in complete contrast, tough-but-fair Professor Minerva McGonagall, head of Gryffindor House and deputy headmistress also at Hogwarts, placed third on the list.
與上述兩位截然相反的是嚴厲卻不偏心的米勒娃·麥格教授，她是格蘭芬多學院的院長和霍格沃茨代理校長，在票選中位列第三。

Fourth was John Keating, played by the late Robin Williams in the film Dead Poets Society, who inspired students through poetry. In direct contrast to the school goal of preparing students for college, Keating taught his students that occupations were noble pursuits to sustain life, but passion is the reason to live. He encouraged his students to look at things differently when they thought they knew something. "Even though it may seem silly, or wrong, you must try," he advised.
排名第四的是在電影《死亡詩社》中的約翰·基廷，由已故羅賓·威廉姆斯扮演，他以詩歌鼓舞學生。與校方讓學生們備戰考試、進入大學的目標截然相反，基廷教育學生們，工作固然是維持生活的崇高追求，但激情才是生而為人的根本原因。他鼓勵學生們以另一種眼光看待熟悉的事物。他建議道：“盡管這樣可能讓你看起來很蠢，或者根本就是錯的，但你必須得嘗試。”

In the book Keeping Good Teachers, Mark Goldberg offers observations about the key characteristics of great teachers. These fictional teachers who have endeared all exemplified the qualities of "willingness to put in the necessary time", a "love for the age group they teach" and an "in-depth content knowledge".
馬克·高柏格在他的《留住好老師》一書中提出了優秀教師的幾個重要特質。這些深受歡迎的教師角色都展示出了幾個特質：“愿意投入必要的時間”、“喜愛自己的學生”，以及“學科知識淵博”。

Now, whom do I consider the most inspirational of all fictional teachers? Without a doubt, Yoda, the Jedi master from Star Wars. Great teachers are unique. They transcend race, nationality and species.
那么，在我看來，在所有虛構的教師角色中，哪一個才是最循循善誘的呢？當然非尤達莫屬了，他是《星球大戰》中的絕地大師。優秀的教師是獨一無二的，他們早就超越了種族、國籍和物種的局限。

Yoda's key teachings are lessons for a lifetime: "A Jedi uses the Force for knowledge and defence, never for attack"; "Adventure, excitement - a Jedi craves not these things"; and "Unlearn what you have learned", because old habits preclude new learning.
尤達最重要的教義讓人終生受益。“一個絕地武士要利用原力獲取知識、自我防衛，而不是主動進攻”、“冒險、刺激——這些都不是絕地武士所渴望的”、“忘掉以前所學的吧，”因為老習慣總會妨礙你學習新知識。

However, Yoda's most memorable quote is one of the last he gives to the young Luke Skywalker. It is especially invaluable to students as they begin this academic year. If they want to succeed, they need to give their best. "Do. Or do not. There is no try."
而尤達流傳最廣的名言是他留給年輕的盧克·天行者(Luke Skywalker)的最后幾句話。這對開啟新學年的學生們來說尤為珍貴。要想成功，就要拼盡全力。“要么做，要么不做。沒有嘗試這一說。”

Vocabulary
obituary: 訃告
prowess: 杰出才能
endear: 使……受歡迎

英文來源：南華早報
譯者：Estelle89
審校&編輯：許晶晶