愛逛“看東西”網站的讀者們想必對牛津的古怪傳統都不陌生了：成為牛津人之前必須要經歷拉丁語開學典禮的洗禮;期末考試和正式晚宴時都要穿上長袍(更多的拉丁語也會撲面而來);踩踏草坪幾乎會被視作犯罪! 開學壹段時間以後，學生們會對穿上長袍去考試，壹邊說拉丁語壹邊喝湯等習以為常。但是還有壹些更不為人知的規矩影響著牛津人的日常生活，這些奇怪的規矩可不是那麽容易適應的。盡管它們沒被寫在官方的學生守則裏，但膽敢質疑這些規矩的人將會面臨苦不堪言的懲罰。
1. Don’t bring your bow and arrow to lectures
1. 別帶弓箭到學校
Oxford University is the oldest university in the English-speaking world: professors have beenpontificating and students have been snoozing since the 12th century. Back then, studentsdidn’t have Angry Birds to distract them in lectures – but they did have bows and arrows. In1209, a student accidentally shot a townswoman (the subsequent hanging of two innocentstudents led to a breakaway group of university men founding Cambridge University), and oneof Oxford’s earliest rules banned students from bringing their weaponry to classes, just in casethe boredom became too much…
牛津是英語世界裏最古老的大學：早在十二世紀，教授們就開始在臺上威嚴地授課，而過去的學生們在臺下偷偷打盹。那時可沒有憤怒的小鳥讓學生們消磨時光——不過他們有弓箭呀!1209年時，壹個學生不小心射中了鎮上的壹名婦女(後果是兩名無辜的學生被處死，導致了壹群學生逃離牛津，創辦了劍橋)，因而牛津最早的規矩之壹就是禁止學生帶武器去學校，以防學生們無聊過了頭……
2. Permission for a pint
2. 買酒需書面批準
Forget being asked for your ID next time you fancy a drink: in the early 20th century studentsneeded written permission from their tutors before they could stop off for a beer at The Bear(Oxford’s oldest pub). Without a note, students weren’t simply thrown out – they werearrested by the ‘bulldogs’, the university police. Not that potential arrest deterred studentsdetermined to have their pint of ale: between 1910 and 1920, bulldogs arrestedapproximately 620 students “in pubs without permission”.
下次買酒被要身份證的時候就別抱怨了：在20世紀早期，牛津學生如果想在路過The Bear(牛津最古老的酒吧)時買點酒，他們需要找導師寫壹張書面批準!如果沒有書面批準，可不僅僅是被趕出酒吧那麽簡單，學生們會被校園警察(別稱“鬥牛犬”)逮捕!不過即使面臨著被逮捕的風險，這也沒能阻止學生們義無反顧地去買酒：在1910年到1920年間，校園警察逮捕了大約620名未經批準就買酒的學生!
3. Stripping off in the library
3. 圖書館裏打赤膊
One wonders how those sober tutors would have reacted to Worcester’s ‘infamous’ BreakfastClub. The college society, founded in 2009, spent two years declaring their revision breaks inrather bare-faced fashion: ‘Half Naked Half Hours’. This is exactly what it sounds like: eachafternoon, club members studying in the library would strip to the waist, continue with theirwork, and re-dress 30 minutes later. Sadly in 2011 Worcester Library Committee banned thewould-be strippers, ruling that ‘Half Naked Half Hours’ posed a distraction to other studiers.
妳可能會好奇，理智清醒的教師們該如何應對伍斯特學院“臭名昭著”的早餐俱樂部?這個社團成立於2009年，在兩年的時間中，成員們都會在復習的休息期間開展壹項頗為厚臉皮的活動：每個下午，在圖書館學習的成員們都會脫掉上衣，接著學習，30分鐘之後再穿上衣服。遺憾的是，2011年伍斯特圖書館委員會禁止了這項“每天半裸半小時”的活動，指責這種行為會讓其他自習的同學分心。
4. Making a splash
4. 跳進浴缸泡個澡
Perhaps those poor Breakfast Club members should transfer to Jesus College. In 2012 thecollege JCR voted unanimously to install a hot tub for stressed finalists during the final week ofTrinity term, costing up to ?400. It has since become an annual fixture: the JCR committeenoting in 2013 that “9th Week Trinity term is always hot” and that “JCR members (especiallyfinalists) have worked extremely hard this year and deserve a reward.”
可憐的早餐俱樂部成員們大概應該轉學到耶穌學院去。2012年，耶穌學院的“本科生公***休息室”(JCR，Junior Common Room)通過投票壹致同意：在夏季學期的期末周花費400英鎊為緊張備考的畢業班學子們安裝壹個熱水浴缸。從此，這就成了學院每年固定的規矩：2013年，公***休息室委員會指出“夏季學習的第九周總是特別炎熱”，並且“公***休息室的成員們(尤其是大四黨)這壹年已經辛苦學習了很久，他們應該得到犒勞。”
5. No cake for you
5. 畢業生沒蛋糕吃
Finalists certainly deserve a reward after their last exams: but the University proctors will notlet them eat cake. The famous ‘trashing’ celebrations that occur when students walk out ofexams – where friends of the freed throw confetti and pop champagne – are permitted, solong as they don’t involve food stuff. Eggs, flour and whipped cream are specifically prohibitedfrom being brought into the proximity of the Exam Schools, so no-one can whip up acelebratory cake on their friend’s head. Much as post-exam students need sustenance, itmight not be worth risking the ?80 fine one girl was handed in 2011 after throwing a trifle in afinalist’s face…
考完最後壹門的畢業生們的確應該得到獎賞：但牛津的監考老師們可不會允許他們吃蛋糕。當學生們從考試地獄中解放出來走出考場時，將迎來著名的“搗毀”(Trashing)慶典：他們的朋友們會拋灑五彩紙屑、打開香檳——這些都是被允許的，只要他們沒帶食物。雞蛋、面粉和生奶油被明令禁止帶進考場附近，所以沒人能把奶油蛋糕砸在朋友的臉上來慶祝了。盡管大考後的學生們急需大快朵頤，但還沒到要冒著被罰款風險的地步。