事物的正确答案不止一个

多年前，英国《泰晤时报》出了一个题目，公开征求答案，题目是：从伦敦到罗马最短的道路是哪条？

Many years ago, the Times published a question asking for answers: which is the shortest way from London to Rome?

很多人都从地理位置的角度找答案，结果都落选了，只有一个答案获奖：一个好朋友。

Many people are looking for answers from the perspective of geographical location, but they are all defeated. Only one answer wins the prize: a good friend.

获奖人说：“我没有单从地理的角度想问题，而是另辟新径。”

"I didn't think about it from a geographical point of view, but a new way," the winner said

我们回想一下，其他答案错了吗？没有。这个获奖答案同样正确。只不过一个是从地理角度，一个是从人性角度。同一个问题可以得出不同的正确答案。

Let's think about it. Are the other answers wrong? No, The winning answer is equally true. Only one is from the perspective of geography and one is from the perspective of human nature. The same question can lead to different correct answers.

考虑一下下面这个问题：一个圆，一个三角形，一个半圆，哪个图形与其他两个不同？按通常的思维，这道题一定只有一个答案，可再想一想呢？选三角形是因为它是唯一一个用直线构成的图形。选圆是因为它是唯一一个用曲线围成的封闭体系。选半圆是因为它是唯一一个用曲线和直线共同围成的图形。瞧，这道题有三个答案，可这三个答案都是挑不出毛病的。

Consider the following question: a circle, a triangle, and a semicircle. Which figure is different from the other two? According to the usual thinking, there must be only one answer to this question. Can you think about it again? Triangles are chosen because they are the only shapes made up of straight lines. Circle is chosen because it is the only closed system enclosed by a curve. The semicircle is chosen because it is the only figure surrounded by a curve and a line. Look, there are three answers to this question, but none of them can find fault.

再者，1＋1在大多数人看来只有一个答案，等于二，可它在化学中就小于二。就这样一个看似如此简单的问题也有好多个答案。

Moreover, in most people's opinion, 1 + 1 has only one answer, equal to two, but it is less than two in chemistry. There are many answers to such a seemingly simple question.

如此看来，拘泥于“一个正确答案”是极没必要的。“横看成岭侧成峰，远近高低各不同”，同样一篇文章从不同角度看也有不同感悟，同样一件事，用不同的方法去解决，最终结果或许都一样。“条条大路通罗马”，连大师毕加索的画都褒贬不一，我们又何必只在一个答案上找出路呢？

So it's unnecessary to stick to "one right answer". The same article has different understandings from different perspectives. The same thing can be solved in different ways, and the final result may be the same. "All roads lead to Rome", even Picasso's paintings have different opinions. Why do we only find the way in one answer?

而在我们的生活中，认为“正确答案只有一个”的人实际上是迷信权威。我们常常把对一个人的评价基于权威、专家们的观点。但权威是有成就的人，不是正确答案。就拿毕加索的画来说，印象派权威说这是稀世之作，唯美派权威说是垃圾，这些都是专家们的想法，可他们即便是专家，意见也同样不一样嘛！说他们错误也有理，说他们正确也对，可以说，他们都是正确的，也都是错误的。从不同的角度看，正确答案真的不只一个。

In our life, people who think that there is only one correct answer are actually superstitious about authority. We often base our evaluation of a person on the opinions of authority and experts. But authority is a man of achievement, not the right answer. Take Picasso's paintings for example. Impressionist authorities say it's a rare work, aesthetical authorities say it's rubbish. These are the ideas of experts, but even if they are experts, their opinions are also different! It is reasonable to say that they are wrong, that they are right and that they are both right and wrong. From different perspectives, there is really more than one correct answer.

由此看来，事物的答案从不同的角度看是不同的。记住，事物的正确答案永远不只一个。

From this point of view, the answers to things are different from different perspectives. Remember, there will always be more than one correct answer.