When I was in high school our physics teacher gave us a challenge that involved making a paper air plane of any shape.

当我还在上高中的时候，我们物理老师布置了一项挑战：用一张纸做一架飞机，形状随意。

 

The only objective¹ was to get it to fly as far as possible. I had some paper air plane making skills so I made the best plane I could and it flew pretty far.

目标就是能够使它肥的越远越好。我掌握了一定的飞机制作技巧，所以我确信我可以造出最好的飞机也能使它飞到相当远的距离。

 

One guy made the greatest, yet simplest paper airplane of all time. He stood there at the starting line with a regular piece of paper. Some classmates scratched their head while silently chuckling² to themselves. Moments later he took the flat piece of paper, crumpled³ it up, and threw it down the hall way.

有个人却作出了最简单确是最好的飞机来。他拿着一张普通的纸站在起始线上。一些同学轻挠头低声笑着，一会之后他拿起那张纸，将它揉成团，扔到走廊那。

 

He beat the class with ease⁴.

他轻松的打败了全班同学。

 

Some of the students got mad and said that he cheated.

一些同学非常恼火直呼他作弊。

 

The physics teacher said, "How so? I said it could be any shape. A paper ball is indeed a shape."

但是物理老师却说：“那又怎样，我说过飞机可以是任何形状。纸球显然也是一个形状。”

 

I still regard this classmate as a genius.

我一直将这个同学视作天才。

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