监考，英语怎么说？

屈文生：监考，英语怎么说？


一个学生问我：“监考”用英语怎么说？


我说：


-Good question! Sometimes, there are so many words seemingly so easy in daily Chinese, but we can hardly find an exactly equivalent for each of them.


-I continued.



-Let us make a hypothesis. You have no dictionaries for reference and no teachers for help. Let us suppose you just have to make yourself understood, even you just have no idea which word to use here. Are there any English words which might pop out in your mind?



学生答：


-supervise?


我说：


-It is o.k., but any other choices?


答：


-watch?


我说：


-Better. We also use “watch over” or “keep an eye on” in daily speech.



-For example, we might say: watch you taking an exam; or watch over you.


我继续说：



-As a matter of fact, we are so fortunate that we do have a formal English corresponding word for Chinese phrase “监考”, and it is the verb “invigilate.”



-For example,


-Mr. Robert will be invigilating (your Legal English exam) today.


- 今天的“法律英语”考试，Robert老师监考。



-If you have any questions, please feel free to ask the invigilator.


-如果有问题，请问监考老师。



另外，同学们还可以用美国英语proctor，这个单词可以用作当动词，也可以使作名词，表示“监考”（person，监考人）。