You have honed your CV to perfection, and put on your best interview suit.

你反復修改簡歷直至完美，然后穿上最好的一套正裝。

You are confident you have really done your homework on the job you’ve applied for.

你非常自信，因為你對要應聘的工作已經做好了充分準備。

And then you come face to face with your prospective boss, only to be asked: "Who would win in a fight between Superman and Batman?"

然而當你與未來的上司面對面時，他卻問道：“超人與蝙蝠俠，誰更勝一籌？”

Or perhaps: "If a hippo falls in a hole how would you get it out?" Or: "What type of ice cream are you?"

或者問你：“怎么把一頭掉進洞里的河馬弄出來？”再比如：“你像哪種類型的冰淇淋？”

These are among the bizarre questions firms are asking during interviews to ambush job hopefuls.

這些古怪的問題均是公司面試題的一部分，用來“伏擊”滿懷希望的應聘者們。

They emerged in a survey of 2,000 adults by the Association of Accounting Technicians.

這些問題來自英國專業會計人員協會（Association of Accounting Technicians）一項針對2000人的調查。

Bosses trying to see whether candidates flounder or flourish when grilled on unexpected subjects also asked: "What dinosaur would you like to be?"

上司們還會這樣問：“你想成為哪一種恐龍？”他們想看看，面對出人意料的問題時，應聘者會表現得不知所措，還是鎮定自若。

Candidates also reported finding themselves confronted with strange tasks, such as being asked to sing or improvise a scene from a film with a potential colleague. One baffled job-seeker was told: "Build a tower of paper cups in one minute that would not fall down when you put the water in the top cup."

應聘者還表示，面試時他們會被要求做一些奇怪的任務，比如唱歌，或者與其他應聘者一起即興表演一段電影場景。其中一位應聘者非常困惑，面試官要求他“在一分鐘之內，用紙杯疊一座塔，然后往頂端的杯子里倒水，但塔不能倒塌。”

Top of the list of hardest questions faced was, "What are your weaknesses?" followed by, "Describe yourself in three words". Other tough lines of inquiry included, "Describe a time when you have failed" and "What do you think the chief executive thinks of the company?"

調查收集到的最難面試題中，高居榜首的是“你有什么弱點？”，其次是“請用三個詞描述你自己”。其他難題還包括“描述你的一次失敗經歷”以及“你認為本公司CEO是如何看本公司的？”

Not surprisingly, 30 percent of respondents said they had given awkward or cringeworthy responses. Some admitted bursting into tears or being caught out by a lie on their CV, while others revealed they had forgotten what job they were applying for or simply dried up.

毫不意外，30%的受訪者表示，他們當時的回答十分尷尬或難堪。一些人承認當場痛哭，或者是被發現簡歷作假。還有一些人則表示，他們當時已經忘記了要應聘的工作，或是突然說不出話來。

Nearly two-thirds said they had embarrassed themselves by making gaffes such as spilling drinks, tripping over or swearing by accident. Stuttering, going red, sweating profusely or saying something stupid were other common experiences.

近三分之二的受訪者稱曾在面試中出丑，讓自己好不尷尬，比如不慎打翻水杯，走路絆倒，或者無意中冒出臟話。其它常見失誤還包括口吃、臉紅、大量出汗、說蠢話等。

Aimee Batemann of AAT said: "Sometime unbelievable questions or tasks candidates have been subjected to shows sometimes you just can’t predict what will be thrown at you. However, the best way to maintain composure and reduce the chances of embarrassment is to try to prepare for every possibility and be prepared to think on your feet if need be."

英國專業會計人員協會的艾梅·巴特曼（Aimee Batemann）說：“應聘者有時會遭遇一些奇怪的問題或任務，這恰恰證明某些時候你確實不可能預見所有事。但保持冷靜和減少尷尬的最佳方法，還是努力準備應對一切可能，并且做到迅速反應。”

Most applicants thought their fate had been sealed within five minutes of entering the room, regardless of how the interview went after that. Some interviewers seemed "bored" and others were "really rude".

大多數應聘者認為，在進入房間的五分鐘里，他們的命運就已成定局，無論接下來的面試如何進行也于事無補。有些面試官看上去很“無聊”，有些則“非常粗魯。”

A number flouted laws about asking personal questions such as whether applicants planned to have children or were in a relationship.

還有許多雇主會無視法律詢問涉及個人隱私的問題，比如應聘者是否計劃要孩子，或者是否單身。

Despite all the pitfalls, a third said they had still got the job.

盡管面試中“陷阱”眾多，仍有三分之一的受訪者稱自己面試成功。

Vocabulary

hone：把（某物）磨鋒利

prospective：未來的

ambush：伏擊

flounder：（說話或做決定時）猶豫或出錯誤

improvise：即興創作

dry-up：（談話途中）突然說不出話

gaffe：失態

profusely：豐富地

think on your feet：迅速反應

flout：公然藐視

pitfall：意想不到的危險或困難

（譯者：梁玉嫦SCNU? 編輯：侯瑋萍）