瑞士联邦理工学院：真理和光明
英文导读
Swiss Federal Institute of Technology（also known as ETH Zürich）is an engineering， science， technology， mathematics and management university in the city of Zürich， Switzerland.ETH was founded in 1854 by the Swiss Confederation and opened its doors in 1855 as a polytechnic institute. It comprised in the beginning six departments： architecture， civil engineering， mechanical engineering， chemistry， forestry， and a catch-all department for mathematics， natural sciences， literature， and social and political sciences. ETH Zürich has two campuses. The main building was constructed in the 1860s in the heart of the city. ETH Zürich’s 16 departments offer Bachelor， Master and Doctoral programmes in engineering and natural sciences. The language of instruction in the Bachelor programmes is German， whereas English is the prime language on the graduate level. Students can pursue programs in engineering sciences， mathematics， construction sciences and architecture. Research opportunities are available in climate system modeling， micro and nanoscience， electromagnetics， and environmentalism and sustainability. All degree programmes provide a solid scientific foundation combined with outstanding all-round skills， equipping ETH graduates with the abilities and flexibility needed for a career in industry， business or the public sector， as entrepreneur or scientist. The annual Polyball is the most prestigious public event at ETH， with a long tradition since the 1880s. The end of November， the Polyball welcomes around 10，000 dancers， music-lovers and party animals in the extensively decorated main building of ETH. The Polyball is the biggest decorated ball in Europe. ETH is locally still known as Poly， derived from the original name Eidgen.ssische polytechnische Schule (Federal polytechnic school) .
Admission：ETH is not selective in its undergraduate admission procedures. Most applicants from foreign countries are required to take either the reduced entrance exam or the comprehensive entrance exam； an applicant can be admitted to ETH even without any verifiable educational records by passing the comprehensive entrance exam. There are no obligatory examinations during the first academic year which is divided into two semesters. However， the actual selection process takes place in the summer shortly after the second semester. Students have to pass the block examinations of courses of the first year， called the Basisprüfung. About 50% of the students fail the Basisprüfung on first try and many of them choose to drop out after the failure.
Main Building： The main building of ETH was built 1861 to 1864 under Gustav Zeuner； the architect， however， was Gottfried Semper， who was a professor of architecture at ETH at the time and one of the most important writers and theorists of the age. Semper worked in a neoclassical style that was unique to him. It emphasized bold and clear massings with a detailing， such as the rusticated ground level and giant order above， that derived in part from the work of Andrea Palladio and Donato Bramante.
生词助读
polytechnic [.p.li.tekn.k] a. 各种工艺的；综合技术的
electromagnetics[.lektr..m.g.net.ks] n. 电磁学
sustainability n. 持续性；永续性
entrepreneur [..ntr.pr.’n.：(r)] n. 企业家；主办者
prestigious [pre.st.d..s] a. 有名望的；享有声望的
decorate [.d.k..ret] vt. 装饰；布置
derive [d..ra.v] vt. 源于；来自
verifiable ["ver.fa..bl] a. 可证实的；能作证的
theorist [.θ..r.st] n. 理论家
neoclassical [.ni：...kl.s.kl] a. 新古典主义的
emphasize ["emf.sa.z] vt. 着重；强调
rusticate ["r.st..ke.t] vt. 罚（大学生）暂时停学离校；在农村定居
中文概述
瑞士联邦理工学院（亦称苏黎世联邦理工学院或者苏黎世联邦高等工业大学）是瑞士德语区的一所公立大学，由瑞士政府直接管理。该大学成立于1855年，是一所拥有一百多年历史的大学。直到1969年，她仍然是瑞士唯一一所国际性大学。
瑞士联邦理工学院与洛桑联邦理工学院是瑞士仅有的两所联邦制理工学院，它们是与美国麻省理工学院齐名的著名学府。
瑞士联邦理工程学院教研领域涵盖建筑、工程学、数学、自然科学和社会科学，这所大学开始只有工民建、森林科学、机械工程和化学等学科，后来又增加了人文、社会和政治学。
这是一个“盛产”诺贝尔奖的大学，诞生了包括爱因斯坦在内的21位诺贝尔奖获得者，是世界最著名的理工大学之一，享有欧洲大陆第一理工大学的美誉。
1895年，爱因斯坦来到瑞士苏黎世，准备投考该校，虽然他的数学和物理考得很不错，但其他科目没有考好，学校校长推荐他去瑞士的阿劳州立中学学习一年，以补齐功课。1896年，爱因斯坦考进了瑞士联邦理工学院。大学期间，爱因斯坦迷上了物理学，1900年，爱因斯坦大学毕业，并从这里走向了世界，成为了众所周知的物理学家。
瑞士联邦理工学院是标准的“宽进严出”。值得一提的是，欧洲很多学校的学生从入学到毕业只有两次考试，但学习中途的淘汰率很高。
梦想成功录
He is a good friend that speaks well of us behind our backs.
背后说好话，才是真朋友。
If you make yourself an ass， don’t complain if people ride you.
人善被人欺，马善被人骑。