学生致敬倒在风中象征悉尼大学的“考试树”

    Zhang Qian

    zhqcindy@163.com

    An 88-year-old jacaranda tree at the University of Sydney died during a stormy night on October 28, after being regarded as one of the most iconic symbols for the university for decades.

    Jacaranda mimosifolia is not rare in Australia, but this particular tree at the University of Sydney was a popular star for its perfect shape and location at the corner of one of the oldest buildings, the Quadrangle, on the campus.

    Photos of the fallen tree were widely spread on the Internet by current students and alumni of the university, prompting waves of tributes. Even the BBC published an article titled “Nation mourns tree that ‘failed’ students.”

    The jacaranda mimosifolia tree has been anecdotally associated with the university’s students’ academic performance as it usually blossomed during October and November each year, which was also the final examination season for most universities in Australia.

    A piece of folklore about the tree was popular on campus, stating that those who failed to begin studying before the tree’s first bloom would fail their exams.

    Thus, the tree was also dubbed the “Exam Tree” among overseas Chinese students from the university.

    “I felt sad and shocked when I heard the news because I have such wonderful memories of my time at the university and I even took pictures in front of the tree after my graduation ceremony,” said one of the university’s alumni known as Xiaochen who is now working in Shanghai.

    A handwritten note attached to the cordon of the scene bid farewell to the jacaranda.

    It went “thanks for accompanying so many generations of students through the darkest of times.”

    The university also published a news report titled “University community mourns jacaranda tree collapse” to show sadness for the fallen tree.

    “The tree has been the backdrop for thousands of graduation and wedding photos over its 88-year lifetime,” read the article.

    The university responded the next day after the tree collapsed and said that the university had been advised that the jacaranda was nearing the end of its natural life and had hired a specialist jacaranda grower to take cuttings in 2014.

    The cuttings of the tree have now produced two clones, which means that the university will be able to replace the dead jacaranda with “genetically identical saplings.”