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I had applied for the nuclear submarine program, and Admiral Rickover was interviewing me for the job.It was the 1 time I met Admiral Rickover, and we sat in a large room by ourselves for more than two hours, and he let me 2 any subjects I wished to discuss.Very 3 , I chose those about which I knew most 4 current events, seamanship, music, literature, naval tactics, electronics, gunnery-and he began to ask me a series of questions of 5 difficulty.In each case, he soon 6 that I knew relatively little about the subjects I had chosen.
He always 7 right into my eyes, and he never smiled.I was 8 with cold sweat.
Finally, he asked me a question and I thought I could regain 9 .He said,“ 10 did you stand in your class at Georgia Tech 11 entering our Annapolis as a plebe(军校新生)?”I had done very well, so I answered with 12 , “Sir, I stood fifty-ninth in a class of 820!“I sat back to wait for the congratulations-which never came. 13 , he asked the question:“Did you do your best?” I started to say, “Yes, Sir,” but I remembered who this was, and 14 several of my times 15 I could have learned more about our friend, our enemies, weapons strategy, and so forth at Georgia Tech.I was just human.I 16 my throat and finally said, “No, Sir.I didn't always do my 17 .”
He looked at me for a long time, and then turned his chair around to end the 18 .He asked one 19 question, which I have never been able to forget or to answer.He said, “Why not?” I sat there for a while, 20 , and then slowly left the room.