You've researched the company, updated your CV and even stalked the CEO on Facebook - and then they go and ask you a question about traffic lights.

你对这家公司做了了解研究，写好简历，还在脸书上关注这家公司的CEO——然后，他们却问了你一个关于交通信号灯的问题。

In order to scout¹ out the top talent, businesses are now throwing curveball questions during the interview process. Asking about seemingly unrelated topics can help give a company a wider snapshot into the person and their life.

为了物色顶尖人才，现各企业在面试过程中都抛出弧线球性质的问题。通过向面试人提出貌似毫不相干的话题，来帮助公司选拔人才时对面试人及生活状态有个大致印象。

Penny de Valk Managing Director of people management business,told FEMAIL: 'Curveball questions can be used to put people on the spot and see how they react under pressure.

彭妮人才实践管理业务董事总经理彭妮·德·瓦尔克人对《每日邮报》女性专栏说：“弧线球的问题考察面试人回答问题的临场表现，看看他们在压力下的反应。

And how candidates answer these questions can provide the interviewer with a bit of insight into how their mind works.

通过面试候选人回答这些问题，面试官从中可以洞察他们的头脑是如何反应和应对的。

Business brains, recruiters and top career experts from around the country have put together the most bizarre questions that have been asked in real interviews - and how to handle them if one is thrown your way.

下面汇总了商业头脑、招聘人员和全国各地顶级职业专家在真正的面试中所提出过的最奇葩问题，如果面试官向你抛出了这样的问题，那么面试者该如何处理这类问题呢？

1. How many traffic lights are there in London?

在伦敦有多少交通信号灯？

This is essentially² a brainteaser to test how you would think through tough questions, said James Reed, author of Why You? 101 Interview Questions You’ll Never Fear Again.

为什么你对101个面试问题永不担心？》这篇文章的作者詹姆斯·里德说，这类问题本质上属于脑筋急转弯类的问题，用这类问题来测试面试者如何思考这类很棘手的问题。

Reassure³ yourself that no one is going to have the correct answer to the question. It is highly impossible unless you have a comprehensive knowledge of UK traffic lights.

“安慰地告诉自己，没有人会有这个问题的标准答案。除非你对英国交通信号灯有着全面的了解，否则你是不可能回答出这类问题的。

Take a breath to gather your thoughts and respond with: "I couldn’t give you an exact number, obviously, but I could make a guess by trying to estimate the number of traffic lights in a square mile based on my personal experience and then taking a shot at the total size of London in square miles".’

“深呼吸集中精力并做出回应：“显然，我不能给你一个确切数字，但我能以我的个人经验尝试着按每平方英里进行估算红绿灯的数量，然后，猜测估算伦敦的总平方英里数，给你一个大致的数字”。

2. How would you interject a fight between Batman and Superman?

你怎么给蝙蝠侠和超人劝架？

Lee Biggins, founder⁴ of CV-Library, said this super hero question may be asked in order to demonstrate how the candidate handles conflict.

简历图书馆创始人李·比金斯说，这个关于超级英雄的问题可能是为了展示面试候选人如何处理冲突这方面的能力。

“Try to keep it relevant to the job role – you’re not being asked how you would handle a scuffle in the pub on a Friday night,” he said. 'Focus on the positive attributes of both parties and how you could encourage them to work well together.'

回答问题尽量与工作职位相关——面试官不是在问你如何处理星期五晚上酒吧里的打架斗殴问题，”他说。“重点在于关注双方的积极态度并互相鼓励如何共同协作把工作干得出色。”

3. What can you make from this piece of paper?

你能把一张纸折成什么样?

“This is an opportunity for the interviewer to see how creative you are, whilst working under pressure,” said Penny de Valk. “If you manage to make an origami swan, fantastic! If, like most, you don’t have such skills – it’s the chance to see what you can create on the spot."

“这是一个让面试官看到你在压力下工作还能有多大的创造力的机会，"他说。“如果你能折一只纸鹤，棒极了！如果像多数人一样你并不具备这样的能力——这是当场展示你的创造力的大好机会。

"If you’re applying for a role where one of your main responsibilities is writing, for example a journalist, then you could say that you could make a multitude of stories from that one piece of paper without the help of origami."

如果你申请了一个工作职位其主要职责就是写作，例如，当一名记者，那么你可以说，就算你面临的只是一张白纸，没有加工修饰过（即不是个折纸成品），你也能写出大量的素材。

"It’s better to do this than spend half an hour folding it into intricate shapes and feeling totally out of your comfort zone."

“相比于花半个小时把一张纸折成复杂形状，让自己的感觉走出可以自己发挥的余地。还不如自由发挥的好。”

4. If we shrunk you to the size of a pencil and put you in a blender, how would you try to get out?

如果我们把你缩成一只铅笔的大小，把你放在卷笔机里，你怎么想办法出去呢？

Careers writer Paul MacKenzie-Cummins said this question is designed to reveal whether a candidate is flustered⁵ by unexpected problems.

康明斯公司职业作家保罗·麦肯齐说，这个问题的目标在于揭示面试候选人是否会对所提出的意想不到的问题感到慌张无措。

"Candidates should bear in mind that there is no right or wrong answer to this – it’s all down to interpretation," he said. "However, candidates should try to answer the question as best as possible, as this reveals that they are willing to solve an issue they are unfamiliar⁶ with."

“面试候选人应该记住，对于这个问题，没有正确或错误答案之分——全在于你如何诠释这个问题，”他说。不过，候选人应该尽量完美地回答这个问题，因为这反映他们解决一个自己不熟悉问题的意愿。

5. What colour is your brain?

你心目中喜欢什么颜色？

"Colours are commonly linked to describing a person’s mood," said James Reed. "The interviewee is trying to gage⁷ how you work and whether your personality would fit in well with their working environment.'

“颜色通常和一个人的心情有关联，”詹姆斯·里德说。面试者尝试着了解你的工作方式，看看你的性格是否适合他们的工作环境。

He added: 'There are some dependable colours that represent positive attributes, but always stay loyal to who you are. If you are a passionate⁸ person, for example red, then be honest by saying that, always making sure that whatever colour you pick is described with positive undertones throughout.'

他补充说：“有些颜色代表积极的态度，但要始终保持你自己的风格。例如，如果你是一个热情的人用红色代表，那么老实说即，无论你选择什么颜色描述自己都要保证选择有积极倾向的色彩。”

6. What do you think about garden gnomes⁹?

你怎么看待花园侏儒这个问题？

"Not all questions are serious; a question like this is most likely thrown out to see your sense of humour in an otherwise formal situation," said a spokesperson from recruitment company Pareto.

“并不是所有的问题都很严肃认真；在其他正式的场合中，扔出去像这类的问题最有可能是为了看看你的幽默感如何，”招聘公司一名发言人帕累托表示。

"It is still prudent¹⁰ to air on the side of how it can be related to the role you have applied¹¹ for, but try to take a not so serious approach to it. For example if you are applying for an engineering role, question whether the gnomes have the right tools to do the job in hand."

“这个问题在如何申请适合自己的工作这方面仍须谨慎，但要试着通过不是很严肃认真的方法去进行。例如，如果你申请工程方向的工作，要提出是否有适合侏儒的工具来做这项工作的问题。”

7. Can you name the seven dwarfs¹²?

你能说出七个小矮人的名字吗？

"There is no clear answer as to why this would be asked but it is a good indicator¹³ of how good your memory is," said James Reed. "If you know the names of the seven dwarfs then great."

“至于为什么会问出这样的问题，其实这类问题并没有明确的答案，但是它却能衡量出你的记忆力有多好，如果你知道七个小矮人的名字那就更好了，”詹姆斯·里德说。

However if you don’t reply by saying: "Unfortunately I’m not sure of the full list of the seven dwarfs but I can definitely find this out and come back to you".

不过，如果你不知道，就这样回答说：“不好意思，我不知道七个小矮人的名字，但我一定能找出这个问题的答案并回答你”。

8. What fruit would you be?

你属于哪种水果？

The interviewer may be trying to understand how creative the candidate is with this seemingly strange question.

面试官可能会为了了解面试候选人的创造性而尝试着提出这个看似奇怪的问题。

Penny de Valk said: 'Would you choose a traditional trustworthy option, such as the humble¹⁴ apple? Or maybe show your travelling prowess by saying a durian fruit, as sampled during your travels of Borneo? It provides the interviewer with an insight into your levels of creativity.

彭妮·德·瓦尔克说：“你会做出有传统价值的选择吗？例如，甘愿谦卑地做一个苹果？或者说自己是榴莲来展示你的旅行勇气，比如是否在婆罗洲旅行时采样？面试官通过这种方式来了解你的创造力水平。

Depending on the role you are going for this will affect your answer. If you are applying for creative designer role, the more unusual the fruit, and reason why you chose it, the better. If it’s an accountancy role, maybe you should go with a safer option. The important thing is that you are able to say why so that your personality shines through – that’s what the interviewer will be looking for.

根据你申请的职位不同会影响你的答案。如果你申请创意设计师这一职位，选一个越不同寻常的水果、给一个越特别的理由越好。如果你从事的是一名会计的职位，也许你应该做出比较安全的选择。重要的是你能说出原因，从而表现出你的性格方面的闪光点——就是面试官所寻找的。”

9. In a news story about your life, what would the headline be?

把你的生活写成新闻故事，你会选择什么标题？

"The interviewer wants to gain insight into your general attitude and outlook on life," said Lee Biggins. "Be clear and to the point, summarising key highlights in one short sentence. The most important thing to focus on is ensuring your answer portrays¹⁵ a positive side of you. Future employers aren’t keen on negative staff."

“面试官想要了解你的生活态度和人生观，李说。“要简洁、重点明确，用简短的几句话把重点突出。你最需要注意的就是，要确保你的答案描绘出你积极上进的一面。未来的老板们不喜欢消极怠工的员工。”

10. Tell me a story

来，讲个故事吧

This ambiguous question is to test whether you are able to maintain your professionalism or whether you are the type of person that will digress into an inappropriate story, according to career experts.

根据职业专家的观点，这种模棱两可的问题是测试你是否能够从你的专业性角度来看待问题，你是否属于那种跑偏题目，讲一个不合时宜的故事的人。

James Reed said:"As hundreds of stories begin flooding into your brain, take a moment to think about which would be the most appropriate. This could be the perfect opportunity to tell your interviewer about a successful experience in the workplace. Keep the story concise¹⁶ and avoid rambling¹⁷.'

詹姆斯·里德说：“随着数百个故事开始涌入你的大脑，花点时间去思考一下哪个是最合适的。这可能是一个完美的机会向你的面试官讲述一次成功的职场经验。故事要简洁真实，避免故事讲得一头雾水。”