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A child prodigy from Belgium is on course to gain a bachelor's degree at the tender age of 9.

比利时的一名神童年仅9岁就将获得学士学位。

Laurent Simons is studying electrical engineering at the Eindhoven University of Technology (TUE) -- a tough course even for students of an average graduate age.

劳伦特·西蒙斯正在埃因霍芬理工大学学习电气工程，这门课程即使对于寻常年龄的大学毕业生来说也是很难的。

Described by staff as "simply extraordinary," Laurent is on course to finish his degree in December.

劳伦特将在12月取得学位，教员对他的评价是“太超常了”。

He then plans to embark on a PhD program in electrical engineering while also studying for a medicine degree, his father told CNN.

劳伦特的父亲告诉CNN说，之后劳伦特计划攻读电气工程博士学位，同时攻读医学学位。

His parents, Lydia and Alexander Simons, said they thought Laurent's grandparents were exaggerating when they said he had a gift, but his teachers soon concurred.

劳伦特的父母莉迪亚和亚历山大·西蒙斯说，起初劳伦特的祖父母说孙子有天赋的时候，他们还以为老人是在夸大其词，但劳伦特的老师们很快就表达了同样的观点。

concur[kənˈkɜːr]: vi. 同意；一致

"They noticed something very special about Laurent," said Lydia.

莉迪亚说：“老师们注意到劳伦特非常特别。”

Laurent was given test after test as teachers tried to work out the extent of his talents. "They told us he is like a sponge," said Alexander.

老师们给劳伦特进行了一次又一次测试，以了解他的天资有多高。亚历山大说：“老师告诉我们，劳伦特就像海绵一样吸收知识。”

While Laurent comes from a family of doctors, his parents have so far not received any explanation as to why their child prodigy is capable of learning so quickly.

劳伦特来自一个医生家庭，关于为什么自己的神童儿子能学得这么快，迄今为止他的父母还未找到任何解释。

But Lydia has her own theory.

但莉迪亚有她自己的理论。

"I ate a lot of fish during the pregnancy," she joked.

她开玩笑说：“我在怀孕期间吃了很多鱼。”

The TUE has allowed Laurent to complete his course faster than other students.

埃因霍芬理工大学允许劳伦特比其他学生更快完成课程。

"That is not unusual," said Sjoerd Hulshof, education director of the TUE bachelor's degree in electrical engineering, in a statement.

埃因霍芬理工大学电气工程本科学位的教学主管舒尔德·赫尔肖夫在一份声明中说：“这并不是稀罕事。”