Newsworthy Clips: Trade schools boom with enrollees twice the age of a typical student 职业学校注册学生人数暴增，但年龄却是一般学生的两倍大

 

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Trade schools boom with enrollees twice the age of a typical student  职业学校注册学生人数暴增，但年龄却是一般学生的两倍大（译注：这里的trade并非指贸易，而是职业之意，职业学校还可以说成vocational school）

 

Anita Ray has been styling hair for nearly a decade. Now, she is studying to become a surgical technician at the Tennessee Technology Center.

安妮塔．雷伊近十年来一直从事美发业，但如今她却在田纳西技术中心研习，预备做个手术技术员。

 

“I love doing hair,” said Ray, 40, who is a mother of two. “But right now, with the economy the way is, when people look to cut spending, that’s one of the first things to go.”

「我很喜欢美发，」雷伊如此表示，现年四十岁的她，是两个孩子的妈，「不过，目前景气那么差，大家都竭力减少开支，而美发正是大家最先放弃的项目之一。」

 

Disappearing jobs have helped drive thousands of people like Ray to trade schools, where they can pick up training on anything from truck driving to medical billing. Many of the newcomers at trade schools are in their 40s and 50s – twice the age of the typical student there.

工作机会减少，迫使包括雷伊等数以千计的人重回职业学校进修，以接受包括卡车驾驶乃至于医疗账单等各种训练。许多职业学校的新生都已经四、五十岁了，年龄是一般学生的两倍大。

 

As economic struggles and unemployment plague much of the nation, vocational schools across the United States are seeing significant spikes in enrollment, said Betty Krump, executive director of the American Technical Education Association.

据美国技术教育协会执行总监贝蒂．克朗普表示，在经济衰退和失业率高涨重创全美大部分地区之际，各地职业学校的注册人数却激增。

 

At Dunwoody College of Technology in Minneapolis, enrollment is at a five-year high, said Rich Wagner, the not-for-profit vocational school’s president.

明尼阿波里斯的唐伍迪技术学院，是一所非营利的职业学校，据校长里奇．华格纳表示，该校注册人数创下五年来新高。

 

“Students feel that the auto mechanic job will not be outsourced,” Wagner said. “We are seeing enrollment grow not only in traditional students straight out of high school, but in students coming back to college for retraining.”

「学生认为，未来汽车技工的职缺仍不至于被委外（译注：指学生认为汽车技工的工作机会不至于被移转到海外），」华格纳透露，「我们发现，不仅甫自高中毕业的传统学生注册人数增加，社会人士重返大专接受再训练的人数也增多了。」

 

Krump said many other schools are seeing an increase in younger students whose families may want a less expensive alternative to more costly four-year colleges. In Tennessee, enrollment in state-run vocational schools is up about to 10 percent, said James King, the state Board of Regents vice chancellor.

克朗普指出，许多其他学校也发现，年轻学生的人数也有增加，原因可能是学生家长宁可选择费用较低的职业学校，而放弃较贵的四年制大专院校所致。据田纳西州管理委员会（译注：监管该州大专院校及技职学校的委员会）副主席詹姆斯．金恩表示，该州州立职业学校的注册人数成长了百分之十左右。

 

“Going to school for school’s sake is not what they want,” King said. “They want something to get them back to work.”

「学生并不是专为求学而上学，」金恩指出，「而是希望能学到一技之长，以便重回职场。」

 

－by Clay Carey

 

单词发音

 

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enrollee [ɪnroˋli] n. 入学者；入伍者

go [go] v. 被去掉；被放弃

pick up（不费力地）获得，学会 to acquire (knowledge) by learning or experience

struggle [ˋstrʌg!] n. 费力的事; 难事

spike [spaɪk] n. (价格、数量的)突然上升，剧增 a sharp rise followed by a sharp decline

Minneapolis [mɪnɪˋæpəlɪs] n. 明尼阿波里斯市（美国明尼苏达州）

outsource [ˈaʊtsors] v. 将…外包；外购; 委外 to have part of a company’s work done by another company

straight out of 直接从..

chancellor [ˋtʃænsəlɚ] n. 长官; 大臣

 

 

 

 

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Study finds common genetic variations among people with autism  研究发现，自闭症患者出现了相同的基因变异

 

Researchers have found that many people with autism share common genetic variations, a discovery that may improve diagnosis and offers the promise of developing treatments for the frustratingly mysterious disorder. Their findings, published in the journal Nature, compared the genomes of thousands of autistic people to those of thousands of people without the disorder – a massive task that new technology has only recently made possible. The genome is the complex system of DNA coding that builds and runs the human body.

研究人员已经发现，很多自闭症患者都出现相同的基因变异，而这项发现不但可望改善病情的诊断，也有助于研发出新的疗法，以便治疗这种令人气馁、又蒙上神秘面纱的失调症。刊载在《自然》期刊上的这项研究，将数千名自闭症患者的基因组，和数千名非自闭症人士的基因组相互比对──而这项艰巨的任务之所以能完成，则是拜最新科技之赐。基因组是建构人体并使之运作的DNA（译注：全名为脱氧核糖核酸）编码的复杂系统。

 

The review showed that most autistic people have a genetic variation in a portion of their DNA that affects the way brain cells connect with one another. Scientists also reported alink between autism and small “mistakes” in another DNA segment involved with cell communication. Both reports add weight to the idea that autism is related to problems with the way brain cells connect.

研究人员审视基因组之后发现，大多数自闭症患者的DNA中会左右脑部细胞连结的一小段，都出现了基因变异。科学家还发现，自闭症可能和另一个和细胞联系有关的DNA小段出现小「差错」有关。这两项发现，都使自闭症和脑部细胞连结出问题有关的可能性增高。

 

Up to now, the medical community could say very little about what causes autism or how to treat it. The lack of scientific knowledge about autism has led to a proliferation of pseudoscientific explanations for the disorder, as well as unproven treatments that are often costly and sometimes unsafe.

迄今，医学界仍然对导致自闭症的肇因和治疗法所知不多，而欠缺有关自闭症这种失调症的科学知识，更导致了各式各样伪科学的解释猖獗（译注：proliferation指激增、扩散），以及未经科学验证的疗法一窝蜂出炉，这些疗法往往所费不赀，有时也不安全。

 

Though this is not the first time geneticists have found a link between autism and DNA, past discoveries have involved extremely rare instances where a tiny bit of DNA was missing or there were too many copies of another bit.

虽然这并非遗传学家首度发现自闭症和DNA之间的关连，但过去的研究往往只找到极少数例证，他们或者是身上的DNA缺少了一小段，不然就是另一小段异常增生。

 

By contrast, the new research is “a big step,” said Tom Lehner, chief of the Genomics Research Branch at the National Institute of Mental Health. “It opens up biology. With biology, you can find drug targets. Understanding the molecular networks, this is the big importance of these findings.”

相反地，这项最新研究却「迈进了一大步，」美国心理健康研究院基因组研究部主任汤姆．莱纳表示，「因为这项研究开启了生物学的领域，而若拥有生物学上的依据，就能进而开发药物标的。这些研究发现的最重要之处在于，能让我们进一步了解分子的网络。」

 

－by Trine Tsouderos

 

单词发音

 

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variation [͵vɛrɪˋeʃən] n. 差别；差异; 变化；变动

autism [ˋɔtɪzəm] n. 自闭症 a disorder marked by impaired communication and ability to interact

promise [ˋprɑmɪs] n. 希望，前途

genome [ˋdʒi͵nom] n.【生】基因组

coding [ˋkodɪŋ] n. 编码

add weight to 进一步证明

proliferation [prə͵lɪfəˋreʃən] n. 激增

pseudoscientific 伪科学的 based on beliefs, theories or various methods considered as having no scientific basis

geneticist [dʒəˋnɛtɪsɪst] n. 遗传学家

 

 

 

 

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Firms developing light planes that can convert to car, motorcycle  企业研发出能变形成汽车或机车的轻型飞机

 

Among the latest in aviation technology are Terrafugia’s Transition Roadable Aircraft and Samson Motors’ flying motorcycle dubbed the Switchblade. Terrafugia plans to deliver Transitions by the end of 2011, said Carl Dietrich, CEO of Terrafugia, which translates roughly in Latin to “escape the earth.”

航空科技的最新产物之一，就是泰拉福吉亚汽车公司推出的Transition可路面行驶飞机，以及山森汽车公司研发的Switchblade飞天机车。泰拉福吉亚执行长卡尔．迪区指出，该公司计划自二０一一年底出货。泰拉福吉亚原文的拉丁文大致可以翻译成「逃离地球。」

 

“We’re the only light sport aircraft where you know you won’t get stuck by the weather,” Dietrich said as he sat in the cockpit/car and pushed a button to retract the wings.

「这是全球唯一不会受天气所困的轻型运动型航空器，」坐在驾驶舱／汽车里的迪区边说，一边按钮收回机翼。

 

With the white wings folded in half and tucked close, the Transition will fit into a single parking space. It cruises at 115 mph with a 100 horsepower engine and fixed-pitch rear propeller. The cockpit features a throttle, control stick and floor pedals. The control stick telescopes into the floor when it morphs into a car. The cargo area is big enough to hold golf clubs and an overnight bag.

Transition白色的机翼会先对半折迭起来，然后再紧贴车身收回，整辆车便能停靠在一个普通车位内。车速是每小时一一五哩（译注：mph为每小时行驶哩数），拥有一百匹马力的引擎，和固定螺距后推进器。驾驶舱有油门、操控杆和踏板，而操控杆会在变形成汽车时，缩短收入地板内。货厢可容纳高尔夫球杆用具和过夜旅行包。

 

Samson Motors’ Switchblade will be an experimental class kit for home builders with an anticipated price of $60,000 plus an additional $20,000 for engine and avionics.

山森汽车的Switchblade将实验以整组成套零件的方式销售，让顾客可以自行在家组装完成，预计价格为六万美元，如果添购引擎和航空电子设备还必须再付两万美元。

 

“It’s expensive, but it’s two things – a motorcycle and a plane,” said company owner and CEO Sam Bousfield, noting that the cost to rent hangar space would pay for the Switchblade in 10 years.

「售价虽然昂贵，但这可是同时购买了两样东西──结合了机车和飞机，」山森老板及执行长山姆．布斯菲德指出，他也表示，飞机租用停机棚十年的费用，就足以买下Switchblade了。

 

The three-wheel Switchblade would carry two people plus 50 pounds of cargo and top out at 160 mph in the air with retractable wings that close like a pocket knife on a composite frame. Fuel use would range from more than 60 miles per gallon on highways and 22 miles per gallon in the air.

三轮的Switchblade可容纳两人及五十磅重的载货，飞行最大速度为每小时一六０哩，而可回收的机翼收起时，原理就和组合式折迭刀收起刀片一样。至于油耗方面，在高速公路行驶时，每加仑可跑超过六十哩，而飞行时，则每加仑可飞二十二哩。

 

Bousfield anticipates the kits will be ready for sale in two years.

布斯菲德预期Switchblade组装套件可望在两年内上市销售。

 

－by Meg Jones

 

单词发音

 

More Information   

cockpit [ˋkɑk͵pɪt] n.（飞机，小艇，赛车等的）驾驶员座舱

tuck [tʌk] v. 使缩起，收拢

fit into（使）合乎…的时间[空间]，与…融为一体；纳入

pitch [pɪtʃ] n. 倾斜度

throttle [ˋθrɑt!] n. 节流阀；节流圈；油门；风门

pedal [ˋpɛd!] n. 踏板；脚蹬

kit [kɪt] n. 成套工具（或对象等）

avionics [͵evɪˋɑnɪks] n. 航空电子设备

hangar [ˋhæŋɚ] n. 飞机库；飞机棚 a large building in an airport in which aircraft are kept

top out 达到顶点 to reach the highest point; attain maximum intensity, activity

composite [kəmˋpɑzɪt] adj. 合成的，复合的，混成的 made of various parts or substances

 

 

 

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Vocabulary Focus

drive [draɪv] v. 迫使；逼迫 to force someone to do something

plague [pleg] v. 困扰；使烦恼；折磨 to cause worry, pain or difficulty to something over a period of time

vocational [voˋkeʃən!] adj. 职业的 providing skills and education that prepare you for a job

frustratingly [ˋfrʌstretɪŋlɪ] adv. 令人泄气地，使人沮丧地 in a manner that prevents or discourages

weight [wet] n. 重要性；势力；影响 importance and seriousness

dub [dʌb] v. 授予……称号；把……叫做；给……取绰号 to give someone or something a name

retract [rɪˋtrækt] v. 缩回，缩进（爪，舌等）to pull something back or in

telescope [ˋtɛlə͵skop] v. 缩短 to make or become shorter by reducing the length of the parts

morph [mɔrf] v. 改变; 变化 to quickly change the shape or outward appearance of something

 

 

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