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Crisis in Japanese Education 日本的教育危机

课文朗读

课文讲解 

繁體中文譯本

Asian excellence in math and science education would not come as a surprise to many. What has proved surprising, however, are the results of a new survey showing that Asian students, the Japanese in particular, abhor math and sciences! In terms of personal interest ranked second from the last place – one rank ahead of the ex-Soviet republic Moldova. Parents and educators are obviously concerned that this loathing will lead to a decline in academic standards.

亚洲教育在数理科目上的优异表现，对许多人而言并不意外。然而，令人意外的是，最近一项调查显示：亚洲学生，尤其是日本学生，非常憎恨数理科！针对数理科目的个人兴趣和热衷程度而言，日本学生名列倒数第二，仅优于前苏联的摩达维亚共和国。家长和教育界人士们都极为担忧，这种厌恶感会导致日本学术水平的降低。

Japan is hardly noted for its scholastic joie de vivre. For instance, Japanese education features mostly rote learning; bullying is common and many students attend special cram school until 10 or 11 o’clock at night following their regular schooling. Secondary education culminates in what has been described as “entrance exam hell”; such exams can determine the examinee’s academic and professional future.

日本的学术研究兴趣向来不高。例如：日本的教育特色大部份是背诵的学习方式，校园暴力很普遍，许多学生在学校课程结束后，还继续到补习班上课直到晚上十点或十一点。中等教育几乎已经到达所谓的「联考地狱」的地步；这项联考可以决定考生的学术和职业前途。

Japan’s Education Ministry is afraid that traditional Asian pedagogy is not preparing students for the new millennium. Test-centered and rote learning instruction was, arguably, very useful for Asian economies after the chaos of the Second World War, when a relatively uniform work force was required to staff corporate ranks and factories. In contrast, the globalizing marketplace needs individuals able to question authority and use reason to solve problems – abilities which, until now, have been underdeveloped in Asia education.

日本教育部担忧，亚洲传统的教育方式已经无法让学生面对未来的新世纪。过去以考试导向的机械式背诵学习方式，无疑地对二次世界大战后陷于混乱的亚洲经济帮助很大，当时正需要一批向心力强、又有效率的工作队伍，来充实日本各个企业机构和工厂。相较之下，现在全球化市场导向所需的人才，是要有能力挑战权威，并且用理智解决问题，这项特质是目前亚洲教育尚未开发的一环。

Vocabulary

单词发音

abhor [əbˋhɔr] v. 厌恶；憎恶

loathing [ˋloðɪŋ] n. 嫌恶；强烈的反感

noted [ˋnotɪd] adj. 有名的[（+for）]

joie de vivre [ˌʒwɑdəˈvivrə]（法）人生的极大乐趣，生活之乐 hearty or carefree enjoyment of life

rote [rot] n. 死记硬背

bullying [ˋbʊlɪɪŋ] n. 霸凌；恃强欺弱（行为）

culminate [ˋkʌlmə͵net] v. 达到最高点；达到高潮[（+in）]

examinee [ɪg͵zæməˋni] n. 应试者；受检查者

pedagogy [ˋpɛdə͵godʒɪ] n.【术语】教学（法）; 教育学

millennium [mɪˋlɛnɪəm] n. 千禧年

arguably [ˋɑrgjʊəblɪ] adv. 可以认为

chaos [ˋkeɑs] n. 大混乱; 紊乱; 无秩序状态

uniform [ˋjunə͵fɔrm] adj. 相同的，一致的

staff [stæf] v. 给……配备职员

underdeveloped [ˋʌndɚdɪˋvɛləpt] adj. 发育不良的

Sentence of the Day

You can't teach an old dog new tricks.

你很难教会老狗耍新把戏。

teach an old dog new tricks  使守旧的人接受新事物

课文讲解

To make students happier and more motivated, Japan’s Education Ministry is instituting a revised curriculum. The new curriculum will reduce school from six to five days a week, allow students greater individual choice of their courses and introduce at least three hours a week of flexible time for students. In addition, Japan has added socially and emotionally-based subjects to its scholarly program. Courses with evocative titles such as “Zest for Living” and “Education of the Heart” are intended to enhance students’ happiness and overall well-being.

为使日本学生有更强烈的学习动机，乐于学习，日本教育部正规划重组课程。新课程调降授课时日，由每周六天降为五天，给予学生更大的选课自主权，每周安排至少三小时弹性课程，并且增加社会学和情绪管理方面的课程。耸动的科目名称，譬如「热爱生命」和「心灵教育」等，都以增进学生的快乐与福祉为目标。

Despite their new, softer approach, critics hold that education bureaucrats are too involved in some areas and not involved enough in others. For example, large classes and inflexible exam standards leave school little autonomy while, on the other hand, most textbooks have been simplified in an effort to make them less demanding.

虽然新作法已经改采软性路线，一般批评家仍认为教育官僚太着重某些方面，却忽略了其他方面，着墨不够深。例如，现行的大班级制和考试测验标准不够弹性，而导致学校的自主性很低。然而另一方面，教课书已经简化，以减轻学习负担。

As with educational reforms in other countries, many are pointing fingers and looking for reasons why the reforms are so slow to work. Some blame parents for not encouraging learning, others blame teachers and schools for their lack of imagination and many, as always, blame politicians. Other developed Asia countries face very similar issues and are keenly observing the outcome of Japan’s reforms. Whether or not they will be effective, only students’ smiles and time will tell.

其他国家的教育改革亦然，众目所视，众人所指，议论纷纷地检讨教育改革脚步如此之慢的原因。有些人归咎父母鼓励学习不够力；另外有些人归咎学校和老师缺乏想象力；还有更多人，一如以往，是归咎于政客。亚洲其他已开发国家也面临类似的问题，热衷地观察日本的教改结果。究竟有没有效果，只有学生的笑容和时间将予揭晓。

Vocabulary

单词发音

institute [ˋɪnstətjut] v. 创立；设立；制定; 开始；着手

curriculum [kəˋrɪkjələm] n.（一门）课程

scholarly [ˋskɑlɚlɪ] adj. 学术性的

evocative [ɪˋvɑkətɪv] adj. 唤起回忆的; 引起感情共鸣的; 唤起……的；引起……的

zest [zɛst] n. 热心﹐热情; 快乐

well-being [ˋwɛlˋbiɪŋ] n. 幸福

bureaucrat [ˋbjʊrə͵kræt] n. 官僚; 官僚主义者; 官僚作风的人

involved [ɪnˋvɑlvd] adj. 参与某活动[某事件]的; 与某活动[某事件]有关联的

autonomy [ɔˋtɑnəmɪ] n. 自治；自治权

keenly [ˋkinlɪ] adv. 渴望地；热切地；热衷地

Sentence of the Day

He's got a lust for life.

他热爱生活。

lust [lʌst] n. 强烈的欲望

课文讲解

Fred, a Japanese senior high student, is writing online to Emily, his American Internet friend:  日本高中生佛烈得，正和他的美国网友爱蜜丽进行网上交谈：

F: You don’t know what a cram school is?

妳不知道补习班是什么？

E: Sometimes I cram for school, but I’ve never heard of a school for cramming.

我有时候会为学校的课K书，但我从没有听过补习班。

F: Lucky you! They’re these schools we go to after regular school to improve our scores in subjects like English, math, and science.

妳真幸运！补习班是我们在正课放学后去的那些学习场所，目的在提高我们某些科目，譬如英文、数学、科学方面的成绩。

E: I have friends who do sports or music after school, but no one takes extra academics. Are many students enrolled in cram schools?

我有些朋友在放学后上运动课或音乐课，但没人另外再多上正课的。很多学生注册上补习班吗？

F: Almost all. It’s routine for students to be at school from 8 A.M. until 10 or 11 P.M. But, you know, I’ve studied so much math and science that I can’t stand it anymore!

几乎是每个人都上。一般学校上课时间是上午八点到晚上十点或十一点。但妳也晓得，我已经把数学和理科读了又读，读得滚瓜烂熟再也受不了。

E: I’d feel the same way. You must be going to cram school for English, though. How else could you write me so well?

换成是我，也会有同感。不过你一定有补英文，否则你的信怎么写得这么好？

F: True. If not for cram school this conversation would probably be difficult. But everything we do is about preparing for tests, tests and more tests. I hate it!

确实有，若没有补习，我们现在恐怕交谈都有困难。不过我们做的全是为了准备考试，除了考试还是考试，我真痛恨极了。

E: We do tests, but our evaluation is more based on essays, group projects and class participation. However, I can’t manage that geometry we discussed last week; you’re clearly ahead of most American students there.

我们也有考试，但我们的成积评估多半是根据报告、小组专题、和课堂上的参与。不过上周我们讨论的几何问题，我真是搞不定。很显然你这方面就比大多数的美国学生优秀。

F: I guess so. I just wish there was a happy medium between Japanese and American education.

我想是吧。真希望日式教育和美式教育之间能有个圆满的折衷之道。

－by Iain Ferguson

Vocabulary

单词发音

cram [kræm] v.【口】（为应考）死记硬背；填鸭式地教

enroll [ɪnˋrol] v. 参加；入学，注册

routine [ruˋtin] adj. 日常的，例行的，常规的

essay [ˋɛse] n.（学生就某门课程所写的）论说文

geometry [dʒɪˋɑmətrɪ] n. 几何学

happy medium 中庸之道, 折衷办法  a way of doing something which is good because it avoids being extreme

Sentence of the Day

He's working his fingers to the bone.

他工作极为努力。

work one’s fingers to the bone  不住手地做