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Getting Schooled by the U.S. 留学美国精打细算

课文朗读

课文讲解

繁體中文譯本  

U.S. President George W. Bush stated “Education belongs to everybody. High standards belongs [sic] to everybody.” Bush himself certainly set high standards for his education, honing his mind at two of America’s most prestigious universities: Yale and Harvard. These Ivy League schools, along with a handful of topflight technology-oriented universities, played a major part in attracting 600,000 international students to America last year – more than any other country on Earth. How did American gain this competitive edge?

美国总统乔治布什声称「教育属于众人所有。高标准属于众人所有（原文如此）。」【注】布什当然把自己的教育水平设在高标准，他在美国最著名的两所大学里淬炼思维：耶鲁大学和哈佛大学。去年，这些常春藤名校与少数几所顶尖的科技学府扮演了重要角色，吸引六十万国际学生前来美国就读──较任何其他国家都多。美国究竟如何达到这样的竞争优势？

The most commonly cited reason is that entry into America’s elite universities provides access to the world’s best research programs. There can be little debate concerning the preeminence of American universities’ research facilities, which have benefited from corporate donors and a reliance on exorbitant tuition fees. This translates to funding for equipment and faculty that foreign universities, at the mercy of government funding, simply cannot match.

最常被提及的优势是，进入美国优良学府等于有了一张通行证，就可以参与全世界最好的一些研究计划。很少人会质疑美国高等学府拥有先进的研究设备，因为它有企业捐助和高额学费支持。这些钱就成为师资与设备经费的来源，而其他国家的大学往往靠政府补助，根本是望尘莫及。

By contrast, severe budget constraints have forced Rome’s La Sapienza to run classes in circus tents and parking garage. Meanwhile, debate is raging in Britain about a proposed tripling of university tuition to an average US$4,500 in fees. To truly emulate the US, though, these countries should be mindful that the average price for a year at Harvard is now upwards of US$37,000.

相形之下，经费严重短绌的罗马拉萨边萨大学不得不在马戏团帐篷和车库里授课。在这同时，英国也激烈地讨论是否要把大学的学费调涨三倍到平均四千五百美元。虽然这些国家的立意是想模仿美国，但是他们应该考虑哈佛大学现在一年学费平均是超过三万七千美元。

【注】：语出2003年10月2日白宫演讲文

Vocabulary

单词发音

school [skul] v. 教育，训练

sic【拉】原文如此

hone [hon] v. 磨练﹐训练

prestigious [prɛsˋtɪdʒɪəs] adj. 有威望[声望﹐威信]的

a handful of  一小撮,少数

topflight [ˋtɑp͵flaɪt] adj.【口】一流的；优秀的；最高档的

cite [saɪt] v. 引用; 引……为证；举出

preeminence [priˋɛmɪnəns] n. 卓越，杰出

exorbitant [ɪgˋzɔrbətənt] adj.〔价格﹑费用﹑要求等〕过高的; 过分的

translate [trænsˋlet] v. (将…)理解为; (把…)解释为

at the mercy of  任由某人/某事物摆布或控制

raging [`redʒɪŋ] adj.〔感情〕强烈的

tripling [ˋtrɪp!] n. 三倍数；三倍量

emulate [ˋɛmjə͵let] v. 效仿﹐模仿

mindful [ˋmaɪdfəl] adj. 记住的；留心的

Sentence of the Day

International universities are taking a leaf out of America’s book.

国际大学对美国的做法有样学样。

take a leaf out of someone’s book  学某人的样

课文讲解

By the time the average graduate of an American university receive her diploma, she’s already US$16,000 in debt. Perhaps that’s the price one pays for the world’s most coveted diplomas in a free-market system. As America’s 600,000 foreign students provide no small boost to the economy, developed nations are all scrambling to get in on the profits.

当一个美国大学生毕业，拿到文凭时已经负债一万六千美元【注】。也许这就是在利伯维尔场制度下拿到世人最垂涎的文凭所要付出的代价。因为美国六十万外籍学生对它的经济贡献颇大，其他已开发国家也争先恐后地抢食这块大饼。

Now, Singapore with over 50,000 overseas students, is an emerging frontrunner in the global education business. Universities from the U.S., Britain, and Australia are negotiating with Singapore to put branches in the city-state. The Singaporean government is hoping its squeaky-clean image, combine with a plethora of post-secondary options, will triple its foreign-student enrollment within fifteen years.

新加坡现在有超过五万名外籍留学生，是全球教育事业的新兴佼佼者。来自美国、英国和澳洲的大学现在都与新加坡交涉希望能在它境内设立分校。新加坡政府则希望能以干净清新的形象，结合众多专上校系的选择机会，在15年以内让它外籍学生注册的人数成长三倍。

Even France, generally loathe to follow America, aims to market French universities, “like we sell champagne or perfume,” according to the director of EduFrance. However, one wonders if France would be willing to give up French as the language of instruction in order to do so. In Germany, the introduction of English-only degree programs has driven up foreign-student enrollment by 30 percent since 2000.

甚至连法国，一般是极不屑于追随美国的，也致力于推广法国大学学府，「就如同我们推广香槟或香水一般，」法国教育主管如是说。不过一般人会怀疑法国是否愿意放弃法语做为教学语言以争取学生。在德国，自从2000年引进全以英语授课的学位课程以来，已经使得外籍学生注册人数上升百分之三十。

With almost two million students studying abroad worldwide, and 45 percent of these from Asia with its burgeoning middle class, global competition for the scholastic buck is bound to remain fierce.

全世界现在几乎有两百万名学生在国外进修，而其中百分之四十五来自中产阶级迅速发展的亚洲，全球教育市场的争夺战仍将竞争激烈。

【注】：不定人称代名词用「she」愈来愈普遍，虽然不是标准用法，但报纸杂志等媒体有这种趋势。

－by Charles Yonts

Vocabulary

单词发音

coveted [ˋkʌvɪtɪd] adj. 渴望得到的；梦寐以求的

boost [bust] v. 提高；增加

scramble [ˋskræmb!] v. 争夺，抢夺[S1][（+for）][+to-v]

frontrunner [ˋfrʌntˋrʌnɚ] n. 领先者

squeaky clean【口】纯洁的；无瑕疵的

squeaky [ˋskwikɪ] adj. 品行端正的; 行为正直的; 发出短促而尖利声音的

plethora [ˋplɛθərə] n.【正式】过多﹐过剩﹐过量

post-secondary 专上程度的(指高中毕业以后的更高的学习)

enrollment [ɪnˋrolmənt] n. 招收, 入学

loathe [loð] v. 厌恶，憎恨

drive up 使...上升

burgeoning [ˋbɝdʒənɪŋ] adj. 增长迅速的，发展很快的

scholastic [skəˋlæstɪk] adj. 学校的﹐ 教学的

bound to 一定会（做）certain to

Sentence of the Day

Universities are getting in while the getting is good.

景况好时各大学群起争时市场大饼。

getting ['ɡɛtɪŋ] n. 利益