课文解读 下册 UNIT8 Education in the United States美国教育 英语国家社会与文化
现在的美国学校
每年秋天，数以百万计的美国年轻人都会走进大约10万所中小学的大门，迎接新学年的开始。
Going to School in America Today
Each fall millions of young Americans walk through the doorways of about 100 000 elementary and secondary schools for the start of a new school year. 他们包括了从幼儿园到12年级的学生，平均每天上课5个小时，每周5天，直到第二年夏初。 Filling classrooms from kindergarten to the 12th grade, they attend classes for an average of five hours a day, five days a week, until the beginning of the following summer.这些学生是教育史上最伟大的事业之一的一部分:教育全国人口。 These students are part of one of the most ambitious undertakings in the history of education: the American effort to educate an entire national population. 我们的目标是——从共和国成立的最初几十年开始——实现全民识字，并为个人提供必要的知识和技能，以促进他们个人和公众的福祉。” The goal is — and has been since the early decades of the republic— to achieve universal literacy and to provide individuals with the knowledge and skills necessary to promote both their own individual welfare as well as that of the general public.' 虽然这一目标尚未完全实现，但它仍然是美国教育制度所追求的理想。 Though this goal has not yet been fully achieved, it remains an ideal toward which the American educational system is directed. 已经取得的进步是值得注意的，比如教育的覆盖范围和在实现教育的过程中出现的教育方法。 The progress which has been made is notable both for its scope and for the educational methods which have been developed in the process of achieving it.?大约90%的美国学生就读于公立学校(由美国纳税人资助的学校)。 About 90% of American students attend public schools (schools supported by American taxpayers). 略多于10%的孩子上私立学校，他们的家庭选择为私立学校支付昂贵的学费。 And slightly over 10% attend private schools, for which their families choose to pay special attendance fees. 美国的许多私立学校是由教会、犹太教或其他宗教团体经营的。 Many private schools in the United States are run by churches, synagogues or other religious groups. 在这些学校中，宗教教义是课程的一部分，其中还包括阅读、数学、历史、地理和科学等传统学术课程。 In such schools, religious teachings are a part of the curriculum, which also includes the traditional academic courses of reading, mathematics, history, geography and science.公立和私立教育系统的年度总支出多达数百万美元。 The combined annual expenses of both education systems, public and private, exceed millions of dollars. 从这个角度来看，美国教育产业拥有强大的消费能力。 From that point of view, American education is a powerful consumer. 每年，由谁来决定这无数钱中有多少应该用于支付教师工资、购买新电脑或购买额外书籍? Who decides how many of these thousands of millions of dollars should be used annually for teachers' salaries, new computers or extra books? 符合国家标准的私立学校按照他们认为最好的方式使用他们收取的学费。 Private schools that meet state standards use the fees they collect as they think best. 但在涉及公共税收的地方，支出由州和/或地区一级的教育委员会(学校的政策制定者)指导。 But where public taxes are involved, spending is guided by boards of education (policy makers ford schools) at the state and/or district level. 同样的道理也适用于学校课程、教师标准和认证，以及学生成绩的衡量标准。 The same thing is true for decisions about the school curriculum, teacher standards and certification, and the overall measurement of student progress.
教育是地方事务，从夏威夷到特拉华州，从阿拉斯加到路易斯安那州，美国50个州都有自己的教育法规。 Education—A Local MatterFrom Hawaii to Delaware, from Alaska to Louisiana, each of the 50 states in the United States has its own laws regulating education. 各州的一些法律是相似的; From state to state, some laws are similar; 另一些则不然。 others are not. 所有的州都要求年轻人上学。 For example:All states require young people to attend school. (年龄限制各不相同:32个州要求上到16岁; (The age limits vary: 32 states require attendance to age 16; 8个州要求上到18岁; eight states to 18; 因此，美国的每个孩子都有13年的义务教育保障。 etc.) Thus, every child in Americais guaranteed up to 13 years of education. 无论孩子的种族、宗教、性别、学习问题、身体残疾或不会说英语，都不是问题。 This is true regardless of a child's race,religion, sex, learning problerms, physical handicap or inability to speak English.一些州在为学生选择学习材料方面发挥着重要作用。 Some states play a strong role in the selection of learning material for theirstudents. 例如，州委员会可以决定哪家出版社的教科书可以用州政府出资购买。 For example, state committees may decide which publisher's textbooks canbe purchased with state funds. 在其他情况下，购买教学材料的决定完全由当地学校官员决定。 In other cases, decisions about buying instructionalmaterial are left entirely to local school officials.美国人有一种强烈的倾向，那就是教育他们的孩子了解诸如环境污染、核问题、毒品和邻里犯罪等重大公共问题。 Americans have a strong tendency to educate their children about major publicconcerns — problems such as environmental pollution, nuclear issues, drugs andneighborhood crime. 迫于公众压力，不同地区的教育委员会经常在中小学课程中增加各种相关问题的课程。 Responding to public pressure, boards of education in differentareas often add courses on various relevant issues to the elementary and secondaryschool curricula.
美国学生学什么
美国学生在获得高中文凭的过程中要经过几个阶段的教育，因此也要学习几个课程。
What an American Student Learns
American students pass through several levels of schooling-and thus, several curricula— on their way to a high school diploma. 他们就读:小学。 They attend:Elementary School. 在联邦政府公布的统计报告中，“小学”通常是指从幼儿园(K)到8年级。 In statistical reports published by the federal government, "elementary school" usually means grades kindergarten (K) through 8. 但在一些地方，小学只包括K-6年级。 But in someplaces, the elementary school includes only grades K-6. 有时四年级、五年级和六年级组成所谓的“初中”学校。 And sometimes grades 4, 5 and 6 make up what is called a "middle grade" school. 高中。 Secondary School. 同样，在统计报告中，“高中”通常是指提供最后四年正规教育(9-12年级)的学校。 Again, in statistical reports, "secondary school" generally refers to schools that offer the last four years of formal education (grades 9-12). 这些年级大部分是在高中，或者可以分为最后一年的“初中”和三年的(高级)高中。 These grades are most of the times at high school, or may be divided into a final year of "junior high school" and three years in (senior) high school.虽然美国没有全国性的课程，但某些科目在全国所有的K到12系统中都有教授。 Although there is no national curriculum in the United States, certain subjects are taught in all K to 12 systems across the country.
几乎每所小学都开设以下课程:数学; Almost every elementary school provides instruction in these subjects: mathematics; 语言艺术(包括阅读、语法、写作和文学); language arts (subject that includes reading, grammar, composition and literature); 书法; penmanship; 科学; science; 社会研究(包括历史、地理、公民和经济); social studies (including history, geography, citizenship and economics); 音乐; music; 艺术; art; 还有体育。 and physical education. 在许多小学里，开设了使用计算机的课程。 In many elementary schools, courses in the use of computers have been introduced. 在某些情况下，在小学高年级提供第二语言课程(英语以外的另一种语言)。 And in some cases, a second language (other than English) is offered in the upper elementary grades.大多数中学提供相同的“核心”必修课:英语、数学、科学、社会研究和体育。 Most secondary schools offer the same "core" of required subjects: English, mathematics, science, social studies and physical education. 但是，各个学区的教育局希望高中生在这些基础课程上花多少时间，这方面存在很大差异。 But school boards differ greatly from one district to another in the amount of class time they want high school students to spend on these basic subjects. 例如，在一些高中，学生必须在毕业前完成三年的数学课程。 In some high schools, for example, students must complete three years of mathematics before graduation. 全国平均水平比这低。 The national average is lower.学生们在学校辅导老师的指导下选择选修课，选修课的范围可以从专业的学术科目到职业科目。 Students are guided by school counselors in choosing electives, which can range from specialized academic to vocational subjects.例如，高中提供超过一年——在大多数情况下，多达几年——的数学、科学和其他核心科目。 For example, high schools offer more than one year— in most cases, several years— of math, science and the other core subjects. 在完成这些核心领域的必修单元(例如一年的美国历史)后，学生可以选修额外的单元(可能是一年的欧洲历史和一年的世界政治问题)。 After they complete the required units in these core areas (for example, one year of American history), students can take additional units as electives (perhaps a year of European history and a year of world political issues).其他选修课程因学校而异。 Other elective courses vary from school to school. 一些高中专注于特定类型的科目，例如商业教育、工业贸易或外语。 Some high schools specialize in particular types of subjects — business education, or industrial trades, or foreign languages, for example. 一个想成为医生的学生会希望就读一所提供许多科学类选修课的学校。 A student planning to be a physician would want to attend a school offering many electives in science.美国人认为他们国家的起源可以追溯到17世纪初来到北美东海岸的英国殖民者。 Education in a New NationAmericans trace the origins of their nation to the English colonialists (settlers) who came to the eastern coast of North America in the early 17th century. 这些第一批殖民者中最大的群体是清教徒，他们在1630年建立了马萨诸塞湾殖民地。 The largest group of these first colonists, the Puritans, founded the Massachusetts Bay Colony in 1630. 像其他跟随他们来到美国的人一样，清教徒寻求信仰宗教的自由，这是他们在自己的祖国享受不到的自由。 Like others who followed them to America, the Puritans sought the freedom to practice their religion— a freedom they could not enjoy in their native country. 他们在麻萨诸塞州森林边缘建造的小镇和村庄中找到了这种自由。 They found this freedom in the small towns and villages they built on the edge of the forest in Massachusetts.
清教徒相信的一件事是，每个人都应该能够阅读圣经。 One of the things the Puritans believed was that every person should be able to read the Bible. 在17世纪，百分之百的识字率似乎是一个梦想。 One hundred percent literacy seemed like a dream in the 17th century. 在他们到达后的短短几年内，他们采取措施在殖民地建立了一套教育体系:1634年，他们开设了一所“拉丁语法”学校，这是一所为那些想要上大学的人做准备的学校。 Within just a few years after their arrival, they took steps to set up a system of education in their colony:In 1634, they opened a "Latin grammar" school, a school for those who wanted to prepare for college.1636年，哈佛学院成立，目的是培养宗教牧师。 In 1636, Harvard College was founded for the training of religious ministers.1634年和1638年，清教徒通过法律，宣布为公共利益可以对所有财产征税，公共利益包括支持学校。 In 1634 and 1638, the Puritans passed laws declaring that all property could be taxed for the common good, which included the support of schools.1642年和1647年，马萨诸塞湾殖民地通过了法律，要求所有的父母为他们的孩子提供阅读教育。 In 1642 and 1647, the Bay Colony passed laws requiring all parents to provide reading education for their children.因此，在不到20年的时间里，清教徒引入了两种至今仍影响着美国青年的做法:对所有儿童实行义务教育和为学校征收公共税。 Thus, in less than 20 years, the Puritans introduced two practices that still influence American youth: compulsory education for all children and public taxation for schools. 北美其他英属殖民地的情况则不同。 The situation was different in other British colonies in North America. 例如，在宾夕法尼亚州，那里有几个不同的宗教团体，关于教育的决定取决于每个教会的领导人。 In Pennsylvania, for example, where there were several different religious groups, decisions about education were left to the leaders of each church. 在弗吉尼亚等南方殖民地，那些负担得起家庭教师的人会为他们的儿子(有时也会为他们的女儿)聘请家庭教师。 In southern colonies such as Virginia, those who could afford tutors hired them for their sons (and sometimes for their daughters). 富裕地主的长子被送到英国接受教育。 The older sons of wealthy landowners were sent to England for their education. 偶尔，一个地主可能会允许一个有文化的成年人教贫穷白人的孩子阅读，也许还会教一些黑人。 Occasionally, a landowner might allow a literate adult to teach reading to the children of poor whites and, perhaps, a few blacks. 但最主要的是，习俗禁止教奴隶的孩子读书。 But mostly, custom forbade the teaching of children of slaves to read.在整个殖民地，年轻男女都可以通过在一家小公司当学徒来接受阅读教育。 Throughout the colonies, young men and women could receive an education in reading by becoming an apprentice in a small business. 在英国，让年轻的男孩和女孩与他们为之工作的人(面包师、印刷工等)的家庭生活在一起是一种惯例（学徒制）。 It had been the practice in England to have young boys and girls live with the families of those for whom they worked (bakers, printers, etc.). 作为对年轻人工作的回报，企业主承诺教他或她阅读，以及如何做一项手艺(例如烘焙或印刷)。 In return for a youth's work, the business owner promised to teach him or her to read, as well as how to do a craft (bake or print, for example). 这种做法被带到北美。 This practice was brought to North America.1776年7月4日，13个殖民地发表了《独立宣言》，并为摆脱英国的统治而战。 On July 4, 1776, the 13 colonies issued a Declaration of Independence, and went to war for their freedom from England. 他们在1781年赢得了独立战争，并在1783年谈判达成了一个有利的条约。 They won the war for independence in 1781, and negotiated a favorable treaty in 1783. 但是直到1789年，他们才组建了一个统一的国家政府。 But it was not until 1789 that they shaped a unified national government. 宪法中所描述的新政府的形式和权力是经过多次辩论和妥协后确定的。 The shape and power of this new government, described in the Constitution, were determined after many debates and compromises. 新的美国将成为一个联邦共和国——一个拥有强大中央政府的州的联盟 The new United States was to be a federal republic- a union of states with a strong central
中央政府代表全体人民。 government representing all the people.各州并没有轻易把自己的政治权力交给这个新的中央政府。 The states did not easily give up their own political powers to this new central government. 事实上，第十条修正案被添加到宪法中是为了保证“宪法没有授予美国的权力…… In fact, the 10th Amendment was added to the Constitution to guarantee that "powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution...将保留给各州[政府]……”。 would be reserved to the [governments of the] States...". 这些保留的权力之一是每个州为其人民提供教育的权利。 One of these reserved powers was the right of each state to provide for the education of its people.实际上，在18世纪末，整个美国的基础教育都掌握在地方政府手中。 Actually, at the end of the 18th century, elementary education throughout the United States was in local hands. 州政府允许当地(小城镇和村庄)建立和经营自己的小学。 State governments were allowing local districts (small towns and villages) to set up and run their own elementary schools. 大多数情况下，这些学校都是在一个只有一间房的建筑里，所有可以上学的学生都共享一个老师。 Most often, these schools were in one-room buildings, with one teacher for all the students who could attend. 这名教师是由一个市民委员会雇用的，必须教授当地社区所期望的内容。 The teacher, who was hired by a committee of citizens, had to teach what the local community expected. 这样，未来就决定了:美国的教育仍然掌握在州和地方政府手中。 And so the future was decided: education in the United States was to remain in the hands of state and local governments.
学习成为世界公民
1920年以后，美国从幼儿园到12年级的教育一直保持不变，直到第二次世界大战。
Learning to Be World Citizens
After 1920, the K to 12 education in America remained very much the same until World War II. 那场悲剧事件带来的变化影响了美国的每一个机构，包括学校。” That tragic event introduced changes that affected every institution in America, including the schools." 美国的父母——尤其是在20世纪40年代末结婚的年轻夫妇——希望他们的孩子接受为战后世界做准备的教育。 American parents- especially young couples who married in the late 1940s-wanted their children to be educated for the postwar world. 与此同时，美国黑人和其他少数群体要求获得与白人平等的教育机会。 At the same time, American blacks and other minority groups demanded educational opportunities equal to those of whites. 1954年，最高法院裁定将黑人隔离到不同学校的做法是违宪的。” In 1954, the Supreme Court ruled that the practice of segregating blacks into separate schools was unconstitutional." 1945年，美国是一个核大国，是联合国的成员，也是与苏联争夺世界影响力的对手。 By 1945, the United States was a nuclear power, a member of the United Nations, and a competitor with the Soviet Union for world influence. 新技术(尤其是计算机)改变了美国的工作岗位，美国企业遍布全球。 American jobs were changed by new technology (especially by the computer), and American businesses spread around the globe. 每晚，电视把总统、艺人和世界各地人们的面孔带进美国的千家万户。 Television brought the faces of presidents, entertainers and people from all over the world into America's homes each evening. 科学家的发现揭开了恒星和原子的新秘密。 Discoveries by scientistsd opened new secrets of the stars and of the atom. 1950年至1960年间，新知识的发展超过了1950年之前世界历史上所有新知识的总和。 Between 1950 and 1960, more new knowledge was developed than in all of the world's history before 1950.学校不仅被要求教授这些新信息，而且还被要求帮助学生提出自己的问题。 Schools were asked not only to teach this new information, but to help students ask their own questions about it. 注重解决问题而不是背诵知识的“探究”学习方法开始流行起来。 The "inquiry" method of learning, focusing on solving problems rather than memorizing facts, became popular. 更多的科学课程被加入了教学大纲中 More science courses were
部分是由于1957年苏联第一颗人造卫星Sputnik的成功发射。”（美国技术落后了，想追赶） added to the curriculum, some as a result of the orbiting of the first man-made satellite, Sputnik, by the Soviet Union in 1957." 联邦政府开始花费数百万美元开发新的科学课程，并培训教师讲解这些课程。 The federal government began to spend millions for the development of new science curricula and for training teachers to use them.但是，对许多美国人来说，良好的中等教育已经不够了。 But a good secondary education was no longer enough for many Americans. 在一个又一个学区，家长们坚持让他们的儿子和女儿学习为进入大学做准备的高中课程。 In one school district after another, parents insisted on high school programs that would prepare their sons and daughters for admission to a university. 越来越多的美国人将大学视为获得医学或法律学位、政府职位或大型企业管理职位的门槛。 More and more Americans viewed the university as the doorway to a medical or law degree, a position in government, or a management position in a major business office.
高等教育
每年有许多高中毕业的学生继续接受高等教育。
Higher Education
Many students who graduate from high school each year go on for higher education. 被美国最著名的大学录取，是一个高中毕业生能取得的一定程度上的成功。 Simply by being admitted into one of the most respected universities in the United States, a high school graduate achieves a degree of success. 一所顶尖大学的学院可能会收到2%的高中毕业生的申请，然后只录取每十个申请者中的一个 A college at a leading university might receive applications from 2% of these high school graduates, and then accept only one out of every ten who apply. 这类大学的成功申请者通常是根据以下因素来选择的:(a)他们的高中成绩; Successful applicants at, such colleges are usually chosen on the basis of: (a) their high school records; (b)高中老师的推荐信; (b) recommendations from their high school teachers; (c)他们在大学面试时给人的印象; (c) the impression they make during interviews at the university; (d)他们的学术能力倾向测试(SAT)（美国高考）分数。 and (d) their scores on the Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT).
美国的高等教育体系是复杂的。 The system of higher education in the United States is complex. 它包括四类机构:(1)大学，它可能包括:(a)几个学院，招收攻读学士学位(四年)的本科生;(b)一个或多个研究生院，招收继续专业学习以获得硕士或博士学位的学生; It comprises four categories of institutions:(1) the university, which may contain: (a) several colleges for undergraduate students seeking a bachelor's degree (four years) and (b) one or more graduate schools for those continuing in specialized studies to obtain a master's or a doctoral degree; (2)四年制本科机构——学院——大多数不是某个大学的一部分; (2) the four-year undergraduate institution— the college— most of which are not part of a university; (3)技术培训机构（职业院校），高中毕业生可以在那里学习为期六个月至四年的课程，学习各种各样的技术技能，从发型设计到商业会计再到计算机编程; (3) the technical training institution, at which high school graduates may take courses ranging from six months to four years in duration and learn a wide variety of technical skills, from hair styling through business accounting to computer programming; (4)两年制/社区学院，学生可以从那里学习许多专业，也可以转学到四年制学院或大学。这些机构的任何类别，都可能是公立的或私立的，这取决于其资金来源。 and (4) the two-year, or community college, from which students may enter many professions or may transfer to four-year colleges or universitiesAny of these institutions, in any category, might be either public or private, depending on the source of its funding. There is no clear or inevitable distinction in
公立或私立院校之间提供的教育质量没有明显的或必然的区别。 terms of quality of education offered between the institutions which are publicly or privately funded. 然而，这并不是说所有的大学都享有同等的声望，或者它们之间没有实质性的差异。 However, this is not to say that all institutions enjoy equal prestige or that there are no material differences among them.许多大学和学院，无论是公立的还是私立的，都以提供特别具有挑战性的课程和为学生提供更高质量的教育而闻名。 Many universities and colleges, both public and private, have gained reputations for offering particularly challenging courses and for providing their students with a higher quality of education. 美国最知名的教育机构可能是常春藤联盟院校。 The most well-known educational institutions in the US probably are the Ivy League institutions. 这个词本身代表了学术卓越和入学竞争。 The term itself represents academic excellence and competitive selection in admission. 这八所大学都跻身美国乃至世界顶尖大学之列。 All eight institutions are ranked among top universities in the US as well as in the world. “常春藤联盟”一词还象征着社会和政治精英主义。 The term Ivy League also signifies social and political elitism.决定一所大学声誉好坏的因素有:师资队伍的质量; The factors that determine whether an institution is one of the best or one of lower prestige are: the quality of the teaching faculty; 研究机构的质量; the quality of research facilities; 可用于图书馆、特殊项目等的资金数额; the amount of funding available for libraries, special programs, etc.; 以及申请入学的申请人的能力和数量，即该机构在选择学生时的条件。 and the competence and number of applicants for admission, i.e., how selective the institution can be in choosing its students. 所有这些因素都是相互强化的。 All of these factors reinforce one another. 例如，哈佛大学是世界上最负盛名的大学之一。 Harvard University, for example, is one of the most prestigious universities in the world. 它成立于1636年，也是美国最古老的大学。 Founded in 1636, it is also the oldest university in the US. 它由十个学院和拉德克利夫高等研究院组成，并经营着艺术、文化和科学博物馆。 It comprises ten faculties and the Radcliffe Institute for Advanced Study, and runs museums of arts, culture and sciences.哈佛图书馆是世界上最大的学术和私人图书馆系统，拥有79个独立图书馆，藏书超过1800万册。 d Harvard Library is the largest academic and private library system in the world, with 79 individual libraries with over 18 million volumes of books. 近年来，哈佛大学的录取率仅为5%，是全美录取率最低的大学之一。 Harvard's acceptance rate in admission selection is among one of the lowest in the US-about 5% in recent years. 每年的学费在全国名列前茅。 Annual tuition fees are among the highest in the nation. 然而，哈佛大学拥有世界上最大的金融捐赠基金，这使得大学可以为学生提供助学金和奖学金。 However, Harvard has the largest financial endowments in the world, which allows the university to provide grants and scholarships for its students. 哈佛大学以其高质量和世界著名的教学和研究人员，极具竞争力和才华的学生，以及世界一流的学习和研究设施，吸引了来自世界各地的顶尖学生。 With its high quality and world-famous teaching and research faculty, highly competitive and talented students, and world-class learning and research facilities, Harvard attracts top students from all over the world.选择学院或大学除了了解学校的入学要求(及其费用)外，美国人在选择大学或学院时还有很多问题要考虑:学校提供什么学位? Selecting a College or UniversityIn addition to learning about a school's entrance requirements (and its fees), Americans have a lot of questions to think about when they choose a university or lghytWhat degrees does the school offer? 要花多长时间才能拿到学位? How long does it take to earn one?
在本科(学院)阶段，传统上提供四年的“文科”课程，包括历史、语言和哲学等科目。 At the undergraduate (college) level, a four-year "liberal arts" course of study is traditionally offered in such subjects as history, languages and philosophy. (“文科”一词来自拉丁语“liberales artes”，意思是自由、人类、艺术和技能。 (The term "liberal arts" comes from "liberales artes", a Latin expression for free, or human, arts and skills. 在罗马帝国时代，这些技能和艺术只有自由人才能获得，奴隶不行。) In the time of the Roman Empire these were skills and arts that only a free person — not a slave— could acquire.) 许多文理学院也提供物理、化学或其他科学学科的理学学士学位。 Many liberal arts colleges also offer a Bachelor of Science (B.S.) degree in physics, chemistry or other scientific subjects. 技术培训机构提供不同长度的农业或商业等课程，而社区大学的学习只持续两年。 A technical training institution offers such courses as agriculture or business of varying lengths, and community college studies last for only two years.美国的研究生院授予文科和理科的硕士和博士学位。 Graduate schools in America award master's and doctor's degrees in both the arts and sciences. 大多数研究生学位的课程可以在两到四年内完成。 The courses for most graduate degree can be completed in two to four years. 但是，如果研究生课程要求学生进行原创研究，那么学生可能要在大学图书馆或实验室里多待几个月甚至几年。 But if a graduate program requires original research, a student could spend many additional months or even years in a university library or laboratory.学院或大学提供什么课程? What curricula does a college or university offer? 获得学位的条件是什么? What are the requirements for earning a degree? 在美国的大学里，每个学院和研究生院都有自己的课程。 In an American university, each college and graduate school has its own curriculum. 在本科阶段，可能有一些课程是每个学生都必须学习的(例如，世界史、数学、写作或研究课程)。 At the undergraduate level, there may be some courses that every student has to take (for example, classes in world history, math, writing or research). 但是学生们确实要选择了他们的“专业”，并选修了一定数量的“选修课”。 But students do select their "major" and take a specific number of "electives". 政府机构——国家教育研究所报告说，美国的学院和大学总共提供1000多个专业。 The, National Institute of Education, a government agency, reports that a total of more than 1 000 majors are offered in America's colleges and universities. 这些学校提供的选修课加起来可能有数万门。 The combined electives available in these schools probably amount to a number in the tens of thousands.通常，本科学生必须获得一定数量的“学分”(大约120学分)才能在大学四年结束时获得学位。 Typically, an undergraduate student has to earn a certain number of "credits" (about 120) in order to receive a degree at the end of four years of college. 一个学分通常等于每周在一门课程上一小时的课。 One credit usually equals one hour of class per week in a single course. 一门三学分的生物学课程可能包括每周两个小时的讲座加上一个小时的科学实验。 A three-credit course in biology could involve two hours of lectures plus one hour in a science lab, every week. 一门课程可能持续10到16周，也就是“学期”的长度。 A course may last 10 to 16 weeks— the length of a "semester".学院或大学是公立机构(由州或地方政府管理)还是私立机构? Is the college or university a public institution (operated by a state or local government) or a private one? 如果是私立学校，是宗教学校吗? If it is private, is it a religious school? 美国没有全国性的(联邦)学校系统，但50个州都有自己的大学，一些大城市的政府也有自己的大学。 The United States does not have a national (federal) school system, but each of the 50 states operates its own universities, and so do some large city governments. 政府确实会在它为武装部队的专业人员开办的学校授予学位——例如，位于马里兰州安纳波利斯的美国海军学院。 The government does grant degrees in the schools it operates for professional members of the armed services — for example, the United States Naval Academy at Annapolis, Maryland.“美国大约25%的高等教育学校是由宗教组织私立经营的。 "About 25 percent of all schools of higher education in the United States areprivately operated by religious organizations. 大多数学校对不同信仰背景的学生开放 Most are open to students of different
，但在一些宗教学校，所有学生都被要求参加宗教仪式。 faiths, but in some religious schools all students are required to attend religious services. 也有与宗教无关的私立学校。 There are also privately owned schools with no religious connection.公立和私立大学的收入都依赖于三个来源:学生学费、捐赠基金和政府资助。 Both public and private colleges depend on three sources of income: student tuition, endowments and government funding. 一些捐赠基金非常大:哈佛大学、普林斯顿大学和耶鲁大学各有超过10亿美元的基金。 Some endowments are very large: Harvard, Princeton and Yale Universities have more than a thousand million dollars each. 与私立学校相比，公立学校接受的公共税收比重较大。 Public institutions receive a large portion of public tax money than private schools do. 学校有多大? How large is the school? 美国有许多小型大学，学生不到100人。 There are many small American colleges—some with fewer than 100 students. 但规模较大的大学往往会吸引更多的学生入学。 But the larger universities tend to keep attracting larger numbers of enrollments. 纽约州立大学就是这样一个例子，它在纽约州的不同地区拥有64个校区，招收了大约46.5万名学生。 One such example is the State University of New York which has more than 64 campuses in different parts of the state, and enrolls about 465 000 students.为什么大型大学会蓬勃发展? Why do the large universities flourish? 直到最近几年，这个问题的一个主要答案是:它们提供了最好的图书馆和科学研究设施。 Until recent years, a major answer to this question was: They offer the best libraries and facilities for scientific research. 先进的研究设施，如现代化的实验室，吸引着顶尖的科学家来到这些学校的院系。 Access to advanced research facilities such as modern laboratories attracts leading scientists to the faculties of such schools. 学生们报名和专家一起学习。 And students enroll to study with the experts. 研究项目对美国大学的声誉仍然很重要。 Research programs continue to be important to the reputation of America's universities.1944年，国会通过了《军人调整法案》，该法案很快被普遍称为“美国大兵权利法案”。 Education for AllIn 1944 Congress passed the Servicemen's Readjustment Act, soon popularly called the "Gl Bill of Rights". (当时的“Gl”是美国士兵的昵称。 ("Gl" at the time, was a nickname for the American soldier. 这个绰号来自“政府发放”的缩写——“发给士兵”的制服和其他物品。)该法案承诺在第二次世界大战结束后向武装部队成员提供经济援助，包括高等教育援助。 The nickname came from an abbreviation for "Government Issue" — the uniforms and other articles "issued" to a soldier.") The Act promised financial aid, including aid for higher education, to members of the armed forces after the end of World War II.战争在第二年结束了。 The war ended in the following year. 据预测，将有60万退伍军人申请教育援助。 The prediction had been that 600 000 war veterans would apply for aid for education. 到1955年，超过200万参加过第二次世界大战和朝鲜战争的退伍军人利用该法案上了大学。 By 1955, more than two million veterans of World War Il and of the Korean War had used the Gl Bill of Rights to go to college. 这些退伍军人中有许多来自贫困家庭。 Many of these veterans were from poor families. 30%的人在申请大学助学金时已经结婚; 30% were married when they applied for college aid; 10%的人有孩子。 10% had children. 不少学生不得不一边上课一边做兼职。 More than a few had to work part time while they took courses. 这很难，但这些退伍军人相信，大学学位(他们自己负担不起)会增加他们在美国战后经济中找到好工作的机会 It was difficult, but these veterans believed that a college degree (which they could not afford on their own) would improve their chances for a good job in the postwar economy.
有些人去了文理学院; Some went to liberal arts colleges; 其他人进入了技术和专业学院。 others to technical and professional institutions. 他们在所有这些学校的杰出成就迫使每个与高等教育有关的人重新思考高等教育的目的和目标。 Their outstanding success in all these schools forced everyone connected with higher education to rethink its purpose and goals. 在短短几年内，美国退伍军人已经改变了什么人应该上大学的形象。 Within just a few years, American veterans had changed the image of who should go to college. 在战后的美国，其他团体也在美国的校园里寻找自己的位置。 In postwar America, other groups sought their place on America's campuses, too. 高等教育女性入学率开始增加。 The enrollment of women in higher education began to increase. 中小学教育中的种族隔离结束了，因此黑人获得了进入自己选择的任何大学的平等机会。 Racial segregation in elementary and secondary education ended, and thus blacks achieved an equal opportunity to get into any college of their choice.到20世纪60年代末，一些大学推出了特殊的计划和项目，在各个层次上为所有群体提供平等的教育机会。 By the end of 1960s, some colleges introduced special plans and programs to equalize educational opportunities- at every level, for all groups. 其中一些计划被称为“平权行动计划”。 Some of these plans were called "Affirmative action programs." 他们的目标是通过给予少数族裔在求职或上大学方面的特殊优待来弥补过去的不平等。 Their goal was to make up for past inequality by giving special preference to members of minorities seeking jobs or admission to college. 在美国，“少数群体”一词有两种含义，通常是相关的:(a)少数是指在总人口中占很小比例的任何族裔或种族群体; In the United States, the term "minority" has two meanings, often related: (a) A minority is any ethnic or racial group that makes up a small percentage of the total population; (b)这个词也指不占统治地位的群体。 (b) The term also suggests a group that is not the dominant political power. 例如，一些大学赞助了一些项目，帮助少数族裔学生在高中时为上大学做准备。 Some colleges, for example, sponsored programs to help minority students prepare for college while still in high school.到20世纪70年代，美国政府坚定地支持这些目标。 By the 1970s, the United States government stood firmly behind such goals. 它要求接受公共资金的学院和大学实行某种形式的平权行动。 It required colleges and universities receiving public funds to practice some form of affirmative action. 但当大学开始设定录取少数族裔学生的配额时，许多美国人，包括少数族裔公民，都提出了抗议。 But when colleges began to set quotas of minority students to be admitted, many Americans, including minority citizens, protested. 他们认为这是另一种形式的歧视。 They felt that this was another form of discrimination.就像美国公共生活中的大多数(但不是全部)问题一样，这场冲突是通过变革和妥协解决的。（仍然没有解决，最高法院在2023年对亚裔被歧视做了一个判决，可以自己查查）As with most (but not all) problems in American public life, the conflict was resolved by change and compromise.大学继续为平权法案的目标服务，但采取了争议较少的方式。 Colleges continued to serve the goal of affirmative action-but in less controversial ways. 例如，一所规模较大的大学宣布了一项新政策:它将寻求录取能够为学生群体增添不同才能的学生。 One large university, for example, announced a new policy: It would seek to admit students who would add diverse talents to the student body. 因此，它在考虑所有申请人——包括少数族裔——时，条件不限于高中成绩和入学考试，而是考虑学生的才能、志愿活动和"生活经验"。 It thus dealt with all applicants — minorities included— on a basis that was not restricted to high school performance and entrance tests, but which took into account the talents, voluntary activities and "life experience" of the student.“这些努力取得了什么样的成功?” "What success did these efforts have? 美国大学生是一个日益多样化的群体。 American college students are an increasingly diverse group. 自1980年以来，进入大学的女性人数一直超过男性。 The number of women enrolled in college has been greater than male college student enrollment since 1980. 1987年，54%是女性。 In 1987, 54% were women. 女性获得了51%当年授予的学士和硕士学位和35%的博士学位或专业学位。，Women received 51% of the bachelor's and master's degrees awarded that year, and 35% of the doctorates and professional degrees.
1997年至2007年间，男性入学率增加了32%，女性入学率增加了63%。 Between 1997 and 2007, 32% more men enrolled while 63% more women enrolled. 2009年，近74%的高中毕业生女性进入大学，而男性的这一比例约为66%。 In 2009, nearly 74% of high school graduate women were enrolled in college and the number of men was about 66%.但并不是所有的团体都做得这么好。 But not all groups have done so well. 尽管1988年高中毕业的学生中有59%在同一年进入大学，但只有45%的非裔美国高中毕业生继续上大学。 Although 59% of the students who graduated from high school in 1988 enrolled in college that same year, only 45% of the African-American high school graduates went on to college. 教育工作者和其他人一直在努力提高这一比例。 Educators and others have been working to increase that percentage. 最近的统计数据显示，55%的非裔美国高中毕业生直接进入了大学。 Recent statistics show that 55% of African American high school graduates continued directly on to college. 但是非裔美国人在获得大学学位方面仍然落后。 But AfricanAmericans still lag behind in obtaining college degrees. 进入大学的非裔美国人只有43%毕业，比白人低20%。 Only 43% of African-Americans who enter college graduate—20% lower than the rate for whites. 美国高校招收的非传统学生比例也在上升，这些学生在上大学前已经工作了好几年，或者一边打工一边上学。 US colleges and universities are also enrolling a higher percentage of nontraditional students — students who have worked for several years before starting college or students who go to school part-time while holding down a job.
高等教育的趋势
在20世纪70年代和80年代，出现了一种远离传统文科的趋势。
Trends in Higher Education
During the 1970s and 1980s, there was a trend away from the traditional liberal arts. 相反，学生们选择的是能够为特定工作做好准备的专业领域。 Instead, students were choosing major fields that would prepare them for specific jobs. 1987年，56%的四年制学士学位分布于商业和管理、计算机和信息科学、教育、工程、卫生专业和公共事务等学科。 In 1987, 56% of the four-year bachelor's degrees were conferred in business and management, computer and information science, education, engineering, health professions, and public affairs. 只有13%的学位授予了传统的文理科专业。 Only 13% of the degrees were conferred in the traditional arts and sciences.但是这种专业预科的趋势正在结束，学生们正在转向传统的学习领域。 But this trend toward pre-professionalism is ending and students are switching back to traditional areas of study. 自20世纪80年代达到最低点以来，数学学士学位的数量有所上升。（理科主要靠外国留学生增多，比如中印等国学生） Bachelor's degrees in mathematics are up since the low point they had reached in the 1980s. 英语文学、外语、历史和物理专业的学士学位也有所上升。（文科主要是废柴美国白人，文科学位越来越不值钱） Bachelor's degrees in English and literature, foreign languages, history, and physics have also seen an upswing. 在许多方面，文科的新流行是对早期美国教育传统的回归。（美国人懒，不想学科学而已，此时后果已经显露了）In many ways, this new popularity of liberal arts is a return to the early traditions of American education.除了学位课程的变化趋势，近年来也见证了在线学习的出现和快速发展。 Other than the changing trend in degree programs, recent years have also witnessed the emergence and rapid development of online learning. 大规模在线开放课程(MOOCs)从根本上改变了远程教育的规模和性质。 Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) have fundamentally changed the scale and nature of distance learning. 注册学生可以访问在线资源，在论坛上与其他学生、教授和助教进行讨论和互动，从而个性化学习。 Registered students can have access to online resources, discuss and interact with other students, professors and teaching assistants in forums, and thus personalize their own learning. 自从2008年这个概念出现以来，它迅速发展起来 Ever since this concept emerged in 2008, it has quickly gained momentum.
截至2016年，美国院校提供了近2600个“慕课”课程。 As of 2016, nearly 2 600 MOOCs are offered by US institutions. Coursera、Udacity和edX等大型“慕课”服务提供商与麻省理工学院(MIT)、哈佛大学(Harvard)、斯坦福大学(Stanford)和加州大学(University of California)等一流大学合作，为数万名学生提供课程。 Big MOOC service providers such as Coursera, Udacity, and edX teamed with leadinguniversities like MIT, Harvard, Stanford, and The University of California and so on,offering courses to tens of thousands of students. 许多“慕课”也向公众开放，让他们能够获得高质量的教育资源。 Many MOOCs are also open to thegeneral public who are able to have access to top quality educational resources.
