2017年考研英语二阅读 Text 3 原文翻译及答案解析

Today, widespread social pressure to immediately go to college in conjunction with increasingly high expectations in a fast-moving world often causes students to completely overlook the possibility of taking a gap year. After all, if everyone you know is going to college in the fall, it seems silly to stay back a year, doesn't it? And after going to school for 12 years, it doesn't feel natural to spend a year doing something that isn't academic.

当今社会普遍存在的立即上大学的压力，加上快节奏世界中日益增长的期望，常常使学生完全忽视了间隔年的可能性。毕竟，如果你认识的所有人都在秋天上大学，推迟一年似乎很傻，不是吗？而且上了12年学后，花一年时间做非学术性的事情感觉不自然。

But while this may be true, it's not a good enough reason to condemn gap years. There's always a constant fear of falling behind everyone else on the socially perpetuated "race to the finish line," whether that be toward graduate school, medical school or a lucrative career. But despite common misconceptions, a gap year does not hinder the success of academic pursuits — in fact, it probably enhances it.

但这尽管可能属实，却不足以成为谴责间隔年的理由。人们总是害怕在社会所延续的"冲向终点线"的竞赛中落后于他人，无论是通往研究生院、医学院还是高薪职业。然而，尽管有常见误解，间隔年并不会阻碍学术追求的成功——事实上，它可能还会促进。

Studies from the United States and Australia show that students who take a gap year are generally better prepared for and perform better in college than those who do not. Rather than pulling students back, a gap year pushes them ahead by preparing them for independence, new responsibilities and environmental changes — all things that first-year students often struggle with the most. Gap year experiences can lessen the blow when it comes to adjusting to college and being thrown into a brand new environment, making it easier to focus on academics and activities rather than acclimation blunders.

美国和澳大利亚的研究表明，参加间隔年的学生通常比未参加者准备更充分，在大学表现更好。间隔年并非拖累学生，而是通过为他们准备独立、新责任和环境变化——这些都是大一新生最常挣扎的方面——来推动他们前进。间隔年的经历可以减轻适应大学和投身全新环境时的冲击，使学生更容易专注于学业和活动，而不是适应中的失误。

If you're not convinced of the inherent value in taking a year off to explore interests, then consider its financial impact on future academic choices. According to the National Center for Education Statistics, nearly 80 percent of college students end up changing their majors at least once. This isn't surprising, considering the basic mandatory high school curriculum leaves students with a poor understanding of the vast academic possibilities that await them in college. Many students find themselves listing one major on their college applications, but switching to another after taking college classes. It's not necessarily a bad thing, but depending on the school, it can be costly to make up credits after switching too late in the game. At Boston College, for example, you would have to complete an extra year were you to switch to the nursing school from another department. Taking a gap year to figure things out initially can help prevent stress and save money later on.

如果你还不信服花一年时间探索兴趣的内在价值，那么考虑它对未来学术选择的经济影响。根据美国国家教育统计中心的数据，近80%的大学生最终至少更换一次专业。这并不奇怪，考虑到基础的高中必修课程使学生对大学中等待他们的广阔学术可能性了解不足。许多学生发现在大学申请时列了一个专业，但在上大学课程后换到另一个专业。这不一定是坏事，但根据学校情况，如果太晚换专业，补修学分可能成本高昂。例如，在波士顿学院，如果你从其他部门换到护理学院，你将不得不多读一年。一开始就参加间隔年来理清思路，可以避免后续的压力并节省开支。