Some (Adults) Call for Shorter Summer Break for US Kids

22 August 2007

岩浆美国之音翻译之04

Some (Adults) Call for Shorter Summer Break for US Kids

Why American students traditionally get a long vacation.

部分人（成年人）要求缩短美国儿童的暑假

解读美国学子为何一直以来都有一个长假。

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This is the VOA Special English Education Report.

您正在收听的是美国之音特别英语之“教育广角”节目。

The traditional American school year begins in late August or early September. It ends in May or June, followed by summer vacation.

一直以来，美国的学校都是在八月底或九月初开学，而在次年的五月或者六月结束。紧接着的便是暑假。

Why such a long break? Because long ago, young people had to help their families harvest the summer crops. At least this is what people today may think.

那为什么假期有那么长呢？因为很早以前，年轻人们必须得帮助家里干夏收的农活儿。至少，这可能是身处当今的人们所认为的。

The reason has more to it. A recent report from an education policy center at Indiana University explored the historical roots of the traditional school calendar.

可原因却不止如此。最近，一份来自印第安纳大学教育政策研究中心的报告，探寻了传统学校作息制度的历史本源。

In the early days of the United States, children were not required by law to attend school. School calendars depended on local needs.

在美国早期，在法律上，没有明文规定孩子们一定得上学。学校作息制度都是因地制宜。

Students in rural areas went to school for no more than six months of the year -- half in the summer, half in the winter. They worked on family farms during the other months.

在乡下的学子们在一年中上学的时间少于6个月---夏季一半，冬季一半。他们在不上学时，都是在帮家里干农活儿。

City schools were often open much longer, some for eleven months of the year. Parents were happy to have a place for their children to go while the parents worked.

而在城镇学校，学期时间通常要更长些。他们中的一些一年有11个月的学时。家长们都很乐意在他们工作时，孩子都有一个地方可去。

National leaders took a fresh look at schools after the Civil War, in the eighteen sixties. They saw a free public education as a way to help support a strong democracy and prepare workers for new industries. Immigration was increasing and so was the student population.

在19世纪60年代，美国内战之后，国家领导人重新审视了美国教育。他们把免费的公共教育看作是对强健的民主制度的一种支持，另外，也是为新兴产业培养输送劳动力的一个场所。随着移民人数的增加，在校学生人数也水涨船高。

More and more people saw the need for a system of required education. But they had different ideas for the calendar.

越来越多的人意识到了接受教育是必须的。但他们对其作息制度却有不同的见解。

Many city schools wanted a shorter year and a longer summer break. The schools were often crowded. There was no modern air conditioning and air pollution from factories was a problem.

那时候，很多城镇学校希望的是一种学期短、暑假长的模式。因为这些学校通常都人满为患，且没有现代空调设备，而且，源自工厂的污染也是一大问题。

Hot days would make it difficult to learn. A long summer break would also give teachers time for other jobs to add to their low pay.

炎热的天气会让学习变得吃力。另外，一个长时间的暑假也能给教师们以时间，从事其他工作，来为他们本就不高的薪水增添补贴。

Many rural educators, however, pushed for a longer school year. They thought it would keep children safe from industrial dangers at a time when there were few child-labor laws. They also thought it would lead to a better prepared workforce.

然而，许多乡村教育工作者却反其道而行之，力推一个学期更长的学年！他们认为这样能够让孩子们在缺乏儿童用工法律保护的状况下，远离工业化给他们所带来的危害。他们还认为，这也将会给社会培养出更加合格的劳动力。

So the traditional school calendar was a compromise, with roots that now go back about a century and a half. The average school year used to be one hundred seventy days. Times have not changed much. Today the common average is one hundred eighty days.

因此，传统学校作息制度，在距今一个半世纪之前，便作出了让步。每学年的平均学时为170天。而如今，变化也不大，一般每学年的学时为180天。

But some experts think the traditional school calendar needs to change because the needs of the nation have changed. This thinking has led some schools to keep students in class longer. More on that next week.

但一些专家认为：传统学校作息制度需要改变。因为国家的需要已经发生了改变。这样的主张已经让一些学校将学生们在校时间延长了。下周的节目中会有更多相关报道。

And that's the VOA Special English Education Report, written by Nancy Steinbach. Transcripts are at voaspecialenglish.com. I'm Bob Doughty.

这里是美国指引特别英语之教育广角。本节目文章由南希 斯登巴赫（Nancy Stenbach）撰写。节目文本在voaspecialenglish.com登载。由鲍勃 窦提为您播送。

本文英文文本来源于: 破英语 PoEnglish 和 VOA