原文译文
*注：本文摘自5月30日《经济学人》
College blues
大学的悲伤
Could a fifth of America’s colleges really face thechop?
真的有五分之一的美国大学会面临打击吗？
Problems thatpredatedthe virus have beenacceleratedby it
问题早在疫情就已存在，疫情不过是加剧了其恶化
1. MARTYNA MALECKA, acriminologystudent at Stonehill College, can’t wait for classes to restart in August. Her campus in Easton, Massachusetts, “feels like a village”: its elegant red-brick buildingssprawl over384bucolicacres. She judges time spent there less of a coronavirus risk than staying at home in Chicago.
马丁娜马蕾卡是石山学院（或译斯通希尔学院）犯罪学专业的学生，她已经迫不及待地想要在8月份去学校上课了。石山学院位于马萨诸塞州的伊斯顿，“学校感觉就像一个村庄”：这座古雅的红砖墙建筑占地384亩。她觉得待在学校比待在芝加哥的家里要安全的多，感染新冠病毒的风险要小得多。
2. Universities everywhere have madevaliantefforts to function remotely. A few, such as California State University, say they will continue teaching only online next year. Ms Malecka doubts that distance study works. She gets top marks, but laughingly admits she has “no idea” what she has learned after being at home since March. It is too easy to ignore lecturers who appear by video, she says, and some hardly set assignments. Like other students, families and faculty, shecravesin-person learning.
各地大学都采取措施远程教学。加州州立大学等少数高校表示，明年他们只进行网上授课。马蕾卡认为远程学习效果有限。她得到了最高分，但是她笑着承认，自从3月份在家以后，她压根不知道自己学到了什么。她说，人们很容易忽视在视频里面讲课的老师，而且这些老师还几乎不布置课后作业。和其他学生一样，马蕾卡渴望能够线下学习。
3. Whether or not universities get back quickly to that, many are likely to suffer. Stonehill is private and Catholic, with 2,500 students and a $200mendowment. It looksin good shape, but many similar liberal-arts colleges, especially in the north-east and Midwest, are not. Their problems arelong-standing.Nathan Grawe of Carleton College in Minnesota, who researchesdemographyand higher education, says the core difficulty is the slipping fertility rate.Overall enrolment hasdrifted downover the past few years.
不管高校能否尽快实现线下教学，但是很多高校都会遭遇困境。石山学院是一家私立的天主教大学，在校学生2500名，还有2亿美元的捐赠基金。石山学院状况不错，但是许多类似的文科院校，尤其是东北部和中西部的文科院校，却并非如此。他们的问题由来已久。明尼苏达州卡尔顿学院研究人口统计学和高等教育的Nathan Grawe说核心问题是生育率的下降，这导致在过去的几年里，入学率总体上有所下降。
4. This squeezes smaller colleges hardest.A study by Parthenon-EY, an education consultancy, of over 2,000 colleges suggested 800 are so small orinefficientthat they maygo bust.Around one-fifth run budget deficits. Otherspile up debts, fail to build sufficientendowmentsor sustain student numbers only by agreeing to painfully bigdiscountson fees. Mr Grawe points out that eight colleges were already closing each year before the pandemic.
这对规模较小的大学打击最大。教育咨询公司Parthenon-EY对2000多所大学进行的一项研究表明，其中800所大学或规模太小或效率低下，可能会破产。约五分之一的大学出现预算赤字。另一些大学则由于无法获得足够资金，只能通过同意大幅削减学费来维持学生数量，因而债台高筑。Grawe先生指出，在疫情期之前，每年就已经有8所大学关闭。
5. Those that fail are usually small, among the 40% of higher-education institutions with fewer than 1,000 students. In the past decade these have seen enrolments slip faster than medium-sized ones. (The biggest typically still thrive.) Of the 72 colleges Parthenon found had shut since 2007, almost every one was small. They are vulnerable because they depend most on revenue from students; others find ways to hire out campuses for conferences, raise research funds, earnbequestsand the like.
在学生人数少于1000人的高校中，有40%面临破产。在过去十年，这些学校的入学人数下降的速度超过了中等规模的学校(然而规模最大的高校仍在蓬勃发展。) Parthenon发现，自2007年来关闭的72所高校中，几乎每一所都很小。他们很脆弱，因为他们对学生带来的收入依赖最高；另一些人则采取将当做会议场地租出去、筹集研究资金、赚取遗赠等措施。
6. Robert Zemsky of the University of Pennsylvania, who co-wrote a recent book on the growing woes of universities, expects a “collapse, lots of closures” of smaller colleges, notably in the wider Midwest. He blames both demography and teaching methods that do not suit some students, noting how, at many universities, more than a quarter of freshmen quit in their first year. Curriculums, he says, are outdated, faculty are out of touch and four-year degrees should be cut to three to save costs and force a rethink of higher education.
宾夕法尼亚大学的罗伯特 泽姆斯基最近与人合写了一本书，关注高校日益恶化的困境，他指出，规模较小的大学会“崩塌，大量关闭”，尤其是在中西部地区。他将此归咎于人口问题和不适合某些学生的教学方法。他指出，在许多高校，超过四分之一的新生在入学第一年就退学了。他说，课程已经过时，师资脱节，四年制学位应该削减到三年制，以节省成本，这也迫使人们反思高等教育存在的问题。
7. Among the most vulnerable colleges are those that cater mostly to non-white students. “African-Americans are more than two times as likely to attend an institution at risk, compared with whites and Hispanics,” he says. Crystal Nix-Hines, a lawyer in Los Angeles who specialises in the education sector, also expects an “enormouswinnowing” of historically black colleges.
风险最大的大学是那些主要面向非白人学生群体的大学。他说：“非裔美国人进入面临危机的高校的可能性是白人和西班牙裔美国人的两倍多。”专门从事教育领域工作的洛杉矶律师克里斯特尔 尼克斯-海恩斯(Crystal fox - hines)也估计，历史上的黑人大学将“大量被淘汰”。
8.Consolidationof higher education isoverdue.Students increasingly prefer bigger and more urban institutions, so some smaller, rural ones will go. How many? Just before the pandemic, Mr Zemsky and his co-authors suggested that 10% of colleges would eventually close. He now expects 20% to shut ormerge withothers.
高等教育的整合滞后。学生们越来越喜欢规模更大的城市学校，因此一些规模较小的乡村学校将会被淘汰。有多少呢?疫情之前，Zemsky先生和他的合著者暗示10%的大学最终都会关闭。他现在预计20%的大学或关闭或与其他大学合并。
9. The pandemic further dims their prospects in several ways. Take universities’ efforts to recruit foreign students, who typically pay full fees. For each of the past three years, enrolments of foreign undergraduates have slid. A drop in Chinese students explains much of that. Travel bans and concern that America hasbungledthe coronavirus will only put off more.
疫情在很多方面进一步使这些高校前景暗淡。如高校尽力招收那些一般都会交全额学费的外国留学生。在过去的三年里，外国本科生的入学人数每年都在下降。中国留学生人数的下降可以解释这一现象。旅行禁令和对美国应对疫情失败的担忧只会带来更大影响。
10. The economic slump means some poorer families will not send youngsters to study. Others will delay. Funding from states for public universities is certain to fall. A report by Pew Charitable Trusts published on May 18th points out that states cut funds for higher education by 29% per student between 2008 and 2012. This time the slump is likely to be worse. Already Nevada and Ohio say they have plans to cut. The University of Michigan has talked of losing out on $1bn. Federal spending will rise ($14bn in emergency help went to universities and students under the Cares Act), but is unlikely to make up all the shortfall.
经济衰退意味着一些不那么富裕的家庭可能会放弃送孩子留学。还有一些人则会推迟留学计划。各州对公立大学的资助肯定会减少。皮尤慈善信托基金5月18日发布的一份报告指出，2008年至2012年间，各州将每个学生的高等教育经费削减了29%。而这一次，削减可能会加大。内华达州和俄亥俄州已经表示他们已有削减计划。密歇根大学(University of Michigan)曾表示将损失10亿美元。政府支出将会增加(根据《关爱法案》，140亿美元的紧急援助将提供给各高校及学生)，但这还不能填补所有缺口。
11. Finally, many universities face possibly costly legal trouble. Ms Nix-Hines counted 134 lawsuits, mostly class-action ones,levied againstthe “wholegamut” of private and public colleges by late May, mostly as students sought the return of tuition fees, saying they received asubstandardservice online. Some colleges might now seek a “liabilityshield” to protect against future prosecutions before they reopen. For universities, it all adds up to “their greatest challenge in history”, she says. That may sound alarmist, but it is probably true.
最终，许多大学可能会卷入耗资巨大的法律纠纷。据尼克斯-海恩斯统计，截至5月底，美国共有134起针对私立和公立大学的“全方位”诉讼，其中大部分是集体诉讼，主要是学生要求退还学费，称他们在网上得到的服务不合格。一些高校现在可能会在开学前寻求一个“责任盾牌”，以防止再被起诉。她表示，对于高校而言，这一切都是“历史上最大的挑战”。这听起来可能有点危言耸听，但很可能是真的。
精读解析
篇章结构
P1—P2：由马蕾卡的例子引入，受疫情影响，各大高校进行远程教学，而学生却渴望能尽快恢复线下教学。
P3—P5：疫情期间，高校将遭遇困境：学生入学率下降，很多规模较小的高校关闭。
P6—P8：疫情使人们反思高等教育问题：大量吸收非裔学生的高校风险最大；高等教育整合滞后
P9—P11：疫情带来的经济衰退加剧高校资金问题；远程教育还会使高校面临法律纠纷。
重点单词
chop/t p/n. 砍；排骨；商标；[网]削球vt. 剁碎；砍
【短语】
chop and changev. 变化无常
chop backv. 急忙倒退,突然转向
chop logic
咬文嚼字；强词夺理；争辩
pork chopn. 猪排
【例句】
We had to chop a way through the undergrowth.
我们必须在矮树林中砍伐出一条路来。
predate/pri 'de t/ v. 提早日期,居先
【例句】
We predate any police force in the country.
我们比这个国家的任何警察机关都成立得早。
The city's history predates even him.
这个城市的历史甚至比他还要早。
accelerate/ k'sel re t/ vt. & vi. (使)加快, (使)增速
【例句】
Catalysts are something used to accelerate chemical action.
催化剂用来加快化学反应。
criminology/ krimi'n l d i/ n. 犯罪学；犯罪学家
【例句】
Jack Merritt and Saskia Jones were stabbed to death, both had been studying criminology.
杰克梅里特和萨斯基亚琼斯都在恐袭中被刺死，他们当时都在学习犯罪学。
sprawl over蔓延；扩展
【例句】
A few lichens of the species Usnea melanoxanthra sprawled over the black rocks.
一些单条黑色的苔藓品种丛生，铺在黑色岩石上。
bucolic/bju 'k l k/ adj. 牧民生活的,田园风味的,乡村风味的n. 牧歌;田园诗；农民；牧人
【例句】
Far from being a bucolic retreat, much of the green belt is intensively farmed.
并非是田园撤退，大部分的绿化带被密集耕种。
valiant/'v l nt/ adj. 勇敢的n. 勇敢的人,勇士
【例句】
The valiant soldier was given a medal.
那个勇敢的士兵获得了一枚奖章。
crave/kre v/ v. 恳求；渴望
【短语】
crave forv. 渴望
【例句】
And you may also crave more food than usual.
你也可能比平时想吃更多的食物。
long-standing/'l st di / adj. 长期存在的
【例句】
The United Kingdom and Portugal hold the longest standing alliance in the world which started in 1386.
英国和葡萄牙是历史上最悠久的联盟，始于1386年。
in good shape状态不错
【例句】
The bilateral relationship is in good shape.
双边关系处于良好形态。
endowment/ n'da m( )nt/ n. (经常的)资助,捐助;捐助的财物等；天赋,天资,才能；养老保险
【短语】
endowment assurancen. 人寿保险单
endowment insurance
养老保险
【同根】
endow vt. 捐赠；天生具有；赋予
【例句】
The hospital was founded on an endowment fund.
这所医院是用捐赠基金创办的。
demography/d 'm gr f / n. 人口统计学adj. 人口统计学的
【例句】
We see a big gap in the demography.
“我们看到过人口统计学的巨大鸿沟。
drift down漂降；降低
【例句】
It didn't happen and since then the prices have drifted down by almost 20 dollars a barrel.
但这一情况没有发生，自那时起，每桶油的价格就跌了近20美元。
endowment/ n'da m( )nt/n. (经常的)资助,捐助;捐助的财物等；天赋,天资,才能；养老保险
【例句】
You mean situations where you need to protect the endowment.
也就是需要维护校方利益的场合。
pile up debt债台高筑
discount/'d ska nt/ n. 数目, 折扣vt. & vi. 打折扣, 减价出售；不考虑; 不全信
【短语】
at a discount
打折扣；不受欢迎，没销路
cash discountn. 现金折扣
【例句】
The shop has a special discount for newlyweds.
商店对新婚夫妇实行特别优惠。
inefficient/ n 'f ( )nt/ adj. 无效率的, 效率低的, 无能的, 不称职的
【例句】
The problem with central planning is that it's inefficient.
中央计划经济的问题在于效率低下。
go bust破产，完蛋；失败
【例句】
In the hugely competitive market, at least three other bike sharing companies have gone bust in recent months.
在竞争剧烈的市场中，至少有三家其他共享单车公司在近几个月内宣布破产。
bequest/b 'kwest/n. 遗产；遗赠
【例句】
She had left me $50,000. I didn't remember her saying anything about her bequest.
她留给我50000美元。我不记得她说过任何关于她遗嘱的事情。
winnow/'w n /vt. 簸；把…挑出来；精选n. 扬谷；扬谷器
【例句】
The people who have brains and courage come through and the ones who haven't are winnowed out.
那些有头脑有勇气的人要以通过这种动，而那些没有头脑和勇气的就将被淘汰掉。
consolidation/k n,s l 'de n/ n. 巩固,加强,强化；联合,统一;合并；变坚固
【例句】
Consolidation makes it possible for you to store memories for late retrieval indefinitely.
巩固使存储记忆、并在将来进行信息提取成为可能。
overdue/ v 'dju / adj. 迟到的；过期的；未兑的
【短语】
be overdue
过期
overdue account
过期帐，逾期帐
overdue and pay a fine
逾期并交罚款；过期罚款
【例句】
The sanctions list was about a month overdue.
此次制裁名单比计划晚了大约一个月的时间。
merge with融入（车流中）；与…结合；于…联合
【例句】
The sparkles from these myriads of diamonds were merging with each other.
这无数亿万钻石的晶光混和起来了。
bungle/'b g( )l/vt. &vi. 搞糟,完不成；笨手笨脚地做n. 拙劣的工作
【例句】
And a bungling criminal is caught on tape in Spartanburg, South Carolina.
而在南卡罗莱纳斯帕坦堡一位笨贼被摄像机纪录下来。
levy against对...征收
【例句】
Flynn discussed recent sanctions, penalties that the Obama administration had levied against Russia.
弗林同俄罗斯大使讨论了近期奥巴马政府对俄罗斯施加的制裁和惩罚措施。
gamut/'g m t/ n. 全音阶；全音域；整个范围
【例句】
So should companies, which can be skewered over an expanding gamut of gripes.
企业也应该这样做，因为它们可以针对范围不断扩大的抱怨进行抨击。
substandard/s b'st nd d/ adj. 不够标准的,在标准以下的
【例句】
He cast the company as an abhorrent peddler of heartburn and substandard bowel movements.
他把这家公司说成是一个引起胃灼热和肠运动的令人憎恶的小贩。
liability/la 'b l t / n. 责任, 义务; 倾向；债务；妨碍, 不利
【例句】
You have the liability for military service.
你有服兵役的义务。
重点句子
Nathan Grawe of Carleton College in Minnesota, who researches demography and higher education, says the core difficulty is the slipping fertility rate.
这个句子，主干是：Nathan Grawe says the core difficulty is the slipping fertility rate.后面的of Carleton College in Minnesota点明Nathan Grawe的所属，再后面的who researches demography and higher education是一个定语从句，修饰Nathan Grawe，说明Nathan Grawe是做什么的。
本文作者可以追加内容哦 !
