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2009.11.19-教育报道-美国大学创入学记录新高
EDUCATION REPORT - US Colleges Set Enrollment Record

This is the VOA Special English Education Report.
这里是VOA特别英语教育报道。

College enrollment has reached an all-time high in the United States. About forty percent of all eighteen- to twenty-four-year-olds -- or almost eleven and a half million -- were in school in October of last year.
美国的大学入学人数已创历史新高。18至24岁年龄群中大约有40%——几乎是1150万——去年的十月还在学校里。

A new report says both numbers are record highs. Richard Fry at the Pew Research Center points to a number of reasons.
一项新的报道称有两个数字都创下了历史新高。 皮尤研究所的Richard Fry指出其中的多种原因。
 
RICHARD FRY: "The number of young adults that have finished high school is also now at a record all-time high. Almost eighty-five percent of America's young adults have finished high school. That means they're college eligible. So part of the reason college enrollments are at an all-time high is because the pool of youth that's eligible to go to college is also at an all-time high."
RICHARD FRY：“已经高中毕业的年轻人的数量目前同样创下历史新高。几乎85%的美国年轻人已经高中毕业。那就意味着他们都有资格进入大学。所以，大学入学数创下历史新高的部分原因是因为有资格进入大学的年轻生源的数量同样创下了新高。”

Another reason for the enrollment increase: the recession. The unemployment rate reached a twenty-six year high in October. The economic downturn has hit young adults especially hard. Richard Fry says their job-holding rate is almost at the lowest point in nearly fifty years.
入学数量增加的另一个原因是：大衰退。十月份，失业率达到了26年来最高。经济的低迷极大地冲击了年轻人。Richard Fry 说他们的工作稳定程度也几乎达到了近50年来的最低点。

In a poor job market, many people turn to higher education, especially at two-year colleges. These schools, known as community colleges, have had the greatest enrollment increase. They offer professional training and traditionally cost a lot less than programs at four-year schools.
在一个低迷的就业市场中，很多人都转向追求更高的教育，尤其是两年制大学，这些学校也就是为人所熟知的社区大学，（它们的）入学数达到了最大增加。他们提供职业培训，并且，一般来说，他们的费用比四年制大学课程的少很多。

But experts say the recession has not cut enrollment in four-year programs, even with their higher -- sometimes much higher -- costs. The Chronicle of Higher Education says at least fifty-eight private colleges now charge fifty thousand dollars or more a year.
不过，专家们称大衰退并没有减少四年制大学的入学数，甚至他们变得更高——有些时候是费用上的更高。高等教育纪事称至少有58所私立大学每年的费用是5万美元。

Lately there have been accusations that some private, competitive liberal arts colleges are trying to avoid being seen as "too female." Critics say that as a result these schools are discriminating against women and admitting less qualified men.
近期，有一些谴责是关于一些私立的，颇具竞争力的文科大学，它们正在努力避免被看成“太过阴性”。批评家们称，这样做的结果就是造成这些学校歧视女性，并且会接收哪些条件不足的男性。

In August the United States Commission on Civil Rights opened an investigation. Spokeswoman Lenore Ostrowsky says the purpose is to identify if discrimination is taking place in schools.
在八月，美国民权委员会展开了一项调查。女发言人Lenore Ostrowsky称，这样做的目的就是为了查明在学校中是否存有歧视。

But she adds that there may be lots of reasons why more women apply to colleges, and why colleges admit more women. The Census Bureau says fifty-four percent of full time students at two- and four-year colleges last year were female.
不过，她补充道，更多的女性申请进入大学以及众多大学接纳更多女性，其中的原因都是非常多的。人口调查局称去年，两年制和四年制大学的全日制学生中有54%是女性学员。

Federal law bars sex discrimination at any school that receives federal money. Most schools do in one way or another. However, the law does not bar sex discrimination in admissions at private undergraduate schools, only public ones.
联邦法律规定，在接受联邦资金援助大学里禁止发生性别歧视。大部分学校都在以这种或那种方式去这样做。不过，法律没有禁止在私立本科大学准入上存在性别歧视，仅仅在公立大学可以禁止这样做。

The commission does not have enforcement powers, but it can suggest changes in the law. A report could take six months to a year.
委员会（对此）并没有强制力，不过，它可以建议进行法律上的修改，一个提案就可能需要花费六个月至一年的时间。

And that's the VOA Special English Education Report, written by June Simms. Transcripts and podcasts can be found at www.unsv.com. I'm Jim Tedder.
以上是VOA特别英语教育报道，由June Simms编写。文本及录音资料登陆www.unsv.com。我是Jim Tedder。