TED演讲：学校扼杀创造力(8)

 　　And the second is academic ability, which has really come to dominate our view of intelligence, 第二点，学术能力已经成为衡量好学生的主要标准，

　　because the universities designed the system in their image.  这种标准是那些大学自己制定的。

　　If you think of it, the whole system of public education around the world is a protracted¹ process of university entrance. 只要你思考一下就会发现，整个教育体系，不论哪个国家的公共教育，都是一种按部就班的程序，最终目标是为了考入大学。

　　And the consequence is that many highly-talented, brilliant, creative people think they're not, 造成的后果就是许多很有天才的有创造力的学生被钝化了，

　　because the thing they were good at at school wasn't valued, or was actually stigmatized². 因为这些学生发现他们的专长在学校并不受重视甚至还受到蔑视。

　　And I think we can't afford to go on that way. 我认为我们不能再这样扼杀孩子们的天才了。

　　In the next 30 years, according to UNESCO, more people worldwide will be graduating through education than since the beginning of history.  根据联合国教科文组织的统计，今后30年全世界毕业的学生将超过过去的总和。

　　More people, and it's the combination of all the things we've talked about 这就是人口增长造成的，人口增长关系到我们谈论的许多话题，

　　technology and its transformation³ effect on work, and demography⁴ and the huge explosion in population. 包括技术和技术变革对生产力的影响、人口统计学及人口爆炸。

　　Suddenly, degrees aren't worth anything. Isn't that true?  很快，文凭就不再有含金量了。是这样吧？

　　When I was a student, if you had a degree, you had a job.  我上学那会儿，有文凭就有工作。

　　If you didn't have a job, it's because you didn't want one. And I didn't want one, frankly⁵. 那时候如果你没工作，那是因为你不想找。说实话，我那时候就是这样。

　　But now kids with degrees are often heading home to carry on playing video games, 但现在的状况是，孩子们有文凭却经常呆在家里打电脑游戏，

　　because you need an MA where the previous job required a BA, and now you need a PhD for the other.  因为以前只要学士学位的工作岗位，现在需要硕士学位，现在还没毕业的孩子将来就得有个博士学位才好找工作。

　　It's a process of academic inflation. And it indicates the whole structure of education is shifting beneath our feet.  这就是学术学位的通货膨胀。这是整个教育体系坍塌的前兆。

　　We need to radically⁶ rethink our view of intelligence. 我们必须从根本上反思我们评价好学生的标准。

1 protracted   

adj.拖延的；延长的v.拖延“protract”的过去式和过去分词

参考例句：

• The war was protracted for four years. 战争拖延了四年。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• We won victory through protracted struggle. 经过长期的斗争，我们取得了胜利。 来自《简明英汉词典》

2 stigmatized   

v.使受耻辱，指责，污辱( stigmatize的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• He was stigmatized as an ex-convict. 他遭人污辱，说他给判过刑。 来自辞典例句
• Such a view has been stigmatized as mechanical jurisprudence. 蔑称这种观点为机械法学。 来自辞典例句

3 transformation   

n.变化；改造；转变

参考例句：

• Going to college brought about a dramatic transformation in her outlook.上大学使她的观念发生了巨大的变化。
• He was struggling to make the transformation from single man to responsible husband.他正在努力使自己由单身汉变为可靠的丈夫。

4 demography   

n.人口统计，人口学

参考例句：

• Demography is the analysis of population variables.人口学是对人口变量的分析。
• It was once a rule of demography that people have fewer children as their countries get richer.按人口统计学的一贯规律，一个国家里的人民越富有，他们所拥有的孩子就越少。

5 frankly   

adv.坦白地，直率地；坦率地说

参考例句：

• To speak frankly, I don't like the idea at all.老实说，我一点也不赞成这个主意。
• Frankly speaking, I'm not opposed to reform.坦率地说，我不反对改革。

6 radically   

ad.根本地，本质地

参考例句：

• I think we may have to rethink our policies fairly radically. 我认为我们可能要对我们的政策进行根本的反思。
• The health service must be radically reformed. 公共医疗卫生服务必须进行彻底改革。