经济学人:英国的继续教育 技术升级(2)

 　　Employers moan that skilled workers are scarce, especially in industries like engineering and IT. 雇主们抱怨道技术熟练工数量不足，尤其是工程设计与信息技术等行业。

　　Tougher immigration restrictions¹, likely to be introduced when Britain leaves the EU, will exacerbate² skills shortages. 当英国脱离欧盟后可能会采取更加严格的移民限制，到时候技术工人缺乏的问题将会加重。

　　The sector³ has struggled with shoddy qualifications. 继续教育行业已经在与假冒伪劣的资质认证作斗争。

　　The six in ten 18-year-olds who do not take A-levels, academic school-leaving qualifications, are poorly served by a hotch-potch of some 13,000 courses of varying quality. 没有拿到等级A(毕业的学历证书)的18岁学生里有十分之六的人得到的是某些质量参差不齐的一万三千门课程里大杂烩，并没有得到很好的教学服务。

　　In 2015 the government commissioned Lord Sainsbury, a Labour peer, to examine the state of technical education in England. 2015年英国政府委任Sainsbury勋爵视察英格兰的技术教育现状。

　　His report, published last year, despaired that a wannabe plumber⁴ had to choose between 33 qualifications, offered at three different levels, by five awarding organisations. 在他去年发布的报告中，绝望地称一个合格的水管工必须从来自五家授予机构的三个不同等级的三十三个职业证书中做出选择。

　　Many of the courses are too basic to be much use. 其中许多课程太过于基础以至于没多大用处。

　　Mr Hammond now aims to clear up this muddle⁵. Hammond现在目的是清理这些混乱的局面。

　　Following Lord Sainsbury's recommendations, the government will introduce 15 subject areas, grouping together topics such as social care or transport and logistics. 英国政府采纳了Sainsbury勋爵的建议，将引入十五个学科领域，将例如社会护理或运输物流等主题组合在一起。

　　Students will work towards “T-levels” (for “technical” ) , developed with firms. 学生们将由企业培养，朝向“T等级”工作(T表示“技术”)。

　　Organisations will compete for the right to award the qualification. 各个机构将通过竞争来获得授予资质的权力。

　　The extra funding will provide more work placements. 额外的资金将提供更多的工作实习。

　　And those who go on to take degree-equivalent qualifications will have access to loans to cover the cost of living. 并且那些继续获取同等学历将能获得贷款来应付生活成本。

　　Some would rather the reforms offered a broader education to those going down a vocational path, with more of a focus on ensuring competency in maths and English. 一些人宁愿改革为那些在求职之路上失败的人提供更多的教育机会，更多关注数学和英语能力的培养。

　　But most agree that the first task is simply to resuscitate⁶ the sector. 但是，大多数人认为，首要任务就是要去复兴继续教育这个领域。

1 restrictions   

约束( restriction的名词复数 )； 管制； 制约因素； 带限制性的条件（或规则）

参考例句：

• I found the restrictions irksome. 我对那些限制感到很烦。
• a snaggle of restrictions 杂乱无章的种种限制

2 exacerbate   

v.恶化，增剧，激怒，使加剧

参考例句：

• WMO says a warming climate can exacerbate air pollution.世界气象组织说，气候变暖可能会加剧空气污染。
• In fact efforts will merely exacerbate the current problem.实际上努力只会加剧当前的问题。

3 sector   

n.部门，部分；防御地段，防区；扇形

参考例句：

• The export sector will aid the economic recovery. 出口产业将促进经济复苏。
• The enemy have attacked the British sector.敌人已进攻英国防区。

4 plumber   

n.(装修水管的)管子工

参考例句：

• Have you asked the plumber to come and look at the leaking pipe?你叫管道工来检查漏水的管子了吗？
• The plumber screwed up the tap by means of a spanner.管子工用板手把龙头旋紧。

5 muddle   

n.困惑，混浊状态；vt.使混乱，使糊涂，使惊呆；vi.胡乱应付，混乱

参考例句：

• Everything in the room was in a muddle.房间里每一件东西都是乱七八糟的。
• Don't work in a rush and get into a muddle.克服忙乱现象。

6 resuscitate   

v.使复活，使苏醒

参考例句：

• A policeman and then a paramedic tried to resuscitate her.一名警察和一位护理人员先后试图救活她。
• As instructed by Rinpoche,we got the doctors to resuscitate him.遵照仁波切的指示，我们找来医生帮他进行急救。