【双语有声阅读】我不会让儿子上大学(上)

I Won't Let Our Boy Go to University

我不会让儿子上大学

I've refused to allow my stepson Jim to go to university because it will be too expensive and a waste of time.

我不会让我的继子上大学，因为上大学是件既浪费金钱又浪费时间的事情。

People think I'm selfish or uncaring. But I think more parents will come to accept my way of thinking.

人们认为我自私，对继子不够关心。但是我相信会有更多的父母会接受我思考问题方式。

Britain's university system is failing to serve either society or our children.

英国大学系统对社会或者孩子都无益处。

I can't remember when I began to change my mind on education. Like many middle-class parents, I had assumed¹ that going to university was what children should do.

我忘了从什么时候开始改变自己对教育的看法。和大多数中产阶级家长一样，我曾经认为上大学是孩子应该做的事情。

It's one of the reasons we sent him to an expensive private boarding school with a good academic reputation, rather than a weak but free local one.

这是我送他最贵的有着良好的学术声誉的寄宿学校上学的原因之一，我并没有让他去普通的当地学校。

Education was more important than nice cars, new kitchens, or skiing holidays.

教育比豪车，新厨房，或者滑雪度假都要重要。

Jim is a teenager of whom any parent would be proud. He's charming², considerate and helpful; he's a genius at things like hanging pictures and mending door handles; he's good with children; he's handsome. But he's shown little interest in study.

吉米是任何父母都会感到骄傲的青少年。他可爱，体贴，乐于助人；他擅长挂画架和修门把手；他和伙伴们相处得很好；他很帅气。但是他对学习不感兴趣。

It's not Jim's intellect³ that's the problem, but an inbuilt reluctance⁴ to do any more work than necessary to get by.

这不是吉米智力的问题，而是他不愿意付出更多努力，只是想通过就行。

We've tried every method to make him work harder: blackmail⁵, bribery⁶, threats. None of it has worked.

为了能让他更努力学习，我们尝试了所有的办法：勒索，贿赂，威胁。这些都不起作用。

For his final exams, Jim got a D and two Es. Even allowing for our low expectations, this came as a shock to his mother and me.

吉米在期末考试中，得了1个D和2个E。尽管我们已经降低期望，但是这样的成绩对我和他的妈妈来说还是一个打击。

1 assumed   

adj.假定的, 假装的 动词assume的过去式和过去分词

参考例句：

• The assumed linearity of these equations can be related to the uniformity of space and time.所假定的这些方程的线性，可归因于空间和时间的均匀性。

2 charming   

adj.迷人的，可爱的

参考例句：

• She looked small and gentle and altogether charming.她看起来小巧文雅,十分迷人。
• She has charming manners.她具有媚人的风姿。

3 intellect   

n.理智，才智，有才智的人，知识分子

参考例句：

• Newton is a man of great intellect.牛顿有非凡的才智。
• It is not often that one so young has such a giant intellect.年纪这样轻、智力又如此高的人可不多。

4 reluctance   

n.厌恶，讨厌，勉强，不情愿

参考例句：

• The police released Andrew with reluctance.警方勉强把安德鲁放走了。
• He showed the greatest reluctance to make a reply.他表示很不愿意答复。

5 blackmail   

n.讹诈，敲诈，勒索，胁迫，恫吓

参考例句：

• She demanded ＄1000 blackmail from him.她向他敲诈了1000美元。
• The journalist used blackmail to make the lawyer give him the documents.记者讹诈那名律师交给他文件。

6 bribery   

n.贿络行为，行贿，受贿

参考例句：

• FBI found out that the senator committed bribery.美国联邦调查局查明这个参议员有受贿行为。
• He was charged with bribery.他被指控受贿。