VOA慢速英语2020 数千美国军人因疫情暂缓退伍

Thousands Delay Plans to Leave US Military

Antonio Gozikowski was planning to leave the United States Army next month and go to college.

安东尼奥·戈齐科夫斯基（Antonio Gozikowski）原本计划下月离开美国军队去上大学。

Gozikowski, an Army Sergeant¹, has served six years in the military. His goal in college was to expand his medical skills, become a dentist and then return to the Army in a few years. But the coronavirus health crisis is forcing universities to consider online classes or reduced schooling².

戈齐科夫斯基是一名陆军中士，在陆军服役6年。他上大学的目的是精进他的医疗技能，成为一名牙医，然后几年后重返军队，但冠状病毒健康危机导致大学不得不考虑线上授课或者减少入学教育。

So, Gozikowski decided³ to sign up for a new Army program and extend his military service for six more months.

因此，戈齐科夫斯基决定报名参加一个新的陆军项目，并将服役期限再延长6个月。

Concerns about future jobs or college classes are driving more U.S. military members to either remain in the armed forces or delay leaving. The weakened economic conditions make the job security, guaranteed pay and benefits of the military much more appealing.

出于对未来就业或高校就读形势的担忧，更多美军士兵选择继续服役或延期退伍。疲弱的经济状况让军人这份职业相对稳定，工资和待遇更具吸引力。

Gozikowski said, "Everything from elementary schools to universities is closing down and there's no saying how it's going to go when the fall semester opens."

戈齐科夫斯基表示，“从小学到大学，所有学校都关闭了，秋季学期开学后的状况也难以预料。”

He told The Associated Press that the military provides work and guaranteed wages.

他告诉美联社，军队能提供工作，并且工资有保障。

Gozikowski is one of hundreds of armed forces members who have accepted short-term extensions being offered by the military. As of last week, the Army had already passed its goal of keeping 50,000 soldiers for the fiscal⁴ year. More than 52,000 have signed up for the extensions. The Navy and other military services also have met or are closer than planned to their target numbers.

戈齐科夫斯基是数百名接受军方暂缓退伍的武装部队士兵之一。截至上周，陆军已经通过了为本财政年度保留5万名士兵的目标。超过5.2万人报名参加了暂缓退伍计划。海军和其他军事机构也达到或比原计划更接近各自目标的数字。

The large number of individuals choosing to stay in the armed forces will make up for any shortage in the number of new recruits resulting from the coronavirus pandemic. That will help the military meet its total required troop levels for the end of the year.

大批选择继续服役的士兵将弥补因冠状病毒大流行而造成的征兵缺口，这也将有助于军队达到年底所需的总兵力水平。

Army Sergeant Major Stuart Morgan provides career guidance to armed forces members. He says the Army's program lets members postpone⁵ their departure for up to 11 months. By early last week, he said, 745 soldiers had signed up.

陆军中士斯图尔特·摩根（Stuart Morgan）少校为武装部队成员提供就业指导。他说，军队的暂缓退伍计划允许士兵最长推迟11个月退伍。他还指出，截至上周初已有745名士兵报名。

"What we're seeing this year, which is directly related to COVID, is we do have a population of soldiers that what they were expecting at the end of transition has suddenly disappeared," Morgan said. "And now you have a soldier that is trying to go through a transition period that is now facing uncertainty⁶ on the outside."

摩根表示：“今年的状况是，的确有一批士兵，他们原本期盼的过渡期结束后的愿景突然落空，而这正是新冠肺炎导致的。现在我们的士兵正在经历过渡期，而这个时期正面临着外界不确定性。”

The U.S. Air Force is already expecting to fall short of its recruiting goal by as much as 5,800 because of the virus. The Air Force said that shortfall could be filled by individuals who decide to extend their military service.

由于疫情，美国空军预计，或将出现多达5800人的征兵空缺。美国空军表示，这一缺口可能由决定暂缓退伍的士兵填补。

So far, the number of Air Force members who have asked to extend their service is 700 more than at this time last year.

截止目前，要求延长服役期限的空军成员叫去年这一时间段增加了700人。

Retention⁷ is also on the rise in the U.S. Marine⁸ Corps⁹.

美国海军陆战队的留任率也在上升。

Currently, there are about 183,000 Marines. The goal for the end of the fiscal year is about 184,600. The Marine Corps has nearly reached its retention goal of about 12,600 for the fiscal year.

目前，现役的海军陆战队员有18.3万。而本财政年度的兵力目标是18.46万。海军陆战队几乎接近了本财政年度保留约1.26万人的目标。

I'm Jonathan Evans.

乔纳森·埃文斯为您播报。

1 sergeant   

n.警官，中士

参考例句：

• His elder brother is a sergeant.他哥哥是个警官。
• How many stripes are there on the sleeve of a sergeant?陆军中士的袖子上有多少条纹？

2 schooling   

n.教育；正规学校教育

参考例句：

• A child's access to schooling varies greatly from area to area.孩子获得学校教育的机会因地区不同而大相径庭。
• Backward children need a special kind of schooling.天赋差的孩子需要特殊的教育。

3 decided   

adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的

参考例句：

• This gave them a decided advantage over their opponents.这使他们比对手具有明显的优势。
• There is a decided difference between British and Chinese way of greeting.英国人和中国人打招呼的方式有很明显的区别。

4 fiscal   

adj.财政的，会计的，国库的，国库岁入的

参考例句：

• The increase of taxation is an important fiscal policy.增税是一项重要的财政政策。
• The government has two basic strategies of fiscal policy available.政府有两个可行的财政政策基本战略。

5 postpone   

v.延期，推迟

参考例句：

• I shall postpone making a decision till I learn full particulars.在未获悉详情之前我得从缓作出决定。
• She decided to postpone the converastion for that evening.她决定当天晚上把谈话搁一搁。

6 uncertainty   

n.易变，靠不住，不确知，不确定的事物

参考例句：

• Her comments will add to the uncertainty of the situation.她的批评将会使局势更加不稳定。
• After six weeks of uncertainty,the strain was beginning to take its toll.6个星期的忐忑不安后，压力开始产生影响了。

7 retention   

n.保留，保持，保持力，记忆力

参考例句：

• They advocate the retention of our nuclear power plants.他们主张保留我们的核电厂。
• His retention of energy at this hour is really surprising.人们惊叹他在这个时候还能保持如此旺盛的精力。

8 marine   

adj.海的；海生的；航海的；海事的；n.水兵

参考例句：

• Marine creatures are those which live in the sea. 海洋生物是生存在海里的生物。
• When the war broke out,he volunteered for the Marine Corps.战争爆发时，他自愿参加了海军陆战队。

9 corps   

n.(通信等兵种的)部队；(同类作的)一组

参考例句：

• The medical corps were cited for bravery in combat.医疗队由于在战场上的英勇表现而受嘉奖。
• When the war broke out,he volunteered for the Marine Corps.战争爆发时，他自愿参加了海军陆战队。