英文原版对话1000个:793 Public or Private

Todd: Hello, I'm here with Frederick. Now frederick, you went to university in Canada?

Fred: That's right, Todd.

Todd: OK, and you have very strong views about universities in Canada. Can you please explain?

Fred: OK, well, let me just give you a general idea of how education works¹ in Canada. We don't have private universities in Canada. They're all public. Now what that means is that the universities are owned by the government, so there is the Ministry² of Education that's in charge of creating the curriculum³ for the universities and so there's not much room for flexibility⁴ and since it's a government operated institution, things don't move very fast. If you want something to be done then their workers do not have so much incentive⁵ to help you because he's a worker for the government, and so I think it's not very efficient, however there are certain advantages of public universities, such as the fees being free, you don't have to pay for your education and so it's open for everybody and that's also one of Canada's main idea is to provide free education to everybody, but the system is slow. It is inefficient⁶ and does not work that well.

Todd: But, yeah, I can see your point but in the United States we have many private universities and I think they're large bureaucracies⁷ also and maybe people don't act that much differently because somebody working for a private university, it's the same thing. They get paid for their job. I don't know if they're that much more motivated to help people. Also, we have a problem in the United States that usually only wealthy kids go to the best schools and it's kind of a problem actually.

Fred: I agree with you. I think that it is a problem because you're not giving the same equal access to education to everybody, only a few selected people can go to the best and the others go to the maybe less good universities. I agree with you that it's not easy but having only public universities might not be the best solution. Perhaps providing public university but also private university such as Japan for example where they have a system of private and public universities. Now, in Japan public university are considered to be the best and private universities are considered to be less good that public universities.

Todd: Right. It's the exact opposite in the States

Fred: So, as you see, it's hard to see which one is better.
 

1 works   

n.作品，著作；工厂，活动部件，机件

参考例句：

• We expect writers to produce more and better works.我们期望作家们写出更多更好的作品。
• The novel is regarded as one of the classic works.这篇小说被公认为是最优秀的作品之一。

2 ministry   

n.(政府的)部；牧师

参考例句：

• They sent a deputation to the ministry to complain.他们派了一个代表团到部里投诉。
• We probed the Air Ministry statements.我们调查了空军部的记录。

3 curriculum   

n.课程，（学校等的）全部课程

参考例句：

• Is German on your school's curriculum?你们学校有德语课吗？
• The English curriculum should stress both composition and reading.英语课程对作文和阅读应同样重视。

4 flexibility   

n.柔韧性，弹性，（光的）折射性，灵活性

参考例句：

• Her great strength lies in her flexibility.她的优势在于她灵活变通。
• The flexibility of a man's muscles will lessen as he becomes old.人老了肌肉的柔韧性将降低。

5 incentive   

n.刺激；动力；鼓励；诱因；动机

参考例句：

• Money is still a major incentive in most occupations.在许多职业中，钱仍是主要的鼓励因素。
• He hasn't much incentive to work hard.他没有努力工作的动机。

6 inefficient   

adj.效率低的，无效的

参考例句：

• The inefficient operation cost the firm a lot of money.低效率的运作使该公司损失了许多钱。
• Their communication systems are inefficient in the extreme.他们的通讯系统效率非常差。

7 bureaucracies   

官僚制( bureaucracy的名词复数 )； 官僚主义； 官僚体制； 实行官僚体制的国家

参考例句：

• State bureaucracies can tend to stifle enterprise and initiative. 国家的官僚体制往往会扼杀人们的事业心和积极性。
• You know how inefficient and tyrannical government bureaucracies are. 你知道官僚主义政府多么无能，多么专横。