摘要：本文摘自2008年8月9日的NEWS WEEK。在一定程度上契合目前中国比较热的留学问题。到底留学是消费还是投资？这是一个问题。
英语听力原文：
There are few more sobering online activities than entering data into college-tuition calculators and gasping as the Web spits back a six-figure sum.
几乎没有什么在线活动比输入数据计算大学学费更重大的了，当网页上出现六位数的计算记过时，您可能会惊讶得屏住呼吸。
But economists say families about to go into debt to fund four years of partying, as well as studying, can console themselves with the knowledge that college is an investment that, unlike many bank stock, should yield huge dividends.
但是，经济学家认为与银行股票不同，大学学费是一笔注定获利丰厚的投资，即使各个家庭因为为孩子四年的学习和社交生活支付学费而负债累累，也可以因此聊以自慰。
A 2008 study by two Harvard economists notes that the "labor-market premium to skill"-or the amount college graduates earned that's greater than what high-school graduate earned-decreased for much of the 20th century, but has come back with a vengeance（报复性地）since the 1980s.
哈佛大学的两位经济学家2008年的一项调查显示“劳动力市场技能溢价”——20世纪的大多时期，大学毕业生的薪酬虽然高于高中毕业生，但这个差距正逐渐缩小。然而，20世纪80年代以来，这个差距再次拉大。
There's no question that going to college is a smart economic choice. But a look at the strange variations in tuition reveals that the choice about which college to attend doesn't come down merely to dollars and cents.
毫无疑问，上大学是聪明的决定、实惠的选择。但是，各大学数目不一的学费也着实让人奇怪，这也说明选择进入哪所大学学习也不仅仅至关乎金钱。
Does going to Columbia University yield a 40% greater return than attending the University of Colorado at Boulder as an out-of-state student? Probably not. Does being an out-of-state student at the University of Colorado at Boulder yield twice the amount of income as being an in-state student there? Not likely.
哥伦比亚大学的学生其将来的薪酬回报会比博尔德克罗拉大学的外州学生高出40%吗？不一定。博尔德科罗拉多大学的外州学生其将来的薪酬会比该校内州学生高出一倍吗？也不一定。
No, in this consumerist age, most buyers aren't evaluating college as an investment, but rather as a consumer product-like a car or clothes or a house. And with such purchases, price is only one of many crucial factors to consider.
不，在这个崇尚消费的时代，大多数买主并不把上大学看做是投资，而是将其看做消费产品——就如一辆私家车和一屋子的衣服。购买这类商品时，价格只是需要考虑的众多关键因素之一。
So which is it? Is college an investment product like a stock or a consumer product like a car? In keeping with the automotive world's hottest consumer trend, maybe it's best to characterize is as a bybird（混合动力汽车）: an expensive consumer product that, over time, will pay rich dividends.
因此，大学到底是什么呢？是像股票一样的投资产品还是像汽车一样的消费品？按照汽车行业最热门的消费趋势来说，大学也许更像是一辆混合动力汽车：价格昂贵但回报日益丰厚的消费品。
英语词汇整理：
1. sobering adj. 重大的；严重的
eg: The offender apologized when he sobered up.
冒犯者醒酒后道了歉。
短语:
sober up 清醒起来；使……清醒；使严肃起来
同近义词：
acute/ serious/ bad adj. 使清醒的；使冷静的；严重的
2. tuition n. 学费
eg: Angela's $7,000 tuition at university this year will be paid for with scholarships.
安吉拉今年7000美元的大学学费将用奖学金来支付。
短语：
tuition fee 学费
tuition waiver 学费减免
tuition scholarship 奖学金
net tuition 净学费
3. calculator n. 计算器
eg: We have to use a calculator.
我们不得不使用一个计算器。
词根：calculate vi./vt. 计算；预测；认为
短语：
electronic calculator 电子计算器
scientific calculator 科学用计算器
pocket calculator 袖珍计算器；便携式计算器
4. spit v. 吐出
eg: You'd better to spit out the seeds in your palm, and then put them on the plate.
你应该把子吐在手上，然后再放到盘子里。
短语：
spit it out 痛痛快快地讲出来
spit out 吐出
spit on 向……吐唾沫
spit upon 对……表示侮辱；向……吐唾沫
spit at 向……吐唾沫；对……表示藐视
spit up 喷出，吐出
spit in someone's eye(或face) [口语]轻视(或藐视，侮辱)某人
spit and image 极其相似之物
5. economist v.经济学家
eg: Do you have some hints for me, how to become a good economist?
如何成为一名好的经济学家，你有什么给我的提示吗？
短语：
senior economist 高级经济师
economist intelligence unit 经济学人智库
assistant economist 助理经济师
6. console v. 安慰
eg: I can console myself with the fact that I'm not alone.
我可以用不只我一个人的这种事实来安慰自己。
短语：
game console 游戏机
control console 控制（操作）台
audio console 音控台
7. dividend n. 红利，股息
eg: The first quarter dividend has been increased by nearly 4 percent.
第一季度的股息增加了近4％。
短语：
cash dividend 现金股利
dividend distribution 股息分配
dividend income 股利收益
final dividend 期末股息
dividend rate 股利率，股息率
8. premium n. 额外补贴，津贴
eg: He declined to say what level of premium would be acceptable.
但他拒绝表示何种水平的溢价才是可以接受的.
短语：
pay a premium for 付……佣金
at a premium 溢价；在票面价值以上
put a premium on 奖励；重视；鼓励
place a premium on 诱发
9. variation n. 变化
eg: The survey found a wide variation in the prices charged for canteen food.
这项调查发现不同的餐厅出售食物的价格存在很大的差别。
短语：
variation analysis 差异分析；变异分析
environmental variation 环境变异
time variation 时间变化
variation method 差异法
variation range 调整范围；变限
10. consumerist adj. 消费主义的，崇尚消费的
eg: We live in such a consumerist society nowadays.
我们生活在这么一个消费主义社会。
短语：
consumerist creed 消费至上主义
consumerist culture 消费文化
11. evaluate v. 评估
eg：I can't evaluate his ability without seeing his work.
我没有看到他的工作情况,无法评论他的能力。
短语：
evaluate as 把……评价为
evaluate sb's ability 估计能力
evaluate sb on sth = assess sb depend on sth 根据…评价某人
佳句采摘：
In keeping with the automotive world's hottest consumer trend, maybe it's best to characterize it as a hybird（混合动力汽车）: an expensive consumer product that, over time, will pay rich dividends.
按照汽车行业最热门的消费趋势来说，大学也许更像是一辆混合动力汽车：价格昂贵但回报日益丰厚的消费品。 |