TED演讲:我们不要一成不变的教育(5)

 　　Here's what we know. We know that the problem begins immediately. Right? 以下是我们所知道的东西。我们知道，问题很快就会来的。对吧？

　　This idea, zero to three. 我们来谈谈婴儿从出生到三岁的变化情况。

　　My wife, Yvonne, and I, we have four kids, three grown ones and a 15-year-old. That's a longer story. 我的妻子Yvonne和我一共育有四个子女，其中三个已经成年，还有一个已经15岁了。说来话长，呵呵。

　　With our first kids, we did not know the science about brain development. 第一个孩子出生时，我们不了解小孩子大脑发育方面的科学知识。

　　We didn't know how critical those first three years were. 我们也不知道这头三年是如此的重要。

　　We didn't know what was happening in those young brains. 我们不清楚这三年这些孩子大脑中发生了什么。

　　We didn't know the role that language, a stimulus¹ and response, call and response, 我们不知道语言、刺激和反应、呼唤和回应这些因素

　　how important that was in developing those children. 在小孩成长中有多重要。

　　We know that now. What are we doing about it? Nothing. 而这些东西我们现在全部研究清楚了。可我们有为此做过什么事吗？也没有。

　　Wealthy people know. Educated people know. And their kids have an advantage. 可富人们知道，受过良好教育的人们也知道。而且他们自己的孩子也拥有某些优势。

　　Poor people don't know, and we're not doing anything to help them at all. But we know this is critical. 可穷人们不知道，而我们又没有做任何事来帮助他们。但我们知道这很重要。

　　Now, you take pre-kindergarten. We know it's important for kids. 现在我们有学前班。我们知道学前班对小孩子很重要。

　　Poor kids need that experience. Nope. Lots of places, it doesn't exist. 穷人家的孩子也需要这一体验。可是没有。很多穷地方根本没有学前班。

　　We know health services matter. 我们知道健康服务很重要。

　　You know, we provide health services and people are always fussing² at me about, you know, 你知道的，我们提供健康服务，人们总认为我是大惊小怪的人，

　　because I'm all into accountability and data and all of that good stuff³, 因为我喜欢问责和数据和所有好东西，

　　but we do health services, and I have to raise a lot of money. 但我们有健康服务，我必须筹措大量的资金。

　　People used to say when they'd come fund⁴ us, "Geoff, why do you provide these health services?" 过去，常有人说他们会资助我们，“Geoff，你为什么不提供这些健康服务呢？”

　　I used to make stuff up. Right? 我过去常常编造一些鬼话搪塞他们。

　　I'd say, "Well, you know a child who has cavities⁵ is not going to, uh, be able to study as well." 我常说：“一个小孩子如果有太多的蛀牙，他就不能管好自己的学习。”

　　And I had to because I had to raise the money. Right? 我要筹措资金就必须编这些鬼话来搪塞他们。

　　But now I'm older, and you know what I tell them? 但现在我老了，你知道我是怎么和他们说的吗？

　　You know why I provide kids with those health benefits and the sports and the recreation and the arts? 你知道我为什么为这些小孩提供这些健康服务、运动、娱乐和艺术吗？

　　Because I actually like kids. Right? I actually like kids. 这是因为我喜欢小孩子。我是真的喜欢他们。

1 stimulus   

n.刺激，刺激物，促进因素，引起兴奋的事物

参考例句：

• Regard each failure as a stimulus to further efforts.把每次失利看成对进一步努力的激励。
• Light is a stimulus to growth in plants.光是促进植物生长的一个因素。

2 fussing   

小题大做，大惊小怪( fuss的现在分词 )； 烦恼，激动（尤指对小事）； 瞎忙一气，过分关心

参考例句：

• Stop fussing about; the bus will arrive on time. 别慌，公共汽车会准时到达。
• I wish you would stop fussing me about. I'm quite able to look after myself. 但愿你不要为我过于操心了，我挺能照顾我自己。

3 stuff   

n.原料，材料，东西；vt.填满；吃饱

参考例句：

• We could supply you with the stuff in the raw tomorrow.明天我们可以供应你原材料。
• He is not the stuff.他不是这个材料。

4 fund   

n.基金，资金，存款，财源，贮藏；vt.提供资金，积累

参考例句：

• They decided to set up a fund for this purpose.他们决定为此专立一项基金。
• This fund may not be drawn on without permission.这笔钱非经批准不得动用。

5 cavities   

腔，洞( cavity的名词复数 )； （龋齿的）洞

参考例句：

• Cavities in teeth are caused by decay. 牙齿上的空洞是由龋蚀造成的。
• The dentist filled several cavities in my teeth. 牙医给我的牙堵了好几个洞 excavation 指“挖掘的洞”，如：