VOA常速英语2013--保守派人士视美国政府关闭为早期教育计划改革的良机（在线收听）

Some Conservatives See US Shutdown of Early Education Programs as Opportunity 保守派人士视美国政府关闭为早期教育计划改革的良机

WASHINGTON — At the heart of the U.S. government shutdown there is a philosophical debate over whether government programs for the poor help pull people out of poverty or make people more dependent on government handouts. Some conservatives see the curtailing of a pre-school program for low income families, though, not as a crisis, but as an opportunity.

The federally-funded Head Start program provides meals, medical screenings and preschool training for more than one million children from low-income families.

这项由联邦政府提供资助的启智计划为超过一百万名来自低收入家庭的孩子提供食物、医疗检查及学前培训。

Because of the government shutdown, though, some of those programs have have been cut or closed.

而由于政府关闭,其中一些项目已经被削减或关闭。

Child care advocate Helen Blank, with the National Women's Law Center, said the shutdown is hurting a program that strives to help those most in need.

国家妇女法律中心儿童保健倡导人海伦·布兰克表示政府关闭危及努力帮助那些最需要人的计划。

“We know that research is clear that these experiences make a tremendous difference in low-income children's ability to do well in school and to succeed in life.

“我们明白那项研究很清楚这些经历为低收入家庭出身的孩子在学校表现优异及之后生活走向成功的能力提供极大帮助。

So it absolutely makes no sense to take our poorest four-year-olds and put them on the curb,” said Blank.

所以绝对没有道理对我们贫穷的儿童置之不理。”布兰克说道。

But conservative education analyst Lindsey Burke, with The Heritage Foundation, said Head Start's benefits are overstated,

但遗产基金会的保守教育分析家林塞·伯克表示启智计划的好处被过于夸大,

and that the shutdown presents an opportunity to reform what she called a bloated and bureaucratic program that costs taxpayers about $8,000 per child, per year.

而且政府关闭恰恰为改革她所称的这项每年每个孩子要花费纳税人8000美元的臃肿官僚计划提供绝佳机会。

“I think after 48 years of Head Start really being a failed federal intervention in early childhood education, that we have a lot of evidence that says, 'You know, what?

“我认为经过了48年后的这项计划真的是在儿童早期教育中联邦干预的一次失败,我们有大量的证据表明你知道么?

Maybe instead of funding these Head Start centers, we should fund the child instead,'” said Burke.

也许我们不应该资助启智中心,反而应该为孩子们提供帮助。”伯克说道。

Burke pointed to how private donors John and Laura Arnold recently contributed $10 million to Head Start, and how some state governments moved to fill in funding gaps to illustrate that there are better and maybe more affordable ways to fund these programs.

伯克指出私人捐助者约翰和劳拉·阿诺最近如何出资1000万美元及一些州政府如何东挪西凑填补资金缺口以表明有更好及更负担得起的方法资助这一计划。

“Why not allow states to make their Head Start dollars portable.

“为什么不让各州的启智计划资金变得更为便携,

basically following a low-income child to any preschool provider of choice whether that is public or private.

基本上遵循低收入孩子学前教育的提供者是否公共或私人的任何选择,

basically giving parents control over the Head Start dollars that we spend,

基本上让父母控制我们对于该计划的开销，

but not necessarily relegating these children to government Head Start centers.”

但不一定把这些孩子转移到政府的启智中心。”

But Head Start proponents say a government shutdown is not the way to reform the system.

但启智计划的支持者们表示政府关闭不是改革这一系统的方式。

“There are lots of ways to debate how to strengthen Head Start.

“有很多方式来讨论如何加强启智计划。

There are lots of ways to debate how to strengthen schools.

有很多方法来讨论如何加强学校。

We don't shut our schools down and say 'put our children on the street, that's really good for children,'” said Blank.

我们不会关闭学校,不负责任的让我们的孩子在大街上,说那对孩子们很好。”布兰克说道。

If the shutdown continues into November, more Head Start programs serving thousands of children will lose federal money.

如果政府关闭持续到11月,受益于启智计划成千上万的孩子将失去联邦政府的资助。