2020年经济学人 中断的学校教育使不平等加剧(2)

The true scale of the educational fallout will be unknown for years, because it manifests itself in future decisions like dropping out of high school or university. It will also remain murkier¹ because typical barometers², such as the standardised tests administered in crowded school halls have also been impeded³. What evidence exists now does not look encouraging.

人们数年都无法洞悉停止面授对教育的影响真正有多大，因为这次的影响会显现在高中辍学或大学辍学等未来的决定中。也可能仍旧模糊，因为有一些典型的指标也受到了阻碍，比如在拥挤的教室里进行的标准化考试。现存证据显示并不明朗。

A team of five education scholars recently calculated that American schoolchildren in 2020 learned 30% less reading and 50% less maths than they would in a typical year. Despite that, the top third of pupils posted gains in reading. Data from Opportunity Insights, an economic-research outfit⁴ at Harvard University, show that after lockdowns began in March pupils from low-income neighbourhoods fell permanently⁵ behind on online maths coursework, whereas those from richer areas quickly rebounded⁶.

一个由五位教育学者组成的研究小组最近计算出，相较于正常年份，2020年的美国学童的阅读量减少了30%，数学学习量减少了50%。尽管如此，排名前三分之一的学生还是进行了大量阅读。根据哈佛大学一家经济研究机构OpportunityInsights的数据，显示自三月份实行封锁以来，低收入社区的学生在在线数学课程学习方面一直落后，而来自富裕地区的学生则快速进步。

Disruptions to schooling⁷ tend to lower achievement while increasing inequality. But rarely do so many shocks pile up at once. First, schooling is now being conducted online. Previous attempts at virtual education in America have not looked promising⁸. A study of virtual public schools in Georgia by Carycruz Bueno of Brown University found significantly reduced test scores in almost all subjects, and a ten-percentage- point drop in the chance of graduating from high school. Her results look worse for black and Hispanic children.

中断学校教育往往会降低成绩，同时加剧不平等现象。但是，很少会出现大量的冲击同时赶在一起的现象。首先，学校教育现在转为网课。美国以前尝试过进行虚拟教育，但结果并不乐观。布朗大学的卡里克鲁兹·布埃诺开展了一项针对佐治亚州公立学校线上授课的研究，发现几乎所有科目的考试成绩都显著降低，高中毕业的几率也下降了10%。针对黑人和西班牙裔学生的研究结果更加糟糕。

Then there is the problem of access to online classes. Nearly half of Native American pupils and 35% of black and Hispanic ones do not have access to either a computer or the internet at home, compared with 19% of whites. Worsening mental health among poorer families will also hurt achievement. Elizabeth Ananat of Barnard College and Anna Gassman-Pines of Duke University surveyed hourly service-sector workers in Philadelphia who had young children; half were screening positive for anxiety or depressive disorders⁹.

还有一个问题在于上网课的途径。接近一半的美国土著学生，以及35%的黑人和亚裔学生的家中无法使用电脑和网络，相比之下，白人学生只有19%。来自贫困家庭的学生的心理健康恶化也会危害成绩。巴纳德学院的伊丽莎白·阿纳特和杜克大学的安娜·加斯曼-皮恩斯对费城家中有儿童的钟点工展开了调查，其中一半人对此并不乐观，反而表示焦虑和抑郁。

1 murkier   

adj.阴暗的( murky的比较级 )；昏暗的；（指水）脏的；混浊的

参考例句：

• If not, the outcome may be a lot murkier. 而如不然，结果可能就会更加含糊不清。 来自互联网
• This leads us into the murkier areas of human behaviour. 这让我们看到了人类行为较阴暗的领域。 来自互联网

2 barometers   

气压计，晴雨表( barometer的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Fixed cistern barometers are used as a standard for checking aneroid barometers. 固定槽式气压计可以作为标准件去检验无液气压计。
• Fixed cistern barometers are used as a standard for checking. 固定槽式气压计可以作为标准件去检验。

3 impeded   

阻碍，妨碍，阻止( impede的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• Work on the building was impeded by severe weather. 楼房的施工因天气恶劣而停了下来。
• He was impeded in his work. 他的工作受阻。

4 outfit   

n.（为特殊用途的）全套装备，全套服装

参考例句：

• Jenney bought a new outfit for her daughter's wedding.珍妮为参加女儿的婚礼买了一套新装。
• His father bought a ski outfit for him on his birthday.他父亲在他生日那天给他买了一套滑雪用具。

5 permanently   

adv.永恒地，永久地，固定不变地

参考例句：

• The accident left him permanently scarred.那次事故给他留下了永久的伤疤。
• The ship is now permanently moored on the Thames in London.该船现在永久地停泊在伦敦泰晤士河边。

6 rebounded   

弹回( rebound的过去式和过去分词 )； 反弹； 产生反作用； 未能奏效

参考例句：

• The ball rebounded from the goalpost and Owen headed it in. 球从门柱弹回，欧文头球将球攻进。
• The ball rebounded from his racket into the net. 球从他的球拍上弹回网中。

7 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。

8 promising   

adj.有希望的，有前途的

参考例句：

• The results of the experiments are very promising.实验的结果充满了希望。
• We're trying to bring along one or two promising young swimmers.我们正设法培养出一两名有前途的年轻游泳选手。

9 disorders   

n.混乱( disorder的名词复数 )；凌乱；骚乱；（身心、机能）失调

参考例句：

• Reports of anorexia and other eating disorders are on the increase. 据报告，厌食症和其他饮食方面的功能紊乱发生率正在不断增长。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The announcement led to violent civil disorders. 这项宣布引起剧烈的骚乱。 来自《简明英汉词典》