VOA常速英语2019--美国希望学生选择STEM专业以强大国力

Cyree Beckett is a junior at the University of District of Columbia studying Electrical Engineering. I chose STEM because it seemed to be the right path for me, based off of my family values. It’s the really the best way to go in terms of gaining an education and doing something relevant in the world. Unlike Beckett, most American Student of his age prefer to study anything but STEM: science, technology, engineering and math. According to a recent report by Forbes, STEM departments in U.S. colleges have plenty of students, but many are foreign, and education experts worried not enough are Americans. American University’s director of graduate teacher education program Carolyn Parker says, images that portray¹ scientists and mathematicians² as nerds discouraged teenagers at a time of life when self-image is important.

贝克特大三了，在哥伦比亚特区大学读电气工程专业。我选择STEM（科学、技术、工程

数学）专业是因为这个专业感觉比较适合我，符合我家庭的价值观。这是最好的办法，既可以获得教育，所做的事情也对世界有益。与贝克特不同的是，大多数与他同龄的美国学生却不是很喜欢STEM专业。根据《福布斯》最近发布的一份报告，美国多所大学的STEM专业虽然学生数量众多，但其中的很多学生都是外国人。所以教育专家担心美国本土学习STEM专业的人不够多。美国大学研究生教师教育项目主任帕克表示，有些人将科学家和数学家描绘成书呆子，这让很多青少年望而却步，因为他们现在正是注重自我形象的时候。

They don’t entice³ students to want to become involved. There’s a, there’s you look at programs like the Big Bang Theory and you know scientists are nerds. To recruit more American students in STEM fields, the White House five-year strategic plan tries to remove social and financial barriers to a rewarding education and technical fields. University of District of Columbia’s Engineering School’s Dean Devdas Shetty believes many students avoid STEM, because they think they have better options. They see opportunities in sports, opportunities in philosophy or history or arts, and they see examples of people excelling the TV influences a lot. Parker believes that to compete with countries like China and India, the country needs to encourage STEM education at young age. Make sure that students from the time they’re in early childhood to elementary school to middle school to high school through college and going out into higher education, and the workforce⁴ have strong and, and positive STEM experiences, so that we can remain competitive with countries like China and India. Cyree Beckett believes that support and encouragement from his family is what pushed him to choose STEM, and it is something he wishes for every student selecting a field of study.

他们不希望学生们有这样的误解。看了《生活大爆炸》这样的节目，就会觉得科学家都是书呆子。为了招收更多美国学生选择STEM专业，白宫为期5年的战略规划竭力扫清社会障碍和财政障碍，树立STEM作为回报颇丰的教育和技术专业的形象。哥伦比亚特区大学工程学院院长谢蒂认为，很多学生避开STEM专业是因为他们认为自己有更好的选择。他们看到了很多机遇，比如体育领域、哲学领域、历史艺术领域等，他们看到很多人以身示范，影响力大过了电视传播。帕克认为，要与中国、印度等国家竞争，美国就需要在学生尚小时就鼓励他们选择STEM专业。要确保学生们在孩童时期到小学到初中、高中一直到大学甚至更高等级的教育中都接触到STEM，这样我们的生源就能够强大，就有充足的STEM经历，这样我们就能有竞争力，就能与中国和印度相匹敌。贝克特认为，来自家人的支持和鼓励促使他选择了STEM专业，他也希望每位学生都能选择STEM专业来进行学习。

1 portray   

v.描写，描述；画(人物、景象等)

参考例句：

• It is difficult to portray feelings in words.感情很难用言语来描写。
• Can you portray the best and worst aspects of this job?您能描述一下这份工作最好与最坏的方面吗？

2 mathematicians   

数学家( mathematician的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Do you suppose our mathematicians are unequal to that? 你以为我们的数学家做不到这一点吗？ 来自英汉文学
• Mathematicians can solve problems with two variables. 数学家们可以用两个变数来解决问题。 来自哲学部分

3 entice   

v.诱骗，引诱，怂恿

参考例句：

• Nothing will entice the children from television.没有任何东西能把孩子们从电视机前诱开。
• I don't see why the English should want to entice us away from our native land.我不明白，为什英国人要引诱我们离开自己的国土。

4 workforce   

n.劳动大军，劳动力

参考例句：

• A large part of the workforce is employed in agriculture.劳动人口中一大部分受雇于农业。
• A quarter of the local workforce is unemployed.本地劳动力中有四分之一失业。