美国立法者讨论教育问题（双语）

     Lawmakers in Washington are debating education issues, including the interest rate that students pay for loans. College students who take loans graduate earning an average of $26,000. But some economists say the real issue is controlling the costs of college. Experts say these high costs are hurting the whole economy.

　　华盛顿立法者正对教育问题进行辩论，其中包括学生支付的贷款的利息。申请贷款的大学生毕业后平均收入2.6万美元，但有的经济学家称真正的问题是控制大学的成本。专家称高成本影响了整个经济。

　　Joshua Jordan earned a doctorate degree in physical therapy. "I am currently in debt for $210,000."

　　约书亚·乔丹获得了理疗专业的博士学位，他说，“我现在欠了21万美元。”

　　Joshua Jordan has eight times the loan debt of the average student. He says he has sometimes need to work two jobs to pay his bills.

　　约书亚·乔丹欠的债是一般学生的八倍，他说有时只得做两份工作来偿还贷款。

　　For the past 30 years, college tuition has been increasing at twice the rate of inflation. Universities say decreasing financial support from state governments forces them to charge higher tuition. Private colleges now charge an average of more than $30,000 a year.

　　在过去30年间，大学学费的增长率是通胀率的两倍。各大学称来自国家政府的财政支持减少了，因此只得收取高学费。私立大学目前每年的学费超过3万美元。

　　Terry Hartle speaks for The American Council on Education which represents thousands of colleges across the United States.

　　特里·哈特尔就职于美国教育委员会，该组织代表全美的数千所大学。

　　"It's a terrible conundrum that we face as a country. We want more and more post-secondary education. We want more focus on academic quality and graduation. At the same point, the funding sources for higher education have been diminishing for a generation."

　　“这是我们国家面临的大难题，我们希望有更多的高等教育，我们希望更重视学术质量和毕业。同时，对这一代来说，高等教育的资金来源在减少。”

　　Experts worry that the high cost of college makes it less likely that good students from poor families will attend college, this means fewer scientists, engineers and others who could help increase economic growth. And a survey shows that some students concerned about repaying thousands of dollars in loans are delaying marriage and children.

　　专家担心大学学费的上涨使得贫困家庭的好学生无法上大学，这意味着将培养出更少的科学家、工程师等人才来促进经济发展。一项调查发现，有的学生担心支付数千美元的贷款会使结婚生子推迟。

　　Peter Mazareas is with the College Savings Foundation.

　　Peter Mazareas就职于大学储蓄基金会。

　　"These students will not contribute to the economy. They will go home and live at home. They won't buy cars. They won't invest in housing, so there is a real multiplier effect that is short term.

　　“这些学生将无法对经济做出贡献，他们将回家，生活在家里，他们不会买车，不会投资房屋，所以这在短期会导致多重效应。”

　　Georgetown University Labor Economist Anthony Carnevale says the current system cuts economic growth for the whole country.

　　乔治城大学劳工经济学家安东尼·卡内瓦说，目前的制度削弱了整个国家的经济发展。

　　"The effects on economic growth [of failing to produce post secondary talent] are substantial. If we had kept up with demand for post secondary talent, economists estimate that we would be at about $500 billion more per year in gross domestic product, that is people would have more money to spend. "

　　“未能培养出高等人才会对经济发展产生重大影响，如果我们能满足对高等人才的需求，经济学家估计每年的国民生产总值将增加5000亿美元，这样人们就有更多钱花了。”

　　Meanwhile, Physical Therapist Joshua Jordan says his family is not wealthy and could not have paid for his education.

　　同时，理疗学家约书亚·乔丹说，自己家庭并不富裕，无法为自己的教育买单。

　　"There would have been no way I could have created a career for myself that I wanted to do without the use of student loans."

　　“如果没有学生贷款，我就没办法追求自己想做的事业。”

　　So for Joshua Jordan, his large debt was worth it.

　　所以对约书亚·乔丹来说，自己的高额贷款还是值得的。

　　The Department of Education recently reported that today one-third of Americans between ages of 25 and 29 who earn college degrees that is an increase from one-fourth in 1995.

　　教育部最近报道称，如今年龄在25到29岁之间的美国人中有三分之一的人有大学学位，与1995年的四分之一相比有所增长。

　　And that's the Education Report from VOA Learning English.

　　这里是美国之音慢速英语教育报道。

　　词汇解释

　　1.conundrum n. 难题;谜语

　　Scientists had focused on two explanations to solve this conundrum.

　　科学家已锁定两种解释来解开这个难题。

　　2.contribute to 有助于;捐献

　　Your success should contribute to the success of others!

　　你的成功应能有助于他人的成功!

　　3.multiplier effect 乘数效应

　　Only scientific treatment, the multiplier effect can be achieved.

　　只有科学治疗, 才能取得事半功倍的疗效.