Chapter 17 Studying Abroad 第17章 去国外读书

　　张台萍 选注

　　本书的主人公是女生Melissa，书中从她如何申请上美国大学讲起，到她正式进入大学本科，其中着重记述了她在大学里生活的点点滴滴，从如何选课、交友、约会、参加舞会，到熬夜备考等等。此书以对话的方式写出，使用美国现代大学生日常使用的语言，是一部真实而典型的美国大学生的生活纪实。

　　Dr. Watts helps Melissa with the paperwork and application materials for the scholarship program. One month before the end of Melissa's junior year, Dr. Watts is notified that Melissa has won the scholarship! Dr. Watts contacts Melissa and asks her to come to her office.

　　Dr. Watts: Hi, Melissa. I wanted to let you know that we have been notified about this year's scholarship winner.

　　Melissa: Really? It seems so soon! I can't believe that it is almost May! So, did I pull it off?1 Do I get to be the first student from UAP to accept the scholarship to the University of Lima?

　　Dr. Watts: Congratulations, Melissa! You did it! We are all so proud of you!

　　There is a knock on the door. Dr. Golden comes in.

　　Melissa: Hi, Dr. Golden. How are you doing?

　　Dr. Golden: I just wanted to congratulate you on being chosen as the scholarship recipient2 this year! You are the first student from UAP to be accepted! What an honor!

　　Melissa: Thank you, Dr. Golden. I promise that I'll do my best to represent our school and to make you all proud of me!

　　Dr. Watts: We are already proud of you, Melissa. You have shown so much growth during the past year. And we really feel that you will be able to contribute great things to the field of anthropology in the future!

　　Dr. Golden: Yes, we are both very much interested to see what insights3 you come back with from Peru. Have you started thinking about what kind of senior project you'd like to write when you return from South America?

　　Melissa: Yes, I've been thinking that it would be great to study the Amazon and all of the cultures which thrive4 on its banks. I think I would like to do my senior project on this topic. What do you think?

　　Dr. Golden: That will be a wonderful project for you! What do you think, Dr. Watts?

　　Dr. Watts: I think that would be a great paper ?we just need to limit the scope5. The Amazon is a huge river, and there is no way that you can write just one paper on all of the cultures and peoples who live along the bank of the Amazon.

　　Melissa: OK, before I leave for Peru, I'll have an outline for you. I'll try to limit my focus to three or four tribes6 living along the river.

　　Dr. Watts: Congratulations again! I'm very proud of you!

　　Melissa: Thanks! I'd better call my parents now to tell them the good news!

　　Melissa returns to her dorm room and calls her parents. Her parents are not home, so she leaves a message on the answering machine. She also calls Allison, Andrea and Jessica and tells them about the scholarship. Her parents call her later that day. She decides to fly home for the summer and get a part-time job before she leaves for Peru. The week before school ends, she begins to pack all of her things. Since she is an R.A., she must wait until all of the girls on her floor have moved out for the summer before she can go home.

　　Melissa (to another R.A. named Tracy): How many check-outs7 have we left?

　　Tracy: It looks like we have two this morning and one tomorrow morning. And then we're done! Woo hooooo8! Boy9, that last room was sure a mess. I can't believe that those girls painted their room pink and then painted their nicknames above the beds. What were they thinking of? Like we weren't going to fine10 them?

　　Melissa: Well, they didn't seem to mind paying the $300. So, I guess it doesn't really matter! I'm just glad that we are almost done! What a huge mess!

　　Tracy: No kidding! I've never seen so much garbage in my entire life!

　　Melissa: Yeah, it was an incredible mess, that's for sure! What are you doing this summer, Tracy?

　　Tracy: Not much. My parents let me have the summer off, since this semester was so hard on me! I think I'll try and visit my boyfriend Devin some time during our break. He lives in Utah, so I thought I'd take a road trip and drive up to see him for a week or so.

　　Melissa: Sounds nice. I'd love to have the summer off! I'm going to be working full-time until I leave for Peru in the fall. I guess I shouldn't complain too much!

　　Tracy: You're so lucky! Peru for a whole semester! That's so great!

　　Melissa and Tracy finish doing the check-outs and Melissa leaves for Washington. She has decided to rent a car11, so she can drive all of her things back to her family's house.

　　Melissa drives to Washington and gets a full-time job. Three months later, she is on her way to Peru. She arrives in Lima exhausted and hungry. She is met by her host family12, Maria and Juan.

　　Juan: Welcome to Lima, Melissa! We're happy to meet you!

　　Maria: Yes, please follow us and we'll take you home.

　　Melissa: Thanks, Maria and Juan!

　　One hour later, Melissa arrives at her new home. She is living in a guest cottage at Juan and Maria's house. It is very beautiful, with a courtyard in the back and a view of the mountains. Melissa immediately feels comfortable with Juan and Maria. After dinner, Melissa goes to bed. She sleeps until the next morning, when Maria wakes her up.

　　Maria: Melissa, get up! It's time for us to go to the market. I want to show you around the city of Lima.

　　Melissa: That sounds great!

　　Maria: Are you hungry? I have some breakfast for you if you'd like.

　　Melissa: This looks delicious! Thanks so much!

　　Maria shows Melissa the city of Lima. Several days later, Melissa starts her scholarship program. She goes to school every day (Monday-Friday) from 8 am to 5 pm, learning Spanish. Her Spanish level is intermediate, so she is placed in one of the most advanced classes. She is often tired at the end of the day but learns a lot while she is in Peru. During one of their breaks at school, the students get to go to Machu Picchu13.

　　Tour Guide: For the next several days, I'll be your guide. My name is Manuel and this is Jose. We will lead you to the famous ruins14 of Machu Picchu. Did everyone bring their hiking shoes and have on layered clothing?15 It is a pretty rough trek16 to the ruins, and it can get very cold up on the mountain.

　　Melissa and her fellow students tour the ruins of Machu Picchu. When they return to Lima, Melissa only has three weeks left before she returns to Washington State.

　　Juan: How did you like Machu Picchu?

　　Melissa: It was so wonderful! I'm so happy that I had the opportunity to see it!

　　Maria: Have you had a good time during the last semester?

　　Melissa: Yes! I'm so thankful that I had the chance to spend time with you and your family. I will treasure this experience always!

　　Maria: We'll always think of you as our American daughter. We'll miss you when you return home!

　　Melissa (crying): I'll miss you, too! Thank you so much for taking such good care of me while I was in your country!

　　Melissa flies back to Washington State. She has several weeks before UAP starts again. When she returns to the U.S., she must complete a lengthy composition in Spanish about her trip. After completing the paper, she flies down to California and is picked up by her friends Allison and Jeff.

　　Did You Know?

　　How many U.S. college students each year study abroad? Where are U.S. students most likely to study abroad?

　　According to Open Doors1 2001, up to 80% of American Students study abroad. In addition this survey stated that there was "an 11% increase in U.S. students abroad in academic year 1999-2000 follows three previous years of double-digit growth2 ?a 14% increase in 1998/99 preceded by escalations3 of 15% (97/98) and 11% (96/97). Over the past five years, the number of U.S. students who studied abroad for academic credit has increased by 61%." The top four countries to study abroad in (outside of Mexico and Costa Rica) were the United Kingdom, Spain, Italy and France.

　　1. pull it off: <俚>做成，成功。这句话的意思是：我努力(申请奖学金)的结果如何？我有没有得到奖学金？

　　2. scholarship recipient: 奖学金得主。recipient: 接受人，领受人。

　　3. insight: 深入了解，深刻见解。

　　4. thrive: 繁荣，旺盛。

　　5. to limit the scope: 限制(论文的选题)范围。大学生写论文的通病之一就是在选题时，总是选些太大的题目，不易有深度。所以指导教授的工作之一就是“限制”选题的范围。 美国大学除了荣誉生或是小型的私立贵族式的大学外， 本科生一般都不需写论文，只要修够学分、通过考试就可以毕业了。

　　6. tribe: (原始人或少数民族的)部落。

　　7. check-out: 这里专指办理搬出宿舍的各项手续的学生。学生搬出宿舍时，必须办理相关的手续，比如退还房间的钥匙、确认房间内没有丢失或遭破坏的家具、墙上没有乱涂乱画的痕迹等， 若有破坏的现象，学校可以科以罚款。后面的“check-out”则指“为这些学生办理的相关手续”。

　　8. Woo hooooo: 欢呼之词，一般“hooooo”只做 “ho”，但为了表达特别兴奋，可以拉长语气，多加几个“o”。

　　9. boy: ［表示欣喜、惊奇、兴奋等］好家伙。boy在这里作感叹词。

　　10. fine: 处……以罚金。

　　11. rent a car: 租车。租车的年龄，美国各州州法不一，一般满16岁就可以取得驾驶执照，但必须满21岁才能向租车行租车。

　　12. host family: 接待家庭。留学生可通过学校安排，在当地找一个接待家庭，学生住在接待家庭中，可更好地了解当地的情况及风俗习惯等。

　　13. Machu Picchu: 位于秘鲁的中部，为南美印加部落的遗址， 是著名的名胜古迹区。

　　14. ruins: 遗迹，废墟。

　　15. hiking shoe: 登山鞋； layered clothing: 夹衣，比较保暖，适合爬山时穿。

　　16. rough trek: 艰苦的跋涉。

　　1. Open Doors: 是由国际教育协会出版的一份年度报告，主要内容是外国学生在美国及美国学生在国外的一些信息。

　　2. double-digit growth: 双位数的增长。

　　3. escalation: 逐步上升， 不断增长。

　　编辑：趴趴