二、

　　In the college-admissions wars, we parents are the true fights.

　　在大學入學的戰役中，我們這些家長都是真正的戰士。

　　We are pushing our kids to get good grades, take SAT preparatory courses and build resumes so they can get into the college of our first choice.

　　我們督促自己的孩子取得更好的成績，參加權門學科評鑒考試(SAT)預備課程和填寫簡歷，以便他們能進入第一志愿的大學。

　　Ive twice been to the wars, and as I survey the battlefield, something different is happening.

　　我已參加過兩次這場戰役，我在這戰場上存活了下來，不同的情況總是在發生。

　　We see our kids college background as e prize demonstrating how well weve raised them.

　　我們把自己孩子的大學牌子是視為我們培養他們好壞程度的獎賞。

　　But we cant acknowledge that our obsession is more about us than them.

　　但我們不能理解的是我們的癡迷是為了自己還是孩子。

　　So weve contrived various justifications that turn out to be half-truths, prejudices or myths.

　　所以我們發明了很多自認為有理的辯護，這些辯護成了半真半假的陳詞、偏見和荒誕的說法。

　　It actually doesnt matter much whether Aaron and Nicole go to Stanford.

　　事實上，阿倫和尼克爾是否進入斯坦福大學并不是真的那么重要。

　　We have a full-blown prestige panic; we worry that there wont be enough prizes to go around.

　　我們有著充足的威望恐慌癥;我們擔心未來沒有足夠的榮譽去炫耀。

　　Fearful parents urge their children to apply to more schools than ever.

　　滿懷擔憂的父母督促他們的孩子申請比以往多得多的學校。

　　Underlying the hysteria is the belief that scarce elite degrees must be highly valuable.

　　這歇斯底里的關鍵是他們相信少數精英學位肯定有著更高的價值。

　　Their graduates must enjoy more success because they get a better education and develop better contacts.

　　他們畢業后肯定能獲得更多的成功，因為他們受到更優質的教育，發展了更優良的交際圈。

　　All that is plausibleand mostly wrong. We havent found any convincing evidence that selectivity or prestige matters.

　　這些說法都似是而非-----而大多數是錯誤的。我們還沒有找到任何可信證據表明選擇或威望的重要性。

　　Selective schools dont systematically employ better instructional approaches than less selective schools.

　　重點學校不會比非重點學校系統地使用更好地教育方法。

　　On two measuresprofessors feedback and the number of essay examsselective schools do slightly worse.

　　在以下兩方面----教授的反饋和寫作考試的數量----重點學校做得稍差。

　　By some studies, selective schools do enhance their graduates lifetime earnings.

　　一些研究表明，重點學校的確增加了其畢業生的終生收入。

　　The gain is reckoned at 2-4% for every 100-poinnt increase in a schools average SAT scores.

　　一所學校的平均SAT分數增加100分，這一財產就會增加2%--4%.

　　But even this advantage is probably a statistical fluke.

　　但這種優勢也可能只是統計學上的偶然。

　　A well-known study examined students who got into highly selective schools and then went elsewhere.

　　一項著名的研究考察了進入重點學校的學生和他們畢業后的去向。

　　They earned just as much as graduates from higher-status schools.

　　他們的收入和高級學校的學生一樣。

　　Kids count more than their colleges.

　　孩子自身的作用遠遠高于學校的作用。

　　Getting into yale may signify intellgence,talent and ambition.

　　進入耶魯大學標志著聰明過人、才華橫溢和雄心勃勃。

　　But its not the only indicator and,paradoxically,its significance is declining.

　　但這并非是唯一的標志，而且諷刺的是，這種標志性正在逐漸淡化。

　　The reason:so many similar people go elsewhere.Getting into college is not life only competiton.

　　原因是大量有同樣才氣的人到別的地方去了。進入大學并非人生唯一的競賽。

　　Old-boy networks are breaking down.princeton economist Alan Krueger studied admissions to one top Ph.D.program.High scores on the GRE helpd explain who got in;degrees of prestigious universities didnt.

　　在另一項競賽中----職場和研究所----結果可能會改變。校友關系開始瓦解。普林斯頓經濟學家艾倫昆格研究了一項頂尖博士項目的錄取工作。美國研究生入學考試(GRE)的高分有助于解釋誰能入選;而學校的名氣則不能。

　　So,parents,lighten up.the stakes have been vastly exaggerated.up to a point,we can rationalize our pushiness.

　　因此，家長們，清醒一下。事實已被嫉妒夸大。

　　America is a competitive society;our kids need to adjust to that.but too much pushiness can be destructive.

　　在某一方面，我們可以解釋這種狂熱。美國是個競爭性的社會;我們的孩子需要為其而調整。但太多的一意孤行是毀滅性的。

　　The very ambition we impose on our children may get some into Harvard but may also set them up for disappointment.

　　我們在孩子身上寄托的野心可能引領著部分孩子進入哈佛大學，但也可能使他們失望。

　　One study found that,other things being equal,graduates of highly selective schools experienced more job dissatisfaction.

　　一項研究發現，從重點學校畢業不易獲得工作上的滿足感。他們對自己的要求過高。

　　They may have been so conditioned to deing on top that anything less disappoints.

　　一旦達不到這種高要求，就會感到失望。

　　二、

　　In the college-admissions wars, we parents are the true fights.

　　在大學入學的戰役中，我們這些家長都是真正的戰士。

　　We are pushing our kids to get good grades, take SAT preparatory courses and build resumes so they can get into the college of our first choice.

　　我們督促自己的孩子取得更好的成績，參加權門學科評鑒考試(SAT)預備課程和填寫簡歷，以便他們能進入第一志愿的大學。

　　Ive twice been to the wars, and as I survey the battlefield, something different is happening.

　　我已參加過兩次這場戰役，我在這戰場上存活了下來，不同的情況總是在發生。

　　We see our kids college background as e prize demonstrating how well weve raised them.

　　我們把自己孩子的大學牌子是視為我們培養他們好壞程度的獎賞。

　　But we cant acknowledge that our obsession is more about us than them.

　　但我們不能理解的是我們的癡迷是為了自己還是孩子。

　　So weve contrived various justifications that turn out to be half-truths, prejudices or myths.

　　所以我們發明了很多自認為有理的辯護，這些辯護成了半真半假的陳詞、偏見和荒誕的說法。

　　It actually doesnt matter much whether Aaron and Nicole go to Stanford.

　　事實上，阿倫和尼克爾是否進入斯坦福大學并不是真的那么重要。

　　We have a full-blown prestige panic; we worry that there wont be enough prizes to go around.

　　我們有著充足的威望恐慌癥;我們擔心未來沒有足夠的榮譽去炫耀。

　　Fearful parents urge their children to apply to more schools than ever.

　　滿懷擔憂的父母督促他們的孩子申請比以往多得多的學校。

　　Underlying the hysteria is the belief that scarce elite degrees must be highly valuable.

　　這歇斯底里的關鍵是他們相信少數精英學位肯定有著更高的價值。

　　Their graduates must enjoy more success because they get a better education and develop better contacts.

　　他們畢業后肯定能獲得更多的成功，因為他們受到更優質的教育，發展了更優良的交際圈。

　　All that is plausibleand mostly wrong. We havent found any convincing evidence that selectivity or prestige matters.

　　這些說法都似是而非-----而大多數是錯誤的。我們還沒有找到任何可信證據表明選擇或威望的重要性。

　　Selective schools dont systematically employ better instructional approaches than less selective schools.

　　重點學校不會比非重點學校系統地使用更好地教育方法。

　　On two measuresprofessors feedback and the number of essay examsselective schools do slightly worse.

　　在以下兩方面----教授的反饋和寫作考試的數量----重點學校做得稍差。

　　By some studies, selective schools do enhance their graduates lifetime earnings.

　　一些研究表明，重點學校的確增加了其畢業生的終生收入。

　　The gain is reckoned at 2-4% for every 100-poinnt increase in a schools average SAT scores.

　　一所學校的平均SAT分數增加100分，這一財產就會增加2%--4%.

　　But even this advantage is probably a statistical fluke.

　　但這種優勢也可能只是統計學上的偶然。

　　A well-known study examined students who got into highly selective schools and then went elsewhere.

　　一項著名的研究考察了進入重點學校的學生和他們畢業后的去向。

　　They earned just as much as graduates from higher-status schools.

　　他們的收入和高級學校的學生一樣。

　　Kids count more than their colleges.

　　孩子自身的作用遠遠高于學校的作用。

　　Getting into yale may signify intellgence,talent and ambition.

　　進入耶魯大學標志著聰明過人、才華橫溢和雄心勃勃。

　　But its not the only indicator and,paradoxically,its significance is declining.

　　但這并非是唯一的標志，而且諷刺的是，這種標志性正在逐漸淡化。

　　The reason:so many similar people go elsewhere.Getting into college is not life only competiton.

　　原因是大量有同樣才氣的人到別的地方去了。進入大學并非人生唯一的競賽。

　　Old-boy networks are breaking down.princeton economist Alan Krueger studied admissions to one top Ph.D.program.High scores on the GRE helpd explain who got in;degrees of prestigious universities didnt.

　　在另一項競賽中----職場和研究所----結果可能會改變。校友關系開始瓦解。普林斯頓經濟學家艾倫昆格研究了一項頂尖博士項目的錄取工作。美國研究生入學考試(GRE)的高分有助于解釋誰能入選;而學校的名氣則不能。

　　So,parents,lighten up.the stakes have been vastly exaggerated.up to a point,we can rationalize our pushiness.

　　因此，家長們，清醒一下。事實已被嫉妒夸大。

　　America is a competitive society;our kids need to adjust to that.but too much pushiness can be destructive.

　　在某一方面，我們可以解釋這種狂熱。美國是個競爭性的社會;我們的孩子需要為其而調整。但太多的一意孤行是毀滅性的。

　　The very ambition we impose on our children may get some into Harvard but may also set them up for disappointment.

　　我們在孩子身上寄托的野心可能引領著部分孩子進入哈佛大學，但也可能使他們失望。

　　One study found that,other things being equal,graduates of highly selective schools experienced more job dissatisfaction.

　　一項研究發現，從重點學校畢業不易獲得工作上的滿足感。他們對自己的要求過高。

　　They may have been so conditioned to deing on top that anything less disappoints.

　　一旦達不到這種高要求，就會感到失望。