大学正慢慢成为过去吗?Are universiities slowly becoming a thing of the past?
1.1900年前后，法国艺术家让-马克·科泰接受委托绘制一组图画，描绘他认为的2000年人们可能过上的生活。Around 1900, the French artist Jean-Marc Cote was commissioned to produce a series of images showing what he thought life might be like in the year 2000.其中一幅画展示了一位教师把书本放进研磨机。研磨机通过悬挂在天花板上的器械将知识直接输入学生的大脑。One of these images shows a teacher feeding books into a grinder then somehow feeds this knowledge directly into students' brains from machines dangling from the ceiling.现在看来，这位艺术家对未来的教育有许多错误的预测，但有一件事他猜对了:学生依然还在教室里学习。Now, there are many things that this artist got wrong about the future of education, but there is one aspect that the artist got right: The students are still in a classroom.
2. 如今,人们在讨论线上教育的兴起以及大学教育的未来。Nowadays, there is a conversation surrounding the emergence of online education and the future of niversities.不管是否有意，这幅画能够提醒我们，不管科技变得多么先进，社会总会有教室和大学的一席之地。whether intentional or not, this image can remind us that no matter how advanced our technology becomes, there will likely always be a place in society for the classroom, and universities.这是因为大学教育远不止仅仅把事实和信息塞进学生脑子里。This is because a university education goes beyond simply stuffing facts and information into students' heads. In fact, university prepares young people to become fully-functioning members of society.事实上，大学着眼于将年轻人培养成健全的社会成员。 In fact, university prepares young people to become fully-functioning members of society.
3. 学生们在实体大学上课时，他们得到了，面对面进行社会学习，富有经验的教授可以监控学生的参与，引导他们获得更有意义的进步。When a student attends classes at a physical university, they are given a chance to participate in real-time, face-to-face social learning. Experienced professors can monitor contribution from students and guide them toward more meaningful outcomes换句话说，教授既能将教学体验结构化，也能将其个性化。In other words, professors not only structure educational experiences, they also individualize them.线上教育很难实现这一点，因为讲座是提前录制的，教授难以针对不同情境、问题和评价作出回应。This is very difficult to do online, where professors often pre-record lectures and are therefore less able to respond to situations, questions, and comments. 
4.大学经历的第二大优势在于，它能给学生创造同伴共同体。The second major advantage  of the university experience is that it gives students access to a community of peers. 同一年代的学生会经历相似的人生挑战。Students of the same generation will have similar challenges throughout their lives.因此，有机会和同龄人结识，受益良多。Therefore, it is very beneficial that people of the same generation are given opportunities to meet one another.这样的话，在通往未来自我的路途上，他们可以建立深厚友谊。This way, they can form strong friendships as they advance together on a journey to their future selves.通过共同经历冒险和危机取得成就，他们从依赖朋友过渡到理解相互扶持的意义。Through shared adventures, risks, and accomplishments, they can move from relying on friends to having an appreciation for interdependence.他们也因此能以更成熟的方式处理人际关系，而这可能是线上学习模式做不到的。The result is that they will become more mature in handling relationships, which might not be possible with online learning models.
5   伴随着大学社交生活的还有第三个好处：自我发展。The social aspect of college life goes hand in hand with a third benefit: personal development.大学环境在年轻人开始探索自己是谁、擅长何事这一关键时期给予支持。The university environment supports young people at a critical time when they start discovering who they are , and what they are good at.譬如，通过参加社团，年轻的女学生可能发现自己正好拥有在工程领域脱颖而出的技术和兴趣。For example, through joining a club, a young woman might find out that she has just the right set of skills and interests to excel at engineering.同样，通过参与小组展示，年轻的男同学或许发现自己还有公众演讲的才能，由此影响他的职业选择。Likewise, participation ina group presentation might help a young man discover that he has an aptitude for public speaking,while could inform his career choices.对已经成年的大学生而言，这些自我发现的瞬间对于潜能的挖掘至关重要。These, moments of self-discovery are critically important for realizing ones' potential as an adult.
6.当然，也有野心勃勃、没有接受传统大学教育就获得成功的年轻人。Of course, there are ambitious young people who will succeed wiithout a traditional college experience.Bill Gates 和Steve Jobs都是从大学辍学却成为成功企业家的例子。Bill Gates and Steve Jobs were both college dropouts who became successful entrepreneurs.但是，在科学、技术、教育、法律和艺术等领域，大部分专业人士都因接受大学教育而获益良多。However, the vast majority of professionals who have contributed to science, technology, education, law, and the arts benefited greatly from attending educational institutions.大学教育使你在教师的指导下成长，让你获得集体感，并最终获得自豪感。A college education allows you to grow under the guidance of teachers, gain a sense of community, and ultimately a sense of pride.这样看来，尽管科技在提供信息以及交流合作的机会方面扮演着重要角色，但它视乎只能延伸大学的功能。For these reasons, it seems clear that while technology can play a vital role in providing information and opportunities to communicate and collaborate, it can only extend the role of physical universities科技永远不能取代实体大学。It will never be able to replace them.

 学习“融入当地”Learnig to become local
出国留学一直是我的梦想。It was always my dream to study abroad.我刚刚完成了为期两个月的英语预科课程，现在正在英国攻读硕士学位。Having just completed a two-month English foundation course, I'm now starting my master's degree here in the U.K. 之前我认为这对我来说是一个很好的机会。I thought it was a great chance for me. 我曾听说，对于个人发展来说，很少有经历能像生活在异国他乡并了解一种不同的教育文化那样产生如此积极的影响。I had heard that for personal development, few experiences can have an impact as positive as living in a foreign country and getting to grips with a different educational culture.来到这里不久，我就意识到，尽管我的英语还不错，但我还有很多东西要学。Shortly after arriving here I realized that even though my English was pretty good, I'm still had a lot to learn. 生活在一个说英语的国家，你需要学习如何在许多不同的环境中如何恰当地交流，不论是在餐馆点餐这样简单的事情，还是与教授恭敬地交流这样更复杂的事情。Living in an English-speaking country you need to learn how to communicate appropriately in many different contexts, whether it's something simple, like ordering food in a restaurant, or something more complex, like communicating respectfully with a professor.然而，我所遇到的困难并不仅仅限于语言。However, the difficulties I found were not just rooted in language.我的许多同学似乎对不属于他们群体的人很冷淡，我对我们之间的文化差异感到非常焦虑，以至于我经常自我疏离。Many of my fellow students seemed very cold toward people mot in their groups, and I was so anxious about the cultural differences between us that I would often lienate myself.有一次，我的同学邀请我去吃午饭，但是我的焦虑和害羞占了上风，于是我编造了一个借口推掉了。One time, my classmates invited me to lunch, but my anxiety and shyness got the better of me, and I made up an excuse instead.我在学习时也发现了文化差异。I also found cultural differences while engaged in academic study.在英语预科课程中，老师期待我们更批判性地思考，我真的不习惯。In my English foundation course, we were expected to think more critically, while I really wasn't used to.我记得在课程开始时有人问我，作为一个学习者我的优势是什么。I remember being asked at the beginning of the course what I thought my strengths were as a learner.这让我完全不知所措/非常困惑，因为以前我不会停下来思考。This completely threw me, as it wasn't something I would stop to think about before.当其他学生似乎能轻松地回答这个问题时，我开始质疑自己。每当老师要求我们分享个人观点时，我都会感到没有信心。When the other students seemed to answer this question with ease, I really began to question myself.Whenever the teachers asked us to share our opinions I would feel inadequate.然后，有一天，在经历了大约一个月的不断加剧的压力和紧张不安之后，我到达了一个转折点。Then, one day, after about a month of mounting stress and uncertainty, I reached my turning point.我上了一辆公共汽车，问司机是不是要去大学校园。他没有回答，所以我又问了一遍，但他听不懂我的话。I was getting on a bus, and asked the driver if he was going to the university campus.He didn't answer, so I asked again, but he had difficulty understanding me.车上很挤，有人喊道:“快点，我们要赶路呢!”在那一瞬间，我慌了，赶忙冲下了公交车。我哭着走回家，感觉已经做好准备要收拾东西，乘下一趟航班回国。The bus was crowded, and someone shouted," Hurry up, we've got places to go!" At that point, I panicked, and bolted off the bus.之后，我躺在床上思考发生的事情，感觉很挫败，我决定把这种情况变成一件积极的事情。Then, as I lay on my bed, thinking about what had happened, feeling defeated, I decided to turn this situation into a positive.第二天，我回到学校，下定决心，开始观察我周围更自信的学生，并模仿他们的行为。在校园外，我试着“融入当本地”。我努力与同学交往，开始的当地报纸和杂志，以加深对英国文化的了解。The next day, I went back to college, determined, and started to abserve the more confident students around me, and emulate their behavior.Away from the campus, I tried to "become local". I made an effort to socialize with my classmates, and started reading more local newspapers and magazines, to get a deeper understanding of British culture.没过多久，我就有了发表意见和表达自己的信心。我发现，一旦我的信心增强，我的英语水平似乎就会以两倍的速度提高!我相信。对自己的学习更加负责也让我对我正学的东西有了更深的理解。It wasn't long before I gained the confidence to speak up and  express myself. I found that once my confidence improved, my English seemed to improve at double the speed! I believe that taking more responsibility for my learning also gave me a deeper understanding of what I was learning.在短短两个月的时间里，我感觉成就满满。这段经历不仅开阔了我的眼界，使我成为一个更强大、更独立的人，而且让我对自己和自己的潜力有了更多的了解。如果你有幸有机会体验另一种文化的生活，请记住要充分利用它，不要像我一样差点浪费了这个机会!In just two months, I feel like I've achieved a lot. This experience has not only broadened my mind and made me a stronger and more independent person, but it has taught me a lot about myself, and my own potential. If you are ever lucky enough to have the opportunity to experience life in another culture, please remember to make the most of it, and don't waste it like I almost did!

一起用餐， 共度时光Eat together, stay together
1.母亲去世后，首先真正让人感到些许变化的是家里的餐桌。我和父亲不再在一桌吃饭，好几天都见不到对方。有一天，父亲走下楼，对我说：“我觉得即使只有你我两人，我们也还是一起吃饭吧，你母亲也会希望我们这样做。”我们做的饭普普通通，吃饭时又少了母亲，自然称不上完美，但是留出一些时间陪伴父亲，有特别的意义。在一起吃饭是件小事，却一直是我一天中最有意义的时光。After my mother passed away, the first thing that really felt different was the dinner table. My father and I began eating separately, and some days we rarely saw each other at all. Then, one day, my father walked downstairs." I think we should start eating together, even if it's just you and me," he said." Your mother would have wanted that." It wasn't ideal, of course  - the meals we made weren't amazing and we missed the presence of mom - but there was something special about setting aside time to be with my father. Eating together was a small act, and yet it was invariably one of the most meaningful parts of my day.
2.令人遗憾的是，美国人几乎不怎么聚在一起吃饭了。实际上，普通美国人每五餐中就有一餐是在他们的汽车里吃的，四分之一的美国人每天至少吃一次快餐。大多数美国家庭说，一周中家人每天能聚在一起吃一顿饭的时间不到5天。一项研究显示，每周与父母一起用餐少于两次的孩子，超重的风险比与父母一起用餐的孩子高出40%。与此相反，每周有5天或5天以上时间和父母一起用餐的孩子有吸毒和酗酒问题的更少，饮食更健康，学业成绩更出色，据说与父母的关系也更亲密。Sadly,Americans rarely eat together anymore. In fact, the average American eats one in every five meals in their car; one in four Americans eats at least one fast food meal every single day; and teh majority of American families report eating a single meal together less than five days a week.According to one study, children who do not eat dinner with their parents at least twice a week were 40 percent more likely to be overweight compared to those who do. On the contrary, children who eat dinner with their parents five or more days a week have less trouble with drugs and alcohol, eat more healthily, show better academic performance, and report being closer with their parents.
3    不一起吃饭能给人们生活带来负面影响，原因主要有两方面。首先，当我们在外面吃饭时——尤其是在便宜的快餐店，也就是大多数孩子不和家人一起吃饭时常去的地方——我们通常吃不健康的东西。根据最近的一项研究，饭店的饭菜几乎都不如家里做的健康，通常含有较高的脂肪、盐和热量。There are two big reasons why not eating meals together has negative effects on people's life. Firstly, when we eat out - especially at inexpensive fast food places that most children go to when not eating with their family - we tend not to eat very healthy things. According to a recent study, meals eaten outside of the home are almost uniformly less healthy than home-made foods, generally having higher fat, salt, and caloric content.
4    其次，一个人吃饭拉开了人与人之间的距离。餐桌是融合剂，将人们凝聚为一个小团体。聚餐是叙旧闲聊的契机，也是人们在一天中愿意放下工作抽出时间的少数场合之一。The second reason is that eating alone can be alienating. The dinner table can act as a unifier, a place of communicaty. Sharing a meal is an excuse to catch up and talk, one of the few times where people are happy to put aside their work and table time out of their day.
5    单独吃饭并不是普遍存在的问题。在许多国家，就餐时间是极其重要的。例如，在法国，一个人吃饭是可以理解的，但是人们吃饭时不能太着急。在地铁上狼吞虎咽地吃沙拉的人会招来他人恼怒的目光，员工也至少有一个小时的午餐时间。在墨西哥的许多城市，市民仍保留着与亲朋一起在公园、广场等中心地区吃饭的习做。在柬埔寨，村民会铺开五颜六色的席子，带着食物，像吃百乐餐一样与所爱的人一起分享。This is not a universal problem. In many other countries, mealtime is treated as sacred. In France, while it is acceptable to eat by oneself, one should never rush a meal. A salad muncher on the metro invites irritated glares, and employees are given at least an hour for lunch. In many Mexican cities, townspeople insist on eating together with friends and family in central areas like parks or town squares. In Cambodia, villagers apread out colorful mats and bring food to share with loved ones like a potluck.
6    我们愿意为我们有动力做的事情腾出时间，这是不可思议的。或许，我们不应该将聚餐视为繁忙的日程表中的一个待办事项；相反，聚餐是帮助我们减压、让我们与所爱的人共话家常的机会。只要和我们的家人、室友或朋友在一起，即使外卖食品也能成为一顿像样的饭。It's incredible what we're willing to make time for if we're motivated. Perhaps we should see eating together not as another appointment on a busy schedule, but rather as an apportunity to de-stress, or catch up with those whom we love. As long as our family members, roommates, or friends are present, even a takeout makes for a decent enough meal.
7    在我离家返校的前一天晚上，我和父亲去了我们最爱的一家中餐馆吃饭。尽管已经在这片土地上生活了60年，在这家餐馆吃了无数次饭，父亲仍然不会正确地使用筷子。“你得让这一根筷子不动。”我说，“然后移动另一根筷子去夹食物。”父亲点点头。“我想我明白了。”他说，“每一根筷子都有各自的功能，但是为了不让食物掉下来，两根筷子必须一起用。对吧?”我笑着说：“的确如此。”One night before I left home to return to school, my father and I went out to our favorite Chinese restaurant. After 60 years of life on this planet and countless dinners here, he still could not effectively hold a pair of chopsticks." I said," while you move this one to pick up your food." He nodded." I think I've got it," he said." The chopsticks each have an individual role, but in order not to drop your food, they have to work together. Right?" I smiled."Exactly."

在 路 上Taking to the road
1.2014年2月的一个寻常夜晚，我冒出了一个想法，这个想法永远地改变了我们的家庭生活。当时，我和妻子克里经过一整天的教学，都累了。聊天时，我们发现彼此都感觉被乏味的日常事务缠身，拼命工作，和家人共处的时间却不够。我们感觉生活和工作就是为了还贷款，为了存养老钱。。突然间，我产生了一个激进的想法，为了这个想法，我们将失去房子和工作，我们的两个女儿艾米和埃拉也将远离正规的教育体系。It was a normal evening in February 2014 when I had an idea that changed our family's life forever. My wife Kerry and I were both tired after a long day of teaching. As we talked, we realized we both felt trapped in our rountines: working too hard and not spending enough time together as a family. We felt as if we were living and working simply to pay off our mortgage and save for retirement. Sunddenly, I had a radical idea that would leave us houseless and jobless, and our two daughters, Amy and Ella, removed from the formal education system.
2.那天晚上，我向克里提出了一个想法：“我们试着远离这一切一年怎么样？休息一下。多花点时间在一起。去冒险吧！”当我第一次提到这件事时，克里有点紧张，但她没有说“不”，在接下来的几天里，这个想法在我们的脑海和心中逐渐形成。如果没有别的，仅仅做出这样的决定——掌握自己的命运——就是赋权和令人兴奋的。我们觉得自己还活着。That night, I turned to Kerry with idea:" How about we try getting away from it all for a year? Take a break. Spend more time together. Go on an adventure!" Kerry was a little nervous when I first mentioned it, but she didn't say "no" and, over the following daysm the idea grew and developed in our minds and hearts. If nothing else, just making a decision like this - taking control our own destiny - was empowering and exciting. We felt alive.
3.我们对这次冒险感到兴奋，但对女儿艾米和埃拉的反应感到紧张。这个建议起初让他们感到震惊，但当他们进一步考虑这个想法时，他们眼中的兴奋正是克里和我所希望的答案。We were excited about the adventure, but nervous about how our daughters Amy and Ella might react. The suggestion shocked them at first, but when they considered the idea further, the excitement in their eyes was the answer Kerry and I had hoped for.
4.我们的想法是试着活得更久，一起开始一段教育冒险。我们希望我们的冒险以英国为基地。我们的岛屿有很多东西可以提供：到处都是令人惊叹的地理和历史，还有美丽的风景。我们不可能放弃我们的朋友--老狗萨莉。Our idea was to try living more for the moment and to start out on an educational adventure together. We wanted our adventure to be U.K.-based. Our islands have so much to offer: amazing geography and history everywhere, and beautiful landscapes. And there was no way we were going to give up our old dog,  Sally.
5.幸运的是，我们已经有了一辆大篷车，这帮了我们的忙。它将成为我们在路上的家和学校。当然，还有一些重要问题需要考虑。埃拉因为想念朋友而心烦意乱。艾米想知道她请假后会发生什么。为了帮助解决这些问题，我们决定，如果在任何时候有人不喜欢这次旅行，我们会停下来回归正常生活。It helped that we already had a caravan that was going to be our home and school on the road. Of course there were still some important issues to consider. Ella got upset about missing her friends. Amy wondered what would happen when she took leave from school. To help deal with these issues, we decided that if at any time someone wasn't enjoying the trip, we would stop and return to normal life.
6.知不觉中，我们已经和商队一起上路了。我们从沃里克城堡出发，然后向北前往特威德河畔贝里克，进入苏格兰。我们走遍了英格兰、威尔士、苏格兰和北爱尔兰的各个角落。我们的路线多种多样，带着教育目的（参观具有历史意义的地方）、受邀在节日上就我们的旅行发表演讲，以及定期回诺丁汉的家，这样艾米和埃拉就可以与他们的朋友再联系上。Before we knew it, we were on the road with the caravan. We began at Warwick Castle then headed north to Berwick-upon-Tweed and into Scotland. We traveled into corners of England, Wales, Scotland. We traveled into corners of England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland. Our route was varied, driven by educational aims (visiting places of historical importance), invitations to speak at festivals about our trip, and regular trips back home to Nottingham so Amy and Ella could reconnect with their friends.
7.我们没有遵循全国统一课程，而是开发了一种更灵活、以学习者为基础的模式。学习科学是自然而然的：女孩们在风电场学习了风力涡轮机和可再生能源，在艾萨克·牛顿爵士的家学习了物理力和光。Instead of following the national curriculum, we developed a more flexible, learner-based model. Learning about science happened naturally: The girls learned about wind turbines and renewable energies at a wind farm, and about physical forces and light at Sir Isaac Newton's house.
如此亲密的生活也有其挑战。但总的来说，我们适应得很好，并接受了总会有高潮和低谷的事实。我们最低谷的时候，我们心爱的狗萨莉去世了。但我们已经了解到，冒险会塑造性格，这些经历既是对生命的肯定，也是对生命的塑造。经过一年多的旅程，艾米和埃拉现在将挑战视为生活的重要组成部分。他们现在明白，当形势变得艰难时，需要坚持不懈。我们不得不卖掉房子来支付我们的冒险费用，但我们正在投资我们最宝贵的资产，我们的孩子，花大量的时间和他们在一起。我们过得……很幸福，很幸福。    Living so close to each other has its challenges. But on the whole, we've adapted well and accept that there will always be highs and lows. Our very lowest point came when our beloved dog Sally died. But we've learned that adventure builds character and that these experiences are both life-affirming and life-forming. After more thana year on the road, Amy and Ella now see challenges as an important part of life. They now understand the need to persevere when the going gets tough. We had to sell our house to pay going gets tough. We had to sell our house to pay for our adventure, but we are investing in our most precious assets, our children, by spending large amounts of quality time with them. We are living ... and happy, very happy.