双语:如果时光倒流我想这么过大学生活

2021-07-25 19:38:28

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双语：如果时光倒流我想这么过大学生活
《Future出国》杂志公众号：futurechuguo

I taught my first class at Columbia University’s M.F.A. program this month, and even though I’ve been teaching college writing since 1993, I initially felt a little intimidated by the school’s regal campus. That, and regretful.

这个月，我开始在哥伦比亚大学(Columbia University)执教一门硕士课程。尽管我从1993年起就开始教大学写作，但一开始，这个堂皇的校园还是让我感到有点惧怕。而且有点遗憾。

I enjoyed going to college at the University of Michigan, an hour from home, but my secret humiliation is: I was the type of mediocre student I now disdain. As a freshman, I cared about my friends, my boyfriend and my poetry. Or, I cared about what my boyfriend thought of my friends, what my friends thought of him, and what they thought of my poetry about him. Here’s what I wish I’d known and done differently:

我很享受在密歇根大学(University of Michigan)上学的时光，它离我家只有一个小时车程，但我秘密的羞耻在于：那时候，我是我现在鄙视的那种平庸学生。大一时，我关心我的朋友、我的男朋友和我的诗。或者说，我关心的是，我的男朋友对我的朋友们的看法，我的朋友们对他的看法，以及她们对我关于他的诗的看法。以下这些是我希望自己当初知道并照做的事情：

A’S ARE COOL AND COME WITH PERKS As a student, I saw myself as anti-establishment, and I hated tests; I barely maintained a B average. I thought only nerds spent weekends in the library studying. Recently I learned that my niece Dara, a sophomore at New York University with a 3.7 G.P.A. (and a boyfriend), was offered a week of travel in Buenos Aires as part of her honors seminar. I was retroactively envious to learn that a 3.5 G.P.A. or higher at many schools qualifies you for free trips, scholarships, grants, awards, private parties and top internships. At 20, I was too busy freaking out when said boyfriend disappeared (after sleeping with one of said friends). Students certainly don’t need to strive obsessively for perfection, but I should have prioritized grades, not guys.

得高分很酷，而且能让你获得特殊待遇。我上学时认为自己是反体制的，我讨厌考试；我的平均成绩只能勉强达到B。当时我以为只有书呆子才会周末去图书馆学习。前不久，我得知我在纽约大学(New York University)上大二的侄女达拉(Dara)平均成绩达到了3.7（她也有男朋友），作为她的荣誉研讨会的一部分，她可以在布宜诺斯艾利斯免费旅行一个星期。我现在才嫉妒地得知，在很多学校里，如果你的平均成绩能达到3.5或更高，你可以获得免费旅行、奖学金、助学金、奖项、私人派对和顶级实习机会。20岁时，我忙着为前文提到的男朋友（在和前文提到的一个朋友睡觉后）离开我而崩溃。学生们当然不需要过分追求完美，但我应该优先考虑分数，而不是男生。

SHOW UP AND SPEAK UP If a class was boring or it snowed, I’d skip. My rationale was that nobody in the 300-person lecture hall would notice and I could get notes later. Attendance barely counted. When I went, I’d sit quietly in back. Yet as a teacher, I see that the students who come weekly, sit in front, and ask and answer questions get higher grades and frankly, preferential treatment. After 15 weeks, I barely know the absentees or anyone Snapchatting the term away on their iPhones. It’s not just that these students flush $300 down the toilet every time they miss my class; participating can actually lead to payoffs. I reward those who try harder with recommendations, references, professional contacts and encouragement.

去上课并发言。当时如果哪门课很无聊，或天降大雪，我就会翘课。我的理由是，在300人的大课堂上，没人会注意到我没来，我以后可以抄笔记。出勤率基本上没有什么意义。我去的时候，会悄悄地坐在后排。但是，当了老师之后，我发现，那些每周都来、坐在前排、提问和回答问题的学生会得到更高的分数，坦率地说，会得到优待。15周后，我几乎不认识那些翘课的学生或一学期都在手机上聊天的学生。这不仅是因为那些学生每翘一次课，就等于扔掉300美元；而是因为上课可以给你带来切实的回报。我通过写推荐信和证明信、提供行业人士的联系方式以及鼓励来奖赏那些更努力的学生。

CLASS CONNECTIONS CAN LAUNCH YOUR CAREERAs an undergrad, I rarely visited my professors during office hours. I didn’t want to annoy teachers with what I considered triviality. Besides, I thought I knew everything already. In graduate school, on the other hand, I went to the readings of a professor I admired. Eventually, I’d go to his office just to vent. Once, after I complained about a dead-end job, he recommended me for a position at The New Yorker, jump-starting my career.

同学关系可以推动你的职业生涯。上本科时，我很少在办公时间去请教那些教授们。我不想用那些在我看来琐碎的事去打扰他们。此外，当时我认为自己什么都知道。而上研究生时，我去了我钦佩的一位教授的著作阅读会。最后，我还去了他的办公室，只是为了谈谈自己的感想。有一次，在我抱怨当时的工作没有前途后，他推荐我去做《纽约客》(The New Yorker)的一份工作，让我的职业生涯从此起飞。

PROFESSORS ARE PEOPLE, TOO As a teacher, I’ve kept all the letters, cards and poems of gratitude I’ve been sent. It’s nice to be appreciated, and it makes a lasting impression. After one of my intro sessions, a freshman from Idaho blurted out: “Awesome class! It’s like you stuck my fingers in a light socket.” I laughed and invited her to speed walk with me around the local park — an activity I take part in nightly as a sort of active office hours — and we workshopped ideas that led to her first book. And when a student confided she was dying to take another class with me but had lost her financial aid, I let her audit. In retrospect, I should have been more open with the instructors I admired.

教授也是人。作为一名教师，我保留着自己收到的所有表示感谢的信件、卡片和诗歌。表达对别人的感激会令人愉快，而且会留下长久的印象。在我的一个简介课程结束后，一名来自爱达荷州的新生脱口而出：“这课程太棒了！就像是你把我的手指插到了电灯插座上。”我笑着邀请她和我一起在附近的公园里快走-那是我每天晚上参加的一个活动，作为一种活跃的办公时间-我们讨论了一些想法，促成了她出版的第一本书。当一名学生对我说，她很想上我的另一门课但失去了经济资助后，我便让她来旁听。回想起来，我应该向我敬佩的那些导师更多地敞开心扉。

FIND YOUR PROFESSORS ON SOCIAL MEDIA I answer all emails, and while I may not accept all friend requests, I respond to students who follow me on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. More important, social media is where I post about panels, job openings and freelance work. Checking out students’ social media feeds also allows me to see new sides of their personalities.

在社交媒体上找到你的教授。我回复所有的电子邮件，虽然我可能不接受所有的关注请求，但我会回应那些在Facebook、Twitter和Instagram上关注我的学生。更重要的是，我在社交媒体上发布研讨会、职位空缺和自由工作机会的帖子。查看学生的社交媒体帖子也能让我看到他们个性的其他侧面。

YOU CAN SOCIALIZE BETTER SOBER Drinking and smoking eased my social anxiety and seemed like fun. Until I couldn’t stop. Getting clean — smoke-toke-alcohol-free — led to a huge upswing in my life. Instead of partying, I’d do movie nights, dancing, yoga, aerobics classes and readings with friends and dates. I was surprised to see that my work greatly improved, as did my relationships. I know many students who get into big trouble when they are under the influence, and I still worry about what I missed, wasting so much time wasted.

你清醒时能更好地社交。饮酒和抽烟缓解了我的社交焦虑，看上去很有趣-直到我停不下来。戒烟戒酒极大地改善了我的生活。我不再去参加派对，而是去看电影、跳舞、练瑜伽、上有氧运动课、与朋友和约会对象一起阅读。我惊讶地发现，我的工作和人际关系都改善了很多。我知道很多学生在醉酒时遇到了大麻烦，而且我依然会琢磨自己错过了什么，醉醺醺地浪费了那么多时间。

（爱语吧）