The Craze of Pursuing Graduate Studies

考 研 熱

Each year， millions of Chinese college students sit for qualifying examinations for graduate studies， primarily in Master’s programs. Students prepare for those examinations either through years of arduous self-education or by spending large sums of money attending local training schools. The publishing of examinations-related study materials and the training programs offered， both online and offline， have combined to form a sizable industry.

每年數以百萬計的中國大學生參加研究生入學資格考試，主要是攻讀碩士學位課程。學生們要么通過數年艱辛的自學，要么通過花上不菲的一筆錢參加當地培訓學校的課程，來準備這些資格考試。與考試相關的學習材料的出版，以及網上和網下所提供的培訓課程，一起構成了一個規模可觀的產業。

An alarming fact about this craze is that most students pursue graduate studies not out of their voluntary will. Faced with the harsh reality in the employment market， which is forever looking for graduates with higher degrees， many college graduates find going to graduate schools is a good way to avoid unemployment and to enhance one’s competitiveness in future job hunting.

關于這股熱潮，一個觸目驚心的事實是，大多數學生并不是出于他們自主的意愿而去追求研究生階段的學習的。面對著就業市場上嚴峻的現實，看著雇主們永遠將目光投向那些學歷更高的畢業生，許多大學生發現，進入研究生院去攻讀碩士學位不失為一個良策，一方面避免了失業，另一方面可以提升未來求職過程中的競爭力。

However， without that voluntary initiative， most students who do enter graduate schools are not motivated. For them， the only thing that ultimately counts is the degree or the diploma which they expect could give them an upper hand against other job hunters. As to the actual substance of their graduate studies， it’s not a big deal for them， as long as it leads to that degree or diploma. It is really pathetic to see that students undertake graduate studies with an ulterior motive—not for the sake of loving what they study， but for the sake of merely landing a job， which in many cases might be unrelated to what they have studied.

然則，沒有了那份由衷而發的積極性，最終得以進入研究生院的學生，其中大多數缺乏自我上進的動力。對于他們而言，最終而言，唯有其文憑或學位事關重大。他們希望，這個學位或文憑能提升其優勢，戰勝其他求職者。至于他們研究生課程實際學習什么內容，于他們而言并非關鍵所在，只要所學的東西能帶來一紙學位或文憑即可。看著學生們并非懷著一種真實的意圖去攻讀研究生課程，實在令人感到悲哀：學生們并不真正熱愛其所學的內容，而只是為了找到一份工作，并且這份工作在很多情形中可能與其所學專業毫不相關。

The chill truth is that students soon find their anticipations are a mere dream. As so many undergraduates proceed onto graduate studies， the employment situation remains as severe as ever. Instead of bringing about apparent competitive edges， two or three years of additional academic training is simply a waste of time and energy. They need to reflect on this craze and would have been better off distinguishing themselves with outstanding knowledge and skills when they were undergraduates.

一個令人心寒的事實真相是，學生們很快就會發現，他們的期望純粹是一種幻想。由于本科之后繼續讀研的學生如此之眾，就業形勢一如既往地嚴峻。二至三年額外的學術訓練沒能給學生帶來顯著的競爭優勢，而是令他們白白地浪費了時光與精力，大學生們有必要對此熱潮展開反思。如果他們早在本科期間就以優異的學識與能力脫穎而出的話，他們的處境肯定會來的好得多。

【炫詞/炫語/炫句研究】

1. to sit for examinations： 就相當于to take part in examinations

2. qualifying examination；資格考試；體育上的資格賽就叫 qualifying matches

3. graduate studies： “研究生學習”的美國說法； 英國的說法是postgraduate studies

4. Master’s program：碩士學位課程；“本科學位課程”是undergraduate program或Bachelor’s program; “博士學位課程”是 Ph.D. program 或 doctoral program;

5. to prepare for examinations： 備考

6. either through …or by …： 要么是通過…， 要么是憑借…

7. years of arduous self-education： 數年的艱苦自學； arduous：艱難卓絕的； self-education的另一個說法是self-study;

8. to spend large sums of money attending local training schools： spend time or money （on） doing something; 另外，在large sums of money這個表達方式中，雖然money是不可數的，但作為量詞的sum是可數的，要用復數，謂語動詞也相應要用復數。類似的例子有amount， 如large amounts of energy， 其用法與large sums of money相同。