(单词翻译:单击)
听力文本
From VOA Learning English, this is the Education Report.
Many schools across the U.S. hold graduation ceremonies this time of year. In some schools, even 5 and 6-year-olds observe their graduation from kindergarten. And so can older people, much older. Meet 70-year-old Jerry Reid, he just graduated from the University of Virginia in Charlottesville. He earned a bachelor's degree.
Mr. Reid might not look like the average college student, his hair is definitely grayer. But still Jerry Reid's age is easy to forget, other UVA students know him as one of their own.
Mr. Reid sat (1:00) into the "Hoo Crew," a group that cheers loudly for the school at sports events. He also joined a fraternity, a men's group on campus. He sang drinking songs along with many other students. Mr. Reid's school friends say they can talk to him about just about anything.
About a half century ago, in his 20s, Mr. Reid was not in school. Instead, he was racing cars and chasing girls. But he says his friend Bill invited him to UVA parties.
"Bill Sturman told me what a screwup I was that there was no way I'd ever make anything out of my life unless I came up here and went to school with him,"said Reid.
That was in 1963, Jerry Reid says it took him 48 years to take that advice. In 2011, he entered college, his last examination before graduation involved the Civil War General for the Southern, Stonewall Jackson.
UVA Professor Luke Wright says Mr. Reid influences students. Professor Wright says he opened the minds of the young adults. The teacher says Mr. Reid showed them that life does not end at 40. Instead, the 70-year-old college graduate believes that getting older can be the beginning of a dream.
"Remember that path that you left waits for you. It's there. It's yours. All you gotta do is get out of your own way and get back to it. And, that's exactly what I did," said Reid.
Mr. Reid says that he and his wife Susan now would take some time off to enjoy his college degree. Then, he'll return to UVA to begin studying for his graduate degree.
And that's the Education Report from VOA Learning English. For more education stories, go to our website 51voa.com. You can listen to our reports at our website or download them. You can follow us on Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter and on our YouTube Channel, all at VOA Learning English. I'm Jerilyn Watson.
文本来自51voa，译文属可可原创，仅供学习交流使用，未经许可请勿转载
词汇解释
1.fraternity n. 友爱；兄弟会；互助会；大学生联谊会
He must have been the most popular guy at the most popular fraternity in college.
他一定曾是大学里最受欢迎的男生联谊会中最红的人。
2.screwup n. 弄糟事情的人，弄糟的事情，一团糟[亦作 screw-up]
It's just a lowly assistant screwup.
只是低级助理的低级错误。
3.bachelor n. 学士；单身汉；（尚未交配的）小雄兽
Distrusting women, he remained a bachelor all his life.
由于不信任女人， 他做了一辈子单身汉。
内容解析
1.Mr. Reid says that he and his wife Susan now would take some time off to enjoy his college degree.
take time off 休息，休假；抽出一部分时间
He couldn't take time off to come to New York with me.
他走不开没办法和我一起来纽约。
Obese people are more likely to take time off owing to illness.
胖人更可能请病假。
参考译文
这里是美国之音慢速英语教育报道。
美国各地的许多学校在每年这个时候都会举行毕业典礼，在一些学校，甚至5-6岁的孩子也要从幼儿园毕业，所以更老的人也可以庆祝毕业。70岁的杰瑞·里德刚从夏洛茨维尔市的弗吉尼亚大学毕业，他获得了学士学位。
里德看起来或许和一般的学生不同，他的头发显然更白。但里德的年龄更容易让人忘记，其他的学生都把他当做自己人。
里德参加了该校体育赛事中的啦啦队Hoo Crew，还加入一个兄弟会，这是校园里的男性组织。他和同学们一起唱着祝酒歌，他的校友们说什么都可以跟他聊。
大约50年前，20多岁的里德没有上学，而是忙着赛车和追女孩子。但他说朋友比尔邀请他来弗吉尼亚大学的派对。
“比尔跟我说时我的生活正一团糟，我没办法改变自己的生活，除非来这里和他一起上学。”
那是在1963年，杰瑞·里德说他花了48年才听取这个建议，2011年，他进入大学，他毕业答辩的题目是效忠南方的内战将军斯通威尔·杰克逊。
弗吉尼亚大学教授卢克·怀特说里德影响了其他学生，怀特教授说他启发了年轻人的思想，他说里德让学生们知道，人的生命并非在40岁终结，这位70岁的毕业生认为变老是梦想的开始。
“记住你前面的道路，它就在那里，那是你的。你所需要做的就是离开现在的路，走上这条路，我就是这么做的。”
里德说他和妻子苏珊现在准备花些时间享受下大学学位，然后将回到弗吉尼亚大学开始攻读研究生学位。
这就是美国之音慢速英语教育报道，登陆learningenglish.voanews.com获得更多教育报道，还可以在网站上收听或下载报道，还可以在关注我们的脸书、LinkedIn、推特和YouTube频道，我是杰瑞琳·沃森。
