(单词翻译:单击)
听力文本
US Census: Americans are More Educated than Ever Before
The United States Census Bureau is reporting two major developments involving education.
For the first time in history, 90 percent of Americans over 25 years of age have finished high school. In addition, more than one-third of Americans over the age of 25 have a college degree or higher.
That is a big change from 1940. At that time, a Census Bureau study found that less than 25 percent of the U.S. population had completed at least four years of high school. It also found that just 4.6 percent had earned a four-year bachelor's degree or taken additional classes after completing a study program at a college or university.
Born inside the U.S. vs outside
The new study found that, in 2017, 54 percent of Americans who did not complete high school were born outside the United States. The numbers are even higher among Hispanic men and women. Seventy-six percent of Hispanics born overseas did not have a high school degree.
Higher percentages of foreign-born people from all race and ethnic groups have not finished high school. Yet nearly the same amount of foreign-born Americans as people born in the United States have a college education.
Thirty-four percent of U.S.-born Americans have a four-year college degree. That rate is similar to the 33 percent of those born in other countries.
Recession and school
The value of a high school degree has changed a lot since the 1940s. Today, a high school education is often required for workers in the U.S. job market.
The Census Bureau information showed that the 2007 to 2009 recession led more Americans to go to college.
During the recession, there was a 33 percent increase in students registering at two-year colleges. Those new students may have decided to return to school to improve their skills or learn new ones during a time when labor market conditions were worsening.
Twenty-nine percent of all students were registered at two-year colleges in 2010, but that number had dropped to 25 percent in 2015.
As the labor market improved, fewer Americans left their jobs to go to college. However, the number of students registered at two-year colleges was still 10 percent higher in 2015 than in 2006.
The Census Bureau found that people can earn more money if they go to college. In 2016, people with high school degrees earned an average of $35,615 per year. Those with a four-year college degree earned $65,482, and people with advanced degrees took home an average of $92,525.
There is still a big difference between men and women. Men with a college degree earned an average of $79,927 in 2016. Women with the same level of education were paid an average of $50,856.
I'm Phil Dierking.
重点解析
重点讲解：
1. for the first time 首次；第一次；
For the first time in my career, I was failing.
我职业生涯中第一次经历失败。
2. in addition 另外；加之；除…之外；
You need money and time; in addition, you need diligence.
你需要钱和时间，此外还需要努力。
3. be similar to 相像的；相仿的；类似的；
Because after 10 years without smoking, the risk of lung cancer is similar to that of a nonsmoker.
10年不吸烟，吸烟者患肺癌的几率将降至和不吸烟者一样低。
4. lead sb. to do sth. 促使；使得；使；
And a wrong judgement could lead you to go the long way around.
一个错误的判断就会让你走很长的弯路。
参考译文
美国人口普查局表示美国人受教育程度提升
美国人口普查局报告了两项有关教育的重大进展。
25岁及以上的美国人，完成高中学业的比例首次达到90%。另外，25岁及以上美国人有超过三分之一获得了大学以上学位。
这是1940年以来的重大变化。当时，人口普查局的调查发现，完成至少四年高中学业的美国人口比例不足25%。调查还发现，只有4.6%的美国人在完成大学学习计划后获得了四年制学士学位或是参加了额外的课程。
美国国内出生人口VS海外出生人口
这项新研究发现，2017年，没有完成高中教育的美国人中有54%出生在美国以外地区。拉丁裔人口中没有完成高中学业的比例甚至更高。出生在海外的拉丁裔人口中有76%的人没有拿到高中毕业证书。
来自各种族和族裔的外国出生人群未完成高中学业的比例较高。而接受过大学教育的海外出生美国人的比例几乎与美国本土出生的比例不相上下。
美国本土出生的人口中有34%拥有四年制大学学位。这一比例与海外人口33%的比例相差无几。
经济衰退与学业
自1940年以来，高中学历的价值有了很大改变。现在，美国就业市场通常要求工人接受过高中教育。
美国人口普查局的信息显示，2007年至2009年的经济衰退促使更多美国人接受高等教育。
在经济衰退期，两年制大学的学生注册人数增长了33%。在就业市场日益恶化的情况下，这些新生可能决定重返校园提升技能或学习新技能。
2010年，有29%的学生注册了两年制大学，但是这一比例在2015年减少至25%。
就业市场改善以后，离职去大学学习的美国人数量随之减少。但是，2015年注册两年制大学的学生人数依然比2006年高了10个百分点。
美国人口普查局发现，人们如果接受大学教育可以赚更多钱。2016年，拥有高中学历人口的平均年薪为35,615美元。拥有四年制大学学位人口的平均年薪为65,482美元，而拥有更高学位人口的平均年薪达到了92,525美元。
男性与女性之间仍存在很大差别。2016年，拥有大学学位的男性的平均年薪为79,927美元。而拥有同等学力的女性的平均年薪为50,856美元。
菲尔·迪尔金报道。
译文为可可英语翻译，未经授权请勿转载！
