加路连英语口语第 18 课: She's just lacking in direction. 她只是缺乏方向

Candy: So why don't you want to study in the States anyway? 那你到底为什么不想去美国念呢？

Sarah: It's way more expensive, and I'd have to take all those obnoxious English tests.Plus, I have roots here and no reason to leave. 那可贵多了，而且我得去考那一堆讨厌的英文考试。此外，我的根在这里，没理由离开。

Candy: But you have to take tests for admission here, too. 可是你也要考这里的入学考试啊。

Sarah: True, but at least I'll be able to express myself in my native language. 的确，但是至少我能用母语表达。

Candy: Whatever. Anyway, I have to go. [to Ian] Ian, thank you so much. You're such an expert! I hope you don't mind me calling you later for help. 随便啦。不管怎样，我得走了。（对伊恩）伊恩，太谢谢你了。你真是一位专家！希望你不介意我之后打电话向你求助。

Ian: She reminds me an awful lot of all of those people I helped when I worked in that overseas study center. Why are so many Taiwanese people so damned spacey? 她让我想起之前在海外留学中心工作碰到的一大堆人。为什么这么多台湾人这么搞不懂状况？

Sarah: Hey, watch it! Who're you calling spacey? Man, you must have an awful lot of awful stories. 嘿，当心点！你说谁搞不懂啊？天呀，你一定有一大堆糟糕的故事。

Ian: Ain't that the truth. I had people coming in who could barely speak English and wanted to apply to TEFL programs. I had people who couldn't hold a tune anting to apply to the Julliard school. 可不是吗。我碰过几乎不会说英文的人，想要申请英语外语教学课程。我还碰过音感很差的人，想要申请茱莉亚学院。

Sarah: No wonder you quit. Well, you know, there ARE Taiwanese people who want to study abroad who DO have their heads screwed on straight. 怪不得你会辞职。呃，你知道吗，还是有些想出国念书的台湾人是脑袋清楚的。

Ian: Well it's a good thing you're not abandoning the island like so many other
intellectuals. 好在你不像其它知识分子一样，舍弃了这座岛。

Sarah: Someone has to stay and pursue local scholarship. Education is changing so rapidly here. 总得有人要留下来，从事地方的学术研究。这里的教育变得很快。

Ian: Tell me about it. I'm thinking about applying for a master's here myself. How do you get into a graduate school in Taiwan? 这还用说。我自己都想在这里申请硕士呢。你在台湾要怎么申请进入研究所？

Sarah: There's a fall application process similar to the American one. You can also take written tests for individual schools in the spring. Good universities are always competitive. 有一个跟美国很像的秋季甄试。你也可以在春季参加个别学校的笔试。好学校一向竞争激烈。

Ian: Good Taiwanese and American universities are always competitive. So do you think Candy will call me and ask for more help? 好的台湾和美国大学永远都竞争激烈。所以你想凯蒂会打给我求助吗？

Sarah: Probably. I think she does really want to go abroad. She's just lacking in direction. 或许吧。我想她是真的想要出国。她只是缺乏方向。

Ian: But apparently not in cash. If I had what she has, I'd do ten master's just for fun. Social sciences, humanities, engineering, everything! With money like that, who needs direction? 但很明显不是缺钱。如果我拥有她有的一切，我会为了好玩读十个硕士。社会科学、人文学、工程学，全部都念！有那么多钱，谁还需要方向呢？