2022年10月26日 VOA慢速英語：高中畢業(yè)生應(yīng)該服務(wù)一年嗎？

 

As high school graduates enter adulthood, some may be unsure of what to do next. They might not be ready to attend college. They might not have the skills to get a job. And some do not know what kind of career they want.
隨著高中畢業(yè)生進入成年期，有些人可能不確定下一步該做什么。他們可能還沒有準備好上大學。他們可能沒有找到工作的技能。有些人不知道他們想要什么樣的職業(yè)。
 
Wes Moore is a Democratic candidate for governor in the American state of Maryland. As part of his campaign, Moore proposed to create a paid community service year for such graduates who are unsure of their next steps.
韋斯摩爾是美國馬里蘭州州長的民主黨候選人。作為競選活動的一部分，摩爾提議為這些不確定下一步行動的畢業(yè)生設(shè)立一個有償社區(qū)服務(wù)年。
 
Moore said the graduates would volunteer with non-profit groups and community organizations. In exchange for their service, they would receive job training and mentorship. They can also get money to pay for college.
摩爾說，畢業(yè)生將自愿加入非營利組織和社區(qū)組織。為了換取他們的服務(wù)，他們將接受職業(yè)培訓和指導。他們還可以獲得錢來支付大學費用。
 
Before his run for governor, Moore was involved with Service Year Alliance, an organization that works to connect those looking to serve with groups across the country in need of volunteers.
在競選州長之前，摩爾參與了服務(wù)年聯(lián)盟，該組織致力于將那些希望服務(wù)的人與全國各地需要志愿者的團體聯(lián)系起來。
 
Kristen Bennett is the president of Service Year Alliance. She said national service or community service, should be a "common expectation and opportunity" for all Americans. She compared it to getting an internship or attending college. And she suggested that Moore's plan could make that happen.
Kristen Bennett 是服務(wù)年聯(lián)盟的總裁。她說，國民服務(wù)或社區(qū)服務(wù)應(yīng)該是所有美國人的“共同期望和機會”。她將其比作實習或上大學。她建議摩爾的計劃可以實現(xiàn)這一目標。
 
Moore's program would be similar to the existing Americorps program. It is a federal government program that connects volunteers with organizations nationwide. Volunteers can do things like cleaning up disaster areas, helping environmental efforts, working in afterschool programs, or assisting military veterans. Many are also involved in COVID-19 programs.
摩爾的計劃將類似于現(xiàn)有的美國陸軍計劃。這是一項聯(lián)邦政府計劃，將志愿者與全國各地的組織聯(lián)系起來。志愿者可以做一些事情，比如清理災區(qū)、幫助環(huán)保工作、參加課外活動或幫助退伍軍人。許多人還參與了 COVID-19 計劃。
 
Americorps volunteers receive very little money for their work. Bennett said that makes it "impossible for youth from marginalized backgrounds and communities to participate without financial support." She added that "this is something we think is really important to see change."
Americorps 志愿者的工作收入很少。貝內(nèi)特說，這使得“來自邊緣化背景和社區(qū)的青年在沒有經(jīng)濟支持的情況下無法參與”。她補充說：“這是我們認為看到變化非常重要的事情。”
 
Bennett said states like Washington and California have also provided more money for Americorps volunteers. And she applauded Moore's plan to start a large service program for high school graduates, calling it "really unique."
貝內(nèi)特說，華盛頓和加利福尼亞等州也為美國志愿人員提供了更多資金。她對摩爾為高中畢業(yè)生啟動大型服務(wù)項目的計劃表示贊賞，稱其“非常獨特”。
 
Public studies show that voluntary service is a popular idea across political lines. Voices for National Service found that 88 percent of Democrats and 74 percent of Republicans favor an expansion of voluntary national service in a 2020 study.
公共研究表明，志愿服務(wù)是跨越政治界線的流行理念。國民服役之聲發(fā)現(xiàn)，在 2020 年的一項研究中，88% 的民主黨人和 74% 的共和黨人贊成擴大志愿國民服役。
 
Supporters like Bennett see national service as a way to make the country less divided. "Service year brings people from different backgrounds together around a shared experience that builds empathy and understanding," she said. "When…you're working together to address a very challenging issue in the community it becomes easier to put aside your political or religious or socioeconomic differences."
像貝內(nèi)特這樣的支持者將國民服役視為減少國家分裂的一種方式。“服務(wù)年將來自不同背景的人們聚集在一起，共同分享經(jīng)驗，建立同理心和理解，”她說。“當……你們一起努力解決社區(qū)中一個非常具有挑戰(zhàn)性的問題時，拋開你們的政治、宗教或社會經(jīng)濟差異會變得更容易。”
 
Several candidates for president, including John McCain, Hillary Clinton and Pete Buttigieg, proposed to expand national service programs. And a bill that would have required young Americans to do two years of national service failed in Congress.
包括約翰·麥凱恩、希拉里·克林頓和皮特·布蒂吉格在內(nèi)的幾位總統(tǒng)候選人提議擴大國民服務(wù)計劃。一項要求年輕美國人服兩年兵役的法案在國會失敗。
 
Critics say requiring national service is a bad idea. They say the government should not force anyone to do work and doing so might violate the U.S. constitution.
批評人士說，要求國民服役是一個壞主意。他們說政府不應(yīng)該強迫任何人工作，這樣做可能違反美國憲法。
 
Doug Bandow is with the Cato Institute. The organization supports "individual liberty, limited government, free markets, and peace." In 2019, Bandow wrote, "Mandatory universal national service would conflict with deeply held American values, violate the Constitution, create an administrative nightmare, and undermine its own objective of creating a more caring America."
Doug Bandow 在卡托研究所工作。該組織支持“個人自由、有限政府、自由市場與和平”。班道在 2019 年寫道，“強制性的全民服役將與根深蒂固的美國價值觀相沖突，違反憲法，制造一場行政噩夢，并破壞其創(chuàng)造一個更有愛心的美國的目標。”
 
He concluded: "Such an approach is a bad idea whose time has not come."
他總結(jié)道：“這種方法是一個糟糕的主意，時機尚未成熟。”