2011年12月英語六級作文范文2:考研熱
The Craze of Pursuing Graduate Studies
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.
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.
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.
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.
【參考譯文】
考 研 熱
每年，數(shù)以百萬計的中國大學(xué)生參加研究生入學(xué)資格考試，主要是攻讀碩士學(xué)位課程。學(xué)生們要么通過數(shù)年艱辛的自學(xué)，要么通過花上不菲的一筆錢參加當(dāng)?shù)嘏嘤?xùn)學(xué)校的課程，來準(zhǔn)備這些資格考試。與考試相關(guān)的學(xué)習(xí)材料的出版，以及網(wǎng)上和網(wǎng)下所提供的培訓(xùn)課程，一起構(gòu)成了一個規(guī)?？捎^的產(chǎn)業(yè)。
關(guān)于這股熱潮，一個觸目驚心的事實是，大多數(shù)學(xué)生并不是出于他們自主的意愿而去追求研究生階段的學(xué)習(xí)的。面對著就業(yè)市場上嚴(yán)峻的現(xiàn)實，看著雇主們永遠將目光投向那些學(xué)歷更高的畢業(yè)生，許多大學(xué)生發(fā)現(xiàn)，進入研究生院去攻讀碩士學(xué)位不失為一個良策，一方面避免了失業(yè)，另一方面可以提升未來求職過程中的競爭力。
然則，沒有了那份由衷而發(fā)的積極性，最終得以進入研究生院的學(xué)生，其中大多數(shù)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?qū)W位事關(guān)重大。他們希望，這個學(xué)位或文憑能提升其優(yōu)勢，戰(zhàn)勝其他求職者。至于他們研究生課程實際學(xué)習(xí)什么內(nèi)容，于他們而言并非關(guān)鍵所在，只要所學(xué)的東西能帶來一紙學(xué)位或文憑即可。看著學(xué)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(xué)生們并不真正熱愛其所學(xué)的內(nèi)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(xué)專業(yè)毫不相關(guān)。
一個令人心寒的事實真相是，學(xué)生們很快就會發(fā)現(xiàn)，他們的期望純粹是一種幻想。由于本科之后繼續(xù)讀研的學(xué)生如此之眾，就業(yè)形勢一如既往地嚴(yán)峻。二至三年額外的學(xué)術(shù)訓(xùn)練沒能給學(xué)生帶來顯著的競爭優(yōu)勢，而是令他們白白地浪費了時光與精力，大學(xué)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(yōu)異的學(xué)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(dāng)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(xué)習(xí)”的美國說法； 英國的說法是postgraduate studies
4. Master’s program：碩士學(xué)位課程；“本科學(xué)位課程”是undergraduate program或Bachelor’s program; “博士學(xué)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(shù)年的艱苦自學(xué)； 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(shù)的，但作為量詞的sum是可數(shù)的，要用復(fù)數(shù)，謂語動詞也相應(yīng)要用復(fù)數(shù)。類似的例子有amount， 如large amounts of energy， 其用法與large sums of money相同。
