VOA慢速英語:70歲老人體驗大學(xué)生活

From VOA Learning English, this is the Education Report.

這里是美國之音慢速英語教育報道。

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.

美國各地的許多學(xué)校每年這個時候都會舉行畢業(yè)典禮。在一些學(xué)校，甚至五六歲的小孩也會慶祝自己從幼兒園畢業(yè)。所以更老的人也可以慶祝畢業(yè)。70歲的Jerry Reid就剛從夏洛茨維爾市的弗吉尼亞大學(xué)畢業(yè)，他獲得了學(xué)士學(xué)位。

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.

里德先生也許看上去和普通大學(xué)生不同，他的頭發(fā)顯然更白。但是里德的年齡很容易就被人忽略，其他學(xué)生都把他當(dāng)作自己人。

Mr. Reid set (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.

里德先生參加了Hoo Crew，這是該校體育賽事上的啦啦隊。他還加入了兄弟會，這是校園里的男性組織。他和其他學(xué)生一起唱著祝酒歌。里德的同學(xué)說，他們可以和他討論任何事情。

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.

大約半個世紀(jì)以前，在他20多歲的時候，里德先生沒有上學(xué)。相反他在賽車和追女孩。但他表示，他的朋友比爾邀請他參加了弗吉尼亞大學(xué)的派對。

"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.

里德說，“比爾說我過得一團糟，我沒法改變我的生活，除非我到這來和他一起上學(xué)。”

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.

那是在1963年，里德說他花了48年才聽從這個建議。2011年，他上了大學(xué)，他畢業(yè)答辯涉及的是效忠南方的內(nèi)戰(zhàn)將軍石墻杰克遜(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.

弗吉尼亞大學(xué)教授盧克·賴特(Luke Wright)說，里德先生影響了學(xué)生們。賴特教授說，里德打開了年輕人的思想。他說，里德先生告訴學(xué)生們，生命并未止于40歲。相反這位70歲的大學(xué)畢業(yè)生認為，變老是一個夢想的開始。

"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.

里德說，“記得你規(guī)劃好的那條路，它就在那等著你。你要做的就是離開現(xiàn)在的路，并回到規(guī)劃好的那條路。而這正是我所做的。”

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.

里德先生說，他和妻子蘇珊現(xiàn)在要抽出點時間來慶祝他的大學(xué)學(xué)位。然后他將回到弗吉尼亞大學(xué)開始攻讀研究生學(xué)位。