⊙ By Melissa Block 翻譯:T Boy
The First Day
開學第一天
⊙ By Melissa Block 翻譯:T Boy

新文具、新書包、新校服,新感覺油然而生。
一樣的校園、不一樣的課室,“久別重逢”的同學、依舊和藹的老師、素未謀面的老師,興奮中夾雜著緊張。
相同的科目、嶄新的課本、未知的挑戰,似曾相識的課程表激起對新挑戰的渴望,期待中有一絲忐忑。
廣播里又一次傳來校長的殷切期望,玩興未盡的心漸漸復位,熟悉的感覺如約而至:是的,開學了,新的學期來到了。

從幼兒園到小學,再從初中到現在的高中,你經歷過許多個開學第一天,熟悉這天的流程,不再有新鮮感了。不過,有幾個開學第一天至今還讓你記憶猶新呢?

Host: It’s the end of summer break. School had already started in some parts of country and many more schools opened their doors today. Finding your classroom, getting a1)locker, the first day is a big one for students, families and teachers.
Reporter A: For opening day at a brand new charter school in downtown Brooklyn…
Taji Brown (Student): I’m actually excited for making movies.
Reporter A: Taji Brown and his classmates are excited about the focus on technology at Brooklyn Laboratory Charter School. It’s in a neighborhood full of high-tech companies and universities.
Student: And I would like to make a movie, too. Maybe, if we worked together we would make a movie because I know enough.
Reporter A: Principal Eric Tucker says each student will get a laptop.
Eric: We believe that students need to be designers, producers, makers,2)tinkerers.
Reporter A: English teacher Nora Goda told her class the laptops will also come in handy for everyday activities like classwork and writing assignments, and she’ll participate, too.
Nora: And I can see what you’re typing from my computer and I’m giving you3)feedback. I’m saying, “No, that’s not the main idea” or “Move this sentence over here,4)immediately.” How does that make you feel? J.Z.?
J.Z.: A little bit scary.
Nora: Scary? Why?
J.Z.: Because you can see what we’re writing.
Nora: ’Cause I’m watching you.
Reporter B: In Austin, Texas, I’m watching seventh5)graders at a new public all-boys school learn how to tie their own ties. Counselor Sabrina Brown is surrounded in the cafeteria showing Martin Gonzales how it’s done.
Sabrina: And we’re going to go through your neck. Make sure you keep your finger on it. Right? And then we’re going through the front hole and pull it down.
1) locker [?l?k?(r)] n. 儲物柜
2) tinkerer [?t??k?(r)] n. 修補匠
3) feedback [?fi?db?k] n. 反饋
4) immediately [??mi?d??tl?] adv. 馬上,立刻
5) grader [?gre?d?] n. 某年級生
Martin: So6)weird. I look like I’m going to work.
Sabrina: Start fixing your7)knot after you’re done.
Sterlin McGruder (Principal): My name is Sterlin McGruder and I’m the8)principal of Gus Garcia Young Men’s Leadership Academy. Economically disadvantaged about 95% of our young men and English language learner about 42%. Special ed—so, pretty much one in five of our young men are special ed.
Reporter B: There are more than 400 boys in this school and part of the program is that every day each one will wear the uniform,9)khaki pants, button-up shirt and a tie.
Sterlin: When you’re dressed up, I feel good about myself. When I came to school yesterday and today, I felt like a leader. I felt confident about what I do because of the tie that I have on.
Reporter C: In Nathalie Alonzo’s kindergarten class, at Hazel Valley Elementary in the10)suburb of Burien, the children started their educational careers, right where you might expect.
Nathalie: We’ll start with a song. How many knows the ABC song?
Children: Me.
Nathalie: Yes, all right. You ready? Here we go. Children: A-B-C-D-E-F-G-H-I-J-K-L-M-NO-P…
Nathalie: Good.
Children: Q-R-S-T-U-V-W-X-Y-Z. Now I know my ABCs, next time won’t you sing with me? Nathalie: Yay. Give yourselves a hand. Give yourselves a hand. Yay.
6) weird [w??d] adj. 古怪的,離奇的
7) knot [n?t] n. 結
8) principal [?pr?ns?p(?)l] n. 校長
9) khaki [?kɑ?k?] adj. 卡其布料的
10)suburb [?s?bз?b] n. 郊區,市郊◆ charter school 特許學校:美國自20世紀90年代興起的眾多公辦民營學校類型之一。特許學校的設立由州政府立法批準,允許教師、家長、教育專業團體或其他非營利機構經營,由政府負擔經費。特許學校多數屬于教育革新的實驗學校,所以通常可以免除例行性教育行政法規的限制,如各學科授課時數、教學進度、教師工作準則、薪資規定,以及例行性的報表等。自1992年明尼蘇答州的圣保羅市立中學(St. Paul City Academy)創立以來,全美有42個州通過立法,允許設立特許學校。至2014–2015學年,全美特許學校已經超過6750所,在校學生超過280萬人。
主持人:暑假結束了。在美國一些地方,新學年早已開始,有更多學校也在今天開學了。找課室、找儲物柜,開學第一天對學生、家長和老師來說都是件大事。記者甲:一所位于紐約市布魯克林中心區的全新特許學校今天開學了……
塔吉·布朗(學生):拍攝電影這事兒讓我真的很興奮。記者甲:在布魯克林實驗室特許學校里,塔吉·布朗和班上的同學對學校注重科技發展的做法感到非常興奮。這所學校所處地段擁有多家高科技公司和大學。學生:我也想參與電影制作。我已經學會了不少東西,也許我們一起可以制作一部電影。
記者甲:校長埃里克·塔克表示,這里的每個學生都會領到一臺手提電腦。
埃里克:我們認為學生都應該成為設計師、制片人、制作者或工匠。
記者甲:英語老師諾拉·戈達對她班上的學生說,在每天的學習活動中,比如說課堂作業、寫作練習等,手提電腦用起來都很方便,她也會參與其中。
諾拉:而且,我可以從自己的電腦看到你們輸入的內容,我會給你們一些反饋意見。我會說“不對,那不是中心思想”,或者“馬上把這句話挪到那里去”。你覺得這主意如何,J.Z.?
J.Z.:有點嚇人。
諾拉:嚇人?為什么呢?
J.Z.:因為你可以看到我們寫了些什么。
諾拉:因為我在監督你們。
記者乙:在得克薩斯州奧斯丁市一所新的公立男子學校里,我正看著一群七年級學生學習怎么打領帶。在學校的食堂里,學生們圍著輔導員塞布麗娜·布朗,看她教馬丁·岡薩雷斯怎么打領帶。
塞布麗娜:讓它在你的脖子繞過去,記住要把手指放在上面,好啦?然后再穿過前面這個圈,把它拉下來。馬丁:感覺好奇怪啊,我看上去像個上班族。
塞布麗娜:系好后,再把領帶結拉直擺正。
斯特林·麥格魯德(校長):我叫斯特林·麥格魯德,是格斯·加西亞年輕男子領導才能學院的院長。我校有95%的學生屬于經濟弱勢群體,其中母語為非英語的學生占了42%,還有特殊教育,我校差不多有五分之一的學生接受特殊教育。
記者乙:這所學校的學生超過四百人。學校規定所有學生每天都要穿校服、卡其褲子,要扣緊襯衣的全部紐扣和打領帶。
斯特林:一個人如果穿著整齊,自我感覺就會更好。我昨天和今天來到學校,覺得自己是個引領者,因為我打了領帶,我對自己要做的事充滿了自信。
記者丙:在華盛頓州布里恩市郊區的黑澤爾谷小學,納塔利·阿朗索老師正在給幼兒班的學生上課。孩子們學習生涯的起點與我們想的一樣。
納塔利:我們用一首歌開始吧。有多少人會唱字母歌呢?
孩子們:我會。
納塔利:好,好啦。準備好了嗎?開始。
孩子們:A–B–C–D–E–F–G–H–I–J–K–L–M–N–O–P……
納塔利:很好。
孩子們:Q–R–S–T–U–V–W–X–Y–Z。我認識全部字母,下一次你愿意和我一起唱嗎?
納塔利:太棒了。給你們自己鼓鼓掌,給你們自己鼓鼓掌吧。太棒了。