德国、奥地利和说德语的瑞士都有一个让它们与大部分其他国家不一样的教育传统。儿童们往往是在正午而不是傍晚离开学校。中学被划分为三类。基本类准备技术学徒以及职业培训。中间类教导诸如记账的技巧。而名为Gymnasium高级类则通往大学。
German, Austria and German-speaking Switzerland have an educational [tradition] that sets them apart from most other countries. Children tend to get out of school at midday instead of late afternoon. Secondary schools are divided into three types. The basic one prepares technical apprenticeships and vocational training. The middle one teaches skills such as book[[-]keeping. The high[est,] called Gymnasium, leads to university.
对一个把自己视为平等主义着的国家，这透露出一丝等级特权的味道，那些上高级中学的人往往富裕地不成比例。但是这个系统也因为培养出符合资格的制造业工人值得称赞。德国人老早就赞同这种安排了。
For a country that see itself as egalitarian, this smacks [of] class privilege. Those/ who/ go[ing] to Gymnasium tend to disproportionately well[-]off. But th[e] system also deserves credit for producing qualified manufacturing workers. Germans have long approved of th[e] arrangement.
接着2001年的PISA冲击来临了。由OECD富裕国家俱乐部在国际上15岁学生在阅读、科学和数学上比较发现德国学生仅仅属于中庸之才。这场PISA冲击导致了疯狂的改革。一些州试图同时解决一切。全日制学校变得更加普遍，现在三个德国学生就有一个在上（全日制）。结合了三类中学并受左派喜爱的综合学校也是如此。测试和教学大纲已经改变。更多的家长希望孩子们进入高级中学。现在大学的学生比职业培训（技校）的学生还要多一倍。直至90年代在德国还属于罕见的私立学校正在快速增长。
Then came the PISA shock of 2001. International comparison[s] of 15-year-old pupils in reading, science and maths conducted by the OECD club of rich countries found /that/ German pupils /are/ just[/merely] mediocre. The PISA shock prompted[/launched] a frenzy of reform. Some states tried to fix everything at once. All-day schools [have become] more common, [with] one [in] three German pupils now [attending] one. So [have] comprehensive schools that[which] combine [the] three types [and are] loved by the left. Tests and syllabuses have changed. [And] more parents want children to [get into] Gymnasium. Now there are twice as many students [at] college[/university] [as] in vocational training. Private schools, rare [in Germany] until 1990s, are growing fast.
也许作为结果，德国学生在近来的PISA测试中有所改善。但是西部各州的家长远远没有变得更开心，而是狂怒。他们的怒火指向一个特定的改变，十年前的一个举动，大部分的州把9年制的高级中学改成了八年制。家长投诉孩子们受到压力，他们不得不放弃下午活动，他们为了考试死记硬背，没有深度学习。
Perhaps as a result, German pupils have improved in recent PISA tests. [Yet] far from being happier, parents [in] western states are livid. Their fury is aimed at one particular change, [the] move, a decade ago, [in] most states [from] [a] 9-year Gymnasium /in/to an 8-year one. Parents complain that children are stressed, that they have [to] give up[/drop] afternoon activities [and] that they are cramming for tests [without] learning deeply.
6.7
Germany/Austria/German-speaking Switzerland
an educational tradition/system/arrangement
set... apart from
countries/states
tend do/often
at midday/late afternoon
instead of/far from being.../without
secondary schools/divided into three types/basic/middle/highest/Gymnasium
basic/prepare for technical apprenticeships and vocational training.
middle/teaches skills such as book-keeping
the highest/"Gymnasium"/leads to university
see itself as egalitarian/smacks of class privilege
be disproportionately well-off
deserve credit for sth
producing qualified manufacturing workers
approve of the arrangement
the PISA shock of 2001
international comparisons of
pupils/students
in reading/science and maths
be conducted by
the OECD club of rich countries
well-off/rich
launched a frenzy of reform/change
fix everything at once
all-day school/comprehensive schools/combine the three types/loved by the left
attend school/get into
university/college
private school/rare/growing fast
improve in tests
tests/syllabuses
happy/livid/fury
be aimed at one particular change
the move from A to b
a nine-year Gymnasium to an eight-year one
be stressed/have to drop afternoon activities/cram for examines without learning deeply
