Ashley Martinez在纽约的拉瓜迪亚社区学院学习会计。她也是一个学步儿的母亲，担心教科书和日托的花费。她正是巴拉克奥巴马正在试图帮助的那种人，一个新的提案让至少两年的社区学院免费。
Ashley Martinez studies accounting at LaGuardia Community College in New York. She is also [the] mother of a toddler an[d] worries about the cost of textbooks and daycare. She is exactly the type of person Barack Obama is trying to help with a new proposal that makes at least two years of community college free.
奥巴马说9百万学生能够从他的计划中受益，计划将会在他1月20日的国情咨文中揭晓。如果全部50个州都顺着走，一个典型的全日制社区学院学生能够每年节省3800美元，他宣称。学生必须维持平均2.5的GPA才有资格。萨姆大叔会涵盖75%的开销，州将会捡起剩下的。白宫表示账单将会是十年600亿美元。
Mr Obama says 9 million students could /be/ benefit from his plans which will feature in his state-of-the-union address on January 20th. If all 50 states go along with it, a typical full-time community-college student [could] save $3,800 a year, he claims. Students must maintain [a] 2.5-g[rade-]point average to qualify. Uncle Sam [would] cover 75% of the cost, the states [would] pick up the rest. The White House says the table will be $60 billion over ten years.
社区学院是公共资助的当地机构，提供职业课程或者准备学生转入四年制大学。奥巴马称呼他们为通往中产的必经之路，并且表扬其灵活的计划。它们适合全日制工作的人。它们适合不得不全日制抚养孩子的家长。他们适合已经尽力让其技能将会帮助他们走到的境地并向获得新技能的人，但是没有能力突然之间脱产学习四年。
Community colleges are publicly funded local institutions that offer vocational courses or prepare student to transfer to [a] four-year university. Obama calls them essential pathways to [the] middle class and praises their flexible schedule[s]. They work for people who work full time. They work for parents who have to raise kids full time. They work for folks who have gone [as far as] their skills would take them and want to earn new ones but [don't have] the capacity to [just] suddenly [go] stud[y for] four years [and not] work.
学费典型是每年3300美元，远少于在一所大学。质量良莠不齐。一些课程极好，其他的则过期或者不配合当地就业市场。只有20%的社区学院全日制学生在三年内获得专科学位（副学士），而且原计划是花费两年。
Tuition is typically $3,300 a[/per] year, far less than at a university. Quality varies. Some courses are excellent, others are outdated[/out of date] or ill-matched to local job market. Only 20% of full-time students at community college[s] earn an associate's degree within three years, and it is supposed to take two /years/.
总统的计划可能鼓励那些曾经因学校的价格标签打退堂鼓的美国人。但是对于许多学生，包括Martinez女士，社区学院已经是免费或者近乎如此的了。财政援助平均是每个学生约5000美元每年。
The president's scheme might encourage American who were [deterred] by the price tag to study. But for many students, including Ms Martinez, community college/s/ [was] already free or nearly so. Financial aid averages around $5,000 [per] student per year.
8.28
study accounting/textbooks
Community College/full-time/four-year university
mother of a toddler/daycare
a new proposal/plan/scheme
benefit from/at least two years free
feature in his state-of-the-union address on January 20th
maintain a 2.5 grade-point average to qualify
Uncle Sam/the White House
cover 75% of the cost/pick up the rest/the tab
publicly funded local institutions
offer vocational courses or prepare students to transfer
essential pathways to the middle class
flexible schedules
earn new skills/earn an associate's degree
don't have the capacity to
out of date or ill-matched to the local job market
encourage Americans who were deterred by the price tag to study
Tuition/price tag/cost/tab
