《参考消息》2006年8月25日第6版：，美高校管理者不欣赏大学排名

【英国《经济学家》8月26日一期文章】题：名望的阶梯
The ladder of fame
Aug 24th 2006 | WASHINGTON, DC
From The Economist print edition

ON AUGUST 18th US News & World Reportr________①its 2007 rankings of America's top colleges. The survey began in 1983 as a simple straw poll, when the magazine asked 662 college presidents to identify the country's best places of learning. It has since mutated into an annualordeal[1]for reputable universities. （1）A strong showing in the rankings spurs student interest and alumni giving; a slip has grave consequences.

University administrators deeply dislike the survey. （2）Many reject the idea that schools can be stacked[2] up against one another in any meaningful way.And the survey's methodology iss________②.The rankings are still based partly on peer evaluations. They compare rates of alumni giving, which has little to do with the transmission of knowledge. Besides, the magazine's data are supplied by the schools anduncorroborated[3].

（3）But whether the rankings are fair is beside the point, because they are wildly influential.In the 1983 survey barely half of the presidents approached bothered to respond. Today, only a handful dareabstain[4].

Most, in fact, do more than simply fill out the survey. Competition between colleges for top students is increasing, partly because of the veryp________③of rankings. Colin Diver, the president of Reed College in Oregon, considers that（4）“rankings create powerful incentives to manipulate data and distort institutional behaviour.”

In some ways, thescramble[5]to attract applicants has helped students. Some universities are devoting more money to scholarships._____________________.（这似乎是应对排名挑战的一种理性做法。）

Other colleges, though, are trying todrum[6] upexcitement by offeringperks[7].Students at the University of California, Los Angeles now appreciate weekly maid service in the dorms. Students at Pennsylvania State University enjoy freea________④to Napster, the music-sharing service.

University officials, defending this strategy, often imply that they are onlyr_________⑤to student demand.（5）Discouraging words for those who believe that a college's job is to educate, not coddle[8].

NOTES:
[1]ordeal n.严峻考验;苦难,折磨
[2]stack up把……堆起；成为结果
[3]uncorroborated adj.未经证实的
[4]abstain v.弃绝
[5]scramble n.争抢，争夺
[6]drum up大力征集；召集
[7]perks n.津贴，额外补贴
[8]coddle v.悉心照料；娇养

试一试：
1．根据首字母提示和译文，填入适当单词：
①r________its 2007 rankings of America's top colleges（公布了最新的美国大学排名）（动词）
②the survey's methodology iss________（问卷调查的方法也有待商榷）（形容词）
③because of the veryp________of rankings（因为大学排名越来越受到重视）（名词）
④enjoy freea________to Napster, the music-sharing service（可以免费到Napster网站下载一些音乐）（名词）
⑤they are onlyr_________to student demand（他们只是应学生的要求才这样做的）（动词）

参考答案：

①released ②suspect（suspicious） ③popularity ④access ⑤responding
2．翻译划线部分英文：

参考答案：
（1）排名上升可以激发学生的兴趣，也能带来更多的校友捐资；排名下滑则后果严重。
（2）很多人认为，学校间是无法以任何有效的方式进行比较和排名的。
（3）不过，排名公平与否已经不重要了，因为排名的影响力实在太大了。
（4）“追求排名可能导致学校不惜改动数据或产生一些不合规矩的行为。”
（5）但对于那些认为大学的任务是教书育人而非迎合学生的人来说，这些说法太令人失望了。

3．根据译文，写出句子：

参考译文：That seems a reasonable response to the challenge of the rankings（是不是您的翻译与原文相去甚远，这不奇怪，同一意思表达方式成千上万，只要您愿意尝试学习作者的用法，您就达到学习的目的了。）

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