大学生“蚁族”活得不易_轻松英语
ant tribe growing restless
大“蚁族”活得不易
when deng kun was in college studying biomedical engineering, he imagined himself working for a company like ge. instead, he has spent his time after graduation in the cramped and chilly room he shares with a friend in the outskirts of beijing, playing video games or trying to line up a job as a salesman.
邓坤(音)的大学专业是医学工程。他曾经梦想到通用那样的公司工作。然而,他现在和同伴们蜗居在北京郊区一所寒冷的房间里,花大量时间一边打游戏一边等待销售的工作。
mr. deng is a member of the “ant tribe,” as sociologist lian si has dubbed the swelling ranks of underemployed or underpaid chinese university graduates frustrated by their failure to fulfill their ambitions. “ants are smart,” he explained. “they are relatively weak individually but, if you don’t pay attention to them, they can cause a disaster. there is a chinese saying that a 10,000 mile dam can be breached by a swarm of ants.” mr. lian estimated that there are upwards of three million graduates in china without jobs or doing work for which they are overqualified. even those graduates who have found suitable jobs are finding life a lot harder than they had expected.
邓就是“蚁族”的一员,社会学者廉思给未就业或报酬过低的中国大学毕业生这样命名,他们在实现自己的雄心时遭遇失败受挫。廉教授说:“蚂蚁很聪明。它们是相对弱小的个体,但若不多加注意,它们可能带来巨大灾难。中国有句古话,千里之堤,毁于蚁穴。”据廉估计,现在有超过300万的毕业生没有工作,或将就工作着。甚至那些已找到工作的毕业生,也逐渐发现生活比他们想像的艰难许多。
zhang haijuan studied biomedical engineering too, but she earns only 2,500 yuan a month. her parents “would never say anything about my salary,” she said. “but i sometimes talk with my friends about whether it has been worth it -- we made so much effort in college and now i earn less than some of my classmates who did not advance past middle school. that frustrates me.”
张海娟(音)也是学生物医学工程专业的,月薪2500元。张说,父母“从来不问工资”,“但我有时会和朋友们谈论值不值。我们在大学很努力,现在挣得却没有一些没上完中学的多。这让我很沮丧。”
most of the “ant tribe” in beijing are like ms. zhang, said mr. lian -- single twenty-somethings from the provinces with degrees from minor universities but ambitions in the major leagues. “the big gap between the cities and the countryside means that talent and resources all go to the big cities,” he noted. “the graduates do not want to go back; they prefer a single bed in beijing to a house in their hometown. if their dreams collapse and they cannot find a good explanation for their failure, it could be dangerous,” he predicted. “they were taught that knowledge could change their fate, but they find that is not true. if they cannot even find a job, they may oppose society.”
北京的多数“蚁族”成员都像张一样,来自外省,单身,20岁出头,一般大学毕业,对职业规划雄心勃勃。“城乡的巨大差别使得人才和资源都流到大城市。”廉说。“毕业生不愿意回去,他们宁要北京一张床,不要老家一座房。但如果他们的梦想破灭,而又找不到合理的原因解释他们的失败,那就危险了”,廉预测说。“他们被说知识能改变命运,但他们发现这不是真的。如果连工作都找不到,他们可能会与社会对立”。
for the time being, mr. lian said, he saw no great threat to social stability, and he noted official government efforts to head off any danger. “the future depends on how society guides this group,” he added. “paying attention to the ‘ant tribe’ is paying attention to society’s future.”
廉教授说,就目前来看,没有发现他们对社会稳定带来重大威胁,政府也在阻止任何危险发生。但他补充说:“未来要看社会如何引导这一群体。关注‘蚁族’就是关注社会未来。”
大“蚁族”活得不易
when deng kun was in college studying biomedical engineering, he imagined himself working for a company like ge. instead, he has spent his time after graduation in the cramped and chilly room he shares with a friend in the outskirts of beijing, playing video games or trying to line up a job as a salesman.
邓坤(音)的大学专业是医学工程。他曾经梦想到通用那样的公司工作。然而,他现在和同伴们蜗居在北京郊区一所寒冷的房间里,花大量时间一边打游戏一边等待销售的工作。
mr. deng is a member of the “ant tribe,” as sociologist lian si has dubbed the swelling ranks of underemployed or underpaid chinese university graduates frustrated by their failure to fulfill their ambitions. “ants are smart,” he explained. “they are relatively weak individually but, if you don’t pay attention to them, they can cause a disaster. there is a chinese saying that a 10,000 mile dam can be breached by a swarm of ants.” mr. lian estimated that there are upwards of three million graduates in china without jobs or doing work for which they are overqualified. even those graduates who have found suitable jobs are finding life a lot harder than they had expected.
邓就是“蚁族”的一员,社会学者廉思给未就业或报酬过低的中国大学毕业生这样命名,他们在实现自己的雄心时遭遇失败受挫。廉教授说:“蚂蚁很聪明。它们是相对弱小的个体,但若不多加注意,它们可能带来巨大灾难。中国有句古话,千里之堤,毁于蚁穴。”据廉估计,现在有超过300万的毕业生没有工作,或将就工作着。甚至那些已找到工作的毕业生,也逐渐发现生活比他们想像的艰难许多。
zhang haijuan studied biomedical engineering too, but she earns only 2,500 yuan a month. her parents “would never say anything about my salary,” she said. “but i sometimes talk with my friends about whether it has been worth it -- we made so much effort in college and now i earn less than some of my classmates who did not advance past middle school. that frustrates me.”
张海娟(音)也是学生物医学工程专业的,月薪2500元。张说,父母“从来不问工资”,“但我有时会和朋友们谈论值不值。我们在大学很努力,现在挣得却没有一些没上完中学的多。这让我很沮丧。”
most of the “ant tribe” in beijing are like ms. zhang, said mr. lian -- single twenty-somethings from the provinces with degrees from minor universities but ambitions in the major leagues. “the big gap between the cities and the countryside means that talent and resources all go to the big cities,” he noted. “the graduates do not want to go back; they prefer a single bed in beijing to a house in their hometown. if their dreams collapse and they cannot find a good explanation for their failure, it could be dangerous,” he predicted. “they were taught that knowledge could change their fate, but they find that is not true. if they cannot even find a job, they may oppose society.”
北京的多数“蚁族”成员都像张一样,来自外省,单身,20岁出头,一般大学毕业,对职业规划雄心勃勃。“城乡的巨大差别使得人才和资源都流到大城市。”廉说。“毕业生不愿意回去,他们宁要北京一张床,不要老家一座房。但如果他们的梦想破灭,而又找不到合理的原因解释他们的失败,那就危险了”,廉预测说。“他们被说知识能改变命运,但他们发现这不是真的。如果连工作都找不到,他们可能会与社会对立”。
for the time being, mr. lian said, he saw no great threat to social stability, and he noted official government efforts to head off any danger. “the future depends on how society guides this group,” he added. “paying attention to the ‘ant tribe’ is paying attention to society’s future.”
廉教授说,就目前来看,没有发现他们对社会稳定带来重大威胁,政府也在阻止任何危险发生。但他补充说:“未来要看社会如何引导这一群体。关注‘蚁族’就是关注社会未来。”