【原文】
ⅠHigher education in America has long been a strongly competitive business. Students and university presidents alike keenly watch the rankings produced by the US News and World Report. Such rankings encourage grading. One of the metrics is the proportion of students a university turns away, which encourages selectivity. That in turn encourages differentiation between better and worse universities. The American model is thus quite different from the continental European one, which is a lot less selective and more homogeneous.
ⅡNow competition and grading are spreading. Governments want top-class universities because the modern economy is driven by human capital. The goal is to nurture people who will create intellectual property and clusters of high-tech companies similar to those around Stanford and Cambridge. A great research university is not a sufficient condition for creating such a cluster, but 「you can't do it without having more than one great university around.」
ⅢIncreasing reliance on tuition fees is another reason for more competition. Students 「want to be sure that they have got a big global brand on their certificate that's going to be a passport to their future」, says Phil Baty, editor-at-large of Times Higher Education. America's state universities, he says, used to show little interest in the international market. Now that their budgets have been cut, he sees a lot more of their presidents.
ⅣThe rankings matter because of their impact not just on the vanity of politicians and university presidents, but also on how universities are run. 「Rankings force institutions and governments to question their standards. They are a driver of behaviour and of change,」 says Professor Hazelkorn, author of 「Rankings and the Reshaping of Higher Education'.
ⅤThere are plenty of worries about the effects of rankings. Bahram Bekhradnia, president of Britain's Higher Education Policy Institute, reckons that 「they're worse than useless. They're positively dangerous. I've heard presidents say this all over the world: I'll do anything to increase my ranking, and nothing to harm it.」 That is hardly surprising, since universities' boards commonly use rankings as a performance indicator for determining presidents' bonuses.
ⅥOne concern is that these metrics measure inputs rather than outputs. 「The indicators are resource-intensive. They're about wealth,」 says Professor Hazelkorn. Some are also unreliable. A staff-student ratio is easily manipulated and says nothing about the quality of the teaching. But the main objection is that most of the metrics, directly or indirectly, concern research. Justin Lin, a former chief economist at the World Bank asks, 「Who cares about world-class research if it doesn't apply to the conditions that you are in?」
ⅦAnyway, politicians and university presidents, like the rest of humanity, are competitive creatures: nothing will stop them measuring themselves against each other. The main constraint on the race is not aversion to competition but the scarcity of funds. That is one reason why higher education is, increasingly, turning to the private sector for money.
【詞彙短語】
1.metric [ˈmetrɪk] n. 衡量標準
2.proportion [prəˈpɔ:ʃn] n. 比例
3.selectivity [səˌlek'tɪvətɪ] n. 擇優選擇
4.homogeneous [ˌhɒməˈdʒi:niəs] a. 平均的、同性質的
5.editor-at-large 特約編輯
6.vanity [ˈvænəti] n. 虛榮心
7.performance indicator 績效指標
8.bonus [ˈbəʊnəs] n. 獎金
9.manipulate [məˈnɪpjuleɪt] v. 操控
10.constraint [kənˈstreɪnt] n. 約束、限制
11.*aversion [əˈvɜ:ʃn] n. 厭惡、反感
（註：標*的為超綱詞）
【翻譯點評】
Ⅰ①Higher education in America has long been a strongly competitive business. ②Students and university presidents alike keenly watch the rankings produced by the US News and World Report. ③Such rankings encourage grading. ④One of the metrics is the proportion of students a university turns away, which encourages selectivity. ⑤That in turn encourages differentiation between better and worse universities. ⑥The American model is thus quite different from the continental European one, which is a lot less selective and more homogeneous.
翻譯：美國高等教育一直以來都是一個競爭激烈的行業。學生和大學校長們都密切關注由《美國新聞和世界報導》所發布的大學排名。這一排名鼓勵對大學進行等級劃分。其中一個指標是大學的拒錄取比例，這一指標促使大學對學生擇優錄取。這轉而又推動了大學的好壞區分。因此，美國模式和歐洲大陸的模式十分不同，歐洲模式較少對學生進行選擇且更加平均化。
點評：段Ⅰ介紹背景「美國高等教育競爭激烈，大學排名受到密切關注」。開篇首先總說美國高等教育一直以來都是一個競爭激烈的行業；隨後指出其中的一個表現形式是對大學進行排名，這一排名受到學生和大學校長的密切關注，並說明大學排名促使美國大學劃分等級、產生好壞區分；最後指出美國大學和歐洲大學的區別「前者強調精英培養，而後者更加注重教育平均化」。主要邏輯銜接是：①首段六句按照「總—分」的邏輯關係展開。首句總說美國高等教育的大環境，第二至六句以美國大學的排名（第二至五句）、美國大學和歐洲大學的區別（第六句）具體說明首句。②第二至五句以一系列回指Students ... watch the rankings...Such rankings encourage...One of the metrics is...which encourages...That in turn encourages...說明大學排名對大學的等級劃分及好壞區分的促進作用。
Ⅱ①Now competition and grading are spreading. ②Governments want top-class universities because the modern economy is driven by human capital. ③The goal is to nurture people who will create intellectual property and clusters of high-tech companies similar to those around Stanford and Cambridge. ④A great research university is not a sufficient condition for creating such a cluster, but 「you can't do it without having more than one great university around.」
翻譯：現在大學競爭和等級劃分日益普遍。政府想要建立世界一流大學，是因為現代經濟的驅動力是人力資本。其目標是培養能夠創新智慧財產權的人才以及培育類似史丹福大學和劍橋大學周邊的高科技公司群。一所著名研究型大學不是創建這類公司群的充分條件，但是如果周圍沒有至少一所著名大學的話，這種高科技公司群也不會建立起來。
點評：段Ⅱ指出高等教育競爭激烈的外部原因：現代經濟主要由人力資本驅動，一流大學能夠培養創新型人才並孵化高科技公司群，受到政府的重視。主要邏輯銜接是：①首句承接首段指出大學排名和等級劃分日益普遍。第二至四句分析原因（because）。②第二句首先指出當代經濟大環境「人力資本起著驅動性作用」，並以Governments want topclass universities展現政府對一流大學建設的重視，側面暗示高等教育競爭激烈的一個原因。③第三、四句具體說明一流大學在人才培養和科技進步方面的重要作用。第三句The goal承第二句中Governments want top-class universities而來，解釋政府建設一流大學的目標，同時也是一流大學的積極作用「培養創新型人才（nurture people who...）、孵化高科技公司群（nurture...clusters of high-tech companies...）」，其中「人才」和「高科技公司群」回應第二句中human capital。第四句以A great research university is not a sufficient condition...but 「you can't do it without...補充說明著名大學是高科技公司群建立的必要條件。
Ⅲ①Increasing reliance on tuition fees is another reason for more competition. ②Students 「want to be sure that they have got a big global brand on their certificate that's going to be a passport to their future」, says Phil Baty, editor-at-large of Times Higher Education. ③America's state universities, he says, used to show little interest in the international market. ④Now that their budgets have been cut, he sees a lot more of their presidents.
翻譯：大學對學費愈加依賴是導致大學競爭日益激烈的另一個原因。《泰晤士高等教育》特約編輯菲爾·巴蒂說，學生們想要確定他們獲得的是國際一流大學的畢業證書，那是他們未來前途的通行證。他說，美國州立大學過去對國際市場毫無興趣。如今鑑於美國州立大學的經費遭到削減，菲爾·巴蒂正頻繁與州立大學校長們接觸。
點評：段Ⅲ指出高等教育競爭激烈的內部原因「大學愈加依賴學費」。首先總說大學對學費愈加依賴是高等教育競爭激烈的另外一個原因；隨後從學生的心理「一流大學的文憑是未來前途的保障」側面說明排名靠前的大學能吸引更多學生；最後從大學角度指出現在更多州立大學政府撥款被削減、他們更加關注國際市場、吸引國際學生。主要邏輯銜接是：①首句another reason for more competition提示本段與第二段並列，說明高等教育競爭激烈的另外一個原因，Increasing reliance on tuition fees表明本段從大學自身找原因。②第二句和第三、四句分別從學生角度（Students 「want to be sure that...）和大學角度（America's state universities...）具體解釋首句，也即學生對一流大學的文憑十分看重，排名靠前的大學能吸引更多本國學生和國際學生就讀，同時其學費標準也可能相應提高；州立大學的經費被削減，學費收入給予大學更多資金支持，大學更加依賴學費，大學排名的意義不言而喻。
Ⅳ①The rankings matter because of their impact not just on the vanity of politicians and university presidents, but also on how universities are run. ②「Rankings force institutions and governments to question their standards.③ They are a driver of behaviour and of change,」 says Professor Hazelkorn, author of 「Rankings and the Reshaping of Higher Education'.
翻譯：大學排名非常重要，因為其不僅影響政客和大學校長的虛榮心，同時也影響大學的運營情況。《大學排名與高等教育的重塑》一書作者黑澤克恩教授說：「大學排名迫使大學機構和政府質疑它們的標準。它們是行動和改變的驅動者。」
點評：段Ⅳ直接說明大學排名的重要意義，側面說明大學競爭激烈的第三個原因。首先總說大學排名之所以被看重的原因「不僅影響政客和大學校長的虛榮心，而且影響大學的運營」，隨後具體解釋大學排名對教育的推動作用。主要邏輯銜接是：①首句The rankings承接上段competition，回歸高等教育競爭的表現形式「對大學進行排名」上來。The rankings matter because of引出大學排名的重要意義，同時也是高等教育競爭激烈的另外一個原因。②第二句以Rankings force...They are a driver of...具體說明大學排名對教育的積極推動作用。
Ⅴ①There are plenty of worries about the effects of rankings.② Bahram Bekhradnia, president of Britain's Higher Education Policy Institute, reckons that 「they're worse than useless. They're positively dangerous. I've heard presidents say this all over the world: I'll do anything to increase my ranking, and nothing to harm it.」 ③That is hardly surprising, since universities' boards commonly use rankings as a performance indicator for determining presidents' bonuses.
翻譯：對大學排名的影響有諸多擔憂。英國高等教育政策研究院院長巴赫拉姆·貝克拉迪尼亞表示，「大學排名毫無益處，非常危險。我曾聽一些大學校長向全世界說：他願意做任何事來提高自己大學的排名，而不願做任何可能影響大學排名的事情。」這一點也不奇怪，因為大學董事會一般會將大學排名作為決定校長獎金的績效指標。
點評：段Ⅴ轉而說明人們對大學排名的擔憂。首先總說人們對大學排名有諸多擔憂；隨後通過引用相關人士的話語證明大學校長唯排名是圖，甚至不擇手段；最後解釋其中原因「大學排名是大學校長獎金的績效指標」。主要邏輯銜接是：①首句為中心句，第二、三句具體說明。There are plenty of worries借人們對大學排名的擔憂來說明大學排名存在的問題，奠定本段及第六段的基調。②第二句通過引述相關人士的話語說明大學校長過分注重自己大學的排名、為了提高排名不惜做任何事情的不良心理，因此大學排名沒有益處、且非常危險（they're worse than useless. They're positively dangerous）。第三句進而點明其中原因（since）：大學排名決定大學校長的獎金收入，因此大學校長如此關心自己大學的排名也就不足為怪了（That is hardly surprising）。
Ⅵ①One concern is that these metrics measure inputs rather than outputs. ②「The indicators are resource-intensive. They're about wealth,」 says Professor Hazelkorn.③ Some are also unreliable. ④A staff-student ratio is easily manipulated and says nothing about the quality of the teaching. ⑤But the main objection is that most of the metrics, directly or indirectly, concern research. ⑥Justin Lin, a former chief economist at the World Bank asks, 「Who cares about world-class research if it doesn't apply to the conditions that you are in?」
翻譯：人們擔憂的一個問題是，這些指標衡量的是投入而非產出。黑澤克恩教授說「這些指標都是資源密集型指標，它們與財富相關。」有些指標也是不可靠的。教職工和學生的比例極易被操控，並不能反映教學質量。但最主要的反對意見是，大學排名的多數衡量指標直接或間接地與科研掛鈎。前世界銀行首席經濟學家林毅夫問道，「如果世界級的研究最終不能應用到日常生活中，那麼又有什麼用呢？」
點評：段Ⅵ繼續說明大學排名存在的問題：「衡量指標註重投入而非產出、很多指標不可靠、或多或少與科研掛鈎」。主要邏輯銜接是：①One concern和But the main objection與第五段There are plenty of worries相照應，提示本段是第五段首句的具體說明。②本段以大學排名的衡量指標（these metrics）為切入點，通過一系列的名詞指代... these metrics measure...The indicators...They're...Some are...most of the metrics...具體說明這些指標存在的問題。其中，首兩句、第三四句、第五六句分別指出大學排名衡量指標存在的三個問題：measure inputs rather than outputs、Some are also unreliable、most of the metrics, directly or indirectly, concern research。
Ⅶ①Anyway, politicians and university presidents, like the rest of humanity, are competitive creatures: nothing will stop them measuring themselves against each other. ②The main constraint on the race is not aversion to competition but the scarcity of funds. ③That is one reason why higher education is, increasingly, turning to the private sector for money.
翻譯：不管怎樣，政客和大學校長，和其他人一樣，具有競爭意識：沒有什麼能夠阻止他們彼此之間相互競爭比較。而這場競爭的主要制約因素不在於對競爭的厭惡，而在於資金的匱乏。這也是為何高等教育日益轉向私人領域募集資金的原因之一。
點評：Ⅶ總結全篇：通過說明「高等教育限制因素並非對競爭的厭惡，而是缺乏資金」補充指出大學排名的本質：資金的競爭。本段表面上在論述高等教育競爭的制約因素，實際上揭露了其競爭的本質：資金才是影響競爭的首要原因，微妙傳達作者對「當前大學排名很大程度上脫離教育本身」的不滿。主要邏輯銜接是：①首句Anyway（不管怎樣、無論如何）提示本段總結收篇。首句總結全文，從政治家和大學校長（politicians and university presidents）的攀比競爭心理（competitive creatures）指出美國高等教育的競爭還會繼續。②第二、三句以The main constraint on the race ...That is one reason why...表明高等教育競爭的主要限制因素，從而揭露其本質。其中is not aversion to competition but the scarcity of funds暗示作者觀點「美國高等教育競爭一定程度上已經淪為大學之間資金實力的競爭，偏離了其提升教育水平的本質，在此基礎上而進行的大學排名並非真實可信」。