翻译题
Last week was the beginning of standardized testing "pre-season" at my school. 【F1】It's nothing compared to what happens in the spring, but as usual, schedules were mangled, eliminating some periods and extending others to as long as four hours. Teachers with small classes were recruited to administer tests, so instead of teaching their students on those days, they had to "farm them out" to larger classes. For many of my at-risk high school seniors, last week was the beginning of the end. If they came from out of state or if they didn't pass the exams last year, they had to take up to three high-stakes exams in one week, which meant missing six hours or more of class. 【F2】The stress of having to catch up with class work only compounded the anxiety brought on by hours of graduation-determining testing; by the end of it all, my already-struggling students were exhausted and apathetic. Even students who didn't have to test used the general disruption as an excuse to skip class; on some days I had several classes with less than half attendance. 【F3】Instead of wrapping up the first quarter with culminating projects and meaningful reflection on their learning, students are physically and mentally checking out. And I can't really blame them—if the tests are what really matter, then why bother with anything else? No amount of cultural literacy, civic engagement, or innovation will get you across that graduation stage in May. This is why testing season triggers an existential crisis for caring and conscientious public educators across the country. We cannot help but ask ourselves, why are we here? There is a total disconnect between what we're asked to do and what we believe in; what "counts" couldn't be further from what we know really matters. It's an existential crisis that anyone with a stake in our society should be sharing. But without drastic education reform, our collective eyes are not likely to open any time soon. Our political, economic, and education systems are all trapped in the same cycle of metric tunnel vision that divorces what "counts" from what matters. 【F4】An education system that values test scores over character development and wellness feeds an economy that values GDP over sustainability—which feeds a political system that has become a fund-raising competition. Education is where we most urgently need to break that cycle. 【F5】We are either going to copy individuals who chase what "counts," or we're going to cultivate communities that build what matters.
【答案解析】①本句为but连接的并列复合句，在第一个分句中包含比较状语compared to what happens in the spring，将标准化测试“季前赛”的情况与春季考试的情况作了对比。现在分词短语eliminating…and extending…four hours作状语，表示伴随。②as usual意为“像往常一样”；as long as…意为“长达……”。
【答案解析】①本句为分号连接的并列句，句中的修饰语较多。介词短语of hang to catch up with class work作后置定语，修饰名词The stress，具体说明什么样的压力。过去分词短语brought on by…testing为后置定语，修饰the anxiety，说明焦虑是由什么带来的。②exhausted意为“精疲力竭的”；apathetic意为“麻木的；缺乏兴趣的”。