第1499期:Getting a first

Our parents always tell us that if we work hard, we will do well. If you're studying at university this ultimately means passing your exams and achieving a first-class degree. Easier said than done! So if you're struggling to complete that final assignment or feel your revision is going nowhere, how will you believe that getting a top-notch qualification is a real possibility?

我们的父母总是告诉我们，如果我们努力工作，我们就会做得很好。如果您在大学学习，这最终意味着通过考试并获得一流的学位。说起来容易做起来难！因此，如果您正在努力完成最后的作业，或者觉得您的复习无济于事，您如何相信获得一流的资格是真正的可能性？

I can't claim to be an expert in this as the grade I achieved in my degree was a little lower than a first! But today, in the UK at least, there are encouraging signs that getting one is a bit more attainable. That's because the number of first-class degrees being awarded by UK universities is soaring, with firsts now more common than a 2:2. More than a quarter of students received a first in 2015 and 2016 at the UK's top universities, known as the Russell Group. Among specialist institutions, such as in the creative arts, proportions of firsts are thought to be even higher – such as 64% of students getting firsts at the Royal Academy of Music.

我不能声称自己是这方面的专家，因为我的学位成绩比第一名略低！但是今天，至少在英国，有令人鼓舞的迹象表明，获得一个更容易实现。这是因为英国大学授予的一流学位的数量正在飙升，现在第一比 2:2 更为普遍。超过四分之一的学生在 2015 年和 2016 年获得了英国顶尖大学罗素集团的第一名。在创意艺术等专业机构中，第一的比例被认为更高——例如 64% 的学生在皇家音乐学院获得第一。

Of course, not everyone thinks this is because of the hard graft that students are putting in. Critics say that universities are handing out higher grades to boost applications and having a first-class degree gives an advantage for future job opportunities – this all looks good on a university prospectus. But there have also been arguments that rising degree grades reflect the improved A-level grades of those entering university and a more focused attention to studying.

当然，并不是每个人都认为这是因为学生付出了沉重的代价。批评者说，大学正在发放更高的成绩来增加申请，拥有一流的学位可以为未来的工作机会提供优势——这一切看起来都不错在大学招股说明书上。但也有人认为，学位成绩的提高反映了进入大学的 A-level 成绩的提高以及对学习的更加专注。

But whatever the reason, we mustn't deny first-class graduates their hard-earned achievement and success. Many have made sacrifices along the way, such as 22 year old Khadijah Lewis, who got a first in history and sociology at Warwick University. She told the BBC's Newsbeat programme that her course was "tough" but says "Knowing that getting a first is more common than a 2:2 does make me feel like my first isn't as valid," she explains, "but also I know that I worked very hard for it, so regardless of how easy or how hard people think it is, I still did it."

但无论出于何种原因，我们都不能否认一流毕业生来之不易的成就和成功。许多人在此过程中做出了牺牲，例如 22 岁的 Khadijah Lewis，他在华威大学获得了历史和社会学的第一名。她告诉 BBC 的 Newsbeat 节目，她的课程“很难”，但她说：“知道获得第一个比 2:2 更常见确实让我觉得我的第一个不那么有效，”她解释说，“但我我知道我为此付出了很多努力，所以不管人们认为它多么容易或多么困难，我仍然做到了。”

Another student, Sam Gibbins, who got a first in software engineering at Cardiff Metropolitan University said he spent "a lot of nights in the library". But even though he did well, he says going to university is not just about the grades, he says "You develop so much going to university, and meet so many people, you're able to understand yourself much better." Some wise words; it sounds as though he studied at the university of life!

另一位学生 Sam Gibbins 在卡迪夫城市大学获得了软件工程的第一名，他说他“在图书馆度过了很多个夜晚”。但即使他做得很好，他说上大学不仅仅是成绩，他说“你在大学里发展了很多，结识了很多人，你能够更好地了解自己。”一些明智的话；听起来好像他在生命大学学习！

词汇表

first-class degree 一等成绩
easier said than done 说比做容易
assignment 作业，任务
top-notch 一流的
qualification 资格证书，资历
attainable 可实现的，可获得的
soar 猛增
2:2 （英国本科毕业）二级乙等学士学位
Russell Group 罗素大学集团
creative arts 创意艺术
Royal Academy of Music 英国皇家音乐学院
hard graft 繁重的学业
application 入学申请
prospectus （学校的）简介
deny 拒绝承认
graduate 毕业生，大学毕业生
sacrifice 牺牲
sociology 社会学
valid 让人信服的
software engineering 软件工程
the university of life 生活经历