【精彩范文】
The Craze of pursuing Graduate Studies
Each year, millions of Chinese college students sit for qualifying examinations for graduate studies, primarily in Masters programs. Students prepare for those examinations either through years of arduous self-education or by spending large sums of money attending local training schools. The publishing of examinations-related study materials and the training programs offered, both online and offline, have combined to form a sizable industry.An alarming fact about this craze is that most students pursue graduate studies not out of their voluntary will. Faced with the harsh reality in the employment market, which is forever looking for graduates with higher degrees, many college graduates find going to graduate schools is a good way to avoid unemployment and to enhance ones competitiveness in future job hunting.
However, without that voluntary initiative, most students who do enter graduate schools are not motivated. For them, the only thing that ultimately counts is the degree or the diploma which they expect could give them an upper hand against other job hunters. As to the actual substance of their graduate studies, its not a big deal for them, as long as it leads to that degree or diploma. It is really pathetic to see that students undertake graduate studies with an ulterior motivenot for the sake of loving what they study, but for the sake of merely landing a job, which in many cases might be unrelated to what they have studied.
The chill truth is that students soon find their anticipations are a mere dream. As so many undergraduates proceed onto graduate studies, the employment situation remains as severe as ever. Instead of bringing about apparent competitive edges, two or three years of additional academic training is simply a waste of time and energy. They need to reflect on this craze and would have been better off distinguishing themselves with outstanding knowledge and skills when they were undergraduates.
【参考译文】
考研热
每年，数以百万计的中国大学生参加研究生入学资格考试，主要是攻读硕士学位课程。学生们要么通过数年艰辛的自学，要么通过花上不菲的一笔钱参加当地培训学校的课程，来准备这些资格考试。与考试相关的学习材料的出版，以及网上和网下所提供的培训课程，一起构成了一个规模可观的产业。关于这股热潮，一个触目惊心的事实是，大多数学生并不是出于他们自主的意愿而去追求研究生阶段的学习的。面对着就业市场上严峻的现实，看着雇主们永远将目光投向那些学历更高的毕业生，许多大学生发现，进入研究生院去攻读硕士学位不失为一个良策，一方面避免了失业，另一方面可以提升未来求职过程中的竞争力。
然则，没有了那份由衷而发的积极性，最终得以进入研究生院的学生，其中大多数缺乏自我上进的动力。对于他们而言，最终而言，唯有其文凭或学位事关重大。他们希望，这个学位或文凭能提升其优势，战胜其他求职者。至于他们研究生课程实际学习什么内容，于他们而言并非关键所在，只要所学的东西能带来一纸学位或文凭即可。看着学生们并非怀着一种真实的意图去攻读研究生课程，实在令人感到悲哀：学生们并不真正热爱其所学的内容，而只是为了找到一份工作，并且这份工作在很多情形中可能与其所学专业毫不相关。
一个令人心寒的事实真相是，学生们很快就会发现，他们的期望纯粹是一种幻想。由于本科之后继续读研的学生如此之众，就业形势一如既往地严峻。二至三年额外的学术训练没能给学生带来显著的竞争优势，而是令他们白白地浪费了时光与精力，大学生们有必要对此热潮展开反思。如果他们早在本科期间就以优异的学识与能力脱颖而出的话，他们的处境肯定会来的好得多。
【炫词/炫语/炫句研究】
1. to sit for examinations: 就相当于to take part in examinations
2. qualifying examination；资格考试；体育上的资格赛就叫 qualifying matches
3. graduate studies: 研究生学习的美国说法； 英国的说法是postgraduate studies
4. Masters program：硕士学位课程；本科学位课程是undergraduate program或Bachelors program; 博士学位课程是 ph.D. program 或 doctoral program;
5. to prepare for examinations: 备考
6. either through or by : 要么是通过, 要么是凭借
7. years of arduous self-education: 数年的艰苦自学； arduous：艰难卓绝的； self-education的另一个说法是self-study;
8. to spend large sums of money attending local training schools: spend time or money (on) doing something; 另外，在large sums of money这个表达方式中，虽然money是不可数的，但作为量词的sum是可数的，要用复数，谓语动词也相应要用复数。类似的例子有amount, 如large amounts of energy, 其用法与large sums of money相同。
9. examinations-related study materials：与考试相关的学习材料
10. the training programs offered, both online and offline, 网上和网下所提供的培训项目；the training programs offered 就相当于the training programs offered;
11. a sizable industry: 一个规模可观的产业；sizable：sufficiently big
12. an alarming fact about this craze is that有关这股狂热，一个令人震惊的事实是
13. students pursue graduate studies not out of their voluntary will: 学生们不是出于其自主的意愿去寻求研究生学习的；pursue graduate studies是个不错的表达方式；out of就相当于from; voluntary: 自愿的； will：意志，意愿；
14. faced with the harsh reality in the employment market: 面对着就业市场上严峻的现实；faced with 一般要用被动语态；harsh reality：严峻的现实；the employment market: 就业市场；
15. where employers forever look for graduates with higher degrees：where指in the employment market；graduates with higher degrees：拥有更高学位的毕业生
16. many college graduates find going to graduate schools is a good way to : many college graduates find 后面省略掉了宾语从句的引导词that；going to graduate schools 是现在分词短语作主语；
17. avoid unemployment: avoid的用法有二，一是avoid something; 二是avoid doing something;
18. to enhance ones competitiveness in future job hunting: 提升在未来求职过程中的竞争力；to enhance ones competitiveness是个不错的搭配；竞争优势叫competitive edge(s); future是形容词；job hunting是个固定搭配；
19. voluntary initiative：initiative 是积极性，主动性，进取心的意思；另外，中东的和平倡议 就叫the Middle East peace initiative;
20. most students who do enter graduate schools are not self-motivated: do enter是动词的强调形式；not self-motivated： 缺乏自我动力；
21. the only thing that counts：就相当于 the only thing that matters; ultimately: 最终地
22. the degree or the diploma which they expect could give them an upper hand against other job seekers：那个他们希冀能够使他们相对于其他求职者略胜一筹的学位或文凭；they expect是插入语，并非是定语从句中的主语与谓语；which才是定语从句中的主语，could give是定语从句中的谓语动词；类似的例子如：This is a book which I hope would be useful to you. could 采用的是虚拟语气，表示与实际并不相符；an upper hand: 优势，上风; job seekers：求职者，就相当于job hunters;
23. as to the actual substance of their graduate studies, its not a big deal: as to就相当于as for, 表示至于. the actual substance: 实际的内容； substance即content； its not a big deal口语与书面语中都很常用，表示并非大事一桩；
24. as long as it leads to that degree or diploma：只要它能带来那个学位或文凭即可；as long as是连词，表示只要，引导一个条件状语从句；
25. It is really pathetic to see that: 看到 真是令人心感悲哀；
26. students undertake graduate studies with an ulterior motive：undertake graduate studies就相当于pursue graduate studies; an ulterior motive: 固定词组，表示别有用心的意思；
27. not for the sake of , but for the sake of : 不是为了的缘故，而是为了的缘故；
28. to land a job, which in many cases might be unrelated to what they have studied: to land a job表示找到工作； 在口语中, land当动词用是，表示赢得，得到，找到，捞到，如to land a contract, to land a trophy, to land a nomination, to land a prize; in many cases: 在许多情形中；
29. the chill truth is that: 令人心寒的事实真相是
30. students soon find (that) their anticipations are a mere dream: 学生们很快发现，他们的期望只是一种幻想；find后面省略了引导词that；
31. As so many undergraduates proceed onto graduate studies: as是连词，表示由于、随着，代表原因。undergraduate：本科生； proceed onto 指停顿或打断后继续进行某事； 如： After talking about plan A, lets proceed onto plan B.
32. the employment situation remains as severe as ever: 就业形势一如既往地依然严峻。employment situation是个固定词组，值得一记； remain是联系动词，后接形容词，表示一直处于某种境地或状态；as severe as ever：与以往一样的严峻；记住as as ever的用法。
33. Instead of bringing about apparent competitive edges, two or three years of additional academic training is simply a waste of time and energy. 二至三年额外的学术训练没能给学生带来显著的竞争优势，反而是白白地浪费了他们的时光与精力；现在分词短语bringing about apparent competitive edges这个动作，是主句的主语two or three years of additional academic training所发出的。bringing about或bringing在此处都可以用，意思略微不同；bringing是带来，bringing about是造成，导致，产生， competitive edges: 上面已讲过，是竞争优势的意思；在two or three years of additional academic training is simply a waste of time and energy 这个句子中，有人会问，two or three years of additional academic training作为一个充当主语的名词短语，是以复数形式出现的，与is a waste of time and energy中单数的动词is是否一致。回答是，是一致的。 虽然two or three years of additional academic training形式上是复数，但是，它是被动作一个整体来处理的，整个看作一段时间。 类似的例子如：Two years is a long time to wait. 此外，还有：Three miles is a long distance to walk. 等。a waste of time and energy是个不错的短语。
34. to reflect on this craze: 单独一个reflect当及物动词使用时，是反映，折射的意思，如：This article fully reflects his ideas. 但作为不及物动词，与介词on结合使用时，表示反思，思索；
35. be better off doing something: 做某事要来的更惬意，过得更滋润；如：As long as there are enough to eat and drink, I will be better off living in the countryside.
36. distinguishing themselves with outstanding knowledge and skills: 凭着出色的学识与能力使自己脱颖而出；to distinguish somebody with something 是个值得记住的词组。