新西兰英语 68 Labour Promises Student Allowances
Last Monday, Helen Clark talked to the students at Otago University and promised that the Labour government would pay all university students an allowance 1 in the future. It would happen over the next four years.
In the past, students at university received a small bursary to study. This was stopped in the early 1990s but students under 25 years old whose parents earn less than $46,000 can receive an allowance. At the moment, this is $122 a week if they live at home and $153 if they live away from home. New Zealand students do not usually like living at home after their teenage 2 years. Students over the age of 25 can receive an allowance of $184, but most students have finished their study by that age. Only about one third of students receive an allowance.
This means 3 that two thirds of students pay for themselves while studying at university and most of them borrow money for fees 4 and living expenses. Fees for full-time 5 students are around $4,000 a year. On top of this they need money for text books, field trips, rent, food, transport and other expenses. The average student debt 6 is around $30,000 by the time they finish their degree. While some students have financial help from their parents, 90% of full-time students do some paid work during the academic year. Of course this makes it difficult for students to study when they have to spend time working.
One of the biggest problems for students when they graduate is the debt. How can they get married, have children and buy a home when they still have a large debt to pay back? Many graduates go overseas 7 to Australia and the UK because they can earn more money there and pay back the debt faster. If they decide to live overseas permanently 8, we call this the ‘brain drain’ – we lose our clever people. We are short of doctors, nurses, teachers and engineers.
Bill English of the National Party asked where the money is going to come from. He said there is not enough money to pay the $210 million per year it will cost. The Vice-Chancellors of New Zealand universities said it would be a better idea to spend that money on the universities because they are short of funds 9.
- My monthly allowance is 50 yuan.我每月的津贴是50元。
- I have to work to earn my allowance.我非得工作挣零用钱。
- His voice is very high for a teenage boy.对一个十几岁的男孩来说，他的嗓音很尖。
- He is too old now for teenage parties.他年龄太大了，不适于参加少年聚会。
- That man used artful means to find out secrets.那人使用狡猾的手段获取机密。
- We must get it done by some means or other.我们总得想办法把它干完。
- Employees are reimbursed for any legal fees incurred when they relocate. 员工调往异地工作时，他们可以报销由此产生的所有法律服务费用。
- As a scholar you will not have to pay college fees. 作为接受奖学金的学生，你不必付大学的费用。
- A full-time job may be too much for her.全天工作她恐怕吃不消。
- I don't know how she copes with looking after her family and doing a full-time job.既要照顾家庭又要全天工作，我不知道她是如何对付的。
- The man was pressed to pay off his debt.那人被逼还债。
- The firm had to charge off the debt as hopeless.公司只得把那笔没希望要回的债务注销。
- Her man has been sent overseas by his employers.她的丈夫已被雇主派往海外。
- Many firms are focusing on increasing their markets overseas.许多商行都专注于扩大国外市场。
- The accident left him permanently scarred.那次事故给他留下了永久的伤疤。
- The ship is now permanently moored on the Thames in London.该船现在永久地停泊在伦敦泰晤士河边。