大学英语三-Unit-3-Why-I-Teach课文及翻译

Unit3WhyITeach

PeterG.Beidler

Everyteacherprobablyaskshimselftimeandagain:Whatarethereasonsforchoosingteachingasacareer?Dotherewardsteachingoutweighthetryingcomments?Answeringthesequestionsisnotasimpletask.Let'sseewhattheauthorsays.

Whydoyouteach?MyfriendaskedthequestionwhenItoldhimthatIdidn'twanttobeconsideredforanadministrativeposition.HewaspuzzledthatIdidnotwantwhatwasobviouslya"stepup"towardwhatallAmericansaretaughttowantwhentheygrowup:moneyandpower.

CertainlyIdon'tteachbecauseteachingiseasyforme.TeachingisthemostdifficultofthevariouswaysIhaveattemptedtoearnmyliving:mechanic,carpenter,writer.Forme,teachingisared-eye,sweaty-palm,sinking-stomachprofession.Red-eye,becauseIneverfeelreadytoteachnomatterhowlateIstayuppreparing.Sweaty-palm,becauseI'malwaysnervousbeforeIentertheclassroom,surethatIwillbefoundoutforthefoolthatIam.Sinking-stomach,becauseIleavetheclassroomanhourlaterconvincedthatIwasevenmoreboringthanusual.

NordoIteachbecauseIthinkIknowanswers,orbecauseIhaveknowledgeIfeelcompelledtoshare.SometimesIamamazedthatmystudentsactuallytakenotesonwhatIsayinclass!

Why,then,doIteach?

IteachbecauseIlikethepaceoftheacademiccalendar.June,July,andAugustofferanopportunityforreflection,researchandwriting.

Iteachbecauseteachingisaprofessionbuiltonchange.Whenthematerialisthesame,Ichange——and,moreimportant,mystudentschange.

IteachbecauseIlikethefreedomtomakemyownmistakes,tolearnmyownlessons,tostimulatemyselfandmystudents.Asateacher,I'mmyownboss.IfIwantmyfreshmentolearntowritebycreatingtheirowntextbook,whoistosayIcan't?Suchcoursesmaybehugefailures,butwecanalllearnfromfailures.

IteachbecauseIliketoaskquestionsthatstudentsmuststruggletoanswer.Theworldisfullofrightanswerstobadquestions.Whileteaching,Isometimesfindgoodquestions.

IteachbecauseIenjoyfindingwaysofgettingmyselfandmystudentsoutoftheivorytowerandintotherealworld.Ioncetaughtacoursecalled"Self-RelianceinaTechnologicalSociety."My15studentsreadEmerson,Thoreau,andHuxley.Theykeptdiaries.Theywrotetermpapers.

Butwealsosetupacorporation,borrowedmoney,purchasedarun-downhouseandpracticedself-reliancebyrenovatingit.Attheendofthesemester,wewouldthehouse,repaidourloan,paidortaxes,anddistributedtheprofitsamongthegroup.

Soteachinggivesmepace,andvariety,andchallenge,andtheopportunitytokeeponlearning.

Ihaveleftout,however,themostimportantreasonswhyIteach.

OneisVicky.Myfirstdoctoralstudent,Vickywasanenergeticstudentwholaboredatherdissertationonalittle-known14thcenturypoet.Shewrotearticlesandsentthemofftolearnedjournals.Shediditallherself,withanoccasionalnudgefromme.ButIwastherewhenshefinishedherdissertation,learnedthatherarticleswereaccepted,gotajobandwonafellowshiptoHarvardworkingonabookdevelopingideasshe'dfirsthadasmystudent.

AnotherreasonisGeorge,whostartedasanengineeringstudent,thenswitchedtoEnglishbecausehedecidedhelikedpeoplebetterthanthings.

ThereisJeanne,wholeftcollege,butwasbroughtbackbyherclassmatesbecausetheywantedhertoseetheendoftheself-reliancehouseproject.Iwasherewhenshecameback.Iwastherewhenshetoldmethatshelaterbecameinterestedintheurbanpoorandwentontobecomeacivilrightslawyer.

ThereisJacqui,acleaningwomanwhoknowsmorebyintuitionthanmostofuslearnbyanalysis.Jacquihasdecidedtofinishhighschoolandgotocollege.

ThesearetherealreasonsIteach,thesepeoplewhogrowandchangeinfrontofme.Beingateacherisbeingpresentatthecreation,whentheclaybeginstobreathe.

A"promotion"outofteachingwouldgivememoneyandpower.ButIhavemoney.IgetpaidtodowhatIenjoy:reading,talkingwithpeople,andaskingquestionlike,"Whatisthepoin