By Gavin Thomas/崔海燕（譯）

◆語篇導讀

常言道：“三歲看大，七歲看老”。中國老話還說：“三歲定十八。”三歲可謂是人生的一個重要節(jié)點，孩子長到三歲，已經(jīng)學會了許多本領(lǐng)。所以，寶寶一到三歲，我國的很多家長就忙著送孩子去幼兒園。而在法國，三歲的寶寶已經(jīng)可以開始上學了！你信嗎？

There is much debate about when children should begin formal education.Children in some countries start school at the age of seven，like Finland，Poland and Estonia—three of Europe's most academically successful countries.But children in those countries have usually been in a nursery，where they have been learning through play and games.Class sizes are also generally smaller.However，children in France will start school at the age of three instead of six，under new reforms announced by President Emmanuel Macron.

The change will give France one of the lowest compulsory school starting ages in Europe.But it will only affect a small number of children，as the majority of French families already choose to send their children to school at three.Only 2.4%of children are not enrolled at that age，government figures show.

Mr.Macron said the change was intended to reduce inequality in education，as parents in poorer areas of France and in overseas territories are less likely to send their children to school at an early age.In Paris，93%of three-year-olds are enrolled but the figure is much lower in some overseas territories，according to Le Monde.

“I hope that with this obligation，from the start of the school year in 2019，we can correct this unacceptable differential，”Mr.Macron told in a conference on Tuesday.He hailed the change as“a founding moment in the French education system”.

◆詞語積淀

debate/d?'be?t/n.爭議；辯論

academically/,?k?'dem?kl?/adv.學業(yè)上；學術(shù)上

announce/?'na?ns/v.宣布;述說；聲稱；預告

compulsory/k?m'p?ls?ri/adj.必修的；義務的

enroll/?n'r??l/v.招收；注冊；登記；加入

territory/'ter?tri/n.領(lǐng)地；領(lǐng)土；版圖；領(lǐng)域

obligation/?bl?'ge??n/n.義務；責任

hail/he?l/v.贊揚；稱頌

◆典句賞析

1.There is much debate about when children should begin formal education.關(guān)于兒童應何時開始接受正規(guī)的教育有諸多爭議。

when引導的從句是介詞about的賓語（賓語從句也可作介詞的賓語）。debate是不可數(shù)名詞，因此表示“諸多爭議”時，其前面用much修飾，而不用many。

【即時嘗試】這個問題已討論太多了。

2.However，children in France will start school at the age of three instead of six，under new reforms announced by President Emmanuel Macron.然而，法國總統(tǒng)馬克龍宣布的最新改革舉措規(guī)定，法國兒童的入學年齡將從六歲降至三歲。

instead of是固定的介詞短語，意為“代替；而不是……”。在語言的實際運用中，instead of的后面幾乎可連接各種詞類及短語，如名詞、代詞、動名詞等；announced by是固定詞組搭配形式，意為“由……宣布”。過去分詞短語“announced by President Emmanuel Macron”放在名詞reforms后，作后置定語。

【即時嘗試】它是一棟古羅馬人建的房屋。

3.Mr.Macron said the change was intended to reduce inequality in education，as parents in poorer areas of France and in overseas territories are less likely to send their children to school at an early age.馬克龍表示，這項改革旨在減少教育不平等現(xiàn)象，因為生活在法國較貧困地區(qū)和海外領(lǐng)地的父母不太可能讓孩子較早入學。

as這里用作連詞，意為“因為；由于”，引導原因狀語從句。as、because、since都可以連接原因狀語從句，表示因果關(guān)系，但as一般放在句首，語氣較弱，較口語化；句中be likely to do sth.為固定詞組搭配，意為“有可能做某事”。

【即時嘗試】因為下過雨，空氣比較涼爽.

（答案見第63頁）

譯文助讀

關(guān)于兒童應何時開始接受正規(guī)的教育有諸多爭議。一些國家的孩子在七歲開始上學，如芬蘭、波蘭和愛沙尼亞——歐洲三個學術(shù)上最有成就的國家。但這些國家的兒童通常之前都會上幼兒園，在那里他們通過玩耍和游戲進行學習，班級規(guī)模一般也更小。然而，法國總統(tǒng)馬克龍宣布的最新改革舉措規(guī)定，法國兒童的入學年齡將從六歲降至三歲。

此舉將使法國成為歐洲義務教育入學年齡最低的國家之一。不過，這項改革將僅僅影響少數(shù)兒童，因為多數(shù)法國家庭的孩子在三歲時都已經(jīng)入學了。據(jù)政府數(shù)據(jù)顯示，僅有2.4%的兒童在三歲時沒有入學。

馬克龍表示，這項改革旨在減少教育不平等現(xiàn)象，因為生活在法國較貧困地區(qū)和海外領(lǐng)地的父母不太可能讓孩子較早入學。據(jù)《世界報》報道，在巴黎，有93%的三歲兒童入學讀書，但在一些海外領(lǐng)地，這一比例要低得多。

馬克龍在周二的會議上說：“我希望有了這項義務教育政策之后，從2019學年開始，我們能夠糾正這種不可接受的教育差異?！彼Q頌這項改革為“法國教育體系的奠基時刻”。