选择最好的专业 / Choosing The Best Major

Podcast Audio:

Audio Transcription:

玉兰：大家好，我是文玉兰，我在这儿跟我们的同学任立行。今天我们有不一样的活动：我们将一起辩论一下。
Hello everyone! I’m Wen Yulan [Maggie], here with our classmate Ren Lixing [Dalraj]. Today we have a different activity: we are going to debate a little.

立行: 对， 是的.
Right.

玉兰：那，我们的辩论是关于什么的？
Then, what are we going to debate about?

立行: 今天我们一起辩论的题目是：大学生应该学哪个专业?
Our debate topic today is： What major should college students study？

玉兰：很有意思，可能对一些同学会觉得有帮助。
That’s interesting, maybe some of our classmates will find it helpful.

立行: 你也许是对的。
You may be right.

玉兰：好啊，这是辩论题目：上大学的目的是为了在将来找工作有准备，所以念理工科学院、商学院才是最好的选择。你想辩论哪一方？
Ok, this is the debate topic: The purpose of attending college is to prepare you to find a career in the future, therefore studying in Science and Engineering or Management colleges are the best choices. Which side do you want to argue?

立行: 我的专业是会计， 而且我的父母从印度来的。 他们觉得工程和管理都很厉害。 所以我就会辩论赞成方。
My major is accounting, and also my parents are from India. They think that engineering and management are both great. So I’ll argue for.

玉兰：有道理。因为我会申请创意写作项目的研究生，所以我一定要辩论反对方。
Makes sense. Since I will apply to the graduate school creative writing program, I must argue against.

立行: 好。准备开始吧？
Ok, ready to get started?

玉兰：准备好了！你可以第一个说。
Ready. You can speak first.

立行: 我们都知道工程和管理工作最挣钱。如果你学人文学科， 那将来就少挣钱。有更多钱，我就能过更舒服的生活。
We all know that engineering and management jobs make the most money. If you study humanities, in the future you will make less. Having more money, I can experience a more comfortable life.

玉兰：这个，不见得是真的。为了挣一样多的钱，花在工作上的时间可能并不一样。
I don’t think that’s necessarily true. The amount of time spent working for the same amount of money might not be the same. 

立行: 你说的是什么意思？
What do you mean?

玉兰：理工科和商业管理的工作得长时间工作，常常加班，或者得跟同事一起合作。与这些工作相对，有的人文学科工作的日程比较灵活。有钱可是没有自由，怎么可能有舒服的感觉。
Jobs in science and engineering and business management require long work hours, often working overtime, or require working with colleagues. In contrast to these jobs, some jobs in the humanities have more flexible schedules. Having money but no freedom, how can you feel comfortable?

立行: 将来, 我觉得我在我的法拉利上坐着很舒服. 如果我挣更多钱， 我有更多自由，也可以去轻松度假。
In the future, I think I’ll feel pretty comfortable sitting in my Ferrari. If I make more money, I’ll have more freedom and can go on relaxing vacations.

玉兰：不过，如果你真的喜欢你的工作，而且不会给你太多麻烦，你还需要请假吗？在我看来，有一份可以一直喜欢的事业是最重要的。这样，一辈子可以慢慢挣钱，不用放弃幸福。
But if you really enjoy your job and it doesn’t give you much trouble, would you still need to go on vacation? In my opinion, having a career that you can always enjoy is the most important thing. In this way, you can slowly earn money throughout your life without giving up happiness. 

立行: 但是你需要找到一份你喜欢的工作，人文学科的工作比STEM的工作更难找到。
But you need to find a job you like, humanities jobs are harder to find than STEM jobs.

玉兰：在人文学科的技能很广泛，因此找工作并不像人们以为的那么难。比如说，现在我们在图书馆，图书管理员是人文学科的事业。
Skills learned in the humanities are broad, so finding a job is not as hard as people think. For example, we’re in the library right now, and librarians are a humanities career.

立行: 是的。但是图书馆是工程师做的， 不是图书管理员做的。
True, but libraries are built by engineers, not librarians.

玉兰：可是这所大学一开始是师范学校，教育也是一项人文学科的事业。没有老师、图书馆管理员和作家，就不会有工程师建造图书馆。
But this college was originally a normal school [teacher’s college], and education is also a humanities career. Without teachers, librarians, and writers, there wouldn’t be engineers to build the library.

立行: 行，行，除了图书馆，其他基础设施像路桥、网路、技术，什么的，都是工程师建造的。
Ok, ok, besides libraries, other infrastructure like roads, bridges, networks, technology, etc. are all built by engineers.

玉兰：这些东西是要很多人建造的，不是只是工程师。
It takes many people to build these things, not just engineers.

立行: 最终，工程师还是挣更多的钱。
But in the end, engineers still earn more money.

Maggie： 哎呀，你真麻烦。
Jeeze, you’re really troublesome.

立行: 对不起，我知道。 我们都知道每个人都有各自的意见。
Sorry, I know. We all know everyone has their own opinion.

玉兰：对，虽然理工科事业可能挣很多钱，但是如果你受不了就没用。
Right, although science and engineering careers can make a lot of money, if you can’t stand it then it’s no use.

立行: 比如说， 我的朋友的第一份工作是会计但是他受不了。 后来他换了工作去当DJ，现在他很高兴。
For example, my friend’s first career was accounting, but he couldn’t stand it. Later he changed careers to DJ-ing, and now he’s very happy.

玉兰：就是。好的，谢谢你今天跟我一起辩论。这个活动原来很有意思，很好玩儿。
Exactly. Ok, well thank you for debating with me today, this activity has turned out to be really interesting and fun.

立行: 你也是。 祝你创意写作越来越成功！
You too. I wish you more and more success in creative writing.

玉兰：也祝你会计事业顺利发展! 我们给大家一个”再见“吧。
I also wish you smooth development in your accounting career! Let’s give everyone a “goodbye”.

都：再见！
Bye!