每日英語 #066: Banning Laptops in the Classroom
Banning Laptops in the Classroom
In any university class, there are many things that can “distract” (take one’s attention away from what one is supposed to be paying attention to) students. Whether they should be paying attention to “lectures” (speeches or explanations by a professor) or participating in “discussions” (serious conversations about a particular topic), students’ “minds can easily wander” (easily think of other things). These days, there’s something else distracting students: their laptops.
在任何大學課堂上，都有很多東西可以讓學生分心。無論他們應該專心聽講座（教授的演講或解釋）還是參與討論（關於特定主題的認真對話），學生的思緒很容易飄忽不定。如今，有另一樣東西讓學生分心：他們的筆記本電腦。
Most American universities now have wireless Internet access across the entire “campus” (land and buildings of the university). This means that students with laptop computers can bring them to class and “surf the web” (go to and look at different Internet pages) during class. As you can imagine, many professors don’t like this very much.
大多數美國大學現在在整個校園（大學的土地和建築物）都有無線網絡接入。這意味著，帶著筆記本電腦的學生可以在課堂上上網瀏覽（瀏覽和查看不同的互聯網頁面）。可以想象，許多教授不太喜歡這樣。
Professors at some universities are “retaliating” (fighting back). Some are “banning” (not allowing; making it against to rules to have) laptops in their classrooms. Other universities allow professors to “flip a switch” (cut the electrical connection) to turn off the wireless Internet service in their classrooms.
一些大學的教授正在反擊。有些教授在課堂上禁止（不允許；制定規則不准許）使用筆記本電腦。其他大學允許教授通過關閉開關（切斷電力連接）來關閉課堂內的無線網絡服務。
Professors say that it makes a huge difference. Students pay attention more and there is a better connection and better communication between professors and students. On the other hand, some students say that if professors were more interesting, they wouldn’t get bored and surf the web during class “in the first place” (to begin with).
教授們說這樣做有很大的不同。學生更專心，教授和學生之間的聯繫和交流也更好。另一方面，一些學生說，如果教授的課更有趣，他們一開始就不會感到無聊並在課堂上上網。
重點單字
- Distract 分心 /dɪˈstrækt/
- Lectures 講座 /ˈlɛkʧərz/
- Discussions 討論 /dɪˈskʌʃənz/
- Minds can easily wander 思緒容易飄忽 /maɪndz kæn ˈiːzɪli ˈwɒndər/
- Campus 校園 /ˈkæmpəs/
- Surf the web 上網瀏覽 /sɜrf ðə wɛb/
- Retaliating 反擊 /rɪˈtæliˌeɪtɪŋ/
- Banning 禁止 /ˈbænɪŋ/
- Flip a switch 關閉開關 /flɪp ə swɪʧ/
- In the first place 一開始 /ɪn ðə fɜrst pleɪs/
