Silverman and other seniors are facing the tightest job market in nearly a decade, with employers expected to hire 20% fewer graduates than last year.
Marilyn Mackes: This year is a very different kind of job market for college grads than last year. And actually for the last couple of years, they’ve been really looking at a boom market.
But that boom has turned to bust and one of the places it’s most noticeable, college career centers. At 2)NYU last year standing room only, crowd of corporate recruiters is gone.
Trudi Steinfeld: I remember two years ago that there were forty days during our recruiting season where myself and members of our staff had to give up, give up our offices because we really did not have enough space to hold all our recruiters.
Recruiting visits are down at least 20% at the school and on some campus, they’ve been cut in half.
Trudi Steinfeld, NYU’s director of career services says seniors are nervous.
Trudi Steinfeld: They’ve entered college at a time when the economy was booming. They really thought they would have not only one great job, but maybe the ability to select from three or four great jobs. They feel like the rug has been pulled out from under them.
That uncertainty is starting a trend on college campuses across the country, like here at the University of Chicago, where applications for graduate school are soaring. Some from college seniors looking to ride out the down economy and many others from those already in the workforce, who are going back to school to sharpen their skills.
Twenty-six-year-old Jeremy Oberfeld applied to Chicago’s business school after the telecom start-up he was working for 3)crumbled.
Jeremy Oberfeld: If the economy would be doing well, I would continue my professional career and developing that start-up business. Unfortunately, since this did not happen. I believe, I believe that was a great time for me to pursue my education further.
Applications to the graduate school of business are up 100% over a year ago. And starting to pile over in the admissions office. Officials say sorting through all of them is tough business.
Ann McGill: We read carefully, every single one of them, multiple people. What we’ve done is shifted work away from those people so they’re working longer hours.
And the trend is widespread. At 4)UCLA, biz school applications are up 90%. At Emory and Atlanta up 80%, and at Yale almost a 60% jump. Graduate school officials say returning for more education during a poor economy can be valuable. For more than the education.
Ann McGill: You get other things, you get an alumni network, you have a ready 5)credential that tells a perspective employer that you know what you are doing.
Staying in school paid off for MBA student, Shannon Ryan, who graduates this summer with a job, but the choices were slim.
Shannon Ryan: Because companies were very conservative about the number of offers they gave out. They really asked you to give them an answer immediately. So that would be three weeks verses typically you would have three months to think about an offer.
But for many of the nation’s seniors the waiting and worrying goes on.
Tracy Silverman: I just would like anything with a salary and benefits right now. So I’m broadening what I’m willing to do. I have to be extremely optimistic but, you know, something will come my way.
Experts say the key to finding a job in this current market: flexibility. Showing the employer that you have enough skills to adapt to a number of different positions.
美国毕业生重返校园
由于劳工市场提供的就业机会鲜有增加，许多已参加工作的人打算重新回到学校，这导致美国研究生院的入学申请数量猛涨。工作前景对于往后几月要从学校毕业的学生而言将更加严峻。
特蕾西·西尔弗曼是纽约大学高年级的学生，平均成绩3.7分，拥有广泛的关系网和硕果累累的履历表，她曾认为毕业后找工作毫无问题。
特蕾西·西尔弗曼∶我以为找工作非常简单，我有很多实习经验，我见过许多业界人士，但结果我递出履历表后，根本就没有回音。
西尔弗曼和其他的高年级学生在近十年内都要面临着最严峻的就业形势：雇主计划比去年减少招聘20%的应届毕业生。
玛丽琳·麦绮丝∶对大学应届毕业生来说，今年的就业市场与去年相比有很大差别。实际上，在过去几年里，他们看到的都是形势一片大好。
但大好形势已经不再，有一个地方就看得最明显--学校就业中心。去年在纽约大学里拥簇着的大量的招聘单位，今年已经看不见了。
特鲁迪·斯坦菲尔德∶我记得两年前的招聘季节长达四十天，我和同事不得不借出我们的办公室，因为招聘单位不够地方容纳。
来校园招聘的单位至少减少了20%，有的学校减少了一半。
纽约大学就业服务中心主任特鲁迪·斯坦菲尔德说，高年级的学生为此紧张不安。
特鲁迪·斯坦菲尔德∶他们在经济高速发展的时候入校。他们确信自己不但可以找到一份好工作，而且还能有三四份好工作可供选择。现在他们感觉站不稳了。
这种忧虑席卷全美国各大学校园，引发研究生院入学申请暴涨的趋势，芝加哥大学就是一例。一些大学高年级学生希望借此避过经济低潮，其他一些已经工作的人则希望重返学校充电。
二十六岁的杰里米·奥贝菲尔德申请入读芝加哥商学院。他之前所在的一家新启动的电信公司倒闭了。
杰里米·奥贝菲尔德：如果经济好转，我将继续工作，拓展那个已经启动的事业。不幸的是，事与愿违。我相信，这是我继续深造的绝好时机。
申请就读商学院的人比一年前增加了一倍多，申请资料在招生办公室里堆积如山。工作人员说，挑选过程是一项艰巨的工作。
安·麦吉尔∶我们仔细地阅读每一份申请材料。很多职员不得不放下手头的工作来帮忙，大家要加班加点地工作。
这种趋势正在蔓延。加州大学洛杉矶分校商学院的入学申请增加了90%，艾墨瑞和亚特兰大增加了80%，耶鲁增加了近60%。研究生院的工作人员说，在经济萧条期间重返学校深造是有价值的。其价值超过纯教育本身。
安·麦吉尔∶你会有其他收获，你会拥有校友关系网，你还会得到文凭，用它来向未来的雇主证明，你的态度是认真的。
学业已成的工商管理硕士生香农·瑞安今年夏天毕业，她已经找到了一份工作，但选择的机会很少。
香农·瑞安∶由于公司所能提供的职位非常有限，他们其实会要你立即答复。所以你只有三个星期去考虑一个职位的取舍，而典型的做法应该有三个月。
但是，对国内许多高年级的学生，等待和焦虑还在继续。
特蕾西·西尔弗曼∶我只想能立即拿到薪水、享受福利。因此我放宽了对工作的要求。我必须高度乐观，但是你知道，希望事情能如我所愿。
专家们说，应对目前这种工作形势的关键是要能灵活多变。不妨向雇主表明你有适应不同职位的多种技能。
注释:
1) soar v. 剧增
2) NYU: abbr. New York University （美国）纽约大学
3) crumble v. 弄碎，崩溃
4) UCLA: abbr. University of California at Los Angeles （美国）加利福尼亚大学洛杉矶分校
5) credential n. 文凭，凭证
★★《2003年09月号-第42期-Disc01-10》★★
Cross Words: Dare to Contest with Me?
The crossword puzzle was an early 20th century invention. A 1)craze like the 2)Charleston that quickly invaded the popular culture. But even newspaper editors thought it a passing 3)fad, which would end long before the film career of comedian 4)Harold Lloyd. They were wrong.
Today Lloyd is a five letter answer for silent screen star and crosswords an addiction as strong as morning coffee for millions of Americans. Their chief 5)enabler and daily 6)adversary, a faceless 7)foe named Will Shortz.
For nearly a decade, Shortz has used his position to revolutionize the 8)genre, turning what used to be a straight forward educational exercise in synonyms into a mind-bending entertainment employing pop culture, history, geography and especially verbal trickery. A Will Shorts puzzle can be a push up for the mind or an intellectually challenging way to waste time.
Interviewer: Why do people do crossword puzzles?
Will Shortz: I think people do crosswords, first of all, to test themselves. We know once we leave school, it’s difficult for us to know how sharp our brains are. Crosswords are a way to take this stuff that we know and apply it in a completely different way, and that’s satisfying.
He’s only the fourth crossword puzzle editor The Times has ever had. Inheriting the 9)mantle nine years ago from Eugene Maleska, a former classic’s teacher and school 10)superintendent whose puzzles favor the obscure. Like a six letter word for a three-11)toed African tree frog. With the readership of one of its most popular features aging, they worried that the crossword puzzle would go the way of 12)Canasta, a seven letter card game that your parents used to play. They wanted someone who knew as much about 13)James Taylor as 14)James Madison.
Shortz: I keep up with rock, I watch TV, I go to a lot of movies, I travel a lot, I read voraciously. So I think I’m up on what’s happening.
He likes to use words and phrases from popular culture and brand names, be they products or performers. But his trademark is cleverness, originality and humor. Using common words in an uncommon way.
Shortz: Take the clue: stick in the fridge in four letters. And you are thinking what could that possibly be? Four-letter word for put something in the refrigerator? But the answer is oleo. ‘Cause it is a stick that is in the fridge. A mind that can pick up on a 15)pun like that is going to be good at solving crosswords.
Interviewer: You like words that are spelled the same way but have different pronunciations and different meanings.
Shortz: I use every misleading opportunity I can.
Interviewer: Can you give me an example?
Shortz: Well, one that jumps to mind... the clue appeared to say, notable tower, in three letters. The answer was AAA, which is a notable tower, or a group that tows cars. I actually got letters from people after that puzzle appeared wondering, you know, “Where’s this AAA tower?” I had to break it to them gently that it was a different sort of t-o-w-e-r.
Interviewer: Give me an idea of how many people read your crossword every day, or do it.
Shortz: Oh, the daily puzzle appears in about 150 papers around the country, and the Sunday puzzle in about 300 papers. So I’m sure it must be millions and millions of people.
填字游戏--敢和我斗智吗？
填字游戏发明于二十世纪早期。它类似于“查尔斯顿快步舞”，飞快地风靡了西方社会。但在当时，即使报刊编辑也认为这只是一时热潮，生命期甚至比喜剧演员哈罗德·劳埃德的从影生涯还要短。但他们错了。
如今，劳埃德只不过是一个由五个字母组成的名字，代表过气的无声电影明星，但填字游戏却像早餐咖啡一样让无数美国人大上其瘾。他们每天斗智的对象，是一个只闻其名、不见其人的人，他叫威尔·肖兹。
肖兹花了近十年的时间来力导填字风尚，将它从过去一种纯粹的同义词教学练习转变为令人入迷的智力游戏，其中蕴涵着流行文化、历史、地理知识，尤其是口语技巧。肖兹的填字游戏有助于智力发展，也是打发时间的智力挑战游戏。
记者：为什么大家会喜欢玩填字游戏？
威尔·肖兹∶我认为，大家玩填字游戏首先是为了测试自己。我们一旦离开校园，就难以了解自己的智力水平。填字游戏正是这样一种游戏，让我们以一种彻底不同的方式来运用我们所了解的知识，让人获得满足感。
肖兹是《时代》杂志历来第四位负责填字游戏的编辑，继承了九年前尤今·莫莱斯卡的衣钵。尤今·莫莱斯卡原来是位古典文学教师及学校负责人，他的字谜偏向于晦涩不清。例如打一由六个字母组成的单词，意指某种非洲三趾树蛙。随着主要读者群的逐渐老龄化，人们开始担心填字游戏将沦为类同于凯纳斯特桥牌游戏--父辈们过去常玩的一种由七个字母组成的纸牌游戏。他们希望大家了解歌星詹姆斯·泰勒就和了解总统詹姆斯·麦迪逊一样多，能知晓全方位知识。
肖兹：我不断地听摇滚、看电视、看电影、去旅游、多阅读。所以说，我更喜欢流行事物。
肖兹喜欢采用流行文化和品牌名的单词、短语，不管是产品还是表演者。但他的风格非常巧妙，富有原创性和幽默性。都是寻常词汇的不寻常使用。
肖兹：猜猜这个：打一放在家用冰箱里的物品，四个字母。你想这会是什么呢？四个字母的单词，放在冰箱里的东西？答案却是“oleo（人造奶酪）”。因为它既表现出“stick”这个词，也是“放在冰箱里”的。能注意到这种双关语的人，解起题来会得心应手。
记者：你喜欢用那些拼写一样、但发音和含义不同的词汇。
肖兹：我为了误导大家真是绞尽脑汁。
记者：你能举个例吗？
肖兹：这是我刚想到的……有提示说：是个著名的塔，由三个字母组成。答案是“AAA”--这是个很有名的塔，或者一个拖车团。字谜登出去后，我确实收到过不少人来信询问：“AAA塔在哪里？”我只好心平气和地给他们破谜，说这是一种不同的塔。
记者：告诉我，每天有多少人在看或者在玩这些填字游戏？
肖兹：全美国每天约有一百五十家报纸登载填字游戏，在周日登载的报纸约达三百家。因此，我敢肯定玩的人数一定数以百万计。
注释:
1) craze n. 短暂的时尚，流行一时的狂热
2) Charleston n. 查尔斯顿快步舞
3) fad n. 时尚，一时流行的狂热
4) Harold Lloyd: 哈罗德·劳埃德，于十九世纪末期出生美国，曾在短期内出演无声电影喜剧，后出任家族企业的副总裁
5) enabler n. 授权者，批准人
6) adversary n. 敌手，对手
7) foe n. 反对者，敌人
8) genre n. 风格，流派
9) mantle n. 披风；斗篷
10) superintendent n. 主管，负责人
11) toe n. 脚趾，趾
12) Canasta n. 凯纳斯特纸牌游戏（用两套牌玩的一种纸牌戏）
13) James Taylor: 詹姆斯·泰勒，二十世纪七十年代早期美国著名歌星，曾多次获得格莱美最佳流行男歌手奖
14) James Madison: 詹姆斯·麦迪逊（1751-1836），美国第四任总统
15) pun n. 双关语
★★《2003年09月号-第42期-Disc01-11》★★
A Century of Memories(1940-1949)
On the first Sunday in December 1941, Americans were doing what Americans did on any normal Sunday.
"My father and I were in the living room listening to the Giant’s football game. My father was sitting next to me, suddenly when they announced that Pearl Harbor was attacked."
Broadcast: We interrupt this program to bring you a special news 1)bulletin: The Japanese have attacked Pearl Harbor by air.
President Truman: Yesterday, December 7th,1941, a date which will live in 2)infamy, the United States of America was suddenly and 3)deliberately attacked. No matter how long it may take us to overcome this 4)premeditated invasion, the American people in their 5)righteous mind will win through to absolute victory.
"Oh, boy, when he came on the radio, you listened whether you liked him or not. And we needed a leader both in the Depression and during the war."
The 6)departure of so many men changed the normal 7)rhythms and patterns of American social life. For teenage girls, those changes often meant growing up very quickly.
"Teenage girls were more 8)precociously sexual in some ways in the ‘40s than they’d been in the ‘30s, in part because their young boyfriends were going off to the war and they might never see them again.”
For young boys on the 9)home front, all the heroes were in uniform.
"I remember being jealous that I didn’t have an older brother. I remember seeing these kids come to school with 10)patches on their jackets that their brothers had sent them, and 11)souvenirs that they had sent from overseas. And I thought God... I felt 12)deprived because I didn’t have an older brother who would send me patches and send me souvenirs and send me a German 13)helmet.”
“Japan knew Japan was defeated and we knew that Japan was defeated. The question was, would they 14)surrender? And the Japanese did not surrender. And the closer we got to the mainland islands of Japan..."
"I remember hearing on the radio that an 15)atom bomb had been dropped, and in my head I spelled it ‘A-d-a-m’ and wondered what is this ‘Adam’ bomb and, you know, why is it so powerful."
The world had never seen anything like it: a single bomb that could 16)level an entire city. Three days later, a second atom bomb was dropped on Nagasaki.
光阴的故事(1940-1949)
20世纪40年代，全球笼罩在二战的阴云中，生活秩序与模式亦随战争的影响而起了变化。
1941年12月的第一个礼拜天，美国人做着寻常礼拜天的事务。
“爸爸和我在客厅里收听巨人队足球赛，爸爸坐在我旁边，突然广播宣布珍珠港被袭击。”
广播：节目中断，播报新闻：日本空袭了珍珠港。
杜鲁门总统：昨天，也就是1941年12月7日，这是耻辱的一天，美利坚合众国受到突然的蓄意袭击。无论对抗这次蓄意侵略要多旷日持久，正义的美国人必将取得最后的胜利。
“噢，天啊，听着他在广播中说话，你喜欢他也好，不喜欢也好，在战争年代和经济大萧条时期，我们需要一个领导者。”
众多离别改变了美国社会生活的正常节奏和模式。这种改变让女孩子快速成长起来。
“从某方面来看，四十年代的女孩子比三十年代的更性早熟些，部分原因是因为她们的年轻男友即将离家奔赴战场，或许他们再无相见之日了。”
而后方的男孩子则把军人视为偶像。
“我还记得，我很嫉妒那些有兄长的人。我记得这些孩子上学时，衣服上钉着布军章，那是他们的兄长寄回来给他们的。还有那些纪念品是从海外寄回来的。这些都让我称羡不已……没有人给我寄布军章，没有纪念品，没有德国钢盔，我感到很失意。”
“日本知道自己战败了，我们也知道日本战败了，问题是他们会不会投降，结果日本人并不投降。我们离日本本岛越近……”
“我还记得听到收音机说投放了原子弹时，我在脑子里拼写出“A-d-a-m（亚当）”，我奇怪极了，不知道这“亚当弹”是什么，怎么有那么大的威力。”
全世界都没见过这样的东西。一颗原子弹就夷平一座城市。三天后，第二颗原子弹投放到长崎。
注释:
1) bulletin n. 公告，报告
2) infamy n. 丑行，丑名
3) deliberately adv. 故意地
4) premeditated a. 有预谋的
5) righteous a. 正直的
6) departure n. 出发，离开
7) rhythm n. 节奏，韵律
8) precociously adv. 早熟地，早慧地
9) home front 后方
10) patch n. 补缀，碎片
11) souvenir n. 纪念品
12) deprived a. 缺乏的
13) helmet n. 头盔，钢盔
14) surrender v. 投降
15) atom n. 原子
16) level v. 夷平
★★《2003年09月号-第42期-Disc01-12》★★
Hello
I've been alone with you inside my mind
And in my dreams I've kissed your lips a thousand times
I sometimes see you pass outside my door
Hello, is it me you're looking for?
I can see it in your eyes, I can see it in your smile
You're all I've ever wanted and my arms are open wide
'Cause you know just what to say and you know just what to do
And I want to tell you so much, I love you
I long to see the sunlight in your hair
And tell you time and time again, how much I care
Sometimes I feel my heart will 1)overflow
Hello, I've just got to let you know
'Cause I wonder where you are and I wonder what you do
Are you somewhere feeling lonely or is someone loving you?
Tell me how to win your heart for I haven't got a 2)clue
But let me start by saying, I love you
