(单词翻译:单击)
听力文本
Welcome to People in America in VOA Special English. Every week at this time, we tell the story of someone important in the history of the United States. Today, Steve Ember and Shirley Griffith tell about Mary Lyon. She was a leader in women's education in the nineteenth century. During the nineteenth century, women's education was not considered important in the United States. Supporters of advanced education for women faced many problems. States did require each town to provide a school for children, but teachers often were poorly prepared. Most young women were not able to continue on with their education in private schools. If they did, they often were not taught much except the French language, how to sew clothing, and music.
Mary Lyon felt that women's education was extremely important. Through her lifelong work for education she became one of the most famous women in nineteenth century America. She believed that women were teachers both in the home and in the classroom. And, she believed that efforts to better educate young women also served God. If women were better educated, she felt, they could teach in local schools throughout the United States and in foreign countries. Mary Lyon was born in Buckland, Massachusetts, in seventeen ninety-seven. Her father died when she was five years old. For Mary, hard work was a way of life. But she later remembered with great pleasure her childhood years in the home where she was born. This is how she described what she could see from that house on a hill: "The far-off mountains in all their grandeur, and the deep valleys, and widely extended plains, and more than all, that little village below, containing only a very few white houses, but more than those young eyes had ever seen."
At the age of four, Mary began walking to the nearest school several kilometers away. Later, she began spending three months at a time with friends and relatives so she could attend other area schools. She helped clean and cook to pay for her stay. When Mary was thirteen, her mother remarried and moved to another town. Mary was left to care for her older brother who worked on the family farm. He paid her a dollar a week. She saved it to pay for her education. Mary's love of learning was so strong that she worked and saved her small amount of pay so she could go to school for another few months. Mary began her first teaching job at a one-room local school teaching children for the summer. She was seventeen years old. She was paid seventy-five cents a week. She also was given meals and a place to live.
Mary Lyon was not a very successful teacher at first. She did not have much control over her students. She always was ready to laugh with them. Yet she soon won their parents' respect with her skills. When Mary Lyon was twenty years old, she began a long period of study and teaching. A new private school opened in the village of Ashfield, Massachusetts. It was called Sanderson Academy. Mary really wanted to attend. She sold book coverings she had made. And she used everything she had saved from her pay as a teacher. This was enough for her to begin attending Sanderson Academy. At Sanderson, Mary began to study more difficult subjects. These included science, history and Latin. A friend who went to school with Mary wrote of her "gaining knowledge by handfuls." It is said that Mary memorized a complete book about the Latin language in three days. Mary later wrote it was at Sanderson that she received the base of her education.
After a year at Sanderson Academy, Mary decided that her handwriting was not good enough to be read clearly. She was a twenty-one-year-old woman. But she went to the local public school and sat among the children so she could learn better writing skills. In eighteen twenty-one, Mary Lyon went to another private school where she was taught by Reverend Joseph Emerson. Mary said he talked to women "as if they had brains." She praised his equal treatment of men and women when it came to educating them. Three years later, Mary Lyon opened a school for young women in the village of Buckland. She called it the Buckland Female Seminary. Classes were held in a room on the third floor of a house.
Mary's students praised her teaching. She proposed new ways of teaching, including holding discussion groups where students exchange ideas. Mary said it was while teaching at Buckland that she first thought of founding a private school open to daughters of farmers and skilled workers. She wanted education, not profits, to be the most important thing about the school. At that time, schools of higher learning usually were supported by people interested in profits from their investment. In eighteen twenty-eight, Mary became sick with typhoid fever. When her health improved, she decided to leave Buckland, the school she had started. She joined a close friend, Zilpah Grant, who had begun another private school, Ipswich Female Seminary. At Ipswich, Mary taught and was responsible for one hundred thirty students. It was one of the best schools at the time. But it lacked financial support. Mary said the lack of support was because of "good men's fear of greatness in women." Zilpah Grant and Mary Lyon urged that Ipswich be provided buildings so that the school might become permanent. However, their appeal failed.
Mary resigned from Ipswich. She helped to organize another private school for women, Wheaton Female Seminary in Norton, Massachusetts. It opened in eighteen thirty-five. She also began to raise money for her dream of a permanent, non-profit school for the higher education of women. This school would own its own property. It would be guided by an independent group of directors. Its finances would be the responsibility of the directors, not of investors seeking profit. The school would not depend on any one person to continue. And, the students would share in cleaning and cooking to keep costs down. Mary Lyon got a committee of advisers to help her in planning and building the school. She collected the first thousand dollars for the school from women in and around the town of Ipswich. At one point, she even lent the committee some of her own money. She did not earn any money until she became head of the new school.
Mary Lyon opened Mount Holyoke Seminary for Women in eighteen thirty-seven. It was in the town of South Hadley, Massachusetts. She had raised more than twelve thousand dollars. It was enough to build a five-story building. Four teachers and the first class of eighty young women lived and studied in the building when the school opened. By the next year, the number of students had increased to one hundred sixteen. Mary knew the importance of what had been established -- the first independent school for the higher education of women. The school continued to grow. More students began to attend. The size of the building was increased. And, all of the students were required to study for four years instead of three.
Mary Lyon was head of the school for almost twelve years. She died in eighteen forty-nine. She was fifty-two years old. She left behind a school of higher education for women. It had no debt. And it had support for the future provided by thousands of dollars in gifts. In eighteen ninety-three, under a state law, Mount Holyoke Female Seminary became a college. Mount Holyoke College was the first college to offer women the same kind of education as was offered to men. People who have studied Mary Lyon say she was not fighting a battle of equality between men and women. Yet she knew she wanted more for women. Her efforts led to the spread of higher education for women in the United States. Historians say she was the strongest influence on the education of American young people during the middle of the nineteenth century. Her influence lasted as the many students from Mary Lyon's schools went out to teach others.
重点解析
1.advanced education 高等教育
Internationalization of advanced education is the development trend and a necessary process.
高等教育国际化是教育发展的趋势，也是必然要求。
2.covering 保护层; 遮盖层
He pulled the plastic covering off the dead body.
他拉掉了盖在尸体上的塑料布。
3.memorize 记住，背熟
He studied his map, trying to memorize the way to Rose's street.
他研究了地图，试图记住到罗丝家那条街的路。
4.equal treatment 平等对待
The law requires equal treatment for all, regardless of race, religion, or sex.
法律面前人人平等，无论你的种族，宗教信仰或性别。
5.propose 提出
He has proposed a resolution limiting the role of U.S. troops.
他提出了一项限制美军作用的决议。
6.profit 利润；利益
The company made a healthy profit on the deal.
公司在这笔生意中获利颇丰。
参考译文
欢迎收听VOA慢速英语栏目《美国人物志》。每周这个时候，我们都会讲述一位美国历史上的重要人物。今天，史蒂夫·恩贝尔和雪莉·格里菲斯将为大家讲述玛丽·莱昂的故事。她是19世纪女性教育的领袖。19世纪，女性教育在美国不受重视。女性高等教育的支持者面临着很多问题。各州确实要求每个镇为儿童提供学校，但师资经常不足。大多数年轻女性无法在私立学校继续她们的学业。就算她们去了私立学校，她们能学的只有法语、音乐和缝衣服。玛丽·莱昂认为女性教育极为重要。她一生都在为教育事业工作，她也成为了19世纪美国最著名的女性之一。她认为女性家庭和课堂上的老师。并且她认为为女性提供更好教育的努力也是在为上帝服务。如果女性接受到更好的教育，她认为，她们可以在美国和外国的学校里教书。
1797年玛丽·莱昂在马萨诸塞州巴克兰出生。她的父亲在她五岁的时候就去世了。对玛丽来说，努力工作是生活的一种方式。但她之后回忆起在出生地的童年欢乐时光。以下是她如何描述在山上的房子远眺的景象：“远方山峦壮丽、幽深的峡谷、广阔的平原还有下边的小村庄，只有几所白色的房子，但却一望无际。”四岁时，玛丽开始步行几公里去最近的学校上学。之后，她开始在朋友和亲戚家住了三个月，这样她可以去其他地区的学校念书。住在她们家时，她靠着帮助家里打扫卫生和做饭付房租。玛丽13岁的时候，她的母亲再婚并搬到了另一个镇子。玛丽被留下来照顾她的哥哥，她的哥哥在家庭农场里工作。他每周给她一美元。她把钱存下来交学费。
玛丽对学习的热爱非常强烈，她把工作挣来的钱都存了起来，这样她又可以去学校念几个月的书。夏天，玛丽在当地一所学校教小孩子，她在这个只有一间房的学校里开始了第一份教书工作，当时她17岁。她一周挣75美分，还提供餐宿。起初玛丽·莱昂并不是一个非常成功的老师。她不会过多的去管教她的学生。她总是和他们一起笑，但是很快她便受到了学生家长对她教书能力的尊重。玛丽20岁的时候，她开始了很长一段时期的学习和教学。马萨诸塞州阿什菲尔德村开了一家新的私立学校，叫做桑德森学院。玛丽非常想去那所学校读书。她卖自制的书皮，她把教书存下来的钱都拿了出来。这足够她去桑德森学院读书的了。
在桑德森学院，玛丽开始学习更多不同的课程，包括科学、历史和拉丁文。一位和玛丽一同去学校的朋友写下了她一点点学习知识的经历。这位朋友写到，玛丽在三天内背完了一整本关于拉丁语的书籍。之后玛丽写到，正是在桑德森学院她收获了教育的基础。在桑德森学院一年后，玛丽认为她写作不够好，表达不够清楚。她那时已经21岁了。但她来到当地公立学校，和孩子们坐在一起学习更好的写作技巧。1821岁，玛丽·莱昂去了另一所私立学校，她在那里受到了牧师约瑟夫·爱默生的教导。玛丽说他和女性交谈时，是把她们当做有思想的人来看待。她赞扬了教士对男性和女性的平等教育。
三年后，玛丽·莱昂在巴克兰开了一所年轻女子学校，她将之称为巴克兰女子学校。授课地点是在一所房子三楼的一个房间里。玛丽的学生赞扬了她的教学。她提倡新式的教学方法，包括小组讨论，让学生交换意见。玛丽说正是在巴克兰的教书经历给了她成立一所私立学校为农民和技工的女儿们提供教育机会的想法。她想让教育而非利益成为学校最重要的东西。那时，高等教育学校通常受到他人的资助，而这些人想从教育投资中获益。1828年，玛丽患上了伤寒症。身体恢复后，她决定离开巴克兰那家她成立的学校。她和一个密友悉帕·格兰特开办了另一所私立学校—伊普斯威奇女子学院。在伊普斯威奇，玛丽负责教授130个孩子。这是那时最好学校之一，但学校缺资金。玛丽说缺乏资助是因为“好男人对女性伟大的恐惧。”
悉帕·格兰特和玛丽·莱昂要求给伊普斯威奇女子学院提供教学楼，这样学校就可以长存，但是她们的诉求失败了。玛丽从伊普斯威奇女子学院离职。在马萨诸塞州诺顿，她帮助成立了另一所私立女子学校—惠顿女子学院，并于1835年开业。她还开始筹钱梦想创办一个永存的、不以盈利为目的的高等女子学校。学校将拥有属于自己的资产。学校将由一群独立的董事管理，资金将成为这些董事的责任而非寻求利润的投资者的责任。学校的长存不依赖任何一个人。并且这些学生将分担打扫卫生和做饭的工作以减少成本。
玛丽·莱昂获得了一个顾问委员会的帮助，帮助她规划和建立学校。她收到了来自伊普斯威奇镇内外女性的资助筹到了首笔一千美元资金。她甚至自掏腰包出钱给委员会。她并没有挣多少钱，直到她成为新学校的校长。1837年玛丽·莱昂的荷约克峰女子学院成立。学校位于马萨诸塞州南哈德利佛斯镇。她筹集了一万两千多美元。建一所五层楼的建筑足够了。四名老师和第一届80名年轻的女性在这里生活学习。到第二年，学生的人数增加至116名。玛丽明白学校成立所带来的重要性，这是首所女子高等教育独立学校。学校继续成长。有更多的学生来读书。学校规模扩大。学校要求所有学生学习四年而非三年。
玛丽·莱昂担任学校负责人将近12年，她在1849年去世，年52岁。她留下了一所女子高等教育学校。学校没有债务。学校获得了数千美元以资助其未来的发展。1893年，根据一项州立法，荷约克峰女子学校成为一所学院。曼荷莲学院是首所为女性提供男性同等教育的学院。研究玛丽·莱昂的人表示她没有为男女平等而斗争，但她知道她希望能为女性争取更多。她的努力引导美国女子高等教育的普及。历史学家表示她对19世纪中期美国年轻人的教育有着最重要的影响。很多从玛丽·莱昂的学校毕业的学生继续从事教育行业，她的影响也得以延续。
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