Intended Benefit: Connections to Faculty and their Work

期望利益：跟教研人员，教研活动联系紧密

Real Benefit: Connections to Alumni and their Work

实际利益：跟校友们以及他们的工作联系紧密

The work of university faculty members, although impressive and influential in their respective fields, is frequently only significant in the world of academia. It is the alumni of these universities that are the real results of Elite education. Now, these are not your typical washed-out alumni still hanging around campus, far past graduation. These graduates, formerly hand-picked students, are now global powerhouses. Their achievements in business, medicine, politics, and all other fields are fueling our world.

大学教研老师们尽管在各自的领域非常引人注目，具有非常的影响力，但是往往只是在学术界意义非凡。反而是这些大学的校友们才是精英教育的成果。这里不是指哪些黯淡无神在校园里乱逛的校友，而是那些很久以前就毕业了校友们。这些毕业生，过去也是被精挑细选到这所学校里来的，如今已经在世界上占有一席之地了。他们在商业，医学，政治，以及其他一切领域的成就，正在推动着世界发展。

And current students respect their work. They are eager to use these alumni as mentors for their own lives. Many of the world’s most successful people, former Elite students, recognize that they, too, were struggling through college just a few decades ago.

在读的学生非常尊重他们的学习工作，他们渴望让校友们成为他们人生的导师。很多世界成功人士，过去都是这些精英大学的学生，他们也知道，区区数十年前，他们也曾这样在大学里奋斗。

Now, they are willing to help young hopefuls by encouraging them to work hard, helping them avoid pitfalls, showing them that success is within reach. In the short term, these top students have a gift of wisdom that will push them ahead of their peers and prepare them for post-graduate life. In the long term, Elite students will use this wisdom to forge legacies of their own.

如今，他们非常乐意帮助年轻人，他们鼓励年轻人努力学习工作，帮助年轻人避免危险，向年轻人指明伸手可及的成功方向。短期看来，这些出色的学生们收获了些聪明才智，从同龄人中脱颖而出，开始为他们的研究生生涯做准备；远期来看，精英大学的学生们将运用这些才智创造属于他们自己的传奇。

Intended Benefit: Collaboration with Other Bright Young People

期望利益：同其他充满智慧的年轻人合作

Real Benefit: Socialization with Other Bright Young People

实际利益：同其他充满智慧的年轻人社交

At most schools, students are forced to collaborate for classwork. This factor holds true at top schools as well. Whereas most schools, and most sectors of life, allow you to choose the people you spend time with, top universities have already narrowed down your peer group for you. This is a subliminal way of forcing an intellectual environment in all parts of the students’ social life. Whether it is just having a drink or forming a lifelong friendship, the relationships students form are crucial to their education. Because amongst top students, it is not just “having a drink.” It is having a drink and casually discussing the controversies surrounding the World Bank.

在大多数学校，学生们被要求合作完成作业。一流大学也不例外。由于在大多数学校里，甚至在人生的大多数时候，你可以择群而居，而一流大学为你做出了选择。这种潜意识中形成的学术环境充满了学生社交生活的各个方面。无论是喝杯饮料还是建立一生的友谊，学生们之间形成的关系对他们的教育都是至关重要的。因为一流的学生之间的交往，不仅仅是喝杯饮料这么简单。他们会一边喝饮料，一边随意讨论些世界银行相关的争议问题。

And it is not just “best friends forever.” It is forming business partnerships for life, based on years of trust and mutual respect. Elite universities are a breeding ground for this type of social outcome. When the brightest, most creative young students are intentionally placed in such close proximate, brilliance is sure to result.

这不仅仅是意味着有一群什么永远的好朋友之类的。这将为你的一生带来基于多年彼此信任和尊重的人脉圈。正是精英大学孕育了这种社交成果。聪明富有创造力的年轻学生们有意识地接近，必然会创造卓越。

It is expected that the students who attend these Elite schools will put everything they have into their studies. But in exchange for their dedication, these top students are rewarded with priceless benefits. Often, the critical public sees only the high monetary price of a college education but misses the value. However, the access, connections, socialization opportunities for students found at Elite universities, although sometimes misunderstood, will continue to create a demand that defends all criticism.

大家都期望精英大学的学生们会倾其所有地投入学习和研究。他们如此奉献，作为交换，这些一流的大学们可以获得无法用金钱来衡量的好处。通常吹毛求疵的人们只看到的高昂的学费，却没有注意到它所赋予的价值。尽管有时候这些价值没有得到正确理解，然而，学生们发现在精英大学找到的资源，人际关系，社会机会将永远反击那些质疑。

By Christina Atterbury

沪江留学翻译