今天我们就来读一篇相关的外刊文章，来自《经济学人》，标题为Higher education: Diminishing returns（高等教育：收益递减），非常直截了当的观点。看来，并不是只有国内的研究生学历贬值，英美两国的硕士教育也在面临挑战。
接下来，我会截取文章的部分内容进行精读分析。
For young people with big ambitions, bagging a measly bachelor’s degree no longer seems enough. Students in America have been rushing into postgraduate courses, even as demand for higher education among the general public has declined. These days nearly 40% of university-educated Americans boast at least two degrees. In Britain a surge in demand from foreign students has created a huge boom in postgraduate education. Universities there now dole out four postgraduate qualifications for every five undergraduate ones.
Master’s degrees lasting one or two years are the biggest draw. These courses are necessary for jobs, such as teaching in academia, that are appealing even if poorly paid. Yet many of the people who enroll in postgraduate study are taking part in an educational arms race. Now that undergraduate degrees are common, goes the thinking, it takes extra credentials to get ahead. The hope is that advanced qualifications will boost all manner of careers.
That is often a mistake. New data are helping researchers compare the earnings of postgraduates with those of peers who are equally bright but have only a bachelor’s degree. One analysis suggests that more than 40% of America’s master’s courses provide graduates with no financial return or leave them worse off, after considering costs and what they might have earned anyway. A study in Britain concludes that completing a master’s has, on average, almost no effect on earnings by the time graduates are 35.
外刊精读
For young people with big ambitions, bagginga measlybachelor’s degree no longer seems enough. Students in America have been rushing intopostgraduate courses, even as demand for higher education among the general public has declined.
对于胸怀大志的年轻人来说，仅仅获得一个不起眼的学士学位似乎已经不够了。即使大众对高等教育的需求有所下降，美国的学生们仍在争相攻读研究生课程。
ambition：野心；抱负
ambition这个词大家肯定不陌生，英文释义为the desire or determination to be successful, rich, powerful, etc.（变得成功、富有、强大等等的渴望或决心）。它原本是古罗马时期的一个政治术语，指政客四处奔走发表演说拉选票的行为，以实现自己的政治抱负，现在多用来强调一个人追求成功、努力奋斗的雄心壮志。
常见的搭配有pursue one's ambition（追求个人的抱负或目标），fulfill one's ambition（实现个人的抱负或目标）等等。
来看一个美剧Game of Thrones 《权力的游戏》中的例子：
- I will open Qarth to the world as I have forced it toopen itself to me.
- Your ambitionis an inspiration. But like all upstarts, you overreach. Three dragons the size of cats and an alliance witha charlatando not make you a king.
在这个例句中，还有几个值得关注的语言点：
force sb/sth to do sth：强迫某人/某物做某事；常用于描述一种强制性的行为，即某人或某物在外部压力或影响下不得不做某事，比如The bad weather forced us to stay at home.（恶劣的天气迫使我们待在家里。）
此外，compel、oblige、constrain、impose等词汇，也可以用于描述类似的强制性行为，伟哥从使用层面来给大家辨析一下。
辨析：force/compel/oblige/constrain/impose
force：指用个人意志、权力、权威或暴力等，迫使他人改变看法或做本不愿做的事， 强调一种直接且往往带有强制性的行动；比如The kidnapper forced the victim to give him the password.（绑匪强迫受害者交出密码。）
compel：指在法律、权力、力量或行动等的驱使下被迫而为，强调一种 由外部因素（如法律、权力等）导致的强迫行为；比如The law can compel fathers to make regular payments for their children.（这项法律可强制父亲定期支付子女的费用。）
oblige：强调 出于道义、责任或礼貌等原因而迫使某人做某事，通常用于描述一种由内在因素（如道德、责任等）导致的行为；比如I am obliged to help my neighbor with her groceries.（我有义务帮助邻居搬运杂货。）
constrain：侧重施加约束力或有约束作用的影响，也指 环境对人强加的影响迫使人去做某事 ；比如Women are too often constrained by family commitments and by low expectations.（女性往往受到家庭责任和低期望值的束缚。）
impose：主要指征税、强加或施加影响等， 强调由外部权威或规定导致的行为；比如Britain imposed fines on airlines which bring in passengers without proper papers.（英国会对运载证件不齐全的乘客进入国内的航空公司课以罚款。）
接着看例句中的语言点：
inspiration：鼓舞人心的人或事物；常见的搭配有drive/draw/get inspiration（获得灵感），比如Artists often drive inspiration from nature.（艺术家经常从大自然中获得灵感。）
upstart：暴发户；作动词时，upstart表示”突然跳起；使……崛起“，由此名词含义引申为某人或某事物在短时间内迅速崛起或发财，要特别注意的是，upstart往往带有贬义，暗示这些突然发财的人可能缺乏社会经验和地位，或者他们的财富来源可能并不正当。
overreach：不自量力；这个词很有意思，听过恋词5500词和7000词课程的同学都知道，前缀over表示”过度；过分“，所以overreach可以理解为”伸的太远“，过度地到达或超出（自己的能力范围、预期结果等），常用来描述某人在行动或决策中因过于贪心、急躁或自信过度而导致的失败或不良后果，比如overreach oneself【弄巧成拙、不自量力】。
alliance with：与……建立同盟；alliance的动词形式是ally，也可以与介词with搭配使用，表示”与……联合“，比如The two countries allied with each other to defend their borders.（这两个国家相互结盟以保卫他们的边境。）
charlatan：假充内行的人；骗子；词根charlato含义是“吹牛者”，加上名词后缀-an。这个词与意大利的一座名为塞利托（Charlatan）的小城有关，相传这个小城充斥着江湖郎中，他们总是喋喋不休地宣扬自己能治百病，其实都是信口开河。
大家有没有发现？美剧中一段短短的对话，就能拎出来这么多值得学习和积累的语言点，所以伟哥一直很推荐同学们去看各种剧集和电影，学到的都是最地道的英文表达和用法。
bag：把...装进袋子；占有
bag的名词用法，大家应该很熟悉了，在这里作为动词使用，英文释义为to put sth into bags，指将物品放入袋子中的行为；还可以引申为to claim sth as yours before sb else claims it; to take sth before sb else can get it，在别人之前声称某物是你的，或是在别人得到之前拿走某物。
比如，He tried to bagthe last ticket for the concert.（他试图抢先获得音乐会的最后一张票。）
bag在俚语中可以表示挣钱或赢钱的行为，可以说I baggeda lot of money tonight.（今晚我赢了很多钱。）。此外，还可以表示欺骗或使某人上当的行为。
measly：极少的，不足的
measly是一个GRE词汇，英文释义为very small in size or quantity; not enough，很好理解。 measly用于形容数量、金额、规模等极少或微不足道，通常带有贬义。
One poll this year found that almost one in three Americans say they may never retire. The majority of the Nevers said they could not afford to give up a full-time job, especially when inflation was eating into an already measlySocial Security cheque.
今年的一项民意调查发现，近三分之一的美国人表示他们可能永远不会退休。大多数表示永不退休的人称，他们无法承担放弃全职工作的后果，尤其是当通货膨胀已经削减了他们本已微薄的社保支票金额时。
好了，今天的精读分析就到这里。剩下的内容，同学们可以尝试着自己翻译，并留言到评论区。
最后，我的课程推荐。我的泛英语学习的外刊课，在下面。立志于睁眼看世界、提高英文硬实力、打破知识茧房的朋友都可加入。像今天的这种外刊时效性文章，我都会带大家去学习。