Going Her Own Way选择她自己的路

　　When she was twelve, Maria made her first important decision about the course of her life. She decided that she wanted to continue her education. Most girls from middle-class families chose to stay home after primary school, though some attended private Catholic "finishing" schools. There they learned a little about music, art, needlework, and how to make polite conversation. This was not the sort of education that interested Maria — or her mother. By this time, she had begun to take her studies more seriously. She read constantly and brought her books everywhere. One time she even brought her math book to the theater and tried to study in the dark.

　　当她12岁的时候， 玛利亚做出了她人生道路的第一个重要决定。她决定继续读书。对于大多数来自中产阶级家庭的女孩子来说，小学毕业就都选择待在家里，尽管有一些参加了教会办的女子精修学校。在那她们学习一些音乐、艺术、针线活，以及如何礼貌交谈。这些并不是玛利亚所感兴 趣的或者可以说也不是她妈妈感兴趣的。此时，她对待学习更加认真。她不停地读书，他走到哪里就把书带到哪里。有一次她甚至把数学书带到了剧院里，设法在黑暗中学习。

　　Maria knew that she wanted to go on learning in a serious way. That meant attending the public high school, something that very few girls did. In Italy at the time, there were two types of high schools： the "classical" schools and the "technical" schools. In the classical schools, the students followed a very traditional program of studies, with courses in Latin and Greek language and literature, and Italian literature and history1. The few girls who continued studying after primary school usually chose these schools.

　　玛利亚知道她想要继续正规学习。她想要到公立高中去学习， 很少有女孩子这样做。 在当时的意大利， 有两种形式的高中，一种是传统学校，另一种是 技术类学校。在传统学校中，学生们都依照一种非常 传统的教学方式学习，包含拉丁语、希腊语及文学课，还有意大利的文学与历史。极少数能继续学习的女孩们也大多选择这类学校。

　　Maria, however, wanted to attend a technical school. The technical schools were more modern than the classical schools and they offered courses in modern languages, mathematics, science, and accounting2. Most people — including Maria's father—believed that girls would never be able to understand these subjects. Furthermore, they did not think it was proper for girls to study them.

　　但是玛利亚打算去技术类学校。技术类学校比传统学校要现代得多，他们提供的课程有现代语言、数学、自然科学，以及会计学。包括玛利亚父亲在内的大部分人都认为，女孩子是不可能弄明白这些科目的。 另外，他们也认为女孩子不适合学习这些。

　　Maria did not care if it was proper or not. Math and science were the subjects that interested her most. But before she could sign up for the technical school, she had to win her father's approval. She finally did, with her mother's help, though for many years after, there was tension in the family. Maria's father continued to oppose her plans, while her mother helped her.

　　玛利亚并不在乎适合与否。数学和自然科学是她最感兴趣的学科。但是在她报名之前她必须争得她父亲的同意。最后在她母亲的帮助下她成功了，尽管过去很多年她的家庭关系依然很紧张。她的父亲一直地 反对她的计划，而她的母亲却帮助她。

　　In 1883, at age thirteen, Maria entered the "Regia Scuola Tecnica Michelangelo Buonarroti" in Rome. Her experience at this school is difficult for us to imagine. Though the courses included modern subjects, the teaching methods were very traditional. Learning consisted of memorizing long lists of facts and repeating them back to the teacher. Students were not supposed to ask questions or think for themselves in any way. Teachers were very demanding, discipline in the classroom was strict, and punishment was severe for those who failed to achieve or were disobedient.

　　1883年，玛利亚13岁的时候考取了罗马的Regia Scuola Tecnica MichelangeloBuonarroti学校。她在这 个学校的经历对我们来说难以想象。尽管课程包括现代学科，而教学方式却是十分传统的。学习包括记忆长长的词条和事件，然后向老师复述。学生们不会以任何的方式被提问或是自己思考。老师非常苛刻，课 堂纪律十分严格，未达标准或者不守纪律的学生会被给予严厉的惩罚。

　　词汇：

　　discipline n纪律，学科，训练，惩罚

　　punishment n惩罚，严厉对待，虐待

　　注释：

　　1. In the classical schools, the students followed a very traditional program of studies, with courses in Latin and Greek language and literature, and Italian literature and history. 在传统学校中，学生们都依照一种非 常传统的教学方式学习，包含拉丁语、希腊语与文学课，还有意大利文学与历史。

　　2. The technical schools were more modern than the classical schools and they offered courses in modern languages, mathematics, science, and accounting. 技术学校比传统学校要现代得多， 他们提供的课程有现代语言、数学、自然科学，以及会计学。

　　练习：

　　1. Maria wanted to attend____.

　　A) private "finishing" school

　　B) school with Latin and Greek

　　C) technical high school

　　D) school for art and music

　　1. C 本题的问题是： Maria 想去个怎样的学校?由文中第三段可明确得出结论。 Maria, however, wanted to attend a technical school. A, B,D 项均有明显错误。

　　2. In those days, most Italian girls____.

　　A) went to classical schools

　　B) went to "finishing" schools

　　C) did not go to high school

　　D) went to technical schools

　　2.C 本题的问题是：在当时的意大利大多数女孩的选择是什么?由文中第一段可知Most girls from middle-class families chose to stay home after primary school，所以本题的正确答案为 C。

　　3. You can infer from this passage that____.

　　A) girls usually attended private primary schools

　　B) only boys usually attended technical schools_

　　C) girls did not like going to school

　　D) only girls attended classical schools

　　3.B 本题为推理题，问题是：从全文可以得出什么样的结论?A 选项未提及。C 选项错误，原文只说 大多数女孩子都选择待在家里，并未说她们都不喜欢读书。D 选项错误，原文只说就算是上学的话大多数 女孩子也都选择传统学校，而并非只有女孩子才可以去。所以正确答案为 B。

　　4. Maria's father probably____.

　　A) had very modern views about women

　　B) had very traditional views about women

　　C) had no opinion about women

　　D) thought women could not learn Latin

　　4. B 本题的问题是： Maria 的父亲对女性的态度是什么?由文中第三段倒数第二句 Most people—including Maria's father— believed that girls would never be able to understand these subjects. 可以得出答案，父 亲和大多数人一样都持传统观念。

　　5. High school teachers in Italy in those days were____.

　　A) very modern

　　B) very intelligent

　　C) quite scientific

　　D) quite strict

　　5.D 本题的问题是：当时的意大利高中教师是怎样的?从文中最后一段可以得出结论"Teachers were very demanding, discipline in the classroom was strict, and punishment was severe for those who failed to achieve or were disobedient. 故正确答案为 D。