Weighing the Idea of a Year Off Before College (1/2)

In Britain and other countries, young people sometimes take a "gap year," a year off between high school and college. This idea never gained a big following in the United States. Recent news reports have suggested that interest may be growing, though there are no official numbers.

Charles Deacon is the dean of admissions at Georgetown University in Washington, D.C. He estimates that in the current first-year class of one thousand six hundred students, only about twenty-five decided to take a year off. He says this number has not changed much over the years.
Mister Deacon says the most common reason is to have a chance to travel. But he says international students may take a gap year to meet requirements at home for military duty.

Some high school graduates see a year off as a chance to recover after twelve years of required education. But it can also give students a chance to explore their interests. Students who think they want to be doctors, for example, could learn about the profession by volunteering in a hospital for a year.

Many colleges and universities support gap-year projects by permitting students to delay their admission. Experts say students can grow emotionally and intellectually as they work at something they enjoy.

参考译文：

在英国和其它一些国家，高中毕业即将升大学的学生可以享有一年的休学，称作"空挡年"。这个设想在美国一直没什么人响应。最近的新闻报道表明美国人对此兴趣渐生，虽然还未得到官方的数据证实。

Charles Deacon是华盛顿特区乔治镇大学招生办公室负责人。他估计今年1600名新生中，大概只会有25人打算休息一年.他说这个数字在这几年内没有太大的变化。

Deacon先生说最普遍的原因是学生有机会旅游。但是他说国际学生可能会利用间歇的这一年回本国服兵役。

一些高中毕业生将这一年看作是在接受12年的义务教育后给自己一个休整的机会。不过这也会给学生提供发掘自身兴趣的机会，比如想当医生的学生可以在医院做一年的义工，从中学到专业知识。

许多学院和大学允许学生推迟报到来支持"空档年"计划。专家说学生在做他们喜欢的事情时能够得到情绪和智力上的进步。