American pupils have missed too much school since the pandemic
Many families with children were clamouring to get back to in-person learning during the covid-19 pandemic. But many pupils were less eager to do so, and some still have yet to properly return. Thousands of children disappeared from the rolls. Fortunately, a few schools seem to have worked out how to coax some of their pupils back to their desks.
新冠疫情期间，许多有孩子的家庭都呼吁恢复线下教学。 但许多学生不太愿意这样做，有些学生尚未正常返校。 数千名儿童从登记名册上消失了。 幸运的是，部分学校似乎已经想出了办法将一些学生哄回课堂。
clamour 不断高喊，吵架，强烈抗议（v.）
in-person 面对面
pandemic 全国流行的，普遍的（adj.）大流行病（n.）
eager 渴望的，热切的（adj.）
properly 正确地，满意地，适当地（adv.）
roll 名单，卷状物（n.）
fortunately 幸运地（adv.）
coax 劝诱，哄（v.）
Absenteeism was a problem long before covid, but the disruption made things far worse. According to a study from Stanford University, more than a quarter of all American pupils in the 2021-22 school year missed at least three and a half weeks of school—almost double the pre-pandemic rate. Every one of the 40 states in the study saw an increase in absenteeism after 2018-19, the last full academic year before the pandemic. The worst rates, and some of the biggest rises, were in Alaska and New Mexico (while Alabama and New Jersey were best in class).
早在新冠疫情之前，缺勤就已经是一个问题，但这个干扰让事情变得更糟。 根据斯坦福大学的一项研究， 2021-22学年，超过四分之一的美国学生至少缺课三周半，几乎是疫情前的两倍。 研究中的40个州中，每个州在2018-19年（疫情爆发前的最后一个完整学年）以后的缺勤率都有所增加。 出勤率最差、涨幅最大的是阿拉斯加州和新墨西哥州（而阿拉巴马州和新泽西州在同类地区最好）。
absenteeism 旷工，旷课（n.）
disruption 中断，扰乱（n.）
pre-pandemic 疫情前
academic 学术的，不切实际的，学院的（adj.）
A few states punish families for truancy. Parents can be fined or charged with civil or criminal offences. Pupils can find themselves in juvenile custody. Other states do not allow such punitive measures, so schools are limited in how they can respond. But some studies show that punishments do not seem to work.
一些州惩罚逃学的家庭。 父母可能会被罚款或被指控民事或刑事犯罪。 学生可能会被少年拘留。 其他州不允许此类惩罚措施，因此学校的应对方式受到限制。 但一些研究表明，惩罚似乎不起作用。
truancy 逃学（n.）
fine 罚金，罚款（n.）优质的，好的，细小的，健康的（adj.）
charge 费用，掌控，控告，命令（n.）指责，控告，使承担，使充电（v.）
civil 公民的，民间的（adj.）
criminal 罪犯（n.）犯罪的，令人震惊的（adj.）
offence 违法，犯规，攻击（n.）
juvenile 青少年的,幼稚的（adj.）
custody 抚养权，保管，拘留（n.）
limit 限制（v.）
“These things are more complicated than parents and kids being lazy,” says Keri Rodrigues, president of the National Parents Union, an advocacy group. Several districts have hired absenteeism officers—friendlier versions of truancy officers—to knock on parents’ doors. But many of the parents who fail to send their children to school today are the struggling pupils of the previous generation, says Ms Rodrigues. School was not a positive experience for them, so teachers need to persuade parents that classes are worth attending.
全国家长联盟是一个倡议组织，其主席克里·罗德里格斯说，“这些事情比较复杂，远不只是父母和孩子懒惰的问题。” 几个地区聘请了缺勤官员（逃学官员的友好版本）来敲父母的门。 但罗德里格斯女士表示，如今许多未送孩子上学的家长，都是上一代苦苦挣扎的学生。 学校对他们来说并不是正面积极的体验，因此老师需要说服家长相信课程值得参加。
complicate 复杂的（adj.）
president 主席（n.）
several 几个的，各自的，分别的（adj.）
district 地区（n.）
hire 聘请（v.）
struggle 奋斗，抵抗（v.）
previous 先前的（adj.）