大學獨立日:我們獨自去報到
A college freshman chats and chuckles on his cell phone. Behind him are his proud parents, loaded down with his luggage. “Helicopter parents” are seen every year in newspapers and on television on college enrollment day.
一名大學新生邊講電話邊咯咯笑着。在他後面，喜氣洋洋的父母幫他拿着沉重的行李。每年到了大學新生報到的時節，“直升機父母”的身影就就會出現在電視和報紙上。
This year, however, more freshmen are choosing to prove their *self-reliance as grown-ups from their very first day as college students. They travel far away to their new schools, and are determined to settle in on their own.
但今年，越來越多的大一新生選擇從步入大學的第一天起，努力證明自己作爲成年人的獨立能力。他們千里迢迢來到新學校，決心靠自己獨立安頓下來。
21st Century reporter Xu Jingxi and campus correspondents Chen Yang and Yang Jiayi interviewed three college freshmen about their experiences.
這裏，《21世紀英文報》的記者許靖烯協同校園通訊員陳陽、楊嘉沂採訪了三名大學新生，讓我們來聽聽他們的入學經歷。
Tian Chuan, 19, electronic information engineering student, Harbin Engineering University
田川（音譯），19歲，就讀於哈爾濱工程大學電子信息工程專業
This freshman had always done what his parents wanted him to do before he went to college. He took the extracurricular lessons his parents chose. He applied to the secondary school they recommended.
這名大一新生在升入大學前，總是會遵從父母的意願，父母要他做什麼他就做什麼。他參加父母爲他選的課外班，努力考到他們期望的中學。
But now he is eager to escape from his parents’ protection. Tian’s mother asked him to go to a local university in their hometown of Fujian province. But Tian has chosen one in Harbin, Heilongjiang.
但現在他想要逃離父母的懷抱。田川的母親想讓他在家鄉福建讀大學。但田川卻選擇了黑龍江省哈爾濱市的一所大學。
He is determined to manage everything on his own. “I would look as if I were still a little child if my parents accompanied me to the university and sorted everything out for me,” he explained. “As a grown-up man, I would feel ashamed.”
他決定獨自來安排一切。“如果爸媽陪我來學校報到，幫我把一切整頓妥當，那我看起來還是一個還沒長大的小屁孩兒。”他說，“作爲一個成年人，我會感到很羞愧。”
On enrolling day, Tian dragged two big suitcases of luggage. He sweated in long lines and stressed about what he would need to buy on his first shopping trip.
在報道註冊當天，田川拖着兩大箱行李。他夾在長長的隊伍中汗流浹背，並因爲第一次去商場需要購買哪些東西犯了難。
However, Tian is grateful that he started to be self-reliant from the first day of college.
即便如此，田川仍就感到很欣慰，因爲他從上大學第一天起就宣告獨立了。
“I will have to handle college studies and job-hunting by myself in the future,” he said, “and I’m more confident now.”
田川說：“接下來，我必須獨自應對學業和將來的求職，我現在更加自信了。”
Yang Peihong, 22, medical student, Yangtze University
楊佩紅（音譯），22歲，就讀於長江大學醫學專業
The whistle blew to announce the train’s departure. “I’m on the way to school. Sorry that I didn’t tell you,” Yang phoned her mother. Yang’s mother was *dumbfounded.
汽笛聲宣告了火車已經開車。楊佩紅打電話給媽媽說：“我正在去學校的路上。對不起，我沒告訴您。”她媽媽驚訝得說不出話來。
From her hometown in Shanxi to the university in Jinzhou, Hubei, Yang needed to transfer between three different trains. When she trudged through the crowds at the stations, she could hardly hold back her tears and longed to go home.
從山西老家到位於湖北荊州的學校，楊佩紅需要中轉兩次火車。當擠在火車站擁擠的人羣中時，她再也忍不住自己的淚水，很想回家。
Yang was actually envious when she saw other freshmen enjoying their parents’ company. She too wanted her parents to be there for the proud moment when she became a college student.
當看到其他新生們都有家長陪伴時，楊佩紅真的很羨慕他們。其實她非常希望自己的父母能夠在場，一起分享她成爲大學生的自豪時刻。
But Yang was worried that the long journey would be tough on her aged parents.
但楊佩紅擔心，長途旅行可能會令上了年紀的父母吃不消。
Yang plans to work part-time during her college years. She hopes to be able to pay for her parents to go on a comfortable tour around Wuhan once she finds her feet.
她打算在大學期間做些兼職。一旦熟悉了新環境，她希望能夠自己出錢爲爸媽安排一次舒適的武漢之行。
Yang believes that her parents are proud of their brave daughter. “I might be the only one in my class who has traveled to university alone,” she said.
楊佩紅堅信，父母會爲她這個勇敢的女兒而感到驕傲。她說：“我可能是班裏唯一一個獨自來大學報到的學生。”
Fang Yingfu, 20, business management student, South China Normal University
方英甫（音譯），就讀於華南師範大學工商管理專業
This freshman from Huilai, Guangdong, was traveling alone for the first time. She took a midnight bus and arrived in Guangzhou five hours later.
這位來自廣東惠來縣的大學新生還是第一次獨自上路。她搭乘了一班夜班客車，5個小時的車程後，她來到了廣州。
On her arrival, Fang saw the shuttle bus which was going to take her to the university. The students from the upper classes gave Fang a warm welcome and helped her to carry her luggage.
一到那裏，方英甫就乘坐專線班車抵達學校。高年級的學長們熱情地迎接她的到來，並幫她拿行李。
While many college freshmen attended enrollment day with large groups of families, the adventurous Fang preferred to explore her first day at school by herself. As it turned out, it was not as difficult as she had expected.
儘管很多大學新生都攜龐大親友團前來報道，但大膽的方英甫還是更喜歡獨自一人迎接校園生活的第一天。事實證明，這並非像她想象的那樣困難。
Students of higher grades acted as guides for the freshmen. They helped Fang to go through the procedures, showed her around campus and shared stories of college life.
高年級的同學們儼然成爲新生們的嚮導。他們幫助方英甫辦理入學手續，帶她在校園參觀、並與她分享校園生活的經歷。
Going to school on her own helped the freshman quickly blend in with her new schoolmates.
獨自去上學可以幫助大一新生們在短時間內同新同學打成一片。
“I would have clung to my parents if they had accompanied me to school,” Fang explained. “But this way, I had more chances to meet students in upper classes and other freshmen and make many new friends.”
“如果父母陪我來報道，我一定會依賴他們，”方英甫解釋說。“但這回，我可以有過多機會去認識同年級以及高年級的同學，結交一些新朋友。”
