Nikita Chinchwade moved from India to the U.S. last fall to get a master's degree. 尼基塔·钦奇瓦德去年秋天从印度来到美国攻读硕士学位。 "It had been a dream of mine for a very long time because of the quality of education here," she says. “这是我很久以来的梦想，因为这里的教育质量很高，”她说。 The U.S. has historically been a top destination for international students. At last count there were more than a million. They're attracted by the high-tech facilities and opportunities for research; the easy, nonhierarchical interaction between faculty and students; and the open, social e nvironment on campuses. 美国历来是国际学生的首选目的地。最近的调查显示有一百多万人。他们被高科技设施和研究机会所吸引；被师生之间轻松、无等级的互动；校园中开放、社交型的环境所吸引。 But this year, in a survey of more than 700 colleges and universities, the Institute of International Education found total international enrollment plummeted 16% between fall of 2019 and fall of 2020. Statistics on new international students was even grimmer — a 43% drop. Tens of thousands have deferred enrollment. 但今年，国际教育学院在对700多所高校的调查中发现，从2019年秋季到2020年秋季，国际招生总量骤降16%。新留学生的统计数字更是惨不忍睹，下降了43%。数以万计的学生推迟入学。 "We've never had a decrease like that," said Allan Goodman, who heads the Institute of International Education. But he added that he believes the numbers will go back up once the coronavirus pandemic passes, predicting "surges of students" enrolling. "What we do know is, when pandemics end, there's tremendous pent-up demand." 国际教育研究所所长艾伦·古德曼（Allan Goodman）说：“我们从未出现过这样的下降。”。但他补充说，他相信一旦新冠疫情过去，这些数字将会回升，并预测“入学人数将激增”。“我们所知道的是，当大流行结束时，会有大量被压抑的需求被释放。” While the pandemic is an obvious reason for the decline, some experts point out that international student enrollment has been declining since 2016. 虽然流感大流行是造成下降的一个明显原因，但一些专家指出，自2016年以来，美国的国际学生入学率一直在下降。 All this has serious consequences for higher education. To put it simply: These students bring in a lot of money. 所有这些都对高等教育产生了严重的后果。简单地说：这些留学生带来了很多收入。 Before the pandemic, international students contributed about $44 billion a year to the U.S. economy, says Rachel Banks, senior director for public policy and legislative strategy at NAFSA: Association of International Educators, citing an analysis from the 2018-2019 school year. And those students support about half a million jobs. NAFSA（国际教育工作者协会）负责公共政策和立法战略的高级主管雷切尔·班克斯（Rachel Banks）援引2018-2019学年的一份分析报告说，在流感大流行之前，国际学生每年为美国经济贡献了约440亿美元。这些学生支撑大约50万份工作。 "They typically pay higher tuition rates than domestic students do," Banks says. "And in some instances, they'll even pay more than out-of-state students would. So schools certainly would feel that directly." “他们通常比国内学生支付更高的学费，”班克斯说。“在某些情况下，他们甚至会比州外学生支付更多的钱。所以学校肯定会直接感受到这一点。” These students contribute more than money, bringing social and cultural diversity to U.S. campuses. 这些学生贡献的不仅仅是钱，也给美国校园带来了社会和文化的多样性。 "Everybody is learning from each other. So you want to cast your net as wide as you can," says Martin McFarlane, director of international student services at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. The campus has among the highest number of international students of any university in the U.S., more than 10,500. “大家都在互相学习。伊利诺伊大学香槟分校（University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign）国际学生服务部主任马丁·麦克法兰（Martin McFarlane）说：“所以你想把你的关系网延伸得越宽越好。”该校区是美国所有大学中留学生人数最多的大学之一，超过10500人。 McFarlane says higher education is all about an exchange of ideas: "We are so interconnected globally that if you are cutting yourself off from that, you're doing yourself a disservice." 麦克法兰说，高等教育就是一种思想交流：“我们在全球范围内是如此的相互联系，如果你切断自己与外边的联系，你就是在伤害自己。” A Duke University study found that domestic students who engaged with international students enhanced their self-confidence, leadership and quantitative skills. U.S. undergrads were also more likely to "appreciate art [and] literature," "place current problems in historical perspective" and "read or speak a foreign language." 杜克大学（Duke University）的一项研究发现，与国际学生接触的国内学生增强了他们的自信、领导能力和定量能力。美国在校生也更倾向于“欣赏艺术和文学”，“从历史的角度看待当前的问题”和“读或说一门外语” The United States has long recognized the long-term benefit to hosting these students in terms of influence and magnifying the country's diplomatic "soft power." A recent study shows that the U.S. educated 62 of last year's world leaders. And research has found that international students develop a trust with their host countries, which also leads to future visits and future business interactions. 美国早就认识到接待这些学生的长期好处在于影响力和扩大国家的外交“软实力”。最近的一项研究显示，美国去年培养了62名世界领导人。研究发现，留学生与东道国建立了信任关系，这也导致了未来的访问和未来的商业互动。
About half of international students come to the U.S. to study in the STEM fields: science, technology, engineering and math. A 2017 analysis found that foreign nationals, for example, make up 81% of full-time graduate students in electrical engineering, 79% in computer science and 59% in civil engineering. 大约一半的国际学生来美国学习STEM领域：科学、技术、工程和数学。2017年的一项分析发现，例如，在电气工程专业的全日制研究生中，外籍人士占81%，计算机科学占79%，土木工程占59%。 Alexis Abramson, dean of the Thayer School of Engineering at Dartmouth, worries about having fewer international students in the STEM fields. "We're all very concerned that the U.S. will lose its competitive edge," she says. "Engineers and scientists invent things and innovate and solve a lot of the most pressing problems facing our world." 达特茅斯（Dartmouth）塞耶工程学院（Thayer School of Engineering）院长亚历克西斯·阿布拉姆森（Alexis Abramson）担心STEM领域的国际学生会减少。”“我们都非常担心美国将失去其竞争优势，”她说。“科学家和工程师发明并解决了世界上最紧迫的问题。” A recent survey of 500 U.S. university officials found several reasons for fewer international students, including the visa process and high tuition costs as well as the political climate and feeling "unwelcome." For the first time, a main reason listed was "global competition." In stark contrast to the U.S. declines over the past few years, the U.K., Canada and Australia have seen enrollment spikes. 最近对500名美国大学官员进行的一项调查发现，导致留学生减少的原因有很多，包括签证程序、高昂的学费以及政治气候和“不受欢迎”等。第一次出现列出的主要原因是“全球竞争”的情况。与美国过去几年的下降形成鲜明对比的是，英国、加拿大和澳大利亚的招生人数激增。 Banks of NAFSA isn't surprised. She says the Trump administration has made it harder to study in the U.S. through its anti-immigrant rhetoric and policies. Competitor countries, she adds, are stepping in to fill the void, "falling over themselves to say, 'Look, the United States doesn't want you, but we do!' " NAFSA银行并不感到惊讶。她说，特朗普政府通过其反移民言论和政策，加大了赴美留学的难度。她补充说，竞争对手国家正在介入填补这一空白，“他们会不顾一切地说，‘看，美国不想要你，但我们需要你！’” Arvind Ganesh always wanted to study in the United States. He's 22 and originally from Chennai, India. But when the time came to make a decision for graduate school, he chose Canada. "The education expense is one thing; the cost of living is another," he explained. The U.S. also has "the problem of security to international students. I'm talking about racial bias." 阿尔文德甘尼什一直想去美国学习。他22岁，原籍印度金奈。但到了决定读研究生的时候，他选择了加拿大。”教育费用是一回事，生活费用是另一回事。美国也有“国际学生的安全问题”。我说的是种族偏见。” Students like Ganesh have contributed to double-digit increases in Canada. It has lower tuition costs, generous work-study policies and clear pathways to permanent residency and citizenship. 像甘尼什这样的学生为加拿大的两位数增长做出了贡献。它有较低的学费、慷慨的勤工俭学政策以及获得永久居留权和公民身份的明确途径。 The U.K., America's biggest competitor for international students, is also trying hard to recruit more, with an ambitious goal of 600,000 students by 2030. As part of its Study UK effort, officials have relaxed policies so students can stay and get more work experience after they graduate. 美国最大的国际学生竞争对手英国也在努力招募更多的学生，目标是2030的招收600000名留学生。作为“学习英国”计划的一部分，英国官员放宽了政策，以便学生毕业后能留下来，获得更多的工作经验。 Ganesh starts classes in a month and is excited about making friends and learning about Canada. He's not too worried about culture shock, saying he has heard Canadians are very friendly. "Even though it's a very cold country, but you still feel warm when you feel people are welcoming and embracing." 加内什一个月后就开始上课了，他对交朋友和了解加拿大感到很兴奋。他不太担心文化冲击，因为他说他听说加拿大人非常友好。”尽管这是一个非常寒冷的国家，但当你感到人们欢迎和拥抱时，你仍然感到温暖。” He says that's what makes a different country feel like a home away from home. 他说，这就是使一个异乡感觉像一个远方的家的原因。 本文英文来自于Npr，中文由本人创作。目的在于英语学习使用，如有侵权请告知删除。
