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Listen to part of a conversation between a student and a professor.
听一段学生和教授的对话。
Hi. Sorry I'm late, Professor Blaine.
你好。布莱恩教授，很对不起，我迟到了。
No problem, Jim. So you've got some questions about your senior thesis requirement?
吉姆，没关系。关于毕业论文的要求，你有些问题想问我是吗？
Yeah. I've got a couple of problems actually.
对。实际上我有好几个问题。
So, the first thing is, you normally write it during the first half of the academic year, right? In your final year of studies?
第一，通常你会在学年上半年写这篇论文，对吧？在最后一学年？
Right.
对。
But I have my student teaching scheduled for that time.
但在那时候我有教育实习项目。
I want to teach high school English after graduation, so I really need to give that my full attention.
我想毕业后去教高中英语课，所以我需要全身心投入。
And I just worry that I won't be able to if I am writing my senior thesis at the same time.
我很担心，如果我同时要写毕业论文，我就无法专注了。
I mean, it's supposed to be 35 to 50 pages.
我是说，这可要写35到50页呢。
That's a serious commitment.
这是非常严肃的事情。
You are right. But it really isn't a problem.
你说得对。但这不是问题。
Really?
真的吗？
No. A lot of English majors get teacher certification, so we have students like you do their senior thesis after their student teaching.
这不是问题。很多英语专业的学生都考教师资格证，我们有很多像你一样学生，他们都是在教育实习后写毕业论文的。
It works out well, because many students want to use a unit they taught as the basis of their paper.
效果很不错，因为很多学生都想把自己教的其中一个单元作为论文基础。
So you'll just enroll in a thesis seminar for the second semester.
所以你只要参加第二学期的论文研讨课就行。
Well, that's a big relief.
这可让我轻松不少。
But it brings us to my second problem.
但又引出我第二个问题了。
I'd really focus my studies on old and middle English literature.
我很专注研究古代和中世纪英语文学。
I am even thinking about doing a graduate degree with a concentration in that after I taught for a while.
我正在考虑要不要在我教书一段时间后，在此领域读一个研究生学位。
So I was hoping to do my senior thesis on Chaucer, on The Canterbury Tales, because that would obviously be useful if I do go on. But …
我希望能写关于乔叟的毕业论文，关于《坎特伯雷故事集》，因为如果我要继续深造，这肯定很有用。但……
Ah. But Professor Johnson …
啊，但约翰逊教授……
Exactly. Professor John is going to be taking a sabbatical to do research in France during the second half of the year.
对。约翰逊教授在下半年会休公假，他会去法国做些研究。
So without him around, I am not sure how I could do a senior thesis on The Canterbury Tales.
他不在这儿了，我不确定要怎么写关于《坎特伯雷故事集》的毕业论文了。
I mean, the focus of his teaching and research is unique around here.
我是指，他教学和研究的重点在这儿是很独特的。
Yes. I understand. It would be difficult to do your paper without Professor Johnson around.
对。我明白。约翰逊教授不在这儿的话，你要写论文就很难了。
Hmmm… would you allow me to try to sell you on an alternate plan?
你同意我向你推荐另一个想法吗？
Well, you can try, but Chaucer is sort of my hero, if you know what I mean.
嗯，你可以试试，但乔叟算得上是我的偶像，如果你能明白我的意思。
Well, I am teaching a course on the literature of the Renaissance in the first half of the year.
我在上半年教一门关于文艺复兴时期文学的课。
It'll meet late in the day, so it won't interfere with your teaching.
上课时间是在晚上的，不会干扰你的教学。
And I haven't offered it in quite a while now, so I doubt you ever studied that period on the college level.
我很久都没推荐过这门课了，我很怀疑你在大学课程有没有学过这段时期。
No. I haven't.
没有。
If you would be interested in taking the course, I'd be happy to give you supplemental readings, and I'd also be happy to be your advisor for your paper later on.
如果你有兴趣上这门课，我很乐意提供一些阅读的补充材料给你，也很乐意当你以后毕业论文的学术辅导。
Well, I never looked at that area before, but I have always had an interest in it, so that does have a certain appeal.
我之前还没涉及过这个领域，但我一直挺感兴趣，听起来很吸引人。
Well, if you do decide to go this route, I would make that decision soon and I would use this summer productively.
如果你确定要走这条路，我就会尽快作出决定，并好好利用这个夏天。
After all, this is not going to be like taking an intro course.
毕竟这可不是入门课程。
