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Last Days of High school
Last Days of High school by Jennifer Craft
It is April in the United States ,the time of year whenmost of our public schools (k-12)h ave their Spring Breaks （注：Spring Breaks 春假）. Spring Break is a week's vacationduring
the second semester（注：semester
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n.（主美）學(xué)期）15～18星期））of each school year.Studentslook forward to it as it is seen a s a time of fun, a timefor hanging out （注：hang out［俚］閑蕩）with your friendsor tak ing a road trip.This is especially true for those whosetime in school is nearing an end ,that i s ,the seniors. AfterSpring Break,they will only have a month and a half or so ofclasses left
before they finish this level of education andmove onto the rest of their lives, be it colle ge or family orcareer.This is an exciting and bittersweet（注：bittersweet
附圖{圖}adj.又苦又甜的，又苦又樂(lè)的） time for these people.SpringBreak is also the beginni ng of saying good-bye to childhoodand childhood friends, though few seniors would st illconsider themselves children.
Many seniors take a road trip for their last Spring Break.This means that they hop（注：hop
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vi. ［口］跳上（汽車(chē)）， 得到（搭乘）） in a car withsome friends and driver somewh ere, often somewhere warm ifthey live in the north where it's been cold and snowy forsome m onths.Florida is a popular destination（注：destination
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n.目標(biāo)，目的（地））. During this time,they will hang outwith their friends, go to parties ,and meet new people.It's aperiod of relaxation（注：relaxation
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n. 放松， 松馳） before the final push to finish their basic education. Then again, fo r some seniors,it marks theserious onset（注：onset
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n.開(kāi)始）of something that teachers call "senioritis ."Thisis not a real disease（注：disease
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n. 疾病）, but it is a word that describes（注：describe[dis｀kraib]vt.描寫(xiě)，描述） a group
of problems seen in many seniors in their last days in school. The main issue isa lack
of desire to do anything other than have fun.Schoolwork becomes less and less importan t.After Spring Break, there are a couple of other activities that occur forseniors only.A t the high school I attended, we had a seniorbreakfast. This was a gathering of all the seniors in theschool for a breakfast. Some teachers came,too.At this event,we gave out awards on which the senior class had voted.These awards included "Best Smile "and "Most Likely to S ucceed,"among others.Each school has its own set of special awards.Another event for seniors
only is called "Senior Skip Day." In some schools, this is an official event, one which t heschool administration OKs.In others,it is not .This is a daywhen all the seniors skip（注： skip[skip]n.［口］ 有意缺席）school . " To skip school" means not to come to school , to be abse nt. I think it is fairly obvious why some schooladministrations might not OK this activ ity. There is anotheractivity that,in some schools, is for seniors only, but inothers it may be for seniors and juniors or for all students.This is called Prom（注：prom
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n.［美］班級(jí)舞會(huì)）.It is a formal dance generally preceded（注：precede
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vt.先于）by a dinner. The dinner may be held directlyin conjunction with（注：in conju nction with 連同）the danceso that all the people attending the dance eat together in ahall,o r often,the couples go to dinner at a restaurant oftheir choice before the dance.The you ng men who attend promusually rent a tuxedo（注：tuxedo
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n.［美］（男子的）無(wú)尾禮服）for the event.The young womenbuy or rent a formal or semi-
formal dress.It's a magicalevening of dinner, dancing ,music,and friendship,and one morestep o n the path of good-bye.The last event for seniors onlyis graduation. Most schools seem to try to hold this eventoutside, usually at the football stadium. Depending on theschool, this
may happen early or late in June,so the weatheris often quite nice. If it rains,though,i t must be heldinside, usually in the high school gymnasium（注：gymnasium
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n.體操館，體育館）or theater .When the audience of family members, teachers,and friends is all seated,the seniors marchin to the sound of the high school band playing "Pomp andCircum stance" in their caps and gowns.They sit and listen tospeeches from the principal of t he school and the superintendent （注：superintendent
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n. 監(jiān)管人）of the school system. The valedictorian（注：valedictorian
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n] n. ［美］致告別辭的畢業(yè)生代表）and salutatorian（注：salutatorian
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n. ［美］致開(kāi)幕詞的學(xué)生） and class president also give speeches. Then, as the name of
each senior is called, theywalk across the stage and receive their diploma. It's a proud
moment. After the graduation ceremony,there is often a party for seniors only,too.
During the month of June and sometimes into July, collegeopen-houses（注：open-house n. ［ 美］（學(xué)校等的）接待日）willbe held.Families who have a graduating senior will have a bigparty so that friends and family can gather to congratulatethe senior and give him or her presents to get started on thenext phase（注：phase[feiz]n.階段，時(shí)期）of life.Then at theend of the s ummer,it's off to college or career or family, theculmination（注：culmination
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n.完成， 結(jié)果）of a long good-bye.
現(xiàn)在正值4月，是美國(guó)大部分公立學(xué)校放春假的時(shí)候。 春假有一個(gè)星期，安排在每個(gè)學(xué)年的第二學(xué)期。學(xué) 生們都向往春假，這對(duì)他們意味著快樂(lè)，意味著可以和朋友一起出去玩或去旅行。這對(duì)要告別學(xué)生時(shí)代的高中 畢業(yè)班學(xué)生來(lái)說(shuō)尤其是如此。春假之后，只剩下一個(gè)半月左右的上課時(shí)間。此后他們這一階段的教育便告結(jié)束 ，然后他們將踏上人生之旅的下一段行程——或上大學(xué)，或成家，或就業(yè)。所以，對(duì)這部分人來(lái)說(shuō)，這是一段 令人激動(dòng)、既甜蜜又苦澀的日子。春假也是開(kāi)始告別童年和童年朋友的時(shí)候，盡管極少高中畢業(yè)班學(xué)生仍把自 己看成是孩子。
在這最后一個(gè)春假期間，許多畢業(yè)班學(xué)生出去旅游。也就是說(shuō)，他們和朋友結(jié)伴駕車(chē)而行。如果他們?cè)诤?冷下雪的北方住久了的話，他們便會(huì)找一個(gè)氣候溫暖的去處。許多人都選擇佛羅里達(dá)。在此期間，他們和朋友 一起出門(mén)，參加晚會(huì)或結(jié)交新友。在完成他們的基礎(chǔ)教育的最后關(guān)頭之前，這是段輕松愉快的時(shí)光。之后，對(duì) 有的畢業(yè)班學(xué)生來(lái)說(shuō)，便是被老師稱之為“畢業(yè)班學(xué)生綜合癥”的正式開(kāi)始。這并不是真正的疾病，只是用來(lái) 形容在許多畢業(yè)班學(xué)生中離校前出現(xiàn)的一些問(wèn)題的一個(gè)詞兒。其中一個(gè)主要問(wèn)題是他們除了玩耍之外，對(duì)別的 毫無(wú)興趣。作業(yè)變得越來(lái)越無(wú)關(guān)緊要。春假之后，會(huì)有一些只有畢業(yè)班學(xué)生參加的活動(dòng)。在我上的學(xué)校里，我 們享用了畢業(yè)班學(xué)生早餐。全校所有的畢業(yè)班學(xué)生都來(lái)參加早餐聚會(huì)。有的老師也來(lái)了。席間，我們頒發(fā)了畢 業(yè)班投票選出的一些獎(jiǎng)項(xiàng)，包括“最迷人的微笑”和“最可能成功的人”。每個(gè)學(xué)校都有自己一套獎(jiǎng)項(xiàng)。還有 一項(xiàng)專為畢業(yè)班學(xué)生安排的活動(dòng)是“畢業(yè)班學(xué)生集體缺勤日”。在有的學(xué)校，這是個(gè)正式的、為校方認(rèn)可的活 動(dòng)，在有的學(xué)校則不然。在這一天全體畢業(yè)班學(xué)生不去上學(xué)。顯而易見(jiàn)，為什么有的學(xué)校不批準(zhǔn)此項(xiàng)活動(dòng)。還 有一項(xiàng)活動(dòng)有的學(xué)校只有畢業(yè)班學(xué)生參加，而有的學(xué)校則是畢業(yè)班學(xué)生和十一年級(jí)學(xué)生一起參加，或全體學(xué)生 都可參加。這項(xiàng)活動(dòng)叫做“正式舞會(huì)”——包括晚餐和隨后的正式舞會(huì)。晚餐可能與舞會(huì)直接銜接，便于所有 參加舞會(huì)的人在大廳里一起用餐。更常見(jiàn)的情形是舞伴們?cè)谔枨叭ニ麄兲暨x的餐館吃飯。參加舞會(huì)的年輕男 子都特意為此租一套小禮服，而姑娘們則購(gòu)買(mǎi)或租一件正式或半正式的裙子。這是個(gè)融晚宴、舞會(huì)、音樂(lè)和友 情為一體的美妙夜晚，距離別又近了一步。畢業(yè)班學(xué)生的最后一項(xiàng)活動(dòng)是畢業(yè)典禮。許多學(xué)校都選擇在室外， 一般是在足球場(chǎng)舉行這項(xiàng)活動(dòng)。隨學(xué)校的不同，舉行的時(shí)間也不一樣，可能在6月初，也可能在6月末，這時(shí)天 氣一般都很宜人。但如果碰上下雨天，便只好改在室內(nèi)——一般在學(xué)校體育館或劇院舉行。等所有的觀眾—— 他們的親人、老師和朋友——都入座后，畢業(yè)生們即戴著方帽，穿著長(zhǎng)袍，在學(xué)校樂(lè)隊(duì)演奏的“盛況空前”的 樂(lè)聲中步入會(huì)場(chǎng)。之后，他們就座聆聽(tīng)校長(zhǎng)和督導(dǎo)的發(fā)言。兩名畢業(yè)生代表（通常是學(xué)業(yè)成績(jī)第一、二名）和 畢業(yè)班主席發(fā)表演說(shuō)。之后，被叫到名字的畢業(yè)生走到臺(tái)上，接受畢業(yè)證書(shū)。這是個(gè)令人自豪的時(shí)刻。畢業(yè)典 禮之后，通常還有一個(gè)專為畢業(yè)生舉辦的聚會(huì)。
6月份，有時(shí)一直到7月份，大專院校會(huì)設(shè)立“接待日”。有孩子畢業(yè)的家庭會(huì)舉行聚會(huì)，邀請(qǐng)親友聚在一 起，共同向畢業(yè)生慶賀、并贈(zèng)送禮物，祝賀他／她邁向人生的下一個(gè)階段。當(dāng)夏天快要過(guò)完時(shí)，就該去上大學(xué) 、就業(yè)或成家了，這標(biāo)志著對(duì)中學(xué)階段最后的告別。
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