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ArthurBenjamin_2009-_对改变数学教育的见解_
Now, if President Obama invited me to be the next Czar of Mathematics , then I would have a suggestion for him that I think would vastly improve the mathematics education in this country. 现在,如果奥巴马总统 邀请我出任下一个数学沙皇, 那么我会对他提出一个建议 我认为会极大改善 这个国家的数学教育。
Czar:n.(帝俄的)沙皇,皇帝;独裁者; Mathematics:n.数学;数学运算; vastly:adv.极大地;广大地;深远地; improve:v.改进;改善;
And it would be easy to implement and inexpensive . 这个建议实施起来很容易 而且不会花费太多。
implement:v.实施;执行;贯彻;使生效;n.工具; inexpensive:adj.廉价的;不昂贵的;
The mathematics curriculum that we have is based on foundation of arithmetic and algebra . 我们的数学课程 是以代数和几何作为根基的。
curriculum:n.课程;总课程; foundation:n.基础;地基;基金会;根据;创立; arithmetic:n.算术,算法; algebra:n.代数学;
And everything we learn after that is building up towards one subject. 我们所学的每个东西 都层层相扣地朝向一个主题。
And at top of that pyramid, it's calculus . 金字塔的顶端,是微积分。
calculus:n.[病理]结石;微积分学;
And I'm here to say that I think that that is the wrong summit of the pyramid ... 我在这里想说的是 我认为这种金字塔顶端是微积分的说法是错误的……
summit:n.峰会;山顶;顶点;最高点;
that the correct summit -- that all of our students, every high school graduate should know -- should be statistics : probability and statistics. 正确的顶端－所有的学生, 每个高中毕业生应当知道－ 那即是统计: 概率和统计。
statistics:n.统计数字;统计资料;统计学;(statistic的复数) probability:n.可能性;机率;[数]或然率;
(Applause) (掌声)
I mean, don't get me wrong. Calculus is an important subject. 不过,别误解我。微积分当然是一门重要的学科。
It's one of the great products of the human mind. 它是人类思维的其中一个伟大产物。
The laws of nature are written in the language of calculus. 自然法则就是建立在微积分上。
And every student who studies math, science, engineering , economics, they should definitely learn calculus by the end of their freshman year of college. 而且每个学习数学、自然科学、工程和经济的学生, 都绝对应当学习微积分, 在他们作为大学新生的第一年。
engineering:n.工程;工程学;v.密谋策划;设计制造;改变…的基因;(engineer的现在分词) definitely:adv.清楚地,当然;明确地,肯定地;
But I'm here to say, as a professor of mathematics, that very few people actually use calculus in a conscious , meaningful way, in their day to day lives. 但我在这里要说的是,作为一个数学教授, 很少人真正使用微积分, 有意在日常生活中使用微积分。
conscious:adj.意识到的;故意的;神志清醒的; meaningful:adj.严肃的;重要的;重大的;意味深长的;
On the other hand , statistics -- that's a subject that you could, and should, use on daily basis. Right? 另一方面, 统计－作为一个学科你能, 而且应该在日常生活中使用。对吧？
On the other hand:另一方面;
It's risk. It's reward . It's randomness . 它是风险。它是奖励。它没有规律。
reward:n.[劳经]报酬;报答;酬谢;v.[劳经]奖励;奖赏; randomness:n.随意;无安排;不可测性;
It's understanding data. 它是对数据的理解。
I think if our students, if our high school students -- if all of the American citizens -- knew about probability and statistics, we wouldn't be in the economic mess that we're in today. 我认为如果我们的学生,如果我们的高中生－ 如果每一个美国人－ 了解概率和统计, 那么我们不会经历今天的经济紊乱。
economic:adj.经济的,经济上的;经济学的; mess:n.混乱;餐厅;杂乱;肮脏;v.使不整洁;弄脏;弄乱;随地便溺;
Not only -- thank you -- not only that ... 不只是－谢谢－不只是那些……
only that:只是;要不是;
[but] if it's taught properly, it can be a lot of fun. 如果它正确的被教授,它会有很多乐趣。
I mean, probability and statistics, it's the mathematics of games and gambling . 我是说,概率和统计, 是游戏和赌博的数学形式。
gambling:n.赌博;投机;v.赌博;打赌;(gamble的现在分词)
It's analyzing trends . It's predicting the future. 我们用它分析趋势,我们用它预测未来。
analyzing:adj.分析的;v.分析(analyze的现在分词); trends:n.趋势;倾向;动态;动向;(trend的第三人称单数和复数) predicting:v.预言;预告;预报;(predict的现在分词)
Look, the world has changed from analog to digital . 看,这个世界已经变了 从模拟时代到数字时代。
analog:n.[自]模拟;类似物;adj.[自]模拟的;有长短针的; digital:adj.数字的;手指的;n.数字;键;
And it's time for our mathematics curriculum to change from analog to digital. 现在正是我们数学课程改变的时刻, 从模拟到数字。
From the more classical , continuous mathematics, to the more modern, discrete mathematics. 从更加古典、连续的数学, 到更加现代、离散的数学。
classical:adj.古典的;经典的;传统的;第一流的;n.古典音乐; continuous:adj.连续的,持续的;继续的;连绵不断的; discrete:adj.离散的,不连续的;n.分立元件;独立部件;
The mathematics of uncertainty , of randomness, of data -- and that being probability and statistics. 数学中的不确定性, 数据的不规律性 便是统计和概率。
uncertainty:n.不确定,不可靠;
In summary , instead of our students learning about the techniques of calculus, 总体来说,比起让我们的学生 学习微积分公式,
summary:adj.简易的;扼要的;n.概要,摘要,总结; techniques:n.技巧;技艺;工艺;技术;(technique的复数)
I think it would be far more significant if all of them knew what two standard deviations from the mean means. And I mean it. 我认为更加重要的是 让他们所有人知道两个平均数标准差 的意思。我是认真的。
significant:adj.重大的;有效的;有意义的;值得注意的;意味深长的;n.象征;有意义的事物; standard:n.标准;水准;旗;度量衡标准;adj.标准的;合规格的;公认为优秀的; deviations:n.差异,偏差(deviation复数);
Thank you very much. 非常感谢。
(Applause) (掌声)