中国高校大学生"考研热"降温的背后

To Ji Xiaoyu, taking the national graduate school entrance examination was a natural part of his college plan.
对于季晓宇（音译）而言，考研是他大学计划里顺理成章的一部分。

“Obtaining a master’s degree will give me a better chance at getting a decent job,” said the 22-year-old graduate of Beijing University of Posts and Telecommunications. He took the exam last year.
毕业于北京邮电大学、22岁的他表示：“研究生学历可以帮我找到一份好工作。”去年，他参加了研究生招生考试。

But now, it’s no longer such a “natural” choice for many students. With employment benefits fading, students are thinking carefully about whether they should take the exam.
而现在，对于很多学生来说，考研不再是顺理成章的事。随着研究生就业优势逐渐减弱，大学生们对待考研也是十分谨慎。

A total of 1.72 million students took this year’s national graduate school examination, according to the Ministry of Education. That’s 40,000 less than last year. For the first time in five years, the exam saw a drop in the number of applicants.
根据教育部发布的数据显示，今年全国共有172万学生参加研究生入学考试，较去年减少4万人，这也是五年以来考研人数首次下降。

Wang Wei, senior lecturer of Kuakao Education, a training agency, thinks that a major reason for the decline is the dim career prospects for postgraduates.
跨考教育高级讲师王伟（音译）认为，考研人数的下降主要源自于研究生就业前景的暗淡。

“Many students are now taking master’s degree courses as a shortcut to a better job,” said Wang. “But recent employment data may disappoint them.”
王伟说：“现在很多学生把读研当作找到好工作的捷径，而近来的就业数据可能会令他们心灰意冷。”

The employment rate of postgraduates in China in 2011 was 87 percent, 8 percent less than that of undergraduates, according to the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security.
由人力资源与社会保障部发布的数据显示，2011年我国研究生就业率为87%，比本科生就业率低8个百分点。

Given this situation, experts are calling on students to think clearly about what they want a master’s degree for.
在这种情况下，专家呼吁学生考研要三思而后行。

Chen Lu, 23, is graduating this year from Tianjin University of Finance and Economics. She says taking the exam will enable her to pursue her real passion.
23岁的陈璐（音译）今年将从天津财经大学毕业。她说考研使她去追求真正令自己兴奋的专业。