VOA慢速英语:Inmates Find Hope in College Classes at San Quentin Prison

Last week we told you about a prison training program in the American Northwest. It teaches women in prison to start their own businesses after their release. Today we tell you about one of the few prisons in America that offer college-level classes: San Quentin State Prison in California.
我们在上周讲述了在美国西北部的一个监狱培训项目。该项目教给女囚们在刑满释放后开办自己的小企业。今天，我们讲述一下美国少数几个提供大学课程的监狱之一：加州圣．昆廷州立监狱
Jody Lewen volunteered to teach in the college program at San Quentin in nineteen ninety-nine. She was a graduate student. The program had a small group of volunteers and no money. But a year later the director resigned. Ms. Lewen agreed to run the program until a permanent director could be found.
在1999年，Jody Lewen志愿在圣．昆廷监狱大学项目任教。她是一名研究生。该项目只有一小群愿者，而且没有任何资金。但是在一年之后，该项目的主管辞职。Lewen女士同意暂时运营该项目，直到找到一位长期主管。

JODY LEWEN: "But once I started doing the work and got more deeply involved, I also began to see the potential the program had. And I started to think more and more about what this program could become. And the people it can serve and the values and the ideals that could also address.”
JODY LEWEN：“但是自从我开始着手这项工作，就越陷越深，我也开始看到该项目的潜力。我开始越来越多的考虑这个项目的前景，考虑该项目可以服务的人，以及可以传播的价值观和想法。”

The Prison University Project has expanded under Ms. Lewen's leadership. The goal is to prepare men to lead thoughtful and productive lives inside and outside of prison.
监狱大学项目在Lewen女士的领导下得以扩大。该项目的目标是培养囚犯在监狱内和监狱外都过上有想法，有成效的生活。

Twenty courses are offered each semester. Classes this spring included English, math, United States history, and Russian and Soviet history. Other courses included Asian-American theater, Spanish, biology, sociology, philosophy and criminal justice.
该项目每学期提供20门课程。今年春季的课程包括英语，数学，美国历史，俄罗斯和苏联历史。其他课程包括亚美戏剧，西班牙语，生物学，社会学，哲学和刑法。

Three hundred inmates take classes every semester. They earn credits toward an associate of arts degree in liberal arts from Patten University in Oakland, California.
每学期有300名犯人参加课程。他们可以修得加州奥克兰市佩丁大学文科的一个联合文学学士学位认可的学分。

Ms. Lewen says getting teachers to volunteer is not difficult. But some are nervous about their first trip to San Quentin.
Lewen女士说，让教师担任志愿者并非难事。但是一些人在第一次走进圣．昆廷州立监狱时非常紧张。

JODY LEWEN: "You know, all the stereotypes people have in their minds about people who are incarcerated, and they assume they’re a lot of troublemakers and people are goofing off and they do not want to do their work. That stereotype has nothing to do with reality."
JODY LEWEN：“你知道，人们大脑中有一种思维定式，认为被关押的人都是制造麻烦的人，人们都是在这里混日子等待出狱。事实上并非如此。”

She has recruited more than one hundred fifty volunteers, including graduate students from colleges and universities in the area.
她已经招募了150多名志愿者，包括来自地区高校的研究生。

Charles Spence hopes to earn parole from prison one day. He needs a few more courses to receive his associate’s degree, and he wants to earn a master’s degree in psychology.
Charles Spence希望有一天能提前获释。他需要再通过几门课程的学习就可以获得联合学位，他希望能够获得心理学硕士学位。

CHARLES SPENCE: "This experience really has changed my life. It has given me a lot of tools on how to express myself. This program is really rare in the prison setting, so we are really lucky to have an opportunity to get an education, especially with the way the economy is out there now. And odds are stacked against us in being convicted felons. This actually gives us a lot of hope, and hopefully will help us succeed when we walk out the door."
CHARLES SPENCE：“这种经历确实改变了我的一生，让我学会了表达自己的很多工具。该项目在监狱中非常罕见，所以，我们有机会得到教育是非常幸运的，尤其是在外面的经济形势如此严峻的情况下。被判为重罪犯对我们来说真的很不幸。而现在，有了这个学位，一旦走出监狱大门，我们就更加有希望获得成功。”

More than one hundred prisoners have received an associate’s degree. Many more have continued their college studies after their release. The project receives no state or federal money. It operates with donations from people and foundations.
现在已有100多名囚犯获得了联合学位。更多人在获释后仍然继续学习。该项目没有联邦资金支持，依赖个人和组织的捐款。

Jody Lewen wants to make a free college education available to more of the five thousand five hundred inmates at San Quentin. There is a long waiting list of prisoners who want to take classes.
Jody Lewen希望圣．昆廷5500多名囚犯中的更多人能够得到免费大学课程的学习。现在，等待参加学习的囚犯名单已经排很长了。