VOA慢速英语:What to Do About 'Reverse Brain Drain' in US?

Congress is studying how to change immigration policies in an effort to get more foreign students to stay and work in the United States. Many foreign students come to the United States to earn advanced degrees in science, technology, engineering and math. But many are unable to get a visa to live and work here after they graduate.
美国国会正在研究如何改变移民政策，以努力获得更多的外国学生在美国居留和工作。许多外国学生来美国获得在科学，技术，工程和数学等方面的高等学位。但是许多人毕业后无法获得签证继续留在美国生活和工作。

In two thousand nine, foreign students earned up to two-thirds of the physics and engineering doctorates awarded by American colleges and universities.
2009年，外国留学生获得了高达三分之二的由美国高校颁发的物理和工程博士学位。

Xiao Qin from Beijing is studying for a PhD in computer science at Georgetown University in Washington. He would like to work for Google, Yahoo or Microsoft.
来自北京的Xiao Qin正在华盛顿乔治敦大学就读计算机科学博士学位。他想为谷歌，雅虎或微软工作。

XIAO QIN: "Obviously, we prefer to stay here for several years, but if we cannot get any valid visa we have to leave."
XIAO QIN：“显然，我们更愿意在这里停留数年，但如果我们不能得到任何有效的签证，我们不得不离开。”

So far no agreement has been reached on how to stop this so-called reverse brain drain. The loss of highly skilled workers usually involves developing countries losing them to wealthier ones.
到目前为止，尚无任何就如何停止这个所谓的反向人才外流情况达成任何协议。高技能工人的流失，通常包括发展中国家向更富裕国家流失。

Critics say immigration policies in the United States are too restrictive. One of those critics is Representative Zoe Lofgren, a Democrat who represents parts of Silicon Valley in California. She spoke at a recent congressional hearing on the issue.
批评者称，美国的移民政策过于严格。众议员Zoe Lofgren是那些批评者之一，她是加利福尼亚州硅谷的民主党代表。她在最近国会就此问题的一次听证会上发言。

ZOE LOFGREN: "While we once asked the brightest minds in the world to come and make their homes here, we now turn them away. Having educated and trained the world's best students in our universities, we no longer welcome them to enrich this nation."
ZOE LOFGREN：“虽然我们曾经邀请全世界最顶尖人才到美国定居，但现在我们却是在让他们离开。我们的大学培养和教育了全世界最好的学生，而我们却不再欢迎他们来丰富我们的民族。”

High-tech companies look for workers at the nation's top universities. Some companies, including Texas Instruments, say it can take ten years for their foreign workers to become permanent residents. Darla Whitaker is a senior vice president at Texas Instruments.
高科技公司在美国顶尖大学寻找工人。一些公司，包括德州仪器表示，他们的外籍工人要成为永久居民需要等待十年之久。Darla Whitaker是德州仪器高级副总裁。

DARLA WHITAKER: "This is not sustainable. It hurts our company and our industry and it places burdens and stresses on our employees."
DARLA WHITAKER：“这是不可持续的，它伤害我们的公司和行业，给我们的员工带来了负担和压力。”

The United States limits the number of immigrants from other countries on a country-by-country basis. Students from countries with large populations generally have to wait the longest for a "green card," or proof of permanent residency. A group called the National Foundation for American Policy says a highly skilled Indian worker could have to wait up to seventy years.
美国以不同国家为基础，限制来自其它国家的移民人数。来自人口众多的国家的学生通常需要为绿卡或永久居留证明等待最长时间。一个被称为美国政策国家基金会的组织称，一名高熟练度的印度工人可能需要等待长达7年之久。

Vivek Wadhwa studies immigrants who start their own companies. He says the United States needs to change its immigration policies.
自己创办了公司的Vivek Wadhwa研究移民。他说，美国需要改变其移民政策。

VIVEK WADHWA: "We're out of touch. We are in a knowledge economy. It is all about competition. If we don't keep these people, if we don't compete, we're going to lose. We're going to become a third world country and they're going to become like us."
VIVEK WADHWA：“我们已经落伍了，我们是在知识型经济。到处都是竞争。如果我们不留下这些人才，如果我们不竞争，我们就将会失败。我们将变成一个第三世界的国家，而他们将成为现在的我们。”