Facing war in his homeland, Gac Filipaj traveled to America in search of a better life and a job so he could send money back home to relatives. 蓋克·菲利帕在他的家鄉(xiāng)面臨戰(zhàn)爭時(shí),前往美國尋求更好的工作和生活,想攢錢 寄給家鄉(xiāng)里的親戚。 Now, 20 years after leaving the former Yugoslavia for America without speaking a word of English, Filipaj has earned a B.A. in Classics -- with department honors -- from Columbia University's School of General Studies, where he has worked as a janitor for the past 19 years, the New York Daily News reports. 據(jù)《紐約每日新聞》報(bào)道,菲利帕在 20 年前離開前南斯拉夫去往美國時(shí)還不會(huì) 說一句英語。現(xiàn)在他獲得了古典文學(xué)的文學(xué)學(xué)位,還在系里贏得了榮譽(yù)。授予他 學(xué)位的是美國哥倫比亞大學(xué)普通教育學(xué)院,在過去的 19 年里,他一直在那里做 清潔工。 On Sunday, the 52-year-old will join hundreds of other undergraduate students at commencement to receive his degree and then take a break for two days. After that, he said operations will return to normal as he goes back to work as a janitor. 本周日,這位 52 歲的大叔會(huì)和其他成百上千名畢業(yè)生一起,在畢業(yè)典禮上收到 學(xué)位證書,接著他會(huì)休息兩天。在那之后,他說一切都會(huì)恢復(fù)正常,他還會(huì)繼續(xù) 做清潔工。 "I think I'm going to stay at Columbia," Filipaj told the Daily News. "If I can get a job better than cleaning, good. If not, there is nothing shameful about that work." “我想我還會(huì)待在哥倫比亞大學(xué)”,菲利帕告訴《紐約每日新聞》的記者。 “如 果我能找到一份比做清潔更好的工作,那很好。如果找不到,這份工作也不丟人?!?/div> In a press release issued by Columbia University, Filipaj said he took a job as a janitor at the University in order to take English language classes, and then enrolled in the general studies program. 在哥倫比亞大學(xué)發(fā)布的一份新聞稿上,菲利帕說他在大學(xué)做清潔工就是為了學(xué)習(xí) 英語語言課,后來被普通教育學(xué)院錄取。 "First, for six years, I worked in the dormitories as a heavy cleaner, and then, when the student union Lerner Hall opened, I began working there in 2000," Filipaj said. "As a student, I was working on English-language courses and eventually my English proficiency was at a high enough level to be eligible to begin taking classes part-time through the School of Continuing Education and then the School of General Studies." “剛開始的 6 年,我在宿舍里做繁重的清潔工作,后來學(xué)生會(huì)的勒納廳開放了, 從 2000 年起我就一直在那里工作。” 菲利帕說。“作為一名學(xué)生,剛開始的時(shí) 候我學(xué)習(xí)英語語言課程,過了一段時(shí)間,我的英語水平達(dá)到了去續(xù)教育學(xué)院上課 的水平,我就拿出了一部分時(shí)間在那里學(xué)習(xí)。后來又在普通教育學(xué)院上課?!?/div> Filipaj said his grueling schedule -- classes in the morning, then work until 11 p.m. -- was too much to bear at times. "I had some very difficult moments," he told the Daily News. "Some days, I was so tired." 菲利帕說他的時(shí)間表排得非常緊:早晨上課,接著工作到晚上 11 點(diǎn),緊湊的時(shí) 間安排有時(shí)讓他難以忍受。“我度過了一段苦日子,”他對(duì)《紐約每日新聞》的 記者說?!坝袝r(shí),我很累?!?/div> Filipaj said he plans to further his education and hopes to take courses in classics, foreign languages or philosophy. "I would say that I have fulfilled half of my dream—going to graduate school would complete it," Filipaj said in the Columbia press release. 菲利帕說他計(jì)劃進(jìn)一步接受教育,希望能學(xué)習(xí)經(jīng)典文學(xué)、外語或哲學(xué)?!翱梢哉f 我已經(jīng)實(shí)現(xiàn)了一半的夢想——當(dāng)上研究生才會(huì)完夢?!狈评猎诟鐐惐葋喌男侣?/div> 報(bào)道中說。 Columbia, a member of the Ivy League, is one of the nation's elite schools and accepts only 10 percent of applicants. Columbia support staff, however, have their tuition exempted, according to Columbia human resources website. 哥倫比亞大學(xué)是美國的常春藤名校,作為美國的精英學(xué)校,錄取率僅有 10%。不 過根據(jù)哥倫比亞人力資源網(wǎng)站,哥倫比亞大學(xué)支持員工學(xué)習(xí),并且免除他們的學(xué) 費(fèi)。 The Tuition Exemption Benefit Program pays tuition costs for undergraduate and graduate courses at Columbia University, Barnard College and Teachers College -- all without having to solve equations late at night like Matt Damon's character in Good Will Hunting. 哥倫比亞大學(xué)的學(xué)費(fèi)免除受益項(xiàng)目為學(xué)校的員工在哥倫比亞大學(xué)、巴納德學(xué)院和 師范學(xué)院所上的本科生和研究生課程支付學(xué)費(fèi)的費(fèi)用,——所有員工都不需要像 電影《心靈捕手》里面的馬特·達(dá)蒙那樣解方程式直至深夜。 According to Collegedata.com, Columbia's total cost of attendance was $59,117 in 2012, which includes room and board. Tuition and fees cost $45,290. Of all undergrads, the site reports that 51.5 percent of undergraduates were found to have financial need and were eligible for an average award of $40.259. 根據(jù)高校電子數(shù)據(jù)網(wǎng)站,2012 年在哥倫比亞大學(xué)上學(xué)的總費(fèi)用高達(dá) 59117 美元, 其中包括吃住的費(fèi)用。學(xué)雜費(fèi)是 45290 美元。該網(wǎng)站報(bào)道本科生中有 51.5%的人 有經(jīng)濟(jì)方面的需要,平均每人能得到 40.259 美元的獎(jiǎng)學(xué)金。
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