Last Days of High school
by Jennifer Craft
It is April in the United States ,the time of year whenmost of our public schools (k-12)h ave their Spring Breaks （註：Spring Breaks 春假）. Spring Break is a week's vacationduring
the second semester（註：semester
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n.（主美）學期）15～18星期））of each school year.Studentslook forward to it as it is seen a s a time of fun, a timefor hanging out （註：hang out［俚］閒蕩）with your friendsor tak ing a road trip.This is especially true for those whosetime in school is nearing an end ,that i s ,the seniors. AfterSpring Break,they will only have a month and a half or so ofclasses left
before they finish this level of education andmove onto the rest of their lives, be it colle ge or family orcareer.This is an exciting and bittersweet（註：bittersweet
附圖{圖}adj.又苦又甜的，又苦又樂的） time for these people.SpringBreak is also the beginni ng of saying good-bye to childhoodand childhood friends, though few seniors would st illconsider themselves children.
Many seniors take a road trip for their last Spring Break.This means that they hop（註：hop
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vi. ［口］跳上（汽車）， 得到（搭乘）） in a car withsome friends and driver somewh ere, often somewhere warm ifthey live in the north where it's been cold and snowy forsome m onths.Florida is a popular destination（註：destination
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n.目標，目的（地））. During this time,they will hang outwith their friends, go to parties ,and meet new people.It's aperiod of relaxation（註：relaxation
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n. 放鬆， 松馳） before the final push to finish their basic education. Then again, fo r some seniors,it marks theserious onset（註：onset
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n.開始）of something that teachers call "senioritis ."Thisis not a real disease（註：disease
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n. 疾病）, but it is a word that describes（註：describe[dis｀kraib]vt.描寫，描述） a group
of problems seen in many seniors in their last days in school. The main issue isa lack
of desire to do anything other than have fun.Schoolwork becomes less and less importan t.After Spring Break, there are a couple of other activities that occur forseniors only.A t the high school I attended, we had a seniorbreakfast. This was a gathering of all the seniors in theschool for a breakfast. Some teachers came,too.At this event,we gave out awards on which the senior class had voted.These awards included "Best Smile "and "Most Likely to S ucceed,"among others.Each school has its own set of special awards.Another event for seniors
only is called "Senior Skip Day." In some schools, this is an official event, one which t heschool administration OKs.In others,it is not .This is a daywhen all the seniors skip（註： skip[skip]n.［口］ 有意缺席）school . " To skip school" means not to come to school , to be abse nt. I think it is fairly obvious why some schooladministrations might not OK this activ ity. There is anotheractivity that,in some schools, is for seniors only, but inothers it may be for seniors and juniors or for all students.This is called Prom（註：prom
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n.［美］班級舞會）.It is a formal dance generally preceded（註：precede
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vt.先於）by a dinner. The dinner may be held directlyin conjunction with（註：in conju nction with 連同）the danceso that all the people attending the dance eat together in ahall,o r often,the couples go to dinner at a restaurant oftheir choice before the dance.The you ng men who attend promusually rent a tuxedo（註：tuxedo
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n.［美］（男子的）無尾禮服）for the event.The young womenbuy or rent a formal or semi-
formal dress.It's a magicalevening of dinner, dancing ,music,and friendship,and one morestep o n the path of good-bye.The last event for seniors onlyis graduation. Most schools seem to try to hold this eventoutside, usually at the football stadium. Depending on theschool, this
may happen early or late in June,so the weatheris often quite nice. If it rains,though,i t must be heldinside, usually in the high school gymnasium（註：gymnasium
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n.體操館，體育館）or theater .When the audience of family members, teachers,and friends is all seated,the seniors marchin to the sound of the high school band playing "Pomp andCircum stance" in their caps and gowns.They sit and listen tospeeches from the principal of t he school and the superintendent （註：superintendent
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n. 監管人）of the school system. The valedictorian（註：valedictorian
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n] n. ［美］致告別辭的畢業生代表）and salutatorian（註：salutatorian
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n. ［美］致開幕詞的學生） and class president also give speeches. Then, as the name of
each senior is called, theywalk across the stage and receive their diploma. It's a proud
moment. After the graduation ceremony,there is often a party for seniors only,too.
During the month of June and sometimes into July, collegeopen-houses（註：open-house n. ［ 美］（學校等的）接待日）willbe held.Families who have a graduating senior will have a bigparty so that friends and family can gather to congratulatethe senior and give him or her presents to get started on thenext phase（註：phase[feiz]n.階段，時期）of life.Then at theend of the s ummer,it's off to college or career or family, theculmination（註：culmination
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n.完成， 結果）of a long good-bye.
現在正值4月，是美國大部分公立學校放春假的時候。 春假有一個星期，安排在每個學年的第二學期。學 生們都嚮往春假，這對他們意味著快樂，意味著可以和朋友一起出去玩或去旅行。這對要告別學生時代的高中 畢業班學生來說尤其是如此。春假之後，只剩下一個半月左右的上課時間。此後他們這一階段的教育便告結束 ，然後他們將踏上人生之旅的下一段行程——或上大學，或成家，或就業。所以，對這部分人來說，這是一段 令人激動、既甜蜜又苦澀的日子。春假也是開始告別童年和童年朋友的時候，儘管極少高中畢業班學生仍把自 己看成是孩子。
在這最後一個春假期間，許多畢業班學生出去旅遊。也就是說，他們和朋友結伴駕車而行。如果他們在寒 冷下雪的北方住久了的話，他們便會找一個氣候溫暖的去處。許多人都選擇佛羅里達。在此期間，他們和朋友 一起出門，參加晚會或結交新友。在完成他們的基礎教育的最後關頭之前，這是段輕鬆愉快的時光。之後，對 有的畢業班學生來說，便是被老師稱之為“畢業班學生綜合症”的正式開始。這並不是真正的疾病，只是用來 形容在許多畢業班學生中離校前出現的一些問題的一個詞兒。其中一個主要問題是他們除了玩耍之外，對別的 毫無興趣。作業變得越來越無關緊要。春假之後，會有一些只有畢業班學生參加的活動。在我上的學校里，我 們享用了畢業班學生早餐。全校所有的畢業班學生都來參加早餐聚會。有的老師也來了。席間，我們頒發了畢 業班投票選出的一些獎項，包括“最迷人的微笑”和“最可能成功的人”。每個學校都有自己一套獎項。還有 一項專為畢業班學生安排的活動是“畢業班學生集體缺勤日”。在有的學校，這是個正式的、為校方認可的活 動，在有的學校則不然。在這一天全體畢業班學生不去上學。顯而易見，為什麼有的學校不批准此項活動。還 有一項活動有的學校只有畢業班學生參加，而有的學校則是畢業班學生和十一年級學生一起參加，或全體學生 都可參加。這項活動叫做“正式舞會”——包括晚餐和隨後的正式舞會。晚餐可能與舞會直接銜接，便於所有 參加舞會的人在大廳里一起用餐。更常見的情形是舞伴們在跳舞前去他們挑選的餐館吃飯。參加舞會的年輕男 子都特意為此租一套小禮服，而姑娘們則購買或租一件正式或半正式的裙子。這是個融晚宴、舞會、音樂和友 情為一體的美妙夜晚，距離別又近了一步。畢業班學生的最後一項活動是畢業典禮。許多學校都選擇在室外， 一般是在足球場舉行這項活動。隨學校的不同，舉行的時間也不一樣，可能在6月初，也可能在6月末，這時天 氣一般都很宜人。但如果碰上下雨天，便只好改在室內——一般在學校體育館或劇院舉行。等所有的觀眾—— 他們的親人、老師和朋友——都入座後，畢業生們即戴著方帽，穿著長袍，在學校樂隊演奏的“盛況空前”的 樂聲中步入會場。之後，他們就座聆聽校長和督導的發言。兩名畢業生代表（通常是學業成績第一、二名）和 畢業班主席發表演說。之後，被叫到名字的畢業生走到台上，接受畢業證書。這是個令人自豪的時刻。畢業典 禮之後，通常還有一個專為畢業生舉辦的聚會。
6月份，有時一直到7月份，大專院校會設立“接待日”。有孩子畢業的家庭會舉行聚會，邀請親友聚在一 起，共同向畢業生慶賀、並贈送禮物，祝賀他／她邁向人生的下一個階段。當夏天快要過完時，就該去上大學 、就業或成家了，這標誌著對中學階段最後的告別。
Last Days of High school