US Universities Report Drop in Students from China
美国大学称中国留学人数骤减
For the past 10 years, the number of Chinese students at U.S. universities has been rising. But university officials are starting to see a sharp drop in Chinese students.
过去10年间，赴美留学的中国学生数量一直在上升。但是大学官员开始发现中国学生数量骤减。
Several universities have reported drops of 20 percent or more this autumn at the start of a new school term.
几所大学报告称，今年秋季新学期开始时，中国学生人数下降了20%甚至更多。
To get more international students, some schools are advertising in other countries and working to keep the number of Chinese students they have.
为了吸引更多国际学生，一些学校开始在其它国家投放广告，并努力维持现有的中国学生人数。
U.S. colleges and universities need the money paid by students from China and other countries. International students usually pay the whole tuition amount, unlike American students, many of whom ask for financial aid.
美国各大高校需要中国以及其它国家学生支付的这笔费用。国际学生通常要支付全额学费，而美国的很多学生都会申请助学金。
University officials and observers say there are several reasons for the falling numbers of Chinese students. They include trade conflicts and political tensions between China and the United States. There also is increasing competition for college students, visa issues and the growth of China's higher education system.
大学官员和观察人士表示，中国学生人数下降有多个原因。其中包括中美之间的贸易冲突和政治紧张局势。同时还包括大学生之间的竞争加剧、签证问题以及中国高等教育体系的发展。
At Bentley University in Massachusetts, the number of new Chinese students arriving for graduate level work dropped from 110 last autumn to 70. As a result, Bentley officials are wondering whether all of its graduate programs can survive.
在马萨诸塞州的本特利大学，新入学攻读研究生学位的中国学生从去年秋季的110人下降到70人。因此，本特利大学官员怀疑该校所有研究生课程是否能维持下去。
"I wouldn't describe it as catastrophically bad," said the university's president, Alison Davis-Blake. She added that the university has tried to get more students from other countries as well as from inside the United States.
该校校长艾莉森·戴维斯-布雷克表示：“我不会称之为灾难性的消息。”她还说，该大学一直在努力招收更多来自其它国家以及美国国内的学生。
Large decreases in Chinese students also have been reported this autumn at the University of Vermont, which reported a 23 percent decrease. The University of Nebraska-Lincoln had a 20 percent decrease.
据报道，今年秋季佛蒙特大学的中国学生人数也骤减了23%。内布拉斯加大学林肯分校的中国学生人数减少了20%。
China sends more students to study in the United States than any other country. Its 363,000 students represent more than 30 percent of all international students at U.S. universities.
中国赴美学生人数居世界首位。36.3万名中国赴美留学生占美国大学国际学生总量30%以上。
Parents and students in China share concerns with those in other countries about American gun violence as well as immigration issues. In May, the group NAFSA: Association of International Educators identified two main reasons for falling numbers of international students who want to study in the United States: the difficulty of getting a visa, and the social and political environment in the United States.
中国的家长和学生和其它国家的一样，对美国的枪支暴力和移民问题感到担忧。今年5月，国际教育工作者协会指出，希望赴美留学的国际学生人数下降的两个主要原因：签证难以及美国的社会和政治环境。
But there are also problems that affect only Chinese students. The Trump administration has accused China of stealing U.S. intellectual property. It is looking very closely at Chinese students who ask for visas to study robotics, flight and high-tech manufacturing.
但是也有一些因素只影响中国学生。特朗普政府指责中国窃取美国知识产权。政府开始密切关注申请签证赴美学习机器人技术、航空和高科技制造的中国学生。
In June, China warned students and other visitors to the United States about possible difficulties in getting U.S. visas.
今年6月，中国就学生以及其它赴美游客申请美国签证可能会遇到的困难提出警示。
Xiong Xiong is an electrical engineering student at Beijing Jiaotong University. He said he hopes to study at a U.S. university. But he is worried about the visa process, so he plans to ask to study in Britain.
熊雄（音译）是北京交通大学电气工程专业的学生。他说，他希望能去美国大学深造。但是他担心签证程序，因此他打算申请英国的大学。
"I'm concerned my visa will be affected," he said.
他说：“我担心我的签证会受到影响。”
Brad Farnsworth is vice president for international global engagement at the American Council on Education. He said that his recent travels in China suggest the claims of economic espionage are making some students think they are not welcome.
布拉德·法恩斯沃思是美国教育理事会负责国际事务副总裁。他说，他最近在中国的旅行表明，“经济间谍”的说辞导致一些学生认为他们在美国不受欢迎。
"The concern is a Chinese student...will be met with animosity...about why they are in the United States," he said.
他说：“我们担心，中国学生在为什么来美国这一问题上会遭遇敌意。”
International students add an estimated $39 billion to the U.S. economy.
据估计，国际学生为美国经济增加了390亿美元。
Normally, over 5,000 Chinese students are in the colleges of engineering and business at the University of Illinois. The university recently took an insurance policy that will pay it $60 million if the money from Chinese students drops by 20 percent.
通常情况下，伊利诺伊大学的工程与商业学院有5000多名中国学生。该大学最近买了一份保单，如果来自中国学生的资金减少20%，将获赔6000万美元。
Lehigh University in Pennsylvania announced this month it has agreed to pay a recruiter to help bring in more students from India. It also has been taking more interest in African countries south of the Sahara Desert, said Lehigh's Cheryl Matherly.
宾夕法尼亚州利哈伊大学本月宣布，同意聘请一位招生人员，以帮助吸引更多来自印度的学生。利哈伊大学的谢丽尔·马瑟利表示，该校也对吸引撒哈拉沙漠以南非洲国家（学生）越来越感兴趣。
Like many other American universities, Lehigh has begun sending employees to Beijing and Shanghai to meet with Chinese students and their parents. The employees want to ease Chinese fears about studying in the U.S. and show that their university wants Chinese students.
和其它许多美国大学一样，利哈伊大学也开始派遣员工到北京和上海与中国学生及其家长会面。这些员工希望减轻中国人对赴美学习的担忧，并表明学校想招收中国学生的意愿。
I'm Jonathan Evans.
乔纳森·埃文斯为您播报。