In Britain and other countries, young people sometimes take a "gap year", a year off between high school and college. This idea never gained a big following in the United States. Recent news reports have suggested that interest may be growing, though there are no official numbers.

在英国和其他一些国家，年轻人有时会有"空档年"，即上完高中、上大学之前的这段时间。但这种理念在美国的反应并不大。最近有新闻报道提出，人们对此的关注在增加，尽管目前还没有官方的统计数据。

Charles Deacon is the dean of admissions at Georgetown University in Washington, D.C. He estimates that in the current first year class of 1600 students, only about 25 decided to take a year off. He says this number has not changed much over the years.

Charles Deacon是华盛顿乔治敦大学的招生办负责人，他估计今年第一学期的1600名学生中，大概只有25人打算享受这个“空档年”。他还表示这个数字在近几年内不会有太大的变化。

Mr. Deacon says the most common reason is to have a chance to travel. But he says international students may take a gap year to meet requirements at home for military duty.

Deacon先生指出大多数学生会利用这段时间去旅游，但留学生则有可能会利用这段空档期回他们的国家服兵役。

Some high school graduates see a year off as a chance to recover after 12 years of required education. But it also give students a chance to explore their interests. Students who think they want to be doctors, for example, could learn about the profession by volunteering in a hospital for a year.

一些高中毕业生将这一年看作是12年必需教育后的一次休整机会，并且这也给他们提供了发掘自身兴趣的机会。比如，那些想成为医生的学生可以到医院义务服务一年，从中学到些专业知识。

Many colleges and universities support gap year projects by permitting students to delay their admission. Experts say students can grow emotionally and intellectually as they work at something they enjoy.

许多院校和大学都允许学生推迟他们的报到时间以支持“空档年”计划。有专家表示，学生们在做他们喜欢的事时，情商和智商都会提高。