WASHINGTON (AP) -- Seventeen of the nation's 50 largest cities had high school graduation rates lower than 50 percent, with the lowest graduation rates reported in Detroit, Indianapolis and Cleveland, according to a report released Tuesday.

华盛顿（美联社）－根据周二的一份报告，国家50个大城市里有17个城市的高校毕业率低于50％。底特律，印第安纳波利斯和克里夫兰报道了这些最低毕业率。

The report, issued by America's Promise Alliance, found that about half of the students served by public school systems in the nation's largest cities receive diplomas. Students in suburban and rural public high schools were more likely to graduate than their counterparts in urban public high schools, the researchers said.

这份报告由美国承诺联盟发表，研究发现大城市里公立学校大约一半学生获得毕业文凭。据研究者所说，郊区和农村公立高校的学生比城镇公立高校的毕业率高。

Nationally, about 70 percent of U.S. students graduate on time with a regular diploma and about 1.2 million students drop out annually.

全国大约70％的美国学生毕业时获得正规文凭，而每年有近120万的学生放弃。

"When more than 1 million students a year drop out of high school, it's more than a problem, it's a catastrophe," said former Secretary of State Colin Powell, founding chair of the alliance.

美国前国务卿现在联盟任职的Colin Powell说：“当每年有超过1百万的学生不能毕业，这不仅仅是个问题，而是种灾难”

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生 词

 

Detroit  n.底特律, 美国密歇根(Michigan)州东南部的大城市, 位于底特律河流上

Indianapolis n.印第安纳波利斯[美国印第安纳州首府]

Cleveland n. 克利夫兰：美国俄亥俄州东北部的一座城市，位于伊利湖畔。是一货物进入港和工业中心

diploma  n.文凭, 毕业证书, 证明权力、特权、荣誉等的证书, 奖状

特殊用法：general equivalency diploma

普通同等学历证书

Higher National D-

[英]国家高级学位证书

Ordinary National D-

国家正式毕业证书

university diploma

大学毕业证书

diploma in reading development

[英](开放大学发给非正式学生的)学业进步证书

diploma of graduating

毕业证书

catastrophe   n. 1) 灾祸, (骤然而来的, 涉及面广的, 异常的)灾难

2)大变动, 突变, 激变

3)【戏】悲惨的结尾[局]; 毁灭; 彻底失败

4)【物】灾变

The catastrophe of a tragedy usually brings death or ruin to the leading character.

悲剧的结局常常是主角死亡或毁灭。

Their English party turned out to be a catastrophe.

他们的英语晚会结局糟透了。
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参考译文：
华盛顿（美联社）—— 星期二发表的一份报告指出，全美50个大城市中有17个城市高中校毕业率低于50%，底特律，印第安纳波利斯和克利夫兰毕业率最低。
这份报告是由美国承诺联盟发布的，研究人员发现，在美国大城市公立校就读的50%的学生都能毕业。郊区和乡下国立高中校的毕业率要比城市高中的高。
全美70%的学生都能按时毕业，拿到毕业证书，每年大约有120万名学生辍学。
“当高中校辍学者一年超过百万时，就不仅仅是个问题，而是一场大灾难，”该联盟创始人，前国务卿柯林鲍威尔说道。