出國留學也許是很多學生夢寐以求的事情。很多家長也愿意讓孩子出國去“鍍金”，或豐富人生經歷。但或許他們沒有想到過留學在外也會面臨著一些潛在的危險。
Studying Overseas
Study overseas can be the adventure of a lifetime, and the majority of these experiences are healthy and safe. But, unless some simple precautions are taken, a young person living without a parent in a foreign country can encounter cultural disorientation and real, physical dangers. While auto and motorcycle accidents are a primary cause for concern, there are a host of other factors that need to be considered①, preferably, well in advance of a student’s departure②.
There are the familiar risks of unsafe sex and illegal drugs. No different from home, you say? Traveling students and their parents often don’t realize how cultural and legal differences can enhance these “risk factors.” Simply put, what is “safe” or tolerated behavior in the United States can be interpreted quite differently in a foreign country.
In a strange place with new rules, even responsible teenagers may occasionally “l(fā)ose their heads” and take chances that they wouldn’t normally take, like traveling unaccompanied to a strange country, not telling anyone where they are, or buying or selling on the black market. As a result, young travelers can easily find themselves in the wrong place at the wrong time.
Still, college students often reason that “horror stories” about incarcerated Americans overseas “will never happen to me!” In his MP article Legal Rights of Travelers, international law expert Jeffrey R. Miller describes some of the penalties facing the errant traveler. These can be extreme by American standards.
However, safety is indeed everyone’s responsibility. The school program, the parents and the student all need to take part. Avoid potentially troublesome situations because as a foreigner you are more vulnerable. Be more cautious than at home. Here’s an obvious but critically important safety rule: Always let someone know where you are and never travel alone.
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行文點評
文章第一段便指出，出國 留學除了考慮健康和人身安全之外，還要考慮到更多其他的因素。第二段指出最常見的安全隱患。第三段指出陌生環(huán)境下孩子們可能的反常行為。第四段指出孩子們對安全問題掉以輕心的態(tài)度。第五段總結全文，并提出了一些安全建議。
本文語句十分地道，句式多樣。段落之間存在的一些具有連接功能的詞語，如still, however等，讓文章連貫性更強。
好文妙譯
留學在外
我們將出國留學看作是生命中的一次冒險。在留學過程中，最需要考慮的是你的健康和人身安全。除非你預先做一些安排，否則的話，一個年少的孩子生活在遠離父母的異地他鄉(xiāng)，可能會面臨一些文化困擾，或者某種真正的、傷及人身的危險。尤其是由汽車或者摩托車而造成的事故。另外我們最好在孩子臨行之前，預先考慮到更多其他的因素。
其中最常見的就是被視為洪水猛獸的性和毒品問題了。你認為這和你在國內沒有什么不同嗎？留學生和他們的父母并沒有認識到這種文化和法律的差異會加劇這類冒險因素。簡單地說，美國人眼中所謂的安全或者可容忍的行為，在別的國家里卻可能不是。
在一個規(guī)矩完全不同的陌生地方，即便是一個很有責任感的孩子也會偶爾迷失自己，會做出一些違反常理的事情。比如說孤身去一個陌生的城市旅行，不告訴其他人自己在哪兒，或者出入于黑市做些買賣。結果，這些年輕的游子們經常會發(fā)現自己不合時宜地出現在不該出現的地方。
然而，大學生們卻常常認為那些監(jiān)禁海外美國人的恐怖故事永遠都不會發(fā)生在自己身上。國際法專家Jeffrey R. Miller在他呈交給議會的論文《旅游者的合法權益》中指出，應對那些行蹤不定的旅行者加以某種懲罰。在美國人眼里，這樣做是有點過分了。
然而，保障自身安全是每個人的責任。學校里有些課程是要求學生及其家長一起參加的。因為作為一個外國人，你會更加容易受傷害。所以一定要比在國內更小心，盡量不要找麻煩。還有一條簡單卻極為重要的規(guī)律：無論你去哪兒，一定要讓別人知道；千萬不要單獨外出旅行。
詞匯斟酌
precaution n.預防，防備，警惕
encounter vt.遇見，遭遇
disorientation n.迷失
interpret vt.解釋，詮釋
incarcerate v.將某人監(jiān)禁
penalty n.觸發(fā)，懲罰
errant a.為冒險而周游的
vulnerable a.易受傷害的
佳句臨摹
①【注釋】a host of sb/sth 大群，眾多，許多(人或事物)
【臨摹】I can’t come, for a whole host of reasons.由于種種原因，我來不了。
②【注釋】in advance of sth 預先；事前
【臨摹】Galileo’s ideas were well in advance of the age in which he lived.伽利略的思想遠遠超越了他所在的那個時代。
思如泉涌
Look before you leap. 三思而后行。
When at Rome, do as the Romans do. 入鄉(xiāng)隨俗。
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