Certificate Mania
It is obviously depicted in the cartoon given above that while a graduate is standing before a recuitment desk, he tells the lady proudly that he has a lot of certificates! In the face of the mounting pressure nowadays, many university students take various training courses and certificate exams, in order to gain a competitive edge on the job market.
A chain of reasons lead to this certificate mania. At the heart of the phenomenon, there is an increasing number of university graduates while that of job vacancies does not grow in proportion to it. As a result, employers have bountiful options and would like to recruit the ones with more related experience and skills. Since exams and certificates in some way reflect one's mastery of certain skills, many students would like to give them a try.
To be sure, it is a good thing to be spurred on to learn new things. However, "certificate mania" goes to extremes. It is not only misleading but also places a great burden on students. In my opinion, a certificate does not necessarily reflect one's ability that really counts, and so we had better keep a skeptical eye on this mania and prevent vain and burdensome efforts. (174 words)
recuitment n. 招聘
certificate n. 证书
in the face of... 面对......
mounting adj. 增加的
competitive edge 竞争优势
lead to 导致
job vacancy 职业空缺，岗位空缺
in proportion to... 按照......的比例
bountiful adj. 大量的
in some way 在某种程度上
to be sure 的确
spur v. 鞭策
go to extremes 走极端
count v. 有重要意义，有价值
keep a skeptical eye on...
用怀疑的目光审视......
vain adj. 徒劳的
burdensome adj. 繁重的
考证热
很明显，上面这幅漫画描绘了一个毕业生站在一个应聘台前，骄傲地告诉来招聘的女士他拥有很多证书。如今，面对日益增加的压力，许多大学生们为了在人才市场上占得竞争优势纷纷参加了各种培训课程和证件考试。
这种考证热潮是由一系列原因所导致的。该现象的关键在于，大学毕业生人数不断增加，而工作职位并没有相应地增加。因此，老板们拥有大量的选择，而他们更愿意雇佣那些相关经验更丰富、技术更好的员工。既然考试和证书在一定程度上能反映出一个人对某项技术的掌握，那么许多学生都会愿意尝试一下。
这无疑是一件激励自己学习新事物的好事。然而，"考证热"正走向极端。这不仅仅误导了学生，而且也让他们背上了沉重的包袱。我认为，一纸证书并不一定反映出一个人真正的水平，因此，我们应用怀疑的眼光来审视这种热潮，避免徒劳无功。
1. In the face of the mounting pressure nowadays, many university students take various training courses and certificate exams, in order to gain a competitive edge on the job market. 如今，面对日益增加的压力，许多大学生们为了在人才市场上占得竞争优势纷纷参加了各种培训课程和证件考试。
2. At the heart of the phenomenon, there is an increasing number of university graduates while that of job vacancies does not grow in proportion to it. 该现象的关键在于，大学毕业生人数不断增加，而工作职位并没有相应地增加。
