中國網站品牌欄目（頻道）
我們原來說過generation gap（代溝）這個詞，而且也知道gap這個詞一般指的也都是“間隔、空檔”的意思。那么今天要說的這個gap year到底指什么呢？
Gap year is an English expression (also known as drop year, deferred year, bridging year, etc) referring to a period of time - not necessarily a year in which students take time off and do something other than schooling, such as travel or work. The year out is most commonly taken after secondary school and before starting university. However, over recent years there has been an increase in 21-23 year olds taking a year out after completing their degree.
Gap year（空檔年）是一個英國詞兒，指學生離開學校一段時間，經歷一些學習以外的事情，比如外出旅行或者工作。當然，這段時間不一定非得是一年。空檔年一般選在離開中學進入大學之前。不過，近幾年越來越多21到23歲、已經獲得學位的年輕人也開始給自己一個空檔年。
The practice of taking a deferred year developed in the United Kingdom in the 1960s. During this time, a student might travel, engage in volunteer work overseas or undertake a working holiday abroad.
空檔年這種做法于二十世紀六十年代興起于英國。在空檔年期間，學生可以旅行、參與海外義工活動或者到國外打工度假。
A year out has grown very popular among students in the UK, Australia, New Zealand and Canada. A trend for year out is to participate in international education programs that combine language study, homestays, cultural immersion, community service, and independent study.
如今，空檔年在英國、澳大利亞、新西蘭以及加拿大的學生當中都已非常流行。新近的趨勢是在空檔年期間參與國際教育項目，其中包括語言學習、住家、文化滲透、社區服務以及獨立學習等。
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（中國日報網英語點津 Helen）
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