All over the world mention of English education suggests a picture of the public schools, and it suggests in particular the names like Eton. And the best known of the public schools are not really public at all, but independent and private secondary1 schools taking boys from the age of thirteen to eighteen years. The public schools in reality form a very small part of the whole system of secondary education; only about one out of forty English boys goes to a public school, and one out of 1,500 goes to Eton. However it is still true that if an English parent has enough money to pay the fees to send his children to an independent school he will most probably do so.
The private secondary schools, or public schools, are generally controlled by governing bodies2, who are appointed3 as trustees4 to keep alive foundations originally5 begun by charitable institutions6 or by rich people. They do not make any financial profits, but only to balance their It is difficult to make a precise7 definition of the term “public school”. But it is safe to say that there are altogether about a hundred schools which would universally8 be regarded as “public schools”. Within the group there are about thirty which can be regarded as “ leading public schools”. Most public schools, particularly the most eminent9 ones, are called by the name of the town or village in which they are situated. The four most famous of all are Eton10 College, Harrow11 School, Winchester12 College and Rugby13 School.
To send a boy to public school costs about ￡900 to ￡4,000 a term, though some of the less famous schools may cost as little as ￡600. When a boy has been provisionally14 accepted, he must, when the time comes, present himself as candidate15 for the Common Examination for Entrance to Public Schools. Some public schools accept only boys who have done very well in this examination, but some others deliberately16 prefer to have a mixture of clever and not-so-clever boys.
Every public school has many rules and customs peculiar17 to itself—uniform, special clothes, ties, hats, rituals18 and traditions. But the essential characteristics are more or less the same in them. A typical public school has about 500 boys. There may be some buildings which are three or four hundred years old. There are probably modern and well-equipped scientific laboratories.
Though teaching is arranged centrally for the school as a whole, the boys live in separate “houses”. Usually a boy enters a house, and remains in the same house for the whole of his time as a pupil. A typical house has about fifty boys, and they are all under the special care of the housemaster and his wife. The house itself is a world in miniature19. “Fagging20” is a well-known public school institution. Not long ago the youngest boy had to perform personal services for the oldest ones, doing such jobs as cleaning their shoes and running errands21 for them. Now it is much diminished22.
Much attention is paid to sport. And boys are often obliged to play football or cricket23, or to row on a nearby river or to go out running or to play some other games, on most days of every week. But now there is also much encouragement for other forms of non-academic activity. Boys form their own societies for the pursuit of many and varied interests, and they learn a great deal from each other.
Religion plays an important part in the life of most public schools. In nearly every one there is a chapel24 which dominates25 the school buildings and is big enough to hold all the boys and masters. Until fifty years ago most headmasters were clergymen26; this is now no longer so. But headmasters are still generally expected to be especially interested in religion in the school, and occasionally to preach sermons in the chapel on Sundays.
There may be one master for every ten boys, and the classes are small and flexible27. As the boy grows older and reaches the Sixth Form28 he will be given great scope and encouragement to develop intellectually in his own way. Public schools do not claim to be more efficient at giving instruction than the grammar schools but they do say that they try to create conditions in which the mind can develop in breadth as well as depth, and not only the mind but the whole personality as well.
Lessons can be planned so as to leave much time for sport and other outside activities. More important, the atmosphere29 of the house and school breeds a combination30 of loyalty and competitiveness. To the individual boy his progress through his house is like his future progress through life in the world outside. First he learns to take a humble31 part, respectful towards his superiors32; and at the end, as a prefect33, he learns responsibility and the art of leadership.
Through leaving home at an early age, boys learn to suppress their emotions—and sometimes may seem that they learn to have no emotions at all. Certainly one quality they learn is an ability not to take themselves too seriously. Boys from public schools seem on the whole more sophisticated34, mature and self-assured35 than others.
Why are the public school so successful, both in having so many applicants for their limited places, and in seeing so many of their former pupils becoming leading figures in the nation's life? The answer is: to be successful in life, you must fit readily with those who are already at the top. Public
提起英国的教育，世人就会想到它的公学，尤其像伊顿这样的公学。最负盛名的公学并非公立学校，而是接收13至18周岁男孩的私立中学（也称独立中学）。在中学教育体系中，公学其实只占很小一部分比例，每40个英国男孩之中只有一个上公学，1,500人中只有一个上伊顿。然而事实是如果家长经济实力雄厚，足以支付私立学校费用的话，他们很可能会将自己的子女送到那里就读。
这些私立中学（或曰公学）通常由执行机构管理，作为托管人，管理最初由慈善机构或富贾筹建的基金会。他们不求利润，只求平衡预算。
要对“公学”这个术语下准确的定义可太难了。但可以肯定地说，英国约有100家公认的“公学”，其中将近30所属于“重点公学”。 大多数公学，尤其是那些赫赫有名的公学以其坐落的小镇或村庄命名。其中最有名的四所为：伊顿公学、哈罗公学、温彻斯特公学和拉格比公学。
公学的费用每学期900至4,000英镑左右，名气稍小的学校600英镑就可搞定。临时录取后，男生作为候选人必须准时参加公学公共入学考试。有些学校只招收考试中成绩超群的学生；有些学校则有意优劣兼收。
每所公学都有其独特的校规和校俗，如制服、别具一格的衣服、领带、帽子、礼节和传统，可本质上没有太大的区别。典型的公学有500名男生，校园有一些三四百年之久的建筑物，还有配置现代、设备精良的科学实验室。
尽管教学由学校统一安排，但男生们住在不同的“房子”里。通常一名男生住进一所房子后，便会一直住在那里，直至毕业。一般一所房子约有50个学生，由舍监和他的太太悉心照顾。这所房子本身就是英国社会的缩影。低年级学生听高年级学长的使唤是一项人尽皆知的公学传统。不久前，最小的学生还得给学长提供私人服务，如擦皮鞋、跑腿什么的，不过现在这种现象少多了。
英国公学非常注重体育活动。男生们几乎每天都要参加某项运动，如踢足球、打板球、在附近的湖上划划船、外出跑跑步，或参与其他活动。现在公学还鼓励学生从事其他一些非学业活动。男孩们根据各自的兴趣爱好，组建五花八门的兴趣小组，互相切磋，受益匪浅。 在大多数公学中，宗教扮演了极为重要的角色。几乎每所公学都有一座教堂，高出学校其他建筑，大得能容纳所有的学生和老师。50年前大多数校长还是牧师，现在这种情况虽不复存在，但人们仍然希望公学校长能对宗教抱有浓厚的兴趣，时不时在教堂里做周日布道。
每位老师大概负责10个男生，小班授课，极为灵活。随着学生年龄的增长，到了六年级，老师会扩大他们的学习领域，鼓励学生在智力上自主发展。公学并不自诩在传道授业上比文法学校高明多少，可他们却强调能为学生创造条件，使学生不仅在智力的深度和广度上得到发展，而且整个人格也得到升华。
课程可以自由安排，目的就是腾出更多的时间从事体育和其他户外活动。更重要的是，宿舍和公学的氛围培养了忠诚和竞争的意识。对每个男孩而言，校舍里成长的足迹与将来踏入社会无异。一开始学会谦虚谨慎、尊重学长，后来做了级长，又学会了承担责任和领导的艺术。
年少离家使男孩们学会了抑制自己的情绪——有时好像一点情绪也没有。当然他们还学会不要把自己太当回事。公学毕业的男生整体上似乎更世故、成熟和自信些。
为什么公学办得如此成功呢？为什么有限的名额却有如此多的申请人？为什么这么多昔日的公学毕业生成了国家的重要人物？原因在于：要在生活中赢得成功，你必须达到那些顶尖人士的要求。公学就能助你成为那样的人。当然，他们中的出类拔萃者在学业上也非常成功。这就是为什么如此多的父亲渴望将自己的儿子送往著名公学就读的原因。
1． secondary adj． 中级的，第二的
2． governing body 执行[理事]机构
3． appoint v． 委派，任命
4． trustee n． 托管人，保管人
5． originally adv． 最初，原先
6． charitable institution 慈善机构
7． precise adj． 精确的，准确的
8． universally adv． 普遍，全体
9． eminent adj． 显赫的，杰出的
10． Eton n． 伊顿 (在伦敦附近的白金汉郡伊顿公学所在地)
11． Harrow n． 哈罗(英国伦敦西北一个市镇)
12． Winchester n． 温彻斯特(英格兰南部城市)
13． Rugby n． （英国）拉格比市
14． provisionally adv． 暂时地，临时地
15． candidate n． 候选人
16． deliberately adv． 故意地
17． peculiar (to) adj． 独特的，特有的
18． ritual n． 礼节；仪式
19． miniature n． 缩图，缩影
20． fagging ] n． （英口）（英国学校中）强使低年级生干活
21． errand n． 差事，差使
22． diminish v． (使)减少，(使)变小
23． cricket n． [运动]板球
24． chapel n． 小礼拜堂
25． dominate v． 高于；俯瞰
26． clergyman n． 教士；牧师
27． flexible adj． 灵活的；柔软的
28． sixth form （英国中学里的）六年级，最高年级
29． atmosphere n． 空气，气氛
30． combination n． 结合，联合
31． humble adj． 微贱的，谦逊的
32． superior n． 长者，上级
33． prefect n． (英国某些公立学校、美国某些私立学校负责维持秩序的)班长，级长
34． sophisticated adj． 老于世故的；老练的
35． self－assured adj． 自信的
36． academically adv． 学术上