Certificate Mania

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. They usually spend weekends or vacations in training camps, polishing up on their current skills or acquiring a new one.

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. (194 words)

结构剖析

文章分为三段

第一段首句引出话题，简述大学生考证热这一现象的表现形式。

第二段首句是该段的主题句，详述考证热的原因。

第三段阐述考证热的影响，并用in my opinion引出作者对考证热的看法，指出对待考证热的正确的态度。

考证热

如今，面对日益增加的压力，许多大学学子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。他们通常会花几个周末或假期的时间加入培训大军，磨练自己当前的技能，或者学习一项新技能。

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，而他们更愿意接收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。

in the face of... 面对......

mounting adj. 增加的

competitive edge 竞争优势

polish up 改善

lead to 导致

job vacancy 岗位空缺

in proportion to... 按照比例

bountiful adj. 大量的

recruit v. 雇佣

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

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，许多大学学子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. It is not only misleading but also places a great burden on students. 这不仅仅误导了学生，而且也让他们背上了沉重的包袱。

3. 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. 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。