未能适应文化转变 低龄留学生在美硬着陆

A growing number of Chinese teens who are flocking to US high schools, looking for a Western education and a competitive edge in gaining admission to US universities and then finding a job back home.

现在，越来越多的中国青少年涌入美国高中，他们想要接受西式教育，希望在美国大学录取时获得竞争优势，并回国找到一份工作。

But the pursuit of the American dream can quickly turn into a nightmare, experts warn, as many of these so-called parachute kid live in the US with little parental supervision and can end up in trouble — and even in prison.

但是相关专家警告称，对于美国梦的追求可能将很快变成一场噩梦，许多在美国生活的所谓"降落伞儿童"缺少家长的监督，可能会陷入麻烦、甚至锒铛入狱。

Of nearly 1 million International students enrolled in public and private institutions in the United States in 2014 and 2015, about 304,000 — or 31.2 percent — were from China, according to the Washington-based Institute of International Education.

总部位于华盛顿的国际教育协会的数据显示，2014-2015年，美国公立和私立院校录取的近100万名国际学生中，有31.2%，也就是30.4万人来自中国。

About 30,000 of those students attended secondary schools, compared with fewer than 1,000 a decade ago.

其中有大约3万名学生是在美国读的中学，而这一数字在十年前不足1000人。

Many of these kids, aged between 14 and 19, are in for a hard landing in America, ill-equipped to navigate the cultural transition and their newfound independence.

这些小留学生年纪在14-19岁之间，由于未能做好准备应对文化转变以及适应从未有过的独立生活，许多人在美国会遭遇"硬着陆"。

Last month, three Chinese teens enrolled at a private school in Rowland Heights were given stiff prison sentences for attacking two other teens. The incident attracted widespread attention in China and prompted soul-searching on the wisdom of sending teenagers to a foreign country with no close parental supervision.

上月，在罗兰岗一家私立学校就读的3名中国青少年就因为袭击其他2名青少年而被判监禁。该事件在中国引发广泛关注，并促使人们反思将青少年送至脱离父母严格监管的异国他乡是否可取。