A recent usa today article reported that 90 million americans are functionally illiterate 最近《今日美国》有一篇文章报道说,有九千万美国人是半文盲。
Even in the wealthiest countries with universal education, many people are functionally illiterate 甚至在实施普及教育的最富有国家,许多人在文字应用能力上还是文盲。
Go into any prison or hospital, and you will find a disproportionate number of people who are functionally illiterate 只要到任何监狱或医院,你就会发现功能性文盲的人不成比例的多。
Up to 50 % of prisoners on release cannot read or write well enough to hold down a job, and up to 85 % of young offenders are functionally illiterate 多达50%的犯人在释放之后不能阅读或书写一份足以申请工作的信函,并且多达85%的年轻罪犯者是机能上的文盲。
As an author, i am naturally concerned that a surprisingly large percentage of the population of the united states is functionally illiterate; if they can't read or cannot understand what they read, they won't buy books, or this magazine 我作为一名作家,自然地要关心在美国人口中惊人比例的实用文盲,如果他们不能读或不能理解他们所读内容,他们就不会买书或是杂志。