This is the VOA Special English Education Report.
这里是美国之音特别英语教育报道。
Not everyone who teaches in a college or university is a professor. Many are instructors or lecturers. In fact, not even all professors are full professors. Many of them are assistant or associate professors or adjunct professors.
不是所有在学院或大学教书的人都是教授，很多只是讲师。事实上，也并非所有教授都是正教授，很多只是助理教授、副教授，或者兼职教授。
So what do all of these different academic titles mean at American colleges and universities? Get ready for a short lecture, especially if you are thinking of a career in higher education.
那么，在美国的学院或大学中，这些不同的学术头衔代表什么意思呢？我们将就此做个小报告，请注意收听，尤其是如果你正考虑从事高等教育行业。
Professors usually need a doctoral degree. But sometimes a school will offer positions to people who have not yet received their doctorate.
教授通常都需要有博士学位，但是有时学校也会给那些尚未获得博士学位的人提供职位。
This person would be called an instructor until the degree has been completed. After that, the instructor could become an assistant professor. Assistant professors do not have tenure.
在他完成博士学位前都将被称作讲师，完成学位之后就升为助理教授，助理教授并没有终生任期（Tenure）。
Tenure means a permanent appointment. This goal of greater job security is harder to reach these days. Fewer teaching positions offer the chance for tenure.
终生任期意味着永久性任命，如今这种工作保障性更高的目标很难达到，越来越少的教学岗位会提供终生任期的机会。
Teachers and researchers who are hired into positions that do offer it are said to be "on the tenure track." Assistant professor is the first job on this path.
被提供终身任期的职位聘用的教师和科研人员被称作是“走在终生任期的路上”。助理教授是这条道路上的第一份工作。
Assistant professors generally have five to seven years to gain tenure. During this time, other faculty members study the person's work. If tenure is denied, then the assistant professor usually has a year to find another job.
助理教授通常有5到7年的时间去拿终身任期，在此期间，其他教员会考核他的工作。如果没有拿到终生任期，这位助理教授一般有1年时间来找其他工作。
Candidates for tenure may feel great pressure to get research published. "Publish or perish" is the traditional saying.
终身任期职位候选人在发表论文上可能会感觉到很大的压力。也就是人们常说的“发表或是出局”。
An assistant professor who receives tenure becomes an associate professor. An associate professor may later be appointed a full professor.
获得终身任期的助理教授就会升为副教授，副教授可能随后被任命为正教授。
Assistant, associate and full professors perform many duties. They teach classes. They advise students. And they carry out research. They also serve on committees and take part in other activities.
助理教授、副教授和正教授需要履行众多职责，他们需要授课、指导学生，还要做研究。同时还要出任（学术委员会）委员，参加其他各类活动。
Other faculty members are not expected to do all these jobs. They are not on a tenure track. Instead, they might be in adjunct or visiting positions.
另外一些教员不需要做这些全部的工作。他们没有终身任期的机会。相反他们可能只有兼职或客座职位。
A visiting professor has a job at one school but works at another for a period of time. An adjunct professor is also a limited or part-time position, to do research or teach classes. Adjunct professors have a doctorate.
客座教授就职于某校，但有一段时间为另一个学校工作。兼职教授也是一种限制性或兼职的岗位，他们做研究或者授课。兼职教授有博士学位。
Another position is that of lecturer. Lecturers teach classes, but they may or may not have a doctorate.
另外一个职位是讲师，讲师从事授课工作，他们可能有博士学位也可能没有。