[ti:Former US Navy SEAL Enters Yale at Age 52+++前美国海豹突击队员52岁进入耶鲁大学学习] [by:www.51voa.com] [00:00.00]更多听力请访问51VOA.COM [00:00.04]James Hatch says taking classes at Yale University [00:06.32]is just as difficult as preparing for the unpredictability of war. [00:15.44]Hatch is not your normal first year college student. [00:19.69]He is 52 years old and formerly served in the United States [00:26.48]Navy Sea, Air and Land Teams, commonly known as Navy SEALS. [00:34.96]"My experience in academia is somewhat limited, at best," he says. [00:41.87]"But I want to learn, and I feel this can make me a better person. [00:47.10]I also feel my life experience... can help some of the young people out." [00:54.92]Hatch's road to one of the country's most respected universities has been unusual. [01:03.16]He joined the U.S. military out of high school, became a SEAL [01:08.56]and spent nearly 26 years in the Navy. [01:13.12]He fought in Afghanistan and other areas. [01:18.24]His military career ended after he was badly wounded in 2009 [01:24.97]while searching for Army Sergeant Bowe Bergdahl, who had deserted his station. [01:32.23]Doctors performed 18 operations on Hatch to fix his wounds. [01:39.23]His story became known to Americans when Bergdahl was put on trial. [01:46.60]Hatch suffered from serious post-traumatic stress disorder. [01:51.64]In an effort to ease his pain, he turned to drugs and alcohol. [01:58.29]He once tried to kill himself. [02:02.24]But he got help from doctors and his family, he said, [02:07.04]and is now able to live a normal life. [02:12.56]Hatch has written a book about his experiences in war and become a public speaker. [02:20.96]He operates a non-profit group called Spikes K-9 Fund. [02:27.34]It helps pay the health care costs and provides ballistic vests for police and military dogs. [02:36.92]He was once a dog handler in the military. [02:40.96]He says a dog saved his life many times, [02:45.61]including once when a dog warned him of the position of the enemy. [02:52.16]Hatch was admitted to Yale as an Eli Whitney scholar. [02:57.16]That is a program for nontraditional students [03:01.13]who were not able to attend college while they were younger. [03:06.24]"I was shocked to get accepted," he said. [03:09.44]"But my wife told me I would be silly not to take this opportunity, [03:15.04]and she's right. So, I'm going to do my best." [03:20.56]Hatch is in Yale's Directed Studies program. [03:24.87]It teaches students how to read and understand great books [03:30.00]as well as how to write well. [03:32.32]He is taking classes in philosophy, literature and historical and political thought. [03:41.72]Money for Yale education comes partly from a government program for armed forces members. [03:49.32]The rest is coming from military veterans groups and the university. [03:56.56]Hatch is attending attend classes with his PTSD service dog, Mina. [04:02.47]She has already become popular with other students, he says. [04:08.16]His biggest worries are that he is too old and might not make friends. [04:13.28]He is also worried that he might not be able to do the work. [04:19.20]"I think everyone a little bit of....am I good enough to be here,'" he said. [04:25.49]But Hatch is just the sort of student the university wants, says Patricia Wei. [04:32.61]She is the director of admissions for the Eli Whitney Students Program. [04:38.88]"We don't have anyone here that is like Jimmy [04:42.36]and just his life and professional experiences [04:46.65]will add...to the Yale classroom, to the Yale community." [04:53.64]Hatch says he believes having a Yale education [04:57.68]will open more doors for him in finding money for his organization. [05:04.08]He also believes it might give him a chance to be heard [05:08.59]when U.S. government officials start deciding where and when to use the military. [05:15.95]"Education...combined with my military experiences [05:20.62]can be the most beneficial thing I can have. [05:25.12]I think I have a voice that should be heard," he said. [05:30.07]I'm Susan Shand. [05:32.92]更多听力请访问51VOA.COM