Section 1 English-Chinese Translation (英译汉) ( 60 points)

Translate the following passage into Chinese. The time for this section is 120 minutes.

Parents are required by law to see that their children receive full-time education, at school or elsewhere, between the ages of 5 and 16 in England, Scotland and Wales and 4 and 16 in Northern Ireland. About 93 percent of pupils receive free education from public funds, while the others attend independent schools financed by fees paid by parents.

Many, aged 3—4 years, children attend nursery schools and classes (or, in England, reception classes in primary schools). Pre-school education may also be provided in some private day nurseries and pre-school playgroups (which are largely organized by parents).

The Government has stated its commitment to a major expansion of pre-school education and wants all children to begin school with a basic foundation in literacy and numeracy. From September 1998 it is providing free nursery education in England and Wales for all 4 year olds whose parents want it, and is committed to staged targets for provision for 3 year olds thereafter. Local education authorities, in partnership with private and voluntary providers, have drawn up “early years development plans” for securing these objectives. The plans are designed to show how co-operation b