The extra time gave Corcoran the chance to make mathematics meaningful: to let his students see the clear relationship between effort and reward.

增加的那些时间不但让科科伦的学生觉得数学有意义，也让他们清楚地看到努力和回报之间的关系。

On the walls of the classroom were dozens of certificates from the New York State Regents exam, testifying to first-class honors for Corcoran's students.

教室的墙上挂着几十个考试证书，是由纽约州考试委员会颁发的。这些都是科科伦的学生所获得的荣誉。

"We had a girl in this class," Corcoran said. "she was a horrible math student in fifth grade. She cried every Saturday when we did remedial stuff. Huge tears and tears."

“我们班里有一个女孩，”科科伦说。“她在念5年级时非常恐惧数学。每个星期六当我们补课的时候，她都会大哭，眼泪流个不停。

At the memory, Corcoran got a little emotional himself. He looked down. "She just emailed us a couple weeks ago. She's in college now. She's in the accounting major."

在回忆的时候，科科伦有点儿情不自禁。他继续说道：“几个星期前她还给我发了电子邮件，她现在已经上了大学，主修会计。”

The story of the miracle school that transforms losers into winners is, of course, all too familiar.

在这所神奇的学校中有很多失败者变为成功者的事例。当然，这种故事司空见惯。

It's the stuff of inspirational books and sentimental Hollywood movies. But the reality of places like KIPP is a good deal less glamorous than that.

就像发生在鼓舞人心的书籍和感伤的好莱坞电影里一样。回到现实，在KIPP这种学校的学习生活实在非常枯燥。

To get a sense of what 50 to 60 percent more learning time means, listen to the typical day in the life of a KIPP student.

想像一下每天要花大量的时间学习，要比其他孩子多用50%到60%以上的时间学习时候的感觉吧，听一听KIPP学生的典型的一天吧。

The student's name is Marita. She is an only child in a single-parent home. Her mother never went to college. The two of them share one-bedroom apartment in the Bronx.

这名学生的名字是玛丽塔，她生活在单亲家庭，家里只有她一个孩子。她的母亲没有上大学，母女二人住在布朗克斯的一个公寓里，两人挤一个卧室。

Marita used to go to a parochial school down the street from her home until her mother heard of KIPP.

玛丽塔原来是去从家里去街道的教会学校，直到她的母亲听说KIPP。

"When I was in forth grade, me and one of my other friends, Tanya, we both applied to KIPP," Marita said.

“在上四年级的时候，我和朋友坦尼娅都申请了KIPP学校，”玛丽塔说。

"I remember Miss Owens. She interviewed me and the way she was saying made it sound so hard I though I was going to prison. I almost started crying.

“我记得是欧文斯小姐给我做的面试，她告诉我KIPP的学习生活情况，但听起来就好像我要进监狱一样。我几乎快要哭出来了，

And she was like, if you don't want to sign this, you don't have to. But Mom was right there, so I signed it." With that, her life changed.

但她的样子好像早就见怪不怪，好像在说你爱签不签。这时刚好我妈妈来了，于是我只好签字。”就这样，她的生活就此改变了。

Keep in mind, while listening to what follows, that Marita is twelve years old.

（阅读下文时，请记住玛丽塔当时是12岁。）